PREMIERE | CYRRCA, self-titled
Step into the world of CYRRCA; photographed by Jayce Castrell.
Enter the world spinning cycle of CYRRCA — a travelogue brought to vivacious life across a multimedia album. The South Korea-based artist develops vibrant bars and productions that are told in percussive presentations and mind-lighting deliveries that are expressed musically, visually, via an art book companion piece and animated symbols that correlate to each of the 13 tracks from the self-titled. Traverse the hillside enchantments of Korea, international sites of the holy and sacred to hosts of parts of the relatively lesser known/less traveled roads; CYRRCA takes the audience on an international adventure under the globe minded World Tribe banner and brand that brings the furthest extents of the universe a little closer to our collective homes.
"North Sea" starts the narrative like witnessing the planetary orbit of earth from afar where the poetics move like the cycles of night and day into the ethereal cloud realm of solar/lunar dichotomies and points of mystical passage on "Beograd". Images of the modern and ancient are arranged adjacent in narratives that span across freeways to shrines on "Namsan", moving deeper into the World Tribe momentum on the conscious world minded "Temple Charm", as the stringed reverberations of "Qufu Interlude" guides the listener into the mélange of mantra spit "Apocalypse Tao" that teeters on the edge and end of the world. Notions of value are weighed on the inner dialogical negotiations of "Free", progressively delving deeper into the cisterns of vision and wisdom on the heavy hearted expressions and reminiscences on "Pyrrhic Victories", benedictions of thanksgiving and immense gratitude with "Still Thankful", to blending rhythmic poetics in both Korean and English on "Bonifacio" that lyrically sails the sentimental and sonic seven seas. Views into facets of vulnerability are illuminated with the flickering lyrical lantern light of "Nothing", continuing deeper into the interior chasms of personal confessionals and confrontations with "My Lies", completing the creative circle of the album's cycle with the wavy hypnotic winds of "Istanbul" that swirls like a globe sailing, jet set seeker of a universal sense of peace, harmony and zen.
“Bonifacio” visuals courtesy of CYRRCA.
CYRRCA provided some generous insights on creative processes and inspirations:
Looking back, the aim of the journey that led to this project was pretty idealistic: I wanted to strip myself of that which I’d learned before. To see the world, explore new perspectives, seek new experience and write a book in the process.
At the beginning I thought I was searching for something outside of myself, but ultimately I found that it was self-discovery and inner transformation that was my true obsession. I eventually ended up giving up on my dream of becoming a writer, but I kept those old manuscripts around.
Years later under an island sky I found myself staring up at the moon, asking questions about what horizon to chase next. Soon thereafter came the inspiration to re-explore my writings from that journey many years past and meld them into music.
CYRRCA’s visual for “North Sea”; courtesy of the artist.
This is how the CYRRCA project began.
My ritual for writing the lyrics was to lay out my travel writings in a messy spread of Moleskine journals, handwritten manuscripts and unorganized poems. I usually began in free form/stream of consciousness with my old writings there in the periphery when I was stuck or searching for something that had a sense of immediacy to it. My aim for the lyrics was to make them both intimate and mythic.
“Still Thankful” visuals courtesy of CYRRCA.
I didn’t foresee the project unfolding into so many layers, nor did I anticipate the many relationships that would be forged while bringing the various elements to fruition.
So many magical people contributed to bring the vision to life and helped me keep the ship aimed steady towards it’s North Star and for that I am infinitely grateful. As the ambition of the work grew, I sometimes doubted if I had the endurance to see it through. But the original inspiration kept calling me as clear as the moon and I am glad to finally share it here with you.
Visual still from “Free” courtesy of CYRRCA.
Cover art from the self-titled CYRRCA album.