Nº 2 i hold a wish for you – ASPIDISTRAFLY

“Ethereal froth scudding across the sky. The sunset cleanses today, leaving it glowing. Shining water, silent waves.”

i hold a wish for you is ASPIDISTRAFLY’s first full-length album. A delicate immersion into quiet, reflective spaces, it is inspired by the solitary beauty of Banana Yoshimoto’s novella Moonlight Shadow. Just as Yoshimoto’s prose captures fleeting moments of grief and longing, ASPIDISTRAFLY’s album weaves an ethereal tapestry of sound and silence, embracing themes of transience, memory, and the gentle passage of time. Each of the nine tracks melds acoustic instrumentation, whispering vocals, and field recordings, blending together to evoke a tender, almost ‘slice of life’ cinematic atmosphere where the ordinary is tinged with a soft glow of reverence. 

Throughout the album, ASPIDISTRAFLY draws listeners into a world that feels both deeply familiar and dreamlike — a quiet universe where natural sounds and gentle strumming illuminate the delicate nuances of everyday moments. Like a cherished memory, i hold a wish for you feels at once near and intangible, it is a journey through an existential universe painted with emphatic observations of daily microcosms.

A key moment on the album is the collaboration with haruka nakamura on ENDLESS DREAMLESS. This track represents one of the first creative exchanges between ASPIDISTRAFLY and haruka, a connection that would later blossom into many more collaborations. haruka’s contribution to i hold a wish for you adds a layer of quiet harmony and shared intention, capturing the essence of KITCHEN. LABEL’s early spirit and the mutual artistic journey that began at its inception.

CREDIT

April Lee: Vocals, Guitars, Electronics
Ricks Ang: Electric Guitars, Piano, Electronics
haruka nakamura; Guitars, Electronics

Produced by Ricks Ang
Composed by April Lee & Ricks Ang
Master by Zengyo, Japan

Art Direction by Rika M. & April Lee
Design by April Lee & Ricks Ang