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Pale Blue Dot

by Jerry Axson

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1.
Pale Blue Dot 04:18
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2.
Crush The Sun 07:52
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Crush The Sun ©Jerry Axson I can’t see my shadow, in this place where I stand, static in a noisy background, darkness to an empty land, my hands outstretched toward you – and my eyes are closed so tight, I’m afraid of what is out there, I’ve been blinded by the light… You cannot hide – you can not lie, I will not let you - look away from my eyes, I am the bullet – you are the gun, now close your fist – and crush the sun… You cannot hide – you can not lie, I will not let you - look away from my eyes, I am the bullet – you are the gun, now close your fist – and crush the sun… close your fist and… close your fist and… close your fist and – crush the sun… close your fist and… close your fist and… close your fist and – crush the sun…
3.
A Perfect Stream Of Tears 05:38
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4.
Baby And The Bath Water 03:56
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Baby And The Bath Water ©Jerry Axson Baby said she loved me more than life itself, told me it was destiny there was nobody else, on my heart I believed every word she said… days and nights together spent in each others arms, protected from the shadows we kept each other warm taking refuge in my big, brass bed… Baby and the bath water – don’t throw the baby out, when you told me that you loved me Lord, I never had one doubt, now I’ve found the truth out and I know what you’re about… Momma told me there would be days like this, I would fight for your affection – I would have to steal your kiss, precious is the love that you have betrayed… so now you must decide where to put your heart, and which one of us will be torn apart, here I am and here I shall remain…
5.
Down To The Wire 09:23
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Down To The Wire ©Jerry Axson Better take out your healing powders and – call up your street mourners too, I’m about one mil off the mark - and I don’t know what I’m going to do, Damn this thing in my chest – beats like a drum machine, for the wicked there is no rest, down to the wire it seems… it seems… I’m not going to sleep tonight because I - I’ll just dream of you, and that breaks down my resistance, it leaves me with these blues, So down to the water I’ll run – down, down, down, you can watch me drown in the light, all my sins fall down to the ground… to the ground… Even with it all wrapped up in an “easy to the touch” skin – you’ve got to stand by your conviction – that’s all you have in the end, save me from the monster inside that’s screaming to break out of here – save me from myself because myself is the monster I fear… I fear…
6.
The Ivory Coastline 05:13
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about

This project is not my usual set of songs - this is a deliberate idea to create, record, and produce a set of soundscapes in the Retro Synthwave genre. Pale Blue Dot is the third and final phase in my quest to put out three completely opposing bodies of work back to back, Power pop to Country pop to Synthwave. These six compositions are meant to be listened to as one whole composition and in one sitting either as background noise or foreground music.

The title song "Pale Blue Dot" opens with a slow and majestic buildup heaping layer upon layer of rich, thick strings until everything comes to a complete snap at which point I let the melody relax and change allowing it to become more flowing and beautiful, allowing it to breath and again rise in a different form.

This goes directly into "Crush The Sun", a pulsating repetitive bass line which charges ahead non-stop while adding layers of synthesizer and sounds. A short one-verse passage lays softly on top of a Leslie organ which is followed by the repetitive war chant to "close your fist and crush the Sun".

"A Perfect Stream Of Tears" is the track that kicked this project off. Originally composed as a song complete with lyrics but as I listened to it on playback it struck me that the piece was interesting enough and strong enough to stand on it's own without words. This began me thinking about compiling a totally instrumental project which led to the idea of Retro Synthwave.

"Baby And The Bathwater" is the only cut from this project that is a full-on song. I wrote this piece a few years back while I had possession of a small Casio workstation in my studio. I wanted to hear what types of sounds it was capable of creating so I sat and basically started building the song as you hear it from a built in drum track sample. Later while listening to the instrumental playback in my studio I came up with the funky lyrics and the song wrote itself quickly. I wanted a powerful female vocal on this one and the song was originally written from a woman's point of view but I could not find a vocalist so I settled and tracked the vocal myself - believe me it sounds much better in my head!

The story behind "Down To The Wire" and "The Ivory Coastline" is a bit strange. I wrote these songs while jamming with some fellow local musicians who wanted to put together a Prog band and release a Prog based project. Being a huge Roxy Music and Yes fan this idea thrilled me to the core and I immediately wrote these two songs. I had grand plans for massive overlays and treatment on these pieces and I was excited to hear what these great musicians would add to the work. Unfortunately our schedules conflicted and after only a few practices the project evaporated. I never let a good idea go so I kept these songs nearby hoping one day to finish them in some fashion and find a place for them to live. I know they are more progressive than Retro Synthwave but I felt there were enough common elements involved that they would qualify so I added them to this project and in the end I think it works well.

"Down To The Wire" is about a Louisiana Cajun hit man who believes in voodoo and he falls in love with a woman which inevitably leads to a crisis of conscious between work and love, (yes, my head is a scary place in which to live!). "The Ivory Coastline" is inspired partially by my wife who is a missionary child born in Jos, Nigeria. The tribal chants at the start of the song are two separate samples, one of Jos women singing over the loss of their church which was burnt to the ground, the second is Jos male warriors chanting a tribal war chant.

credits

released February 10, 2018

All songs written and composed by Jerry Axson
All instrumentation performed by Jerry Axson
Engineering and production by Jerry Axson
Recorded at Lonesome Dog Studio
Graphic design by Lonesome Dog Art

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Jerry Axson Columbia, South Carolina

To me simplicity is the root of all great thoughts. The secret thrill for me, the architect, is delivering that thought with unobtrusive complexity. Writing songs and composing music satisfy my soul and because of this I know exactly what I am designed to do, it’s just that simple. - Jerry Axson ... more

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