Category: Anderhill

8-Bit Experimental

I’ve been wanting to put out one new electronic album by the end of 2023. Here’s my best shot for now.  It’s not a full album. The tracks are not all-new compositions. But it’s something. This is the latest work from Anderhill, 8-Bit Experimental.

Last week, I released a new single, “I Shall Wander No More,” using 8-bit technology. Then I went to work on creating more. I hit a roadblock. Nothing was working. So, I came up with an idea. What if I reworked some old tracks using 8-bit? That’s what I did.

The four remaining tracks on this EP were all originally composed in 2019 but none of them wound up on an EP or an album other than All That Remains, (my leftovers for that year).

I slowed all the older tracks down a little and replaced the original sounds with 8-bit. I added a few beats. The result is what you hear. The last track is my favorite. Enjoy. – dse

I Shall Wander No More

According to Wikipedia, 8-bit music is a style of synthesized electronic music using the programmable sound generator sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers, and video game consoles. Think Pac Man and Donkey Kong.

Of course music technology has come a long way since chiptune or 8-bit music, but GarageBand recently added a suite of 8-bit sounds. So for my next Anderhill album, I’ll be using nothing but 8-bit sound technology.

The first track from the album is called “I Shall Wander No More.” Look for a complete album with anywhere from 6-10 tracks (depending on length) by the end of 2023. In the meantime, enjoy the first track. – dse

Flight

Recently, I flew from Portland Maine to Seattle to finish up some business in Washington State. While I was on the plane I composed this piece I call Flight. I didn’t really want to make the trip but the outcome was fair and it marks a new chapter in my life.

I turned 60 yesterday. My daughter turned 18 in June. Those are both major events in a person’s life. Last November, made a major move from Yakima, Washington to Maine. It’s been a good move for both of us. The title and subtle inspirational quality of this ambient track is a reflection of the journey we’re on.

I’m also on the verge of making some changes to this site and my recording studio. Soon, I’ll be moving away from GarageBand and working into learning Logic Pro. I’m looking forward to new opportunities for Anderhill compositions as well as my songwriting career. Here’s to taking flight. – dse

Flashback to Corona

In 2020 things got weird. Here’s a musical flashback to Corona.

I’m not sure the world will ever be the same. Covid-19 changed our lives in many ways. We became more scared. We became isolated. Life was uncertain. I took advantage of that isolation and composed electronic music. Here’s a flashback to the first few works I made during Corona.

The Empty Crowd was my first Covid-19 production. It started with the track “S.O.S,” a call for help during a scary and isolated time.

I began to experiment more with repetition and and less traditional rhythms during the early days of isolation. I also started to add more samples of live voice and guitar into my compositions. My second Covid-19 EP was F the Beautiful. The title track is hauntingly strange.

Time seemed to lose meaning during the early days of Corona. It felt like the days all started to blend together. At first time seemed to move slow, but as the isolation continued it seemed to disappear.

Hum was my third EP released near the beginning of Covid-19. The last track, “Glitches in Time” suggests a break in the time continuum.

I produced many compositions during the two years of isolation that Covid-19 would dish out. By the time I composed the music for Ye Ol’ Corona Days, something had changed. The overwhelming urgency of the situation began to fade leaving the music less influenced by the immediate circumstances.

I wouldn’t want to relive those early days of Corona, but the music I created was definitely influenced by the feelings and effects of the social isolation of the time. I hope you might enjoy listening to these works as much as I did creating them. – dse

The Sound of Distance and Movement

Can you hear the distance? Can music portray wide-open spaces and the movement through those spaces? My answer is yes. Music can communicate distance, movement, loneliness, and almost anything else you desire.

As an experimental music composer, I’ve had a great interest in creating soundscapes, music that represents geographical places: ocean, sky, mountains, crowded streets, etc. In 2019, I made an album called Subway Music. My goal was to capture the feeling of riding a subway both in crowded places and through open spaces.

Whether or not I captured the feel of riding a subway train, I’m not sure. To me, I can imagine. Another listener may not create the same imagery from this music. That’s okay. Good art should leave room for some individual interpretation.

Take a listen to this 5-track, 50-minute album of music that incorporates my interpretation of the droning and hypnotic feeling of riding the trains. Then, you decide. – dse

Breathe

I created this new 16-minute ambient piece in an effort to compose music that is both ambient and thematic. A goal of mine is to create music for film. I’ve slowly been working on compositions that could lead in that direction. This is Breathe.

Using unstable horns was an attempt to remind us of the fragility of life, while the breathy vocals beginning at the 8:00-minute mark is to remind us to breathe. If you listen to the entire track you’ll sense the repeating thematic quality throughout the composition. Take a listen and don’t forget to breathe. – dse