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Project Overview
My third single, I wanted to dive into the weird. Something non-traditional, that most people won’t listen to for fun, but something that would be art. What better way to do that then add more parts to the song.
Yes, I’m still in love with multi-part madness, and with this song it shows. In a way, this is the perfect structure for something as variable and uncertain as one chasing after their dreams. Like how a flame dances around its source, either in a bold attempt to claw forward, or in a desperate attempt to remain, there’s no telling how fate may play out in favor of one’s dreams and desires.
Composition Approach
This was the first time I decided to not use any pre-existing song as a structural guide. Instead, I watched the flame of this song grow, and tended to it’s needs throughout the process. Planting seeds of repeating musical ideas that would later play into entire parts, I took this song where it seemed to go in the moment. And somehow, it ended up closing nicely, with homage paid to the opening, eluding to an endless loop.
Artwork
Wow, did I have so much fun taking this hell of a picture. I had bought some supplies from a local craft store- black paper, small key, and small chest container. In one hand, I have my phone camera, and in the other a paper that I just lit on fire. After rapid firing a ton of pictures- one of them captured the exact moment the colors of the flame had bits of purple and blue. I have no idea how I got that lucky. Besides removing my thumb from the frame, there were no other after-effects done to this photo- just the raw image.
The concept behind taking such an image was to encapsulate the key in flames: the key symbolizing ‘unlocking ones dreams’, and the flames being the uncertainty in getting there. What a beautiful, beautiful, shot.
Reflections
I was afraid to release this song. I knew it wasn’t something everyone would appreciate. It definitely has interesting moments, and while those types of moments may be celebrated for popular artists, it seems unreasonably bold and egotistical to think I would be able to approach these avant-garde transitions in a careful way. Perhaps I didn’t- I was desperate to be done with this piece near the end. It was an absolute pain to mix, I ended up settling for a lot of the vocals.
But I listen to this song with fresh ears, months after its release, and appreciate that I went in the direction that I did. My favorite line of the song is one that is markedly different than the other vocals. “You cannot live in the material world, if you’re still stuck in a dream”. Brim full of dreamy delay and reverb, in spoken word, it’s weird. Especially coming after an instrumental section with no vocals whatsoever. But the meaning? The material world can be seen as literally the world you live awake versus the world you live while dreaming in your sleep. But it can also mean the material world made from money, the one that demands we must work till we die in order to survive. That world, being in absolute conflict, with your dreams for your life. The things that bring you meaning, the things you want to live for. I love that double entendre, especially as the lyric that summarizes the entire song.
To have created something that I enjoy, that brings me meaning. And for that, I unabashedly find pride in this song. And at the point of its release, would be my favorite song I have made.