darren r hill

the creative minimalist

Category: Music

All posts relating to music, either my own songs, soundscapes and other compositions, or music created by others

  • Wheel of the Year

    Wheel of the Year

    The seasons come and the seasons go, just as it ever was. Earth orbits around the sun, the moon around this little planet, life ebbs and flows. We mark this in seasons, in stages, in festivals. This is my sculpted sound celebrating the Wheel of the Year as imagined and realised by this temple eden.

    A crescendo of simple, melodic soundscapes that capture the ecstasy of the seasons and festivals in the Wheel of the Year.

    Explore the thinness of Samhain, of reaching through the veil, of being the closest to the other side, the liminal, a threshold.

    Feel the hibernating, yet beating heart of the Winter Solstice. Beneath our feet life lies dormant, awaiting and biding its time. It prepares for birth, gestating while the darkness prevails.

    It is time. Life is ready. The first tentative glimpses of light and life. Seek the blessing of Imbolc for the future, for the harvest, for life itself.

    A state of balance, equality. The Spring Equinox when light and dark stand together. At Spring the direction is forward, toward abundance, toward the light. The innocence of childhood and the exuberance of youth are held in check, before life’s biggest change.

    Be possessed by the energy of Beltane the fire dance. Life in all its abundance, finding its path. Embrace change, embrace growth, toward fulfilment, toward promise.

    Magnify the zenith of the Summer Solstice, as the light reaches its most powerful. Feed from the riches of the celestial energy. Bask in the bounty as darkness recedes to its bit part.

    The gift of the land is an echoed refrain from the sowing of the seed. As Lammas brings a harvest of plenty. The light has provided and now as custodians we reap what we have sown. We are mindful that resources are limited, and a finite gift should be distributed wisely.

    Finally, once again, we return to a state of balance at the Autumn Equinox. Light and dark again stand side by side. However, at autumn we are falling back. Our journey is toward the dark. We begin to clear away, to store, to bring inside. The leaves are about fall. The Wheel of the Year will turn again, but for this final moment, all is balanced.

    The Wheel of the Year is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services. I hope you enjoy it.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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  • We’re not actors music video

    We’re not actors music video

    We're not actors music video screen shot. Black and white me on a TV screen in a derelict room.

    Hello worlds! I made a video for my song “We’re not Actors” from the album “The Same Old Fear”. You can listen to the music on all streaming platforms. If you like it give it a thumbs up and subscribe and add to playlists etc.

    Lyrics:

    We stumble together, so sure yet insecure
    We’re diamonds from dust, the pressure’s mounting, these steps the cure
    I’ll quote Murakami, something from Kafka on the Shore, 
    It’s just a diversion because I know there’s something more
    But the light is too bright, I shake I’m under the spotlight

    We’re not actors
    We’re not film stars
    We’re not filters
    Image captures

    We dance without routine, these steps ancient and worn
    A ballet of passion, the step’s quickening, new rhythm born
    You whisper the lyrics in this new context they’re alive 
    We feel beyond meaning for this act was divined
    The light shining bright, we shake, and dance in the spotlight

    We’re not actors
    We’re not film stars
    We’re not filters
    Image captures

    We’re not actors
    We’re not film stars
    We’re not filters
    Image captured

    We’re not avatars
    We’re not film stars
    We’re not filtered
    Just distractions

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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  • Creating soundscape motifs in a song

    musical motifs in screenshot for Logic Pro x

    I usually create musical soundscapes as a whole. What I mean is I will make a piece of music that describes something specific. In Music to Journal by, I took each step of the art journaling process and made music that reflected those steps. Likewise, when I write songs the lyrics and music relate to an overall theme. The emotions portrayed shape and form the sound. Form follows function, to borrow a design paradigm.

    I am currently working on a song that requires me to take this one step further. I have an overall sound and feel for the song. The lyrics are almost complete and they follow a form of contradiction. Each line refers to how the singer feels differently from the character being sung to. As such I am creating tiny musical motifs that relate to each of these lines. But these motifs are barely a bar long and have to act as a non-invasive counterpoint to the main melody. I want them to be an almost unnoticed itch amidst the song.

    I’m not sure if it will work. I might need to remove the ideas as the recording progresses. However, I am giving it a go, taking a step into the unknown and challenging my creative ability. It would be easy to keep things simple and leave these motifs out, but using them and attempting to use them feels right. When the creative flow catches you it is best to ride along with it. The journey may not be smooth but the experience is priceless.

    Oh, and I’ll share the music soon…

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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  • Music to journal by is released

    Music to journal by is both a soundtrack to accompany your own journaling practice and a musical soundscape exploring the creative journal process in four movements.

    Music to Journal by is a musical journey, an odyssey through the creative process. Now creativity is never set and can take many forms. The process can be complex and varied or simple and straightforward. But I distilled stages that I find often repeated in my own creative process into the four steps presented here. I then sought to express these steps as musical soundscapes. (read on or watch and listen below)

    It begins with confusion and stubbornness as you come face to face with the blank page. Overcome adversity the blank page. Emotions, doubts, fears, and dreams all seek purchase in a cacophony of conflicting thoughts. To start or not. To create or not. The first mark, the first word, the first note… when will they appear. Turn up, and overcome adversity.

    We demand inspiration as we go through the Invocation of the Muse. We summon forth in rituals, words, and laments. We seek the muse through dreams, pilgrimages and actions. Sometimes we just need to be still. He, she, they may be there, waiting for us to give them space to inspire. Seek and ye shall find, if you have ears, listen.

    At some point in the creative process, we find ourselves in a creative flow. Words, brush strokes or melodies are poured out. The creative dam breaks as we Let art Emerge. Time can find little meaning here, minutes or hours may pass in the seeming blink of an eye, or flourish of a pen.

    At some point, time does become a thing again. At some point, we realise we have our creation. Our canvas, our words, our score; your art, your page, your music is complete, this is the time to rest to breathe. Exhale. It is created.

    This is Music to journal by. This is my creative process. This is my musical interpretation of that process, my soundscape. I share it with you and pray it may resonate with you in your own creative process. Art can heal, I offer a little musical medicine.

    Streaming links

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • New strings on Music Monday

    new fender guitar stings and a couple of guitar picks

    I have had a to-do item on my list for several weeks… today, I checked it off. The guitar has new strings. It is time to strum away and make music.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • How I make music – where ideas come from

    I am composing a piece of music and I thought I would share the process with you. This is the first video and I share where the ideas come from. These are the bare bones and early thoughts and ideas, but in the next few videos, we’ll see where the muse takes me and what happens. Join me on this creative venture and let me know any questions you have.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest