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by theStark

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Tuukka Junnikkala
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Tuukka Junnikkala A collection of previously unreleased compositions that, despite consisting of pieces composed individually, work surprisingly well together as a whole. Combining electronic sounds and chamber music instrumentation, //// is largely deep and dark in tone, consisting of both rhythmic and harmonic elements that carry the at times reasonably complex music.

Since this is being offered without a required minimum purchase price the album is certainly worth at least a brief spin. Favorite track: Byzantium.
itsraininginPDX
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Blotto Drescher
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theStark
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nuri
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Xuan
Xuan thumbnail
Wim Looman
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adam lycett
adam lycett thumbnail
秋季
秋季 thumbnail
Sukerah
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Charles VonHemmerling
Charles VonHemmerling thumbnail
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1.
Deserted 04:28
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2.
Byzantium 07:12
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3.
Tribunal 04:18
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4.
Soliloquy 02:48
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5.
Sumba Child 02:46
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6.
The Unremembered 03:39
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7.
The Deepening 03:08
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8.
The Moonlight Darkly 05:20
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9.
Variation On Boléro 05:42
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10.
The Complex Ending 04:33
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about

It was late in the night when I realized that something was amiss. Like there was something I had forgotten. Something misplaced. In all honestly, I have far too much music which no one has ever heard. But I'm my own worst critic, so I hold off putting music out there until it's done, baked, cooked to perfection, and rested appropriately.

This is that kind of collection of compositions. Most of this was written and recorded between 2006 and 2010 with little bits of work done here and there up through the last minutes of this release. This work represents the work that couldn't be done in the other projects I was involved in at the time. Not quite right for the brevity rock and roll songs, and not quite right for the music of theater productions.

Deeply expressive, darkly contemplative, roughly exploratory these compositions reflect my continuing interest in creating music for unexpressed emotional moments. I tend to write for my own minds-eye. I find that during the process I often get hung up on little details. Does a high hat rhythm play off of the other percussive elements in just the right way? Do the tenor and bass elements compliment each other in interesting and unexpected ways? Is there a fullness and richness to the piece overall? I've done my best here to put these elements together in comprehensively complex ways while remaining true to my own ear. I will put a clean element together with a distorted one to yield something new. Then, I will add a counterpoint to that so that the ear hears harmonics that really didn't exist otherwise.

I'd like to think this is the kind of music my mother would have enjoyed. When I was about 9 years old in 1978, we lived in NW PDX where she had a little 1-room basement art studio. I was there with her, drawing or helping her with her screen printing when I noticed a couple of really interesting looking LPs by her record player. Much later, these 2 albums would help define my own music: Jean Michelle Jarre's "Oxygène" and "Équinoxe" — the cover art was fascinating and the music was so completely compelling for me. I still listen to them 34 years later. Back then I remember playing them every time I could. Sometimes asking her if I could just go into the studio when she wasn't working so that I could. I played them repeatedly. At one point, I remember my mother told me that Mr. Jarre was going to be at Music Millennium. I got really excited to meet him. We took both albums to the store, waited in line, until I could ask him to sign them, which he did. With a look of charmed fascination he asked me something along the lines of "Are these yours? Do you enjoy this music?" (I remember having a hard time understanding his thick French accent) I'm pretty sure I said something like: "they are my favorites, I love them." I don't have those signed albums anymore. No idea where they went, but I cherish these gifts of moment my mother gave to me during her short time on this pale blue dot, and now that I'm older, I understand how Jean Michelle might have felt about an awkward little kid asking for an autograph.

Originally, when I started to put this collection together, there were more tracks, but in listening to them retrospectively— something wasn't quite right with the ones that didn't make the cut. They felt out of place somehow. This grouping feels right, so I've put it out now.

About the art:
This interestingly weathered object was on the side of a dam my wife and I encountered over a gloomy overcast weekend exploring in southern Oregon around where we were staying at a friend's cabin. I've long been fascinated with this simple form of photography. Taking simple straight on shots of objects that sit squarely in frame. I love these sort of man made things. In another place this could be a puzzle game or locking mechanism. Juiced up in Snapseed and finished out in Photoshop.

Special thanks to my family for everything. Thanks to my friends for putting up with me.

Also a shout out to the TOG members in EVEonline.com. Thank you for your continued and enthusiastic support! You can thank Petrified for this release.

I hope you enjoy this music.

credits

released July 13, 2013

 
Conceived, composed, performed, written, recorded, produced, and engineered by Damon Law.

Track 3, "Tribunal" is dedicated to my dear friend Ronabell, for his birthday. This one's for you old man.

Track 8, "The Moonlight Darkly" is based Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, "the Moonlight Sonata"

Track No. 9 "Variation on Boléro" is just that. Based on Maurice Ravel's Boléro— to be honest, I really hate Ravel's Boléro. It's a god awful, long-winded, uninspired arpeggio that grates on me every time I hear it. I created this piece to purge the memory of the original from my mind.

Photography and Graphic Design by Damon Law.

© 2013. All rights reserved.

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theStark Portland, Oregon

Music for misanthropes, movies, and malcontents. Award-winning, independently educated composer from Portland, Oregon, theStark (Damon Law) has been writing music for over 20 years. Damon creates music for theater, film, industrial and commercial release. ... more

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