Hope in a Kettle
My childhood home, no matter how imperfect or broken, was the perfect sanctuary for dreaming crystal dreams before being devoured by the world.
When I revisited an instrumental piece I wrote at sixteen or seventeen, I saw that vision again. And so, roughly fifteen years later, I decided to "reconstruct" this song from the perspective of a mature adult, infused with irony and wit.
Why "Hope in a Kettle"? When I wrote the original song, I had big dreams—an unwavering hope that one of the many paths ahead would lead to success and happiness.
A small, poor house surrounded by unpainted concrete walls. The sound of my mother's cooking pots, the smell of my father's pipe smoke. Inside, I believed with a pure innocence. I was like a fledgling confined within its shell.
Amidst hope and delusion, I believed that even if the outside world was harsh, there was a space for me to spread my wings, to stand out, and to go far. I never imagined being repeatedly beaten down by life, being just a number in the workplace, or that people on crowded trains wouldn't smile, dream, or even look my way. To the world, I was transparent.
Listening to the original track brought those memories back, and I decided to create this version—more powerful and entirely different. "Hope in a Kettle" symbolizes this. A kettle is a humble tool found in many homes. The sight of it boiling and emitting steam evokes the essence of home itself. Hope in a kettle. It means being in that safe place, believing with an innocent spirit—unaware that the moment that hope leaves the kettle, it will be shattered into pieces.
Consequently, this song is infused with sounds of "innocence," playfulness, and a sense of peace—as if one were truly within the safety of the kettle.
Simultaneously, it is an experience of regressing fifteen years; a sensation akin to an out-of-body journey through time. Because of this, the melody carries a mystical resonance, bordering on trance.
During composition, I felt a sudden intuition to incorporate electric guitar and sitar-like sounds. While they maintain a calm harmony, they also serve as elements symbolizing "disconnection." They suggest that while silence and hope are preserved within the kettle through strong conviction, hardship—or rather, chaos—lies in wait outside.
Furthermore, I had long considered using instruments similar to those in Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Telephone Rubber," but I had never encountered a melody suited for that effect until now. In this song, however, it emerged naturally, becoming one of the first elements I integrated.
My music is singular and fits into no category. Therefore, I do not expect mass popularity. I am grateful to those with a "cult spirit" who have taken the opportunity to listen to this music and read these words.