Photo by Martina Melchionno
Ever since releasing debut LP On Claws (2010), Thijs Kuijken, the pivotal force behind Utrecht alt-folk/slowcore formation I Am Oak, has been an artist who opts to explore rather than reveal. That particular mindset is beautifully reflected in his music: always adrift in reverie, modestly surrendering to the moment, as his honeyed voice pleasantly rests between sound and poetry. I Am Oak is and always remains instantly recognizable in all its elusiveness and vividness.
On upcoming full-length Osmosis, released internationally September 6 on Snowstar Records, Kuijken reveals the origin of I Am Oak's intuitive work for the very first time. The title actually betrays it: "osmosis" is a term for the unconscious processing and assimilation of certain ideas, experiences, and knowledge. Music, but also photography, can potentially transform this process into something surreal. This has always been I Am Oak’s gift as well: Kuijken habitually transmutes his feelings and thoughts into natural phenomena and landscapes. A good example is "Kamikochi" where a sense of wonder about a straight rainbow in the Japanese Hida Mountains becomes the starting point for deeper reflections.
Throughout Osmosis there are similar selective memories mysteriously filtered within Kuijken's mind. New single "Swells", for example, originated in Sardinia when a wild boar suddenly ran under the guardrail of a highway, right in front of Kuijken's car. A completely random incident that (fortunately) ended with both parties unharmed, but unexpectedly, sparked cogent new perspectives. "Swells" captures this rude awakening thrillingly; the crystalline vocals and spiralling piano melody are entrenched in the climax by massive-sounding distortion guitars.
By literally documenting these specific moments into his songs, Kuijken hopes to get a little closer to unraveling himself. In that respect, he doesn’t exactly take the paths of least resistance. On “Stranger” he interrogates and confronts himself by singing from the perspective of another. When writing Osmosis, Kuijken challenged himself on a compositional level as well, frequently exchanging the guitar for the piano, breaking free from his own tendencies and patterns, coming up with fresh angles.
As a result, Osmosis is I Am Oak’s most sonically diverse and vibrant record to date. The accompanying artwork and pictures Kuijken made are an extension of this; the familiar elements are still present, though rearranged in an abnormal way. Indeed, that sense of wonder always permeated the world of I Am Oak, highlighting the extraordinary in the ordinary. Osmosis invites you to navigate its scope and soothing ambiguity at your own desired pace, comfort, and leisure. But by veering his craft into more "autobiographical" realms, Kuijken finally allows his permeating a sense of awe to take shape into something tangible.
Osmosis has, therefore, become a source of comfort and new insights: not just for the person listening in, but for its own maker as well. On the closing cut "Wondrous Ways", Kuijken attests as much: " I came out unwound / from all I've ever come across "
– Jasper Willems