Rasvan Aoki Encapsulates Groove Through “Promise”
Rasvan Aoki returns with their latest single called “Promise” on early August. The fourth track that can be found on their debut album “Tyaga” isn’t entirely new, but it presents another side of Rasvan Aoki that comprises more groove than their previous releases. The reggae duo hailing from Surabaya has constantly churned out great reggae-infused songs, including “Promise” which they always perform during live occasions. “Promise” as they elaborate more on the press release, tells about a situation about human’s foible and promises that came out from their mouths. Oftentimes, promises are just sugarcoated lies waiting to be fulfilled and many sins came from unfulfilled promises. Initiated by a clear command of groove, a brass section that reminds us of a ska band came to give this song a different touch. Aoki’s vocal persuasively tells us to keep listening to this song until the end. Her child-like vocal feature that can be found on her tone is similar to the likes of Elda from Stars & Rabbit or Nitnot from Humi Dumi.
Rasvan’s voice amplifies the reggae-ness of this song with his shout out and Jamaican-esque singing style. This song doesn’t need any further dissection or analysis about its meaning, tempo, or dynamics. What we can get from it is Rasvan Aoki makes a song that we can bop our heads to. It is a simple pleasure that musicians sometimes skip when making music these days. A lyrics video created by visual artist Okke Maeda also accompanies this song. It’s a simple animated music video that shows a girl walking while chatting. The lyrics are shown in a pop-up message style with “Promise” artwork shown on several LED screens on the side. We wish we could see it on a normal Youtube video ration though because a vertical video isn’t clear enough to display the lyrics. While you listen to this song on repeat, don’t you remember a longtime promise to someone that you haven’t fulfilled?
