NEW ALBUM RELEASED
It’s hard to believe, but my new album ‘PROJECT ECHO’ is actually the 17th that I’ve released on streaming services…I feel like some old crusty veteran shuffling on stage with inappropiately youthful clothing… The truth is, these 17 albums online only cover my output from 2009 onwards. I’ve probably made another 20 albums before that!
My albums have no overarching theme or concept - I’m producing songs constantly and after ten are finished (or however many are needed to fill 45 minutes), they’re roped off and given a title. I release two albums a year, and always have two finished albums ready to go, so I’m about a year ahead of schedule.
Using this method means albums can vary in content. I might produce ten poppy melodic upbeat pieces in a row, then five abstract gloomy dirges. In the past I tried to select album tracks from a wider pool and out of chronological order to ensure a decent mix of ‘hits’ and more contemplative material, but I don’t do that anymore. The fact that all the tracks were made around one time period gives them a kind of coherence and an insight to how I was approaching musical compostion at that time, as well as my mental state and reactions to the world. I like how this makes each collection a temporal snapshot.
I was a bit worried about ‘PROJECT ECHO’, though : it’s low on uptempo catchy hooks, although rich on texture, atmosphere and depth. I went back over the ten tracks carefully. Should I release two EPs instead? Were all of the tracks actually any good? The latter question is interesting, because my method of song making normally precludes duds getting to the end stage : if a song isn’t going to work, it gets ditched fairly early on in the process. That means that anything that makes it all the way to a final mix down and mastering is good enough for release.
In the end I decided to release it as a 10-track album as usual. Yes, it doesn’t have any fast-paced songs, has few poppy hits, and has quite a few sinister-sounding pieces that might require a bit more work on to get to grips with, but in my opinion they are all worthy. LIsteners should just approach it with expectations of a moody, melancholic and contemplative sonic journey.
Let’s look at the individual tracks:
The Downandoutermost - a slow, majestic, stately and melodic beginning to the proceedings.
New Arminian Zeitgeist - as close as you’ll get to upbeat on this album - it’s a minimalist techno four-to-the-floor squelchy synth fest - low on melody, but you can definitely dance to it.
Poster Child of the Revolution - now things start to get nasty : a slow, malevolent and scary track fullof pulsing synths and evil chanting…don’t turn out the lights!!
Can You See Yourself? - the previously released single : dark guitars and keyboards with a hint of disco.
Osiris B Complex - back into ‘difficult music’ territory with abstract beats : chaotic, but gets more melodic as it goes on, so give it a chance.
Perdican Holdouts - we descend into the depths with this beatless lofi piano dirge drenched in reverb. Scary shit indeed.
Anthem for Exanthem - at last something vaguely upbeat in the form of rock song which even has a short vocal from yours truly - heavens to Betsy!!
No Time For Briefings - heading back into the woods with this very abstract electronic piece, with glitchy beats giving way to sinister melody : again, give it time - the rewards are slow in coming, but they are there.
Shadwell’s Deviation - slow pace melancholia with real slap bass and synth pulses - it’s very melodic, but sad.
Her Roger Mexico Years (Parts I & II) - we close with an extended piece which is at first abstract and ambient with unsettling found sound : however, it rewards sticking around as by the second part it has morphed into a cool beat with melodic synths.
You can listen to it for free here, or from your usual purveyors of streamed audio delight: