Navigating the ethereal, liminal space between shoegaze, dream pop, and leftfield, London-based creative Marina Yozora champions an aural panorama that’s incredibly expansive, lush and hazy, with reverb-soaked vocals often layered on top of equally spacious sonic goodness. ‘Touché’ is the perfect evidence of that; Yozora’s latest effort, the single finds a worthy refuge in artistic minimalism, only relying on shimmering electric guitars, Marina’s kaleidoscopic voice, and a series of heavenly, abstract textures.
The listening experience feels cathartic and authentic, a slice of escapism in an otherwise gloomy reality. Such dreamy forays appear to be a constant in Yozora’s catalogue, with previous effort ‘Daffodils’ embodying a true Cocteau Twin ethos. Having relocated from Tokyo to the UK last year, the talented artist is a so-called Third Culture Kid, a.k.a someone who grew up across three different countries; in this case, Yozora shares roots in Japan, America, and Vietnam.
We like to imagine Marina ‘floating’ across cultures in the same ways she floats throughout her music. She sounds like a mirage, a worthy fever-dream that will leave you doubtful for days: “Did that actually happen?” Listeners might ask. Luckily, we can replay ‘Touché’ anytime, for the ultimate proof, ready to escape yet again into Marina Yozora’s hypnotic, elegant music universe.
Delving deeper into the inspiration behind the record, Yozora explains: “There are two stories behind this song; The first is that for a few minutes of this song, I felt like I had to say goodbye to someone I haven’t met yet. It was almost as if I was feeling myself in another dimension of time. The second is that I was up all night, practising for my headline show in Tokyo, which I sold out. It was my last show before moving to London as an artist.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Touché’ on Spotify and YouTube:
