Over lockdown I started producing my own electronic music as part of a somewhat thwarted Arts Council DYCP project. It began with little sketches and daft tasks that would keep me entertained, such as creating a dub version of the theme from Agatha Christie’s Poirot, or a 70s synth horror reading of the trad Christmas carol, The Angel Gabriel.
Eventually, finished tracks emerged and I am now preparing to release some music under the name Ghoßt Assembly.
My first track (due for release March 3rd 2023), will be a remix for the artist Katy Rose Bennett. Katy and I collaborated during her 10-month residency at Drake Music, a charity working at the intersection of music, disability and technology.
The track I have remixed is Dissolution II from the album Dissolution, a fascinating song cycle exploring the five stages of grief.
The album reflects on the grief Katy experienced after receiving a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder and the resulting sense of loss of identity and potential. The piece is constructed entirely from samples of Katy’s voice, looped, layered and sonically manipulated using Ableton Live and Valhalla software. Katy employs novel ways of generating melody – converting lyric texts into midi keyboard patterns mapped to vocal samples. Throughout the piece, she moves between the realms of the natural and manipulated voice. Whilst the piece explores some of the darkest elements of grief, Katy hopes the listener will have a sense of the journey of Dissolution, arriving at a place of acceptance and understanding.
My remix further develops the ‘anger’ element of Dissolution II through a sonic palette best described as electronic horror kraut. Beware the sinister groove monster.
Watch this space!
Comments by Terminal Jive