Independent Record Label | Est. 2009
Wilmington, North Carolina

 
 

EVENT CALENDAR

Friday, March 31, 2023

La Cerca tour to support ambient album 'A Nice Sweet Getaway'

In September 2020, front-man Andrew Gardner of indie rock band La Cerca released his first ambient album under the same moniker; a masterpiece titled A Nice Sweet Getaway.  

"Echo, delay and reverb were put to good use to create an atmosphere that is not particularly safe or soothing. They point to the dangers that are hiding in the great wide open, with pulsating rhythms and swaths of guitar that are both welcoming and issuing a warning. [La Cerca's] A Nice Sweet Getaway flows as a continuous piece of music and should be enjoyed as such. This kind of music does not allow outside interference, so better disconnect the phone and other things that can break the spell."
~ Here Comes the Flood -- Best of 2020

This month coming, La Cerca is hitting the road to support A Nice Sweet Getaway, and perform tracks from the album live in concertCurrent dates are below, but stay tuned to La Cerca's social media accounts for potential additional dates to be added:

  • Saturday April 15 - Wilmington, NC - The Fuzzy Needle 
  • Wednesday April 19 -  Cincinnati, OH - The Comet
  • Thursday  April 20 - Louisville, KY - private party
  • Friday April 21 - Chicago, IL - Cafe Mustache
  • Saturday April 22 - Kansas City, MI - The Brick
  • Sunday April 23 - Tulsa, OK - The Whittier Bar
  • Monday April 24 -Oklahoma City, OK - Hunbly Bubbly Hookah Lounge

La Cerca's Social Media + Website:

Andrew Gardner of La Cerca

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Boogixote Scout Report #1 | Blowin Wax

[Repost from Boogixote; by Garrett Bethmann, March 22, 2023]

JPW: Halfway to Eloy (Live at the Dirty Drummer)
Puts some sweat on your brow and a buzz in your body as you glide through some ephemeral fever dream of fast friends on lonely desert roads, listening to a radio station playing the best music you’ll never hear again. It’s a sweet little live release single culled from Jason Woodbury’s debut release Something Happening/ Always Happening on Wilmington’s Fort Lowell Records. 

Friday, March 24, 2023

OUT NOW: Kim Ware 'Homely' [12inch LP]

Ware’s official debut solo album; a departure that is much more intimate and personal from her previous work as / with the Good Graces. —— “Ware’s earthy voice pairs well with her songs of yearning.’ ~ Rachel Cholst, Adobe & Teardrops —— For fans of Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, The Mountain Goats, and Conor Oberst.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER VINYL

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

High Huddle: Shaun Paul of Kicking Bird Deliberates on His Fave Dope

[Repost from V13; by Christopher Gonda, March 14, 2023]

Most artists go to great lengths to seem original and distinctive, but Kicking Bird aren’t afraid to admit it: “Everything’s a rip-off.” This is made apparent on the band’s debut record Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Fort Lowell Records), a collection of upbeat, bouncy indie rock goodness.

Even if everything in music is derivative, it doesn’t take anything away from the finished product, and according to Kicking Bird, that’s the most essential aspect. Stolen chords and melodies are unavoidable, but it all depends on how we interpret the work that came before us that we have been exposed to and, in some instances, idolized. Each track on Original Motion Picture Soundtrack sets out to satisfy our innate need and desire to dance. They can be both fiery and intimate, urgent and tense, but also charming and delicate. Not too bad for five guys who formed a band in a shed beside a river in Southeast North Carolina.

Just for today, we put all the music talk aside and chat about the joys of cannabis with singer Shaun Paul for our latest edition of High Huddle.

When did you first smoke marijuana? What was your first experience like?

Shaun Paul: “In twelfth grade, I played in a punk rock band named Dale. The other two guys were more experienced than me when it came to pot, and I had generally taken a pass at partaking with them. My parents had left me alone for the weekend, and I invited both of them over to hang out and finally smoke. We built a bowl out of tinfoil and stuffed an emptied cigarette wrapper with weed, and despite the amateur attempts at consumption, we smoked enough to get extremely high.

“We went down to the basement and played music for what seemed like an eternity (even though it was probably only an hour), and I remember thinking I’d never heard sounds in that way before. Everything was fun; everything was peaceful; I felt like I was helping create something amazing right there in that moment. I think that was my initial attraction, the way I felt pulled into the notes and chords we were playing. I was very present and aware of what was happening all around me in a way I had never experienced before.”

