This week I started off with a piano progression I wrote earlier this week. Together with chat, we honed in on a drum and bass direction and I started writing more layers to flesh out the idea. After many iterations, I landed on the version you hear above. It still needs a lot of work, but I really like it and am intending on finishing it.
But what do you think? Are you up for some more DnB? And would you like to see this one finished? - Let me know in the comments!
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2024-06-13 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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I'm in the middle of a move this week so this session wasn't on my normal setup, but I think it worked out pretty well! I set out to write a nice chord progression and build out a nice atmospheric drum and bass idea. The drums are pretty basic and this needs a lot more layers and FX. That said, I'm pretty happy with this as well as the other DnB idea I wrote recently and I can see myself retur...
2024-06-07 17:53:28 +0000 UTC
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This week I wanted to write something with a similar sound to last week but at a slower tempo than my usual house stuff. I started out with chords and added layers and a basic arrangement to get to the version you hear above. I think it turned out okay and it's worth returning to, but something feels like it's missing and I'm not sure I'll finish it.
What do you think? Should I f...
2024-05-30 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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The first EP of 2024 is finally here!
Better Days is a collection of 5 songs that starts off with pushing back against society's expectations (I Don't Work That Way) and some frustrating feelings that I've had about society in general recently (Modern Dystopia). From there, it's all about reminiscing about good days (Remember) and looking forward to finding better days (The Outside & Better Days).
2024-05-29 16:05:01 +0000 UTC
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This week I'm switching it up and writing some Drum and Bass. I started out with an uplifting and slightly melancholic chord progression and started adding layers. After a few hours I ended up with what you hear here.
I'm pretty happy with this one and I am going to finish it. I'm not really intending on releasing any more Drum and Bass under Approaching Nirvana songs, but I was planning on writing some more at some point this year. And to be honest, I think this is a great start.
2024-05-23 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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This week, I wrote a simple chord progression, added some layers, and used a framework to structure out a simple melodic house style arrangement. After stream, I wasn't satisfied with where it was at so I spent a bit more time refining some elements to bring it to the version you hear here.
I think this idea works fairly well and I can definitely see myself finishing this. I'm not sure it's strong enough to finish, but it does have a great atmosphere and vibe to it.
What d...
2024-05-16 14:00:09 +0000 UTC
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This week my session was short, but I came up with a decent chord progression quickly and starting adding layers. I'm really happy with the pad layer and drums on this one, but the extra melodic layers really add some nice flavor as the song progresses.
It's got an uplifting house vibe with some melodic house influences and I really like how this idea came together. I think the lead melody could be stronger, but I definitely see myself returning to this one.
What do you t...
2024-05-09 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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And they are glorious!! I'm really happy with how these turned out and I'm looking forward to getting these sent out over the next month! I'll attach some more images below.
Speaking of which - I will be sending out address confirmations over the next week. Please keep an eye out for messages here on Patreon, via email, or on Discord (wherever I've contacted you previously) to confirm that I have your most recent address.
Thanks as always for your support and I'll see you on str...
2024-05-08 16:05:01 +0000 UTC
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This week was an interesting one. Immediately after the session, it felt like it didn't go well and I didn't like what I wrote. I revisited the project later in the day to prep for posting here and ... I really liked it. I spent another couple hours refining some of the stuff I couldn't get to on stream and ended up with one of the better ideas of this year.
The melody tells an interesting story, the intro is cinematic, there's a fair amount of energy and drive, and the synths/overall s...
2024-05-02 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Yesterday's session was a shorter one because of some personal commitments, but I think the idea turned out okay. At first, I wrote a different idea but I scrapped it in favor of a beautiful piano chord part that felt much better. I added a bunch of layers and I like where it went, but I'm just not sure if it's strong enough to finish.
What do you think? Would you like me to finish this one? And do you like the higher register piano chords? - Let me know in the comments.
2024-04-25 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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This song started out as "Holding On" with a placeholder vocal and was originally written last August. It's an uplifting progressive house song at a slower tempo than I usually write. Kate McGill's amazing vocals take this to the next level and I'm really happy with how it turned out!
