Drexler
Drexler (Adrian Leung) is a London based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer from Sydney, A
I’ve been TRYING to write my second record and have started loads of ideas and then thrown them out. This has been happening for over a year… first it was choral pieces, then something organ inspired with hip hop beats, then some piano works 🤦🏻♂️.
I THINK I’m making progress with some new ideas… music for a chamber string ensemble, maybe 6-10 players. For some reason I’m also picturing these pieces to be accompanied by movement - so maybe dance or circus.
I thought it might be interesting to share my process as I’m taking a new approach, moving away from the piano as a starting point and just improvising on my violin/viola.
These recordings are rough, just a quick way to get them on the page… or in the DAW. 😄
Also forgot to mention that I’m also dropping the viola down an octave using Waves Pitchshifter so it sounds like a cello… just for these demos.
Thanks for watching ✌️
Firstly, I pay my respect to The Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the land where I was born and grew up.
For World Piano Day 2023, I've recorded this cover of 'Treaty' by legendary Australian band, Yothu Yindi. It's a piece I've been wanting to share for a number of years. Originally released in 1991, the album from which it came from, was one of the first CD's I owned. 'Treaty' was the first song by a predominantly Aboriginal band to gain commercial success, and I remember being fascinated by the blending of Indigenous (Gumatj) vocals and the unique combination of disco/rock instrumentation with bilma (clapsticks) and yidaki (didgeridoo). The origins of the song came after Bob Hawke's (Australia's Prime Minister at the time) visit to the Barunga Festival, where Indigenous leaders requested for a treaty to be signed that recognised their prior ownership, continued occupation and sovereignty whilst affirming their human rights and freedom.
I had the pleasure of seeing Yothu Yindi perform at Bluesfest in 2006 and remember being really moved by the performance - it was a privilege to be able to be witness this celebration of music, storytelling and culture - the oldest surviving culture in the world. There is a big hole in recognising First Nations' people in "Australian" history and one that was barely acknowledged when I was at school. I hope we see positive change after the upcoming referendum, one where Indigenous communities will have a fairer and better future.
You can download this cover for free via the link below. If you'd like to donate, I've added a link to Gunawirra, a charity that improves the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mothers and children.
The songwriters and owners of this work are Mandawuy Yunupingu, Stuart Kellaway, Jerry Lynn Williams, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Milkayngu Mununggurr, Witiyana Marika, Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett.
Download: shorturl.at/gGNT0
Gunawirra: https://gunawirra.org.au/donate-now/
30/11/2022
My new single, ‘Open Skies’ is OUT NOW. I met the brilliant Run Rivers during lockdown and we collaborated on this track.
Give it a listen and let us know what you think.✌️
https://orcd.co/open-skies
Really excited to be sharing a new track, Open Skies, co-written with my friend Run Rivers.
The song will be released on Nov 29 though you can preview it in the final scene of last night’s episode of Hollyoaks.
Thank you to director Ming Yu Lin for getting us involved.
02/09/2022
To celebrate ESEA Heritage Month I have updated my Asian Composers playlist. Link in bio.
Artists include:
If you’re UK based, head to .n to check out all the events that are happening as part of Heritage Month
✌️
📷:
14/06/2022
Thanks to everyone who has listened to my rework of ‘For Now We See Darkly’. It’s so exciting to be releasing music again!
I’ve also updated my two playlists ‘Inner Instrumentals’ and ‘Asian Composers: Neoclassical, Ambient, Experimental’. Lots of new music I’ve recently come across that I think you’ll dig.
💚💚💚
‘For Now We See Darkly (Rework)’ is out today! ✨ It’s been 1.5 years since my last release and I’m really excited to be sharing this track with you.
Firstly, thank you to for inviting me to reimagine her piece There was something special about her original piece that drew me in right away - the delicate pianos, eerie soundscapes and the sense of light and dark at play.
Other legends involved:
Artwork:
Mastering:
Release:
You can now find it on all streaming platforms. 🎶
And for those who might be interested in the process of creating this track…
I was first drawn to the piano and percussive elements in Frances Shelley's piece. I experimented with the stems, first pitch-shifting the low ambient synth pads up an octave, which introduced a brighter texture as well as subtle distorted sounds from the digital harmonic artefacts.
I then rearranged the piano melody to fit around these chords - reversing them and chopping them up to create a glitchy effect, placing the notes in slightly unexpected places.
