Become weightless with me and float into the ever expansive soundscapes from Dressed Like an Ocean. Ranging from vibrant and spacey atmospheric licks akin to Explosions in the Sky, to gloomy, slow piano ballads with spoken word, the kaleidoscope of delirium hits your ears like somebody put something (wonderful) in your drink. Screamo infused with post-rock, a little bit of jazz, and a lot magical sound-scaping tools are used to meet the mood of the lyrical content. The band Dressed Like An Ocean have a plethora of shapes and color pallets to evoke the auditory hallucinations that accompany you through their sonic maze and dreamlike trance that you’ll drift into as you listen to their debut album, …A Winged Coda From My Leeching Arms.

Inspired by bands like And Its Name Was Epyon, Daïtro, and Counterparts while also citing game soundtracks like Persona (series) and Monster Hunter as inspiration, their vocalist, Aloysius, says, “We consider our band as a blank canvas that is ready to be drawn by any means of shapes and colors. All members of the band have the authority to write and compose anything in the record. Each of us are free to experiment anything with our abilities. Besides the five of us, we also invite our friends, Hidda Iqbal, and Marcelino Noreen to add more shapes and colors to this canvas with their own styles. Iqbal with his piano and Noreen with his beautiful voice. For the lyrics, we are helped by our friends Amar Amrullah, Justicia Satria, and Rahadian Alam who edited the lyrics.”

Recorded and produced in DIY ethos by default, the record was mixed and mastered independently by their guitarist in a tiny room inside his house, affectionately named The Whale Lab. A highly economical option chosen because some members are currently studying in college. Aloysius says the overall lyrical theme is quite simple. “The theme is about someone in the process of accepting themselves. Besides its simplicity, we put in codes and imagery that allow space for the audience to interpret the lyrics for themselves. Each line is designed to have layers of meanings that make it possible for the audience to find their own stories within.”

“WE COULD NEVER LIMIT OURSELVES FROM A CERTAIN GENRE OR STYLE. WE WANT OUR MUSIC TO BE AS EXPLORATIVE AS IT CAN BE.” 

- ALOYSIUS @DRESSEDLIKEANOCEAN.PUNK

“This album is very special for us. For every member of the band, this is our first ever full-length album in our discography. Even though myself, Irvan and Hilmy have been involved in other bands to make a record, this is the first time we crafted a full-length in our lives, so we have reached a new achievement from this album.

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BAND?

“We would like to do tours around the world, or an Indonesian tour maybe? I don’t know, I hope we can do that soon. Hahaha.”

ANY CLOSING THOUGHTS FOR THE READERS?

“I, on behalf of Dressed Like an Ocean would like to thank our mom and dad, to the lost love, to our inner child, to the emotions that exist within ourselves, to everyone involved in the writing, recording, and releasing process of this record. Without all of you we are just a lump of cracker dough scattered under the frying pan. Hahaha”

…A Winged Coda From My Leeching Arms is now available on cassette via BSDJ in Japan, Slow Down Records in Norway, and Mortal Blood Records in Indonesia. Support them if you can by grabbing a copy and give them a follow on their social media links below!