Fingerprints In Sand > Another Day Away

Lyrically, I ended up writing this song backwards. It was strange, because I knew that I wanted this to be a first track on the album, and so it needed to set up the themes and concepts I've been exploring in the other tracks (waking up to find that everyone in the world has continued to move on while you slept/the dreams you had while comatose), and I've never really had a purpose to any of the lyrics before. This is really closest I've come to intentional storytelling so far.

I rarely go into writing lyrics with such specific intent, usually allowing the words and messages to develop on their own by giving them no particular direction. For the last few days, I have really done little else besides work on them and the vocal part in general. But regardless of how I got there (or what else I have not done with my life in the process), I'm very happy with this one.

"Another Day Away" is now "Fingerprints In Sand." The title comes from an image that I absolutely loved from an otherwise forgettable poem that I wrote years ago. I'm glad I was able to redeem it by getting it in this song.

The latest demo of "Fingerprints In Sand" can be downloaded here. Play it loud.

(untitled pictures)

Another Day Away 2.0

I've been busy. I had my first experience scoring some music for an independent film, A Quantum Life, and have finished up some additional Maybe Bomb instrumental demos. I'm actually on a break from writing vocals to update.

Another Day Away has taken a very unexpected turn and is no longer (just) a quiet little piano piece. I really think that this one is going to be album/show opening material so long as the vocal arrangement holds up. As of now, it looks like it's going to lead into "Dotted Lines and Whispers."

Here it is. Hopefully, I'll be uploading a complete demo in the next few days.

Anther Day Away

This could work as a transition track.

It's definitely different than the other stuff I've been writing.

Update the Lyrical

Maybe Bomb, in the live sense, is moving right along. Many technical difficulties were worked out at the last rehearsal. We're in the process of trying to iron out a live group. Any synth players out there interested?

Here's one that I've been working on. I'm hoping to get vocals done soon.

Here is Update the Lyrical.

Updated Demos on Facebook

Not to abandon the blog, but I've found it more practical (and bandwidth friendly) to upload the updated demos to the Facebook page lately, rather than posting them here, so if you haven't checked it out, now would be a good time.

To the casual listeners, there is barely anything different when comparing the new demos to the ones I put up a few months ago. Even to the people that have been helping me out by really living with these tracks and giving constant feedback, there is still virtually nothing noticeable. However, I assure you, the mixes are really night and day if you are a musician or sound engineer; I levled out the bass, pumped up the vocals (whether or not that's a good idea is debatable), and generally tightened up the tracks and timing. There was a brief period (over Spring break?) when I was trying to get as much material out as possible. Now I'm cleaning up after myself after I invited you all into my messy musical home.

I've reposted "Dotted Lines and Whispers," "Sleight of Hand," and "Blink." Look for a fairly different "Event Horizon" in the next few days, along with a brand new track in progress.

In seemingly unrelated news, West Gate just released their first full length album, Daylight. It is in your best interest to investigate. They have a couple tasty tracks up on their brand new site.

Sleight of Hand

An updated "Sleight of Hand" demo is up on the facebook page.

Check back there often in the next few days; I have a bunch of remixed and rearranged tracks that I'll be posting.

As always, let me know what you think.

In response to Soulpancake

"How does music serve as a tool in your life - for healing or otherwise?"
(Continue the conversation here.)

Listening to music is modern and socially acceptable meditation.

When stuck in the mundane, whether it is driving to work, walking to class, or going for a jog, it has the ability to take us temporarily out of routine. It's sad to think, but there is much to the modern American life that could be done entirely involuntarily. However, I think that portable music players have really allowed people to take advantage of these situations, whether it is using that time genuinely listening to the notes being played or simply using the songs as a method of phasing out the rest of the world so we can focus a bit more and think.

Art

"The irony of my work is that liquid is always ephemeral and changing, and I’m attempting to capture a ‘perfect’ frozen moment of something that is always in flux."

-Shinichi Maruyama

I found out about this artist through SoulPancake, the same site where I found the brilliant music of sound designer and composer Diego Stocco.