Dawn Of A New Era: This Is kotoji, The Alt-Rock Spellbinder Carving Her Own Narrative

kotoji is the newfound passion project of rock maverick, Anjila Lim (Credit: Tira Lee)

Anticipation can be a potent technique for any nascent musician, drumming up hype and spinning a tale to bolster their entry into the scene. In the curious case of kotoji, the new alt-rock project of Anjila Lim, she built herself a trilogy.

Titled the Prequel Era, kotoji’s proto-phase materialised as a trio of singles that revolve around the all-too-relatable trope of heartbreak. Like many who’ve been battered by the tides of tumultuous relationships, kotoji segues from the naivety of ignoring red flags (“Roulette In My Head”) to the bitterness of watching an ex move on (“Everything”), and eventually finds inner peace with the new life that awaits (“Halfway to Heaven”). It isn’t a narrative that’s particularly groundbreaking, but through the assiduous and captivating abilities of kotoji, still manages to strike a chord with even the most jaded of love grinches.  

kotoji tackles matters of the heart with her Prequel Era (Credit: Tira Lee)

While all of this marks a dramatic, multi-tiered introduction of kotoji, Anjila is far from an unexposed greenhorn. A lifelong companion, music hasn’t left her side for as long as she can remember. Classical piano coloured her childhood, with guitar, bass and vocal training in place throughout her teens. A prolonged stint with the AOR Band – the resident band of eminent music school, Academy Of Rock – added performance experience to her portfolio, and it’s this knowledge of group dynamics that sits within her current sonic signature. For a one-woman show, the sound of kotoji is gargantuan, with elements ranging from ringing guitar solos and counter-melodic basslines to cavernous, reverberating percussions, all swirling around a commanding vocal presence one can’t ignore.

There’s a new era brewing in the local indie circuit, and it looks like it’s got her name on it. Before kotoji moves on to her next bright chapter, I get to learn more about her and the tales that shaped her music.

kotoji shares her headspace in this interview (Credit: Tira Lee)

Hey Anjila. First up, can you elaborate more on this enigmatic Prequel Era of yours?

This Prequel Era is meant to set the context for my bigger project that I’m working towards, literally being a prequel to the main story I’m planning to share. Each song represents a stage – “Roulette In My Head” was during the relationship, “Everything” is where I’m currently at, and “Halfway to Heaven” brings it back to the middle of it all, which is what the project is about. I wanted to truly encapsulate who I am at each stage through these tracks, from the lyrical content down to the sonic and visual design of each release.

You close the era with the release of your third single, “Halfway to Heaven”. Musically, I love how it explores realms of dreamy alt-rock and even shoegaze. Is this a glimpse of the next chapter of kotoji?

Thank you very much; that is such a compliment! Yes, it most definitely is. “Halfway to Heaven” is probably the closest sneak peek into the bigger project, since it’s meant to represent where most of my headspace was during that period of time when I wrote a lot of the project’s tracklist. It’s not going to be entirely dreamy alt-rock or shoegaze, but there are definitely elements of those sub-genres.

“With every song I’ve written, there’s always this sense of emotional release.” (Credit: Tira Lee)

The song is about moving on from a ruptured relationship. Did constructing this song act as a form of catharsis?

Yes, for sure! Songwriting and music are my go-to methods when it comes to processing and healing from situations; similar to journalling, except that it’s way more than ink and paper. With every song I’ve written, there’s always this sense of emotional release. And with the actual production of the song, there’s a creative release there as well. A two-for-one deal, if you will!

The piece was also inspired by your time in London. Did life in London leave a mark on your creativity?

I’ve spent many years abroad due to university, but London was a defining year for me creatively. I don’t know what it was; perhaps it was the timing of things or just the hustle and bustle of the city, but I wrote so much more in London than I ever did in all my years of existing combined! I think having access to a myriad of dream gigs motivated and inspired me to explore my own creativity with newfound confidence. Concerts are so much more affordable overseas, it’s insane! Seeing my own music idols perform in front of my eyes reminded me of how much I loved music and, to some extent, how much I missed the stage (despite still not having performed in almost five… six years?).

I first caught wind of you when you previously released “Everything”, which took a darker turn from your debut single, “Roulette In My Head”. Was “Everything” also a turning point for you as an artiste?

I think it was a turning point with regards to the production aspect of things, but I wouldn’t say it was a crazy pivotal moment for my identity or sound or anything, since it was meant to be at that stage of the Prequel narrative. After “Roulette In My Head”, I learned a lot from that and practised more on production and recording, which is why “Everything” sounds a lot more…. put together, I would say.

A couple of these songs were written two years ago. What kept them back and why decide to release them now?

