ALBUM MUSIC INTERVIEW
I recently had my album, Astronomia, reviewed and presented by OWMR on an album show featuring three of my songs from it. I also had an interview done discussing briefly an overview of the album plus some interesting back stories behind each song. The interview is available below for your reading pleasure.
Album Show introduced by Chrissie
Welcome to the album show here on One World Music Radio with me Chrissie Sheppard, where I’m talking to Arrizza about his latest album Astronomia… Hi, would you like to give the listeners an overview of the album?
Astronomia is the culmination of two years of new musical material since the release of my first New Age/Electronic album, Electronic Dreams, back in 2020. It is my second attempt at composing an album in this eclectic style since branching off and experimenting with more synth and keyboard-oriented music as opposed to the typical Spanish guitar fanfare that I am known for. It's an album that is near and close to my heart, being an avid lover of space & astronomy, a music project I am quite content of. The project had started off as a few unrelated pieces that gradually came together with similar themes and became a concept album that was inspired by the stars. The final result of the album came to fruition when one day my cousin Bianca Mazari, a very talented graphic and visual artist from Canada, posted this artwork on Instagram one day that caught my attention. It was a very cool graphic of a lone astronaut resting on a hill overlooking an alien otherworldly landscape. I thought it was perfect for the album cover and so with her permission, I used it for my album and the rest, as they say, is history!
So would you now like to select just 3 tracks from the album and tell us the stories behind the music? (Please talk about each one separately)
Constellation - This piece was the first one I had composed for the album that came to me rather quickly. It was inspired by my favorite constellation, the Orion constellation, which has captured my imagination ever since I saw it for the first time. It is also a tribute to all things space, evoking images of space and space travel, exploration and discovery. While composing, I had wanted to create a vibe that was at once spacey and energetic which I feel I captured on this recording. I used a blend of synths, keyboards and piano to achieve the cosmic sonic landscape, an intertwine of two sounds that come together nicely in harmony, with a synthesized repetitive sequence line in the background that drives the piece without being overwhelming.
Space Surfing - This piece was a fun one to compose. I love Synthwave music and I had wanted to compose something in that style. My first attempt was the song “Star Master” from my “Electronic Dreams” album. In this one, I wanted to capture that vibe with a more refined soundscape. I had the idea of a working title for it called “Space Surfing” as I wanted to convey the feeling of a space traveler “coasting” on the waves of gravity through the space-time continuum, something smooth and cool, as an actual surfer would do. With that, I came up with a nice synth pad riff coupled with a steady 80’s inspired groove and a pulsating synth bassline that drives the piece nicely. Upon listening back, I thought about how it would sound with some sweet electric guitar. I was looking for a particular sound that even I couldn’t achieve as a guitarist myself, I had to look elsewhere. I hired a friend of mine, Brian Schurr, who is a phenomenal electric guitarist in his own right. Coming from a Metal background, I thought his catchy melodic phrasing and overall edginess would suit the piece. One day, I invited him over to my home project studio to lay down some licks on it. Being a perfectionist in his craft, he wasn’t satisfied with what he was coming up with although I had really liked it. After a couple of hours put in and over 50 takes later, he came up with an electrifying guitar solo that we both agreed was “the one”.
First Light - This piece is very special, for it is a uniquely introspective and personal one. My love for space runs very deep, as I was always awed by the Universe as a young kid growing up in a suburban neighborhood away from the lights of the city (NYC). Back in the day, we had fairly clear skies and at night, I would gaze upon the heavens with a sense of reverence and deep affection. Years later, I still have that deep love, rekindled even stronger when I joined an astronomy club called “ASLI” (Astronomical Society of Long Island) in August of last year. The experience I had with them was paramount to the inspiration I received for this piece of music. I went back in the studio with a single concept in mind, I decided to call the piece “First Light”, an astronomy term that refers to when a telescope is used for the very first time. It also means, in retrospect, the very first time I personally viewed the Cosmos. For the intro, I wanted to use a special synth sound for the lead that was inspired by legendary Electronic artist, Isao Tomita, the famous “whistle” patch. It was used in his version of Claude Debussy’s “Arabesque” which was featured on TV astronomy educator Jack Horkheimer’s show “Star Gazer” or “Star Hustler” which I had loved watching on TV back in the 90’s as a kid. I thought it worked perfectly to capture the feel I was going for. To finish it off, I had guitarist, Mark Barnwell, from Cornwall U.K. lay down some electric guitar in the style of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, which Mark can play flawlessly. Through the wonders of the Internet, I sent him the track, and in a few days sent me back a most beautiful solo that he nailed! The phrasing fitted the piece perfectly, with an articulation that captured that Pink Floyd-ish vibe I exactly was looking for.
So where can our listeners buy the album?
My album is available from my website “www.arrizzamusic.com”, on Bandcamp as well as on Apple Music and for streaming on Spotify and other streaming platforms. Feel free to send me an email at: arrizza@live.com as well!
Thank you Arrizza for joining me, Chrissie Sheppard on One World Music Radio to talk about your album Astronomia, it’s been great talking to you today.
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Thank you Chrissie, my pleasure!