Q: This is an eclectic and immersive instrumental album. What was your creative journey in making “Sympathetic Waveforms?”
STRATAFIELD: I am genuinely driven to compose music and extensive chord progressions that tell a musical story. There is a muse inside of me that insists on this. For instance, when I try to learn and play other people’s music, I get sidetracked easily and usually end up formulating my own progressions. It’s kinda selfish but I can’t stop myself. It’s much more fun and fulfilling for me to compose original music. If I’m going to play music I want to have fun and composing is particularly rewarding for me. Further, since it’s new and inventive it can’t be compared to how the song was played by someone else – no one else ever played this chord progression! I try and create music that isn’t bounded by existing genres and has a good structure with a wee bit of dissonance in it to give the music a bit of an edge, but not so much that it sounds distasteful.
Q: Do you have a typical process when crafting each song (for example, always starting with the same instrument)? Or does each track come about in a unique way?
STRATAFIELD: Yes, I start each piece by composing a chord progression on my 1957 Gibson acoustic guitar. This guitar has a really warm, rich and beautiful resonate sound that is inspirational to me. For each song I start with some cool sounding 3-5 chord progression, then build on that. Most of my songs end up with ~30 different chords that make up the progression. The chords must have a rich and unique sound to them and must fit together in a way where they reveal some previously hidden mystery or micro world and almost open up a portal where the chords carve out their own reality and become their own entity. The chords speak to me and then the muse inside me eggs me on to work and find which chords I should play next. Although I have to work to find the right chords, my muse tells me when I find the right ones.
Then, once I’ve nailed down the best arrangement of the chord progression, I record the progression using my acoustic guitar into a digital audio workstation (DAW) software (we use Ableton) using a mic. Next, working with a talented pianist and recording engineer named Christian Poole, we transpose the chords from the guitar into the DAW system where we can then choose whatever sounds we want to play the progression using a keyboard to accompany the guitar. The keyboard doesn’t play the exact same chords, but variations and harmonizing chords and uses notes within these chords for the melodies. Next, we layer various rhythm tracks and transition effects – all based on my vision.
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
STRATAFIELD: I do endeavor to create unique music. Notice that none of my compositions are blues oriented or follow commonly used chord progressions. My music falls probably best into the genre known as folktronica.
Not something I’m proud of, but I am a completely self-taught musician, so some of the chords that I play I don’t really know exactly what they are and many times they are “non-standard” and odd chords. I just play what I think sounds cool. 😊 My partner Christian, who is a degreed and excellent musician, will tell me what I’m playing. My objective is to create something unique enough so that it sounds fresh and interesting and pulls the listener into another world, but not so different that it sounds unpleasant.
Q: What has been one of the highlights of your music career so far?
STRATAFIELD: Seeing my songs come into fruition from a mere musical thought into a mastered track that is heard around the world. Sympathetic Waveforms has been reviewed positively in 7 languages!
Q: What is your personal favorite on the album and why?
STRATAFIELD: I love all my songs! LOL… I do like how Elysian Fields came out. It has more of a celebratory sound with a unique and infectious vibe and the song has a good structure to it with a clear intro, middle and end.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
STRATAFIELD: Time allowing – I do have a busy day job managing software development projects to pay the bills. But I am working on two new compositions right now. I have really been encouraged by the positive feedback I’ve received for my Sympathetic Waveforms album, which has given me wind in my sails to keep composing.
One of the tracks on the album, “Army Ant”, which has not been as popular (but I like a lot), I have a crystal clear vision of a choreographed video I’m trying to make for it. The song is a soundtrack to the daily adventures and activities of an ant who lives by some railroad tracks. At the latter part of the song, he goes back down into his home and joins in a dance with his ant brothers and sisters forming concentric circles around their queen.
FOLLOW STRATAFIELD:
