On her debut release as an independent artist, HARU NEMURI calls for divine violence through rich and esoteric art pop with ekkolaptómenos.
Release date: August 1, 2025 | ekkolaptómenos/Independent | Official Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | X
There really seems to be no shortage of tantalizing music with HARU NEMURI. 2018’s Haru to Shura declared the Japanese singer-songwriter and producer as a promising underground figure with her unconventional but no less adrenaline-fueled mix of noise rock, electronica, spoken word, and hip hop, while its follow-up sophomore record SHUNKA RYOUGEN further exposed the scope of her artistry to cinematic heights. Along with her knack for genre blending, much of Nemuri’s releases are executed with a pretty robust conviction to challenge corrupt forms of modern-day political systems – a combination that makes her one of the most exciting current acts for me. Now, ekkolaptómenos is here to usher a new era for HARU NEMURI, marking her very first full-length effort as an independent artist. It is only fitting, then, that the album’s title proceeds from the Greek word ekkolápto (meaning ‘to hatch’), as new sonic concepts are introduced and, with that, some notable expectations being subverted as well.
ekkolaptómenos presents itself with quiet confidence – not in a manner as to not cause disruptions or not be perceived, but more so to test the waters and properly take in this new venture with poise. Nemuri approaches this new artistic iteration with more refinement, replacing maximalist arrangements in her songwriting with much more focus on spacious and ornamented production. Still, these songs are trademark HARU NEMURI, with the punk ethos that characterizes her music continuously on full display.
“anointment” starts the self-produced album off with a mid-pace but immediate triumphant feel, trading heavy percussions with layered keys that coalesce to make a grand, singular sound. As customary, though, nothing is meant to be overlooked with Nemuri, or at least as the track’s liner notes would suggest: aside from introducing an evolved musical palette for her, this record serves as a calling for a new, fresh sense of self, with its opener using the historical act of anointing as a means to break away from the power structures and, consequently, societal perceptions that are precisely borne from such practice:
‘When the works of power are observed in its relationships with others, is it possible not to strengthen the action, but rather to burn it away with one’s own hands?… Through an act deemed authoritative, I burn away the very possibility of one’s own authority. Only then, for just a fleeting moment, the state of ‘I’ just exist.‘
Inspired by Walter Benjamin’s concept of divine violence, Nemuri conceives ekkolaptómenos with the goal to start anew by destroying political conventions and questioning the perceived unwritten laws of the artist-audience dyadic through the allure of rich art pop. The majority of the tracks thrive in electronic flourishes; it’s candidly artificial, explorative, and bold. Such is the case with “haven”, where synth leads and choirs move in wave motion along with sharp 808s until it descends into one of the first unexpected turns of the album: instant blips of glitching and distortion make way for the jitter of disintegrating tape briefly taking hold of the song, as Nemuri plays with hauntingly swelling leads and eerie pitch modulations. Similarly, “indulgentia” uses a punchy konnakol sample with dizzying organs as the backing beat to her fiery rapping about giving grace to one’s dignity in resistance to a violent world governed by malicious optics and control.
Although a bit contained at times, the electronic elements protagonizing ekkolaptómenos bring a cohesiveness to Nemuri’s songwriting that does feel invigorating, merging sophistication, grit, and command in a manner that shows direction and just a great sense of crafting. Nevertheless, her rock sensibilities are not completely out of the equation – “supernova” brings industrial heaviness with battering guitar strumming and frantic bass lines just barely bursting at the seams, while “terrain vague” has a lively, almost synth rock-esque brightness to it that is immediately entrancing. There’s also the dembow-infused “panopticon”, which is spearheaded by a slick guitar lead that counters the song’s combative predicament towards Foucaldian surveillance with much energy.
Singing also takes the lead this time around. HARU NEMURI has, of course, more than shown her chops at delivering great and catchy vocal lines, but on ekkolaptómenos she really gives in to the task of approaching these songs with a pop mindframe that brings consistency to the album. “haven”, “panopticon”, “terrain vague”, and “excivitas” showcase this, the last one even revealing her voice soaring through EDM-inspired hyperpop territory with enjoyable results. Similarly, “angelus novus” sees her trying out different vocal inflections, the latter half sporting nothing but character and bite to an already vibrant track that uproots anti-colonial sentiments. Pop aside, experimentation will always be the name of the game for Nemuri and the brooding cut “symposium” is no exception to that; her vocals channel cynicism, contempt, and downright mockery of complacency towards a world set up for obedience and consequent failure, hailing one of the most blunt, nonchalant, and definitely relatable lines off the whole album – ‘this country sucks‘.
If it somehow wasn’t apparent enough, HARU NEMURI is not one to follow rules, and ekkolaptómenos might just be the final nail in the coffin to any expectations for her to settle. While the album is a solid formal introduction of her foray into art pop at face value, dig deep enough and you’ll find the same dedication to making music from the heart, and the same determination to question political injustices that is synonymous to her career at this point. Even with these songs being more measured in comparison to her previous releases, the craftsmanship is unmistakable. Her music is clearly not meant to conform, and if the album is any indication of what this new chapter for Nemuri as an independent artist will look like in the future, then whatever form that might take, it’ll very well be just as unapologetic and sincere.
