Chiaroscuro: track by track

It is now over a month since the release of Chiaroscuro, and in that time, Here and Now and Berlin Stratum have had radio airplay, and Comfort Zone is included on the recent free compilation album, A Journey to a Time or Place.

However back to the album itself, here is a brief insight into my thoughts and inspirations behind each track.

Berlin Stratum 
Everywhere you look in Berlin, there are layers of history, and you can feel that in the atmosphere of the city. But there’s also a modernism and sense of progression. I wanted to capture these contrasting moods in the music. There’s also the city’s musical heritage – my particular interest being Bowie’s time there in the late 70s. This all came together in a nostalgic and melancholic, yet dynamic track. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/berlin-stratum

Comfort Zone
After a reflective opening track, I wanted something more upbeat and optimistic. I entered a musical comfort zone… played my favourite chords, and fired up my favourite classic 80s/90s synth – the Korg M1. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/comfort-zone

Silver Screen
More nostalgia from a time gone by… inspired by images of 1940s and 50s cinemas and the golden age of the big screen – monochromatic romanticism. The saxophone really brings the track to life and was a big departure from my usual style. This development would shape the rest of the album.

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/silver-screen

Afterimage 
The first of three more abstract pieces. The title came first. I love the haunting description of “an image that continues to appear in the eyes after a period of exposure to the original image.”

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/afterimage

Aberration 
“A departure from what is normal, usual, or expected…” This track was originally a much longer piece, based on multiple layers of gradually building loops. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/aberration

There and Then
A more experimental piece; slow and evolving with more of a chill out feel, though reflective in mood. This track leads into the second part of the album. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/there-and-then

Neon Twilight 
A change in pace. Evening descents and the city comes alive; its streets illuminated in a frenzy of colour. An upbeat track drenched in cool 1980s vibes. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/neon-twilight

Evanescent
We move deeper into the night with a darker, heavier piece of electronica. Evanescent evolves mid-point, going from an atmospheric, pensive piece to a dynamic, driving conclusion. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/evanescent

Here and Now
The rockiest track on the album was partly inspired by one of my favourite albums, Bryan Ferry’s, Mamouna (1994). I really wanted to channel a similar mood and sound of the instrumentation as a kind of homage to Ferry’s masterwork. You’ll hear more Korg M1 and late night atmosphere. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/here-and-now

Nightowls
A track that transports you straight into one of Edward Hopper’s various night paintings, the album closes with a saxophone-led solitary piece. This was actually one of the first pieces I composed for the project, and I knew right away that it would be the final track. 

https://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/track/nightowls

May 12, 2020 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, NewsTags: Chiaroscuro, composition, creative process, electronic music, inspiration, instrumental music, music, track by track Leave a comment

The Light Dreams – Chiaroscuro

I’m pleased to announce the release of Chiaroscuro; a new instrumental album inspired by city life and the layers of time. Nighttime atmospheres blend with nostalgic, melancholic tones forming a dreamlike musical world in which to escape.

“The world of chiaroscuro is one of contrast – between light and darkness, of transition between one realm and another. Colours blend, textures merge, and it is the difference itself which gives meaning to the whole.

Change is the essence of life, and contrast is the basis of understanding what it all means.  This album takes us through an appreciation of how we can make sense of the differences that flow through our existence, against a background of the cities in which we live.  They have their darker and brighter sides, and we need to grasp the relationship between them within ourselves.

Light and shade are part of the same process – one has no meaning without the other.  We need both in order to make sense of the artwork that is our life.”

The track list for Chiaroscuro is as follows:

Berlin Stratum
Silver Screen
Afterimage
Aberration
There and Then
Neon Twilight
Evanescent
Here and Now
Nightowls

The full album download comes with a bonus PDF booklet containing a specially-written introduction by Richard Hayes plus a selection of my own photography juxtaposed with archive images that all represent the theme of Chiaroscuro.

Chiaroscuro is available now in digital formats from Bandcamp and MusicGlue.

Here is a video for Silver Screen:

April 3, 2020April 5, 2020 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, News, UncategorizedTags: atmospheric, bandcamp, Chiaroscuro, chill wave, dark electro, electronic music, ethereal wave, independent artist, independent music, instrumental music, melancholic, Music Glue, new music, nostalgic, reflective, soundtrack Leave a comment

Berlin Stratum

I am pleased to present a brand new track and video – Berlin Stratum.

This instrumental piece was inspired by my stay in Berlin last year and evokes the atmosphere, history, architecture and music of the city. It is a track tinged with melancholy and nostalgia, but also one of progression.

Berlin Stratum is the first track on my upcoming album, Chiaroscuro.
More details soon…

(Yes, that is a photo of David Bowie, framed in the window of the iconic Hansa studios, where he recorded the Heroes album.)

