I'd like to thank everyone who bought, supported, commented on, retweeted, facebook'd, Instagramed, SnapChated, Youtubed, Pinterested, Tumblr'd, shared, blogged and, once again, purchased Letters to Kyoto. Thank you so much! I'm happy to get in touch with all new supportive appreciators. Without you, this beautiful music endeavor cannot grow.

I would especially like to thank VSCO, 23.5 and their entire staff of phenomenal indivuals, Alan Algee and the entire Kyoto creative team, without which none of this would be possible. If you haven't seen the film, please check out Parts I & II and all of the associated content here.

I've reposted some of the tweets, comments and messages from appreciators here. Much love to all of you! If you'd like to check out Letters to Kyoto, its on Bandcamp.

I'm so happy to receive these messages. It's as if I wrote the letter and people responded. Often times, indie musicians can live in vacuum, where there is little or no feedback from fans or the rest of the universe for that matter. Much love to those in Australia and the United States, where most of my recent appreciators seem to be at the moment.

“Fantastic job on the music. Kyoto Part 1 quickly became one of my favorite short films and I watched Part 2 and it does not disappoint. The soundtrack fits perfectly with the visuals and I just wanted to let you know that you killed it.””

— Robert

Communication via art has always been a bit fascinating to me. As a musician, speaking through drums, chords and melodies, it offers an extended vocabulary that can emote feelings and tell stories without the use of verbal language.

I really wanted to pay homage and respect to a place I never knew, a place I hope to know. After absorbing a plethora of knowledge and feedback from viewers, I'm even more intrigued and anxious. A trip will happen. It must.

“Thanks man! I really love your work and I think it’s kinda unappreciated, but you have a new fan. The film really struck me deep... I don’t know if it was me thinking back on my Japanese heritage or my love for VSCO and the arts, but I can’t wait until the 9th when part 2 drops.””

— Mr. King

I would like to think of myself as a giver in world full of like minded givers and some takers. I believe in giving back and paying it forward. To show my appreciation, I'm going to send everyone a personal email and free copy of my latest release, Sensual Electronic Music.

I really hope you join me on this journey of artistic exploration and sonic inquiry. I've been making music for years and I'm just starting to release pieces now. There are hundreds of pieces in my archives. Slowly, but surely, some of it will be set free. I hope you enjoy!

Man in a Loft

I've been meaning to blog about this for some time, but I've been juggling a number of things.

VSCO and 23.5 present the soundtrack for the film KYOTO by director Alan Algee, featuring 11 tracks by yours truly and Gifted & Blessed! If you have a moment please read the piece about the soundtrack here. It contains a bit about the creators, the music and how the pieces mesh with the visual content. :)

Among a number of wonderful pieces, the soundtrack contains an original composition entitled,  "Into The Night" by Devin Crosby and myself, featuring vocalist, Emi Ogura. That piece really came about in a very natural and random way. =) It features live recordings of Emi singing while walking the streets of Kyoto.

You can hear that and the entire Kyoto soundtrack here! .
https://soundcloud.com/vsco/sets/kyoto-soundtrack

I'm happy to have had the opportunity to participate in this project. I'd like to thank VSCO, 23.5, Alan, Devin, Emi and the entire team!!!

If you still love to read, if you love to travel, if you love to immerse your mind in the imaginative depths of words and descriptions, I highly recommend you read the 23.5 Alan Algee interview about his experiences in Kyoto and the making of the 23.5 film, Kyoto (Parts I & II). It's wonderful, insightful, inspiring and his words are just as poetic as his work.

“I wish for people to take time to understand the culture and not just take; to learn what beauty comes when a society is devoted to cultural preservation.””

There is so much to learn about how Kyoto, and I assume Japan, has had an impact on an artist from the United States. I often tell people the world has so much to offer them and this is proof of such a phenomenon. After all, the world is still quite diverse and experiencing alternative ways of thinking, speaking and interacting with your environment can be quite life altering in the best of ways.

For example... Without revealing too much, Alan mentions the fact that there are no pronouns in the Japanese language. Thus, conversation, especially from the Western perspective, can be quite...ambiguous in comparison. Without the you, he, she, etc, the conversation is not only less confrontational and direct, but the focus tends to be more on the context of what is being said, as opposed to the subject or thing being addressed. I've had a few conversations with my Japanese friends about this and they kindly agree and have tried to help me understand. As a westerner, I find the concept alone to be quite interesting.

The interview offers a plethora of information about how the film was made, the locations and their significance, the performers, narration, calligraphy, the historical and cultural significance and, perhaps above all else, the influence and nature of Kyoto. If you have the time, please take a moment to dive into the depths of this artists experience. You might find it to be quite motivating and inspiring.

=)

It's official!

Letters to Kyoto is now available on Bandcamp! For those of you who don't know, Letters to Kyoto is my portion of the score to the two part VSCO 23.5 original entitled, Kyoto.

It's a beautiful film, directed by a man whose work I love, Alan Algee.

POSSIBILITIES:
When Alan approached me and told me about this project, I was actually concerned. No... I was quite afraid. I've had a significant interest all things Japanese, the culture, the food, the way(s) of seeing life... I really didn't now if I could or should score a film about a place I've loved from afar, a place I've never set foot in, a place that is quite foreign in many, many ways. In brief layman terms, Japan is deep and I wasn't sure if I could or should tread those waters.

But... I said, yes! After all, very few good decisions are made under the influence of fear.

MOVEMENT:
The pieces in Letters to Kyoto are like letters to a love I have longed to meet, whose lips I have only dreamed of kissing, whose touch has remained a mystery to me, even now. Some of these pieces were existing tracks and ideas, while others were specifically written for the film. I've also included some pieces that didn't make the cut. :)

GRATITUDE:
Alan and a crew of wonderful and talented human beings have put together two films that are quite poetic. I'm honored to be part of this project, even more honored that I was even considered to participate. Part 2 will be released on July 9th! Be sure to check it out!

If you enjoy any of the music in this film, please help me continue my creative journey by buying any or all of the music!

I make music, but without listeners like you it's just silence!

M

I am happy to present this record.

This record features 8 originals, one in two parts. It consists of all the music in the film and a couple tracks that didn't make it.

Some of the pieces where existing pieces created prior to the film, while others were made specifically for Kyoto (the film). One such piece is, Into the Night, which features the lovely vocals of Emi Ogura and production with fellow NJ artist/songwriter, Devin Crosby.

=)