with rings and knots, like wood, like us | wave to earth, 0.1 flaws and all.
The album 0.1 Flaws and All has been a big part of my everyday life since it came out in April 2023. I remember exactly where I was physically and mentally when it got released and I remember the exact moments when I managed to tie a memory to each one of the songs on the album, however something that’s always caught my eye is the visuals representing a musical release. This one’s in particular catching my attention the most.
Wave to earth has always been going for a very minimalistic style which I always thought was very on brand for them. I love the imagery of things they often mention in their music included in their graphic designs, though the visual direction for Flaws and All felt the most cohesive to me, at least since their debut.
When the album came out I wondered what the album cover was, not being certain whether its a wave or a piece of wooden item, it reminded me of a tree, and as someone who’s been supporting the band for a good while now, I wanted to connect the dots so that I can understand their artistry to the fullest.
The first thing I thought of when I zoomed in on the cover was wood; a tree, a branch, or maybe even a piece of driftwood. It made me think of Daniel talking about how he grew up surrounded by nature and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hand in designing this with Seungki, and turns out he actually did. There’s something about the texture of wood that feels really personal, at least to me. The knots,uneven grain and flaws make each piece unique. The band’s artistry revolving around human-ness, dark or light, flawed or not, and this album’s title being “Flaws and All” made me think about how despite all it’s imperfections, it still holds together, it’s strong and has it’s quiet way of enduring since it used to be “alive”. It also carries this little feeling of time passing, growth and change and compared to something cold like metal or plastic, wood just feels warmer and more human-like? It tells a certain story not just of nature, but of how we shape things and get shaped in return.
Another interesting thing related to my last point in the previous paragraph that made me feel a bit sentimental is the fact that wave to earth is a band - using instruments that are primarily made out of wood or have important parts that are made out of wood. All wooden instruments have a unique charm because their sound comes from a living material. As instruments get played they eventually get worn down or even damaged, carrying the history of every note and every performance in their marks and scratches;
you could apply this as an easy example to the bodies of guitars and how overtime they get scratched sometimes even on the pick guard or drumsticks with marks where the drummer hits them that have to be changed every now and then.
There’s a quote I really love by a renowned guitarist and guitar maker. It highlights the natural elements involved in crafting instruments and draws a beautiful connection between human touch and the instrument itself. To me it perfectly captures the spirit of wave to earth and the essence of this album:
“Tonewoods—the types of wood used to make instruments—are fascinatingly complex, much like people. No two pieces of wood are exactly the same, even if they come from the same tree. Factors like where the tree grew, its age, how its rings formed, and how the wood was dried all affect how the wood sounds. Plus, every guitar maker works with tonewoods differently, so each instrument ends up with its own unique voice.”
At this point I was very certain about what message the album cover is supposed to convey, but there was one more thing that left questions marks in my mind and that is the usage of chairs in their art but not only that, it was the chair tattoo on Daniel’s arm that was the main kicker for all the questions that appeared in my head after that.
I was left hanging for a bit but a bit after the album release Daniel shared his own perspective in an interview. It didn’t answer all my questions but it for sure made me think about what type of art I consume and from what place it originates from –
This article left me with a lingering feeling after reading this for the first time and every time any song from f&all came on shuffle it popped up in my head. It made me reflect on how something so beautiful and healing is actually something painful for the creator, considering Daniel has mentioned this painful factor of creating music many times already. What I appreciated the most was the raw vulnerability and honesty he put in this statement;
To me, raw honesty and integrity from an artist are the most important things, it reflects in all art and creates a certain connection and relationship with the listeners. Personally, I think the relationship wave to earth have created with their fans should not be taken for granted. It’s something very beautiful and raw, especially hearing and seeing it in their music. Their music feels less like a product and more like a release of the soul. Always raw, unfiltered, and deeply human. It’s the kind of expression the world seems to be missing most right now. And it’s a place that I’ll always keep going back to solely because of this.
To this day I’m wondering what is the exact meaning of his tattoo, whether it carries the same meaning as the Flaws and All art or something deeper, or maybe simpler. Regardless of what it is, I always connect it to this album and it’s one of my favorite tattoo’s of his even tho he got it long before the project even came to life.
One last thing about my favorite part of connecting wood to wave to earth’s craft is how all of them like interior. I mostly noticed they tend to gravitate to wooden furniture, at least Daniel and John judging based on their own spaces. I love seeing those I idolize take on the same interests as me, it makes me feel more seen and motivated to keep pursuing my secret passions…kind of silly
Music & wood/wooden furniture, just like us people come from a place of human effort; they start as raw materials, whether it’s sound or wood and are shaped by people and their environment through care, time, and skill. There’s something important in how both are made by hand, refined through experience, and infused with emotion. They’re not just objects or sounds that exist in the background, but they become a part of our everyday lives as they hold stories and a kind of presence that grows with us over time, especially for musicians and people who’s lives are infused with music, we live with them and they quietly shape our spaces and experiences.
I love how everything about this album feels so thoughtful and detailed, perfect from a-z, such an amazing piece of cohesive work, yet so vulnerable, flawed and human. I’ll have a hard time finding a piece of art more meaningful to me, something that’s taught me more important lessons and something that’s given me more beautiful words than what the band has given me up until now.
I’m excited to see where will these experiences lead wave to earth and their approach to future projects and I’ll forever remember this era of theirs as one the most important turning points in my life.
This album has become my absolute solace and I’m happy that it’s also the people who made it that I can look up to and learn from.
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