Musical Memoirs

A series of anecdotes about the creation of the following albums

Refractions

Relative to the Absolute

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Cellist Jos Teeken played cello on Contraband.

Jos Teeken is also a member of Dutch String Collective.

Here‘s a clip of Jos in action.

Pianist Cheryl Duvall played piano on Contraband.

Cheryl is also a member of Thin Edge New Music Collective.

The song Contraband was recorded in four different locations in Amsterdam. Thomas van Nieuwenhoven’s drums were recorded by Peter Akkerman in the underground IJ Studio, Cheryl Duvall’s piano was recorded by Bas Melis in the MusiQ studio, Jos Teeken’s cello was recorded by Steven Vanwetswinkel in a private residence and my bass, guitar and vocals were all recorded in a home studio.

Menno Knol, the sound technician, mixed all of the instruments together to make it sound as if we’re all playing in a single space together.

One of the composers who inspired me to compose the song Contraband was the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Here‘s a link to a video of Evangelina Mascardi playing Bach’s Bourrée dalla Suite (BWV 996), written between 1708 and 1717.

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For the Kaleidoscope introduction, I composed a simple chord progression, so Cheryl would have considerable freedom to improvise a piano solo.

Cheryl played a sequence on piano and asked me whether it was to my liking. I thought it was perfect and Bas Melis recorded Cheryl’s part in only a few takes.

One of the artists who inspired me to write the Kaleidoscope introduction featuring a piano solo is Tori Amos.

Here‘s Tori’s song “Cornflake Girl”, released in 1994.

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It’s the scent of somebody you pass in the street | Or a kind word from someone you’ll never know | Or a gesture that takes the words out of your mouth | It’s the dream that forever returns | Our lives in time combined are the stitch and fabric of the cloth of life | Tangled threads of incarnations bind seamless texture flawlessly designed | Every experience combined | It’s the song that relates to the sound of your life | Or a mouthful of laughter you can’t let go | Or a raindrop that runs like a tear down your face | It’s the secret nobody can know

Peter Akkerman plays upright bass on Kaleidoscope.

Peter also played bass for the Dutch band Alamo Race Track and Daan Hofman.

Peter is also a sound technician, who has recorded many bands and artists.

For more information about Peter’s work, visit his website.

On the song Kaleidoscope, I play slide guitar.

I made the slide by taking a copper pipe, sawing off a piece and filing it down to smoothen the sharp edges.

Another example of slide guitar is the Elmore James cover of the Robert Johnson song, Dust My Broom, from 1951.

One of the bands who inspired me to write a composition featuring an upright bass is The Pointer Sisters.

Here’s The Pointer Sisters’s song Black Coffee, released in 1974, featuring John Newman on upright bass.

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It’s the grievance of a withering season, or the shadow you drag through the hall | It’s the reason for what we call freedom, if you call this state freedom at all | Freedom when confused with luxury generates insanity | Reason, though the most precise of knives, when perverted, butchers life | Though the faculties to alter our direction lie dormant in dreams | Way beyond the ordinary confines of belief | Past the furnace of desire at the center of the mind | Where there’s no more telling who is dreaming whose unfolding life | If this realm you ever find, you will burn until your eyes can’t look at a single thing | Without seeing its splendor and each sensation embodies what cannot be said | Radical and visionary, you discern your original face as you fall into place | Gestures speak out loud | You perceive much more than you used to and work to contain this force | Which withers away, unless it is called upon each day | One by one, we all must shed our scales | Until this state of wisdom is as commonplace as friction is today | Visionaries journey with your own to where we all must once return

Thomas van Nieuwenhoven plays drums on Visionaries. He also plays shaker.

Sound engineer Peter Akkerman recorded all of Thomas’s drum parts for the album Relative to the Absolute in 2 days at the IJ Studios in Amsterdam.

The song Visionaries changes back and forth between different two time signatures: 5/4 and 4/4.

Another band which uses unusual time signatures is Stereolab.

Here is Stereolab’s song “Diagonals“, released in 1997.

One of the artists who inspired me to write compositions with distinctly different musical sections is Meatloaf.

Here’s Meatloaf’s song “Bat Out of Hell“, released in 1977.

I created the video for “Visionaries” from royalty-free motion graphics, most of which were created by the visual artist Mitch Martinez…

So, thanks to Mitch and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use!

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Habiba Doorenbos plays harp on the song “Visionaries (Outro)”. Habiba also sings.

Habiba is also a visual artist who creates drawings and murals.

Habiba Doorenbos recorded herself playing harp and singing at her own home.

Menno Knol and I then mixed Habiba’s recordings together with the other instruments to create a musical whole.

One of the bands who inspired me to write a composition featuring harp is Clannad.

Here’s Clannad’s song, Dhéanainn Súgradh, released in 1974.

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So the roses in the hall lie withering, while the bride cries for the right stride | Where before he felt his heartbeat quickening, now the groom tries to deny his vows | Crisp morning and leaves lie dead on the ground | Where now this longing disease perpetuates drought | Fair seasons have turned | Sweetened shrouds all burned | Now the cloaks and poses wheeze as they give in
There’s a bright light in the foul night | Such a perfect time to redefine the will | With the quiet mind, watch the lifeless bow

Cellist Jos Teeken played cello on Wheeze, as well as on Contraband.

Jos Teeken is also a member of Dutch String Collective.

Here‘s another clip of Jos performing.

Sound engineer Steven Vanwetswinkel recorded Jos Teeken’s cello part in an apartment in Amsterdam.

Jos was wearing headphones and listening to a guidetrack of the song Wheeze, with guitar, bass and vocals.

Sound engineer Menno Knol and I later mixed Jos’s cello part into the song.

One of the musicians who inspired me to compose songs featuring cello is Yo Yo Ma.

