How many moons? How many stars?

Hello Dorothy,

How many moons? How many stars? It’s been quite a while, but here we are.

I find myself once again at a point where I have to explain myself to you. It seems that’s all I ever really do, but I don’t mind. I owe you that much for everything you continue to do for me.

What to address first? Perhaps the absence between correspondences? Yes, lets…

2015 was a magical year. The boys and I were just getting our footing into the world of live performance. We hit the ground running in our attempts to bring the music of SUADADE to the masses. There were no expectations, just the task itself and our undying will to best it. From our first show in April to our last in December, we noticed a steady increase in not only our turnouts per show, but our tightness as a group, as well as our overall effectiveness at conveying the message. That message was simply the musical portrayal of the emotions displayed throughout the story of SUADADE. We even ventured outside NY, playing shows in New Jersey and Connecticut. By the end of the year, our progress and ascent was at an all-time high.

We rang 2016 in with an epilogical performance of sorts for our run of SUADADE. It was held in none other than the legendary Bitter End. That show in many ways was the zenith of everything we were working towards for all of 2015. The crowd, the room, the energy, the sound; everything was on point. It may have been cold outside, but we warmed everyone up real nice in that room, and I can honestly say that it was a wonderful night that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

After that show, we went into recording mode for the new EP. Without getting into specifics, it was around this time that new methods were being experimented with. Methods not only for recording, but for planning and delegating a large part of the recording duties. Simply put, none of it bore the results I was expected. Before I knew it, it was April and the opportunity to play to an audience of 10,000 people fell onto my lap. Still being without any finished recordings, and perhaps due to some sense of frustration, I accepted the offer and lined up a few more shows for the year. I figured I’d be able to perform the shows and handle my recording duties in between. This turned out to be easier said than done.

I realized that our live shows, while being excellent, haven’t evolved to a point where I’d like for them to be quite yet. It’s one thing to be able to perform on stage with a band and hold an audience’s emotions in the palm of your hands, but it’s another to toss those very emotions all the way up through the heavens. I wasn’t satisfied with our shows just being great, I need for them to be the best. However I was unable to fully focus my time and attention on improving them the way I saw fit due to my recording responsibilities. That’s when it dawned on me that I’ve reached something of an impasse; essentially, I’d be unable to re-tweak any aspect of my live performances if I’m also operating in a frame of mind for songwriting/producing. These are two very different neural pathways that I access, and with both duties on my plate, I'd be unable to give one the attention it deserved without having it take away something from the other. Now I think those same improvements we made in our live performances were further improved upon this year, but again, that’s not enough for me.

So with that said, I can confidently say that I’ll be going back into recording mode 100%. There are too many songs on the queue waiting to be recorded and released (because while performance + recording need to take precedence over one another, songwriting is a light that’s never turned off). This means there most likely won’t be any big show to announce until we have an EP release party. There are other implications as a result of this; I might be a bit more radio-silent on our social media than usual. If you’ve been following Spells and Curses on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., you’ve probably noticed how there has been at least one post a day pretty regularly. This won’t stop entirely, but it will slow down significantly in order to focus + expedite the recording process a bit more.

Additionally, there will be more content coming out than simply music recordings + music videos. There is more being worked on than simply improving our stage shows + live sound. There will be major restructuring within Spells and Curses dealing addressing a range of topics from the music, to live shows, to the business side of things, and more. All will be revealed in due time, but just know that the next time you will see Spells and Curses, it will be a v2 upgrade. While I anticipate us being offered a show here and there (one that we might even accept if the price is right), know this: YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU SEE VERSION 2 INITIATED. #TheV2Initiative

2017 will be a new year and a new start for Spells and Curses. Everything will either fruitfully multiply, or fail + die miserably in a pathetic, burning wreck of a grave, and I have no intention of letting the latter happen. On this journey there are chances to take, and those chances have significant risk. Yet I take those chances not only to improve on my craft, but to deliver to you the experience of a better class of art from a further realized artist that you deserve.  But again, all in due time…

I shall maintain correspondence with you on a regularly basis once again.

I shall remain,

theRave

Spells and Curses cover Maxwell

Like most of the CYAF tracks, this cover is an experiment of sorts. It's more or less an indicator of what I'm trying to do with regards to the vocal production for some of the tracks on the upcoming EP (particularly the vocal harmoniessss!). It was also really fun going crazy with the guitar to get some the "out there" sounds you hear on this track (yea, that's not an orchestra sample I got there, tehe!)

Initially, this cover was only going to be vocals and guitar. But then it gave me "Little Wing"-vibes and I decided to throw on a mallet instrument too. After that came the guitar solo and all the crazy aural experimentation that comes along with it. Everything sounded great, but then I figured it could use some drums to make it more trap-soul-ish. I didn't even want bass on it to be honest, but after some more experimentation, I figured why not and VOILA:

We Missed You...

Things have been kinda quiet here, haven't they?

Well I assure you, that's perfectly normal.
This is what's to be expected when new music is being made 😉

Though we're recording our next batch of EP's, we still can't seem but miss playing live for you. That's why back in April we made our (somewhat) surprise announcement that we'd be playing the opening night of the 2016 Queens Night Market (which had 10,000 PEOPLE in attendance! YIKES!).

