“We have the freedom to musically, lyrically, and visually explore what we are driven to explore, and to release what we decide to release when the time is right,” offers Pinna. “It’s a combination of instinct and business. We usually release on auspicious days. For Irkalla, each release also will be released on a day that is a derivative of three in terms of numerology. For Pleroma, it was the summer solstice. In terms of content, I see us as travelers who go outside the bounds of a sense-based perception to catch a musical or lyrical idea and then translate it to the material realm. When we get out of our own ways, we are translators or conduits for energies that move through us. Honoring what comes through is important for us.”
Pinna’s complex puzzle of lyrics, music, and themes are always in constant kaleidoscopic motion. While some pieces of Vajra’s musical picture come together with relative ease, others take time to marshal into place. The push and pull of the process isn’t nested in time per se. The songwriting (and overall aesthetic) comes together through surreptitious cosmic provenance and sheer artistic will. An album, like Irkalla for instance, isn’t merely the sum of its parts. To wit, Vajra recently released (and internally-produced by bass player Dave Sussman) the video for “Maya,” the first of several stunning singles. They operate as separate but part of Irkalla’s whole.
“Things shift and move throughout the album depending on the song and each moment within the song,” Pinna reveals. “More concretely, we attempt to weave a tapestry of melodic rock with dark ambient experimental interludes. Perhaps the music and lyrics of Irkalla reflect an esoteric space to explore the dark night of our souls. What is important is that the music may provide a portal to go on a journey. The journey will be different for each individual. My musical heroes have done this for me.”
Throughout Irkalla, Pinna and bandmates Sussman (bass), Al Javier (guitar), Mark Collom (guitar), and Jimmy DeMarco (drums/percussion) conjure music from a diverse panoply of threads. At its core, Vajra can be called dark rock, but the spectrum isn’t always pinned to the tinges of the abyss. Throughout the journey on Irkalla, Vajra paint with vibrant reds (“Maya”), splash blues and greens (“Irkalla”), project arboreal greens (“Wind”), and weave autumnal oranges (“Crown or Crucify”). This is possibly a natural outcome of Pinna’s perceptional condition called Synesthesia, but more likely the varied influences coming into the Vajra camp.
“The influences are varied,” affirms Pinna. “I lived in India for five years, Italy for a summer, NOLA for three years, and San Francisco for a couple of months. My dad was a monk before he met my mom. I'm a yogi and mediation person, and I have this condition called Synesthesia, which affects how I process music. Nature, life, art, Tarkovsky, von Trier, Kubrick, Lynch, philosophers and consciousness astronauts (e.g., Terence McKenna, Alan Watts, Baba Ram Das, Joseph Campbell, etc.), mysticism, the occult, history, dance and politics are influences. Musically, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Om, Classical Hindustani, Alice In Chains, Duran Duran, Black Sabbath, Deftones, soul music, The Mars Volta, etc.”
Conceptually, Irkalla is the first part of a trilogy exploring the various levels of consciousness. Not the medical definition, but rather the philosophical (Eastern and Western) and esoteric. The use of the Sumerian word, “Irkalla,” which is a mythological Underworld of sorts for which there’s no return, is both metaphorical and literal. The trials and tribulations Pinna experienced while writing Irkalla appeared overlapping and ceaseless. Her own personal Hell. Similarly, the lyricist wanted to also venture into the lowest level of consciousness as theme entwined throughout the album’s six snake-like songs. The metaphoric association to the ancient Underworld also plays out in the bonus tracks on Irkalla, where Vajra deconstruct their influences and spirit animals into a three-part music ritual dedicated to the Shadow Queen (her Sumerian name is Ereshkigal and her Greek counterpart is Hekate).
“Irkalla focuses on the lowest level of consciousness,” Pinna says. “It is the base, material, selfish, ego aspects of ourselves (i.e., the ego-driven, lie, cheat, steal, aspects of the self). It is the place that we must shine a light and acknowledge before we move to the next levels of awareness. Also, I’m obsessed with the Sumerian history right now. I was contemplating Goddess energy, and when and what prompted what I see as an imbalance between the masculine and feminine energies. I was wondering what it really meant to have a God and why it was considered, by some, a ‘He.’ I’m also interested in what is behind the concepts of heaven and hell.”
Irkalla was produced by New York native Daniel ‘Sahaj’ Ticotin (Ra, Mötley Crüe). Pinna was introduced to Ticotin in 2018 after both were on different spiritual missions while in India. The twosome hit it off as former expats and with similar interests in music. The majority of the sessions were captured in Los Angeles, with keyboards and some harmony vocals being put to proverbial tape at Pinna’s home studio in New York. The drums were also tracked in upstate New York at a different studio by session drummer and long-time friend Blake Fleming (ex-The Mars Volta). Based off his impressive work for non-album single, “The Mirror,” Vajra again hired two-time Grammy winning studio ace Camilo Silva. Between Ticotin’s sage experience as producer/mixer and Silva’s deft mastering job, Irkalla, with all its hidden caves and spectacular peaks, sounds positively explosive.
For sure, Vajra have the future pegged to today with the launch of the riveting “Maya” video and the broadcast of their striking Tas Limur (Volto, Tool) designed cover art. It’s from here that the adventurous outfit will continue to unfurl angels and demons, light and dark as they prowl into the release of Irkalla on new indie Thunder Cult Records on January 15th, 2021.
