On Learning to Fly
Post date: Nov 10, 2020 8:15:41 PM
Available now on Bandcamp
(Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music , YouTube (non-subscriber) and other major outlets world-wide end November)
Learning to Fly
An introduction by composer and songwriter, Ron Charron, a.k.a. Kuutana
Six years ago, Borders Edge music released a Pink Floyd inspired album under the project named Midnight Airship. The album was named A River Once Flowed Here. It was an all instrumental album, with tracks included in a number of Borders Edge Compilations.
Today, I am pleased to introduce Midnight Airship’s second album, titled: “Learning to Fly”. Four years in in the making, and unlike Midnight Airship’s first album, a few tracks include lyrics inspired by some of more emotion inducing moments of recent history.
Just as with the first album, Learning to Fly is also heavily influenced by the Pink Floyd sound. It is also influenced by some of woven social commentary, introduced by the Floyd in its middle to late years. As the world goes through hardships and heartbreak thrown upon it by the global pandemic and political unrest, there is a growing yearning for hope. Hope that this is just a passing phase (as Roger Waters put it). However, it’s through collective thinking, and willing for peace and hope that it is given a chance to emerge from the darkness and reveal itself into the light.
An interesting aspect of '70s music was how song lyrics embraced poetry. Descriptions of kaleidoscopic visions of colours, senses, and experiences. Purple Twilight lyrics give a nod to the psychedelic era, where care for worldly concerns occasionally gave way to poetic expression of experiences felt and breathing in the present moment.
Taking a hard turn into more recent events, the second track, called Crazy Days, weaves words which present some of the harsher realities of present times. You’ll notice a few sound bytes from influential speakers punctuate the pulsating sequences of guitar and bass patterns. You may also notice some familiar guitar and synthesizer sounds, also borrowed from memories of countless years of listening to albums the like of Wish you were here, Animals, and The Wall.
The third track, For Whom the Bell Tolls, sings in an instrumental voice only, the complaints of the heart and soul, as the human condition faces the hardships of its own mortality.
In track 4, Dark Star Rising, a certain political persona was in mind, though to be fair, it’s like darkness and a bit of madness took hold of the world these last few years, not wanting to let go. The darkness and insanity but also cries for it to stop, and for the better angel part intrinsic to everyone’s soul. So many cries to stop the madness and to live and let live.
After the rather dark passages of Dark Star Rising, the fifth track called “From Black to Blue” celebrates our home planet Earth. Despite what gray clouds we can create for ourselves, stopping the clock to just appreciate the beauty of our home world and nature can be the best possible medicine for the soul.
About the Album Cover
I had the pleasure of having German artist Greta Heron let me use some of her lovely artwork on the Minerva album. For Learning to Fly, I was pleased when she accepted my request to shape an image I had envisioned. She did a great job of turning it into the album cover used for the final release of the album. It's awesome how imagination can shape art, and Greta keeps imagining and drawing personae and landscapes which help nourish the imagination.
Ending Words
I hope you will enjoy the Learning to Fly album. It took four years to develop, mix and master into the album we'd love for you to listen and enjoy!
You can listen and download here on our Bandcamp page. The album will also find its way on most streaming and downloading outlets worldwide.
Ron Charron, a.k.a. Kuutana
Somewhere in Canada's National Capital Area, November 11, 2020.
And finally, in the sixth and last track of the album, “Lost in a Dream” a collaboration track with Arend Westra, starts out with pulsating synth sequences which rise over ocean waves as the lyrics of the song have us remember those fleeing the hardships of their native lands and searching for a better world, for them and their children. A call to remember what is important and let go of the fear and anger that leads to war, drive the message along with highly driven electric guitars pulsing in rhythm with synthesizer arpeggios and driving bass lines and percussion.
Lost in a Dream Lyrics
On the shores of Riace,
Down by the Sea
Where children once played,
No longer to be
When quiet walks on winding roads,
And sea breeze and the sunshine fade away
When your roots are just some ancient words,
Elders every day can’t stop to say
Lost in a Dream I see children at play
Lost in a Dream I hear laughter and say
Lost in a Dream All those tanks go away
Lost in a Dream All those bombs go away
CC BY-NC:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunset_may_2006_panorama.jpg
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Partial-Solar-eclipse.jpg
Crazy Days Photo: Sigi We, with permission.