3.22.17
The Hyperion Story
Music holds a place in my life that is hard to
describe. I believe that most would agree that listening to something
enjoyable is bliss in its power and simplicity. Music can make you want
to move. It
can inspire
you to strive to reach your potential. It is
beautiful to close
your eyes and let your mind shut out everything except the sound.
Through some of the toughest moments and trials of my life, when nothing
was going right, there was always an escape. I could lock out the world
and lose myself in songs that could utterly change the way I felt with
ease.
It goes without saying, that the impact of music
is a powerful thing.
About fifteen years ago, I picked up a guitar for the
first time. I can tell you, that from that exact moment, the song and
album before you now were destined to be the result... It set in motion
events that, over years and years, took a natural course toward music
creation. I began to play my guitar, and of course the first thing I
tried was learning my favorite songs. This was frustrating, and fun, and
really eye-opening in that you quickly learn there is a ten-mile canyon
separating a beginner from a real musician.
In fact, for the first few years, the guitar was just
a fancy toy. I could noodle around, but I definitely did not take
anything about it seriously. One day something changed all that, which
was my introduction to Metal. Of all the ways that you can play a
guitar, metal might be the most insane. All I mean is that if the
original musicians who constructed the modern guitar and engineered its
design saw someone thrashing about the strings in a brutal, death-slaying
fashion, they could be horrified. And I might be inclined to agree,
except that I learned how wide in scope metal really was.
Sure, I listened to Metallica a lot, and Megadeth. But
I loved hearing power metal, like Stratovarius, and Hammerfall. I
couldn't get enough of Annihilator, and Iron Maiden. But through it all,
I noticed a trend. Sooner or later, just about every metal band, would
churn out an instrumental
song. These could be 2 minutes, 8 minutes, or anywhere in between. There
were no rules, except for one: You had better capture the audience's
attention. When you remove the vocals.... the instruments, chords,
melodies, and rhythms take center stage. I always thought that this was
metal at its best. It had raw energy, it had musicianship, it had
screaming guitar solos, and epic chord progressions. Technical skill was
at every turn on a proper metal instrumental.
So I found the ultimate-guitar forums, and rigged a
way to plug my guitar into my PC's sound card. I figured, this is my
moment. I am going to record metal instrumental music! There was only
one problem........
The result was TERRIBLE.
When I say terrible, I mean the guitar playing, the
composing itself, the recording quality, the drums, all of it.
I will never forget the first comment I received on
that instrumental. In fact, I just googled it and it is still there:
"Needs a hell of a lot more variety than this."
-September 4, 2008.
This was a defining moment for me. To put your
work up for critique and review, so anyone can build you up or crush
your spirit, takes courage. You develop thick skin pretty quick, because
more than anything you want to believe in yourself and your abilities.
So when my efforts were dismissed in mere seconds, I got mad. Not mad at
the person who left the comment, or the world, or anything else, but mad
that I could have done better.
This comment, instead of causing me to throw up my hands, lit a fire
inside me so hot that I went on a rampage of seeking to improve.
Within a year, I had recorded over 20 tracks. Some
were good, some were bad, some were forgetful, and some were memorable.
Over the course though, there was progress. There was improvement. Part
of the reason that I leave videos from 8 or 9 years ago up on my channel
is that I like to see the story. If someone wants to try their hand at
recording, I want them to see what kind of improvement they can expect
if they don't give up. It is not just about playing the guitar, but it’s
also about learning how to train your ear. When your ear sharpens, your
ability to make small adjustments to increase the quality of a track
begins to shine.
At this point in my life, I was young and hopeful. I
was single, employed but only part-time, and dedicated beyond anything
else to working on music. I knew I had a passion for it, but I wanted
more.
The very next year, I uprooted my life and moved
across the country to reboot my life. In November of 2010, I released
two debut albums on the same day, "Genesis III", and "Halcyon". The
first being the Metal Instrumental album, and the second being the
Melodic and Downtempo Rock Instrumental album. I was not sure what I
honestly expected. In some ways, I was sure things would take off, that
I would catch my big break, and things would be a runaway success.
Looking back, I can honestly say that I did achieve success beyond what
I should have expected. I did not make millions of dollars or achieve
financial independence, but I was able to sell several hundred copies of
my albums. I was approached by multiple individuals, who purchased the
rights to use some of my songs in film and commercial projects.