What’s the biggest misconception about weed?

“People think weed makes you dumb. It does not. My life with weed has been extremely productive. There have definitely been times when I melted through the floor and couldn’t stand up even if the earth tilted with me, but generally, there is nothing I can’t do stoned. There are, however, half a million things I don’t want to do when I’m not stoned.”

You get to smoke with anyone, alive or dead; who is it?

“I would love to get high with Elvis Presley. Not cool, young Elvis, but late-stage paranoid Elvis. Then we could use all his connections to go fly a plane or drop 30,000 in a Vegas casino. I would want to just keep smoking joints until he was chilled out in the Jungle Room, then we would sing some gospel songs and Hank Williams tunes.

“After a good laugh and walk on the grassy fields of Graceland, we would settle into the kitchen for some fried bacon-peanut butter banana sandwiches. We’d talk about how he just needs to get away from everyone for a while, the colonel, the entourage, all his business partners. Then I would try to convince him to fly us both down to Jamaica for a few months to start writing some new tunes and building up the mystery before a worldwide tour, a-la Rolling Thunder Review. Then Elvis would be cool again.”

If you could pick one person who you would like to see smoke up, who would it be?

“I’d really like to see Neil Armstrong get baked. I don’t know for sure that he saw things on the moon that he’s never been able to speak about, but I do believe he thinks he has. I think a stoned Neil Armstong would tell the best stories. They would be a mix between reality, ’60s anti-communist propaganda, and an Ed Wood-style look at space culture. I’d ask him loads of questions like, ‘What do you think is at the bottom of the sea?,’ and ‘Is Doctor Who a real guy?’”

What’s your favourite thing about weed?

“I love the warm feeling of relaxation that creeps over me when I get high. I like the way it slows down time and brings minutia into focus. I like the flavour in my mouth of a clean piney hit. I love how it can sink you fully into an experience by removing barriers to sensation. Going for a walk on the beach and feeling wind hit your body is such a simple sensation, but when you have the chance to heighten a moment like that, it really becomes so much easier to appreciate how little it takes to feel good.”

Smoke or edibles, which one do you prefer overall?

“Definitely smoke. Edibles can be fun occasionally, but it’s unpredictable. I love that feeling 30 seconds after a hit when everything feels warm and cozy. It’s also a more enjoyable group occasion when you can pass a joint or bowl and all share in the moment together. Also, you really can’t beat that smell.

“However, I once went to the circus after two gummies that Tom gave me. It wasn’t one with animals, just acrobats and clowns, and I remember feeling like there was no one on the planet who could do the things those people did. When the gymnast leapt from the trapeze, I audibly gasped so loud, the family beside us got scared with me.”

Do you have a preferred time of day to smoke, and if so, when and why?

“It has to be the morning. I love breakfast, I love sunrise, I love coffee, and I love being high first thing in the day. It’s when I’m most productive creatively and just around the house in general, so I love to get stoned, then go sit with a guitar at 7 am or clean the bathroom and go for a bike ride. It’s fun to smoke at the end of the day, too though. Shaylah and I will normally enjoy a bowl together, then play cards or listen to records, so honestly, there’s no bad time.”

How do you get your ganja; Dispensary, bud-buddy, government (yes, some countries sell it direct), self-grown? Maybe you have a range of options? Share!

“Unfortunately, weed is not yet legal in North Carolina. I have a friend based out west who usually can get really great buds sent to me on this coast. I’ve been fortunate to try a bunch of new strains in the past few years, but still, to this day, my favorite leaf is Bubba Fett.”

How do marijuana and your form of music jive for you?

“Our band makes fun music to dance to and have parties with. Being stoned makes it more fun dancing with everyone. It’s not some deep cerebral joining of minds or diving into the subconscious; it’s literally shaking ass and getting sweaty in a group. I love to see people passing a joint before we play; it means they are ready to cut loose and just be carried in the music together. I wouldn’t say I need weed to enjoy music, just enhance it.”

Apples, homemade water bongs, pop cans… What’s the strangest or most creative way in which you’ve ingested pot?

“We once built a gravity bong out of a ten-gallon water bottle, and we used it in my neighbour’s swimming pool. It took two people to hit and operate it, but the best part was after taking the biggest hit of your life, you could just jump right in the pool. In high school, there were multiple times when we would roll joints with blank pages from the back of hymnals from church.”

