Being “rather important” players in the music media biz, it will not shock many to know that the Tiny Mix Tapes staffers gets up to all sorts of wild and rascally things…even on a school night. Whether it’s night swimming less than thirty minutes after eating or brazenly flaunting our tighty-whities at a post-Labor Day celeb-soirée, there is simply no stopping us mischief-makers when we’ve got our rebellion on! Why, just last night, resisting the urge to order a hundred pizzas to the White House (oh my! can you imagine?!?!) or hot foot it outside to leave a half eaten pie at my neighbors doorstep, this merry TMT prankster decided to stay in and quietly write up a thoughtful news story! (While that doesn’t “sound” too impish at first, let’s just say I took plenty of writing breaks to tent my fingers and twirl my imaginary curlicued mustache!)
Another “rather important” music-media guy who would be justified sporting a sly-boots smile of his own lately is the gifted pianist and composer Steve Gibbs. Besides being in constant demand for his inspiring film/television/stage production/ad campaign mood pieces, Gibbs has released his debut album and, not surprisingly, it is one full of epiphanic occasions. Adrift expands upon and updates his acclaimed 2014 EP (of the same name) and properly encapsulates his unique spin on modern classical and intelligent ambient, with songs of stark piano, electronic-embellished pieces, and lush cinematic sound composition.
But why should I wax un-poetically further when its creator has graciously given us an insightful track-by-track commentary of the album, complete with EXCLUSIVE VIDEO SNIPPETS? Adrift is available RIGHT NOW on 180-gram vinyl and download through the rebels at Injazero Records. Take it away, Steve, you scamp!
Steve Gibbs’ Adrift track-by-track breakdown:
01. Passion
“Passion” was an original score for Australian company, Energetiks and was directed by David Dang, who I have previously worked with on projects such as “Christ Air” and “Where am I.”
Our styles complement each other really well. With this project in particular, the ambient nature of the music mixed with the slow motion visuals help to highlight the fluidity of the dancer’s movement.
02. Evoke
I had the pleasure of working with the extremely talented fine art photographer Alexia Sinclair again, following her “A Frozen Tale” video. Evoke soundtracks the creation of Alexia’s artwork in “The Art of Saving a Life,” an initiative from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
I was blown away by how well received “Evoke” has been on SoundCloud. With over 400,000 plays it is by far the most popular track on my SoundCloud page.
03. Råklipp
“Råklipp” is an original score written for a short film by Norwegian filmmaker Håvard Fandrem, which translates to “Rough Cut.”
I felt that delicate solo piano would be the best way to add intimacy to the score and reflect the personal message being put across in the story. The track is built around arpeggiated patterns, that vary in complexity as the film progresses. As a result, the track ended up being much more rhythmical in its approach, than the layered, ambient nature of other tracks found on Adrift.
04. Patterns
I like to experiment by treating acoustic instruments electronically as a way of creating unique textures.
One such example of this can be heard throughout “Patterns.” To create the pad sound I sampled a small section of a piano chord as it was tailing off. I reversed and looped it to act as an ambient bed for the melody to be played over.
05. Low Light
As well as music, I also have a background in the visual side of creativity and see a lot of similarities between the two. I find that many of the processes involved in creating visuals are also present in music production. This is something I’ve tried to convey through song titles (“Low Light” and “Bokeh”).
I like to experiment with ways in which I can add character to my recordings. One such example is recording onto tape using my reel to reel, as a way to add warmth and age. This helps to move away from pristine digital recordings. The same applies to imagery, the noise from film grain and bokeh (intentional blurring) are both methods that can be used to help add life to an image.
“Low Light” was written around the same time I was working on In Passing, a collaborative release with American composer, Cyrus Reynolds.
06. Adrift
“Adrift” was one of those rare occasions where everything fell into place. As a result, the track came together fairly quickly with little editing. I feel this is to its benefit, sometimes ideas can take a lot of work to come across how you intended but can lose its initial impact in the process due to being overworked.
07. Seul
“Seul” was a track I began working on a few years ago. Through working with Injazero Records, it was the perfect opportunity to revisit the track and develop it with fresh ears.
08. Contention
“Contention” is the result of my first original score. Written for a documentary about a young female boxer hoping to represent Great Britain in the 2016 Olympic games.
The score came together very quickly, written and recorded over a weekend with the final version remaining relatively untouched after presenting the initial idea.
“Contention” went on to appear in projects for Alexia Sinclair’s A Frozen Tale,” selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and [for use in a] Zeal Optics [promotional video].
09. Bokeh
Adrift is a very piano-driven album. Guitars feature elsewhere but as ambient swell in the background. For “Bokeh,” they take the forefront. The instrumentation remains the same as other tracks on the album, but by changing their focus, it creates a different mood for the piece.
More about: Steve Gibbs