I had to feel ecstatic, and I think I would have
enjoyed it more, if I had really stepped back and simply allowed myself
to. Think about it... In a span of two years, I went from having forum
goers tell me how awful my music really was on the grand scale, to being
paid cold hard cash by companies that wanted to use my music to
help sell their products.
In terms of doing a one-eighty, this was about the best result I ever
could have imagined!
At the time though, it still just was not enough. I
was not done yet. I KNEW that I could still
do better. And this moment, in 2010, is
when the Hyperion project was born.
I enjoyed making Genesis III. In fact, my personal
favorite work at the time was on that album, entitled "The Price of
Freedom". This track caused me to work so hard, I actually
got fired from my job
while making it. Of all the types of music I had tried my hand at, metal
seemed to be the genre that connected me more with others, and certainly
the one that I had the most fun writing and producing.
I came up with an idea. I would write a better album. A newer album. A more
polished album. Something that sounded cohesive from start to finish.
But to do this I needed a benchmark. Something to measure against in
terms of quality. And that is when I set my sights on Metallica.
Metallica is a commercial juggernaut, a household
name, and a controversy all wrapped up in one neat package. When I say
that, I mean no disrespect, because to earn all those titles, success
must predicate them. And my benchmark was born, from Metallica's
second and
third albums, "Ride
the Lightning", and "Master of Puppets". I believe these represented the
band's purest and best work, from a technical metal standpoint. What
they accomplished spurred the entire genre to improve, and really
brought Metallica the success they deserved.
These two albums form the blueprint that I used
when creating the Hyperion album. Longer, more technical songs. Second
track title-tracks, and strong album openers and closers. Hyperion was
much different from any other project, in that everything was composed
from start to finish first, before ever even picking up a guitar to play
a note. This was done on purpose to bring cohesion, but I had never
tried to write music in that fashion exclusively. It would lead to
tricky issues in the recording process, not the least of which was the 7
year production time.
My life once I began this project really took off.
I had several different jobs, though I was able to catch a massive break
and I was swept into a new opportunity for a new career. This
flourished, and along with success came my wife and soulmate! Also a
puppy, a house, some of the great things that somewhere along the line
you decide in your head are musts, even though you could technically
live on ramen noodles and your friend's couch. Through it all, music
began to take small steps back. A month here without playing. Two months
without recording. Six months
without thinking about the album. 3 years
with no progress. My worst nightmare from a
musical standpoint had been realized. I no longer needed music to
succeed to advance my life, so there was no longer a burning desire to
improve and record.
Somewhere between these years, with half of the
album recorded, and the other half shelved indefinitely, I came to
accept that my music days were at an end. I figured someday, somehow, I
might return to the album, or I might not. I wanted to finish my
project, deep down, but my motivations began to change. I did not want
to finish it for success, or accolade. I did not want to finish it to
sell copies of the album, or to get on the radio. I wanted to finish it
for me. I
wanted to finish it because I want to make sure that I do not regret the
path I walk in life. I spent so many years devoting my every free hour
to working on music, that its become intertwined in the tale of my life.
For it to depart over the years, felt wrong, and caused guilt for me
when I pondered why I had let it slip away.
Finally, last year, in 2016, I decided to take a
stand. Even writing this, and even though it was so recently, I honestly
cannot say what came over me. I picked up my guitar, hooked up my gear,
and just began to play.
For going well over four
years without recording, one thing was immediately apparent.
I was not TERRIBLE, but I was so
rusty.
My fingers tensed within ten to fifteen minutes of
playing. Aches and pains I had not felt in years shot up and down my
wrists all the way to fingertips. But I could not help but smile.
Because a joy I had gone so long without, was finally back. It was so
much fun, and it felt so great to just play.
I immediately decided I had to record something, I just did not know
where to start.
I have a tendency to record sequels and follow
ups. Sometimes I name them directly, in the case of "Terminate" I & II,
and sometimes I have spiritual successors with differing names, like
"Adrenaline" & "Arc Flash". I went to some of my earliest recordings,
and found a track called "The Anthem". This song was a curious tune,
that somehow got tens of thousands of views back in my first couple
years on YouTube. I released a sequel, "The Anthem II", a few months
later which never took off to the same level. But I figured it was a
great starting point. It was a simple track, with an easy melody, and I
decided by recording something similar, I could find my groove again.
