Memoirs of a Damned (12)

The composer years (5)

Deities and cosmic laws; Así en La Tierra... 2088 (As in The Earth....)

Although Hermes Trimesgistus is considered to have come after the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and his most emblematic prayer ofChristianity, there is a strange correlation between these and his Hermetic maxims.

Así en La Tierra..., as explained in the didactic guide, is nothing other than

this parallel between the two, taking the Nazarene's words as a reference.

However, it is somewhat disturbing when associated with the deities and figures of Greek and Roman mythology.

The mixture becomes soluble when we consider our actions, our personalities, our human miseries and greatness with their mythologicalreferents. It's not an act of faith; it's the clairvoyance of the hermetic laws placed at the service of the so-called classical world.

Stylistically, it hits the table and focuses on the legacy of his years as an arranger for local bands, seasoned with electronic music that doesn'tbelong to it. I was deeply angered by the comparison with electronic styles that have nothing to do with it. The album follows the patterns ofsymphonic music, of orchestral music, yes, electronic, but not an adjunct or appendix to it.

The album is projected in bleak personal circumstances. My divorce and my future career, conditioned by my increasingly worsening visionproblems.

We must remember that I emerged unharmed years ago from a traffic accident that made me reconsider whether it was a warning.

In this tremendous vital chaos and Dantesque props, an album curiously charged with mysticism is conceived. The dates fluctuate, and it'spossible that it was somewhere between 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, it was born in a different place, because at that time, my professionaldestiny, which would determine my immediate future, was waiting in Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz.

While waiting for a medical panel's response, I also began to feel the need to present my previous work in live. Something that remains acommitment to me today.

The task was complex and disappointing. No one was going to get involved without money on the table and with an unknown artist. But I wasfortunate enough to meet Adrián Santos, a Cuban flutist who selflessly wanted to know more about my project, and so, due to musical andpersonal affinities, he came to Arcos to discuss the matter. Afterward, I made the return trip to San Pedro de Alcántara, like someone welcominga brother. The venture was unsuccessful, and no one else took a chance on it. However, I retain a beautiful friendship, perhaps diluted by distanceand daily routine.

The circumstances that befell my professional life will be left for the biography. However, it must be said that it was resolved in my favor andchanged the course of my life.

Although musically this work did not reflect those difficult moments of absolute loneliness, they can be seen in Caronte, with its oozing existentialdoubt, or in the melancholy of Calypso.

I don't remember if it was the time I had to change my workstation because the Korg T1 broke down and was replaced by the powerful TritonExtreme, also from Korg. Both in their eighty-eight-key piano version. I'll take this opportunity to digress, although this may be of little interest tonon-musicians or those unfamiliar with electronic instruments.

Korg Triton Extreme workstation

Needless to say, after the bandurria, my parents bought me a Pearl River piano, extremely hard to play and, of course, an upright or wall-mounted piano, not a grand.

My parents were always reluctant to brighten my life with a synthesizer. The most they managed was those insignificant Casio, where I learned to play and imitate Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis. As luck would have it, my brother borrowed it and broke it. This led to a heated and violent argument with my father, the fruit of a teenage boy.

Casio mini keyboard

When I joined the Brisas trio, as Julio and Chani knew Pepe Jiménez, I bought my first synthesizer, which I would pay for with the income generated by the trio. Roland's Juno 1 was one of those early synths that lacked any sensitivity, but it was more advanced than the analog synths that were impractical in those years.

Roland Juno 1 synthesizer

Following the story of my career in orchestras and under the umbrella of Pepe Jiménez, the Roland D20, the Yamaha SY77, and the Ensoniqf ollowed, eventually leading to the Korg T1, which was almost a luxury then. At the time, there was a debate over whether Roland was better, thanking. Defenders of the former argued that it had warmer, more natural sounds than the latter, which they accused of having metallic timbres. Whether out of affinity or habit, I always leaned toward Korg.

Returning to our story, Así en La Tierra…. It was a contrast to what came before. Some songs, as we've already mentioned, are inspired by my time as an arranger for local bands I was part of. It's more in line with those years, although, as we also say, it's framed within a symphonic framework.

Starting with this album, and needing my music to have a wider reach, the blinding light of CD Baby appeared. An online distributor for independent artists. In short, their work began with physical and digital albums. Enthusiastic, I left the previous three in their hands as well.

Regarding the Intellectual Property registration, I must say that the first three were registered in the Cádiz Office, while the fourth and subsequent ones were registered somewhat after their publication.

Windows Space would close, and CD Baby inevitably became the only lifeline available for the distribution of my works.

The production of this work improved thanks to a Magix mastering program, although it was still far from what I desired.