A new full-length release from Ghostride media is an absolutely massive and robust journey to different and vast places and adventures all built with layers of beautifully textured sound and woven into chapters to unravel.
Songs on The Epic album get intense as emotions build and sway, strings are orchestrated and add this huge and gorgeous layer of melodic overture to tracks, and vocals are used as instruments.
This album is striking and beautifully arranged as the sounds work off of each other to create these atmospheres that you end up seeing vividly around you as you listen and it's quite amazing that the notes, instruments, and music can create such a wonderful palette.
This album is like watching a film at its most intense moments, and at its most subtle at times.
This was strategically put together and done with attention to detail and great intricacies that make it all work so smoothly.
It's a bit of a masterpiece really and if you close your eyes, there are no limits to what you'll see throughout the course of this playthrough.
This was an outstanding display of patience and excellent songwriting. Being able to control and evoke emotion and energy with instrumentals is tough to do but this is perfect.
With the release of The Epic, we wanted to have a chat with the artist behind it so we can find out where his was all coming from when it was created.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with The Epic album. This record has a great cinematic feel to it and so many layers! Where did this album come from?
The idea for this album came after I composed the song” The Epic”. A few other songs followed and it occurred to me that all the songs had a similar theme – about fairytale creatures.
For example, The land of Fey (Tir Na Nog) refers to Irish mythology and the” Land of Youth” and is one of the names for the Celtic Otherworld.
The song” The Siren calls to me” obviously refers to Mermaids or Sirens, who would lure sailors to their Death by their Lovely singing. It is also a tribute to the human voice as an instrument.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Most would say that I’m influenced by soundtrack Composers, and that is probably right to an extent.
But I would say that I’m drawing inspiration from Thomas Bergersen, Two Steps from Hell, Audiomachine, Ivàn Torrent, Johan Söderqvist and similar artists. However, I keep returning to my love for metal and rock. RAG: So how did this all begin for you really? When did you fall in love with making music?
I’ve Always had an ear for Music. I guess it’s a talent I was born with, which I’m grateful for. I got my first keyboard when I was 7 years old, started playing the drums by 12 and learned guitar at 16 years old.
I realized when I was about 18 years old, that when I wasn’t listening to Music, new music would pop up in my head.
So, in a way my brain is creating Music when not doing anything else. However, I never really composed anything until I was 43 years old.
RAG: What's next for you as an artist?
The next song! It’s always about the next song. Even if I sometimes take a break from a song and write Another song, it’s about what comes next.
RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
It differs from song to song.
Sometimes there is something that has happened to me or someone else, that inspires me. It might be something that I need to vent, and I do that with my Music.
For example, I met this young woman of 24 years old with two sons, who had cancer and was determined to fight it to the end, which she did. That resulted in the song” Lady Sievert”.
Other times, songs, hooks or riffs just pop up in my head, and then I need to get to my studio to capture that idea before I forget it.
Also, just because an idea of a song pops up in my head doesn’t mean it’s done. I might have an outline of a song around lunchtime, but it won’t be ready until a month has gone.
RAG: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I work full time as an Ambulance medic in the North of Sweden.
RAG: Who are you listening to right now?
Actually, I’m listening to some rock songs, like Ac-Dc, Bryan Adams and such, for a gig with a cover band I’m in.
RAG: Are you doing live performances?
Not with my Music. Not that I wouldn’t like to, but my Music isn’t really something you would play in bars or pubs.
And getting a Symphonic Orchestra together would be awesome, but somewhat hard and/or expensive.
But it’s totally doable, and I’m not saying no… just not yet!
RAG: This album seems like a big undertaking. What kind of advice might you have for other up and coming artists out there?
I have one rule to rule them all!
K I S S – Keep It Simple Stupid! It’s better to do something quite simple really well, then to reach too high and fail. So many of my songs might sound really complicated, but they all have quite simple melodies and chord progressions.
Sometimes they might be in a weird time-signature like 6/4 with a 5/4 thrown in. But it is still a quite simple song.
What I do however is to make the songs build as they go and do subtle changes, so they won’t be boring.
I mean the song” the Epic” is 6:54, so there needs to be variation whitin the song.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Well,” Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!” obviously. But also, stay tuned, more is coming!
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