Tim Koh is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist born and raised in Los Angeles. He has been touring, releasing music and showing art works internationally for nearly two decades. Sun An is a Southern California-based graphic designer, art director, and sound designer who has self-released music since 2012.
‘Salt And Sugar Look The Same’ plays somewhat like a dreamlike collage; across 18 short compositions, finger-picked guitars melt with electronics and warped samples to create a form of American Primitivism bent and refracted through Tim and Sun’s unique lens.
Their collaborative journey unfolded gradually, exchanging snippets via email over the span of a year or so, Sun in LA and Tim in Berlin. Amidst personal struggles and uncertainties, the act of recording and composing became a refuge, a safe space where they could navigate life's complexities together. Though they didn't converse much, mostly just sending music, their musical dialogue spoke volumes, shaping a narrative that evolved naturally over time. As they shared their musical ideas, they discovered a profound sense of connection and understanding with one another. The music became a conduit for healing, bridging the gaps between them and offering comfort in times of need.
Their musical influences and backgrounds anchored them. From reminiscing about past scenes to exploring cultural intricacies of being Korean American in Los Angeles, infused with a natural sense of shared identity, their collaboration reflected a mergence of old and new memories into a hallucinatory, dream-like experience. Across the 18 compositions that make up the album, incense emerges as a poignant motif, symbolizing the passage of time. Each incense stick becomes a vessel carrying the essence of moments gone by, while the holder becomes the custodian of these ephemeral memories.
‘Salt And Sugar Look The Same’ invites the listener on a boundary-transcending journey of introspection, joy, and pain, creating an experience that lingers long after the last note fades.
Sleeve art by Brian DeGraw, design by David McFarline.
STAFF COMMENTS
Matt says: Music From Memory follow up that beautiful Contours long player with another fabulous excursion into semi-electric dream world. Peppered with reverberated finger picking, charged with low voltage currents, and drifting along like a canoe trip through the Mississippi Delta set in an alternative universe. Sublime.TRACK LISTING
Bye Bye Betty
Moments Of Joy
Lemongrass Citronella
Cant Stand In The Past
Besafe Airtel
Today Only Happens Once
Incense Holder
Salt And Sugar Look The Same
A Lead Balloon
Sandalwood In The Summer
How They Made It
Somewhere In Time
Old Plates And Desirable Traits
Drawing To Relax And Pass The Time
The Maybes Are Endless
Yume-No-Yume
Twice
Expected To Fade