The industrial percussive elements were created using a plugin called Portal, a granular synthesis engine that takes in audio information and spits it out in unexpected ways. The synths were all recorded through a tape echo, allowing me to add warmth whilst playing with the amount of delay.
To end the piece, I recorded live strings in my studio to create a sense of hope and optimism. In the shape of a canon, the strings share the melody around, gently fading to an end.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think ✌️
08/06/2022
You can now hear my latest track “For Now We See Darkly (Rework)” over at . It was really inspiring to work with ’s original and I hope I’ve done it justice in this reimagination.
A big thank you to Headphone Commute for premiering and supporting the release.
https://headphonecommute.com/2022/06/08/frances-shelley-for-now-we-see-darkly-drexler-rework/
••• "... textural ambience with a cinematic arc that guides a modern classical piece on an atmospheric journey..."
EXCLUSIVE TRACK PREMIEREmusic rework of a piece by
"For Now We See Darkly"
https://hcdi.gs/Darkly
on Headphone Commute
01/06/2022
After a super long break, I’m excited to be sharing some new music next week. I’ve reworked ’s amazing piece ‘For Now We See Darkly’, which was totally inspiring to work with.
Can’t wait to share it with you all! Pre-save link here if that's your thing: https://orcd.co/fornowweseedarkly
Updates to come 👀 x
16/05/2022
Thanks to everyone who tuned in to the takeover of ’s show “Moving Sounds”.
Rhodium have been such a huge supporter of my .music project and I feel very fortunate to have released my music with them.
For this show, each Rhodium artist introduced a track from the catalogue, as well as a favourite by another Rhodium artist and an artist from outside the label.
You can now listen back at www.mixcloud.com/jamesheathersounds. Perfect to listen to while you work, commute, go for a walk, etc.
Thanks to for putting the show together and to for having us.
❤️
Alright! Album number 2 is officially underway.
Here’s a sneak peak of an idea I’ve been working on today…
Euphoria meets Sakamoto meets Blood Orange… or something like that.
✌️
Here’s a rough sketch of an idea that I wrote this morning. I’ve probably been afraid to share unfinished ideas in the past but I think that’s the beauty of composition and it’s process.
I don’t know where it will go next… I might flesh it out with other instruments, rework the harmonies or maybe I’ll never touch it again. Either way, each sketch will then lead to another idea and take a space in my creative flow.
I have a little free time this week - my flights to Australia got pushed back due to COVID - so the plan is to just improvise, mess around and record as many ideas as possible. I’ll then not think about these pieces for a few weeks and then look back at them later to see if there’s anything nice.
Keen to hear other people’s process and how they start a piece. HMU!
10/12/2021
Kawai + OP-1 = Today’s vibe.
My debut album “Handles” is out now.
I’ve been working on these pieces for over two years so I’m really excited to be finally sharing them with you.
I wrote this album because I wanted/needed a body of work that represented me as an artist - going on a journey of discovery as a composer. The album is about light surviving and even thriving in darkness, as well as new beginnings.
Although the album is about new beginnings, I was lucky to call upon old friends to help me out. Thank you to Sonja Schebeck, Alistair Sung, Vivien Conacher and Sam McNeill for playing on the record and making it special. Also thanks to Sean Carey, Bobby Williams, Adam Fulford and Nathan Moody for their engineering skills. I’m fortunate to have these talented guys in my squad!
“Handles” is released through Rhodium. Anna - thank you for your time, hard work and daily chats... putting up with me rambling about the most random ideas.
Also thank you to Wise Music for all your help with the release.
This film is a collection of the music vids I had made. Thank you to Ben Ogunbiyi, Bobby Williams, Jonathan Caicedo-Galindo and Sebastian Olmos for collaborating with me.
✂️ by Lindsay Watson.
Please share the album, tag me and hit me up with your thoughts.
Big love x
Handles... out tomorrow.
“Handles”... out tomorrow.
Join me for tomorrow's Listening Party. We will listen through the record with music videos and motion graphics. There will be a giveaway and a short Q&A.
https://youtu.be/o5CxNFj-xZQ
Art by Julian Frener
Design by Elizaveta Pogossov
Motion by Vincent Chodez
Video Premiere: Lightness by Drexler
Thank you to Stationary Travels for premiering my latest single “Lightness”.
stationarytravels.wordpress.com Drexler (Adrian Leung) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, & producer from Sydney, Australia with a debut album set for release this week via Rhodium Publishing. Recorded predominantly in his…
Thank you to Stationary Travels for premiering my latest music video “Lightness”.
