the trek

for this piece, we aimed to juxtapose the harsh desolation of a snowstorm against human desire and determination. the artwork, and especially the title ("the man gave him a pair of snowshoes"), seemed to represent the idea that although he is alone in his trek, it is only through the grace of another that he is able to persevere through such dire conditions. ideas of determination, spirit, solitude, struggle, and release guided our creative aims in this track.

the track begins with a long drone as if to set the stage for the bare icy hills, with percussive elements of footsteps, ice crunches, and trickles mixed in. as the tension and sense of hope builds, we introduced a kick as if to mimic a heartbeat and palpitation in pushing through the final stretch, which then finally culminates in the climax—a transcendent release as dawn breaks.

the collaborative process included us starting off with a moodboard to set the stage for how we interpreted the theme/artwork and how we wanted to bring it to life. after that it was just a lot of sending things back and forth and coming back to listening sessions every few days. on my (scarlet's) end, I tend to lean towards more figurative and atmospheric interpretations of what the track needs, which was complemented well by Ty's (pleatsandprints) ability to bring a much more technical knowledge to its sound design.

https://soundcloud.com/scarletknife-570246388/the-trek-imagination-jam-3