By Chris Dick
There are other inactive bands with this name:
1) Vajra, aka 跋折羅 or バサラ (Basara), is a trio made up of Kan Mikami (vocals, guitar), Keiji Haino (vocals, guitar) and Toshiaki Ishizuka (percussion). they have released 5 albums and one MCD on www.psfrecords.com.
2) VAJRA (Pronounce BAJRA) is a new metal band formed in 2009 in Japan, and signed by Death Trap Records (SPEED-DISK). The band has five members: Nobro (vocals), 『L.』 (guitar), 如月悠里 (guitar), 希ユキ (bass) and Rohan (drums). The group disbanded in January 2011. They released their 1st single "THE RISING SUN" on November 25th, 2009.
The Mirror
Vajra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause your heart's wrapped up with knives
All along, I should′ve known
But I was caught in your cobwebbed lies
I know you hate
To look at me
'Cause I'm your mirror,
I know you hate
To look at me
Cause I′m your mirror,
And you are what you see
Locked inside their definition,
Afraid of what they′ll say
I kicked that box where you were living
So you can see another way
Pushed you up against the edge
Of who you are and who you want to be
Pushed you up against the edge
So you can see
Your own duality
And now you hate
To look at me
'Cause I′m your mirror
And you are what you see
I know you hate
To look at me
Cause im your mirror
And you are what you see
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Your spell is dead
When you can see
That ugly reflection
Is all in your head
The song "The Mirror" by Vajra talks about a toxic relationship in which the singer realizes too late that she should have known about the other person's deceptive behavior. The first verse symbolizes the other person's lies that have hurt the singer in the past. With the reference to Ockham's razor, a principle that suggests that the simplest and most straightforward solution is usually the best, the other person's lies eventually become apparent. The singer's heart is wrapped up with knives, which means that the emotional connections between the two are painful and hurtful, and that the other person is not satisfied with the usual emotional conversations but is always looking for ways to inflict further damage.
The chorus of the song brings out the central theme of the lyrics, where the singer admits that she is the mirror that reflects the other person's true self. Even though the other person hates looking at herself through the singer, the reflection is accurate and honest. The second verse suggests that the person has been living inside a box of societal expectations and is afraid to be who they genuinely are. The singer tries to push her towards seeing things differently and understanding herself better. The mirror is the source of the truth that forces the other person to confront their dual personality.
In conclusion, "The Mirror" by Vajra is about a person whose behavior and lies have impacted another person in a negative way. The song speaks to the idea of being introspective and facing oneself honestly for growth and change.
Line by Line Meaning
Ockham's razor slit your tongue
You are speaking with excessive complexity when the simplest explanation is best.
Cause your heart's wrapped up with knives
Your emotions are contradictory and cause internal conflict.
All along, I should've known
I should have realized the truth earlier.
But I was caught in your cobwebbed lies
I was trapped in your deceitful web of illusions.
I know you hate
To look at me
'Cause I'm your mirror,
And you are what you see
You dislike seeing me because I reflect your own flaws and shortcomings.
Locked inside their definition,
Afraid of what they'll say
I kicked that box where you were living
So you can see another way
You were constrained by societal norms, afraid of criticism, but I helped you break free from that to see new possibilities.
Pushed you up against the edge
Of who you are and who you want to be
Pushed you up against the edge
So you can see
Your own duality
I challenged you to confront the contrast of your present identity with your desired self-image.
And now you hate
To look at me
'Cause I'm your mirror
And you are what you see
You now detest looking at me because I force you to face the truth about yourself.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Your spell is dead
When you can see
That ugly reflection
Is all in your head
The illusion you created through self-deception is shattered when you realize the truth is within yourself.
Writer(s): Ann Marie Pinna
Contributed by Jake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brad Householder
Umm...wow. just wow. Ive been a fan of Tool, and progressive rock/metal for nearly 25 years. And in that time..its been rare to hear a band who can hold their own within that spectrum.
VAJRA has their own style but influences are noticeable.
No matter. Im not going to sit here and analyze this even though thats just my brain type to do so (Engineer problems lol) . All ill say is that ive already shared this with about 20 friends in person and have become a fan perhaps for life.
Rock has long needed a quick kick in the nuts. This shit is that kick and rock is doubling over with the reality check.
Love it. Ill be seeing you guys. Keep it going.
SchecterC7FR11
Wow...This band is something special. Gave me chills. I'm a huge fan of progressive music and this is just what I needed to hear. I listened to this song over and over. The singer is hot af too! But she can actually sing!!! Keep it up!
Vajra Official
thanks so much! please connect with us on fb and instagram. links on our website here: www.TheVajraTemple.com! new music is out later this year!
Jeremy Carnes
Lyrically, this song and Maya resonate heavily for me. I'm just coming back into clarity after a long time in the dark. You helped a little.
Vajra Official
This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing Jeremy.
Allana Seda
this song is powerful and amazing! she is a rockstar
Álvaro Armeloni
Simplesmente Espetacular!! ♥️♥️♥️💥💥💯💯💯🤘🤘🤘💯💯💯🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎸🎸🎸🙏🙏🙏🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Vajra Official
🤘🤘🤘
Kevin Tarrant
Absolutely can't get enough of this song! 😈🤘🖤
Renee DeCesare
VAJRA is F---KING AWESOME LIVE ! I first saw them at the Chance in Poughkeepsie. I am so happy that my friend told me about them. If you like their videos, you will not be disappointed when you see them live. Keep rocking guys.
Vajra Official
thanks renee! we are back at the chance on oct 7 direct support for avatar. should be a good show. hope you can make it!