Commemorate – Commemorate
Release Date: April 14, 2025
Origin: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Genre: Dream pop, shoegaze
With their self-titled debut, Commemorate emerges as a powerful voice in the global shoegaze and dream pop movement—offering a collection of songs that feel both expansive and ephemeral. Formed in the haze of Kuala Lumpur’s underground scene, the five-piece band has crafted a sound that drifts between dream and distortion, emotion and atmosphere.
Sound & Aesthetic
Commemorate unfolds in a wash of reverb-drenched guitars, airy sequencing, and lush, hypnotic melodies. The band balances weightless sonic textures with a quiet intensity—each track rising and dissolving like a memory surfacing in fog.
Sasha Ningkan’s vocals float above the mix with effortless grace, while the interplay between Irman Hilmi, Wan Hafiz, Tariq Hamzah, and Muhammad Naqi on guitars, bass, and drums creates a layered sonic world where clarity and chaos coexist.
This isn’t shoegaze that hides behind noise—it’s immersive and intentional, built on emotion rather than volume. The production invites deep listening, rewarding those who tune into the nuances beneath the surface.
Mood & Themes
The album exists in a liminal space—somewhere between longing and peace, presence and disappearance. It captures that fragile sensation of moving through a memory you’re not sure ever happened, with each song unfolding like a whisper from the subconscious.
Themes of loss, reverie, and emotional drift permeate the record, not as statements, but as textures—imbued into the reverb, the melodies, the slow-burning crescendos. Commemorate doesn’t demand understanding; it invites feeling.
Conclusion
With this debut LP, Commemorate positions themselves as one of the most captivating acts in Southeast Asia’s dream pop scene. Their ability to create a sonic atmosphere that’s both immersive and intimate makes Commemorate a stunning and transportive listen—proof that emotional depth transcends language, and that shoegaze is truly a global language of feeling.
© Thusblog
