Dismantling and Reconstructing

 

Last week, I was finalizing the compositions comprising the forthcoming solo album, Codex V.  This is the fifth album in the Codex solo album series, and will be released by Greydisc in January 2027.  

Of the six compositions on the album, three that were assigned to it just didn't fit the overall compositional concept.  However, those three pieces did fit another album project that I began in 2022, but shelved.  

The Codex series is predominantly based on two-voice compositions.  Additionally, some of the pieces contain short compositional sections of three voices.  This makes for some rather dark, deep, and complex compositions.  The three pieces I removed were all single-voice compositions.  Furthermore, the Codex compositions are difficult, and texturally thick, harmonically dense, and melodically angular.  The single-voice pieces are far more lyrical, texturally lighter, and sparse in comparison.  

After removing those three compositions, I went into the studio and recorded two new pieces to add to Codex V.   One of the pieces is rather long, so instead of three pieces, I only needed two pieces due to their extended running time.  Both of the new pieces are indeed complex, dense, and angular.  An ideal fit for this record, as the two new pieces connect to and with the other pieces on Codex V.  It feels good to have this record completed and thematically and conceptually cohesive within itself.  

As for the single-voice lyrical pieces, they were all composed for and recorded using C2, which has an all-octave tuning.  To my way of hearing, an all-octave tuning contains much more light than intervalic tunings, which tend to sound dark, but in a deep and good way.  Moreover,  I have enough of the lyrical pieces recorded to comprise a new album in that direction.  Though I'm not yet sure that I want to release those compositions.

It's interesting to me how album projects and specific compositions can take on a life of their own and dictate the needs of and directions for the project.  This isn't the first time something like this has occurred.   All I have to do is pay close attention, and the projects always tell me where they want to go.

-kk