After five years in the making, Moods and Modes Vol. V is finally complete. A sense of nostalgia (of what exactly, I’m still not sure) ties together the seven pieces, each an instrumental journey through sound and sentiment.
At its core, the album is a study of the G major scale, explored through diverse styles ranging from jazz and ragtime to rock and minimalism. But beyond the theory, it’s a collection of stories and emotions.
Some tracks are tales: ”Come Out and Play Again" was written in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdowns, longing for joy and human connection; "Rags to Riches" unfolds like a silent movie, a journey of sonic enrichment; "Let’s Walk and Talk" celebrates the importance of friendship and honest conversation.
Others reflect human feelings: “Synesthesia" merges senses into sound, "Empathy" is a wordless tribute to the most needed human superpower, while "Serendipity" and "Sheer Luck" express gratitude for life’s unexpected gifts.
Sheer Luck: is a laid-back jazz piece that flows effortlessly, much like the unexpected moments of fortune in life. A smooth trumpet lead dances over the warm foundation of a jazz trio—upright bass, electric piano, and drums—while a vibraphone adds a touch of shimmer. This is piece no. 31 of the Moods and Modes project, exploring the combination of a G major and F lydian scale in a relaxed jazz setting, where every note feels like an easy stroke of luck.
Serendipity: is a song about the happy surprises life throws at you when you’re busy running the rat race. I’s a rock song with a bit of ‘70s nostalgia, and an unnecessarily busy hammond organ. The cover art is my first attempt at AI generated digital art, I find it disturbingly fitting to the song theme and aesthetic. Expect more of this in the future… It explores the combination of a G major and F lydian scale in a fast tempo.
Empathy: is an unapologetically cheesy pop song inspired by all the ways in which we care for each others, from the personal to the political level. It comes with no words, but you are welcome to sing along! This is piece no. 29 of the “Moods and modes” project and its melody exploits both the G major and G major harmonic scales.
Synesthesia: is a little placid dance for strings and piano inspired by the sound of colors. A viola, a violin, a cello and a piano and some subtle electronics paint a pastel dance in a calm soundscape. This is piece no. 28 of the “Moods and modes” project and it explores the G major scale in a minimalist classic style.
Let's Walk and Talk: is a little “easy listening” nostalgic piece about walking hand in hand and talking. It’s piece no. 27 of the “Moods and modes” project and it explores the G major scale in a easy listening style.
Rags To Riches: is a ragtime piano piece that gets a suspenseful twist midway, vaguely inspired by silent movie soundtracks. It’s piece no. 26 of the “Moods and modes” project and it explores the G major scale in a ragtime style.
Come Out And Play Again: is an instrumental rock ballad that I wrote to remind me the importance of simple feelings in complicated times. A trumpet and a tenor saxophone have a playful chat over a strings and rhythm section, with a piano offering an ostinato background. This is the 25th composition overall of the “Moods and modes” project and the first to tackle the G major scale. The facet of this scale here explored is its simple playful character.
