Not long ago (January 8, 2018, to be exact), I was contacted by a Brazilian gentleman by the name of Grael who was putting out feelers to gather music for a documentary that he was creating about skateboarding in Carazinho, Brazil. The documentary brings to light the desperate situation that skateboarding in Carazinho is faced with in regards to a lack of support from the community. After offering any and all already released music, I sat down to write music that would fill the need. He didn't use a lot of the tracks that I presented here, but that nonetheless gave me a reason to write and record some new music! I can't thank Grael enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this. You can view Grael's video here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhTzKrDTtPs&t=90s. Thanks, buddy!
I jumped at the chance to get on board to support a cause that is very near and dear to me. I grew up skateboarding, and I still jump on my son's (too small) skateboard to rip up some concrete because I LOVE it! Making the music for this documentary means a lot to me in a way that I can offer the support the best way that I know how. It's also a tribute the my skateboarding buddies in my childhood that dried my tears when I smashed my face on the half pipe. Haha!
Given that my last 2 releases had a certain theme, I wanted this one to follow those same guidelines. In the end, the music here is meant to represent the span of the day from daybreak to sunset while taking in the experience, elation, and freedom that skateboarding brings. I sought to reflect the spectrum of human experiences during this timeline.
Knowing the challenges that I faced, I got in touch with my buddy Nick, who goes by the artist name 'CloudFall', in an attempt to get some collaboration happening. His music can be found here:
cloudfall.bandcamp.com. We had talked in length about doing something together, and despite our geographical and time zone challenges, we nonetheless managed to get a few songs together for this release. Thanks so much, CloudFall!
Also, huge, HUGE thanks to Michael Henry for the easiest online communication when asking to use his artwork for this project. I scoured the web for hours, sent emails without receiving replies, and the best skateboarding picture that I've ever seen for this was the easiest one to get permission to use. I tip my hat to Michael (thanks, bro!), and recommend that you pay him a visit at his website:
www.meetmichaelhenry.com. The guy is pretty much a genius in the photography world. I pondered on using his artwork only but went with using a different front cover art because of its minimally visual effect. I am honored to have his photo adorn the back cover, it is extremely fitting considering this release's subject matter and precisely reflects what I feel this album represents.
Another giant thanks to Max Ostrozhinskiy for usage of his front cover artwork. I got this from Unsplash (link is below in Album Credits).
Lastly, thanks to the listeners for allowing us to do what we love and share what we create. Peace.
//tonepoet//
released September 13, 2018
Thomas 'Tonepoet' Lindsey: Guitar, Keyboards, Samples, Field Recordings, Vocals & Voices, Compositions, Cover Artwork, Mixing
Cloudfall: Sounds, Piano, Guitar, Sonic Manipulations, Creative Collaboration
Renee Izzi Bennett: Violin on 'Light At The End Of A Tunnel'
Jonathan 'Pistachio' Pusztai: Mastering
Front Cover Photo: Max Ostrozhinskiy (
unsplash.com/photos/1nNtM9P-m0I)
Back Cover Photo: Michael Henry (
www.meetmichaelhenry.com)