100% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS ALBUM WILL BE DONATED TO CRISIS, A NATIONAL CHARITY FOR THE HOMELESS IN THE UK. Find out more about the organization at
crisis.org.uk.
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Not since I was a kid has a band so thoroughly grabbed hold to border on becoming an obsession. And So I Watch You From Afar has been a guiding light through tough times and a source of wonder and awe ever since I first stumbled across them by accident years ago.
Brutal and beautiful, harmonious and cacophonous, melodic and dissonant -- often all at once. Always passionate, and always a reliable source of rocket fuel to propel you forward.
Like my own tastes in music, ASIWYFA is born out of distorted guitars and kick-ass drums, but they allow space for any influence on the spectrum. The music is heavy yet intricate, always well-layered and well-arranged. And even though the part of them that was raised in punk rock clubs might bristle at this a bit, I always saw something orchestral in their music.
After an accident resulted in a broken wrist and an inability to play real instruments, I got into MIDI arrangement. I eventually thought it would be cool to try and transcribe some of their music to orchestral instrumentation. I started with "BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION" because it's my fiancee's favorite song. I enjoyed the process and the end result so much that the project snowballed to include two songs from each of their albums.
In addition to wanting to pay tribute to my favorite band, I was driven by the idea of contacting the guys and proposing we release it to fans, with 100% of the proceeds being donated to a charity of the band's choice. It's my way of giving back to a group of guys who have given me (and thousands of others) so much. I am beyond honored to be working with them to share it with all of you. The fact that these guys would work with some dork from Ohio is yet another reason why they're my favorite band...
My goal was to make you feel like you're in the first row of a giant orchestral hall, listening to some of your favorite music being played by sometimes more than 60 instruments. I hope to have really captured the essence of these songs, allowing you to hear them again in a new light. The whole process of creating this album has added depth to my appreciation of their music, and I hope listening to it does the same for you -- join me in giving back and rock out to some orchestral music!
Love + Solidarity,
Brian
P.s. Orchestral music tends to sound best with a flat EQ.
released December 13, 2019
All songs arranged, mixed, and mastered by Brian Schmidt.
Tracks 3, 4, 5, & 9 originally written by Johnny Adger, Rory Friers, Niall Kennedy, and Chris Wee. Tracks 1, 6, 8, & 10 originally written by Johnny Adger, Rory Friers, Chris Wee, & Tony Wright. Tracks 2 & 7 originally written by Johnny Adger, Rory Friers, and Chris Wee. This album is being released with the permission of And So I Watch You From Afar.