Albums
-Station No. 2: Myasnoye (2012)
A rattling bicycle fender; distant cow maidens blurting musically; sheep scurrying right to left—soft thunder: silent, powerful time in limbo. This scene, from late Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s last film, Offret, inspired me to compose a track eventually titled “A Gotland Stroll (Location Hunting).” Equally significant (possibly more so), though, was the image of Tarkovsky himself scouring the barren Gotland countryside in Sweden searching for shooting locations. Very satisfied with the final track, I felt compelled to write an entire album devoted to these dual inspirational sources—both the man and his films.
A previous music project, First Station, was also an homage—to late abstract expressionist, Barnett Newman. In contrast to that experience—approached like a blank slate, minus any aesthetic limitations or constrictions—producing Station No. 2: Myasnoye proved intimidating, for, in cinema (unlike painting), sound already exists—environmentally as well as musically; moreover, in Tarkovsky’s cinematic universe, sounds are as fundamental as the imagery. This anxiety of influence, coupled with that ever-present artistic dilemma—being derivative, in this case by merely echoing the films’ pre-existing sounds—led on several occasions to the project nearly being abandoned. However, it eventually became clear that at least some shades of Tarkovsky would need to be incorporated less the creative process itself be obstructed. Bach and Verdi, therefore, appear in vignettes—not because of their presence in his films, though, but, rather, because both are integral to the man himself.
Tarkovsky’s published diaries, Martyrolog, influenced Myasnoye more than anything else. One inspirational passage, from July, 1986, recorded while he was being treated for terminal cancer at a German clinic in Oschelbronn, reflects Tarkovsky’s powerful connection with nature:
Yesterday I went out for a walk, and was suddenly
overcome with an inexplicable urge: I took my
shoes off and walked barefoot on the cold earth.
This poignant reflection—autobiographical evidence of the nature theme that permeates his films—not only provides revelatory insight into the man himself but also, specifically, inspired the album’s final track
Ambient music demands listeners to observe: sounds float in-and-out of their environment. Tarkovsky’s films require the same: observation. Aural elements—environmental, musical—are integral to experiencing his work. Field recordings are thus incorporated throughout Myasnoye, creating a rich, dense texture.
This album, one hopes, will both be worthy of Tarkovsky’s talent and honest approach to his art as well as stand on its own as an Ambient work deserving to be listened to—and observed.
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-First Station (2011)
An Ambient, Dark Ambient, and Noise concept album inspired by seven paintings from abstract expressionist Barnett Newman. 
Built on electronically manipulated field recordings and fused with injections of guitar noise and drones, the individual tracks are structured, first, around Newman’s minimalist single stroke technique, what he called his “Zip.” In addition, when translated sonically, Newman’s use of a single color for his paintings’ fields afforded a great deal of creative freedom when designing each track’s overall soundscape. Ethereal, operatic, female vocals occasionally float above and are mixed within certain sections, creating a sonic fabric that can be described as transporting. Additional textures include cello performed by Yamilet Trujillo.
For full track descriptions, go here.
Tracks: (click on title for preview)
01. Horizon Light
02. Prometheus Bound
03. Adam (Creation)
04. Ulysses
05. Day Before One
06. First Station
07. Cathedra
*For longer samples of a few tracks from First Station, go here.
**Purchase here.
Released in physical CD form through record label Essentia Mundi here.
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-North Strand (2010)
(as Minus 3, now- The Drive to Uqbar)
A link to a published article in the James Joyce Quarterly.
Click here to buy. Also available on iTunes.
Some words about the album:
Orlando: Ambient Artist, The Drive to Uqbar, recently released North Strand, a six-track album featuring textured drones and vocal offerings. Sound artist Keith Rose of The Drive to Uqbar conceived the album’s overall concept after reading a passage in a well-regarded 20th-century piece of literature. The episode’s setting—a strand near the sea along which the protagonist walks—is described in such rich, detailed imagery that it inspired Rose to create the 15-minute opening title track, a textured, minimalist drone, with
a very loose, unstructured melody that results in a dreamy atmosphere. To bookend the album, Rose created another track in the same tradition (this one inspired by another section in the novel), only this time creating a darker mood that paralleled the tone of the episode on which it is based, while subtly contrasting the previous drone. Imagery throughout the book subsequently inspired the album’s remaining tracks, including two haunting tracks, Enters Mabbot St. and Yes, which were written through direct influence of the novelists style of prose; “stream of consciousness”.
As Rose was closing in on the completion of the final two tracks, he felt the need to incorporate a female vocalist since this is also a key element in the novel’s dénouement. Through a colleague, he met Rebecca Reis-Miller, a classically trained vocalist who then created an ethereal backdrop that also defines two of the novel’s major characters.
Tracks: (click on title for preview)
01. North Strand
02. Enters Mabbot Street (Circe Remains)
03. Adiaphane
04. Strindberg
05. Yes
06. North Strand (Gloaming)
*For longer samples of a few tracks from North Strand, go here.
**Purchase the lossless downloads here.
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-Minus One (now- The Drive to Uqbar) (2008)
A compilation of assorted tracks from film scores.
Tracks: (click on title for preview)
01. Minus One
02. Airport
03. Fracture
05. Kast Bridge
06. Here We Go
07. Six Times Three
08. Marimar
09. Gate
*For samples of a few tracks from Minus One, go here.
**Purchase here.
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Singles
The Drive to Uqbar happily contributed the track A Gotland Stroll (Location Hunting) to the Japan Relief Compilation Mechanics of Silence, expertly mastered and efficiently released by label Essentia Mundi. We feel the whole album is a triumph. Info. below.
A Gotland Stroll (Location Hunting) was recorded at Stations Recording Room in March of 2011.
Album release title: Mechanics Of Silence
Format: Compilation / Digital Download
Style: Drone Dark Ambient Electronic
Duration: 11 Tracks / 76 min.
Release Date: 14 April 2011
Released by: Essentia Mundi label
