Oceans of Air

Oceans of Air was born out of experimentation with finding the hidden magic locked inside the Roland Juno DS-88. On its own, this can be a very capable stage piano, if not a little generic sounding. But once I started menu diving, I was able to massage and layer these sounds into something a bit more delicate, relaxed and intimate. Most of the harmonic textural parts on this album come from this.

Once I was able to create these textures, I began cutting, looping, and layering sounds I had captured with a field recorder like outdoor ambiances, construction equipment, and random foley sounds. Then I recorded small performances on some DIY instruments, as well as a Kaliimba I had received as a holiday gift (The main melody line in "Meteorology" is a chopped up kalimba performance, "Rosy" was written specifically to be performed on kalimba and was recorded in two takes) and really anything else I found laying around (vibraphone mallets on suspended metal chairs, hand drumming, clothing rustling).

Heavily effected electric and acoustic piano samples and custom Aalto patches played on top with a hefty dose of reverb and delay tie everything together into the musical collage you are hearing.

Special thanks to Bryan Kraft for helping with song selection and sequencing, Jonah Lawless for offering his well trained ears, George Evans for being an integral part of my musical journey, My lovely wife Melissa for her unending love and support, and my children who are a constant source of inspiration.

~Michael Southard (Time Rival)