Shaun Paul of Kicking Bird

Saturday, March 18, 2023

INTERVIEW: Kim Ware Becomes More Direct in “Homely”

[Repost from Adobe & Teardrops; by Rachel Cholst, March 17, 2023]

Adobe & Teardrops favorite Kim Ware is back for more with her upcoming album, Homely. After a lockdown-inspired move to her home state of North Carolina, Homely finds Ware stripping things down from her jangle rock-inspired folk with her band the Good Graces to plainspoken songwriting and an acoustic guitar. Ware’s earthy voice pair well with her songs of yearning.

During the 2020 pandemic, Ware launched two projects designed to connect local artists and friends despite quarantine restrictions: a virtual Facebook venue called “Kimono My House,” which includes members across the world and continues to grow daily, and a podcast called “Quarantuned With the Good Graces,” where she interviewed musicians about their creative processes and the need for artists to stay connected.

In our interview, Kim outlines her approach to her upcoming album Homely (out on March 24th), what songwriting has taught her as a person, and how she brought out the best performance in her life not too long ago.

Explain the title of your album.

It’s a homemade album, and I guess I sorta wanted to take back that word (“Homely”). At least for me. It has a negative connotation, and I think as a kid, I fit that descriptor. It has a bit of an awkward connotation, too, and I definitely was that. But now that I’m older, I have more of an appreciation for that sort of thing. I’ve come to realize that something really stripped down to the core, without a lot of embellishments, something “homely,” can also be very pure, real, and honest. Hopefully the album reflects that.

Does your album have an overarching theme?

I guess just an overarching production style. Stripped down, acoustic, no drums. It’s 5 new, not-previously-recorded-or-released songs, and 4 that had been on previous albums of mine. So the overarching theme is probably just that it’s me, raw and minimal style.

Tell us about the first song you wrote.

No! LOL OK. It was a love song to Ricky Schroder. I was 10. I wrote out the lyrics and mailed them to him. I didn’t get a response. (I had very poor tastes in guys when I was younger.)

Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?

Well, my MO has always pretty much been to write that thing I’m hesitant to talk about. In my experience, that’s often the stuff people connect the most with. But, that can be really draining and I’m not sure how sustainable or even healthy that approach is long term. So I’m trying to change that and just face things more head-on. As a result, I haven’t been writing as many songs here lately!

But regardless, I think if you’re stuck, or even if you just aren’t sure what direction you should go in, ask yourself what, in that moment, do you NEED the song to do? Then try doing that. Let it help you. In turn, it’ll probably help others, too. But, be conscious of not letting it become your crutch. And don’t be afraid to shake things up and take things in a whole new direction. Try a new instrument, or a different tuning.

Prompts are great for that, too; some of my best songs (7-Year Sentence, Sit on Your Hands, His Name Was the Color That I Loved just to name a few; there are so many!) were written to prompts; without that, they probably never would have come to be. And finally, even though my background is in journalism, I only recently started typing out my lyrics. When I think a song is close to done, I’ll do that and just look at them. It helps me hone in on lines that maybe are a little too long and clunky, and really see how the words work in context. It’s helped with editing a bit and hopefully made things a little more compact, concise, and clear.

Tell us about your favorite show you’ve ever played.

Currently it’s the most recent show I played, a few months ago in Davidson, NC at Summit Coffee for their monthly writer’s round. I just felt really good about it after it was over. I feel like it might be my best performance, ever. I didn’t have another show booked after it and was feeling a little burnt out so I thought, maybe I might not book another show again, ever. I knew I probably would, but I was just thinking going into the show, what if this is my last show, ever? So I think there was a bit more intensity and focus to my performance as compared to my usual. And I really enjoyed that.


Friday, March 17, 2023

OUT NOW: Kicking Bird "Stuck" [Digital Single]

The second single from Wilmington, North Carolina's own Kicking Bird, titled "Stuck", from their debut album Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available now on all music platforms.

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE // PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

An Interview with RizzyBeats (and a premier of "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)")

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, March 6, 2023]

North Carolina based producer recently chose to rework MindsOne's 2006 debut album Time Space Continuum. The chance to talk to RizzyBeats came up, and seeing how much I'm enjoying The Time Space Continuum Redux, I jumped at the chance. I asked about the upcoming album, the North Carolina hip hop scene, and he even was nice enough to put together a monster seventy-eight track playlist featuring NC hip hop! 

