Mei Semones – Kurayami
Brooklyn guitarist and singer-songwriter Mei Semones keeps the momentum going with “Kurayami,” one of two new singles arriving on a 7″ via Bayonet Records December 12. The track follows her May debut album “Animaru” and recent standalone single “Itsumo,” proving she’s not slowing down after critical acclaim.
“Kurayami” translates to “darkness” in Japanese. Semones wrote it about growing up in Michigan and losing innocence alongside her friends. She describes it as one of her most technically demanding compositions, requiring serious practice before she could sing and play simultaneously. The arrangement features tempo changes, odd time signatures, wide-interval arpeggios, and fast licks that the band executed with creativity.
Director Takuto Shimpo filmed the video in Japan, capturing a cinematic style that matches the song’s emotional weight. Semones recently won Reeperbahn’s Anchor Award and continues building her European presence while expanding her reach in the States.
The B-side “Get used to it” strips things down to a live jazz trio format with just guitar, upright bass, and drums. Semones drew inspiration from Thelonious Monk for the changes and melody, writing it on her nylon string guitar. She explains it’s about finding beauty in solitude and learning to move forward while leaving space for what mattered before.
Semones blends bedroom pop, bossa nova, and jazz into something the New York Times called “virtuosic, culture-hopping music.” Her debut “Animaru” showcased this approach, and these new singles prove she’s still finding angles within that sound.
Tracklist:
- Kurayami
- Get used to it
