The first release that began my series of organic instrumentation was The memory of our house. The album features several single layered guitar improvisations, captured in opening tunings, with digital textures to create a more ambient atmosphere. I recorded this in my bedroom across a few days, living near a busy street meant that playing music always had a layer of outdoor textures, so when it came to recording these songs, both in the raw audio files and with my own digital creation, deeper tones were embedded across each track. Alongside my acoustic guitar, I created virtual synth designs that were atmospherically rich in space, almost acting like field recordings.
The story of the album takes place in an undisclosed location somewhere hot and desolate. I took inspiration from themes such as southern gothic, and aimed to write pieces that felt like living along in a big but empty house, in the middle of somewhere warm where you could feel unseen against the world except with a lover, or maybe the shadow of one. The album varies in style, with the closing track being both faster and messier than the rest. On reflection, it sounds like the album soundtracks the endless days of a summer with no work, but that final piece captures the chaos of living with someone else and the unnecessary conflicts that can follow, or the spontaneity that comes with having nothing you need to do.
When creating The memory of our house, I was both writing and experimenting simultaneous to recording. I experimented with playing techniques and mic placement, which adapted what I played on my guitar. The post synths created a tape loop sound across moments in each song, adding a gritty tactile layer to the album, and they help to sell the authenticity of the whole project. My auditory inspirations came from instrumental albums, such as Adrianne Lenker's and Bon Iver's For Emma, as well as the technical styles and the environments that they wrote in.
For the audience, approach this album as being a soundtrack to a day of self focus, or a conversation with an old friend to help ground you after isolation.