Here‘s Yo Yo Ma, performing “The Swan”.

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The song Wheeze (outro) features Sofie van Ginkel on flute and Simon Kelaita on clarinet.

Simon Kelaita also plays tenor saxophone on the Spinshots’ song “Seven Bullets, One Gun“, released in 2017.

Sound technician Menno Knol recorded Sofie van Ginkel and Simon Kelaita separately and later mixed their individual tracks together to form a coherent soundscape.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose music featuring flute and clarinet is the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.

Here is a recording of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” (music only), composed in 1936.

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I could meet you strolling on a budding summer day | Underneath the flowers of your garden we could lay |
You could tell me stories – I could sing you songs in the shade | We could drink a cold wine on a blanket in the grass |
Marvel at the sunlight falling through the tilted glass | You could show me pictures – I could fall asleep on your arm | Silently, we could tie violets in a bracelet you could wear | Rising, we could go striding past the market stalls in the square | We could watch the sun’s descent – whisper in the rising wind | Vanish with the shadows in the shade | On my awakening, count the freckles on your skin | Quietly ascertain which life we are in today

Clarinet and saxophone player Simon Kelaita played clarinet on Hypaethral.

Simon also recorded a song with Michael Nunes, which you can listen to here.

Sofie van Ginkel played flute on Hypaethral.

Julian Enequist, together with Sofie van Ginkel & Simon Kelaita, helped me to transcribe the flute and clarinet arrangement (which I had composed on guitar) to standard music notation, so Sofie & Simon could play their parts from sheet music…

When I started composing the song Hypaethral, I wanted to create a song that moved back and forth smoothly between two different meters (5/4 and 3/4). However, I couldn’t quite get the transitions right. I shared my dilemma with Sean Fasciani, an acquaintance of mine who is a jazz musician. Sean took out a guitar, played what I’d composed so far, improvised seamless transitions to make the song work perfectly and then dryly said: “Why not try something like that?” So I did.

One of the bands who inspired me to compose songs with intricate arrangements is The Beach Boys.

Here’s a recording of “God Only Knows“, released in 1966.

Video Created by Marta Vorontsova

On this worn road through the unknown, the night draws the light from our view | In the cold, all that we see glow is the glimmering face of the moon | The music that we compose with our lives miraculously synchronized | The ultimate symphony all of the time | Long before dawn the moon shines no more | Shadows descend on the woods | The salt on the wind, in the distance the ebb and the flood of the tide | The delicate feel of your breath as you whisper to say what was just at the back of my mind | On this worn road through the unknown, my life’s a sonnet for you

Filmcomposer and songwriter Daan Hofman played piano on Sonnet.

Here‘s an overview of some of Daan’s work.

I composed the album Relative to the Absolute as continuous music, meaning that every song blends into the next and the end of the album is the beginning of the album. So, if you play the album on repeat, you should hear an infinite loop…

Sonnet was the last song I composed. All of the other songs had already been composed and I needed a bridge between two songs with different time signatures.

This bridge eventually evolved into the song Sonnet.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose a song with a prominent piano arrangement is Tom Waits.

Here’s a recording of Tom’s song “Closing Time“, released in 1973.

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Camouflaged subliminal guide, t.v.-advertized | Hollow pretty people who hypnotize you to buy whatever comes to mind | Don’t think of the life that slips away from you | All the while that you refuse to live by the policy of change – gravitate to sanity | When you lie awake wondering whether this is it | Know that it’s not too late to actualize these other states | Turn off the television during every advertizement break | Rethink all the thoughts you put off in favour of security | And try to find out what you like not what the papers hype | You might discover how purpose lingers in the now – gravitate to equity

Jerry de Mars plays bass on Gravitation.

Jerry is also a filmmaker, who has directed numerous films.

Here’s a link to the video Jerry directed for Dutch musician Eefje de Visser.

I composed Gravitation with an acoustic guitar intro, followed by a dynamic electric guitar section.

Another song which features a shift from an acoustic intro to an energetic section is Rod Stewart’s “Every Picture Tells a Story“, released in 1971.

One of the bands which inspired me to write Gravitation is Jane’s Addiction.

Here’s the band’s song “Stop“, released in 1990.

Video Created by Danny Hollander

Awoken by the silence before the morning breeze | I lie listening to my breathing | I’m lighter than vapor – tags unapplied | First enveloped in nothingness, slowly form’s restored | Then identity returns and my memories of the world | All that becomes is riddled with meaning | Each connection open yet seamless | The edge of the world is a loophole | Step outside these restraining structures of our own design | Meet me in the subdimension, where exchange is independent | Of these concepts and constructions we should question | The limits of the sensory we force onto reality | Disabling possibilities and endless chances | Right before awakening, the absence of identity and the necessity to separate | Mutually embracing responsibility to cultivate autonomy in the world | Awake in the world try to be no one | To be lighter than vapor with nothing to hide

The song Awakening is a duet between Ilse Warringa and Lee Mason.

Ilse Warringa is an director, screenwriter, actress and singer who has featured in a large number of theatrical productions, television series, commercials and movies.

Ilse also directed and starred in the movie “De Luizenmoeder”, which sold more than 400,000 tickets in cinemas across The Netherlands.

Ilse also regularly stars in Klokko sketches. Here’s a link to the Klokko sketch Space Holiday 3000 (in Dutch).

The video for the song Awakening was created by Danny Hollander.

Danny has created numerous videos for some of the world’s largest brands, including Nike, Heineken and Nokia.

Violinist Marieke de Bruijn plays violin on the song Awakening.

Marieke de Bruijn is also a member of Dutch String Collective.

Here‘s a clip of Marieke playing a composition by Franz Schubert.

Bassist Kasper Stern played contrabass on the song Awakening.

