Hey guys!
I hope you're all having a great Christmas Season so far and have all your shopping done!
My new EP 'Somewhere Along The Way' is out on 7digital Indiestore today here:
http://indiestore.7digital.com/reubenhalsey/indieProductDetail.aspx?pid=-117893
It features 5 brand new tracks filled with chilled out vibes and orchestral wholesomeness. The first track on my myspace player gives you a preview of what's on it.
The tracks included in this release are:
01. March of the elephants
02. Running Home
03. Let the sun shine
04. At the end we find peace
05. Death of the snowflake
You can download the full EP from the link above or get individual tracks from it here:
http://indiestore.7digital.com/reubenhalsey/tracks/
The EP has a slightly different vibe to my usual Chillout Trance productions and remixes but it's very meanignful and has been in production for almost two years.
'March of the elephants' is a fairly upbeat little orchestral piece which when I was writing made me think of elephants. Imagine a group of cartoon elephants marching through the forest to the beat of the drum and the little one at the back falling behind but running to catch up. The grown up elephants are making the bass notes with their big and strong trunks held high in the air and the birds riding on their backs are singing the strings section. There are animals from all around joining them on their journey and all of them have a part to play in the music :o)
'Running Home' is a track I did with my friend and very talented singer/songwriter Miranda Dickinson. It started life as an instrumental, written as an expression of a story about 2 lovers who lost their way and drifted apart, only to realise the only thing that matters is the love they had and finding eachother again.
It was around the time I'd finished the first draft of the track that I met Miranda and discovered how great a singer and lyricist she was. I sent the track to her and told her the story behind it. Living on opposite sides of the Irish Sea meant it was difficult to get together to work on it so Miranda recorded her vocal ideas by leaving a voicemail on my phone one afternoon. And when I dialled in to hear that crackly little lo-fi recording, I knew we had something fantastic! Her vocals brought a new life to the music and told it's story so beautifully. And so 'Running Home' was born.
'Let the sun shine' is a song I wrote in the spring of 2006 when we were having quite a few rainy days here in the UK and I was desperately wishing summer would hurry up and arrive! I was still working at an Architects firm back then and I wrote the song whilst sat at my desk looking out the window at the rain (which I did alot of) when I was supposed to be working on drawings of a building. Not born with the ability to sing well, I sent my screeches to Miranda and as expected she turned it into a proper performance.
'At the end we find peace' is a very personal piece of music written for and dedicated to the father of someone very very special to me, who died suddenly and tragically in the summer of 2007. The track and the music video for it symbolise saying goodbye to someone dear to you but having the strength to let them go. It took on an even deeper meaning for me this year when I lost that special someone who's father was lost the year before.
Special thanks to Leona for performing the violin section so beautifully.
'Death of the Snowflake' has no words or deep meaning. It's just something I came up with one day when I was in the garden and it was snowing and I looked up at all the snowflakes rushing down towards me with such speed and in my imagination I could hear the frantic piano melody you hear in the track.
I hope you guys enjoy the tracks in the EP as much as I enjoyed making them. If you do like them please show your support by buying them. I need your support so I can go on making music like this.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thanks to all my friends and listeners for helping to make this year a great one :o)
Reuben.