The second full album of new material from n-Somnia.
#1 - MYSTICS
About 80% of this track was created in 1999 using d-lusion's "Rubber Duck" software. A few extra clips were added in 2012/13.
#2 - YOUTH CULTURE
At the time of this song's creation, I was listening (a lot) to Nitzer Ebb's "Warsaw Ghetto". It was an inspiration behind the overall 'attitude', if you want to call it that. If this song had lyrics, it would be about how the youth of today are more reckless than ever before.
#3 - STUPID & OBLIVIOUS
A reference to how modern society has become. People aren't what they were like when I was growing up. The music has a certain Prince feel to it, I think.
#4 - BREAKDANCE
I wanted to make a song that could possibly be used in dance offs. A vs. B in a quest for dancefloor domination. It may seem like it goes on a bit long at times, but mainly for this purpose. When you're busy cheering someone on while they bust a move, you barely notice it.
#5 - BREAK
Most of this song was finished and sitting on the computer for a few years before I got around to adding a few final touches. There's a few more songs like this still sitting there waiting for their own unveiling to this day. The overall attitude of this track is nothing but pure fun. Its title is merely stating that this is the halfway mark of the album, so...let's take a short break.
#6 - CZAR CHASM
Pun alert! Obviously, it's meant to say 'sarcasm'. The tone of this track is a little darker than the first half of the album, which is a sign. It only gets darker from here.
#7 - LET THE GAME BEGIN
It does get darker on the second half of the album, but this is a brief moment of satisfaction before its darkest point. This song had been 100% completed since about 1999 or 2000 before being added to the album. I guess I thought it needed something beforehand, but then realised it was fine the way it is. Apart from fading in and out, it was created 100% on the "Rubber Duck" software like "Mystics".
#8 - GUTTER BLOOD
The darkest point of the album. Its title is a reference to a time during my days as a cleaner, where I had to take care of a nasty mess in a nearby gutter at my workplace, after a bar fight got out of hand the night before. It was/is a symbol of how low society has become over the years. The overall tone of the track is melancholy.
#9 - HOPE
However, where there is darkness there is a speck of light on the horizon. This song symbolises the fact that there is always a form of hope in your lowest points.
#10 - DAWN LANDING
This was another mostly completed song that had been lurking the hard drive for years before its release. Emerging somewhere between 2006 and 2012, it would eventually become somewhat of a soundtrack song. Along with the title, this could easily fit into a movie about the D-Day invasion (or similar events).
BONUS TRACKS
#1 - ONCE MORE (DEMO)
Originally created in early 2003, this was technically the follow-up to "Robot Lover From Mars". It was around February of that year when I realised I hadn't made anything new since my first success. The end result was a rush job that I didn't even finish. All it ended up being was the same loop with a few key changes throughout the 5+ minute track. Needless to say, the song got a poor rating when I uploaded it to BeSonic.com (my usual hangout during that era). Because I was going through some personal issues during this time, my self esteem didn't take it well. The song would be taken offline faster than it went on. Eventually in 2013 - a whole decade later - it would make a comeback as the B-side for the "Hope" single. I do hope to finish a proper version of the song at some point though.
#2 - TRANCELATION (INCOMPLETE DEMO)
Around 2002-03, I was playing around with many loops and samples. I stumbled across a package with corresponding trance/techno loops. So I decided to give it a go, as I was starting to get into the likes of Ian van Dahl, Darude, Sash, etc. Unfortunately, I only got as far as I have here, not even reaching the 3-minute mark. I hope to one day make a full-on techno/trance song. Whether or not it's a continuation of this or another song all depends on how I feel when I do it.
#3 - DEMOCRACY IS DEAD
The opening track from the "GCSB" EP, released in 2013. I was officially in mid-hiatus when this was made/released, but felt compelled to respond to the government's plans on enforcing this abomination upon us all. The song title pretty much says it all.
#4 - SNAPPER
The title is a reference to the Prime Minister's comments on what he thinks is more important to New Zealand citizens than the issues that are of actual importance. This track's music is a bit of a Gary Numan throwback with a Marilyn Manson-like drum beat.
