One thing that has been on my mind recently, I suppose, is how one’s enjoyment of music can get away from oneself when it is attempted to be forced. This occurs primarily in states of anxiety or within over analysis, and it’s plagued me for the past few years on a more substantial level. Staying very busy and always in a state of what we call multitasking, fuels this, so it’s nice to have a day off not only to rest, but to actually be able to think more clearly about music consumption. From about 2018 to 2021, simply enjoying music felt much easier. At this point, my compulsive organizational habits have long since given way, and turned my Spotify library into an ocean of music curation that is almost insurmountable. It is in the spirit of constantly searching for new music over six years that I believe could’ve actually contributed to this paralyzing feeling. There are so many artists that I love and am already aware of, Third Eye Blind, Bjork, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath, Tears for Fears; so many artists that I keep saying “ohh yeah I need to check out the rest of their music”. That’s the other predicament, there’s simultaneously far too much music, and not nearly enough. The notion that we could all have a profile of taste and curation that is symmetrically calibrated across all genres and niches is just impossible, and it makes me wonder how I was drawn to this in the first place. So, going forward we can assume that one can’t listen to everything. And if you can’t listen to everything then you have to prioritize what you should be listening to. On the flipside, there always resurfaces a sound, an identity that hasn’t manifested quite yet. It isn’t always there, but when it comes in it’s absolutely unyielding, it won’t leave your head. Lately I’ve been yearning to find moody, wistful, almost depressive, electronic jazz-influenced pop. The roots of Orbit Farm aren’t in very many similar emotional places to this, so it’s something that has created a little bit of frustration. A passion project, to me, has always felt like something that should consume you, and take full control of your creative field. In tandem, it’s made me feel strange about digesting and appreciating music that doesn’t fall into the genres of the project. If I can find a good example of what I’m thinking of I will update this post, but I suppose it has a certain kind of pop element, and is something that is enjoyed with other people. Nevertheless, “Orbit.Emo” as I’ve thought of it, has been a feeling that has been very much present for the past year and change. As much as I would love to write a VDC glitch inspired opus over a week’s time, I’ve ended up producing these very moody, groove-oriented demos over the last few months. While the emotional ambiguity of jazz must play a role here, one thing that comes to mind that contributes to this sort of darker aesthetic is Michael League’s production choices on his debut solo record as well as other projects he’s worked on. Specifically, KEYBASS. It has so many archetypes and personalities that I wasn’t fully aware of until I started producing with it heavily, primarily due to restriction. I think I may actually hear P-bass in my head just as often as a synthesizer. In any case, some songs I may cite as occupying this space include “Aries” by Daedelus, Teebs, and Bass Sekolah, “A Big Karismatic Dukie” by Asian Glow, “Right Where I Fall” by Michael League, and “Gretel” by Alex G. I’ve been at this first entry of general music discussion sporadically throughout the day, so I think I will end it here. I hope at least some of you were engaged with my ramblings, and I thank you for reading. Keep practicing and take care,

David.