Music selected by ammel. This project asks the artists who created it to select books for ammel.
The second selection was done by guitarist/singer-songwriter Mei Semones (hereafter referred to as "Mei Semones"), who released a coupling LP of her debut EP and second EP on November 29th.
Her music fuses jazz, indie rock, bossa nova, and other genres, with memorable lyrics that switch between Japanese and English. The book she chose for me was a novel by a Japanese author, which she recently reread, as she grew up in the United States as a Japanese-American.
"I re-read it recently and have read it many times before. He is definitely my favourite author and I have re-read his novels many times and I also really enjoy his short stories."
"I haven't read much Japanese literature other than his, but out of the several other authors my mother introduced me to, he was the one I related to the most."
"I'm not sure exactly why I like him so much, but I think it's because I can relate to him so much. Though he writes mostly fiction, his stories feel like everyday life, but with a surreal twist. His characters have such an interesting outlook on life that it helps me see my own life in a different light."
- Does his story have any influence on your music-making? If so, I'd love to hear about it.
"In fact, I've been inspired by his stories a few times! For example, in the song "How to Cope" that I wrote with John Roseborough, we sing about a little lamb, and that was inspired by a story I was reading at the time."
"Generally, I really love the worlds he writes about and the atmospheres he portrays within them. I sometimes try to recreate that atmosphere in my lyrics, and it can sometimes produce interesting results," he says.
If you come across a book wrapped in glassine in the store, with the shadows of the letters faintly reflected, please feel free to pick it up and ask who selected it.
Ammel features music created by people who cherish books or whose lives have been influenced by them.
(Please note that at this time, the books are not available online, but can be viewed in-store at the time of rental.)