NEW single “S is for Sky” from new album “Alphabet” released

I composed this track in the month of March and recorded the majority of the music with my ASM Hydrasynth. The Hydrasynth is an incredible synthesizer with a lot of flexibility and terrific sounds. I also spent time playing with tape machines for this, trying to warm up and also distort the song.

To me this song has moments that feel like that moment right as you’re falling asleep – weightless and cascading into sleep.

For the piano parts, what I did was recorded my pseudo-improvisatory part multiple times with no metronome. As a percussionist I’m used to thinking, rehearsing, and playing with the beat clicking away. In “S is for Sky” I really tried to let that go, expanding and contracting my performance on the piano to allow for a lot more resulting clusters or chords. Additionally, one of the fun ways to “blindfold” myself and create fresh performances was to mute the other recordings. Recording blind forced me to remember what the other parts sounded like, again, allowing myself more freedom in performance.

“Alphabet” is an experimental album for me. Where “MMXX” was a solidified concept album, this album allows me more freedom to try new methods, sounds, and styles. Also, since I’m composing these pieces in real-time each month, the subject matter and ideas are fresh to what I’m feeling at that time in my life.