#5 - SLICED (feat. Laci Tucker)
In 2002/03, one of my online friends from the US (Laci Tucker, whom I have never met in person, by the way) sent me some files she had been working on. Word documents with lyrics and Wave file recordings of her singing. We saw this as an opportunity to do a collaboration. Unfortunately at the time, I was suffering a bad case of writer's block, especially towards music I didn't write. However, in 2008 I was able to come up with something for at least one of her songs - the one recording that wasn't actually sung. It was more of a rap. You see, when there's rapping, you can add pretty much anything, because where's the tune? I felt like I owed it to her to make this song happen. Originally intended to be a part of a side project I attempted to start called The Human Race, where I would collaborate with people of various cultures and countries in a variety of songs and put them all together on one album. Sadly, this was the only thing that happened. I would eventually release it as n-Somnia's own after The Human Race fell flat. The main drum loop in this song was also used in Kingrow's "Money-Go-Round".
#6 - DREAMING ALL ALONG
From the same package of songs Laci sent me, there was a Word document with lyrics for a song with this title. However, for reasons I have no answer to, there was no recording to accompany them. In the meantime, I had an instrumental track I had been working on around this time (2002/03) that I intended on using as a part of our collaboration. For the "Sliced" single, I decided to give this track the vocal-less title and release it as the B-side.
#7 - DARK STAR
Created entirely online! Soundation.com works in a similar way to the likes of Acid Pro and GarageBand software, only this time you can use either their stock loops and samples or upload your own. No download required. After creating this short track, I saved it onto my hard drive and released it soon afterwards. It is a very hard-hitting song. Great for clubs. Needs to be longer for that purpose though. Maybe an extended remix should happen?
#8 - PALE SHELTER (n-Somnia 12" REMIX) (by Tears for Fears)
In 2014, I entered a remix competition for Tears for Fears! The mix I made stays true to the original track's sound, rather than making it a hard out club track like most of the other remix artists made. I didn't win, but at least I gave it a go. The remix is currently unavailable online as I'm not entirely sure of what the rules are for distributing it. If someone can let me know, I'd be most grateful!
NEXT EPISODE - "HARBINGER".
#1 - MYSTICS
About 80% of this track was created in 1999 using d-lusion's "Rubber Duck" software. A few extra clips were added in 2012/13.
#2 - YOUTH CULTURE
At the time of this song's creation, I was listening (a lot) to Nitzer Ebb's "Warsaw Ghetto". It was an inspiration behind the overall 'attitude', if you want to call it that. If this song had lyrics, it would be about how the youth of today are more reckless than ever before.
#3 - STUPID & OBLIVIOUS
A reference to how modern society has become. People aren't what they were like when I was growing up. The music has a certain Prince feel to it, I think.
#4 - BREAKDANCE
I wanted to make a song that could possibly be used in dance offs. A vs. B in a quest for dancefloor domination. It may seem like it goes on a bit long at times, but mainly for this purpose. When you're busy cheering someone on while they bust a move, you barely notice it.
#5 - BREAK
Most of this song was finished and sitting on the computer for a few years before I got around to adding a few final touches. There's a few more songs like this still sitting there waiting for their own unveiling to this day. The overall attitude of this track is nothing but pure fun. Its title is merely stating that this is the halfway mark of the album, so...let's take a short break.
#6 - CZAR CHASM
Pun alert! Obviously, it's meant to say 'sarcasm'. The tone of this track is a little darker than the first half of the album, which is a sign. It only gets darker from here.
#7 - LET THE GAME BEGIN
It does get darker on the second half of the album, but this is a brief moment of satisfaction before its darkest point. This song had been 100% completed since about 1999 or 2000 before being added to the album. I guess I thought it needed something beforehand, but then realised it was fine the way it is. Apart from fading in and out, it was created 100% on the "Rubber Duck" software like "Mystics".
#8 - GUTTER BLOOD
The darkest point of the album. Its title is a reference to a time during my days as a cleaner, where I had to take care of a nasty mess in a nearby gutter at my workplace, after a bar fight got out of hand the night before. It was/is a symbol of how low society has become over the years. The overall tone of the track is melancholy.
