Soundcapes - A reflection

Narrated by Almark

Music video, video production and editing - Almark

A personal reflection on how we are lacking connection with others to find our music in a digital sea of noise. The video also includes a personal walk down memory lane how the music makes me feel personally. I hope you enjoy this journey.

Songs include -
Blown Glass - "Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form"
Wow-and-Flutter - ATD -
'Aura' - The Scheme Of Things
Oracle - The Scheme of Things
Budgie - Opposite end of the Poles
Afterglow - Opposite end of the Poles

Elcaro - Restructured version of Oracle.

(c) 2025
SynthoElectro Records

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Presenting the full album of Speeders and Circuit Boards

CRT

It all takes me back thinking about the past and how this music got started. I was alone, in a dark apt with my old Packard Bell 75 MHZ computer and computer software. I started on tracker programs and made many hours of music with that computer. It's time to tell the story, dark foreboding or unique, heavy beats and EBM revisiting. Showing music the way I create it, not the way It should be made. I didn't learn how to make electronic music from tutorials, but felt my way through the experience. CRT is that story, not just a story but a journey of 17 years of doing electronic music.

The progressions over the years have gone from the minimal to the extreme. CRT will be another 3 letter wording that means more to my music process. The journey backwards and coming back to my roots instead of continuing where I am now. It will be an album that has gathered information over the years, from album to album and single to single. The constant flux of ideas and now placing myself back in that apt again. I'll be using the very software I was during those days. Fasttracker II, a DOS program that is still used even this day by some musicians, will be my only tool. There is something about that old interpolation sound that runs deep in the 16 BIT realm of music making. A process that I'm not sure where it will take me, and in that process I'll have some songs that were never released during those times of using tracker software.

I could always use Renoise but I want to re-experience the memory of what it felt like to make electronic music for the first time. I released a few years ago an album called Millennium Rewind, and it has many of those first songs from 1998 - 2000. It is quite fitting to do this and I've been searching for weeks on where to go next. This is the door that I'm opening and willing to take to find myself again musically. More on that later.

The music changes

It started around Feb 2017, when I began writing another batch of material. After the long writing process of a studio album 'The Scheme of Things' I found new music being developed. This year is a completely different mindset on these songs. Different life, and no stress. Though various feelings and emotional troubles did get these songs started. Budgie came first, then Pinholes, Constellations, and finally travel. All of these songs are a balance between one another, as I'm moving into a more ambient-like progression. Cinematic is still taking a big part in the sound through. Budgie brings to life the sounds of the jungle, like listening to some Discovery channel nature show. Coming next was Pinholes, a very different approach from all pieces came forward, fragmented music, strange reverse like sounds. Then I released Constellations, which is the reverse of Pinholes. Around April I released Travel. The intent was completely separate from the other 3, using a real track of riding on a train, coupled with ambient-like over-tones and melodies, droning throughout, flowing with the natural rhythm of the clack of the tracks. Soon to begin other material such as Afterglow, Slope, Protection and North. These all mean something symbolically. Until next time.

Contellations

Pinholes

Budgie

New season, new music.

With each season, new music is written and this year starts off with two so far. To continue in the tradition that I have come to enjoy, more material is yet to come. These start off with Budgie and Pinholes. Cinematic electronic music has become a real love for me as far as music creation is concerned. It's back to using raw sampling again to create new textures. Finding that timbre of sound and otherworldly element is what brings me deeper into the creative process. Jumping headlong into what sounds good emotionally is what I always enjoy doing. When you have a small audience, you need not try to please anyone but yourself. It's good to have so few who listen, but those who do listen, understand the depth of what is happening with these albums. Pinholes is a strange single that displays no malice to sound, but its dream-like reverse melody makes the song come to life as it continues to evolve up to the end of its fade out. Budgie puts you right in the jungle with its film-like motion. It's akin to past singles such as Wow-and-Flutter, but more flighty in motion, much like the bird sounds toward the end. I plan to continue down this new pathway of sound and more singles will indeed be coming forth, one such is slope. Until next time.

Song writing in Electronic form.

