ABOUT

This is a small tribute to the amazing, unmatched work of the Japanese musician, Koji Iwata, known by his moniker, Hermit. I wanted to make something dedicated to him because he is a big part of my life every day and his music, his words, his soul is all too overwhelmingly brilliant and possibly the most wonderful thing in my life because I connect with him more than I have with anything else. He cuts straight to my soul. I can't even put into words how much his songs heal every part of me. I've wanted to die so many times, and when I feel like that his music is the only thing I can stand. He has pulled me out of darkness so many times because he makes me think clearly. I can't believe just one person with only an album worth of songs can completely take away my loneliness and my anxiousness. It truly feels like he's always with me. When ever I need to not think about my world, I read entries of his diary and I get lost in a world that's a mix of my own thoughts I could never put into words, and his beautiful mind that I'm always trying to understand more and more. I don't understand how I feel this close to a person who knows nothing about my existence. Because of him I know what it's truly like to feel like you've already died. And that's why I realize it's like I was dead until I found him.

It's as if he sweats out elegant drops of pleasure into beautiful arrangements that come from an abstract mind drenched in pain and a passionate heart that never comes out of its shell. I consider him one of the greatest musicians I've ever come across and the most under-appreciated. It's my goal to make this art more known to the world because he has the talent, genius and power created phenomenal treasure that is like nothing else in anyone has ever heard. Hermit is more than just an unknown talent. I feel like he is a divine phantom that has knowledge of things nobody else knows about, and who nobody has ever seen, with so much insanity that he just has to put his madness into miraculous songs once in a while.

When I was first really getting into Hermit, my life changed and I wrote this:

Dear Hermit,
To my best friend these past few days. The person who saved my life and grabbed me right when I was about to slip:

Your music is my medicine. I am completely addicted and can't break away from you now. I've spent the last few days with nothing but you blasting in my ears and taking over my mind. I've shut myself away from everyone and everything and drowned myself in your perfect, rough sound. I close my eyes and my entire body feels like it's high as I get completely lost in fascination with how much your music feeds my dried up soul. You've filled my starving heart with salvation. It's feels like blinding sunlight being poured over my tired vision. Hearing one song makes me feel like I took a long, warm nap and I woke up comepletely replenished. Your music dazzles with art that sooths my entire temperament and swells my heart with comfort and joy. It's almost too much for me to take. It's such an overwhelming sensation that I fall into. This is why people become drug addicts, because of this feeling, I can't live without this beauty.

I had become completely empty. You brought my emotions back to life. Your music snuck up on me and dug into my very core and injected it with a soul again. It scratches at each one of my feelings and has forced me to open my entire self up. I've found a new understanding of my entire self all because of you. For the first time I am thinking clearly and can see everything around me. I feel like all the weight has been taken off my shoulders. All the fog has cleared. I was falling and you caught me and came over my perspective. I was desperately reaching for something. I was growing weaker day by day and I felt myself fading away. My life felt like a foggy nightmare where nothing made sense. Now I can breathe. You gently relieved my aching and took all my suffering away and replaced it with strength. Not only that you made me understand everything.All my uncertanties, all my insecurity seemed so small. I needed something and was breaking apart trying to find it so I grasped you. You are my outlet and can understand all my conflicting, private thoughts when I was driving myself crazy with frustration inside.

Your music is like nothing I've ever heard in young life of mostly being alone. I can't understand or describe how enchanting it is, but I sense it and it makes every part of me feel so intact. It's brought out feelings in me that have been hiding my whole life. Every little noise of it gives my whole heart warmth. It's so raw and so refreshing and the only thing that feels real in my life now. With your mellow expression and peircing tunes, hearing you I can block out all of the noise, be relieved from all of the pressure and float. You ripped out all my distressed and patched me up where I was vulernable. I wish I had you all my life. All the times when I was alone and scared. When I was sinking into my own anger and lashing out. You would have turned me away from insanity. Now I don't feel paranoid or cold anymore, all my anxiety has eased from me all because of you. I feel free but at the same time don't want to ever leave my sanctuary that is your music. It really feels like someone is by my side and protecting me from pain when I found you. Thank you for saving me and getting me out of the twisted mess I was lost in.