Recording music was an escape for me. My focus on big, layered sonics, ambiance and sometimes even downright noise came in no small part because I can get lost in all that sound. It’s meditative. Relaxing. Soothing despite the noise.
But for some reason, the pandemic has coincided with the longest musical dry spell I’ve experienced in years. Aside from some digital music created last year for a project I will post about another time, I haven’t created anything. Nothing at all. Hell, I went nearly a year without even picking up the guitar, much less writing something on it.
Until last night. That’s when a sonic jam accidentally spilled out while testing some equipment. And damn, it felt good to create again.
It’s a simple, droning jam with some wailing guitars and a simple shuffle beat, all of which builds in intensity as it goes. I have no idea if it’s good. I’m still riding on the high of new creation. But I do really like the lead guitar that rolls in at around 4:30, and the hint of voice I added worked when I didn’t expect it to. As is often the case, it takes a while for it to get where it’s going, but that’s intentional. I like those slow builds. It’s what I do. Listen:
It probably needs some bass guitar to fill out the bottom end, though the periodic THOOOM helps in that regard. The harmonica works, too, which inspires me to experiment more with using traditional acoustic instruments in the context of these walls of noise. Maybe good things can come of it. The possibilities excite me.
I don’t know if I’m going to use this for an ‘official’ Second Slumber project yet. I’ll have to sit on it for a while, see if it withstands repeated listens. For the moment, I’m just basking in the high of having finally recorded something new. It’s been a long dry spell. Sure would be nice if it’s over!
It gets me excited about the far more experimental stuff I have in mind for the future, too.
For more music from my Second Slumber project, check out my Bandcamp for soundscapes, sonics, drones, ambiance, and experimental recordings. For more about my music projects, check out my music page. I am on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ericsanjuan but don’t know if I’m staying
