What’s in a name? And what a name!!!

Since the early 80’s and listening to the synthesizer sounds of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Ultravox, John Foxx etc, I’ve always harboured a dream of releasing my own album of having a band, but of course they were only dreams.

Then you leave school and real life begins.

There were four other artists, who had a huge long lasting effect on me. One was OMD, their first 4 albums were amazing, including tracks with the soundscape feel of Stanlow and Sealand. Their b-sides as well, I always found more fascinating than the singles themselves, tracks like 4-Neu, Annex, and Navigation. Jean-Michel Jarre was another, Equinoxe in particular was, and still is one of my favourite all time albums. I had also heard Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra, another album that is still a regular to these ears, and then finally Brian Eno. Although I really like a lot of his music, it was one particular piece back in the 1980’s that never failed to capture my imagination. From his Apollo release An Ending (Ascent).

Covid changed my life, like it has for so many. Other factors around that dreadful time as well, the passing of my mum, some health issues of my own, and the decision to quit a job for my own mental health (just prior to Covid, so not perfect timing). All of this seemed to free up a creative side that I never really thought existed, as this website bares witness.

I had a Korg, a Sadie, Pro-logic had been purchased with an Apple gift card my wife was never going to use, so what to do? Well, I messed about, recorded some bits but nothing that screamed release me!!!

Then, one afternoon whilst watching the Chase a question or answer came up, and there was my project title, just perfect, and long, just like my musical heroes Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Then came a visit to an exhibition about the Titanic, early in 2022, an incredibly moving experience that focused more on the people than the ship. Whilst walking around listening to the narration on my headphones a title came to me, An Overwhelming Sense of Sadness. The Easter weekend that followed saw my wife go away to visit family, and I was left alone, and slowly across those 4 days I constructed a piece of music called An Overwhelming Sense of Sadness, and Experiments & Observations on Electricity was up and running.