A few months of recording later and we're still getting that itch.
So here's the scratch:

We'll be returning to Desmond's Tavern's to introduce you to some of the new songs! So drop by and join the party as we set forth a night filled with new melodies, riotous jollity, and tasty libations.

Desmond's Tavern 433 Park Ave S, New York, New York 10016

Sat. Aug 6th   /   $8   /   7:30pm   /   21+

cya then

"Sexual Healing" [LIVE at The Bitter End]

Here's a clip of us "putting on the lotion" at our show The Bitter End.

Special thanks to Marsin Digital for capturing this beautiful moment!

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End of Tour, New Recordings on the Way

Dearest Dorothy,

2015 has been one hell of year! For starters, the winter leg of the SUADADE Tri-State Tour has come to an end.

 Just of a few of the things we did on this tour:

• Successfully invaded and occupied Manhattan's Lower East Side from September to December!

• Held secret shows all over NY! (sign-up for the newsletter + be the 1st to hear about any in the future)

• SUADADE got it's very 1st official review by an online magazine!

• Set imaginations ablaze at Arlene's Grocery, The Bowery Electric, Pianos, and Rockwood Music Hall!

• Ventured out to New Jersey and Connecticut for the first time, and were welcomed by great crowds!

• Capped the tour off and rang in the New Year with a SOLD-OUT show at The LEGENDARY Bitter End!

Not too shabby considering we've only been playing live since last April! That's only 10 months! HOLY COW.

Truly, it was a learning experience for us in many ways. Best of all, it brought us even closer together as friends. We've already begun honing in on our strengths, so that we can focus our best efforts into making the next batch of recordings something truly special.

Speaking of which... NEW RECORDINGS!!! That's right, baby!

If you were lucky enough to catch us on this tour, then you most likely heard some of the new songs that are going to be on the next release. This isn't the time nor place to go into further detail but rest assured, the work has already begun! All I can say is that you haven't heard nothing yet.

Alas, this is where I must leave you. These songs won't record themselves ;D

Yours Always,

theRave

Announcing the SUADADE Tour

At long last, here we are.

After almost 6 months of playing, we're about to embark on the most defining moments any artist or band can ever go through. We are very proud to announce that we're taking the show on the road, but will first take baby steps. In addition to playing New York,  we're hitting up Connecticut and New Jersey for the first time!

Also, if you haven't noticed... we're ending the show at the ever legendary Bitter End. So you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll cap it all off with a bang. Mark your calendars and get your tickets!

*Any additionally added dates will be included in our live section*

 Be sure to follow up on our facebook, twitter, instagram, and newsletter to keep up to date on any additional (and secret) shows!

Acoustic Series Video 3/3 – If Only You Knew

To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album. Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.

The third and final video of the series, features "If Only You Knew".

Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying

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Treatment for Blackbird's Music Video

Dearest Dorothy,

In celebrating 6 months since the release of the Blackbird music video, I've decided to once again give you a peak behind the curtain.

Here it is, the very informal (and crudely written) video treatment for "Blackbird". This final revised treatment was written on July 13th, 2013. That explains why some of the links included are dead today.

It's about as detailed as you'd expect from me. This was written directly for the video's director, Alex S. As you can see, I had Kanushree Jain in mind for the lead, and boy am I glad she joined the project.

Enough chat. Without further ado, here is a small peak into how my mind works, I guess:

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓   ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓   ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

"Blackbird" Music Video Treatment

↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑   ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑   ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑

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Acoustic Series Video 2/3 - Illunga

To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album.Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.

This is the second of the series: Illunga [Acoustic]

Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying

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3 Part Acoustic Video Series

To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album.Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.

This is the first of the series: Black Sclera [Acoustic]

Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying

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Spells and Curses Worldwide

You read correctly.We've gone INTERNATIONAL! This means that Suadade and all future releases will be available worldwide, from all online major music retailers.

Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself:

iTunes  ////  Spotify  ////  Google Play  ////  Amazon  ////  Tidal

Heck, you could even SHAZAM Spells and Curses now!

This opens the door for many possibilities, but above all, bringing the music to the people.

Here's to a sexier 2015.

BACK TO WORK!

"Blackbird" Music Video

The music video for “Blackbird” has finally been released!It may have taken a while, but I feel this to be the best initial step into the visual realm of music.

The experience of creating the music video was pretty extraordinary. I remember when I wrote out the treatment, I listed exactly what I wanted for this video. I had everything sketched out from the look of the video, the locations, and wardrobe, to the lighting, the feel, and most of all, the story. Everything you see for this video was exactly as I had pictured it in my brain. Same shots, same camera angles, everything right to the last frame. That's the genius of Alex S. He delivered in the most important way. He was able to take what I had written on paper, bring it to life visually, and edit it together so that it all makes sense.

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what a director that's dedicated to getting the shot looks like.

Then you also have the talent of our two actresses; Kanushree and Vidushi Jain. Kanushree (our main character) showed a dedication and professionalism to the project that I am truly thankful for. I recall telling her that a significant portion of the video would feature her in sweats, while jogging with no make-up. Now I don’t know how most girls would have felt about doing any of that (while being filmed, no less), but she never once complained or had any doubts; just a dream to work with.

