I have run into a little bit of a hitch in thinking of how to write the information for Paths (lost). See Paths (lost) is a re-envisioning of Paths from Stories. So to tell you about Paths (lost), first I have to tell you about Paths which I swore not to do. Well it appears its time to break that vow and tell you a little bit about Stories.
Stories started out as a single track, the instrumental of Sub Ojec. From there I wrote out a horror story outline, with characters and all, and then I wrote the album. The track before Paths is Gunjazz, which is essentially about trying your hardest to save someone and failing miserably. Paths is the escape that happens afterwards. And Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” very much was part of the inspiration for the title.
The inspiration for the music in Paths came from an Adult Swim commercial for the Escaflowne movie that was running back in 2004 or 2005. I’ve never found out who wrote that particular piece of music. It was primarily a string affair and really invoked this great feeling in me. So I found a few programs with some below average string samples and went to work. I also really wanted to implement a key change in one of my songs since I had so little pieces that would accommodate something like that. I also wanted a bit of a noise hip hop vibe in parts. There is a lot more I can say about the original version but I need to move on to the new version.
It took me about two years to finish Paths (lost). Its hard for me to tell you where the remix began, as it did start as a remix. Part of me wanted to make something a little dancey but not an outright dance track. I also really wanted a lot of beats that would start and stop. And I wanted to incorporate some self made chaotic background noise. Trent Reznor used to have a habit of having these great noises in the backgrounds of his songs (Downward Spiral era) and while Reznor very much looped these noises I really wanted something that evolved quite a bit more. I probably spent more time manicuring the noises you hear in the background more than anything else on the track. A musician I used to work with used to make fun of me for my use of static asking why I’d bother changing an existing musical sound or drum into static. It really quite surprised me. It all has different textures and movements to it. And a melodic static can be very deceiving which I enjoy. Play it with a minimal beat and you’ll hear something completely different when it backs a melody.
The cello and harpsichord are really the only sounds I added for Paths (lost). A friend told me that the harpsichord reminded him of Castlevania. I’m pretty sure he didn’t expect me to take that as a complement. It was actually what I was going for , playing on that dark sophisticated mood you get from old horror stories that involve Victorian nobility. The point is its a sophisticated darkness. I don’t think a lot people see dark and evil as different things but I most certainly do. Evil has a habit of being rather obvious. But the dark has no real allegiance to good or evil which I immensely enjoy putting in music. But again, all my songs have multiple reasons and meanings and emotions. And I’ve always been more interested in hearing what it means to the listener than telling about what it means to me.