Inspired by one-take films like Victoria, the film follows my musical process as I move from isolation to the outside world.
A massive thanks to everyone involved - this one was crazy fun to make!
Hit the link to see the full film: https://stationarytravels.wordpress.com/2020/07/15/video-premiere-lightness-by-drexler/
Crew:
Dir. / Edit – Bobby Williams
Dir. / DP – Ben Ogunbiyi
Drone Op – Mitch Kazer
Runners – Ally Steel, Viv Conacher
String Players:
Kate Agostino, Elia Benhamou, Maite Colás
3 more sleeps until release day!
Thanks for all the ❤️ I’ve been getting back in Australia. It was great to see Utility Fog on FBi Radio give a sneak peak of my album, “Handles”. FBi Radio was my radio station of choice when I was living in Sydney and they’ve always been great supporters of local Aussie music. Check out Utility Fog for all things modern classical, ambient and experimental.
It was also great to chat to Ruth from Eastside Radio 89.7FM on Monday and The Modernist on PBS 106.7FM Melbourne will be playing a couple tunes on Wednesday morning. 🙏
x
Utility Fog on FBi Radio
A massive thank you to Peter Hollo from Utility Fog on FBi Radio for previewing some tracks from my upcoming album, Handles.
FBi was always my radio station of choice when I was living in Sydney. You’ll find all kinds of music on their program and some incredible works in Peter’s weekly show.
Listen back on the link below. X
LISTEN AGAIN to the latest Utility Fog. You'll find some indie/pop/folkshoegaze epics and miniatures, some stunning contemporary musique concrète and sound-art, and some leftfield post-classical as well.
CLICK THROUGH for full tracklisting, streaming, all links.
It's pretty exciting to have a new Sufjan Stevens album "proper" coming soon. Since Carrie & Lowell 5 years ago, there've been singles, remixes & reworkings, and collaborations such as the recent one with his stepdad Lowell Brams - but here's another typical dense, through-composed, philosophical/historical/political genre-bending work from the master. The single "America" is an epic, but here on the b-side we have another long one, not appearing on the album, about an Indian guru who came to America, formed a cult and tried to build a utopian city in Oregon - and it all came apart, resulting ultimately in the largest bioterrorism attack on US soil. So Sufjan writes a song about it which of course is sweet and melancholy and bombastic, indie and folk and electronic and everything. Ah Sufjan *weeps*
Taraamoon is a new project from Paris-based Iranian musicians Nima Aghiani and Sara Bigdeli Shamloo / SarrSew, best known to listeners of this show as 9T Antiope. The noise & abstractions of that group are mostly switched out here for experimental electronic pop, with Sara Shamloo singing in Persian rather than the English that features in most of 9T Antiope's work. I can't tell you much about the subject matter of these songs, but the music is absolutely beautiful - this one's from earlier this year, but their SoundCloud also features a new song.
Two tracks from the debut album (on New Amsterdam) by Molly Joyce, who has an impaired left hand due to a childhood car accident, and has found the ideal instrument for her body in the vintage Magnus toy electric organ. These instruments, like some accordions, have chord buttons on the left and a full keyboard for her right hand, and with these - along with various electronics and her voice - she creates gorgeous widescreen songs which themselves explore the experience of disability. The songs are absolutely transporting, due to the combination of the sounds of the organ, the production techniques, and the fantastic composition.
Last week on the show we heard from Justin K Broadrick's industrial techno incarnation JK Flesh. This week it's the turn of the beloved Jesu, his shoegaze metal and increasingly electronic shoegaze band/alias. Broadrick of course has an incredibly broad history, from being involved at the start of Na**lm Death, to inventing industrial metal with Godflesh, to his world-dub-hip-hop with Kevin Martin as Techno Animal (and now Zonal). It's wonderful to have Jesu back though - always blissful with just enough edge to it, on this non-album track combining looped vocals, shoegaze guitars and a drum'n'bass-influenced beat. Bring on the full album!
Electrifying, simple, powerful acid folk from the wonderful Ai A*o, who has long been a collaborator with the likes of Boris (who appear on a couple of ambient tracks here) and Stephen O'Malley (whose imprint Ideologic Organ released this album). This music is in the vein of Eddie Marcon, Tenniscoats etc, of deceptively simple Japanese electric folk, with beauifully direct songs and strange things going on around the edges (the angularly discordant solo in the latter part of the first song for instance). Incredible.