MindsOne/RizzyBeats' The Time Space Continuum Redux is due out May 12 via Fort Lowell Records. You can pre-order the vinyl here. The single is due out March 10 digitally, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on RizzyBeats, check out his website. For more on MindsOne, check them out on Instagram. The original version of Time Space Continuum can be found here.

 

The new album (The Space Time Continuum Redux) is a reworking of MindsOne's 2006 debut album. What made you decide to make a new version of the album?

It basically started with some conversations I had with Tronic (of MindsOne) about how there aren’t more remix albums out in the world. Tronic mentioned he still had a lot of his a cappellas from their previous albums and I made sure to take note of that. I had previously remixed Aesop Rock’s “None Shall Pass” album and had a ton of fun with that so the prospect of giving MindsOne that same treatment was super appealing.

About a week later, I was listening to their Time Space Continuum CD and I remembered that conversation we had about the a cappellas, so I hit up Tron and asked if he had those too. He did, sent them to me right away, and I got busy.

What was the process of reworking an existing album? What did you decide to keep?

For me, the process always starts with finding the right BPM so everything matches up correctly. I use FL Studio for producing so I usually layer the original track over the a cappella and make sure things are lined up on the grid before I start adding drums and other samples. Then I go song by song, seeing what inspires me from each record. I always want to give any song I remix a new flavor that I think better serves the artist and highlights them in a way they weren’t in the original. With this project, I wanted to keep it super hip-hop so I intentionally used a lot of famous drum breaks so it would give this project that golden era sound.

Being from the Boston area, I'm hearing a ton of Gang Starr influences in this album. Is that more your style or MindsOne?

I think both myself and MindsOne are big Gang Starr fans. I’m hugely influenced by DJ Premier so I know I’ve subconsciously adopted some of his sample chopping techniques over the years. Preemo is the GOAT.

On the RizzyBeats Loves NC playlist, the tracks are incredibly diverse, but I'm hearing kind of a regional overall vibe that's laid back and embracing classic hip hop without sounding like a throwback. Do you think that's accurate, and what do you think leads to that sound? (If not, what would you say is the regional sound, if any?)

I think that’s very accurate. I think, universally, there is a deep love for hip-hop in North Carolina. Every artist I’ve been a fan of, or even known personally, has been very conscious of their responsibility as a hip-hop artist in North Carolina and has sought to make a meaningful contribution to the NC sound. We’ve got a lot of range here but it seems that most folks respect the history of hip-hop.

In Boston, it was basically impossible to see live hip hop for decades, and it's just recently becoming an established scene for live shows. How's the live scene in NC?

The live hip-hop scene here in Wilmington has been steadily growing for the last decade. There is a great acceptance among fellow hip-hop artists to stick together and work alongside each other so we can all succeed. The shows aren’t as plentiful here as they once were about 20 years ago but myself and a few others like Louis., Sheme OG, MoeSOS DC, and Shuron Maurice are trying to usher in a new generation of live performances to keep things vibrant and thriving. And I have to mention all of the hard work put in by MindsOne, Fuzz Jackson and the whole Monumental Music crew. They welcomed us with open arms and gave us the support we needed to carry on the torch.

What are the best/hottest cities for hip hop in NC right now?

Lots of excellent music coming out of Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Greenville, and Greensboro. 

When I heard you were putting together a North Carolina hip hop playlist, I did not expect it to be 78 tracks and 4 1/2 hours. If someone is short on time and wants to dabble before jumping fully in, what are the key tracks?

That’s incredibly tough to narrow down but a few of my favorites are:

- “Whatever You Say” - Little Brother
- “Gmots” - Miko X
- “Carolina Too” - Louis. ft Rob: Earth-One
- “Legion of Doom” - MindsOne
- “Mah Shiii” - Defacto Thezpian

We're premiering "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" today. Tell us about that particular song.

“Exit Velocity” is the first track I worked on and what gave me the confidence to move forward with the whole project. It features both KON Sci and Tronic and is a really strong opener (in my opinion). I wanted to set the tone for the album and come in guns blazing.

Rizzy Beats; photo by Justin Giles

OUT NOW: JPW "Halfway to Eloy (Live at The Dirty Drummer)" [Digital Single]

“Halfway to Eloy” was the second single released from JPW's debut album Something Happening / Always Happening last year. "Halfway to Eloy (Live at The Dirty Drummer)" Digital Single is a *live recording* of that song from the Record Release Party, which was held at The Dirty Drummer in Phoenix, Arizona on September 10, 2022.