Being a song writer is part of the joy of making music. Before I began with electronic music, I was writing guitar music in the early 90s. Over the years a shift has occurred from album to album. 'The Scheme of Things' moved into the song writing element more than before. -ATD- was the approach of 'can I make a themed album that was influenced by the 80s and soundtracks. But with 'The Scheme of Things' it was an entirely different approach. "Let's see where this takes me", I said. Each song is crafted to compliment the next. I believe that song writing in Electronic form allows for an organic way of doing things. It's much like how the greatest of songs were written in the 70s and 80s. They put their entire soul into doing things in the studio. People have come to appreciate this style of music I release. To continue down that same path is only to make the next work more fulfilling. These days I no longer have a past endeavor that took nearly 2 years to do on my shoulders. I can breathe easy and let the music take me places. This song writing style has developed over the years and one song from 'The Scheme of Things' in particular would be 'Aura' that takes me there. There is some kind of R&B flavor happening here, perhaps it is due to what I grew up to, Hall and Oates, Soul music and now those things are once again coming back as childhood influences. Electronic music doesn't have to be 'cut and dry' it can be organic and it needs to be a free spirit, otherwise it cannot move into new progressions. The latest work in development is finding its way into the experimental realm/progressive mode. It appears that a new single is underway, and we're going back to the time of -ATD- motifs and moods.

'The Scheme of Things' released Dec 2 2016

http://synthoelectro.com/product/the-scheme-of-things/

The Scheme of Things and Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form

It started in 2013 when I first created the album Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form; it was the beginning of my journey into the avant-garde, yet this type of music had structure and atmosphere buried deep in the experimental. After years of creating other electronic albums and ideas, based on EBM, Industrial and experimental, I had discovered something I wasn't expecting. 'Documentaries' is an album that is very different from everything before it. The year 2013 was a time for me to create many live type albums and 'Documentaries' was created on the fly. Going forward without thinking of the consequences is what made the album so dynamic and interesting. Blown Glass is the beginning of the album, even through there are songs before it. It's as if the curtain is open and the story begins.

This leads into Plane Ride to London, a jazz-type keyboard anomaly, formed adlib and transitions into an explosive emotional mind trip toward the end. Much of 'Documentaries' felt as if I was headed in a musical direction that meant something to the artist, more than the listener. It's like a strange canvas I had secretly been seeking for years, since 1998. When the artist comes to their peak of musical understanding and purpose, then it's best to go forward and see how far the rabbit hole really goes. During the time of  'Documentaries' I was working on another album but from 2012, slowly pushing it through 2013 past the other live ideas and albums. -ATD- came from an entirely different idea of re-visiting my childhood at the age of 6: first hearing synth pop music and other electronic tunes, movies, soundtracks from film, synth progressions, and even avant-garde. -ATD- was nothing like 'Documentaries' but after I ended and released that album I started another after a long break, 'The Scheme of Things'. 'The Scheme of Things' started with the song Oracle, around Nov 2014 and continues down the same rabbit hole as Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form. I wanted to continue down that rabbit hole because I knew there was more to discover, and I was hooked to the idea that it went deeper. Indeed it has gone deeper and continues. The element and vibe of both albums, 'Documentaries' and 'The Scheme of Things, could be listened to back to back upon completion.

Going forward from -ATD- into another -ATD- type album was not the idea, and that idea was a one time motivation for the simple sake of bringing ideas from my childhood in analog and digital form, or through the ears of a child, and miraculously remembering those vibes at a later age. -ATD- was meant to be one story and theme, not to be intentionally re-created, a portrait of its own. While -ATD- and 'The Scheme of Things' both sound different, there are elements in the albums that have some similarities. But if someone were to say, "Why didn't you continue from the sound of -ATD-" I would say, "I never got to continue from 'Documentaries'", as this was important to my journey into continuing territories of unknown music places. Indeed it has evolved from such longing and 'The Scheme of Things' is coming to a close finally after 2 years. I may even continue down the same rabbit hole as I have found something that completely fulfills my hearing but mostly my soul. There is something nearly sacred about this journey into the "deeper' experimental electronic, one that is my journey and mine alone. I continue forward... Into the 'The Scheme of Things'

The Sun was once Yellow

'Aura' video is here.

'Aura' from Almark (SynthoElectro) on Vimeo.

Progress of 'The Scheme of Things'

It's been a long journey to the end of this album but it's been worth it. Unlike ATD, 'The Scheme of Things' has been a much slower process, never in a hurry to write more music. The simple transition from its beginning to its completion is part of the memorable experience. Starting after ATD in 2014 and ending 2016. I'm very pleased to be 70% done with it, 3 nearly complete songs are being written at this time. To include much like ATD at least 13 songs, along with bonus tracks, and then videos accompanying such songs as U-235, 'Aura', The Sun was once Yellow, and others if at all possible.  What started in summer, will end in summer.

Similar Occurrences LIVE version

Almark - Similar Occurences (c) 2001 from Almark (SynthoElectro) on Vimeo.

