With my latest single set to drop this Friday, let’s take a closer look at the song, “Prelude to Descent”, the title track of the upcoming album. But before I forget, a quick reminder to pre-save this new Jazztronica track so you can be the first to add it to your personal playlist of favorite jams.
Why I Wrote This Song
"Prelude to Descent" began in 2016 as the new political landscape emerged, one fraught with misinformation and division. At that time, a decade younger and with an understanding of our nation's history—yet harboring the misguided belief that we were progressing in the right direction—this composition felt like a dystopian fantasy. Now, nearly ten years later, as conditions continue to deteriorate, what once seemed fantastical has materialized in ways I never imagined. In 2025, we stand at critical crossroads in modern history. As we navigate what appears to be a downward spiral over the next few years, some raise their voices in protest, others remain paralyzed by complacency and denial, while some actually celebrate as the foundations of stability crumble beneath us. I don't presume to know where you stand on this spectrum, and my role as an artist isn't to sway your beliefs. My only hope with this song—and the project as a whole—is that it prompts you to think critically about our current times and consider how they affect not just you individually, but our collective community.
Perfect Timing
The timing of this project is not by accident. Part of my artistic process is creating freely with the ebb and flow of "whatever comes out, comes out." It's a kind of "throw paint at the walls and see what emerges" approach that through 20+ years of practicing and living the philosophy of Buddhism, I've learned to trust deeply. Although I started "Prelude to Descent" almost 10 years ago alongside "Intrepid Sun" and "Eclipse the Moon" from this upcoming album—as well as the title track of my 2024 album "Fearless"—I also began the project "Stereotype Threat," a jazz, hip-hop, and funk-influenced album that sparked collaborations with some of my closest friends to date. Noah MacNeil, Justin Swiney, JSWISS, Julian Litwack, Marcus Machado, and Lez Lemon were all collaborators on "Stereotype Threat," guiding me in a musical direction that led to further collaborations with BD3, Natalie Oliveri, Chandanie, Leo Coltrane, and more. Between 2016-2023, I created an abundance of music with these incredible humans in mind—some that found its way into the world and some that may forever remain in the vault.
However, in 2022, my artistic focus pivoted back to electronic music. With the release of "Of Space & Earth," I began to subconsciously drift from the sound of "Stereotype Threat" and "Beautifully Awkward," reconnecting with my passion for electronic composition. As NFTs emerged—an innovative approach to digital ownership that I still believe can revolutionize the music industry—I released my first NFT collection. This venture led to another NFT project in 2023 with my current collaborator, Sachcoo. The fascinating twist in this journey is that this NFT project unearthed most of the songs I'm releasing now—compositions I'd either forgotten entirely or had shelved for so long they required complete reimagining.
"Prelude to Descent" was one of those forgotten compositions. The original production had become outdated, while my skills as both a saxophonist and producer had grown more sophisticated. Yet the essence and intent remained loud and clear. Even more striking, the song's relevance to our current times became increasingly palpable. With a cognitively declining current President and a twice-impeached former President announcing a second candidacy—the earliest such announcement in history for obvious reasons (at least to me)—it seemed like the perfect storm to use this song and its parent project to illustrate the precarious times we find ourselves in.
Is it All Just Doom & Gloom?
Not at all! "Prelude to Descent" is a cautionary tale and an audible illustration of how far we can decline without even knowing it. There's a word that has been floating around a lot these days: normalization. The current administration is doing everything it can to normalize the chaos, to make you think everything will be fine—business as usual—while the world is actually declining at the hands of a few tech billionaires. This itself is cause for concern and explains why people might retreat into denialism. However, one of the things I hope to achieve with this new project is to highlight "the strength of one individual" and "the power of coming together." That's what this song is about. That's what this album is about. And that's what I hope to convey in the fantastical audiobook I'm currently producing.
So, again (if you’ve made it this far) I hope you’ll pre-save my new, up-coming song “Prelude to Descent” and enjoy it on Friday for the first time. Tickets for our album release party at The Sultan Room will be available soon so look forward to that. And until then, enjoy what there is to enjoy, suffer what there is to suffer and regard both as facts of life. Peace!