It’s been a blast hearing people’s interpretations of the video! A lot of them were pretty far from what my original story, but they still made sense (I love when great art does that)! Here’s a 2 tidbits about the video from my side of the fence:

What the heck is it about? It’s a story that’s happening within 3 concurrent yet alternate timelines/realities. Without getting too specific, after bottling her emotions for so long, we witness a girl having a breakdown. During this breakdown, she breaks through to alternate reality where she is with a person she lost. However, she is comatose because her being doesn’t belong in that universe. As soon as she snaps out of it and returns to her own reality, she realized that her body has been jogging mindlessly for hours. In a nutshell, it was an attempt to display what it looks like to experience the utmost echelon of an emotion, and in this case, the emotion was despair.

Why did you release it on 02/03/15? As you may remember from previous posts, numerology has a way of factoring into my decisions, one way or another. Simply put, it made the most sense. There were actually a ton of reasons that pointed to this date, but in my never-ending haste, and because I didn’t log any of them down, I can’t remember a single one. If you’d have asked me a week ago when I still had them fresh in my brain, I would have had an answer, but a week is a lifetime for a musician. Rest assured though, that there were quite a few signs. I’ll edit this post if I recall any. (They were really deep too =/)

I hope you guys enjoyed the video as much as the team and I enjoyed creating it. If you haven’t seen it yet, well, what the heck are you waiting for?!

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What's In A Name?

Dearest Dorothy,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Not gonna lie; I have a feeling that these letters will get few and far in between. But that’s only because I have a feeling that 2015 is going to be a busy year. I’ve got a brand spankin’ new calendar and everything! You’ll see what I’ve got down the pipeline soon enough.

Getting back to business…

My last letter to you got a bit dramatic, didn’t it? I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean for that to happen, I was just writing from the heart. Regardless, I stand by every word. However, I should note that in a most serendipitous way, it ties-in rather nicely with what I’m writing about today.

I want to tell you about me. I want to explain myself to you, clarify why I do what I do, and why I shall continue to do so for as long as I am able.

Are you willing to take a peek behind the curtain, Dorothy?

Good. I knew you would be.

To understand me, you need to understand my name. What’s in a name, anyway? The answer, as you should already expect from me by now, is EVERYTHING.

Spells and Curses spellsandcurses spells & curses

Regardless of how you stylize it, one must wonder; why “spells and curses”?

Dora, this answer ties into the very philosophy behind my art (which I’ll also get to into). The simple answer is that I believe for all music to be modern-day spells and curses. How can anyone deny this? Who hasn’t listened to a song while in a funk, only to feel a little better afterwards? Or have a song help them get through the last set in the gym? Or perhaps vent some frustration in a scream-along with a metal song? Maybe get transported to another place or time? Be put in the middle of a very tense or dramatic scene? Vividly see someone you love and miss when they’re not around? Vividly see someone you don’t love or miss but can’t stop thinking about?

We’ve all had songs conjure up experiences for us in some way, shape, or form; experiences that are more than just hearing sounds. Listening to music can change our mood, keep our focus, heighten our senses, or even diminish them.

Ok, so songs are like spells and curse. Why the name yourself that?

Because I want to be the best conjurer in the world. I want to help people who feel lonely summon a friend through my music. I want to help people with terrible days, or broken hearts through their troubles. I want to augment the experience for anyone wanting to feel or express love, beauty, friendship, desire, anger, sadness, longing, etc. I want to help people through my music, by being there for them, and offering them my homemade brew of spells and curses, like a present-day Henry J. Fate.

You ever hear that Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song, “I Put a Spell on You”? It was also in the Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus? Well there’s a scene in the movie where the Sanderson sisters sing that song to a large audience during a dance and in the process “enchant” them.

I was put on this earth to do the same thing, except you can rest assured that I lack their nefarious intentions. I’m here to enchant, elevate, inspire, and motivate those who need it. Be it the dreamers or the downtrodden; I want to offer something that would enhance their lives.

How would I go about doing that?

Here is where the philosophy behind Spells and Curses comes in:

As I’ve already mentioned, I believe that things happen for a reason. Whether that reason is of our own accord, or simply the work of “the divine” is up to you to decide. I tend to believe the truth in both, because think about this; if we can make sense out of random chance, isn’t that in its own way divine? But I digress…

When I started to create music (and I mean REALLY take songs apart, examine them, and put them back together), I realized that all my favorite songs had one thing in common. They all had the ability to transport me to somewhere exclusive; to a place where only that song could take me to. But while they opened portals to different worlds, the key with which they opened said portals were the same. Made from the same quality, these keys were the visceral essence of each song. That visceral essence was inimitability of each artist. That’s why you always go back to your favorite artists, songwriters, musicians, and singers; because the very essence of their humanity (with which they created their music) has also made an impression on you. It had connected with you to show that you’re not alone, and that someone is going through what you’re going through. It’s the closest step towards benevolence and understanding.

