“The five tracks that make up the album were written while in isolation. They became a sort of sonic journal in which I explored making music with limited resources and a limited headspace. It’s about finding a place in the world, about building a solid anchor within the self in an uncertain environment. ’Monologues’ (RTR049) is an honest conversation about finding peace within oneself and it’s conceived as a space to think rather than a story in itself.
The music in this album is sonically softer and less raw than in my previous releases. It uses some tape loops, guitar pedals and generative techniques to create an environment that responds and reacts in unpredictable ways. In some way, ‘Monologues’ is the result of a dialogue between the person and the technology behind the music.”
‘Monologues’ follows a string of releases where Iván explores the seams between traditional and experimental music, from simple piano albums (’59:54’, 2015; Five Questions, 2019) to ambient compositions (‘How Much Left Gone’, 2019) and more hybrid works (‘Unsound’, 2016).
Artwork designed by generative media artist Bileam Tschepe (elekktronaut)
Released February 28, 2022
Composed by Iván Muela using synths, cassette recorders, virtual instruments, a toy piano, and generative techniques
Written between March 2020 and January 2021
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Bileam Tschepe (elekktronaut)
wallofambient 