It’s all about timing and situations – it’s a common thing in music where you get to write a hundred songs in order to pick the best eight to showcase as a piece of work. During those two years, I’d written a lot of songs, and I was still broadening my own knowledge and scope of music and influences. All of that required time and meticulous thought. I also lacked a lot of confidence in myself as to whether I could really do this, plus I was studying abroad still and recording and equipment were not that easily accessible. I’m currently at a place in life where I have the means to execute it, and I have the confidence in myself to push through as well, which is why I’m here!

“[J-rock] is the one genre that has been a constant in my life.” (Credit: Tira Lee)

Let’s shift to your influences for a bit. I can definitely hear some J-rock influences with the melodic basslines and the centrestage guitars. How pivotal was the genre for you growing up? Did it determine your instrumental style?

It is the bedrock of me, musically. I mean, you’re looking at the kid who was raised on Digimon Adventure and knew the Japanese opening and ending songs like the back of their hand (despite not knowing Japanese at the time). I grew up with a lot of pop-rock-based influences like Avril Lavigne and even names like My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and Green Day. Japanese rock came about around the same time for me, through anime first, and then actually delving into the music scene to discover bands like Spitz, NICO Touches the Walls and androp, to name a few. I had a whole thing for visual Kei bands like Kra and Alice Nine. It is the one genre that has been a constant in my life.

Till today, I still love discovering new, upcoming and even older Japanese musicians. Because I listen to the genre and love it so much, it definitely became a core part of my songwriting style. I can’t help it even if I wanted to! However, I have branched out over the years to Western influences as well, and kind of just learnt to incorporate the two, in a way.

“It’s a common thing in music where you get to write a hundred songs in order to pick the best eight to showcase as a piece of work.” (Credit: Tira Lee)

This isn’t your first time making music, considering your past experience with Academy Of Rock. How did those experiences mould you into the musician you are today?

I would not be here without Academy Of Rock (AOR). I spent half of my life growing up with and in the school. My teachers have exposed me to music beyond the confines of my own comfort and have been a tremendous part of me understanding the technicalities and theory behind music and my respective instruments (which are important and should not be neglected!). AOR has also given me numerous performance (shout-out to the AOR Band, I miss you guys!) and even minor songwriting opportunities that allowed me to experience the stage and the studio during my teen years. All of that combined to form a very strong foundation for me. I think it’s also why I still love live-based/rock music and why I’m in that area of music-making. Music education is a life-long journey, and I thank music schools and AOR particularly for being that source of knowledge and guidance that anyone of all ages can go to further themselves. I still have lessons with them till now! And I might take more, to be honest.

Did you have any local music heroes growing up?

Truth be told, I did not really have any. I knew of local musicians and artistes, but I didn’t have any…. “heroes” per se. The closest people will probably be my teachers! I only started discovering more local music that I liked only in the past few years when we had this resurgence of local music becoming more popularised due to social media and the Internet. I wish I could even name drop a few acts, but I don’t remember really… vibing with anyone, for lack of a better phrase.

“I can be a perfectionist, but I’m trying not to be too much of one.” (Credit: Tira Lee)

It seems like you handle everything yourself from mixing to mastering. Do you prefer having full control in every aspect of your craft?

I do prefer having full control, mostly because I love being independent and learning how everything works, but I also know my limits. At the moment, just due to convenience and me wanting to learn, I’m doing it on my own. However, for the bigger project, I’m probably going to work with others for the mastering part of things. Perhaps even mixing, but we’ll see. I can be a perfectionist, but I’m trying not to be too much of one, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

It’s clear that these songs were written with a full band in mind. Do you already have a performance formula for when live gigs are back in the fray?

I actually don’t (haha). I haven’t really considered seriously doing live shows yet, just because I need to work up the courage to perform live again. Gathering members for a band would be another thing as well, and organising rehearsals too! I’m very used to performing cover songs, but originals are a whole other ball game! Not that I would never do a live show, but I don’t think I’ll be doing one anytime soon. Who knows, we’ll see how it goes!

“I’m just… being me, and expressing me in the most authentic way possible through my music.” (Credit: Tira Lee)

And lastly, what mark would you like to leave on the scene as kotoji?

Honestly, I don’t know! I’m not trying to make any huge statements or ~be revolutionary~, because it’s not like I’m really bringing anything that new to the table. I would just like to contribute my little end to the Singapore music scene and diversify it just a bit, in my own way. If anything, to just add more to the pile of local band-based music, and music that comes from the heart. Because I’m not trying to sound like somebody else like ‘a Singaporean version of this Western or Japanese artiste’, I’m not trying to ~change things up~. I’m just… being me, and expressing myself in the most authentic way possible through my music. If it resonates with someone, that’s cool and I’m glad I can be there for them. And if it doesn’t, then that’s fine too!

You can now listen to the singles of kotoji on her Bandcamp page. Follow her Instagram channel to stay updated with her activities.