About the Music
Production of the Album
During the many years of preparation for the production of the album there was a massive amount of energy or shakti invoked and generated within the music. This is coordinated on an inner level by the devic energy behind the Soft Diamond Light image, book and the music – energetically linked to the qualities of the "vajrasattva".
"As a result, I feel there is an inner power embedded in the depths of the music, between and within the notes. I believe it contains an invisible power and energy, not necessarily from the notes or arrangement or instruments or the mix. It was generated from all the meditation, chanting and puja since the book and music were first conceived. It came as a result of producing the music without any real attachment, plan or agenda, and simply trusting it would all somehow manifest in its most perfect form."
'Soft Diamond Light, Only love matters', Anatole Petrovich Kononewsky
The initial idea for the album back was to simply include the song and a couple of extra tracks of ambient-type music for listening to while reading the book. (The final album grew out of this basic concept.) The first step in the actual production of the album was to record just the vocals to the song. As we started this process, the music production seemed to take on a life of its own, creating its own momentum, direction and ultimate outcome.
The music was produced using a very unusal and unique process. All the instrumental recording sessions by each of the musiciians were played to the one melody of the song. The original instrumental recording sessions by each of the musicians where completely individual and stand alone. All of the musicians thought they were only playing backing pieces to the song.
None of us really had no idea what tracks the finished album was going to be comprised of -- at this stage it was simply one song - "I know I Am".
The actual shape of the album and the creation of additional, individual tracks only emerged after a very long time in the editing and mixing process. This occurred as we slowly brought together all the individual musical takes into what became the final overall piece of music based on the song. There were also some new tracks created in the editing process to produce the final album.
"While we were in the recording studio I noticed we naturally and pleasantly drifted into a meditative state while listening to some of the music moves or tracks. I found that the music can be used as a spiritual discipline, a sacred practice by listening intently to each note of the music while visualising the Soft Diamond Light image."
'Soft Diamond Light, Only love matters', Anatole Petrovich Kononewsky
The separate tracks of the album were specifically orchestrated (literally) and slowly emerged from the multitude of backing pieces laid down by all the different musicians to the melody of the song over many years. To me the entire album was inpsired by the inner "blue-print" held by the music deva of Soft Diamond Light.
The music, originating as a multitude of independent, individual instrumental tracks, recorded by different musicians over a number of years, slowly came together to reveal one coherent overall piece of music. It ended up as thirteen ‘moves’, a song and a reprise, coming together as one piece of music based on the one melody of the song while still maintaining their individual 'note' in the overall album as fifteen unique and distinctive tracks.
The overall production of the music actually took a journey of almost fourteen years to prepare and complete. Most of this time was spent on the inner preparation and energy generated from the song, originally composed in 1993.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Only love matters: music for Soft Diamond Light
'Soft Diamond Light' artwork production.
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