I've written roughly one album each year since 2010 using a variety of composing methods. I began with a Korg Kaossilator Pro, which I used to record various instrument loops. Then I would arrange the loops in Audacity and add synth instruments from the Kaossilator into the mix. Desiring a broader range of sounds to work with, I eventually moved on to using Reason 5. It has a bit of a different feel than FL Studio 10, which I had experimented with briefly. Something about Reason just clicked with me so I've been using it for pretty much everything, aside from the recordings I post on my YouTube channel.
These tracks are mainly designed for headphone listening.
Basically, these songs are inspired by life events and dreams that I've experienced within the past year or so. The name Dorothy V is a reference to the film 'Twister'. A few of these songs are reflections of my stress and a need for escape in this point in my life. When I get stressed out, I often have very vivid dreams about tornadoes. I think I was kind of traumatized by an experience I had when I was 7 where a day after watching the movie 'Twister', there was a random tornado warning in my town. Luckily it never actually hit land, but I was convinced I was going to be sucked into a dark vortex or something. Guess I had a pretty active imagination. But ever since then, despite my fear of tornadoes and the power of nature in general, I have been obsessed with them.
Most of this music is instrumental, and when I hear the tracks they basically serve as a kind of graphical representation of a memory paired with a specific emotion or two. So the emotions behind this album are mainly the feelings of stress from being a parent, but also the great joy that I feel every day that makes the hard work worth it. It's about worrying that I'm not a good enough parent, about sometimes wishing for an escape, and the loneliness that can come with dedicating 90% of my time to a single person. In a way, these albums are simply my musical journal, a mental scrapbook. They are an outlet for my stress and anxiety, and a way to watch myself progress at my own pace. I plan to release one album per year for as long as I am still able to create music.
It is difficult to cite specific influences for this album, but while I was writing it I was mainly listening to Thom Yorke's solo works, Lorde, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab, Print (the) Seas, Tangerine Dream, and Hum. A bunch of other artists as well I'm sure ... With this album, I wanted to encompass a variety of musical styles that despite their differences would still hold together as one.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my new album!