MP3, 24-bit wave, & artwork are attached. The Release Archive has also been updated. This one releases...
2024-04-24 16:15:00 +0000 UTC
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This week, I started off with a lot of sound design. I created some pad layers and a lead arp sound. Once I had those layers in place, I wrote a chord progression and arp melody I thought was interesting. I went on to add a drum groove and more layers to end. up at the version you hear here. I'm not sure it's as solid as some of the recent ideas, but I like it and may return to finish it.
What do you think? Is this one strong enough to finish? And would you like more songs with ...
2024-04-18 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Yesterday was a rare Tuesday stream session and I wrote one of the most promising ideas of 2024. I really like the chill melodic house vibes, the pretty piano in the intro & break, and some of the organic elements throughout. The writing on this song is basically done and I'm definitely going to return to this one to finish it.
What do you think? Do you like this one and would you like to see a finished version? And what do you think about a vocal? Would it make this song fe...
2024-04-10 16:29:40 +0000 UTC
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This week I started out with some arpeggiated chords and just ran with it. After adding a bunch of layers and a basic arrangement it's decent, but I'm not sure I'd return to this one. I like the FX layers and drums the most, so I'll definitely repurpose those either way.
What do you think? Is this an idea you like? And would you like to see this one finished? And do you like a lead melody that's more appegiated? - Let me know in the comments :)
Download attached a...
2024-04-05 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Remember the good times as you push through the bad. And remember those who support you - some still here and some long gone... I'm going through a rough patch personally right now, so this song is particularly relevant. Hopefully it can help some of you if you're having a tough day or dealing with some challenging things.
This was originally written in May of 2022 and I've had it on my list t...
2024-03-29 21:05:01 +0000 UTC
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I'm trying some new things on stream over the next few months and this week is the first one. I'm pulling from the #stream-submissions channel in Discord to find something to sample and/or make a song out of. Meme streams - or something like that, haha.
Here's what I started with: Onion video
And it turned into the song you hear above. The concept is ridiculous, but it was a fun challenge and I'm s...
2024-03-28 14:00:09 +0000 UTC
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This week I wasn't feeling great so I wanted to do a short session on stream and gave myself 90 minutes to work on an idea. I started writing an arpeggio and chord progression on the piano and then ran from there in a melodic house direction. It's missing a lot of FX and subtleties, but it's not bad for a short session. I can definitely see myself returning to this project.
What do you think? Do you like this uplifting vibe? Do you like the melodic house style in this and simila...
2024-03-21 14:00:10 +0000 UTC
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This week I focused on some groovey, downtempo, house vibes. I spent a lot of time on the drums and I'm pretty happy with how that turned out. After writing the 1st idea you hear, I wasn't satisfied with it so I tried another chord progression that you hear at ~2 minutes.
Coming out of my session yesterday, I wasn't sure about either idea. But having some time away from the project, I'm getting a bit of Blocking the Sky and Evolve vibes and I might return to it. At the very least,...
2024-03-14 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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This week's idea is a bit stronger and I'm definitely planning on trying to finish it. I'm not sure if it's good enough for an official release, but it has lots of old school AN vibes combined with some current influences. The chords remind me a lot of Here Again and I particularly like how the percussion groove turned out. Still needs a lot of layers, but I'm looking forward to finishing it.
What do you think? Do you like this song? Is it too similar to Here Again? And does it ...
2024-03-01 15:00:15 +0000 UTC
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This week I wanted to write something at a different bpm but with some similar vibes. I started off writing a chord progression and came up with a drum groove I really liked, but wasn't connecting with the chord progression enough. So I wrote a different chord progression and arranged this version with a vocal tagline - always sunset.
I like this one - parts of it are pretty cool and I can definitely see myself repurposing the drum groove. But I don't think it's strong enough to finish....
2024-02-22 15:00:13 +0000 UTC
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The 1st official release of 2024 is here - Modern Dystopia. I originally wrote this song last March and I loved the dark and intense vibes of this one. The vocals play off those vibes and relate to some of my frustrations with life these days. With tough economic situations coming out of a worldwide pandemic, my experience with platforms/algorithms, dread about AI in creative fields, and the general ...
