Vertei

Vertei was my first full-length project. It was a mix of songs written for the album and songs collected from previously that were thematically cohesive. The work was themed around cycles, things that spin or repeat or always come back around. Other secondary themes are nature, daydreams, and wistful observation. Tracks 2-8 chronologically tell the story of a few introspective days in my life and 10-11 and 12-13 are also short plotlines.

1. Heavenly Bodies
The longest track on the album, I think this song accurately summarizes the rest of the album's journey. The particular cycle in question is the solar system. As proven by the largest manipulative objects we know of, planets, things that exist are meant to spin. The earth and the moon and the asteroid belts, all spinning, spinning forever. It's scary and peaceful.

The mantra "I have nothing against you" repeated throughout is an edition of the phrase "I am nothing against you", meaning instead of the nonexistent rivalry between space and one's existence, it's one's knowledge that is only an iota of what outer space holds.

Other than that, the song is purely pleasant and no hard-hitting, cathartic, or meaningful statements are included.

2. Cycle ft. Maia Dooney
I'm pretty sure I know what this song is about. It's an observation by a particularly pessimistic child about the tomfoolery of daily human life. Wake up, go to school and feel bettered, go to sleep. And for what? What difference does it actually make? It also outlines the hilarity of fighting for justice and the inevitability of wrongdoings, no matter the pushback.

The inspiration for this song was the idea of a duet and the other singer Maia was the voice I had in mind when writing it. Her aura is of a confident and articulate philosophy about life and the world, but in an incognito way, providing the understated social comment of this song.

3. Sominex (Moment 1)
This is a glimpse into the struggle of a person battling depression and the rollercoaster of medication that only gives birth to other problems. The last sentence trails off because the speaker is fading away, unheard. This track was inspired by the stories of a friend.

This is also the first of two track featuring the accordion, which duets with the vocals in a haunting way.

4. Petal Prophecy
The lyrics on this track are pretty straightforward, especially with its title in mind. God, I'm a sucker for alliteration. This is an example of a song written in history class while Mr. Lewis begs us to consider thinking from the point of view of the aborted baby ("How would you like it?"). The lyrics were written start to finish with no revisions, and with a piece so raw and honest I think any type of editing would have been insincere.

The instrumentation is largely voice, with interspersed sounds of marimba and "bass drum" (I typically use my house as a bass drum, I find stomping on a hardwood floor to sound more full and scary than the instrument). It was difficult to fruitize the atmosphere of the song because it was very specific in my mind, but I think I succeeded.

5. Obsession (Moment 2)
Obsession is too a cycle. A small one, but in the moment neverending and never-beginning, timeless, singular, omnipotent... The parting words of Track 4 "He loves everyone / Does everyone mean me or not?" the speaker is driven into a small infatuation with being infatuated, and much later bittersweet thoughts about him linger at a party in Track 6.

6. In Delirium
This piece was inspired by a title. On the album, this piece stands out because it is shallow and removed, being in a vivid setting but having philosophical mental meanderings about existence.

The instrumentation for this piece is baritone marimba, which I chose for its haunting, dreamlike tone and fullness. I later added retro bass synthesizer to simulate the low hum of mild discomfort and the ending with an organ-like synth solo and cups shaking is the growing feeling of impending followed by a sudden clink of leaving the party.

7. I Feel Generally Pleasant (Moment 3)
And then, a slight breeze.

8. Old Growth City
After the speaker leaves the party, they feel strangely more wise. They walk along the streets and develop a philosophy about the cyclical energy of a city.

The instrumentation on Old Growth City is very simple, just piano and one vocal track. It is meant to be intimate, like a secret is being whispered to you.

9. Walking Song
The strength of Walking Song is the lyrics. It's the story of a person and a dog and their companionship through the repeating seasons. It is sung with 4-part vocals and a djembe drum, and the brisk pace meanders through 5/4 and 3/4 with little pattern. This is one of my favorite songs to sing.

10. Footsteps (Moment 4)
This track simulates a complete overstimulation attack. The sounds of the surroundings layer in slowly to a driving 12-beat cycle. The produced screams coupled with a high-pitched whistle and meant to create a sense of panic, but the emotion is all internal.

11. Industrial Chasm
Once again the accordion is used, and this time it is the sole instrument of the track. This song is the flipside of Footsteps, an odd but ultimately relaxing fantasy of falling into an alley between buildings and dying, appreciating the strange tiny details of the world. Much like Mailboat, the thought is comforting because death is inevitable, so there's no need to worry anymore.

The star of this track is the vocals. The theme at it's core and the way the song is sung sounds tortured and sad, a juxtaposition with the matter-of-fact style of lyrics.

12. Always
This track is inspired by baby spiders parachuting their way into the world to create a new life, the spread of dandelion seeds, and the journey of a salmon back to its home. The version of the song on the album is a bit different from my original vision and how I wish the song to be performed; It is meant to be sung by a large choir at a slightly slower, walking-down-the-aisle pace.

13. Go Back
This track was a last-minute addition to the album after the song first planned to wrap it up ("Aragneti", about the cycle of a spider's web) didn't make the cut. Go Back is a song written at a wedding and is about the sadness and happiness that accompanies nostalgia. Its form is very simple, with one verse, and is a sweet dessert to serve after the constructions of Heavenly Bodies, Cycle, In Delirium, and Walking Song and the catharses of Petal Prophecy, Old Growth City, Footsteps, Industrial Chasm, and Always. It is a small touch that really rounds out the album I think.