Amid the daily hullabaloo, Florida post-punk band Soda Die serves up a refreshing reset with their latest single, Sit With It. The song saunters in as casually as a weekend brunch, but packs an experimental zing that could jolt you into action, hitting the spot, packing a chill and whimsical punch.
This instrumental number echoes the rhythms of a tranquil reverie, drawing deep from the serene wells of Vipassana meditation. This practice, also known as insight meditation, is rooted in the ancient wisdom of Theravada Buddhism, the oldest branch of Buddhist philosophy. The essence of Vipassana lies in its pursuit of clarity and understanding, encouraging practitioners to observe the world and themselves with an unfiltered lens. This practice emphasizes a deep, introspective journey towards perceiving things in their truest form.
Soda Die, in their own laid-back manner, embodies this mindfulness with Sit With It. Within the song’s languid layers, one might recognize traces of Mac DeMarco’s carefree aura, a sprinkle of Beck’s early idiosyncrasies, a touch of Ought’s reflective nature, all the while subtly tipping its hat to the likes of Ween, Television, Stereolab, and Alex Cameron.
“After penning the music, I toyed with the idea of adding lyrics,” the artist muses. “But the more I listened, the more I was drawn to its instrumental serenity. It’s the kind of tune you’d play on a drive, just letting it flow.”
During Vipassana meditation, individuals are guided to cultivate a state of serene awareness and mindfulness. This involves paying close attention to their thoughts, sensations, and emotions, observing them without judgment or attachment. The goal is to gain insight into the nature of reality by understanding the impermanence, suffering, and the non-self aspects of existence. This heightened awareness is believed to lead to a deeper sense of peace, equanimity, and enlightenment, fostering a profound connection with the inner self and the surrounding world. Complementing the track, the animated video crafted by Kyle Fournier is a soothing Vipassana-inspired reflection on nature’s cycles and humanity’s part in them, evoking the whimsical psychedelia reminiscent of 1970s Sesame Street.
Watch the video with “Sit With It” below: