December And Ultramarine

Richard Norris' subscription model for music worked well for everyone last year- a monthly payment (three tiers, download, CD or vinyl) and in return a long form piece of music, twenty minutes of ambient/ deep listening released on the first on the month. On top of this regular physical releases throughout the year including his Hypnotic Response album, the long awaited Circle Sky album, a collaboration between The Grid and Robert Fripp made up from guitar parts and soundscapes recorded in the 90s and reworked by Richard and Dave Ball, plus triple CD box sets compiling the year's Music For Healing releases. All of these releases are long term commitments, music to come back to time and time again. In 2020 the Music For Healing project started with numbered pieces. In 2021 they became named for the months of the year. In 2022 each monthly release is named after a colour and will be in two parts, the final full version and an additional version, stripped back to pull the focus onto the bassline or some of the layers of drones and synth parts. 2022 kicked off with Ultramarine and is a dive into the sine waves, oscilating drones and synths. Find Ultramarine and Ultramarine 2 at Bandcamp. 

When we got out of hospital just over a month ago I couldn't face any music for a few days. I couldn't work out what I wanted to listen to and didn't want to forever taint something with it always being associated with Isaac's death. In the end the first thing I pressed play on, a month ago today, was December's Music For Healing release- a twenty minute piano piece, rippling notes and reverb with some gentle washes behind it. It did the trick, broke the blockage and sounded like just what I needed, some much required musical balm. December is here. 

To finish off, one from each year of the project, this is the shorter four minute version of Music For Healing 10, from the end of 2020. More piano and a lovely warm bass string keeping it grounded.