I went on to record "The Anthem III", my first
recorded song in 4 years, and uploaded it to YouTube. Comments exploded,
as years and years of subscribers saw me actually get off my butt and do
something musically. It felt unbelievable.
Truth be told, the song came out just ok. The mix is lousy, the
composition is not terribly exciting, and the pacing is super slow. But
near the end, when the lead guitar finally fires up for a solo, I knew
that I was back.
The instruments converge for one melodic blast, and I admit I love
listening to the track just to hear the final minute.
From there, I went on to record a few new tracks,
and some experimental videos that really went nowhere. But effort by
effort, I saw a pattern emerge that I had not seen in a half decade.
I was improving..
There was no way I would have been able to pick up
where I left off after 4 years without recording. I really needed to
take some time to get back into the swing of the things. That time
turned out to be about 3 months. I got my recordings back to a level I
determined I was happy with, and then I set my targets on finishing the
project I had started in 2010. One by one, the tracks were completed. My
wife knows that I have been like a ghost over the last few months.
Between working 50 hours a week at a day job, and finding another 30
hours a week to work on music, it’s enough to occupy basically every
waking hour. But she knows my history; she knows what makes me who I am
as a human being. This is something that I need to do, and even though
it may put a pause on being the right kind of husband for a short time, I will
never be able to thank her enough for supporting me, and telling me to
keep going even when she needed me the most.
A brief break over the holidays culminated in a
final sprint to complete the project. In March, I began recording the
last of the two remaining tracks, "Avarice & Exile". This track is the
album opener, and the final track to be recorded, "Hyperion", is the
title track. I left these two for last, because I wanted the first two
songs on the album to embody everything that I had ever learned about
recording, and piecing together a quality instrumental. Not to mention
the fact that the title track is 8 and a
half minutes, easily the longest track on
the entire album. I recorded Avarice & Exile in moderation, working a
few hours here and there over several weeks to completion. I actually
impressed myself with how I was moderating the process, because I
typically just obsess over a song and hammer it into submission nonstop
until it is finished. Giving up sleep, food, nourishment, etc, in the
process.
That definitely happened last week, when I decided
to finally tackle "Hyperion". Once the ball got rolling I couldn't stop
it. I actually took four straight days off work to devote to finishing
the album. Though I didn't sleep much the first two days, I got a lot of
work done. By the third day, I actually broke out in a horrible fever
and a cold sweat. I was a complete mess, sick, and struggling to stay
warm because I had tortured my body so much just to finish the song
faster.
Looking back, it was a dangerous reminder of how
quickly I can deteriorate when I misjudge what my body needs. Mentally,
finishing this song was an absolute war, and I am pleased to say that I
made it through, but not before being scarred.
I will always cherish the experiences that my life
has brought me through music. Seeing positive feedback and comments
appear daily on my videos, gives me joy in knowing that somewhere,
someone on this Earth is enjoying the power of music that I helped
create. It is humbling, and I honestly believe my best legacy that I can
leave right now, for it may help people for years and years to come. I
am thankful for that beyond what I can express.
With that, comes other news. I do not know exactly
which road my future brings. My life has come along so far in the past
few years, that I am excited to meet the daily challenges head on to see
what will happen next. As tremendous as music has been, it was always
fostered by the desire to improve, and to reach higher levels of quality
time after time. I say to you today, that I am not sure when I may
return to music. For me to record and produce more, I would want to be
able to exceed what I have accomplished with the "Hyperion" album. At
present, I do not know that I am capable of finding the needed time and
energy to accomplish this. If this album took 7 years, how many would it
take to craft another? Would it take 10 or more? I do not have the
answer easily in sight.
This is not to say that music has a melancholy end
for me, or for this channel. If anything, I believe that someone
aspiring to follow in my footsteps can see my path, read my advice, and
carry the torch in their own musical projects. I will always be here to
offer guidance, advice, and to celebrate that we all are capable of
pursuing the dreams we want to reach for. The truth is, I do know that
if I return to music, I have a plan and an idea to realize for a future
project. But at present, March of 2017, my greatest musical
accomplishment, is now out there for the world to see. I do not fear
judgment, and I do not fear what may come, because I know the road that
I walked to realize the project. I know the sacrifices that I made along
the way, and I am proud to say, that I have no regrets in bringing this
project into the world.
Thank you for reading, for listening, for
commenting, for sharing, and for enjoying.
-Rob (Supralightning)
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