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An improv multitrack piece. Initially quite dark and (intentionally) unsettling, it slowly shifts through various moods. This is a completely raw and unedited "improv multitrack". Hopefully during the holiday break I can go back and clean up the mistakes, clean up the timing, add some volume automation to better balance the tracks, etc. Just something I whipped up in about 20 minutes (for better or worse) lying in bed, tired and wanting to sleep but the muses doth refuses until heeded, finally feel asleep to this in a looped mode. Instruments include: Chinese Ciao flute, African Kalimba, synthesizer "Arctic Shimmer" (Logic Pro X), Sampled Female Chamber Choir (Logic Pro X), Airship Rising synth (Logic), Parallel Universe (Logic), orchestra "Cinema Strings (Logic), C-Beams Glittering (Logic), "African Kit" percussion, using Arturia Laboratory 32 keyboard, Violas ensemble, Glass Marimba, Vibraphone, Irish Bouzouki, Oboe, and Peruvian pan flute.

Buy entire album or single track at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B00WJ7WGXQ?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Synthetic%20Zen&index=digital-music&search-type=ss A more cheerful piece. Bitwig is a new DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) from German folks that created Ableton and others. What is great about this new product is I can run it on Linux, Windows, or Mac equally (I most prefer Linux, especially OpenSuse (also a German distro))! And Bitwig is Java based (even better!), and they very actively updating and adding to it weekly. This is my first composition with Bitwig Studio, and for this piece I am just using their built-in sounds, barely touching the range of possibilities with the new tool. Just using my Arturia 32 keyboard, and Bitwig, variously on Windows, Linux, and Mac I whipped this up fairly quickly and easily. This is probably my most "New Age"-like piece ever. Not exactly my intent, but as usually I kind of pick through sounds based on the mood I am feeling at the time, and then starting pairing up what I like, then laying down tracks in what I call "improvisational multi-tracking". It is much more "cheerful" (according to fans), than my usual melancholy pieces. It reminds me a bit of Enya, and even more of new Age artist Suzanne Ciani (I have an old CD of hers from the early 90s). This piece is basic and relaxing, and can be played on a loop smoothly. The song is only a bit over 4 minutes (one of my shorter pieces in a long time, except for the "Bits & Pieces" album). I hope folks enjoy, and I would appreciate feedback from listeners on your thoughts and experiences with the piece.

A trip through dark and light in three movements. Greetings. Here is my first post in this group, I hope folks enjoy: When I composed Trip Through Synthville last year, I always had something in mind like a late night drive through various parts of the city. I whipped out my phone camera and recorded the long drive home after 2:00 am in Spokane, Washington, then mixed that with my music, and here it is. It is quick and dirty, but hope you enjoy. Synthetic Zen, Trip Through Synthville Music Video 20150205a - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2qQsjWvYuQ Synthetic Zen's 2014 Buddhalicious album - www.syntheticzen.com From the release notes: "A whopping 15 minutes & 45 seconds long! Started it months ago, then forgot about it, or was overwhelmed by all the changes in key. Then I stumbled across it a few weeks ago, dabbled with it, and finally today worked it into something usable (and long). It has two up-beat movements, with slower movements at the beginning, middle, and then very slow at the end. The "trip" in the title is a pun (should be obvious when you listen), both the use of the word as in to travel as well as related to altered states. Should seem like traveling through different parts of a city's districts, during various times of day and night and the denizens within, occasional emergency vehicles and more implied musically but not directly. Created with Logic Pro 9, Logic Pro X, Mac, Linux, ZynSubFX, microphones, my vocals (one area), Audacity, Arturia Analog Lab, Arturia 32 keyboard, Arturia Keylab 49 keyboard, and other tools. Enjoy!"