To create a droning sound during the verses, Kasper used a bow across the strings.

Another band that occasionally uses bowed contrabass in their songs is Grizzly Bear.

Here’s a link to the Grizzly Bear song While You Wait for The Others.

Drummer and percussionist Thomas van Nieuwenhoven played cajon and drums on the song Awakening.

Thomas also plays drums on the other eleven songs on the Refractions album “Relative to the Absolute”.

On the song Awakening, I play the banjo.

Another song which features (subtle) banjo playing is “Listen to the Music” by The Doobie Brothers, released in 1972.

The song Awakening begins with a 3/4 time signature and then, halfway, shifts to a 4/4 time signature.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose music with changing time signatures is Dave Brubeck.

Here’s a link to Dave Brubeck’s composition “Blue Rondo à la Turk” from 1959, which shifts from a 9/8 time signature to a 4/4 time signature.

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Trumpeter Milan Mes plays trumpet on Noosphere.

Milan is also a member of The Benelux, Supercity & Project Wildeman. Here’s a video for the Benelux song “Liar“.

I created the video for “Noosphere” from royalty-free motion graphics, all of which were created by the visual artist Mitch Martinez.

So, thanks to Mitch and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

For the song Noosphere, I asked trumpeter Milan Mes to improvize over the already recorded guitar, bass and vocals parts.

Afterwards, I selected the most striking passages and created the current arrangement.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose the song Noosphere was the British musician Matt Johnson, from the band The The.

Here’s a link to a video of The The’s song “Love is Stronger than Death“, released in 1993.

Here’s a music video created by Marta Vorontsova for Sonnet, a song from Relative to the Absolute, featuring Daan Hofman on piano and Thomas van Nieuwenhoven on drums.

The song was recorded by Peter Akkerman, Steven Vanwetswinkel & Menno Knol, and mastered by Menno Knol.

The fevered dreams of slaves | Someone new at the old controls again | It’s promised that now all our woes are overcome | But we hear so little that it’s difficult to tell | No reason to complain while everything’s still comfortable | Economists be praised | Their word amounts to law | They claim / they state | Profit’s the way | Well, you can’t know everything | Nobody’s really sure how to tear the curtain down | We’ve had it much worse so we’d best not make a sound | Yet, while they propagate the all-importance of demand | The sheen to hide the stains is fading from the land | Just close your eyes and listen to the discontented whispers and the cries of indignation | As the corporate nations mistake theft for trade and everyday replace trees with billboards | Justifying blood for oil to fuel another war for power over soil | What still eludes the rulers of economies is that wealth is not without responsibility | How long before ethics and compassion supersede the code of exploitative greed? | Humankind did not evolve this far for profit’s sake | Time to put reason in place | Before citizens rise in wrath and mobilize to claim their share of all that they’ve seen advertized | For sponsored freedom hardly can suffice when constantly the truth is compromised and every screen portrays a bleak and hollow lie | Wrest from their clutches the trust you misplaced | Wrestle to rekindle all that’s been defiled and debased | Tread slowly like a spy through the lair | Slice the bonds of submission with the mystic visions of repair and life and light | Hovering over this dream, watching the weavers at work | Conjuring up pictures to sell us to sleep | Until we crave the image shaped and daily slave to feed the machine | Incessantly defy all who truth deny, until they can no longer hide the screams | In the basement of this prefabricated mansion of mediocrity | Measure for measure, indeed

Wibout Damen plays lead electric guitar on Logogriph.

Wibout also used to play guitar in the band Jewel in the Mire.

Here’s Jewel in the Mire’s song “Same Color Blue“, released in 2006.

I created the video for “Logogriph” from royalty-free motion graphics, many of which were created by the visual artist Matthias Groeneveld.

So, thanks to Matthias and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

Wibout Damen plays electric guitar solos throughout the song logogriph.

All of his solos were improvized during recording.

During the editing phase, I selected and sequenced the most striking passages.

One of the bands which inspired me to compose Logogriph as a song with various sections featuring electric guitar solos is Living Colour.

Here’s Living Colour’s song “Cult of Personality“, released in 1988, featuring a virtuosic solo from Vernon Reid.

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Guitarist Robert van Spanje played the acoustic guitar solo on Tumbleweed (Prelude).

Robert also plays all of the guitar parts on the Statement 8 album “Consciousness Precedes Matter”.

For Tumbleweed (Prelude), I asked Robert to improvize a series of acoustic guitar solos.

Then I edited the recordings and layered some of Robert’s solos together to create a tapestry of melodies.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose Tumbleweed (Prelude) was Frank Zappa.

Here’s a link to a video of Zappa’s song “Sleep Dirt“, released in 1979.

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Marlies Smalley provides vocals on Tumbleweed.

Sound technician Menno Knol recorded a few takes of Marlies singing and I layered her voice to create an ethereal sound.

Michel Mulder provides vocals and acoustic guitar on Tumbleweed.

Michel is a songwriter and singer who has fronted multiple bands and produced a number of music albums.

Here’s a video of Michel performing his song “Home Is Where The Heart Is”, recorded in 2010.

Peter Akkerman plays electric bass on Tumbleweed.

Peter is a multi-instrumentalist, who also plays drums, guitar, piano and various other instruments.

In addition, Peter is a sound engineer who operates a recording studio.

For the earliest version of Tumbleweed, I first recorded myself playing guitar and singing. Later, I added percussive elements in a computer program.

For the final version, I created a click-track based on the previous percussive elements and then recorded guitar and vocals in time with the click-track.

One of the bands who inspired me to write a song like Tumbleweed, with a forceful 3/4 time-signature, is the Queens of the Stone Age.

Here is QOTSA’s song “The Sky is Falling“, released in 2002.

