S+A Cycles

Mare Marginus

Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track. I tend to have a pretty strong self-deprecating sense of humor. I’m not sure if that’s a defense mechanism, an outgrowth of my early humility training by my parents, a natural extension of my sarcasm, or some deeper psychological thing that some therapist would like to talk to me about because they need to send their kids to college. To expand on the “humility training” thing a bit, I started acting in (little) musical theater at age seven and was … Continue reading

Narcissus Rising

Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track. Where to begin? This is one of those oddball pieces that became more or less what I was sort of trying to do in a roundabout way. It’s not quite a “pants” track – I had a plan – but that plan was nebulous at best. It’s as much an exploration of texture and rhythm as anything. It veers strongly into Systems Music territory but is just as firmly in Eno-esque … Continue reading

Mare Orientale

Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track. This entry to the Mare series brings back some direct, rather than implied, rythmic elements. I didn’t want to be an outright beat, but rather a soft accompaniment. It’s not compositionally complex, but I think the length of each chord keeps things moving without taking away the languid pace and space to absorb. The backing pads, noise washes, and granular effects provide ongoing variety, becoming much more involved than the primary pluck sounds. I didn’t use many of my ambient … Continue reading

Mare Anguis

Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track. This visit to the Mares is another drone. Once again, the Slate + Ash libraries are the stars here, and I began warming up a bit more to Spectres. It’s still my least favorite of their libraries, but as I poke more through the content, I’m finding usable things. In this case, the main drone sound and the “lead” sound that becomes prominent about halfway through are the same sound, but I used two separate instances. This allowed me to … Continue reading

Mare Crisium

Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track. Last year (2023) I named most of my ambient pieces after lunar seas. It wasn’t really a planned thing – just an easy naming convention – and the definition of “ambient” certainly shifts across the six pieces, ranging from a melodic piano piece with electronic spices to full-on drones. I was initially hesitant to explore those spaces, but positive feedback from other Song-A-Day participants encouraged … Continue reading