
Japanese producer Saeko Killy makes a striking return with her second album, Dream In Dream, released on March 14th under Bureau B. This new offering marks a significant evolution from her debut LP, Morphing Polaroids. On this deeply personal record, Saeko takes the reins of the creative process, composing and performing nearly all the instrumentation herself, resulting in a captivating collection that intertwines psychedelic electronics with intricate drum machine explorations.
“All the songs were recorded in Berlin in 2024,” Saeko reflects. The vibrant atmosphere of the city and the experience of performing live inspired her to embrace simpler song structures, enriching her sound with a newfound accessibility. To add texture to her music, she collaborated with her longtime friend and guitarist, Alexa D!saster, who features prominently on two tracks on the album.
“Stay” is the second single from Dream In Dream, as Saeko Killy shares, “I wanted a floating, melancholic sound for this love song, creating an atmosphere of longing and intimacy. Sometimes, love is invisible, yet it remains present. I used several analog synthesizers to maintain a warm sound, and I love how the dub-style snare tails and echoing kicks create a dreamy, immersive feel, wrapping this emotion in warmth.”
On the video, director Hypnagogia TV continues, “For “Stay”, I aimed to capture the song’s shifting moods— mysterious, melancholic, playful, and quietly hopeful. We shot in the basement of Sameheads on my old VHS camera to convey a raw, almost tactile quality, as if peering through someone’s memories. [Art Director] Lilith’s stage design amplified that warm, hazy energy, creating reflective patterns of bouncing lights and shadows.
The interplay between warped mirrors, rippled overlays and layered feedback, coupled with slow-motion sequences and audio-reactive compositing evokes the track’s sense of holding onto love, even when everything feels slightly out of focus.”
The mixing of the album was a collaborative effort with Sebastian Lee Philipp, known as Die Wilde Jagd, a close friend introduced to Saeko shortly after her move to Berlin. Working together in Sebastian’s studio, they expertly unveiled the rich harmonics of Saeko’s collection of Korgs, Yamahas, and other modern interpretations of vintage synthesizers. “Sebastian has delicate ears,” Saeko notes, praising his intuitive understanding of her vision. “He was very much hearing what I wanted to do with the sound, and sometimes his ideas would just fit perfectly to the songs. He made it all happen with his great knowledge, totally magic!”
Music and magic intertwine throughout Dream In Dream, with Saeko’s lyrics seamlessly flowing between Japanese, English, and German. The resulting sound evokes memories of the audacious spirit of West Berlin in the ’80s, while the multilingual approach positions Saeko’s work in a space that is simultaneously innovative and nostalgic. Her sound fuses elements of new wave with influences from J-Pop, Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW), and industrial music.
Navigating these diverse sonic landscapes, Saeko guides listeners with dreamlike signposts, traversing the fluidity of space-time distortion as if led by an ethereal vision. While the true essence of this vision may elude comprehension at first, it hardly matters—because the pursuit of this bewildering meaning sounds nothing short of enchanting. As Dream In Dream unfolds, it invites us to lose ourselves in its layers, celebrating the exploration of identity, sound, and emotion within the expansive realms of Killy’s turning dreams.
Mark your calendars for the Dream In Dream release party on March 21st at Sameheads in Berlin.
Follow
Music by Saeko Killy @saekokilly
Released by Bureau B @bureaub_hamburg
Directed by Hypnagogia TV @hypnagogia.tv
Art direction by Lilith @lilith__llllllll
Filmed at Location: Sameheads @sameheads
Pre-save Dream in Dream here: https://orcd.co/saeko-killy