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Throughout 4 of the 5 segments of the song Metamorphosis, I used the alternative guitar tuning DADGBE, instead of EADGBE.

This means that the top E-string is tuned down 2 pitches to D. This is why this tuning is also often called drop D tuning.

Another song in DADGBE is “Everlong” by The Foo Fighters, released in 1997.

Three musicians who inspired me to compose the instrumental introduction to the song Metamorphosis were the guitarists Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía.

Here is a link to their song “Mediterranean Sundance“, recorded live in 1980.

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Sidartha Siliceo plays sitar on Metamorphosis.

Sidartha is an accomplished sitar player who studied with Ravi Shankar (who influenced George Harrison to use sitar in Beatles songs).

Here‘s a video of Sidartha performing together with Gabriel Morfin.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose a song with sitar is the Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar.

Here is Ravi’s composition “Fire Night“, released in 1962.

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Marijn Korff de Gidts plays tabla on the song Metamorphosis.

Marijn also plays a variety of other percussion instruments, including marimba and drums.

Marijn is currently a music teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

I created the video for “Metamorphosis Part 3” from royalty-free motion graphics, many of which were created by Nicky Pe.

So, thanks to Nicky and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

To create a percussion sound that slowly builds to a crescendo, I layered various recordings of Marijn’s tabla together.

The result is a gradual increase of tension throughout the song.

One of the bands who inspired me to add dynamic percussion to the song Metamorphosis is Santana.

Here is Santana’s energetic song “Soul Sacrifice“, released in 1969.

To create a percussion sound that slowly builds to a crescendo, I layered various recordings of Marijn’s tabla together.

The result is a gradual increase of tension throughout the song.

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Shrouded in shape, order prevails | Formless source set in duality | Paradoxical predictability | Each thought shapes the shades of our life | Each breath stirs the air in the sky | The light of the stars is no external force | We connect at the core | The slightest of gestures – a wink or a sigh – influences the whole | All classified as antagonistic disturbances are opportunities to release our grip on impermanence | The smallest of thoughts generates matter from mind | Becoming revolves around the axis of timelessness | Regeneration involves inevitable death | Each step shapes the earth at our soles | Each word spins the world in a whirl | Invisible cycles | Magnetism crystalized, reflecting infinity captured in time | Each blink of our eyelids, we are part of this rising unfolding universe

On Metamorphosis, Davide Swarup plays hang, which is a steel percussion instrument.

Davide travels the world with his hang and creates music by himself and together with other musicians.

Here‘s a video of Davide performing a hang solo.

After I had composed the basic structure of the song Metamorphosis, I knew that I wanted an instrumental sitar and tabla section.

Then, one evening, I saw Davide Swarup perform with his hang and I was so enamored with the instrument that I asked Davide if I could record him soloing on the song.

One of the artists who inspired me to write a song featuring a long instrumental section leading to a crescendo is jazz musician Freddie Hubbard.

Here’s a live version of Hubbard’s composition “Red Clay“, recorded in 1970 and featuring, among others, Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham and George Benson.

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Cheryl Duvall plays piano on Metamorphosis.

Cheryl is an accomplished professional pianist. Here’s Cheryl’s performance of “The Intimacy of Harmony“, filmed in 2021.

I created the video for “Metamorphosis (Part 5)” from royalty-free motion graphics, some of which were created by the visual artists Kelly Lacy and Taryn Elliott.

So, thanks to Kelly, Taryn and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

Cheryl Duvall plays piano on Metamorphosis.

Cheryl plays pop, classical, modern classical and also experimental compositions.

Here’s Cheryl performing “Shimmer Tree“, filmed in 2018.

One of the composers who inspired me to write music featuring lyrical piano sections is Maurice Ravel.

Here’s part of Ravel’s “Sonatine“, composed around 1904.

Statement 8

Consciousness Precedes Matter

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I’m the state, you might have seen me at your door, collecting taxes that you never voted for | I used to be in bed with popes and kings, now I whistle to the tune of corporate board meetings | Even if the majority doesn’t want to send off the troops | I’ll deploy them anyway to befriend investment groups | If you want to live, then listen to what I say I’m backed by investors who are all opposed to change | You can vote for little things but never ever for radical change | You think I want to share my power with somebody who don’t wanna play my game? | I’ve got you good in a threefold stranglehold, made up of your job, your mortgage and your loans | I might have been created for the good of society, but now I’ve mutated into a plutocracy | Now, if you’ve been hassled by my henchmen the police | And find yourself in court to defend your liberty | Remember this: the judge is always right | All the more because he’s a real close friend of mine | With the law on my side and the army up my sleeve | You can vote all you want, but I’m never ever going to leave

Robert van Spanje composed the music for The State.

Robert also plays lead and solo guitar on The State.

He is also taking lessons to become a pilot.

The State was recorded by Peter Akkerman at the IJ Studio in Amsterdam.

Other artists who have recorded here include the Dutch band Bettie Serveert.

Here is a link to the Bettie Serveert song “Palomine“, released in 1992.

One of the artists who inspired me to write the polemical lyrics for The State was Jello Biafra, a singer and social activist, who was a member of the punk band Dead Kennedys.

