The Makings of SOMA
B! 39
BRASH! How do you balance elements of
“being someone and no one” when writing
SOMA: Writing as “no-one in particular” to me
means keeping all the channels open. When
inspiration comes, my job is to be open and to
listen. This can be of course challenging since
we all have our preferences, so it's tempting to
disrupt the flow of what's naturally coming
through. But underneath all this is a universality
to all expressions of art. As if all information
comes from the same place but through unique
“filters” and nervous systems. This is at least my
experience. And this is where the beauty of
being someone in particular with a unique story
starts to integrate into the song. How I, as an
individual, see the world, and what I find
beautiful and meaningful will be reflected in the
song. With every choice I make, with every
sound I choose to leave in the production, I'm
trying to get one step closer to my inner
experience and understanding of beauty and
symmetry.
BRASH! What is the importance of your music
expressing feelings that are unspoken?
SOMA: I use music to express everything from
existential contemplation to sexuality. I talk
about love, war, God, suffering, sex, ego-death,
aliens, devotion, the cosmos and one-night
stands. Nothing is taboo, but I do approach
writing with a great sense of respect and
sacredness. I'm not a big fan of work that's only
aiming to provoke. To provoke is easy, and I
don't think I've ever been turned on by the easy
way. Being truly vulnerable and revealing
something real of oneself requires much more
from the artist. But this also requires a certain
sophistication from the audience. This is not
easy to achieve, but if done right, it leads to
deeper connection. And that's what we're here
for, right? To (re)discover connection with
ourselves, with the “other”, with nature, with
our bodies, with financial systems, with politics
etc. And music to me is just one avenue to
establish connections.
BRASH! What inspired the single “Dynasty”?
SOMA: Dynasty is a result of many elements
that were relevant and bubbling up for me
personally when the song was written. For me
personally, I wanted to write a genuine and a
Photo Credit: Kanerva Mantila Photography
fresh pop song, which lead to Milos Rosas. Simple
and airy enough so that I'd have space to talk about
even a heavier subject. One can approach Dynasty
from many directions, but for me this song is about
coming into wholeness. The painful parts of
ourselves that are hidden somewhere in the darkest
corners of our minds and trapped in the physical
cells of our bodies coming through to meet us –
often projected onto other people. It's about
welcoming these shadows in ourselves, letting them
know that they've done their job, and it's safe for
them to dissolve. I know it sounds cheesy, but
Dynasty for me is about my bigger Self loving the
smaller self breathless. A sense of timelessness is
something very important to me. This is where I had
to make the tough decision to kill the first draft. I
believe my manager tried for over a year's period to
get Roberto Rodriguez to give this song a try. The
first time I heard how Roberto lead the verse into
the drop of the chorus, I knew this was it.