Japan-born, UK-based bassist and composer Ryuichi Hayashi released the song “Turning to Gold” last March with his band Krokodile. This marks new territory for the band, as previously, their songs tackled much darker subject matters and were much longer due to the nature of their tone. “Turning to Gold” is about falling gradually in love with someone and finding harmony.
“Turning to Gold” itself is clever wordplay because a famously important goal in alchemy is turning base metals to gold, and the lyrics describe the alchemy (chemistry) between two loving partners as a powerful interaction that turns both parties into one entity better than the sum of its parts.
Musically, Ryuichi Hayashi sets the lovebug mood with an addictive bassline. It creates the groove for the other elements to follow, and the incorporation of a descending bassline in the verses is a classic move that emulates falling in love with its harmonic movement.
Ryuichi Hayashi handles both bass and music creative direction on this track, and his focus on groove-driven sounds comes through clearly. Together with the band, their vision to pull inspiration from Mac DeMarco’s stripped-back approach and Blood Orange’s guitar tones, they managed to find a new sound of their own. At their shortest song yet, it shows Krokodile is prioritizing simplicity after overcomplicated past processes. For a group of self-described natural-born melancholics who usually work with darker material, “Turning to Gold” marks a shift toward something lighter that apparently felt more vulnerable than the darkness ever has.
