New Life // Old Sounds: Adventures in the Ambient
New Life // Old Sounds: Adventures in the Ambient
Redefining Melody and Atmosphere in a World of Noise
As the 4th Quarter arrives, I’ve been reflecting on this past year's journey. Exploring ways to breathe fresh life into my older projects and bodies of work… consistently wondering “How do we, as artists, stay engaged with our own music and ensure it resonates with listeners in new ways?”.
For me, this has involved experimenting with new artwork, releasing high-res audio versions of older releases, unveiling hidden gems from the We Had Our Time vault, and stripping back drums to reveal a more ambient, melodic side to my sound. This exploration has led me to reintroduce projects like Vault III Deluxe, No Hard Feelings (Instrumental), and Heaven's Gate (Instrumental).
Much of the original Vault III was created live on my Twitch channel, connecting directly with fans while crafting the music in real-time.
Vault III Cassettes are still available, along with a rare Variable Speed Modified Cassette Walkman by Cryptic Carousel.
This cassette player offers selectable photocell and knob control, CV input, AM/FM radio, a voice-activated recording mic, and control over tape speed—perfect for anyone who loves manipulating sound on a deeper level.
Vault III (Deluxe) marks my first real step into the ambient genre, stripping back the drums to allow the melodies and atmospheres to take the lead. Ambient music, inspired by artists like Brian Eno and Nils Frahm, offer a meditative escape which feels like a necessity in today's world of constant noise and distraction.
This genre has seen immense growth in recent years as listeners seek music that helps them focus or relax in an overstimulated environment, an emotional space for listeners to exist in, without demanding too much attention.
Despite being the third in the Vault series, the step in this space feels like the best way to represent a sonic shift for me and a vision for where I see my music and company going—blending melodic depth with evolving soundscapes.
91.3 WYEP: Why the ambient music market is booming
Ambient & Drone
Ambient 1: Music for Airports is the sixth studio album by Brian Eno. It was released by Polydor Records in 1978. The album consists of four compositions created by layering tape loops of differing lengths.
It was the first of four albums released in Eno's "Ambient" series, a term which he coined to differentiate his experimental and minimalistic approach to composition from "the products of the various purveyors of canned music".
The music was designed to be continuously looped as a sound installation, with the intent of defusing the tense, anxious atmosphere of an airport terminal. To achieve this, Eno sought to create music "as ignorable as it is interesting." Though it is not the earliest entry in the genre, it was the first album ever to be explicitly created under the label "ambient music."
No Hard Feelings (Instrumental)
My collaboration with The Crushboys, No Hard Feelings, was already rooted in R&B & emotive production but revisiting it with a focus on the instrumentals has been an eye-opening experience. Revealing layers of detail that sometimes went unnoticed in the full mix and the rise in popularity of instrumental music, this project allows me to highlight how listeners are gravitating toward music that allows space for interpretation and personal connection.
By stripping away the vocals, listeners are able to focus on sound design and melodic structure.
Charting the Rise of Ambient Music
Heaven's Gate: Stripping Back the Vocals for Deeper Storytelling
Heaven's Gate (Instrumental) is an evolution of the original project, designed to dive deeper into the atmospheric and emotional core by removing the vocals yet keeping select narrative elements intact. This stripped-down version allows the melodies to guide the emotional journey, capturing a more introspective soundscape that reflects my experiences during a difficult chapter in the Relapse narrative. The project represents my life post-trauma, following the weight of acquiring massive debt due to immaturity and arrogance.
In an era where noise and distractions are constant, instrumental music offers a refuge. Heaven's Gate (Instrumental) taps into this, giving listeners space to reflect and immerse themselves in the story without the same intensity of the full vocal version. The Relapse story will continue to develop throughout 2025, and I truly appreciate all the love and questions surrounding this project as it unfolds.
Looking Ahead
Moving into the next phase I aim to keep pushing the boundaries of my sound. The growth of instrumental and ambient music reflects a larger shift in how we listen —away from constant stimulation and towards creating moments of calm, reflection, and emotional depth and I'm excited to continue experimenting with these ideas and sharing them with you all.
Thanks for listening and being part of this journey!
(also would love to talk about the Julius Randle/KAT trade but I have a couple more music things to write before I get deep into sports lol)
– Drew
Release Dates:
Scorpio - 10/25/24
Vault III (Deluxe) - 11/15/24
No Hard Feelings (Instrumental) - 11/29/24
Heaven's Gate (Instrumental) - 2025
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