half of a rainbow and the soul searching and saving "charlotte in tokyo"

 

"and I thought of us as a momentary anomaly in time."

Against banging honkytonk piano and a quick snappy beat, half of a rainbow (the art pop project of German singer songwriter / musician Johannes Harder) croons out a short verse and falls right into the chorus.  

"I thought of us as devils and angels, and I thought of us as the start and the end, and I thought of us standing in the streets being told we're just kids - I thought you'd be my Charlotte in Tokyo / lost between the lights / saving my soul /  Charlotte in Tokyo / all my desperate hopes..."

The upbeat, jammy quality that feels like it burst out of Johannes' chest as opposed to written over time. It feels, in some way, like bi-polar indie rock, the music feeling jubilant but the vocal aesthetic somber and a bit beat up. The obvious (as press notes share) lyrical reference to writer / director Sofia Coppola's 2003 film 'Lost In Translation' and equal inspiration drawn from Patti Smith's subcultural novel classic 'Just Kids', has Johannes "painting a picture of the hopes for a once-in-a-lifetime connection in the middle of chaos, while simultaneously being hit by reality." 

While I have not read Patti Smith's 'Just Kids', you might remember that 'Lost in Translation' was about a chance meeting that becomes impactful for two people who are literally lost, disconnected from their lives, fractured and broken. Each becomes the emotional glue to start to fix each other and maybe a mirror of who one was and one might become if something doesn't change (at least my interpretation). 

Johannes doubles down imagining the feeling not of unrequited love but someone not being the chance impactful creature to help him, needing an human life preserver that not happening. Melancholia soaked in a sponge and wrung out down the drain. Loving the sound here, the lyrical imagery, the beautiful busker punk bounce and the sadness. In the end, for us the listener, half of a rainbow has written a song that is in itself that "charlotte in tokyo", a beautiful mirror to stare into just in time. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

half of a rainbow · charlotte in tokyo

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://www.instagram.com/half.of.a.rainbow/

https://soundcloud.com/user-62082744/poison-in-e-major/s-8zQnlImj65n

https://halfofarainbow.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Half-of-a-rainbow-102982251218929/

half of a rainbow is the art-pop project of German musician Johannes Harder. In the tradition of home recording legends such as Sebadoh and Guided By Voices, he blends catchy pop melodies with his love for experimentation. Growing up in the creative hub of Berlin, half of a rainbow has taught himself several instruments over the years and records his nostalgic art rock songs on cassettes, mostly on his own. His unique vintage sound can be heard on a series of singles due to be released in 2023.

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half of a rainbow, singer songwriter, experimental pop, art pop, indie rock, alt rock, folk indie, "charlotte in tokyo", Official Video, singer songwriter, Berlin, Germany, Johannes Harder,