Category: Music

The Rabbit Hole

As a creative person, sometimes I wind up going down the rabbit hole. This especially happens when composing electronic music.

If you’ve played with GrarageBand lately, there must be a few thousand different sounds and a hundred drum kits. The options are nearly endless. So you might imagine how easy it can be to get stuck trying out one voicing after another. I’ve gotten stuck in the rabbit hole for hours at a time.

But I’ve also found a few ways to help stop myself from going too deep into the hole.

  1. Stop what I’m doing. This is easy to say but harder to do. And if I’m successful in breaking away, how long should I stay away? There’s not an easy answer. Sometimes, a few hours is all that’s needed. Other times, you might need a few days.
  2. Do something physically active. When we get too caught up in creative works, we slough off on exercise. Getting active might actually help to stimulate ideas, too.
  3. Give myself time to process. Creativity is not always an immediate thing. Many works are done in steps or layers. Taking some time away from a project might actually be exactly what’s needed in order to reach the next phase.
  4. Do something intellectually stimulating. When I catch myself falling into a musical rabbit hole, I intentionally stop and do something else. I’ll read a book. write a poem, or watch a documentary.
  5. Revisit my work. Once I’ve stepped away for a period of time, I can revisit the work. Sometimes, I’m impressed, other times I’m glad I stopped myself from going too deep down the rabbit hole. It wasn’t going to end well.

Once I’ve dug myself out of the hole, I can refocus with a clearer mindset without any interruptions from Alice. – dse

Meditative Running

Anderhill’s last EP of 2019, Meditative Running, both pushes forward and continues to explore the familiar. While this music sounds like classic Anderhill, the compositions on this EP explore rhythm, echo, and reverb in new ways.

The fourth track, “The Distance,” continues experimentation in composing longer works. The title of this EP lends itself to the idea that physical activities such as running, walking, or cycling can have meditative qualities. The music was created during a three-month physical-training period. – dse

Waves of Light

After composing my first long-play, dark-ambient track, Clear Black, I decided to write something that felt lighter, brighter, and more hopeful.

Anderhill’s second long-play composition comes in at 12:54 in length. Waves of Light is a joyous and uplifting piece of experimental ambient music. Although it moves slowly, it’s also filled with a sense of wonder and hope, taking the listener on a short inspirational journey. – dse

Clear Black

After experimenting with longer compositions on the album, Subway Music, I decided to experiment even further with extended pieces of music. Creating longer pieces is an art in itself. Clear Black is the first of many Anderhill long-play singles. It comes in at 13:25 in length.

It also may be the best dark ambient composition that I’ve written to date. The title came first. It actually came up during a conversation with a friend as a reference to black coffee.

If you have the patience to listen closely to longer ambient works, they are rewarding. Each long ambient piece takes you on a unique musical journey. – dse

Cancer

Having cancer sucks, but it has done a couple of things for me. First, it’s made me think differently about life, death, and how I want to live out the rest of my time. Second, it’s made me more creative.

Here’s the deal. When we understand that our time is limited, we begin to take more chances. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping off cliffs and racing drag cars, but I’m willing to do some things I’d have thought twice about in the past.

I’m not being foolish with my life or my money, but I might decide to buy that new car or take that long trip. And why wouldn’t I? Time is of the essence. I have blood cancer. People can live with polycythemia vera for 20-30 years or longer, but that’s not a guarantee.

Taking chances and doing things without second thoughts also pours into my creative work. Although I’d started experimenting with electronic music shortly before I was diagnosed with cancer, I’ve taken it way further than I’d have ever thought.

At first, there were certain styles of electronic music I thought I’d never produce. Most recently, I’ve started creating a heavier and darker sound under the alias, A Cult of Lies. I used to draw the line at creating music that felt too noisy or too dark, but why? Because I was conditioned to think dark and noisy music is bad, even evil.

Since being diagnosed with cancer, I have rethought that stance. Music is music. It’s a combination of notes and sounds, nothing more or less. My cancer diagnosis has led me to understand that we shouldn’t fear evil, but rather we should embrace life. That includes a willingness to take more chances, including creative ones.

You don’t become more creative by following rules and living in fear. You become more creative by going deeper. Cancer has given me a little push. – dse

Subway Music

This conceptual album, Subway Music, is partly based on my love and personal experience with train travel. In my 20s and 30s, I likely traveled upward of 40,000 miles by train.

I had three goals for this late 2019 Anderhill release:

  1. To create music that I felt captured the feel and emotion of traveling by train and by subway.
  2. To create longer compositions than I’d previously created. The tracks range from 8-12 minutes each.
  3. To create music that people might enjoy while commuting by subway.

The result is a 5-track, 50-minute album of music that incorporates my interpretation of the droning and hypnotic feeling of riding the trains. – dse