This one transports me into a starry skied, ethereal nightscape in a jungle. The soundscape you are hearing was recorded in the countryside in Jamaica in the middle of the night. Akemi Alchemy brings an inspired vocal arrangement to accompany the blissful sitar playing of Surin and tabla drums of Arjun Madra. I am playing a deep resonant rainforest synthesizer. 

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invocation (feat. Akemi Alchemy, Surin, Arjun Madra)

My notes for this song only have 2 words: “Fucking Epic.” That’s really all of the description that’s necessary, but I’ll share a bit more context. When I described my vision for this song to the musicians joining me for it, I said I wanted something that felt like Great Gig in the Sky, but with waves. I think we got there. The waves were recorded at Limantour Beach in Pt. Reyes. I stood with the water around my ankles and used a 32-bit field recorder that let me capture the soft sizzle as the water pulled away from the sand as well as the boom of the waves. This song features the dreamy, ethereal vocals of Akemi Alchemy, Surin on guitar, Arjun Madra on drums, and myself on Bass. We started jamming to get an idea of what we wanted to play and just warm up. At some point during that warm-up jam, Cole hit record. We never did another take. 

wellspring (feat. Akemi Alchemy, Surin, Arjun Madra)

This was a very fun one to record. The soundscape is a recording from Fivebrooks Trail near Bolinas. I was very excited to capture the sound of a hawk crying out overhead as it circled above me. For this song, Cole got out from behind the decks and is playing the drums! Zach is playing the bass and the trumpet. I’m on guitar. I loved the jam we had on this and it turned into such a grooooveee. 

destination (feat. Zach Meyerowitz, Cole Williams)

The soft, swelling waves lapping against the rocky Big Sur coastline sets the backdrop for this peaceful opening track. This track is soothing, watery, and spacious. My guitar is joined by the incredible playing of a violinist who has chosen to remain anonymous. We played this together as a live improvisation. 

tributary

I think this was actually the first song we recorded for this project, and it was a jam! This soundscape is actually a combination of forest in Briones Regional Park and a recording I took years ago in Hawaii of many birds singing along with a wind chime. Surin on the bass, Arjun on the drums, and I’m playing both rhythm and lead guitar. 

blueprint for the future (feat. Surin, Arjun Madra)

Another spacious soundscape centering the birds, this time in a forest in Briones Regional Park. This is the only track on the project that doesn’t feature any other artists. It is just me playing a couple of guitar parts and a very spacious ambient synth. Mellow, lazy afternoon vibes. 

glacial pace

These waves were recorded at Limantour beach, but from about 100 feet away from the water, up in the sand dunes. This song feels like a deep breath after the journey of the whole project. It went through several versions and evolutions. The original recording had Arjun on tabla drums, Surin on sitar, and myself on an instrument called a marimacho - a variation on a bandolier. I wound up stripping out the tablas, drowning the sitar and marimacho in reverb and delay to the point that they sound like drone sounds. We then re-recorded a sitar part. I recorded the vocals for this during a moment of inspiration while visiting my parents house…the location for this recording was in the bathroom!  

melding (feat. Surin)

This track is set at the San Leandro Reservoir, surrounded by chattering birds in the trees and on the water. The leaves rustle in the wind, the birds float and fly around, and the sun shines on a crystal clear day. This song is held down by Surin on the Prophet synthesizer and Arjun Madra on the drums. I am playing the bass. The ethereal flute joining the birds in flight is played by the amazing Maya Curry. 

totality (feat. Maya Curry, Surin, Arjun Madra)

I honestly don’t remember where I recorded the waves for this song. Maybe it was Limantour beach, maybe it was Big Sur, or maybe it was one of the many other beaches I’ve spent time at with a microphone. Zach Meyerowitz and I played this song together, just guitar and trumpet, and recorded a looonngg 10 minute take because we were just feeling it. I picked out the best 4 minutes of that jam. I also played a deep droning Korg synthesizer to fill in the low end. 

inner-outer (feat. Zach Meyerowitz)

This might be my favorite song on this project, because it is so different from anything I’ve made before. The soundscape is focused on Bear Creek in Briones Regional Park. The creek sounds are doppled in a way that almost makes it feel like rain. I am playing a Juno synthesizer while Cole was manipulating the effects in realtime on his outboard equipment. I then asked Arjun to play climactic and chaotic drums. We ran those drums through Korg synthesizer. From there, Zach Meyerowitz completed the song with an absolutely perfect trumpet part. What came together is magical. Somehow peaceful and chaotic. 

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