Mei Semones • SOMMERINSEL (Open Air)

In the organizer's words:

Mei Semones is playing an exclusive open air concert this year on the SOMMERINSEL at the Kulturhaus Insel Berlin. Tickets are available now. Presented by FluxFM

Admission: 18:30
Start: 19:30

"No questioning, no brooding. I want to live my life doing the things that are important to me, and I think everyone should live that way," says Mei Semones about her empowered self-confidence. By continually refining her signature fusion of indie rock, bossa nova, jazz and chamber pop while showcasing her technical prowess on the guitar, the 24-year-old songwriter and guitarist from Brooklyn is quickly establishing herself as an innovative musical force. Since the release of her acclaimed EP 'Kabutomushi' in 2024, a series of lushly orchestrated reflections on love in its many phases, Mei has toured extensively across the US, built a loyal fan base and written and recorded her highly anticipated debut album 'Animaru'. Inspired by the Japanese pronunciation of the word "animal", "Animaru" is the expression of Mei's deep trust in her instincts - a collection of musically stunning tracks on which Mei sounds more adventurous, vulnerable and confident than ever before.

Mei's newfound confidence stems in part from her experiences over the past year, as 2024 has been a year of change for the Mei Semones band. They shared the stage with Liana Flores, Elephant Gym and Kara Jackson, among others, and Mei transitioned into full-time music. In the midst of frequent touring, Mei and her five-piece band recorded the album in the summer of 2024 at Ashlawn Recording Company, a Connecticut farm studio run by her friend Charles Dahlke. To these sessions, she brought a series of tracks that, like "Kabutomushi", are sophisticated confessions of a non-romantic love: Love of life ("Dumb Feeling"), love of family ("Zarigani"), love of music and her guitar ("Tora Moyo"). "Animaru" showcases Mei's enchanting range as a songwriter and musician and contains some of the most sophisticated yet straightforward songs Mei has ever written.

Although her music inherently evokes feelings of romance and gentleness, the core of the album lies in the skillful balance between tension and relaxation that Mei and her band create. There are often moments within individual tracks where a restrained acoustic guitar is accompanied by Mei's stirring vocals, which then transform into orchestral sweeps of sweeping strings and complex guitar rhythms in the blink of an eye. The album opener "Dumb Feeling" is a prime example of this: a mixture of bossa and samba, complemented by indie rock elements in the chorus, while Mei describes her satisfaction with her life in New York City. Mei actively seeks out musical challenges on "Animaru", such as in "I can do what I want", the most technically demanding track on the album. Yet she manages to make the rapidly descending guitar harmonies and odd time signatures sound like they're child's play, while her breathy, lilting voice cuts through the track's energetic dynamics. This epitomizes the album as a whole - she sings about doing things her own way and on her own terms, hoping to inspire others to make the same active change in their own lives.

The simple moments on "Animaru" are just as captivating as the passages where Mei shines on guitar or her bandmates perform a complex arrangement. "Donguri", a reduced jazz duo performance with acoustic guitar and double bass, is the simplest song Mei has ever written. It is brought to life as Mei endearingly describes (mostly in Japanese) how she imagines life as a forest animal. The penultimate track on the album also picks up on themes related to the titular "animaru". The cheerful, bubbly "Zarigani", which translates as "crayfish", is a nostalgic expression of love for her twin sister, in which Mei sings: "We'll always be there for each other / I love you like my guitar / I love you like no other." Family is one of the most important loves in Mei's life; her mother, Seiko Semones, designs all the artwork for her albums and singles. Even though "Animaru" is a declaration of Mei's independence and self-confidence at this stage of her life, it is the various loves she is surrounded by - her family, her friends, her band, her music - that give her the strength to do things her own way.

"Animaru", Mei Semones' debut album, is available now.