“Human After All”
February 12, 2010
We are human, after all.
A more emotive track infused with the more tech-driven sounds I’ve been working on.

“Vapors”
January 29th, 2010
Part of a series of tech songs I’m working on that will be compiled and released when finished.

“Constrictor”
October 29th, 2009
Gritty. A main synth line that progressively moves between small and large filter washes for some epic, punchy, 4-on-the-floor tech house.

This album has a decidedly emotional feel with an encompassing downtempo/chill theme. The songs vary in electronic styles from down-tempo to trance while keeping a fairly cohesive experience between one another. The bulk of the song writing took place in June through November of 2007, while follow up sessions in May through August of 2008 rounded out the track list. As always, the compositions proved to be a learning experience not only in a technical sense but in a spiritual one, too.

Tracklist:
01) Releasing Everything Within Me
02) On Approach
03) Striking the Ocean
04) Well of Souls
05) Everything That We Love
06) Always
07) Just Hold Me
08) Eloquence
09) Picking Up the Pieces
10) Moving Ever Closer
11) Spying

Some notes on the songs: The intro track (“Releasing Everything Within Me“) is certainly soundtrack-esque. The organ pads, the drums, and the choir used really set the tone for introspective, soulful, emotional pathos. The gritty, textural songs up front (”On Approach” and “Striking the Ocean“) were experimental tracks to take my down-tempo sounds and apply them in a more rich & emotional way. Moving into the title track, there is a more upbeat sound here with a side serving of ethereal edge, capturing the name appropriately.

“Everything That We Love” and “Always” both appeared on For the Cure 2008 – A Benefit Album.  Each song resonates with personal experiences in my recent years.  The previous having a bit of indie-electronic influence has been a favorite among friends and fans.  It is almost a meditation of positivity in life; of being thankful for everything that we love.  The later contains elements of trance that appear in a mix of ethereal sounds matched with a relaxed trance beat that bubbles into a synth-washed journey of love.

“Just Hold Me” and “Picking Up the Pieces” (they don’t appear side by side) are almost minimal in nature. They are fairly stripped down, introspective songs true to their name.

“Eloquence” was a favorite of mine to write and produce.  Sandwiched between the previously mentioned songs for good reason, this track acts as a bit of fresh air (hope? maybe).  It is the sort of ‘a-ha’ moment, or perhaps the point at which we have some clarity.

Trance influence again as “Moving Ever Closer” begins to write us into a closing.  Some of the down-tempo sounds are retained here while the gritty bass synth moves us along side the matching four-on-the-floor beat.  The ethereal portions of the track tie it in with the emotional textures of the album, as I intended the song to be forward looking (hence the more dancey/upbeat nature of it).

The last song (“Spying”) is a buried gem.  The big sounds mixed with the plucked instrumentation, a natural sounding bass, and a fairly straight forward drum kit made for a distilled, yet organic feel.