Something in the Wind

This song started with the one funky synth at the beginning, but quickly became a study in maintaining a cohesive sonic atmosphere as the size of an arrangement increases. At six instruments, this becomes inceasingly challenging.

I was going for luscious. I wanted a creamy, rich texture where all the parts would nestle in and get along.

This is another one where I turned off note velocity. I've found that this small choice produces an other-worldly quality that, while often wildly inappropriate for a song, is sometimes exactly what it needs. Piano without velocity says dance music. Drums without velocity say drum machine. Synths without velocity sound like they're played on an old ARP.

The pulsating hi-hat patch is a happy accident that provides a depth and atmosphere that is difficult to reproduce otherwise. There's a gentle pad that emerges midway that's barely there but fills out the sound in a way that's just right.

This song feels like the scene music for a happy digital adventure. You know the kind: you and your friends will ultimately save the day, but only by the strength of your friendship and your courage to hope for a different future. It sounds so trite and so obvious, and everyone tells you it can't be done, but that's all the more reason to prove them wrong.