A musicial pathway

A journey from one unique medium to the next has always been my method of music writing. I started writing ‘The Scheme of Things’ around Sept of 2014, a rest period after finishing  ATD in Apr of that year. This burst of inspiration began with Oracle during that time and released in 2014. Oracle being the pinnacle of ‘The Scheme of Things’ and coming back to youthful feelings, memories and emotions exploding on the screen as the video to the song displays, allowed its theme to continue. A full of life representation of what it means to write music from the heart. Could it have been any more perfect? Much like music before -ATD- I once found this pathway through Thought Patterns in ‘Documentary’ Form. Re-visiting for a moment a track from that title Blown Glass, where the warmth of sunshine and natural feelings explodes in full emotional array once again, creating unexplainable feelings that sink so deep, one is not able to contain themselves. Taking this same journey and longing to continue where I left off from the album Documentaries, The Scheme of Things brings me to another plain of musical existence. A place so pure and delicate that it’s like the fabric of space and time have stopped and placed me in a realm of warmth, and subduing the very reality that we live in. This is how music moves me, how it places me into worlds I cannot explain through words. It appears that this album has somehow forged two worlds together to create a genesis or something new. Leading into the music itself with depth such as U-235 A-Test, Oracle, Parashoots and its latest ‘Aura’ each song and memory come to life through not the creation from using instruments themselves but through the writing in the mind. An album that has been created from thinking alone, dreaming, sleeping and REM sleep. It must be possible that this album is coming from another place other than the normal side of Electronic music creation. The Scheme of Things is song writing itself and cannot or does not feel traditional to Electronic music. The form and void and shapeless method on this album is nothing like others before it. Each song has to be delivered in such a manner that it touches the deepest parts of me. And like every song and album, every song sounds different from the last. The album is at its midday and It does bring a little sadness to me knowing that before too long and as summer ends, I know this album will come to its completion. Much like other songs that will appear on it, such as The Sun was once yellow and Color Blue and many others. This has been a long and graceful journey through the memories of childhood, life experiences and life itself are coming from this album. It is like nothing I have ever created before and it will be the most memorable album I have done to date. I will feel almost alone once it is done but I will feel fulfilled upon knowing it has been released to the world.

Past and future work planned.

More time has been given me lately and I've been utilizing that time to prepare for future works.

These include:

1. Finishing new album 'The Scheme of Things' by Summer 2016
2. Re-mastering -ATD- and hoping to get it on vinyl and CD eventually.
3. Complete First worked re-worked (this has been set aside for 3 years)
4. Release an unmixed Internet album I did in 2013 (The Tron Show)
5. Do a Internet show called 3.1459
6. Create yet another live show Counterparts to "Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form"
7. Begin setup on Recompiling Matrices, the squeal to The Crunching Matrices 
8. Create new videos to excerpts of The Crunching Matrices
9. Finish the setup for The Vibes show and play it live online as well.
10. Create and release videos to 'Aura' IC, Tape Head, U-235
11. Finally do the -ATD- (live) show. 
12. Distant plans on 'The Scheme of Things' live show.

There are other things lurking in the future, I'm sure I'll begin working toward them as well.

My path is clear now and it's just a matter of doing these things.

'Aura'

'Aura'

'Aura' is a warm song, it's nothing like anything I've written before. It's one of a kind and different. With that difference I work even longer on it. Everything must be right before release. As I've said in the past, the music must first touch me before it touches others. I think I'm confident enough with this. Unlike Oracle, 'Aura' takes you to another part of sound. This album 'The Scheme of Things' is moving further down the rabbit hole of "Thought Patterns in 'Documentary' Form" While Documentaries was released in 2013, then -ATD- (2014) 'The Scheme of Things' is simply continuing on in the mode of Documentaries. The abstract ideas and emotional balance between both albums may appear similar but that's only because this realm was never entirely explored. The sudden jump to -ATD- after a good many live shows played over the Internet in 2013 allowed me to choose what I felt most beneficial to its sound. -ATD- was something altogether different. Now 'The Scheme of Things' is full of emotion once again just like Documentaries. This album hits on feelings that I have wanted to come out since its release. It's a summer album, entirely so, it's warm sounding. The goal is to release it in the summer. Goals are important to keep us going and keep us busy. This is a special album to me, more so than -ATD- ever could be. I believe that some of the songs coming from this album are continuing also in the spirit of Wow-and-Flutter and Tape Head. Perhaps they are distant siblings. the answers will not come until the album has been released to the world.