I find this to be even more so the case as a songwriter. When writing a song, I never have a set intention for what I want it to sound like. I’ll get into this with more detail some other day, but let’s just say that when writing a song, it never starts off about someone or something. However, only a few months after the song’s release do I start developing a relationship with it from a listener’s perspective. What the song was about to me would change as I relate its subject-matter to my life. Perhaps it’s my subconscious speaking. Either way, the same thing happens: I reflect. From there, I can be the outsider looking in on the situation I relate the song to, and from that birds-eye view, I understand the groundwork of events. Everything is illuminated; motivations, emotions, consequences, everything. That leads to the benevolence and understanding.

So I guess you could say that I figured I might as well put in the elbow grease to create with the aural-playgrounds where people’s imaginations can run free. Perhaps then the listener can also stand outside themselves, with the vigilance of an eagle, and replay the events, thoughts, or emotions that they need the song to help them through. That’s what all the best songs do. So as you can imagine, in my journey of becoming your personal Merlin, I take all my spells and curses very, very seriously.

Sincerely,

theRave

Evolution and The New World

Dear Dorothy,

As I mentioned in my last post, on this letter I'll be taking a break from my usual subject matter (myself, hehehe), in order to address a topic of discussion that's made quite the buzz amongst certain circles.

It is a statement that has apparently shattered the lives of many. A statement that has destroyed some people's entire belief systems. A statement that has caused mothers to sacrifice their first-born out of hysteria. Oh yea, it's THAT severe apparently. Haven't you heard? The earth-shattering ramifications of 3 simple words have made everyone lose their grasp on reality!

So what it is? What is this Pandora’s box of all proclamations? Which 3 words can be strung together resulting in everyone losing their minds? Well, it's actually quite simple... are you ready?

Here it is:

ROCK IS DEAD.

Wait... what?

Rock is dead?

Hmmm...

Well...

Is it?

Is Rock music dead?

Well, I for one sure fucking hope so.

Oh boy, here we go.

You see, over half a century ago, somewhere between a white boy from Memphis shaking his pelvis, and a black boy from Macon banging his piano, Rock n' Roll was born. Along with it, came an entire industry that would last up until the early part of the new millennium.

During this time-frame the music industry had its fads and trends, but the one steady and reliable cash-cow was rock music. While it wasn't their only money-maker, it was perhaps the only thing that was as culturally influential as it was profitable. From Brits in bowl cuts and suits, to Californians with hairspray and spandex; rock would rule the airways, arenas, and album sales for 50+ years. Now that's a pretty long time for things to run one way.

But all good things must come to an end. Everyone closed their eyes and expected Y2k to be the end of days, but when the clock struck 12 AM on Jan. 1st, 2000, they instead opened their eyes to a new world. A new world where kids figured out how not to pay $15 for a 12 track album that only had 2 good songs on it. A new world where consumers have access to all media, in all formats (eventually), in an instant. Since then, this brave new world has been developing.

So has rock music lost its place in this new age? Well, that depends on who you ask...

The mainstream strives on content, and in this digital age, it's more cost-effective for someone to create out of a laptop than it is for 5 guys in a band to inhabit a recording studio for a few months to record. Both take a great amount of time and skill, but declining revenue in music makes one option more likely to produce a follow-up sooner than the other. Due to that and the lack of promotion for good and original rock- based content, the public eye has been weaned off from it. Thus it's not mainstream anymore; at least not in the way it used to be.

So rock is dead, right? Well, again that depends.

You see, for a lot of people, rock music was never about selling albums or being popular. It was about celebrating the spirit of rebellion. It was about being different than what was accepted. It was music for the person who when presented with a fork in the road, goes up the middle of both because fuck you. That's not something that can ever die, and that attitude is VERY much alive today. From the most amazing bands and artists you've not yet heard of, to even popular artists like Lorde and Kanye (that's right, Lorde and Kanye).

That's MY rock, and it's very much alive and kicking.

There are some however, who would have you think that there are no more "rockstars", nor any rock albums that sell in the millions, and therefore it doesn't matter anymore. Do not be fooled, for these individuals aren't referring to "rock". Because the same machine that allowed 4 New Yorkers to paint their faces, and put on a theatrical/musical show that captured the imaginations of 7-12 year olds back in the 70s, is still up and running for 5 British lads wearing tight clothing, and putting on a theatrical/musical show for 7 to 12 year olds in 2014.

Additionally, it should be mentioned that the metrics of success within the music industry have changed so drastically, that nowadays album sales of less than 100,000 can no longer be considered a failure. However, in reality, albums sales can't count for diddly-squat. Music has moved from being a commodity, to a basic human right; everyone's got an digital music player with music to listen to. Just look around the next time you're using public transportation.

Is there more noise out there to sort through, in order to find the diamonds in the rough? Yes. Is it harder now than it was 20 years ago to make a living off of music? Not really, it's always been difficult.

Ok, so wait. You're basically saying it not dead.Then why the hell are you saying you hope it IS dead?

Simple; I want for the ones who DO make a living from rock music, to be successful because they deserve it. I want for new minds to take rock to where it hasn't been before, without having any regard for what is "allowed" and what isn't. In short, I want the old style of “rock” to die, so that the new can come in. Evolution has to happen, and rock needs to catch the hell up to the times, as every other mainstream genre has. There are some awesome rock bands and artists out right now that are pushing the envelope too. You just haven't come across them yet. It was roughly a decade ago that everyone was saying hip-hop was dead until BAM! Weezy F., Kanye, Drake, Kendrick, etc.

There are the Charlie Browns that ask, 'why would anyone even bother to pick up the guitar?' To that all I have to say is, hopefully they won't. If you pick up a guitar (or any instrument for that matter) with any expectation other than learning to play music, then you're expecting way too much. You play for yourself. You play to enjoy it. Anything else that comes along with it is icing on the cake.

But that doesn't mean it's hopeless to share your music with the world. Your song might mean a lot to you and your friends,  but someday it might mean the world to… well, THE WORLD.  To deny humanity of your genius just because of someone else's opinion is simply a cop-out.

Old guys discouraging you from doing what they did when they were young by blaming "the current state their industry" is THEIR cop-out. It's their way of not having to admit to themselves that either their shit stank, or just that no one cares anymore. Fact of the matter is that rock is one of the hardest genres to write for,  because you've got 50 years of some of the greatest songwriting ever to live up/be compared to.

Therefore, if you think you can roll with the big boys, you go all in. If you'd rather play it safe, you move onto something else (professionally speaking, of course). End of story.

For some of us though, it's never been a question. Answering that is like answering why a moth flies to flame. Just because. For some, it's all they know. For others, it's all they love.

And then there are those crazy motherfuckers who don't have just one reason. Maybe, like a moth, they just want people to watch them burn. Why? Because fuck you.

Yours Truly (as always),

theRave

To New York, My Hometown...

This is because of you. This is for you.This is from me.

It took a bit longer to make than the other tracks in the CYAF series, but it was worth it. I worked hard on having the arrangement take this song to a new zip-code, while still maintaining the same grey skies as the original. I'm pretty proud of this mix too; it's a step in the right direction for me. 

Sometimes you overwhelm me. I hope this gives you some insight as to why.

Yes, It's Really Me (... sorta)

Dearest Dorothy,

I hope you enjoyed the last letter. It should comfort you to know that I'll be going back to my usual schedule of writing. Before I move on however, I wanted to let you in on something. Some spill-over from the last post, if you will. Two VERY interesting facts were brought to my attention:

1. The release date for SUADADE was March 11th, 2014. March 11 was also Romeo and Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare (albeit 712 years earlier). In some aspects, it's quite appropriate when you consider the story of the album.

2. I recently released another song on Halloween (yes, I guess it's a thing now). It is a cover of Slipknot's "Prelude 3.0”. Funny enough, Slipknot's newest album debuted at #1 around the same time.

Do you see? None of that was planned! Things just fall together so magically! It's all quite astounding, really.

Anyway, I have something new to shine your attention onto. As I mentioned before, I've had the pleasure of talking about SUADADE with those who've already heard it quite a few times now. Hearing all the theories and connections make for quite the conversation, especially for me. But one of the most common questions asked is who the songs were about. Or who from my life are the characters based on. Or simply; "How much of your music is REALLY YOU?"

Now I think I spoke about this already in a previous letter where I mentioned: "... I wanted the same artistic freedom that a director would have fleshing out a movie in his head..."

This means I don't want my music to be solely based off of my life. I don't want my songs to feel like a page from a journal. At the end of the day, I didn't want to limit my music to my reality.

Because why should I? Did George Lucas base "Star Wars" on his experiences during college? Did Alexander Dumas base "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" on his uncle? Did Mary Shelley base "Frankenstein" on an actual man made from different peoples’ limbs sown together, and animated by electricity? I'm aware my last two examples aren't film directors, but I think you get what I mean.

With all that being said, the real answer is that my music is ALL ME. It's all about me. It's all from me. It's all from my life.

For the longest time, I've been saying that my songs don't contain any particular element or influence from my life. That it is simply their distinct presentation which is informed by my perspective. Perhaps I needed to think this in order to have finished the album. Perhaps I needed some sense of distance or separation between me and the events of the album's story, in order to feel comfortable enough to tell it. However, I've recently began doing some honest retrospection, and I've come to realize that no matter how much I divorce myself from the content of my music, it has to all come from somewhere, and for me, that place happens to be my life.

What this basically means is that while I might not name anyone in a song about losing a loved one, or describe certain events with the utmost veracity (or heck, even lost a loved one to begin with), I can still harken back to the actual emotions I felt during then or a time similar to it, in order to fill in the gaps between the poetic embellishments and artistic liberties of the song. So is the song about losing a loved one, or about not getting the last slice of pizza? Ahhh, well grasshopper, that’s the beauty of what I do! In all seriousness, I’ve come to learn that my perspective doesn't only shape a song’s presentation, but also its inception and core meaning. I felt this necessary to share with you.

I think this is all I can say on the topic for now. A magician never should reveal his entire bag of tricks. Besides, I don’t wanna burn you out. Save your energy for the next letter. I’m gonna weigh in on a conversation that is quite heated at the moment, so it should be quite the read.

Enjoy The Fall,

theRave

More Treat than Trick

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I was rushed with a surge of inspiration this week to record this song when I re-discovered it at random. I guess something about Halloween just fires up my creative juices. The entire process for this track took me 2 days to finish, from arranging to mastering. That's a personal best!

I've got a new found appreciation for Joey Jordison. He was already one of my favorites, but he's hands down top 5 after breaking down what he did on this track (with the help of additional percussion). It's not even one of the harder Slipknot songs! I didn't wanna do an exact copy, so I tried to keep to his spirit, while still having some fun myself.

In addition, I was playing around with some vocal production moves. James Spader was an influence.

Lastly, I've been dealing with this terrible cough all month. I figured I'd try screaming it out, but that didn't work. You don't have to take my word though, listen for yourself:

Easter-Eggs and Clean Chakra

Dearest Dorothy,

You must have been worried as to why this message comes to you so late in the month. Well my precious, it’s quite simple, I’VE BEEN BUSY MAKING PROGRESS. Steps in the right direction take a certain amount of effort, regardless of how small they may or may not be, because at the end of the day, it all adds up. Summing it up quickly; live shows will happen soon, music video will happen soon, new music will happen soon. Yea, PROGRESS.

But that’s only half the reason. I specifically waited until this day to write you. Why? Because I work with numbers, I work with time, and I work with energy. Heck, if you factor in sound, then that’s what all we musicians do! Those initial three elements however, aren’t as separate as you might think. As a matter of fact, they’re very much intertwined. You see, I believe that dates and numbers work in tandem to (and bear with me here) give off certain energies at certain times of the day, to steer you a certain way (meta-Dr. Seuss in the house). None of this is to say that we’re puppets on strings with no control of ourselves. But rather that we are locomotives constantly moving forward, and are presented with countless options for paths. Every path has always been available; it’s just that some are presented more clearly at certain times than others.

So what about this day? What happened today that was so damn important?

Well? Come on, you should know this…

THAT’S RIGHT!

It's my birthday!

Yea yea, so I wanted to write you on my birthday. There’s no way I’d rather spend it, to be honest. But maybe in writing today, I’d be more clear than usual. Or perhaps I’d write in a way you’d relate to better. I believe in things like this, I study things like this, and it’s all because of what happened on Halloween night last year.

The year was 2013, and it was (and hopefully shall remain) the worst year of my life. I won’t go into the details of all that, but it was rough. Yet on October 31^st, 2013, I sat on my floor with a guitar on my lap, in the dark, with the moon shining down on me from the sky through my window. I began to reflect. The year was pure shit, but it did have some “interesting” moments. One in particular had to do with a demon bitch. Not demon like she was “evil”. She was just a girl who was… a stranger. A girl who just needed to be saved. A girl who didn’t give a fuck, but really could.

Sitting on that floor, strumming that guitar; it instantly came to me. The verse and chorus, BOOM, music and lyrics right there. That song made its way onto SUADADE. It was the first complete song I wrote for SUADADE, and therefore made the most sense to put as the first song on the album. The song was “Black Sclera”.

If you listen to it, you’ll perhaps notice that it’s one of the darkest songs on the album. That was an intended effort on my part. Yet after I finished recording the song, I noticed its length came out to exactly “10:31”, the day I wrote it. That was not intended at all. From that moment on, I knew. Everything had a purpose. Everything had a meaning. If you can’t see it, it’s because it hasn’t been completed enough to be presented to you yet.

Keyword: YET.

This is by no means an original thought. There are countless musicians that have been examining the correlation between numbers in relation to music, and the ether long before I ever attempted to. For example; my personal favorite jazz wunderkind, Pat Martino, has pointed out connections such as the 5 black keys on a piano to the 5 human senses, or the 7 white keys to the 7 chakras. He’s even delved deeper so far as explaining how consonance and dissonance is the same thing. But that’s an entirely different conversation…

By opening my mind to notice the ethereal, I saw how it gave meaning to my work, more than it already had. I noticed it in other places, and decided that this trend must continue. Continue it did; sometimes intentionally, and other times not.

More instances regarding track length include:

• “If Only You Knew”, whose length is indicative of the time of day mentioned in its second verse.
• “Ibid.” continuing the theme from “Black Sclera”, therefore sharing the same track length minus a digit.
•  “Illunga” being “07:07”, with 7 in numerology meaning all things regarding the inside of a person, thus corresponding with the story and theme of the song itself.
• “The Callout” being the only track with a length consisting of consecutive digits. Thus setting it apart from all the other tracks as not really being a part of the whole. It also serves as a source of juxtaposition between both halves of the record, while having almost nothing to do with either. Yea, think on that one.

Track listing was important as well:

• Track 10, consisting of digits 0 and 1 whose numerological meanings when juxtaposed correspond with the song’s theme.
• There are 12 tracks in total. If the album was a play and you split it down the middle, it would have two acts. Tracks 1-4 are Act I, tracks 5 and 6 are the interlude/intermission, and tracks 7-12 are Act II.