I think the new Boris album took some people by surprise, since they have decided - for now at least - to release it only digitally. NO is vintage Boris - noise metal, psych, catchy songs, crazy solos, downtuned doomy slow riffs. It's awesome, but it ends with 3 minutes of beautiful shoegazey guitar loops and whispers of Wata's vocals, which seemed the perfect segue from Ai A*o.
A few works now from the ever-surprising, brilliant musician Berangere Maximin's music. Her new album comes out from Berlin label Karlrecords, following released on labels as diverse as Tzadik Label, Sub Rosa, Crammed Discs and Craig Leon's Atlas Realisations. I still think of Maximin as a musique concrète composer and sound-artist, and those elements are still present on this new album - field recordings from around city parks and abandoned buildings recorded throughout Europe feature here, manipulated in various ways, alongside all sorts of electronic elements. There are even drum machines and sequenced synthesizers, allbeit treated in unusual fashions - but then, her 2012 album No one is an island featured various guitarists (Christian Fennesz appeared tonight) and even leaned into song-forms with Bérangère's vocals at times - like many of the artists featured tonight, she is not one to be pinned down. I strongly recommend connecting with this album and whatever you can find of her back catalogue.
Lawrence English & Room40 are doing god's work here by releasing two out-of-print albums from the great Marina Rosenfeld -música y humor- I'm very fond in particular of Joy of Fear, which I have the original limited CD of. Now you can hear this masterpiece of sound-art & composition, based around Rosenfeld's extensive collection of acetates - one-off records of the sort dance producers cut for DJing, here often featuring Rosenfeld's piano and cello, or that of collaborators such as Okkyung Lee Music Page. Lee's cello and Rosenfeld's piano appear alongside crackling, manipulated vinyl, in works of beautiful aural sorcery. Not to be missed.
English post-classical label bigo & twigetti have put together many creative compilations in the past. With Perceptions they are again progressively releasing a project, a few tracks at a time. It's all about the piano - played straight, or processed with delays or granular synthesis, composed or improvised. I gave you a special sneak preview of one track tonight, from longtime UFog fave, London-based ex-pat Aussie Leah Kardos - arpeggios and scale patterns that might be associated with piano practice are slowly layered with delays and low organ, and made more baroque with higher, faster patterns as the track rises to a sparkling climax. Meanwhile, American multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland, whose freak-folk band AU was a favourite round these parts years ago, here revists territory from his LWW project for Leaf, with playfully improvised piano gestures subtly manipulated in post-production.
I've been talking with now London-based Sydney-born musician Adrian Leung for a while, and I'm super pleased that his debut album as Drexler is now coming out later this week. It draws on his background as a classically-trained pianist and violinist, but equally on his Hong Kong Chinese heritage and times spent in Japan. Tracks on Handles remind me of the joyful mélange of post-classical, postrock and electronica from many Japanese artists, as well as the Rachels' mixture of classical & postrock, and many contemporary post-classical artists. It's a great achievement, worth your time.
It's been a minute since we checked in with Trestle Records' From Isolation series, and I need to remind you that they're still releasing awesome one-off collaborations like these! So let's finish with two remotely-created collabs. From From Isolation 6 we've got New York cellist frequently appearing in UFog playlists Julia Kent, with Scottish musician Seb Rochford of Polar Bear and more recently Pulled By Magnets, and British composer David Coulter. As you'd expect, woody cello, jazzy postrocky beats, lovely textures.
And finally, from the recent From Isolation 9 we have classically-trained singer & drone musician Cecilia Forssberg's gorgeous vocals & electronics with the guitar & bass from 33-33 co-founder James Hammond and the synth & electronics of Portico Quartet's & Keir Vine.
Only one week to go before the release of my debut record “Handles”!
Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered a limited edition CD or digital version from 🙏. You can still pre-order or pre-save on your streaming service of choice here: https://linktr.ee/drexler.music
I’ll be releasing this music video of “Lightness” to coincide with the release. Can’t wait to share it with y’all!
❤️
🎶 Live in Lockdown 🎶
I’ve been wanting to make some live videos and decided to have some fun with it.
Here’s the single I released a couple weeks ago, ”Ghosts Have Arrived”, during lockdown. Enjoy!
🐟👁 inspired by Nathaniel Hornblower.
🎶 “Lightness” - the opening track from my upcoming album.