#9 - HOPE
However, where there is darkness there is a speck of light on the horizon. This song symbolises the fact that there is always a form of hope in your lowest points.
#10 - DAWN LANDING
This was another mostly completed song that had been lurking the hard drive for years before its release. Emerging somewhere between 2006 and 2012, it would eventually become somewhat of a soundtrack song. Along with the title, this could easily fit into a movie about the D-Day invasion (or similar events).
BONUS TRACKS
#1 - ONCE MORE (DEMO)
Originally created in early 2003, this was technically the follow-up to "Robot Lover From Mars". It was around February of that year when I realised I hadn't made anything new since my first success. The end result was a rush job that I didn't even finish. All it ended up being was the same loop with a few key changes throughout the 5+ minute track. Needless to say, the song got a poor rating when I uploaded it to BeSonic.com (my usual hangout during that era). Because I was going through some personal issues during this time, my self esteem didn't take it well. The song would be taken offline faster than it went on. Eventually in 2013 - a whole decade later - it would make a comeback as the B-side for the "Hope" single. I do hope to finish a proper version of the song at some point though.
#2 - TRANCELATION (INCOMPLETE DEMO)
Around 2002-03, I was playing around with many loops and samples. I stumbled across a package with corresponding trance/techno loops. So I decided to give it a go, as I was starting to get into the likes of Ian van Dahl, Darude, Sash, etc. Unfortunately, I only got as far as I have here, not even reaching the 3-minute mark. I hope to one day make a full-on techno/trance song. Whether or not it's a continuation of this or another song all depends on how I feel when I do it.
#3 - DEMOCRACY IS DEAD
The opening track from the "GCSB" EP, released in 2013. I was officially in mid-hiatus when this was made/released, but felt compelled to respond to the government's plans on enforcing this abomination upon us all. The song title pretty much says it all.
#4 - SNAPPER
The title is a reference to the Prime Minister's comments on what he thinks is more important to New Zealand citizens than the issues that are of actual importance. This track's music is a bit of a Gary Numan throwback with a Marilyn Manson-like drum beat.
#5 - SLICED (feat. Laci Tucker)
In 2002/03, one of my online friends from the US (Laci Tucker, whom I have never met in person, by the way) sent me some files she had been working on. Word documents with lyrics and Wave file recordings of her singing. We saw this as an opportunity to do a collaboration. Unfortunately at the time, I was suffering a bad case of writer's block, especially towards music I didn't write. However, in 2008 I was able to come up with something for at least one of her songs - the one recording that wasn't actually sung. It was more of a rap. You see, when there's rapping, you can add pretty much anything, because where's the tune? I felt like I owed it to her to make this song happen. Originally intended to be a part of a side project I attempted to start called The Human Race, where I would collaborate with people of various cultures and countries in a variety of songs and put them all together on one album. Sadly, this was the only thing that happened. I would eventually release it as n-Somnia's own after The Human Race fell flat. The main drum loop in this song was also used in Kingrow's "Money-Go-Round".
#6 - DREAMING ALL ALONG
From the same package of songs Laci sent me, there was a Word document with lyrics for a song with this title. However, for reasons I have no answer to, there was no recording to accompany them. In the meantime, I had an instrumental track I had been working on around this time (2002/03) that I intended on using as a part of our collaboration. For the "Sliced" single, I decided to give this track the vocal-less title and release it as the B-side.
#7 - DARK STAR
Created entirely online! Soundation.com works in a similar way to the likes of Acid Pro and GarageBand software, only this time you can use either their stock loops and samples or upload your own. No download required. After creating this short track, I saved it onto my hard drive and released it soon afterwards. It is a very hard-hitting song. Great for clubs. Needs to be longer for that purpose though. Maybe an extended remix should happen?
#8 - PALE SHELTER (n-Somnia 12" REMIX) (by Tears for Fears)
In 2014, I entered a remix competition for Tears for Fears! The mix I made stays true to the original track's sound, rather than making it a hard out club track like most of the other remix artists made. I didn't win, but at least I gave it a go. The remix is currently unavailable online as I'm not entirely sure of what the rules are for distributing it. If someone can let me know, I'd be most grateful!
NEXT EPISODE - "HARBINGER".