Here is a link to the Dead Kennedys song “California Über Alles“, released in 1987.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Mikhail Nilov, Fahim121, Nicky Pe (2x), Erik Casanova G., Nicky Pen, Roy Buri, Abraham Braun, Magda Ehlers, Nicky Pe (2x), Cottonbro, Fahim121, Vlada Karpovich, Roy Buri (2x), Mikhail Nilov, Abraham Braun, Vimeo, Pat Whelen, Ankur Khandelwal, Vimeo, Eemcgee, Mopsgesicht, Hiromasa Hadachi, Pixabay, Red Brick, LePetitFermier, Nicky Pen, Anastasia Shuraeva, Nicky Pen, Islem Benzegouta, Marcos Birck, Rodnae Productions, Cottonbro, Mikhail Nilov (2x) & MDS524680 (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

Scream, come let it out | Unlock the shackles, throw some meat on the floor | Open the cage and jam your foot in the door | It’s time to show them it’s not all sweetness in your soul | Strip down and don’t be scared to show your tattoos | The scars upon your skin will glorify you | It’s time to show them how deep the darkness goes | The life you lead, the fire you breathe | The cries of seething animality | The life you lead, the crimes you dream | The cries of seething animality | The jailor needs a rest, it’s time for the beast to wreak a little havoc, shake up the peace | A cloak of animality

Robert van Spanje plays electric guitar on Animality. Throughout the song, Robert uses a wah-pedal.

One of the artists who inspired the feel of song Animality is Joe Walsh.

Here is Joe Walsh’s band, The James Gang, performing their song “Funk #49“, released in 1969.

Music & Lyrics: Lee Mason Guitars: Robert van Spanje Bass: Willem Zwarthoed Drums: Wouter Stoeken Vocals: Lee Mason Recording & Mastering Engineer: Peter Akkerman

Video Created by Maged Alsheikh

The video for Frost on the Way was created by Maged Alsheikh.

Maged is a digital artist based in Egypt, who produces videos for musicians.

I wrote “Frost on the Way” on acoustic guitar and recorded a demo version, which Robert used to transform the guitar part from acoustic to electric.

One of the bands who inspired the feel of song Frost on the Way is Black Sabbath.

Here’s their song “Black Sabbath“, released in 1970.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage, in order of appearance, provided by Sakura Studio Videproduktion (4x), Tibor Jansi Mozes, Distill Videos, Big Blink Creative, Tibor Jansi Mozes (2x), Kohji Asakawa, Bantya Maru, Gylfi Gylfason, Annacpictures, Pressmaster (2x), Neugiernase (2x), Distill Videos, Big Blink Creative, Neugiernase (2x), Arthouse Studio & Sakura Studio (2x) (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

There was a sign beside the doorway, I could see fire on the face of the moon | I was underway when the city caved in to the earthquakes and the tidal waves | Last night I felt this sense of urgency in my fevered dreams | Tonight I might not sleep at all | Buildings and trains and stores all went up in flames | I wondered who had insurance for the end of the world | Then, in the noise, I heard a familiar voice come closer | To whisper muffled words straight into my ear | It’s now or never, hear? | All the ice sank in the oceans, all the mountains turned to dust | In the tempest rivers flooded towns and farms were guzzled up | All the birds flew high over the earth with nowhere left to perch that wasn’t flaming with fire | All I could think of was the voice that was singing to me | It’s now or never again

Robert van Spanje plays electric guitar on Now or Never.

In the recording studio, Robert had his guitar amplifiers turned up to almost maximum volume, to produce a rich and full guitar sound.

One of the guitarists most famous for creating a rich guitar sound is Jimi Hendrix.

Below is a link to the Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Purple Haze“, released in 1967.

Guitarist Robert van Spanje and I started making music together when we were around twenty years old.

One of the folk songs Robert enjoyed playing on acoustic guitar was Angie, an instrumental composition written by Davey Graham in 1961 and recorded by Bert Jansch in 1965.

Below is a link to Bert Jansch’s version of “Angie“.

I composed Now or Never so the guitar chords and the vocals each follow a different rhythmic structure.

Typically, such variation makes songs interesting to listen to.

One of the bands which inspired me to introduce subtle complexities into compositions is the band Tool.

Below is a link to the Tool song “Forty Six & Two“, released in 1997.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage Provided by (in order of appearance) Dušan Bitala, Finnish Cameraman, Tom Fisk, Ingo Joseph, PixLord, Mr. Believer, 12345JF, Mike, Milan Wulf, KDV888, Jason Searle, Gizem, The Element, Usama Shazad, MD Arif, Meow Meow, Gizem, MD Arif, Peggy Anke, Dario Fernandez Ruz, Jon Leo Hisuler, MD Arif, Jon Leo Hisuler, MD Arif, Nathan Baldwin, Harsh Deshmukh & Tima Miroshnichenko (via Pexels & Pixabay)

The moon caught me out in the snow that glistened on the ground around me | Pale were my hands in the glow | I wondered how this life had found me | I can’t pretend to be bland and disavow what I am given | Proof does not need to be known | Hollow and solid are the same, if you are small enough to notice | Dreams don’t reside in the brain, no matter how you claim you know this | None of this flesh will remain, let it lie between the roses | I welcome death all the same | This short disease is blessed relief and carries straight on to the punchline | Ours to receive, long before we have figured out what we are doing here | And know just what it means or how it feels – it is the one thing we are sure of It’s our receipt, unless we believe that life has nothing more to offer | You might think i’m tripping out if I say that we as humans | Are not the often coined crown, epitome of evolution | I feel the whole universe is the greatest living creature | Even the mere thought astounds

I created the video for “This Short Disease” from royalty-free motion graphics, some of which were created by the visual artist Tima Miroshnichenko.

So, thanks to Tima and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

Robert van Spanje plays electric guitar on “This Short Disease”.

Sound engineer Peter Akkerman recorded several takes of Robert playing guitar solos.

During the editing phase, I combined and arranged the different takes to create a highly energetic continuous solo, highlighting Robert’s guitar playing skills.

One of the bands which inspired me to compose songs with room for energetic guitar solos is Smashing Pumpkins.