Inspired by one-take films, the video follows my musical process as I move from isolation to the outside world.
A collab with Bobby Williams x Ben Ogunbiyi 🎥
Coming soon...
A massive thanks to everyone that’s pre-ordered my album “Handles”. Your support is appreciated. 🙏
My label and I doing a limited CD run which you can order through the link in my bio.
Looking forward to sharing these tunes with you. Less than 2 weeks to go!
x
Here is the full video of “Blossoms”.
It follows a woman trapped and suppressed by her surroundings. She imagines herself being free from her reality and into her own haven.
These worlds, represented by the tension between the urban and natural environments, intercut with each other as she explores and expresses her inner freedom.
Dir:
DP:
Colour:
Actress:
'Blossoms' - INTERVIEW with Drexler & Sebastian Olmos
Thanks to Famalam Film Fest for having Seb (DP) and I for a chat about our music video, Blossoms.
Tam catches up with Adrian Leung - aka Drexler - and Sebastian Olmos, the Musician and Director of Photography behind the music video 'Blossoms'. Catch the e...
I’m excited to share that my upcoming album “Handles” is now available for pre-order. We’re doing a limited CD run for you old school folk who’d like a physical copy.
The album will be released on July 17 through Rhodium Publishing.
The incredible album art was made by Julian Frener. The design was then put together by my dear pal Elizaveta Pogossov.
🙌
https://drexler-music.bandcamp.com/album/handles
There will be a screening of my video ‘Blossoms’ as part of this Saturday.
Tune in at 7.30pm BST to check out some incredible short films as well as some Q&A’s with the filmmakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyj3ESDpcD4&feature=youtu.be
✌️
New studio setup is coming together real nice.
My new Kawai upright arrived yesterday which is an addition I’ve been wanting for a while. I can’t wait to just lean over to my left and record ideas instantly.
Next steps are to get some proper sound panels and some sweet mics for the piano.
@ London, United Kingdom
My debut record ‘Handles’ comes out in a month.
Follow on to stay up to date. https://spoti.fi/2YChuqA
I spoke with my label about my latest single, “Ghosts Have Arrived”.
The vocal recordings that close the track were done over a decade ago in the Blue Mountains. Pic 1 was taken at the end of that trip - fittingly wearing my Bon Iver designed tee - and pic 2 is the house itself.
I also talk about collaborating with director Ben Ogunbiyi on our music video, working with old friends and a happy accident involving a siren 🚨which ended up on the track.
The full interview is here: https://www.rhodiumpublishing.com/interviews-and-articles/behind-the-music-drexler-on-ghosts-have-arrived
x @ Katoomba, Blue Mountains
Field Recording Post:
My latest track, Ghosts Have Arrived, features a recording of Lake Kawaguchi, found near Mount Fuji 🗻 in Japan.
I remember a feeling of inner peace as I watched a lone fisherman (not pictured) standing in this vast lake, surrounded by the mountains and the gentle lilting rhythm of the waves.
The genesis of Ghosts Have Arrived took place about a decade ago. I’d been deeply moved by Bon Iver’s debut record “For Emma, Forever Ago” and was inspired by his writing process - retreating to a cabin in the woods in Wisconsin.
So I packed my bags, grabbed all the instruments I could gather, and headed to my friends place in the Blue Mountains, NSW.
Influenced by the eeriness of being alone in this old wooden house, I multitracked a chorus of falsetto, reverberant vocals. It felt ghostly and spiritual, which is where the title comes from.
The next morning I received a call from my Dad, telling me my Mama (grandmother) in Hong Kong has passed away. It was a strange coincidence to say the least and although the song wasn’t about her, I feel that it’s deeply connected to her in some way. Like a final goodbye.
At its core, the version which comes out today is a piano and cello (Alistair Sung) duet. It’s surrounded by string textures (Sonja Schebeck) and a field recording of Lake Kawaguchi in Japan. You now hear that original vocal recording at the end of the track.
Mixed by Sean Carey
Mastered by Nathan Moody at Obsidian Sound
I hope you enjoy it.
Available on all streaming platforms through Rhodium Publishing.
https://linktr.ee/drexler.music
Thank you so much to everyone who has watched and shared my latest track “Ghost Have Arrived”.
To top off Mental Health Awareness Week, Bipolar UK shared the film to close their week of raising awareness. It also got its radio premiere on one of the best stations in the world, KEXP. Also, thank you to Contemplative Classical for sharing and supporting it through their channels.
