Ladies and Gentlemen, Aliens, Mutants, Robots of all configurations, thanks again to all those who contributed to this latest effort, and to those who streamed or downloaded it.
Between Volumes III and IV, I had the opportunity to participate in Steven Beaumont's Post-Apocalyptic Nuclear Wasteland compilation, on Paraclesian Records. This was my first flirtation with making ambient music, rather than just listening to it, and it profoundly influenced my approach to my track for Volume IV, as well as the sound of the finished track. My tracks for Volumes I through III tended to be rhythmic, with driving virtual drums, and with two of them featuring dense walls of electric guitar. For the Paraclesian compilation, I eschewed drums or any kind of percussion, and tried to keep my guitars sparse, slow, and echoing. I also, for the first time, incorporated found sounds into my music, in order to create a story-telling soundscape as an intro, as well as a bed of ambient sound throughout the rest of the track. This was a deeply satisfying experiment, and I think it turned out reasonably well.
For Volume IV, I opted for sparse, brooding acoustic guitars, to try to evoke the loneliness of the desert, with the synths to represent the impending alien invasion. My hope was to bring a little spaghetti western flavor to the track with the acoustic and slide guitar, but with a hint of sci-fi in the synths. For percussion, I drew on my experience with found sounds in the Paraclesian compilation, and used the sound of cocking revolvers and jingling spurs to add some rhythm to the track.
Volume IV was an interesting challenge, which came at an interesting time for me. I learned very quickly during this challenge that trying to write and record a track during the first few weeks of marriage was probably not my brightest idea ever. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the time crunch many of our contributors have operated under. Huge thanks are due to my amazing wife Sara for her support and patience through this and all the preceding volumes.
My initial idea for Silent Sci-Fi was to require that artists to write and record their submissions within the space of a month, and for the challenge to happen on a semi-annual basis. I've realized, over the course of four volumes, that the one month limit is probably not realistic for most people. Participating in Steven Beaumont's Post-Apocalyptic Nuclear Wasteland compilation, seeing how much more time he allowed and the sheer number of submissions his project received, further convinced me that a longer timeframe would allow more people to participate.
Going forward, the challenge will run for three months, and will be held on an annual basis.
Silent Sci-Fi, Volume V will kick off with the announcement of the next film on January 1, 2018, with the deadline for submissions being April 1, 2018.
Watch the skies, Silent Sci-Fi returns on January 1, 2018!
