This is the tenth new piece that has emanated from my brain and fingers since I restarted playing a few months ago. It is a bit of a homage and a nod to one of my favourite electronic anthems from 1979, I’ll be impressed if anyone can join the dots up. The track was a bit Marmite to me to start with but I’m pleased with the outcome and yes I know I’m somewhat biased ‘cos I wrote it… 

Hopefully you’ll enjoy it!

Pathways

Kill By Numbers

Kill by Numbers

One of the most beautiful and favourite songs that we crafted in my time with BBT was Greg’s gorgeous track, "Along Came Sarah”. The melody has been bouncing around in my head since circa 1991 and some of it has finally come out via my fingers into this track, “Reflections, of Sarah”. 

“Reflections" is not intended to be a cover of the original, I see it to be complimentary to it, or a different perspective on it. 

The original album writing credits for "Sarah" were to both Greg and I, this was very generous of Greg as it was most certainly his inspiration and work, with Andy, Steve, Martin and me contributing our own small elements to the song. 

So this one is for Greg, for the good years. Those were the days my friends...

From The River To The Sea / Pathways

Reflections, of Sarah

Reflections of Sarah

Sometimes a sound, a smell, or piece of music can transport you back to an evocative memory of a time, a place or an experience. Such was the case whilst writing “Halcyon Days”. I’d started out on this unnamed piece with something completely different in mind, but for reasons I can't really explain the main chord sequence just took me back to long hot summer days of beaches, friends, and enduring sunshine that you just never wanted to end... 

Not at all what I’d intended to create, but there you go, Halcyon Days.

The Halcyon Days of Childhood Summers

This is a self indulgent nod to the incredible sounds of circa 1981... not to everyone's taste (...not that anything I do is necessarily to anyone's taste...), but I like it...

Why 'Heartbeat'? You figure it out...

Heartbeat

“Earthbound”... as in coming home. The mix and sounds kind of enveloped me, and the name seemed to come out from the music. I'm pleased with this one, hope you enjoy.

Earthbound

No backstory to this one, just a short, and I think quite pretty little tune.

Celeste

Afterlife

If you go down to the woods today… There, just behind you, or slightly beyond the corner of your eye, or somewhere above you in the cover of the tree canopy… If you’re lucky you may feel their presence... but if you're unlucky you may just meet one...

Angels in the Woods

The short version seemed to want to evolve into this longer mix... I'm very pleased with the outcome, I think it combines subtlety with something a little more robust.

Angels in the Woods (Orchestral Version)

That first proper winter morning... crisp, cold air, stillness, tranquility, breath in the air... a chill, a cleansing, but winter is coming...

The First Frost

They are amongst us... but do you see them? Can you sense them? 
That spine-tingle for no reason, the phone that rings but no one’s there, and that clock did just strike thirteen, right? 
Angels in the Woods, but Daemons everywhere… 

Thanks to Lucy for the 'vocals' on this one X

Daemons

The final piece of the puzzle - Ascension. 

This piece has taken longer than any other song to date to create, it was a stubborn one and wouldn’t submit easily... 

Easy things aren’t fun, and this was indeed fun… It’s intended to be the piece that wraps ups the recent collection of songs, call it an album if you like, it calls upon Angels again and rounds off aptly I think with a Halcyon encore. 

For anyone interested the running order of the "Ascension" collection would be as follows… 

1. The First Frost 
2. Long Forgotten 
3. The Voyagers’ Destiny 
4. Celeste
5. Afterlife 
6. Angels in the Woods (Orchestral Version) 
7. Daemons 
8. Resurrection 
9. Ascension  

Enjoy. Hopefully.

Ascension

After the First Frost come the first Snowfalls. Clean, white, crisp, deep, even... Cleansing, beautiful, and Christmas looms...

Snowfalls

Lost In The Game

Whale Sky

After recently publishing the 'definitive' version of the song, I fiddled some more and I now prefer this drive-home version with the main melody stripped back. It's more sing-along!

Pathways (Driveway Mix)

Pathways (The Driveway Mix)

A new season begins, filled with hope and wonder, buds, blooms, new life...

Springtime

Mist covered hills and glens, trees and heathers surrounding the foreboding and darkened building... Out of the corner of your eye you catch sight of movement...

The Haunting

The picture tells a story. Berry Pomeroy Castle, a beautiful, emotional and evocative place. Haunted. Very haunted. 

This piece, derived from The Haunting, embodies everything I wanted to do with an orchestral piece. 

Please enjoy.

The Long Haunting

Sublime. A different structure to this piece, floaty synths and a nod to one or two compositions and composers.

Sublime

Someone, somewhere out there, is calling...

Edge of Space

Edge Of Space

Where hide the Angels?

Where Hide The Angels? Here, in the Woods of course...

Here Hide The Angels

Here Hide The Angels...

Waking the Dead

Waking The Dead

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to come and listen. I'm continuing to enjoy creating some new indulgently electronic music after a 30-odd year gap in proceedings, unashamedly inspired by my 1980's music heroes.  
 
I am proud to be a former and founder member of Big Big Train along with Greg Spawton and Andy Poole. Prior to BBT, in the days of cassette recorders and some very dodgy vocals, Andy and I were 'Arcshine'. 

Having hung up the keyboards in circa 1993 I blew the dust off of them again in February 2022. 

Hope you enjoy the new offerings, and the old ones.

Ian Cooper

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