Here’s Smashing Pumpkins’ song “Soma“, released in 1993.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage, in order of appearance, provided by Free Creative Stuff, Cesar A. Ramirez, Åke Wall (2x), Best Free Footage, Steven Johnson, Chris J. Mitchell, Edy Varde, Ricardo Esquivel, Evan Goodell, 4108548, Lay Z. Owl, Motion Places, Akash Barua, Kelly Lacy, Cottonbro, Roman Kaiuk, Kelly Lacy (2x), Olena Ilinska, Saulo Nulo, Arijit Kundu, Everett Bumstead, Cottonbro, Free Creative Stuff (2x), Everett Bumstead (2x), Kelly Lacy (2x) & Mikhail Nilov (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

I met a man who knows a way out of town, but we’ll have to wait until your mother’s fever’s gone down | So keep your papers in the bedroom drawer, it seems tonight they might be going door to door | The neighbors’ daughter with the skinny legs was captured trying to climb over the barbed wire fence | Be careful not to say her name too loud, I think I hear a chopper flying over the house | Hide your rations underneath the floor, make sure you’re back inside before the darkness falls | Put a lock on your bedroom door, they’ve found another sucker for the uniform | Before the madness comes, we’d better start thinking about which side we’re on | We’d best start choosing which side we’re on | ‘Cos right now, I am told, we’re at war | The power’s out again and so is the fire | Don’t go out for wood – the trucks are right outside | One – two – three pairs of boots | Just hide behind the cabinet and try not to move | Another sucker for the uniform

Drummer Wouter Stoeken plays drums on the song Before the Madness Comes.

During the guitar solo, Wouter uses his snare drum to add extra power to the crescendo.

Songwriter and guitarist Robert van Spanje wrote the music for the song Before the Madness Comes.

Robert also plays the lead and solo guitars.

Songwriter and guitarist Robert van Spanje and I were both greatly inspired by the music of The Rolling Stones.

Here’s a link to a song by The Rolling Stones (which Robert and I used to regularly perform together), titled “The Spider and The Fly“, recorded in 1965.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Shomor Debbarma, Tom Fisk, Ruitong Yu, Hom Adrift, Sarowar Hussain, Zlatin Georgiev, Veniamin Dancheck, Sarowar Hussain, Zlatin Georgiev, Thanapat Pirmphol, Veniamin Dancheck, Mart Production, Taryn Elliott, Lachlan Ross, Taryn Elliott, Vimeo & Sajjad Naqvi (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

And we go into the depths to come alive in ourselves | Somehow we allow ourselves to forget | Some are prone to live in service of themselves | Others talk of revolution to spread around the wealth | Some say that only the strays can recall how they gazed straight at their original face | While the rest of us slave under the crack of the whip in search of some grace | To prepare for the strains that tomorrow might bring | Then something happens and you think you should’ve seen it coming | Well, maybe that’s the case | That you didn’t seize the moment when it came right at you | And you probably never will | Now, just because you escaped the crack of the whip | It does not mean that the beating is fair | So shelter the strays who seek out the way to make sure that we remember again

Recording engineer Peter Akkerman recorded the entire album Consciousness Precedes Matter in two locations.

The instruments were recorded at the IJ Studios and the lead vocals were recorded in an improvized recording booth in an attic in Amsterdam.

One of the bands that inspired me to write the song “Into the Depths” is Candlebox.

Here’s the Candlebox song “Don’t You”, released in 1993.

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage Provided by (in order of appearance) Tima Miroshnichenko, Mike Sangma, Dharam Singh, Kelly Lacy, Harabe 1001, Erkan Avanoǧlu, Tima Miroshnichenko, Tipografiya, I6, Kelly Lacy, Super Claudioo, Tima Miroshnichenko, Dae Jeung Kim, Tima Miroshnichenko, JC Aguirre, Tima Miroshnichenko, 0321, Tima Miroshnichenko (2x), CNC0111, Ron Lach, Construction Process, Kelly Lacy, Eva Elijas, FL Photography-li, 21, Tima Miroshnichenko, Manufacturing, Prakash Chavda, Tima Miroshnichenko (2x), Baliram Bhosle, Abdulkerim, 0418, Lathe Machine, Kelly Lacy, Gustavo Fring, Kelly Lacy, Cottonbro, Pawel Film, Tima Miroshnichenko (2x), CNC0111, Tima Miroshnichenko, Cottonbro, Ron Lach, Construction Process, Ono Kosuki, Kelly Lacy (4x), Tima Miroshnichenko (5x), Cottonbro, Roman Kaiuk, Дмитрий Владимирович, Tima Miroshnichenko, Jörg Husemann, Tima Miroshnichenko, Anthony Shkraba, Oil2 & Eva Elijas (via Pexels, Videvo, Videezy & Pixabay)

Night and the hunger starts to stir the rising moon upon the earth | Hide where you will, the malice lurks in the depths, in the dirt | All that’s left is to submerge and defer to the curse | Rise as desire and fire emerge from the heart of this darkened lair | Tonight the snake forfeits its sleep | All the time you writhe inside the cellar of your dreams | Tonight I’ll free you with my battering ram | Throw out the martyr and open up, here it comes | Savor the hole and salvage your soul | All this freaking out, instead of digging in | All this winding up instead of winding down | All of this pretending, commendable spending | Plan ahead for days that won’t come | Light and the darkness disappears, the world regains its dull veneer | Try but you can’t forget the drums that drove you on when day was done | All alone, there you go, tumbling down in somersaults | Hide your footprints in the snow, tumble down and off you go | In time, the earth will share your load, this once you’re better off alone | Part’s not all and half’s not whole and all’s not more than one you know | All the wrongs you can’t condone are not resolved | But lingering to swell and grow and fester | So you’ll never know you could have had it all | But now you’re on the prowl and what you need to set you free is my battering ram

Robert van Spanje plays electric guitar on the song Battering Ram.

He also plays acoustic guitar during the quieter part of the composition.

Sound engineer Peter Akkerman mixed and mastered the song Battering Ram.

