John Puchiele Ensemble On the Making Of ‘AFTER LIFE’
Can you share any interesting or unique stories or perspectives in 'AFTER LIFE?'
I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of the after life. It could be considered the final frontier for humans, at least for some. We are born, we live, we die...is there more? The album is an interpretation of that idea. To be clear I have no idea!
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for 'AFTER LIFE?'
Standout moments for me were the piano performances. At times they were really challenging since I prefer to personally perform all piano parts to avoid sequencing them. Having said that, there is one 15-second section I found impossible to play accurately at that speed. That part was sequenced.
What is your personal favorite piece from 'AFTER LIFE' and why?
Not sure if I can say I have a favourite piece as I normally try to avoid making any comments on my own stuff; that’s the job of the listener. That being said, I think of all the pieces on the album, I really enjoyed creating a weave of soundscapes and instrumental orchestration on the track “After Life.” I wanted to engage and challenge the listener.
How do you approach creating something new and different?
In my opinion, creating music is an accumulation of all past musical experiences. Let’s just say that music composition is how you combine elements of music and sound you have listened to and studied. No matter the genre and all the music we are exposed to, we interpret it and we make it our own. Originality is how we combine it in our head. Inspiration is another thing altogether. Sometimes new and different is the end result.
How do you build upon that starting point to develop a full composition?
The starting point depends on the music I am working on. Occasionally I start with the ending or middle section and organize it later to what makes sense to my ear. When it comes to an ambient based piece, I like to approach it as an additive composition, layering sounds and instruments. Some tracks start with a scratch pad on music manuscript in order to create an arc in the track. There are times I score the whole piece and create it in my studio. Even after completing a composition I might discard it, start again until I am satisfied with the result. I love the process of writing and recording that is for sure!