chasu Blossoms as a Solo Artist on the Sublime 'bury my instead'
chasu's music is nothing short of idyllic, akin to a cool breeze passing by on a humid day. His gift for crafting serene, multi-faceted soundscapes betrays the lingering anxieties that seem to hide just beneath the surface, always in sight but beaten back by the promise of brighter days. It is a testament to the Hong Kong - born, Korean-raised artist's impressive range not just as a producer - serving as the go-to producer for recent 88rising-signee Warren Hue - but as a solo artist, a range he demonstrates effortlessly in his latest double single, bury me instead.
Released via 777music, bury me instead is comprised of two singles, "sweet decay 부패 " and "séance êµë ¹íšŒ." Both move forward with a sauntering pace, as if unbothered by the world around them, even as chasu's mind drifts from an inextinguishable love to a world consumed by fire. And for all their utterances of sweet nothings, there is a persistent sense of melancholia that sways hand-in-hand with chasu's infectious blend of hip-hop, jazz, and genre-bending hip-hop.
"'sweet decay' and 'séance' are some of the first songs I wrote during my transition from a producer and songwriter to a solo artist. They were born out of necessity, really: I had to vomit my anxieties somewhere, and I couldn't get that kind of catharsis by toplining for someone else. Both songs took at most a full day to produce, write, and record, and out came two of the most honest songs I've written; some things I tried my hardest not to write about found themselves on the page anyway," chasu shares.
At their core, "sweet decay 부패 " and "séance êµë ¹íšŒ" are songs about loss buoyed by sublime production and softly-sung lyrics that call to mind everything from lo-fi R&B to big band jazz. "The song is about dying next to someone you love," chasu shares on "sweet decay 부패 " only to continue, "Behind the flowery lyrics and maximalist orchestration, though, is the innocently simple story of a boy who fears loss" when speaking on "séance êµë ¹íšŒ."
Yet, no matter what you glean from bury me instead - the euphoric production and instrumentation, the lingering anxieties, or an intoxicating mixture of the two - one fact is impossible to ignore. chasu's double release is a sign of things to come, the mesmerizing start of a solo journey we cannot wait to watch blossom.
Listen to bury me instead below:
