MAY 24, 2021
TORII WOLF | A MEDITATION ON SOUL ENTANGLEMENT WITH "TEN BILLION YEARS"
BY SHIRLEY JU
Photo Credit: Kayko Tamaki
Torii Wolf return with "Ten Billion Years,” a spiritually powerful song about the strong ties that bind two souls across time and space. In the broader context of its eponymous EP, the record is also about grieving the loss of our loved ones.
Today we're taking a look at this song through its music video, a minimalist production that puts mood and melody in charge. It was directed by Kayko Tamaki of Memento Mori Productions.
For the record, Torii states, “I felt very strongly about this song and connected to it on a personal level. Since I’m going through the same grieving process, it so brilliantly lays bare.”
"Ten Billion Years" opens up on an almost drowning synthesizer melody, one that the video juxtaposes on a baby grand piano that quickly sets the tone for a sense of nostalgia intermingled with a flickering ember of hope and acceptance—an ember that’s fanned by the very first verse out of Torii Wolf's mouth. Their voice sails smoothly over the synths, like a soft comforting whisper: "The Warrior Within Will hold you" they say, and I am immediately on board with this song.
By the last verse, the double meaning crystallizes completely: we’re all saying it. The song ends on a very haunting note, one as harsh as the twists and turns of life.
The grieving process is more than negative emotions and the cold absence bearing down on someone, and there’s more than enough sweetness and tenderness in each moving part of this song/music video to make that nuance clear. Wolf set out to make not just a song but a connection to their listeners, articulating our feelings and wishes in ways some of us cannot. And for that, listeners can't help but feel thankful.
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Torii Wolf Ten Billion Years Eponymous EP Kayko Tamaki Memento Mori Productions