Karus

"Karus" is the song that was born from a simple play on words.

The sound of "Karus" just came into my head while I was playing around with words that felt good over a beat I loved while driving.
As I looked up I discovered that "Karus" is an Ainu word meaning "mashhroom".

That small discovery led to the idea of the red fly agaric mushrooms that grow wild here in Hokkaido, which then grew into the central theme of the song:
What lies just beyond the world we take for granted.

The things that are actually beautiful, even though we may avoid them.
The things we tell ourselves we cannot do.
The world beyond the limits we unconsciously place on ourselves.

Our everyday lives are filled with invisible boundarie-ones we have created without even realizing it.

"Karus" is about the feeling of stepping just a little beyond one of those boundaries.

Touching an instrument you've always wanted to play.
Singing in front of people.
Dancing.
Wearing something completely different from what you usually wear.
Taking an unfamiliar route on your morning walk.

You don't have to make a life-changing decision, but taking half a step outside the box may lead to sensations and landscapes yet unknown.


In this song, I chose the slightly humorous image of "eating mushrooms" as a metaphor for those little adventures.

On sleepy days.
On sluggish days.
On days when you don't feel like doing anything at all.
The new world is already within you.

Let's eat mushrooms.
Gather your courage,
Welcome to a brand-new world.