Flow

Released: March 2026

Equipment: Waldorf Iridium synthesizer, Arturia KeyStep Pro sequencer

My previous album, gift, had been recorded under a (self-imposed) deadline in the weeks leading up to the midwinter holidays. This had encouraged a more 'fast & loose' production style where I spent less time worrying about polishing & refinement and let more of the earlier, rougher elements carry through into the final product. Although this wasn't quite as trouble-free as I'd hoped it did lead to tunes that felt fresher and less typecast than my more usual output and I was very happy with the final results. There were more rough edges, digital artefacts, and other signs of the practical recording process but I found I quite liked the (relatively) raw sounds, and the (relatively) fast turnover kept things fresh & interesting. This felt like a worthwhile change to my creative technique.

After the midwinter break I started recording again. I'd produced the previous four albums using my Opsix synthesizer so I swapped back to my trusty Iridium, the intention was to combine this with my new drum machine but I hadn't yet come to terms with it (at least to my own satisfaction, it had been many years since I'd used electronic percussion) so once again it was to be a single-synth project. There was a brief period of refamiliarisation - it had been a year since I'd last seriously used the Iridium - but it has a wonderfully clear & logical control layout and it all came back to me fairly swiftly. And some time away is always useful for trying (or stumbling across) new features & options.

My 'light touch' approach saw me spending around a week on each track, this wasn't noticeably more productive than my earlier, more methodical process but it felt that I was spending more time playing (in every sense of the word) than planning & preparing. Using a sequencer means that the overall 'shape' of a piece is fixed fairly early in the recording process but this time I aimed for more open & incomplete frameworks that could be built upon in more creative ways, rather than more definite skeletons that just needed to be 'filled in'. I've often likened my compositional style to collage where new elements are overlaid on the existing state and this seemed truer than ever. The lack of (or looser) overall plan led to some difficult choices as the elements piled up but also led to pieces going off in unexpected directions as they progressed, which (after some initial frustration) was very satisfying.

In general the songs had simpler structure as a result of this approach, mostly sticking to a verse-chorus-middle format and most in an even time signature. There were more 'interesting' chord progressions as I found myself more confident in straying beyond key signatures, which led to some (slightly) more inventive melody lines over them. The tones were definitely smoother than those I'd gotten from the Opsix with lots of classic wavetable sounds and more dynamic stereo placement, although I did manage to push things a bit further in places. I made a point of using fewer tones in each piece which, to my ears, gave them a more limited but more coherent feel, which fitted nicely with the overall sound of the album.

The collection has a close & intimate feel to my ears, continuing the mood from gift. There's often a hint of wistfulness & melancholy in my music and although these are still present the overall feeling is more positive & accepting, something I was very pleasantly surprised by. It's all good.

Redshift kicks things off with a bubbling percussive pulse that's soon joined by washes of floaty chords & melodic phrases. There's a recurring feeling of descent, most obviously in the chorus chords, which reflects the title's sense of departing & falling away. I was very pleased by the way this piece built up without just resorting to more of everything.

Tradewinds slows things down but maintains a feeling of movement or travelling. Some nice contrast between sections & tones while keeping the whole thing understated & contained.

Orbiting has some more conventional 'filtery' synth sounds weaving in & around themselves and my usual wavetable tones. The slow, stately pace evokes a weightless feel and a sense of periodically returning to the start point.

Embers brings a wistful, nostalgic feel with simple melodies over swirling chords and a minimal rhythmic backing. The downbeat feel is interrupted by the more ascendant middle eight, which gives a nice balance to the piece.

Woolgathering came from a feeling of directionless wandering, which the uneven rhythm accentuates. The structure plays its part in this with a false middle eight & ending before going off into the 'real' middle eight with its own meandering path. A nice, understated arrangement maintains the uncertain feel.

Remnant was inspired by trying to resolve a fragmentary wisp of memory and mentally identify it, trying to approach it in different ways but finding myself misled into the same dead end time & time again. There's a feeling of discovery in the middle eight that leads to a more optimistic final reprise, at least to my ears.