Track 006 | Riverless | Solemn Slade

A dark and gritty track that builds to a fierce and thunderous climax

A dark and gritty track that builds to a fierce and thunderous climax. The ambulating piano figure, joined early on by a dual guitar part, never changes throughout this song other than in its register, like a hammer pounding an anvil harder and harder with each stroke. The synthesizers, like dogs sniveling at their cage doors trying to escape, finally find their release with the entrance of the drums. This song is like a river gradually meandering its way to a deadly waterfall. It broods, it punishes, it leaves the listener wondering, "Where am I?" If rivers lead to civilization, this one might just be the exception.

passing storm by Anthony Ball

This song was pure adventure for me, like hitting the road with no destination in mind, no schedule, and no path back home. I sat at the piano one afternoon with the assignment to write and record three songs - start to finish. I took a minute to fish around for the nugget of an idea and then recorded three takes. Done. Next one.

That’s where the piano part for this song came from.¹ It’s very simple. No melody really, just a chord groove that builds and then ends. I liked it but thought it was child’s play. Until I started playing around with it.

I had two goals: to find a use for the Fender Stratocaster I had recently won in a raffle and to allow room in my creative process for “happy accidents.”² In general, I’ve been trying to rely more on my intuitions rather than my analytical mind when creating things, kind of like the way a child approaches creativity: have fun, be open to everything, and have no mind for whether something marketable comes out at the other end.

This song, from start to finish, was that. And, fortunately, in this instance, something marketable did come out at the other end. The huge synths, the epic drum fills, that metal-on-metal background sound the enters about halfway through, the layered guitars, the delay effects - all of it, at every step, was a surprise to me. And I’m so proud of what it became, something I know my child self would have absolutely loved.

So, my encouragement to you: turn this one up LOUD (and listen on headphones if you can)!

As always, thanks for paying attention.

Stems

The stems for this one are really cool.

Ambience with Percussion

Ambience without Percussion

Piano Only

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Videos

Sheet Music

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1. My song, Taking Flight, came from this same writing-recording session. Crazy how productive that one day was.

2. Just like Bob Ross