Friday, March 10, 2023

OUT NOW: MindsOne / RizzyBeats "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" [Digital Single]

The first single from the brand new album The Time Space Continuum Redux, by MindsOne / RizzyBeats, titled "Exit Velocity (End of the Line)" is available now on all music platforms.

The Time Space Continuum Redux is not only RizzyBeats's revival of MindsOne's debut album, but it's his own personal gift for MindsOne to celebrate the two emcees, KON Sci and Tronic, as they both embark on their fourth decade around the sun and embrace the seventeenth anniversary of their first official release. For the Redux, RizzyBeats used the original vocal tracks from 2006's The Time Space Continuum and produced an up-to-date version reflective of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Exclusivité “3000 Stories” le nouveau single de Brian Lopez



Si Brian Lopez, membre fondateur de XIXA, son groupe de cumbia rock, est aussi sideman de luxe à la guitare chez Calexico, il travaille aussi en solo, où il partage une autre vision de son monde musical. Interview.

Trois mille histoires de migrants tentant de traverser la frontière américano mexicaine ne sont jamais arrivés à destination, tel est le sujet de premier single de son album prévu pour le mois de mai prochain. Ces morts ignorés sont inhumés anonymement ou dans le désert de Sonora, qui entoure la ville de Tucson en Arizona, où est installé l’une des figures de la ville, Brian Lopez, guitariste, compositeur et désormais songwriter. “3000 Stories” est un hommage pour rappeler l’existence de ces anonymes sans tombe.

Votre nouvelle chanson n’est pas vraiment habituelle dans votre répertoire, comment vous est venue l’idée de ce titre?

La chanson est un hommage aux 3000 corps non identifiés été découverts dans le sud de l’Arizona, dans le désert de Sonora, depuis l’an 2000. Les restes de ces anonymes – très probablement des migrants qui ont traversé la frontière à la recherche d’une vie meilleure. Des migrants qui n’ont jamais réussi. “3000 Stories” est une chanson inspirée par et écrite pour ces âmes oubliées.

La musique est assez différente de votre travail habituel, que recherchiez-vous avec cette atmosphère douce racontant ces terribles histoires?

Je voulais que les auditeurs entendent la beauté de leurs histoires plutôt que la tragédie de leur mort… les mélodies célèbrent leurs vies. Il est important de se rappeler qu’à un moment donné, ces restes étaient de vraies personnes avec des buts, des rêves et des ambitions… 3000 vies avec 3000 histoires qui ne seront jamais pleinement réalisées.

Vous vivez à Tucson, au milieu du désert de Sonora : je suppose donc que vous entendez souvent ce genre de nouvelles – des personnes qui disparaissent dans le désert?

Non. Au contraire, le public est largement tenu dans l’ignorance. Mais ce genre de tragédie se produit TOUS LES JOURS dans le désert de Sonora. Et il existe des organisations comme No More Deaths et Humane Borders, qui apportent une aide humanitaire à ces migrants – en installant des stations d’eau, en sensibilisant le public et en plaidant pour une politique d’immigration humaine. À l’inverse, il existe des milices anti-immigrants et des groupes d’autodéfense comme les Minutemen ou l’Arizona Border Recon qui patrouillent activement la frontière à la recherche de migrants. Ces milices, largement alimentées par les politiques et la rhétorique de l’administration Trump, ont infligé des dommages, voire la mort, à tous les migrants qu’elles rencontrent. C’est un triste état de fait le long de la frontière entre les États-Unis et le Mexique.

Quand on lit les paroles et qu’on voit la vidéo, quelle a été la partie la plus difficile pour transformer ce drame en poésie?

Dans les paroles, j’ai tendance à être poétique, à peindre à grands traits. Je ne veux jamais révéler où mon esprit s’est fixé. Et 99% du temps, je n’offenserais jamais l’auditeur en lui donnant le sens littéral d’une chanson. Mais avec « 3000 Stories », la compréhension des paroles est fondamentale.

Comment avez-vous l’équipe qui a travaillé avec vous sur la vidéo?