March 20, 2020 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, NewsTags: Berlin, David Bowie, electronic music, instrumental music, music, new music, The Light Dreams Leave a comment

Mutate – out today

Mutate, my new album of cinematic, electronic instrumentals is out today in digital format from the following websites:

Bandcamp: thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/album/mutate

8-track digital album (MP3, AIF, etc) comes with a 9-page PDF booklet plus 50-minute continuous mix of the album!

MusicGlue: musicglue.com/the-light-dreams

8-track digital album in MP3 format

Listen to Visitant on SoundCloud:

September 20, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, NewsTags: album, electronic, Electronica, instrumental, instrumental music, music, newmusic, release Leave a comment

Mutation is coming…

September 2019 will see the release of my new electronic instrumental album, Mutate.

Mutate will initially be released in digital format on Bandcamp and MusicGlue. Here’s a teaser!

August 26, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, NewsTags: bandcamp, electronic, electronic music, independent music, instrumental, instrumental music, teaser Leave a comment

Music for the Stars

I have added a new page to the ‘Special Projects’ section of the site – my essay on the influence of space travel in music and popular culture – Musica Universalis.

This piece looks at the evolution of electronic music in tandem with the golden era of space travel as well as those eternal musical associations, such as David Bowie’s Space Oddity and the Apollo 11 moon landing.

I wrote lengthy sections on David Bowie, Jean-Michel Jarre and Mike Oldfield, exploring their association with space and how their music is still today, used in conjunction with space travel projects. I also looked at film and television series music in science fiction, and how it’s all connected… If that sounds like your kind of thing, read on!

August 8, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, NewsTags: 1970s, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apollo 11, Arthur C. Clarke, Blade Runner, concept albums, Cosmos, David Bowie, Doctor Who, electronic music, essay, instrumental music, Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, moon landing, Music of the Spheres, Oxygene, prog rock, progressive rock, soundtracks, space, space music, Space Oddity, space travel, Stanley Kubrick, The Sky At Night, Tubular Bells, Vangelis Leave a comment

Mutate – album preview #1

I have spent a large part of the last six months working on my new instrumental album, Mutate. Now it is time to present some brief previews of the first four tracks.

For those of us whose lives are soundtracked by music, we remember moments of discovery and musical revelation and all other manner of minute details, which are somehow important to us – especially those songs or albums that made a certain impact at the time never fail to evoke certain feelings.

It was with this in mind, that I approached Mutate. I returned to my musical ‘roots’ in a sense, listening again to many albums that had a profound affect on me, and the kind of albums that originally made me want to make music.

However, my own music needed to go somewhere different, so I set myself a specific creative parameter for the new project, which was to – wherever possible – only use sounds that I haven’t previously used. This meant getting rid of old favourites and ‘comfort zone’ instruments that I might normally use for my early demos ideas. This would make me think or work in a new way to achieve the very specific sound, style and atmosphere in mind. I usually have a number of potential titles to work backwards from, but this time, the final upheaval of my normal working process starting work without titles, and seeing where the music went.

Album preview #2 will follow soon, along with cover art and release info… stay tuned here or follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

May 27, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, News, UncategorizedTags: album preview, electronic music, instrumental music, music, new album, new music Leave a comment

“Mutate”

My next album project is nearing completion, and will be called Mutate.

Mutate will be released in digital format via Bandcamp, hopefully with a limited CD edition following later in the year.

Watch this space for further details, but meanwhile, here is a brief taster.

April 13, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, News, UncategorizedTags: album, bandcamp, coming soon, electronic music, instrumental music, music, mutate, taster, teaser, The Light Dreams, trailer Leave a comment

New album – first teaser!

I have been working on a new album pretty solidly over the last couple of months, and it is now starting to take shape.

For this new project, I wanted a darker, grittier sound, and I decided to avoid using any previously used sounds, where possible in order to create a fresh sonic landscape.

Here is a brief taster of three current works in progress. Stay tuned for further updates!

March 10, 2019 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, News, UncategorizedTags: album, computer music, dark music, electronic music, instrumental music, music, new music, taster, teaser, work in progress Leave a comment

Prototype – out today

My latest album, Prototype, is published today via my Bandcamp page.

Prototype is an album of dark, heavy instrumental electronic tracks with a subtext of computing, robotics, technology and artificial intelligence. While there is undoubtedly a science fiction edge to the music, much of the album’s concept is already around us, and Prototype questions where it will lead…

 

August 3, 2018August 9, 2018 by thelightdreams Categories: Blog, music, NewsTags: album release, artificial intelligence, bandcamp, computing, cover reveal, digital, electronic music, independent artist, instrumental music, music, new music, robotics, science fiction, technology Leave a comment