I never imagined the piece to uplift or move people when I wrote it. I’m really lucky to have a collaborator in Ben Ogunbiyi who brought the music to life through his visuals. It was really special to have the music serve a bigger purpose than myself and play a small part in raising awareness for those struggling with mental health.
All proceeds from Ghosts Have Arrived sales on Bandcamp, for the remaining days in May, will be going to mental health. Link at the bottom.
The track is now also available for pre-save on Spotify so it will automatically appear on your radar on June 5 when it's out on streaming platforms. You can sign up via the link here:
https://linktr.ee/drexler.music
Thanks y’all 🙏
A huge thank you to DJ Alex from KEXP for giving Ghosts Have Arrived it’s radio premiere. Alex’s show ‘Pacific Notions’ is one of the best ambient/modern classical playlists going around - so head to their archives to discover new music from around the world.
All proceeds from Bandcamp in May for this track will go towards those struggling with mental health.
Thanks to everyone who’s reached out since my last post. I wasn’t expecting that type of response but it feels positive to open up a dialogue about mental health and raise awareness in some capacity.
Ben Ogunbiyi - who directed my music video - and I will be chatting on Instagram Live about filmmaking, composing and mental health tomorrow (Sunday) at 1pm UK time. Head to .music or .
Please keep sending any questions about the film, or anything really!
Times: 1pm BST / 10pm AEST / 8am EDT.
Man it feels strange to discuss personal stuff on social media but it feels like the right conversation to have, especially considering it’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
Thanks for listening and maybe someone will get something out of it. x
Ghosts Have Arrived
I'm excited to share my latest single, Ghosts Have Arrived, to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week. It's accompanying music video, by Ben Ogunbiyi, follows a collective of souls trying to find their way. We hope it will uplift people who may be struggling and draw attention to how music and art can impact individuals - showing people there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Proceeds from Bandcamp sales until the end of May will be split with the Mental Health Foundation and other grassroots organisations to ensure the conversation continues throughout the year.
This week's theme is Kindness. I hope we can be kind to others whilst looking after ourselves at the same time. If you are struggling yourself, try and speak to a friend, family member or professional adviser.
You can see the film across our socials and at ours friends Contemplative Classical's page. We hope you will share it to help promote mental health awareness if it connects with you in any way. Link in bio.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the film and music. I'm so grateful that you guys were unbelievably generous with your craft, expertise and time. Also, thank you to my label Rhodium Publishing for all their support with the release.
CREW
Dir. / Edit / Colour - Ben Ogunbiyi
Prod - Michael Spencer
DP - Marlene Fernandes
Cam Assist - Connor Hamill
Gaffer - Anthony Mitson
Runners - Mitch Kazer, Tam Latter
CAST
Laura De Sommar
Darren Braithwaite
Bruin Chan
Aisha JW
Luqman Usman
Michael Spencer
MUSIC
Cello - Ali Sung
Violin - Sonja Schebeck
Mix - Sean Carey
Mastering - Nathan Moody at Obsidian Sound
We will be releasing our film, Ghosts Have Arrived, to help promote Mental Health Awareness Week.
I can’t wait to share this beautiful work by super talented filmmaker Ben Ogunbiyi and his team.
Full video to come on Wednesday.
Field Recording Post:
Blossoms ends with a final release of warped vocals and the sound of a fading waterfall.
I recorded the waterfall in Japan in 2017. I’d just driven to a gorgeous lake, Lake Kawaguchi, and was told there was a small but pretty waterfall nearby.
Here it is, isolated from the rest of the instrumentation in the piece.
Field recordings. I’ve had my trusty Tascam DR-1 recorder for over 10 years and try to take it with me on my travels.
It’s great for recording foreign sounds but also a handy reminder for me to “open my ears” and listen to my surroundings.
I like to include them in my compositions as they take me back to a certain place and memory, as well as the emotions tied to that experience. I can then use that emotion to inspire me during the writing process. That becomes particularly useful when the music is instrumental and free from words.
I’ll be sharing all the field recordings - isolated on their own - that live in my upcoming record, Handles.
This pic was taken a few years ago in Japan. We decided to take the scenic route - mostly because we were on a tight budget and wanted to avoid road tolls 😂 - and came across this breathtaking dam. It felt so vast and empty. We’d also just seen a troop of wild monkeys just beforehand.
A reminder to take the road less travelled... if we’re ever allowed to travel again!
X
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