J’ai contacté un jeune artiste que j’avais rencontré au SXSW en 2021, Dorsey Kaufmann. Dorsey crée des installations et des expériences artistiques participatives socialement engagées et était un conférencier invité à l’événement auquel je jouais à Austin. À un moment donné, j’ai remarqué sur sa page IG qu’elle s’était essayée à l’animation en stop-motion, alors je lui ai écrit pour lui demander si elle envisagerait de réaliser un clip pour moi. Je lui ai dit que j’avais un budget de 5 millions de dollars, et je lui ai promis un yacht et la première du clip sur Rolling Stone France. Donc naturellement, Dorsey a dit « oui ». [rires], mais plus sérieusement, nous avons tous les deux tenté notre chance, et ça a marché. Elle a fait un travail incroyable en captivant le sentiment de ces 2 personnages ; ces 2 histoires. Je n’avais littéralement rien à voir avec la présentation visuelle. C’était tout Dorsey.

On retrouve autour de ce projet Gabriel Sullivan qui fait partie de la même équipe avec laquelle vous l’habitude de travailler avec XIXA et Calexico?

Oui, la chanson et l’album ont été produits par mon cher ami et collaborateur de XIXA, Gabriel Sullivan. Nous avons passé de nombreux jours en studio ensemble pendant la fermeture du COVID, pour enregistrer l’album. Il s’agissait d’un « album pandémique » et seules quatre personnes étaient autorisées à se trouver dans le studio en même temps, conformément aux directives du CDC. Il y avait donc Gabriel et moi-même, ainsi que notre ingénieur Frank Bair. Gabriel a joué presque tous les instruments dans le studio. Nous avons envoyé des pistes audio dans le monde entier à nos amis musiciens : John Convertino, de Calexico, a joué de la batterie et du marimba sur l’album, KT Tunstall chante sur un titre, les musiciens nantais Jean-Patrick Cosett et Vassili Caillosse font une apparition. Une douzaine d’amis locaux et étrangers au total sont crédités. Normalement, Si on avait pu bénéficier d’un groupe en studio, on aurait joué de manière cohérente, mais ce n’était pas possible à l’époque. Nous avons donc fait ce que nous avons pu avec ce que nous avions. C’est plus un album Frankenstien. Mais d’une certaine manière, ça fonctionne. Il y a plusieurs façons de faire une omelette.

C’est la même équipe pour votre prochain album qui est prévu pour le 17 mai?

Oui. Gabriel et moi avons produit tous les enregistrements de XIXA. Pour cet album solo, je voulais m’éloigner de cet espace et laisser Gabe prendre les rênes en tant que producteur. Cela m’a vraiment libéré pour que je puisse me concentrer sur mon côté artiste

L’album est terminé d’ailleurs?

Tout à fait et sortira dans le monde entier sur Cosmica Records le 17 mai. 100 vinyles limités seront pressés et vendus aux Etats-Unis par Fort Lowell Records à Wilmington, Caroline du Nord. En France, il y aura des vinyles produits et distribués par Gates Pass Records à Nantes.

Y a-t-il des surprises?

Pour le savoir, il faudra attendre!

Friday, March 3, 2023

OUT NOW: infinitikiss 'ambient music' [12inch LP]

infinitikiss is an ever-evolving musical and visual recording project conceptualized by Nic Jenkins, and ambient music is his latest full length album, as well as first release with Fort Lowell Records. The core material for ambient music came from live improvisations that were recorded to cassette tapes, which originally served as backing tracks for live solo performances and with rotating ensembles (circa 2015-2020), in and around Charleston + Columbia, SC. Since then, the tapes have since become a kind of sample library of colors & shapes that have served a variety of sound collage / design situations, as well as fodder for other strange + beautiful collaborations.  

It was a slow-growing interest in sound healing, vibrational therapy, and learning about Jenkin's own chakra / energy systems that helped him realize (and to illuminate) that this dusty collection of sounds could actually be its own album.  The song titles reflect the moods & colors (aka spectral wave) of the blending and bending of colors in a rainbow (ROYGBIV), as well as to the energy fields of our bodies; corresponding to the “roygbiv” sequence and play with imagery of said colors. 

Considering the nature of tape (magnetic film), Jenkins seized the opportunity to explore a range of microtonal frequencies which ultimately helped him to decide to tune down or up to 432, 440, and 444 hz. The intention was to explore, to enjoy, and to hopefully gain an expanded awareness of shifting frequencies.  The keys & frequencies (or tunings) of each piece / movement are:
track:
  1. A major (432)
  2. B minor (432)
  3. B major (432)
  4. C major (432)
  5. D major, part 1 (432)
  6. D major, part 2 (440)
  7. D major, part 3 (444)
  8. Eb minor (444)
  9. F major (444)
  10. G major (444)
For Jenkins, this is just the beginning of an understanding of how energetic vibrations move within and around us.