Our relationship with our body is everything – it’s the very vessel that provides us sustenance and shapes our everyday perception of ourselves and of the world we inhabit in. Taking great care of it, of course, proves to be a herculean feat, whether it be from the perspective of physical health or simply from managing the way others see and treat our integrity. Composer, producer, and sound engineer Blake Aaron Henderson is more than aware of this, reflecting upon the intricacies of this intimate relationship through his project TaughtMe and its newest single “In The Body”, and we at Everything Is Noise are delighted to premiere it in all its earnest splendor.
Henderson comments on the track:
‘In The Body is a plea or prayer spoken directly to the body. Like many of us I struggle to be present in my life, to stay in my senses. There are so many ways and reasons to check out, to go numb. In the song I beg my body to pull me along, to keep me awake and engaged. I tried to express a deep urgency and a powerful longing. Life is so short! I want to feel as much of it as possible but I often go dim…’
An earthy but beautifully vibrant production breathes life into “In The Body”, providing a punch to the instrumentals that makes them feel grounded yet urgent, easily facilitating this sense of plea Henderson refers to. The desperation to be in tune with oneself is immediately palpable thanks to this, with the synths and bass that act as a foundation to the otherwise blissful orchestrations giving this almost cinematic façade to the song that is effortlessly immersive – and how can it not be? Dissociation is a terrible thing to experience and Henderson does a terrific job communicating such circumstances.
This disconnection is further amplified by Henderson’s Mormon upbringing – his body being taught as sinful due to his sexuality and acts of self-pleasure – and by his diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that cause inflammations in the joints and ligaments of the spine:
‘I’ve recently been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an auto-immune disease that causes mysterious pain and terrible stiffness. My body is attacking itself. It’s sometimes difficult to trust my own organism, to release into it. I want be alive during my one brief chance. I want to lengthen this time by feeling more of it. But It’s not easy. I usually fail. I’m trying.’
Henderson’s vocals successfully manage to convey all these emotions and repressed pain into a powerful showcasing of reflection and liberation, with croons coming from the heart and tasteful poppy hooks that give structure to the soaring character of “In The Body”. The sheer tact and determination demonstrated here is fantastically thorough and compelling, and an authentic depiction of the conundrums of being human – it’s just something you don’t quite stumble upon every day.
“In The Body” is taken from the upcoming record from TaughtMe, Laugh On Me, Henderson’s first album in ten years, slated for release on October 6. You can go ahead an presave and preorder the album, and make sure to give his official website and Instagram pages a visit for any future updates!
Photo credits @Aubrey Trinnaman!
