Saturday, August 29, 2009

Hello from the distant future

Ive been in Köln, Germany for the past week visiting my cousins, thats why I havent posted anything for a long while. I havent been able to record anything, although, I did have a guitar with me so I came up with a few riffs and chord progressions. I am eager to try it them out and find my new sound. Ive had a pretty good time here. Whats great about Köln is the beautiful countryside that kind of surrounds the inner city. The thing is, teens here are always venturing into the city, going to clubs and disco, instead of exploring the nature that engulfs them. They want to escape nature. Its the oposite for me, living in Toronto, I dont get to see any of that. If I lived here, Id spend all my days getting inspired by trees and fields and forests. But I guess if youve been in one place your whole life you might want something more. Like living in a cave with a small glinter of light and knowing that the light is your escape. The light is your glimspe into another reality, another future. A different path. I have visions of these paths, little wormholes I experience in my dreams and thoughts. Theyre wonderful, really...

Anyways, as for the album. Im still trying to pinpoint a sound, a way it should be produced. With the songs I have now, I might just put up a couple of EPs. But the album is still in the works, Id say I havent even started the real record yet, Ive jut made little fragmentated pieces of music, experimental music.

When I get back to Toronto, Ill start putting things up. Ill try and squeeze in a Radio Contact show. As for now, rest...

Soul. Xerathryn. Love.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Almost End of Summer

Shazam

It is nearing the end of the summer. I am tired and I am also excited. The whole "summer record" experiment was...somewhat succesful. I did make enough songs for an album or two but I didnt make ones that I particularly loved. I didnt hate them, but they werent amazing. I think for me, it was a good learning experience, in terms of the creative process and really finding my sound. And still, I havent found it. Generally, all the songs I wrote were in a spur of the moment, stream of conciousness kind of fashion. I liked that I everything I made was so immediate, but I didnt like the fact that the songs had no real direction, they were all over the place. I'll be posting more of the songs I made over the summer. So, there wont a record coming out anytime soon, but maybe I'll put a group of songs in a small EP.

As for Radio Contact, that might be put on hold. I'm going to Germany on Thursday, to visit my cousins. I'm looking forward to travelling somewhere else. The blog might be inactive for a while, we'll see how things go.

As the summer comes to and end, I'm reminiscing all I've done. This summer was a summer of firsts. First attempt at making real, full fledged songs, first blog, first trip to Germany in 13 years, a first for all the small things that wont mean anything to you, but mean alot to me. I've learnt alot, I've known a little bit more about myself.

Here's to the new season.


Thursday, August 13, 2009


Good evening

Sorry I havent been updating the blog. Been busy.

Initially, this summer, I wanted to create a summer record. A really light, lo-fi production, Beach Boy harmonies type album. Essentially a day album. With reocurring references to the sun, the beach, surf, ocean and waves...you get the idea. But as the summer progressed, I found a job, which took up most of my time during the day. The only time I had to write and record music was at night or on weekends. These became late nights, often staying up until 3 am writing and recording. And I found my themes centered mostly on darkness, and night and things were much more etheral, and sombre. It all sort of changed into an exploration of night themes. At night, everyone is asleep, at least everyone in your city. But all around the world things are happening. People are experiencing things that may change their lives. It is this feeling of interconnectedness along with feelings of deep loneliness that I truly find interesting about the night. And so I'm changing the course in which the album was taking form. Get ready for some all new material. Soon.....

Yesterday night, if you were aware, was an excellent time to view a meteor storm that happens every 160 years. Apparently the best times were from 11:00 pm - 4:00 am. I decided I'd check it out with some friends. So I headed down to my friends place and met up with two other guys. We climb onto a school roof and made our way up to the highest point we could find, hoping to catch a glimspe of this meteor show. After a while, we saw nothing. We did however, admired the beautiful skyline. The night was dark and the long cityscape stretching around us seemed endless. This was our small moment of remoteness, it was our time to own. And yet, somewhere else in the world, another group a teenagers is doing the same thing...

So I went home at about 12:45. I still hadnt seen any real meteors, so I went out onto my garage roof and I just laid there for about 10 minutes. I saw nothing. Then suddenly out of nowhere a large purple streak crosses the sky. It was a light bluish, purple ember. It had a light filled head and a long dragging tail. And then in an instant it disappeared. It was incredible. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. But it was only for a feeting glimspe. And so with my new found desire for meteors, I got my backpack and went out looking for a darker and higher place. I went over to Elkhorn Middle school and climb their roof, I was a good two storeys and a half up. The night was silent. It was peaceful, no one was awake, small lights dimly light dark buildings, distant sounds of cars and late night meanderrings were heard. The ambiance was eerie. Even though I saw no new meteors in the sky, the night was not a disappointment. The night was peaceful, it was silent, it was mysterious. Darkness cloaked every corner, discovery was waiting to be made......darkness was my friend.
And so I laid there, for about an hour or so. Looking into the sky, staring at the moon, listening to the drone of the city. There was no 9-5, there was no sun, there was no schedule, there was no job, there were no rules, there were no cars, there were no signs, there was no cling, clang, clunk, vroom, chkchrrkbrr, krrk......there was only freedom. There was only the moment in which something was experienced, not by me, but merely a moment happening in this stream of time.......
Soul. Love. Xerathryn.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Crushed Oranges


Hey

So here's the newest addition in my set of songs. Again, like Washing Machine, this is another attempt at more shoegaze/avant-garde sound. I really wanted nice harmonies and a smooth production style. I wanted it to sound like ocean waves washing in your mind. Crushed Oranges is really about entering a void, a place where the induvidual is destroyed and unity is complete. It is in my fictitious belief (as all is) that we are liquid souls sepperated by fields of concious thought. It is when we let go of all conciousness, when we pull the plug that we can truly experience unity. But this doesnt mean a natural state of nirvanic bliss. I dont know what it is. When we crush the orange we get juice, the liquid soul......

Anyways, take a listen and tell me what you think.
Peace. Love. Lux and Crossbones.....

Monday, August 3, 2009

Washing Machine


Hey

Here's a new song. My first real attempt at the shoegaze sound. Trying to build up alot of layers, expecially in vocals. I wanted the song to sound really smooth, like it was being washed over by soundwaves. I wrote it after a night with my friends. It's just about being empty. The idea that when you're alone and you feel like everything is hollow, there's still a joy there, a small hope that can fill eternity. The image of a washing machine came to mind. Like our bodies are washing machines waiting to clean our past lives away. Rejuvination.

The song was intended to be heard after a long night out with friends. Your legs are tired, your arms are hanging and your body is wrecked after a long night of dancing, walking and fucking around. Sit back and listen to this tune, let it wash all over you. Let it clean you....