Elevator Fall - RetroSpecs

Elevator Fall started in 2005 with the release of “Sounding in Fathoms”. This was right about the time when the previous band Turners Corner ended. Up to that point most of the focus had been on creating more traditional rock or progressive music using drums, bass and guitar. A lot was changing including finding new meanings in life outside of playing music in bands and instead focusing more on solo work. A fascination with synthetic sounds started at an early age with influence from such artists as Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Art of Noise and so many others in the realm of new wave and post-punk starting in the early 1980s. Observing how even traditional hard and progressive rock bands were incorporating these new sounds started to fuel what would become a constant drive to create interesting music using combinations of instruments and sounds you would not typically think to mix. Experimenting with the fusion of traditional ‘acoustic’ instruments and digital sounds drawn from samplers, synthesizers, and effects resulted in four albums created over a span of seventeen years. This release showcases a diverse collection of songs, many of which transition from synthesized to acoustic instruments, encapsulating the ongoing theme of mixing and matching. A diverse array of analog and digital synthesizers played a key role in creating these songs, including the Sequential Prophet Rev2 and Pro-3, ASM HydraSynth, Korg WaveState and ModWave, Roland Juno-6, Behringer DeepMind, and the ever-inspiring Arturia PolyBrute. These instruments enabled the meticulous crafting of unique sounds and patterns, which frequently served as the foundation of this music. Along with all this electronic hardware, a collection of traditional stringed instruments have been used, such as Gibson and Fender electric guitars, Takamine 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars, Fender Precision, Jazz fretless and Rickenbacker basses, and even a 1950s Fender lap steel. For drums, a Ludwig Super Classic maple acoustic drum kit was used with a collection Drum Workshop, Pork Pie and Ludwig snare drums and a variety of cymbals from Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and Wuhan. Putting all these sounds together, what do you get? What genre is Elevator Fall? Would you call it electronic? In part yes perhaps, but with all of the symphonic and synthetic elements added in with the more traditional acoustic type instruments and mixing many different styles of composition, what is it then? I don't know, but creating something pleasing to hear casually and also having a complexity that can be enjoyed with a deeper listen has always been the goal. Hopefully this music brings you as much joy as was received when creating it. -Zebulon Pike DeMeerleer Special thanks to my wife and two sons for all the love, inspiration and support.