My track 'Panoramic' was released almost exactly a year today!
It was the title track for my four part E.P that came out on Symmetry Recordings and to date is still one of my favoured pieces from my back catalogue.
It was hosted on Soundcloud by the mighty UKF Drum & Bass page and is currently sitting at almost 70,000 plays!
You can check it here
When I was writing 'Panoramic', I wanted to conjure imagery of a dark yet ethereal place, beyond the reality which we all know.
I didn't want to just write just another D&B track; I wanted to create a space where the listener could lose their sense of reality for five minutes. After all, isn't that the sole purpose of music? to take us away and be without thought and form for a while.
This concept ties in with my meditative studies and practice. Getting lost in music is not dissimilar to meditation. It is a halting of the constant noise of the Mind and reaching a state of 'No-Mind' as the Buddhists call it.
This ultimately leads to that state inexplicable state of Inner Peace and present moment Being that you have all likely felt for a fleeting moment.
'Panoramic' is double edged sword. It combines a deeply atmospheric texture with driving drums and a weighty sub-bass. It sounds great on a large club sound-system! I play it every time I DJ and the crowd always responds with an incredible reaction.
I mixed the track to create a wide, panoramic image when played on a Stereo sound system or through good headphones. I wanted certain elements to jump around the Stereo image and further contribute to further immerse and sedate the listener.
I recorded a number of instruments for this composition. These included my Rhodes electric piano, a heavily effected Fender Stratocaster running through plethora of effects pedals and a Lapsteel. The Lapsteel was a totally alien instrument to me, but this only made me hungrier to learn and work out the best recording technique! I feel the long, sweeping bends add a beautifully haunting quality to the track and complete the composition.
'Panoramic' is a diverse piece of music and it can be used to satisfy a number of different applications. Whether you want to meditate, exercise or loose yourself in a club, 'Panoramic' was made for you, the listener.
Let me know where it takes you,
Big Love
Jack