Long Island’s Roken finds solace in solitude in his debut single “Comfortable,” breathing in bliss with heavy vibes and alternative R&B warmth.
Stream: “Comfortable” – Roken
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/607633248?secret_token=s-SpTJm” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]When I’m alone I feel at home, there’s nothing wrong – I’m comfortable…
Everyone has their own safe space: Their happy place, where they feel at home in their body and free to think, say, and do as they please. For some, this is a public arena – in the company of many, or perhaps just a few close companions. For others, that same support and relief comes with being alone, basking in the company of one.
Such introversion feels completely natural to an individual, yet it can seem alien to those around them – making explanations and assurances an unfortunate, but often necessary task. Newcomer Roken finds solace in solitude in his debut single “Comfortable,” breathing in bliss with heavy vibes and alternative R&B warmth.
I’m in a space I think I
need to erase myself from
my hands will shake my body aches
I need a break
My lights go out and no one hears
my silent shout
I disappear
and now I have nothing to fear
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering Roken’s debut single “Comfortable,” produced by Francois Tetaz (Gotye) and independently out everywhere April 19, 2019. Coming from a family of musicians, Roken’s intimate debut draws heavily on inspirations from the past four decades, contemporazing sounds from the ’80s and ’90s while maintaining the authenticity of their sounds. The Long Island, New York native adheres to neither a strict sound nor a certain style, preferring instead to envelop himself in the unfamiliar and alien until its natural beauty shines. He explains, “I think being able to find a way to blend the lyric with the music in a fresh and interesting way that still makes sense, is the ultimate goal in creating music.”
The first release off a forthcoming EP, “Comfortable” is in so many ways an ideal debut for the blossoming 20-year-old. The track highlights Roken’s high, beautiful vocals without setting up too many expectations or establishing the artist in any one field. Says Roken, “The EP is an interesting group of songs in the sense that some were written at home on Long Island surrounded by friends and loved ones, while others were written in other cities across the country with people I was just meeting for the first time. I think you can really get a sense of the loneliness I was feeling in some of the songs I wrote when I was far away from home.”
A close, careful listen to “Comfortable” starts to unveil some of this loneliness, but for Roken, his debut is a song of embracing the self and moments spent alone. “The song is kind of a nod to introverts, or to any person who’s felt the need to escape a space they didn’t feel comfortable in,” the young artist tells Atwood Magazine. “The idea that you can crush that creeping of anxiety just by leaving an environment is really powerful, but sometimes extremely difficult to actually go through with. When writing the lyrics, I was really chasing after that daydream of being happy and alone and just doing your own thing in your own space. Experiencing that freedom after feeling so trapped is such a special moment to exist in as an individual.”
I was really chasing after that daydream of being happy and alone and just doing your own thing in your own space.
No loneliness autonomous
I’ll make a mess I’ll wear a dress
I’ll paint a picture
swim around in glitter
Cocoon myself in
I disappear and now
I have nothing to fear
Sweet, subtle guitar licks and soothing, watery synth pads immerse us in another world – one of hypnotic delights. Roken inhales a fresh breath of freedom in “Comfortable,” inviting all to join him in sweet seclusion. This is the beginning of something special, and we’re excited to come along for the ride: Stream Roken’s debut single exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
Stream: “Comfortable” – Roken
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/607633248?secret_token=s-SpTJm” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]— — — —
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? © Meg Farrell art © Massimo Orofino