2024-02-21 17:00:13 +0000 UTC
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Here are the options for the Spring/Summer 2024 Merch Run. I’ve gathered some details and images below so you can get an idea of what type of items they are.
Vote on which item you’d like the most for the next merch run!!
There are some items juuuust out of price range that I am keeping an eye on for the future. Those are embroidered baseball-style snapback hats, another vinyl, and a poster print. Based on feedback from the community, I'm going ...
2024-02-19 22:37:40 +0000 UTC
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This week was a short session and I wanted to write something simple. It's been awhile since I've written in triplets, so I started there with a simple drum groove and then some chords. The first idea I came up with was happy and uplifting, but I was worried about it being cheesy or just generally not good. So I spent the last bit of my session writing another chord idea with a different vibe and I've included both versions above.
I'm not sure which one I like more. The happy is decent ...
2024-02-15 15:00:13 +0000 UTC
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First off - thank you for being patient on the custom commissioned shirts. I’ve been contacting artists over the last couple months, but I haven’t found someone I felt confident could execute the design. I reached out to Brent Minehan in January (he did the album art for Isolated Frequencies, East of Switzerland, and Blocking the Sky Redux) and asked for some advice about the process. He mentioned that this type of design is much more of a graphic design project than a traditional t-shirt...
2024-02-09 17:03:40 +0000 UTC
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This week I started out experimenting with a new plugin to generate something interesting to start from. After a bit of messing around, I came up with some rhythmic and atmospheric elements to build off, wrote some chords, and filled out the drum groove. As I progressed I added layers and an arrangement along with a vocal phrase to round things out.
I like this idea - it's got some melodic house vibes, deep house vibes, and of course some AN vibes. I'll be returning to this one, but I'm...
2024-02-08 15:00:20 +0000 UTC
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I started with drums this week and once a groove was put together I wrote some chords on the piano. The borrowed chord near the end of the progression is nice and unique, but it might stick out too much and/or cause the song to feel a bit too sad.
As the song came together, I settled on a gated vocal lead and added in some vocals. After stream, I reworked the main vocal because the one I chose on stream wasn't that great. Overall, the session was good and the song came ...
2024-02-01 15:00:11 +0000 UTC
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I'm kicking off 2024 with a song that takes me back to 2012-2014 Approaching Nirvana. This was written last July and originally called "Missing You". It's got some bittersweet, melancholic, and uplifting vibes and I really like how this one turned out! This song is available to Patrons today and releases for free for everyone tomorrow.
Mp3, 24-bit wave, & artwork are attached. The Release Archive has also been updated.
Thank you for supporting me - I would not still he...
2024-01-26 21:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Yesterday's session was a long, but good one. I set out to write an orchestral string arrangement of an emotional chord progression and combine that with some melodic & progression house vibes. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one come together just as planned and I really like it. I'm definitely going to finish this.
The song obviously needs FX and more automation, but the bulk of the work is already done. I want to touch up the vocal phrases with Melodyne because it so...
2024-01-25 17:21:11 +0000 UTC
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As 2024 begins, it's time to look back at all the music I wrote in 2023. I haven't finished many ideas from 2023, so
This year, I'm doing things a bit differently. The mix above includes all the ideas I thought were most promising and that I'd like to return to. Most of the stuff I wrote in 2023 hasn't been finished or released, so I'm sure you'll see some of these finished for official release or free songs throughout 2024.
I've collected the other ideas in their own ...
2024-01-20 15:00:09 +0000 UTC
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This week's session went surprisingly well. I spent a lot of time on the drums and didn't expect to write a whole song. But after the drum groove was complete, the rest of the song came together quickly. I'm not sure exactly what you'd classify this song as, but I like it. And while I'm not sure about a release, I'm definitely going to return to this and finish it.
What do you think? Should I finish this one? Do you like the pitched down vocal in this one? And do you think you'd...
2024-01-18 15:00:10 +0000 UTC
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