‘Stranger Days’ was originally intended to be straightforward compilation, but it evolved into a journey; a journey through sound and styles reflecting the luminaries of the electronic music genre whose music I have loved since the early 1970’s and whose influences have shaped my music since I recorded my first album in 1989.
As a result, it includes new and previously unreleased music alongside re-recordings of a handful of tracks. So ‘Stranger Days’ is a retrospective in terms of influences and styles and has been a labour of love, taking 18 months to complete. It incorporates music from live performances, studio sessions (in some instances overlooked and forgotten!) and reworked tracks and remixes.
It also includes collaborations with and input from friends and musical colleagues whose influences have helped evolve and mature my musical output over the years. I hope that they feel as enriched by the process as I have been.
Stranger Days also marks a change for me, a shift if you will, into possible new directions. What will those directions be and where will they take me? I have no idea…but I do know I still have more to say…and so I will continue to produce my vision of electronic music, wherever that takes me.
Recorded in 2018 specifically as the opening track for the ‘Stranger Days’ album. I wanted to start this album differently, and a more ‘contemplative’ piece seemed appropriate.1.2 ReConnected (7:36) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
Originally on the 2012 album ‘Connected’, this was a track I always felt could be “stronger” and it was nice to have the opportunity to revisit the track. It’s now bigger, tighter and more thematic than the original and was an iTunes single earlier in 2018.
1.3 Beyond Glass Mountains (featuring Carys) (5:20) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright. Vocals by Carys
A popular track from my 1993 Ocean Watch album, this entirely new arrangement is based on the impromptu live performance at the 2017 Schwingenhaun Garden Party concert with beautiful vocal textures by Carys. As a footnote, that concert was recorded and filmed in its entirety and will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2019.
1.4 Walking With Ghosts Fantasy (7:00) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
One of my most popular works and a favourite at concerts, this is a studio version of the very different and somewhat darker 2017 concert arrangement.
1.5 Krystal Halls (with Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock) (6:28) Composed and performed by David Wright and Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Arranged and produced by David Wright
Klaus and I recorded this piece sometime between 2011 and 2013. I remember doing the rhythm, sequences and synth parts as a bed for his wonderful guitar work. We had intended to evolve the music more and discussed it just two weeks before his untimely death in October 2017. Klaus was a wonderful human being and a great musical talent, I miss him greatly and so enjoyed my time with him both musically and socially. There is also a version of this track performed by Code Indigo in 2017 as a tribute to Klaus, and that version can be found on the E-Scape 2018 CD.
1.6 Always Tomorrow (4:38) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
A very romantic track written and recorded in a day in 2016 – it has an old fashioned feel, is short and sweet and gets right to the point. There is another version with Carys’s vocals that we’re working on for future release.
1.7 Once Upon A Dream (6:18) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
An idea from 2015 finished this year for the Stranger Days album, one of those ‘feel good’ EM pieces that just came together quickly and without effort. No prizes for guessing the influences here!
1.8-14 Stranger Days (Parts 1-7) (35:16) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
This epic track has evolved since I first started writing it in 2014. Sections of it have been performed live on several occasions. I wanted to create an epic journey and it has evolved into something I’m particularly proud of; the flow, the themes and the numerous moods and styles – I even injected humour at one point. I finally completed it early in 2018. As a footnote, the original 15 minute musical idea was to have been on the 2017 ‘Prophecy’ album before ‘Prophecy’ became the collaboration with Carys. Another (much shorter) version was performed with Robert Fox at an E-Scape concert in 2015.
2.1 Rysheara (6:42) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
One of my most commercially successful tracks and written originally in 1995 to win a bet that I could write a ‘commercial’ 3:30 track. This 2018 version is taken from a 2012 live performance featuring stunning guitar by Lee Morant and has been arranged to be more in keeping with the feel of the original.
2.2 Call to Me (with Carys) 2018 remix (8:42) Music composed by David Wright, lyrics by Carys. Performed, arranged and produced by David Wright. Vocals by Carys.
I’m much happier with this version of ‘Call to Me’, than the original version on Beyond the Airwaves Vol 2. A remixed version also appeared as an iTunes single and video. One of the rare occasions where I just wasn’t happy with the original mix and feel of the song and was desperate to rework it – having already reworked the track for the iTunes single, perfecting it for Stranger Days was logical. It really does defy categorisation! The idea for the track originally came from one of Carys’s songs ‘No Surrender’. I loved the lyrics and so we recreated the song, giving it a totally new emphases and identity, expanding it into a jazz chill-out style song. As a footnote, check out Carys’s solo album ‘A Different Kind Of Normal’. If you like folk/rock/prog rock influenced music with imaginative and clever songs (by Carys) – you’ll love ‘A Different Kind Of Normal’. I also produced the album, arranged strings etc and played and programmed synths and sequences.
This is the 4th remix by Dave Massey (there are 3 other versions on the Walking with Ghosts Remix EP released in 2018). I always felt this to be the strongest remix version.
This track was originally something I wrote for the Code Indigo Meltdown album. I reworked it with Dave Massey for a proposed chill out project that didn’t materialise. Carys added lyrics and we performed a version at a 2017 Norway concert. This is a new ambient EM version. Carys also includes another version in her solo concerts. As a footnote, there are several quite different Code Indigo versions, including an epic 18 minute version that will hopefully appear on a final Code Indigo release.
2.5 Harmonic Heaven (13:54) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
This is from an idea originally conceived in 2016 from a studio jam – unashamed slowly evolving EM. Completed in May 2018 for Stranger Days.
2.6 & 7 Light Source (Parts 1 and 2) (10:52) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
From studio sessions in 2016 and 2017, this is one of those tracks that had very little post production work done on it, the music just flowed and worked as played. An unashamed tribute to the late Edgar Froese.
2.8 Colours of the Night (2018 version) (4:40) Composed, performed, arranged and produced by David Wright
The original version of this track can be found on the 1991 CD Marilynmba and is a very popular track, and was one of the first tracks I re-recorded for the original compilation album idea in 2017. Dedicated to Jinny
2.9-12 The Forgotten Symphony (Movements 1-4) (21:19) Composed and performed by David Wright and Robert Fox. Additional music performed by David Wright. Arranged and produced by David Wright
A strange one this…Robert Fox and I recorded an idea, probably circa 2012. Bob played some piano parts and we played around with some strings ideas and promptly forgot all about it! I ‘found’ it again in 2017 and thought “Hey, there’s something good here” and pondered at length why didn’t we pursue it. Probably because of Bob’s ill health and the many other projects I was working on at the time. But glad I rediscovered this because it ventures into territory I’d love to explore more and I think it shows what Bob and I could bring out of each other musically. So I edited the ideas into 4 movements and added additional strings and effects to expand the themes, plus adding moog sequence to the opening section and rhythms to the final movement. It has the feel of being ‘Not quite finished’, which while being more accident than design, is a feel Bob and I really like, and I hope you do to.