“We all have the same demon, that person who’s blaming the others and isn’t pretty at all, but we all have it,” tells us Lithuanian multi-talent Kotori.
Elena Neniškytė, a true princess of Lithuanian alternative music scene, was already introduced on beehype a few years ago as a producer and singer of Umiko.
Now, she’s a member of numerous other projects. In shishi, a newborn girls surf-punk trio, she sings and plays drums. And Kotori is her solo project, where she merges singing, playing bass and rhythms at the same time. After releasing a new single and a video clip “Worned Out” as Kotori, we asked her to explain it in her own words.
“The idea of a song came from the talk between me and myself,” – says Elena. “We all have the same demon, that person who’s blaming the others and isn’t pretty at all, but we all have it. In this case, I put it in the shadow of a ring and I kick my own butt, that is criticising, not giving time, needy, sharp and sarcastic side of mine, that disturbs and always says ‘hello’ not at the right time.”
What inspires Kotori? Her own life and experiences, people and audience, also nature, because she feels natural flow of life everyday in herself and there she has the sanity one can’t feel in the city. Good & tasty music is another source of inspiration. “I just listen for a couple of songs for a week. I like to get into it as in my own heart, when I play sincerely it sometimes brings me to tears,” she says.
Video clip for the single „Worned Out“ was filmed in one shot, with a brilliant videographer Alvita Daukantaitė behind the camera. It’s a third part of their one-shot video trilogy, together with “Layed Deny” (2016) and “Kami” (2015).
“These one shot videos are my life experiences. Real and not acted at all. The video was made from pure emotion, from the fourth shot. Everyone is expecting from me to be a good fighter to do this, but I am a kung fu master as a musician and singer in my own terms of sound design and mastering of the composition. So, this was made purely from the feeling and vision I had in my head, I don’t think that I’ll fight another fight like this. I hope I won’t feel like this anymore in the future,” says Elena.
“If you’re thinking she’s beating someone with the balls, you are mistaken. It could be some feminist art, but it isn’t, just in terms that I’m a woman myself. I rely on my instincts and my hearing and also my heart who denies all the making off and showing off in my own music. I’m sincere and this fight was about knowing that the biggest enemy is your own fear to fear and be just a human,” declares the artist.
“I’m up to know you, I’m up to see you, as much that I can, fully this time,” sings Kotori as she beats her fears in the boxing ring. We see a simple emotional irrational natural born fighter, even he doesn’t know the moves or where should he move. At the same time, Elena’s words behind the scene explain to us:
“I punch myself to forgive my own anger and it is worn out, because of this fight humanity fights in bigger or smaller terms for thousands of years. Make it simple, release yourself from the leash and meet your own demon to say HEY.”
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Photo credit: Paulius Sadauskas
Kotori on Soundcloud, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram.
