Dear all,

I would like to introduce you to my latest EP of solo electronic music, A Better View. These pieces of music are based on the Music Specialism assignment I completed at university and this is my first attempt at forging my own unique style of ambient music, what I call, Glitch Atmospheric.

I wanted to use each piece as a building block to help develop my own style so that by the time the album gets to the last track, we would have arrived at a clear expression of glitch atmospheric music. I found this a really helpful approach as every time I was ready to move onto the next track, I could use the knowledge I had learnt and take it to the next level. The three main types of sounds I worked with were ambient, glitch and atmosperic.

Building Shadows

I wanted to create a piece of music that was very simple, powerful and atmospheric. The key word was Simple Atmosphere. In terms of the sounds I used, I wanted to have sounds that evolved over time like traffic sounds and waves that rise and fall in their natural, beautiful way. I also wanted to have very deep meaningful harmony, as well as melodies that fade in and out, rounding off the musical phrases. There were also certain textures I wanted to have, like very subtle distortion sounds that gradually sweep and morph in a similar way that a flower grows and evolves over time.

A Better View

With this piece, I wanted to evolve on the the idea of the atomosphere that I had created in the previous track, but now start to introduce a more warm electronic sound. I wanted to include the same naturally occurring atmosphere and subtle distortion colour, but this time with much simpler melodies and harmonies, and with light drums in the background. The key word was Warm Electronic and Atmosphere. I evolved the melodies with a swirling phaser effect to help continue the atmospheric approach. This piece has a more purposeful sound and there is a story that it wants to tell.

Warm Cauldron

Here I wanted to take that warm electronic sound to the next level. The key word was Warm Electronic. I wanted to use much less sounds in this piece and have different melodies that were dynamic and merged together. My aim was to create a sense of exploration by modulating the filter to allow the sound to express itself. This piece is more of a conversation with the sound as it changes sometimes when you expect it, other times when you don’t. It is similar to the first piece as there is no drums, but you can see how this piece is much more about creating a warmer texture.

Cruising

At this point in the album, I wanted to start introducing a new quality to the music, a new side if you will. The key work was Warm Electronic and Glitch. My aim was to make the music develop as the piece progresses and I continued with the warm electronic vibe that I created in the previous piece. However, I included new layers to the piece that were not there in the other tracks. I used an appegiator rhythm to help take the melodies to new heights and started to evole the drums into a more glitch orientated beat. The idea here was not to make the glitch sounds too complicated, but keep it simple and let the piece cruise along.

Dancing Ether

Now at the last track of the album, this piece is the pinnacle of what I was trying to create. The key word was Glitch Atmospheric and here I wanted to incorporate everything I had learned from the previous pieces. There are very expressive atmospheric sounds that lend to the first and second pieces, as well as more simpler warmer textures that relate to the third and fourth pieces. This piece has a more purposeful drive as I wanted to take the glitch sounds to the next level and although the drums are a lot faster and more dynamic, the music still maintains a very soft and beautiful expression.

Peace and Love, Jamie