With a bunch of awesome guests:

StarSystems on the supporting guitar textures, as well as the groovy solo on the bridge (well, one of the bridges ;)

Michael Riehlman with the vocals.

Benjamin Bailey, the [insert genre here] band JOYWAVE, with the absolutely ripping synth solo on the outro. Did it surprise you? ;)

Falling Down (feat. StarSystems, Michael Riehlman, Benjamin Bailey)

Windup

All music composed and performed by Blumen and With a Smile 

Richard Maxwell Blumenthal - Piano, Bass, Strings 
www.facebook.com/blumenmusic 
bit.ly/blumenyoutube 

James Christopher Knoerl - Drums, Vibes, Aux. Percussion 
bit.ly/With-A-Smile-facebook 
www.youtube.com/user/Ptownoldie 
withasmileband.bandcamp.com 

With additional help from: 
Allegra Cramer - Harp on 'Beyond' 
Sam Harchik - Guitar on 'Beyond' 
Dylan Vadakin - Additional vibes on 'Crispy' 

Piano transcription for Alalia in Merch tab or free here: 
bit.ly/Blumen-Alalia-PianoScore

released January 26, 2016 

Produced, Engineered, and Artisanally Handmixed by Samuel Herbert Harchik 
twitter.com/samharchik 

Mastered by Jamie King at The Basement Recording Studio: 
www.thebasementrecordingnc.com 

Album artwork by Theo Young Wrong Drawings: 
www.facebook.com/theoyoungillustration

With a Smile - Crispy

With a Smile - Beyond

Blumen - Alalia

Feat. Sam Harchik and Michael Avery (Aviations), Guitar Solos and Duet starting @ 4:23

“Greetings thrown about, indiscernible shouts and reunions all a happily muddled buzz. Yet it couldn’t be helped but to notice how small the sky seemed, which once hovered overhead with far-flung boundaries. Worn lines all too apparent on faces which once had seemed never to age. To remain here, content and carefree…?”

Home

Feat. Joey Izzo (Arch Echo), Synth Solo @ 1:48

“The wind sprang up abruptly, catching them unawares with both its ferocity and its brevity, departing as quickly as it had arisen. Leaving them dazed, and almost wondering if they had merely dreamt it”

Squall

“Sights both strange and simple filled the every eye and ear, while unfamiliar faces hummed hauntingly familiar tunes. The words were fresh, but the songs almost comforting in their kinship to the sounds of home”

A Favorable Wind

Feat. Luke Martin (Plini, Nick Johnston, Versed Audio) - Piano Solo @ 1:53

“The uneasy night behind, and a gentle zephyr billowing the sails, cheer returned. Smoothly cleaving the currents, only a skeleton crew remained needed for operation, allowing time for ancillary pursuits and idle amusements. Jocular shouts tumbled through the air, and soon a half-remembered tune was thumped out on a battered manual. The days … slipped by”

Ossycles

Feat. Theo Young, Guitars throughout and solo @ 2:26

“A tenebrious fog arose, spilling over the bows with almost a malevolent sentience. Grey tendrils caressed lights transformed into soft globes and wrapped heads in chilly wool, muffling the world in nebulous creaks and uneasy echoes”

Murk

“Impatiently waiting for the sun’s greeting, a mere glimpse of the aurora was ample enough excuse to embark”

Dawning

Rhythm was a bit looser, took me until writing it down proper to figure out where I wanted everything to exactly lie.

7.2014 - Ossycles Opening Demo

Yes, most of my verbal analyses are a bit off, usually just trying to verbalize the general feel of the chord real quick so I can quasi - remember voicings and stuff like that for when I actually plunk it into a DAW or Finale.

10.2015 - "FMaj7 thing" (A Favorable Wind opening progression demo)

Neat aspect of this demo vs the final product is the difference in feel and rhythmic stress. Actually still like the demo version, bit of a groovier vibe, but in context of the whole song the final version works well as introducing the compound swaying feel before the 3/4 waltzy bridge bit (check Murk on the album, you'll see what I mean)

3.2015 - "3.1a Fancy Progression with Melody" (Murk solo break demo)

Will be returning to this platform later in 2017, will be helpful to collate and collect ideas as I begin the demoing process alllll over again for new albums.

Blumen!

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