Throughout his career, Peter has worked with a variety of artists, including 50 Cent.

One of the bands who inspired me to compose Battering Ram is Deep Purple.

Here is Deep Purple’s song “Speed King“, released in 1970.

Video Created by Lee Mason | The newsreel footage in this music video shows the invasion of Czechoslovakia in August of 1968, when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to halt political reforms that had begun in January of 1968. The news footage is owned by Periscope Film LLC.

The footage is used under Fair Use Policy. (1) The use of the footage is for non-commercial purposes. (2) The footage is factual and familiar within the public domain. (3) Approximately 23% of the original footage has been used in a creative way to produce a new clip with a degree of educational value. (4) The usage of the news footage does not harm the copyright owner’s ability to profit from their original work. The Periscope Film archive is one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA.

Dear friends, I must confess, I’ve made another awful mess | I know I’d promised to settle down a bit | But I can’t sit and hold my peace | While figures of authority bully citizens and get away with it | So I get thrown against the wall for doing nothing much at all | Then I get cuffed and kicked into a cell | Then, two months later, comes a fine | So maybe I will change my mind and not file a complaint | How can I not be critical | When all the time political agendas serve to terrify the meek? | I guess it won’t be long before some bigot redesigns the law | So daily armored trucks patrol the streets

Robert van Spanje composed the chorus guitar chords for Three Cheers for Justice.

Using Robert’s riff as the foundation of the song, I composed the verse chords and added lyrics. To match the way the chords change during the chorus (from G to A), I had to switch very quickly between 2 different blues harmonicas (C and D) to play the harmonica solo.

One of the artists who inspired me to play harmonica like I do on the song “Three Cheers for Justice”, was blues musician Junior Wells.

Below is a link to “Messin’ with the Kid”, a song Junior Wells recorded in 1960, featuring a highly virtuosic harmonica solo.

Ultimate Imperative

Unity Awareness

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Hannes Werder, Ezthai Photo, Okanak Deniz & Johnson Cherian (via Videezy)

I created the video for “Infrared” from royalty-free motion graphics, most of which were created by the visual artist Hannes Werder.

So, thanks to Hannes and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

I wrote the bassline for “Infrared” on my acoustic bass and then recreated the bassline with electric bass samples on a computer.

Afterwards, I created a beat with drums samples and added melodies with electric piano samples.

In order to create a dynamic sound, I customized the volume, pitch and duration of every single note on the album.

One of the bands who inspired me to create the song “Infrared” is 4hero, a British electronic music duo.

Below is a link to 4hero’s song “Universal Love”, released in 1994, featuring vocals by Carol Crosby.

Music: Lee Mason Mastering | Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided by Stefano Rinaldo (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

I created the video for “Magenta” from royalty-free drone videos, all of which were created by Stefano Rinaldo.

So, thanks to Stefano and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

Some of the basslines for the album Unity Awareness came to me while I was showering and I had to quickly jump out of the shower and dry myself while humming the bassline, so I wouldn’t forget the melody before I was able to record it.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose electric piano music is D’Angelo.

Below is a link to D’Angelo’s song “Brown Sugar”, released in 1995.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Tom Fisk, Marvin Filmaker (2x), CFcreativebe, 伍俊明, Vova Krasilnikov, Lam Loi, Milica Lazarević, Chris Munnik, Pixabay, Nidhi Shah, Cherisha Norman, Kelly Lacy, Ryutaro Tsukata, Taryn Elliott, Armand Valendez, Kindel Media (2x) & Tom Fisk (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

I produced the album Unity Awareness digitally. So, even though my piano playing and drumming is quite poor, technology enabled me to create music that I could never perform live.

One of the artists who inspired me to create music featuring quick successions of notes is saxophonist Stan Getz.

Here is Stan Getz playing the composition “Tour’s End” with The Oscar Peterson Trio, recorded in 1957.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance by Earth Pass, RPX Studio, Zibl, Alexandr Popatov, NASA Imagery, Vimeo Free Videos, Victor Salazar, Piyapong Saydaung (3x), Denis Baranovskiy, Mister Mist, Seb Agora, Eikira, MD Shahriar Islam, Cosmic Level, Stockfootage 0745, Solar System, Earth Zoom-In, Louai Munajim, Earth From Space, PIRO4D, 24859, Osckar Espinosa, Kovalchuk TV78, Osmij, NASA Imagery, NASA Imagery, RPX Studio, Sachin Ghatmale, Darha, Endiae Genius (2x), Caelan Kelley, Pexels, Caelan Kelley, Pexels, Caelan Kelley (2x), Kindel Media, Moon, James Cheney, Samer Daboul, Lunar Eclipse, Sarowar Hussain, Cloudy Moon, Asko, Joseph Redfield, Prakash Chavda, NASA Imagery, Mustafa Keskin, Ebenezer42, Stars, Faycol Bogonko, Helder Sato, Serkan Bayraktar, Apoorv Srivastava, Yakupmert Aksoy (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

When I was finalizing the album Unity Awareness, I would take a walk while listening to my latest mix.

Whenever I heard something I wanted to change, I would take notes by recording a voice memo.

I went through this process at least 70 times before completing the album.

One of the artists who inspired me to write music featuring dynamic piano sequences was George Duke, who released the song “Scuse Me Miss” in 1977.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance by Engin Akyurt (3x), Mart Production, Free Creative Stuff, Icepreaw, Free Creative Stuff (35x), Ahmetodabasi & Free Creative Stuff (3x) (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

I created the video for “Orange” from royalty-free motion graphics, most of which were created by the visual artists Dan Cristian Pădureț and Engin Akyurt.

So, thanks to Dan Cristian, Engin and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

Orange is part of the album Unity Awareness.

Originally, I composed the album with more than 30 instruments, including trumpet, saxophone and violin.

