'Tis the season for the creepy, macabre, and spiritual, as we approach the thinning of the veil between this world and others, from what is commonly thought of as the most haunted - or interpreted as unlucky - coincidences; as in coinciding, not happenstance. How could I resist a gothic-themed release between Friday the 13th and Halloween? The palindrome alone is delicious, and this is my favorite time of year. Not just the holiday, but autumn in general. Turning leaves and my favorite squashes, cooler sunny days and lots of rain, it would surprise me if this season isn't loved by everyone.
For a release with the haunting and atmospheric in mind, I decided a free-to-download EP of some of my most gothic material was in order, to help me get into the spirit of the season, and to be of assistance in everyone else's celebrating. It just so happens that a few of these tunes were previously brought together in a no-longer-available non-commercial EP called The Hypnotic Jamboree, which told the continuing tale of the Snail falling into a psychedelic underworld. It was brought there by the delving of the Dusk Devils where it met their king (or queen? It's a very androgynous figure) the Nocturnal Dervish, and waltzed with Lilith, the mother of all misfits.. Originally a four-track concept, other songs badgered me as I was selecting these tunes for a trial playlist, and I brought in the environment of "The Hallows," the horror show musically depicted by "Xenophobia," and that jerk who exists to snuff out candles, "Mr. Douter."
This just so happened to bring the track count up to seven, which works out to my favorite number and pays homage to the non-commercial EPs I used to release regularly before I came to the conclusion that I couldn't do this as a career on tips alone. However, I still like to make my music freely and widely available, so it's pretty much all on free streaming platforms, and I occasionally like to put out a free download such as this one. Of course, since my main bread-and-butter is from royalties and loyal Patreon patrons, tips are very much appreciated. Just be aware that purchases of this release will only have streaming available until the time I remove it on the 31st (maybe November 2nd; I haven't decided yet).
About the songs: the "Waltz"s are derivations from an old song called "Giger's Lullaby," inspired by the biomechanical gothic figures depicted in the works of H.R. Giger. Lilith happens to be one of those figures, and figures into my Snail Tales. "Waltz with Lilith (Claim)" is what I consider to be the definitive version of this tune, as it finally captures what I had in my head when I first started composing what turned into ten (afterward, eleven) incarnations. "The Last Waltz" is a remix of this version, with what I consider to be post-industrial trip-hop beats.
"They Delving 3.33" is also a later incarnation of one of my earliest tunes. "They Delving" started me on a path that leaned toward "industrial-piano" compositions, and it underwent five transformations before this, being the con palabras (with words) version of an industrial-metal mix. I intended "Delving" to depict oil drilling, then decided it was really about tunneling otherworldly creatures, later identified as the Dusk Devils. And what do they find? The otherworld which is presided over by the Nocturnal Dervish and Lilith.
The Dusk Devils have a self-titled theme song, an eerie piano ballad that also experienced later adjustments in a post-metal direction, eventually arriving at the "Nocturnal Dervish Mix," named so because I spent an entire very-manic night creating it. It became so popular that it overshadowed its source material, and "Dusk Devils (Nocturnal Dervish Mix)" became its own entity and had its name simplified to "The Nocturnal Dervish." It was easy to conclude that the figure of the Dervish was the Devils' monarch, discovered at the end of their tunnel.
"Xenophobia" was an easy fit. Intended to portray the creeps that people experience from encountering the different and unfamiliar, it was so darkly atmospheric that it also fit into the Snails' universe and Its encounter of Giger-esque figures, reminding me of Ripley's flight from the Xenomorph in the climax of Alien; except this time it's the Snail that experiences the horror.
"The Hallows" and "Mr. Douter (Sin Palabras)" simply struck me as belonging because of their shared gothic ambience. "The Hallows" can be interpreted as being named for a haunted and spiritual environment, while "Mr. Douter" - originally a song about my ex - is named for the archaic term for bell-shaped candle-snuffers. It's metaphorically a man whose soul purpose is to extinguish the flame within others. Definitely a haunting figure, if you consider it; I know he still haunts me.
The finishing touches on this release, to make it extra special presented as - though with a little less effort, on my part - an Artist's Edition. As such, it has macabre individual track art for each song that should be displayed on every able media player, and it is accompanied by a PDF booklet featuring Halloween-themed artwork. All of the artwork is by the extremely talented Jeremiah Morelli (http://morjers-art.de) who, once upon a time, gave me permission to use his art as long as it's for non-commercial purposes. Hopefully he remembers that, since it was about two years ago... Anyhow, at the least I want to steer people in his direction, and promote his beautiful creations. There are twelve pieces inhabited by jack-o-lanterns, black cats, ravens, and the like. I highly recommend downloading this release for the booklet, if nothing else.
But I really hope you enjoy the music. It my be comparatively old to my current work, but I'm still very proud of each song, and can only hope to match their over-brimming spirit and ambient qualities. Some of these haven't been available for free download before, or not since the days of the non-commercial EPs and compilations. I'm happy to put them out there for everyone to possess and listen to them at their leisure and, hopefully, pleasure.
Each song is also available for streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Microsoft Groove, and TIDAL: "Waltz with Lilith (Claim)" and "The Last Waltz" on the album Occultation; "They Delving 3.33," "The Hallows," and "Xenophobia" on the album Revolutions; "Mr. Douter (Sin Palabras)" on the EP Dissonance and the album Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; and "The Nocturnal Dervish" on a self-titled EP. They may be on other streaming platforms; look them up, and add them to your libraries or playlists, if you'd rather not download. However, the most direct way you can support me and my art, aside from Patreon, is to buy the songs, EPs, or album from me at my Snail Tunes store.
Okay, enough plugging. Download and enjoy!
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