Blog 0003 - Love Love

Note: The title isn’t a typo. I love (verb) love (noun).

Upcoming Intergalactic release!

Momentum is sounding great and will be launching soon! The mix/master is still being finalized, but here’s a taste of what’s to come: Momentum

There are several other projects at various stages of production, including a lyrical version of “Mm Hmm”.

Now on to the flowery stuff…

The Day of Love

Here we are on Valentine’s Day. Honestly, I haven’t been really big on this holiday in the past. But today, I feel a little differently. I’m still not very interested in romantic movies, wearing red, or candy (shocking, I know), but I’m enjoying thinking about love and being reminded to display it even more than I already do. That’s a good thing.

Relationships and Risk-taking

I think part of the reason I’m feeling this day more than in the past is because the power of relationships in music has been on my mind lately. I used to work on music in complete isolation. That was fine for a while because my skills were in development and what I was creating didn’t sound very good. The ideas were good, mind you, but the quality of delivery was not.

Then I reached a point where I started being more confident in what I was creating - thinking my stuff actually sounded pretty good. Looking back, I still had a long way to go, but when you’re passionate about something, there comes a time to say “F@#K IT” and put it out there. Feedback is how we learn, and keeping your creativity to yourself is a sure way to let it wither and die.

I also know that I was being driven to open up because of a desire to connect with others through music… love.

I became comfortable with sharing my work and accepting feedback. Some of the feedback I got was negative, but as long as long as criticism is honest, it can be valuable. So I learned from it and improved.

I also felt a strong urge to work with other engineers and musicians - people who can do things that I can’t. I’ve learned a great deal from those experiences. Bringing others into projects and letting them do what they do best has yielded stellar results. The music has benefited, and I’ve made friends. I found people who get what I’m doing and enjoy being part of the creative process with me - even when they ask me something technical about a song that I wrote and my response is, “Uh, I don’t know what that means.” I’m so grateful for that.

Music = People

Music itself, to me, is an expression of emotion. It’s an auditory picture of how I feel and think. It’s also a form of communication. I’m sending that picture of my soul out into the cosmos for others to feel (or not) and respond to. It’s done with love. In every song, I’m talking to you with love, no matter what the emotion of the song happens to be.

So, back the title of this Valentine’s Day post: Love Love. I really do love love. It’s the best.

By the way, if you’re a musician and need something you don’t have, here’s a way to expand your musical universe: Musiversal

Keeping with the theme, I’ll wrap up this February 2022 post with a short selection of the love “Mm Hmm” has received so far. It’s good reading. Check it out below.

Much love.

See y’all in the future.

“Mm Hmm”, Feeling the Love

Rádio Chilli Beats

Radio - Brazil

“His song is beautiful, a sensitive and profound work, a gift to lovers of instrumental music.”

RadioCastor

Media - France

“Bravo for the musical performance, which is excellent… the mixing of genres is perfectly mastered.”

Boulimique de Musique

Media, Playlist - Canada

“A dynamic and luminous instrumental composition where rock, jazz, funk and soul influences are fabulously combined. The uplifting atmosphere of this piece with its almost spiritual qualities is reminiscent of a gospel hymn. The beautifully evolving musical structure of this work is particularly noteworthy for its enormous depth.”

Silver Gun Records

Label - United States

“Really solid production… everyone sounds great.”

Nam-radio

Radio - Namibia

“The artist is gifted and talented, the track is on point.”

OIM Records

Label - USA

“A really soulful and groovy track. Love the percussion and brass moments… dope.”

Smoke and Bless

Playlist - Chili

“The presence that the guitar gives it together with the drums is really impressive, a very well produced and beautiful work, soul combined with funk… Great project!”

ENLIVEDUFER

Media - France

“Superb musical realization.”

LISTAFINA - Nova 2022

Playlist - France

“Here is a good instrumental rock track, extremely well produced and recorded! That sounds very professional from the first notes. Very good job! What we loved: good HQ audio, professional, great studio work, lovely guitars and vocals, the construction / song evolution.”

There are more, but that’s enough. Many thanks to all of the above.