However, to create a more consistent and recognizable sound, I eventually reduced the number of instruments to around 10, focusing primarily on drums, bass and a variety of electric pianos.

One of the artists who inspired me to create the song “Orange” is jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, who wrote and performed highly original and imaginative compositions.

Below is a link to John Coltrane’s song “Naima”, recorded in 1959.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage, in order of appearance, provided by Mike Lacoste (2x), Oleg Gamulinskiy, Mike Lacoste (5x), Jhon1111111 (2x), Mike Lacoste (5x), Diao Chun, Dia Chun, Mike Lacoste (5x) RPXStudio, Mr. Believer, Victor Salazar, Dieter G & Mike Lacoste (2x) (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

All of the song titles on the Unity Awareness album are named after colors.

The chosen colors are based on the spectrum of light and are meant to signify the variety and scope of the music.

One of the bands which inspired me to compose songs like Green was the British band Yes.

Their songs are typically long and rather complex.

Here is a link to the Yes song “Yours is No Disgrace” from 1971.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Yaroslav Shuraev, Pixabay, Tobias Bjørkli, Al3x4et0, Vittorio Cazzadore (3x), Yaroslav Shuraev, Tima Miroshnichenko, Bedrijfsfilmspecialist.nl, James Cheney, Peter Fowler, Kelly Lacy, Pixabay & Taryn Elliott (2x) (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

For the song Teal, as well as for all of the other songs on the album Unity Awareness, I had to decide the length, pitch and volume for every individual note (as well as other attributes, such as stereo position).

Given the density of notes throughout the entire composition, it’s highly probable that the completion of this album required more than a million tiny actions.

One of the bands that inspired me to compose Teal is Steely Dan.

Here is their song “Peg“, released in 1977.

Music: Lee Mason Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol Video Credits: Video Created by Lee Mason Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Monstera (4x), Mikhail Nilov (2x), Monstera (2x), Tima Miroshnichenko, Monstera, Cottonbro, Anna Nekrashevich, Mikhail Nilov (2x), Anna Nekrashevich (3x), Monstera, Mikhail Nilov (3x), Anna Nekrashevich, Mikhail Nilov (4x), Anna Nekrashevich, Mikhail Nilov (7x), Artem Podrez (2x) & Wendy Laplume (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

I created the video for “Turquoise” from royalty-free motion graphics, most of which were created by the visual artist Mikhail Nilov.

So, thanks to Mikhail and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

While creating the album Unity Awareness, I aimed to compose melodies and rhythms which were unusual and original.

Sometimes, I would start with a simple melody and then play around with it until it became something strange or surprising.

One of the bands which inspired me to compose music that is unusual and original is Radiohead.

Here is Radiohead’s song “Like Spinning Plates“, released in 2001.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video created by Igor Krasik

Motion graphics artist Igor Krasik created the video for the song Indigo.

Using stock footage, he edited the images to create a dynamic journey through the universe to represent the energy of the music, which is characterized by frequent change.

Indigo is part of the album Unity Awareness.

The songs on the album span a range of 72 notes, with each note being played at least once.

This means that I’ve used all sounds between the low note G-0 and the high note F#6, which creates a sense of perpetual change.

One of the artists who inspired me to compose Indigo was the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt, who was famous for writing and performing highly energetic piano music.

Below is a link to the Franz Liszt’s “Piano Sonata in B minor (Allegro Energico)“, composed in 1853.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided by Mike Lacoste, Sven Hastedt & Rostislav Uzunov (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

The Ultimate Imperative album, Unity Awareness, was mastered by sound technician Menno Knol.

Menno also collaborated with Mathieu van den Berk on a remix of Lamb’s song “Heaven“.

Just like the Refractions album, I composed the Ultimate Imperative album as continuous music. This means that each song blends into the next and the end of the album is the beginning, so if you play the album on repeat, you should hear an infinite loop.

One of the artists who inspired me to make a weird electronic music album was composer and musician Frank Zappa.

Below is a link to “Peaches en Regalia“, an example of Zappa’s unusual instrumental music.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided by CineMitch (Mitch Martinez) via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay

I created the video for “Ultraviolet” from royalty-free motion graphics, all of which were created by the visual artist Mitch Martinez.

So, thanks to Mitch and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

While creating the video clips for the songs from the album Unity Awareness, I selected royalty-free footage of nature or abstract imagery.

The organic, yet unworldly quality of the music seemed to fit best with organic and abstract images.

One of the artists who inspired me to create music that is simultaneously jazzy and poppy is Herbie Hancock.

Here’s Herbie’s song “Chameleon“, released in 1973.

Music: Lee Mason | Mastering Engineer: Menno Knol

Video Created by Lee Mason | Royalty-Free Stock Footage provided, in order of appearance, by Tunnelmotionsbackgrounds (23x), Raymond (8x), Diizlerza, Raymond, Diizlerza & Bomman151 (2x) (via Pexels, Videezy & Pixabay)

Just like the “Infrared” video, I also created the video for “Clear Light” from royalty-free motion graphics, most of which were created by the visual artist Hannes Werder.

So, thanks to Hannes and many others for creating immersive motion graphics and making them freely available for others to use.

When I released Unity Awareness, I had to choose a music genre to be able to upload the album to streaming services. I wasn’t sure which option to choose, because the music contains elements of jazz, pop, classical and electronic.

Eventually, I chose “drum & bass”, because of the prominence of those two instruments throughout the album.

One of the bands which inspired me to write music which is both original and unusual is The Mars Volta.

Here is The Mars Volta’s song “Day of the Baphomets“, released in 2006.

Lee Mason's Creations

Musical Memoirs

A series of anecdotes about the creation of the following albums

Refractions

Statement 8

Ultimate Imperative