Other easter-eggs in the album were simply audio-manipulation and production-based:

• The binaural beat occurring all throughout “Black Sclera” that gives off the effects of a certain “narcotic” when listened to in a certain way (if you downloaded the album off of BandCamp, the instructions are already in the track).
• The spoken-word/poem going on in latter half of “Illunga”, which offers a completely different meaning to it than what is being sung.
• The poem in the beginning of “Creationship” which offers a suggestion as to what the latter half of the album is about.
• The 2 audio messages occurring in “God’s Teeth” that reminisce on a few key plot points of the album.
• The not-so-hidden sound effects that basically paint the picture of what happens to the main character at the end of SUADADE in “DNR” (Hint: That title is quite telling).

Even tracks like “Ironrockhard” that are completely frivolous and out of context to the larger picture were intended to be just that! I mean, listen to what the heck he’s saying for crying out loud! Whereas “The Callout” is more of a concrete realization and exploration of the tone set in the previous track.

But this wasn’t part of the process for making just the music. I took on this methodology when naming the album.

It was originally going to be called SAUDADE; this was the plan all along. The definition of the word was what I wanted to define with the music, because it already described the sound of the album. But when choosing the font type that would be printed on the cover, nothing looked right. I tried other fonts, and they didn’t look right either. I already had the font type that I wanted to use for “spells and curses”, but nothing for SAUDADE worked well in relation to the overall vibe of the cover. That is, until magic happened.

I’d like to be clear; I can’t remember if the so-called “magic” was due to the late-night delirium that set in as a result of slaving away for hours, or just sheer luck. Either way, I was messing around with the font and the album cover, and figured I’d type it again. I did, only this type I typed it as SUADADE.

SUADADE

‘Hmmm… I misspelled it’ I thought. But I remember looking at it for what felt like a solid 10, maybe 15 seconds. It fit, and it worked. I couldn’t explain why, and I didn’t understand why. But the way it sat above “spells and curses”, the way it took up its space in the picture; it was perfect. I learned earlier in the recording process not to question those little moments of magic. I learned to just trust that voice inside and go with it. I figured hey, nobody gave The Beatles shit for not spelling it “The Beetles”, so this shouldn’t be a big deal. Thankfully, I was right.

…

WELL, that sure was a lot of info. Aren’t you tired of all that reading? Damn, I would be. I feel like I’ve been rambling for HOURS! But how about that, right? I mean, does daddy make up for the times he drops the ball, or what? I figured you’d be a little miffed after that last post, so I hope this makes up for some of it.

We’ll get more personal next time, or rather, I will. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable writing to you. I’ve got some work to do but I’ll write you again real soon. But there you go; now you know me. Or rather, now you know how I think, when I create.

Love Actually,

theRave

A Slight Left Turn

Dear Dorothy,

I know what you're expecting. I know you've been waiting for it. I guess I made matters worse by teasing you about it. I know I said that I'd explain it all to you. That truly was the intention, you've got to believe me. I really want to tell you everything, but I can't. Actually, no, that's not it. It's not that I can't. It's just that I won't.

You've got to understand that I've written 2 drafts that I've scraped prior to this. In these drafts, I basically laid it all out for you. The story, the meaning, the little easter eggs, everything. Yet each time I read them back, I felt like a total rube. Who the hell am I, thinking I even need to explain this?  Do people even need an explanation? Do they even WANT it? In case you haven't noticed, I hold my music in pretty high regards. But in writing an explanation for what was the largest endeavor of my life at that point, I felt like I was belittling it. It simply felt constricting. Actually, it just felt insulting. Insulting to myself as a songwriter thinking that my music needs explaining, yes. But more so insulting to the (would be) listener.

I know what you're thinking; "I'm the listener, so how can you tell me I'd be insulted by something I haven't even read?" Well, that ties in with another key philosophy about how I create with Spells and Curses:

As a creator, I view every piece of content I'm about to release through the eyes of a consumer

That doesn't mean I change my work to fit what I think a potential listener would like to hear. It means I won't release a song that I wouldn't listen to myself. I wouldn't create a video I wouldn't watch myself. Therefore, I most certainly would not post something that wouldn't stimulate me in anyway (text or otherwise). Basically, I won't put my name on something I can't get behind, and for whatever reason, I just couldn't get behind me giving my own music the "rap genius"-treatment. It just felt too weird.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I have no problem telling people what the album or even the songs are about. If anyone asks me in person, I'd be more than happy to explain it all to them, in what would hopefully become an interesting dialogue. But writing it on paper just felt pretentious. All I was missing was a monocle, a glass of brandy, and a beard to stroke on.

I imagine I felt this way because I love SUADADE. I mean, I REALLY the album I made. If you ask me, it was the best album of 2014, and I stand by that 101%. However, it felt like I was an architect praising his own blueprints. It just felt more snobby than I'd allow myself to be.

Here's the funny thing about releasing content/media in the 21st Century; once you release it to the public, you can no longer dictate how it'll be consumed because it's no longer yours. Celebrity leak picture scandal, anyone? In my case however, once I release an original song, although I'm the creator and owner of that original work, that copy you purchased is yours. No one can tell you how to listen to it. If you wanna stick that CD inside your toaster, you have every reason in the world to do just that. Likewise, if you want to think that SUADADE is about praying mantis falling in love with a unicorn princess, no one can nor should be able to tell you any differently (and you might not be too far off). If there's one thing I learned since SUADADE's release, it's that a lot of people interpret art differently. My mapping out the entire story of the album robs you of the entire experience of listening to it and visualizing your own story. Obviously these interpretations won't be VASTLY different from one another, as there are certain elements that are just obvious and almost a staple (the theme primarily). But it's those little details that people would interpret differently. These interpretations could change a character's motivations, reactions, and even identity.

