introduction

It is commonplace these days, especially on mixed 'dreamy' albums to have minute long introductory tracks (an overture, so to speak). I though I'd toy with the idea. I was also thinking of getting a computer generated voice to do speak the track list (see cover). Does it work?

twilight

Once upon a time, I despised jazz, but recently, as this track demonstrates, it is beginning to have a small influence. The chilled and groovy ambience provided by the bass and sax in this track make it one of my favourites - an opinion echoed be many of my 'listeners'.

traffic

Far from being the main theme for the album, Traffic is a progressive fill-in which develops over time. A recurring pattern exists throughout, changing in each carnation as drums, strings and piano weave in and out of each other. Does it live up to the album's standard?

our island

The theme from London to Paris (on the first album) is given a new lease of life in a far more atmospheric ambient / drum n' bass incarnation. I like this track a lot, but wonder if sometimes the stronger drum phrases overshadow the ambient ones and would benefit from being replaced with quieter, more 'intelligent' percussion.

disaster

After seeing the film Gladiator and hearing its music, I was inspired to right a some almost orchestral incidental music. This track sees me journey back to the days when I wrote the classical suite (see first album). I'd love to hear it with non-synthesized instruments and even conduct the orchestra myself!

en masse

The genre of this track is... I don't know actually. One might say it's hip hop without the rapping (a marked improvement). It starts with a drum beat that sounds a bit lo-fi (although that's meant to be fashionable these days) which sometimes feels a bit tacky... perhaps it isn't lo-fi enough, but the soft bass crescendos and crisp piano chords soon take over to form a good contrast for the rest of piece. 

change lanes

I started this a while ago, then after hearing the 'throbbing' techno soundtrack of the German film 'Lola Rennt', I felt inspired to finish it. It's intelligent, melodic techno (or is that a contradiction in terms?) and like the previous track a bass crescendo provides for some hopefully non-anti-climatical build-ups in the piece.

mute

This is another of my favourites. I think this is a well polished mix with good bass vibes, breaks and an excellent guitar solo. The only gripe I have is, maybe, the length. Thus, the full version will in the near future, benefit from being edited down a minute or two. 

through the haze

After favourable reviews of this track from the last album, I touched up some of the timing and final mixing. As one of my better tracks, it deserves to be on the album I'd send off in hope of a contract.