Listen: 'Emerge' By The Earflower Experiment Ft. Aman Saxena
8 May 2020
A man is lost at sea. He clings to a piece of wood, desperately trying to stay afloat, terrified to move, petrified at the thought of losing what he perceives to be the only thing keeping him alive. What might become of him if he lets go, how might that alter his reality? He could try to let go and swim to some unseen, unknown shore, risking his life and the comforting buoyancy of the wood, or he could cling on forever and pray for his survival. One thing is clear – the decision needs to be made soon, before he loses himself to the water.
On his new single 'Emerge' featuring long-time collaborator Aman Saxena, multi-instrumentalist Astaaq Ahmed aka The Earflower Experiment makes the decision. Summoning all of his willpower and determination, and with a deep breath, a loud splash and a leap of faith, the man tosses aside the wood and starts swimming. Not only does he swim, but amidst the swirling, psychedelic melange of textured, slow-paced guitars and the emotional swells of an organ, he finally finds himself touching the shore. All it took was some resolve, a touch of belief in himself, and the courage to let go. And so emerges our protagonist, stronger and victorious after having re-discovered himself.
Though this is the very tactile narrative Ahmed paints on his hypnotic, 70s prog-folk-inspired song, he was actually using the narrative of the man stranded at sea as a metaphor to allude to toxic relationships and the burden and fear of letting go, and the euphoric relief once you finally do. He thus crafts a contemplative mood on the single, leading into a triumphant closing stanza where he sings:
“I'm ready to grow now, won't cave anymore
'cause I feel like I'm found in another world, and it's done with you
And I feel in my bones the strength that I lost in time with you
I walk all alone now
As you watch in the distance
I've pushed past your lies now
I'm ready to grow.”
Listen to the single below:
Image: Dhruv Ganguly