In summation, baby, if I just spoon fed it all to you, it would literally take all the fun away from YOU and anyone else who would listen to the album. Maybe I will one day, when I'm 5 albums deep, or on SUADADE's 10 year anniversary. Until that day, out of respect to the intelligence of anybody that would listen to SUADADE now or in the future, I'll just zip my mouth shut on this one. Anyone that wants to know about it can ask me in person, and in doing so partake in some good conversation. Otherwise, give it your own go. Heck, your head-canon might be 1000x better than what I originally had in mind.

But, all this doesn't mean that I can't get into some of the more specific easter-egg-y parts of the album. You know how slick I can get, bae. So I'll write about all the hidden gems in SUADADE next time. Don't worry, it won't spoil anything for you. Matter of fact, it might make you like it a lot more. I hope you're not mad.

Peaches and Cream, baby.

- theRave

Listen with your Eyes / Watch with your Ears

Dearest Dorothy,

So much awesomeness has happened since I last wrote! So much, that it would be hard to write about any of it without ending every sentence with an exclamation point. Therefore, I’ll just lump everything into one sentence, let’s see: I played my first show, was on cable tv, saw cuts of the music videos I’m working on, wrote and recorded new songs, made some new friends, and finally won a game of Monopoly! I’d say everything’s on the up and up. I’ll get into the specific about all that in due time; unless you’re curious about the Monopoly game, because it was A MASSACRE. For now, let me continue the train of thought from my last correspondence.

Ah yes, SUADADE.

I sent it out to you back in March so I’ll assume you’ve heard it by now. If so, then you probably have some questions on what the heck it was all about. Well, you’re probably not alone. You see, I was fortunate enough to get some feedback on it, and while the response has been positive (overwhelmingly so, might I add), what really blew me away was how close folks were to figuring out the entire story! And here I thought I was being clever… >=( So, I figure the least I could do would be to dispel some rumors and theories, without spoiling the entire listening experience. Here goes…

For starters, let’s just state the obvious: YES, IT’S A CONCEPT ALBUM.

This basically means that there is one unifying, over-arching story occurring from track 1, up until the end of track 12. I know what you’re probably thinking; “You’ve never recorded anything on your own (or at all) before, and for your first foray into recorded music, you wanted to record an entire concept album?” Hell yea. Why the fuck not?

However, that’s not to say when taken out of context, each song can’t stand on its own. These songs would do very well as singles telling their own stories. I made certain of that much. However, when played in the order that they’re in for SUADADE, along with the intervening skits, they take on a more holistic approach to storytelling, where each of the individual songs serve as the scenes that make up the entire movie (or in my case, album).

That right there was huge in terms of the philosophy behind the songwriting and production for SUADADE. I wanted it to be a movie for your ears when played from beginning to end, while still being able to deliver powerful individual songs if a listener didn’t want to go on the full ride. That being said, I wanted the same artistic freedom that a director would have fleshing out a movie in his head: manipulating things like scenes, imagery, color, space, silence, etc. I wanted to play around with these components, just aurally.

In keeping with the “movie for your ears”-mindset, I wanted there to also be something that would capture the (potential) listener’s eye. Whether it would be the first thing they’d see about SUADADE, or something they’d refer to while listening to the music. I needed something that would serve as the theatrical poster for my movie, the calling card for the music, and the overall mood indicator that would sum up the range of emotions within SUADADE.

I needed my album cover.

However Dora, as you know, it’s never that simple. Unfortunately, things don’t just fall onto your lap whenever you need them to. That is of course, until they do. I can't really say that I was searching, but I can say that I knew when I finally found it; the perfect album cover.

SUADADE

It was in this picture that I heard every note of my album. It was in this picture that I felt every emotion in SUADADE. The colors, the composition, the stylized presentation; it was all there and I knew it was the one. Thankfully, it was the work of someone I already knew and was lucky enough to call a friend;

Ms. Jaina Teeluck.

If you haven’t heard about her, that’s fine. She just happens to be one of the best up-and-coming visual artists/photographers in the New York area. You know; the kind who’s had her work showcased by galleries and companies? No biggie. So I guess you could say I got pretty lucky, because all I had to do was ask her for permission to use the pic, and I got it. Since then, we’ve been working pretty closely together. Suffice to say, every image you see on this site has been taken by Jaina (unless otherwise stated). That also goes for the cover art of the tracks on my Soundcloud.

As for the album cover itself… Ahh yes, that mesmerizing image of a beautiful woman, dressed up and staring off into the distance. How the heck does that explain anything about the album? Well, I’m feeling a little pooped out already, Dorothy. I hope you don’t mind, but I’d rather explain that some other time.

Hmm, come to think of it, I didn’t really explain much about the album, did I? Alright then, I promise to get into the story and its underlying meaning the next time I write you. Until then…

Be Good,

theRave