Filip (Album 2023)

Yasha96

Indie Pop

I met Jachym, better known for his project Yasha96, at Waves Vienna outside B72 having a beer to digest all the amazing shows we have seen. He was at Waves to present his latest album, “Filip“, released by the end of 2023, and his latest single “Don’t Want to Know“. We talked about inspirations and he mentioned as strong inspirations Radiohead and Wolf Alice. After listening to his album I could tell what he meant. He has made those sounds his own and created his particular style.

Because it is not always about your inspirations, we also talked about what he was currently listening to, his answers were fascinating by the simple thing of being new for me, Nils Keppel, and “nichts andern” by Levin Goes Lightly. Unconscious or deliberate picks? I don’t know but definitely matched what his last album had to offer, released in November 2023

The first thing to know about “Filip” is that each person on the cover is a collaborator, somehow a motivation per sè, a story behind the lyrics, the sound, or the atmosphere of a song.

Listening to the whole album gave me a feeling of going through the story of a person on some sort of emotional journey. Without assuming that’s how it was intended, here are my impressions and provoked emotions while listening to it.

“Ok, check check…”, Intro.

Shine – The album starts with the right foot. The lyrics could be described as tough and tender, it made me feel the grief of a beautiful relationship ending. Here I noticed the Radiohead inspirations, also its atmosphere made me think of Nicolas Jaar/Darkside at the beginning of the 2010s.

Go Down, feat. Melis – Contrary to the above, the feeling I got was closer to the sensation of starting a relationship. Like if the character in this story is feeling the excitement of it, but the insecurities are crawling into his mind.

Swallowed by the light, feat. hellweitweg – It starts with a sample of a tough conversation: “ ⁃ So you said like your heart stopped pumping the red blood …⁃, ⁃ Stopped pumping the red blood and now is pumping black blood. ‘Cause it’s like my whole self is constricted and I know I’m so totally in debt I developed that I said I would look into it, what is happening? Why …⁃”
It is a serious reflection on the comparison between oneself and imposed standards that can grow in one’s mind. Toxic and tortuous thoughts fluttering in our character’s mind.

Wet Speed – Somehow it reflects a more lonely feeling but looking hopefully outside. The crescendo of the song helps to build that inspiring mood. Our character expresses the will to look forward.

I’m falling – Not so fast with the optimistic feeling, the melancholy holds in our elegy. It seems like for our character the hope is gone, and he is just embracing the destiny of going down.

Mathias – it is a bit of an interlude between songs.

Broken Flower – Once our character was at rock bottom, tired of it, an impulse to go out and find a way to get over it grew on him. More than in a confident manner, in a worn-out fashion. He wants to get better.

Whenever – It felt like a memory of a younger easier time with a hint of sadness and pensiveness. A woe about this boy called Filip, a reciprocated love that’s in the past.

Fireflies, feat Maryland – I was warned about this one. “… Should be a dorsey song … Hello, I loved you since the first time we met… Fireflies, fires dying out … We laid down peacefully.”
Clearly, a goodbye song about a fading out image of a loved one. A strong love that doesn’t vanish easily but remains. It is an adventurous and sweet song that makes you feel the strength of a true love.  

My Shoulders – Continuing with the goodbyes, this song talks to the loved one, before the image fades away. Our character noticed the time clicking and may be close to finishing. He begged for one more second, like a pledge to do something more for oneself and the other. To immortalize that evaporating memory.

All in all, listening to this album was an elegy about love. A poetic reflection on the sharp feelings that grow and fade. Musically speaking it has a gloomy atmosphere that doesn’t get lost in the darkness and brings pop rhythms to highlight the emotions that the lyrics are intended to convey.