"Virtual Light: Song of the Week" #1

Due to questions regarding the inspiration for the new Alien Blue CD "Virtual Light", we decided to do a "Song of the Week" feature, where we'll make some of the inspirations, concepts, & lyrics of each song available. So, without further ado...

CD title and song # 1:

The title of the new CD is "Virtual Light". The term was coined by Stephen Beck and is also the title of William Gibson's 4th novel (Gibson, by the by, is the man who invented the term "Cyberspace" and kicked off the entire Cyber-punk movement). More on this later, but you might wanna read it!

"Welcome to the Show" (2:45) is the first song on the new CD. It opens with an open Asus2 chord and then, as the percussion comes in, weaves thru a couple of "middle eastern" scales: The primary theme is based on 2 scales playing simultaneously, depending on whether the vertical structure is based on an interval of a major 3 or a perfect 5. They are 1 b2 3 4 5 6 b7 and 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7. It is not properly bi-tonal in the traditional sense, but it does provide an exotic mood.

It is also a tip of the hat to Trent Reznor (9 Inch Nails) quoting his riff in the song "Wish" from their 2nd album.

The rhythm is a straight 4 and this is because we open with the song live, bringing the audience in to help with percussion from the get-go, hopefully destroying (to varying degrees) the 4th wall inherent in any stage performance.

The "4th wall" is the line between audience and performer.

We explicitly mention this wall in the lyrics:

"Hello - welcome to the show
(come join us) we've got miles to go
No 4th wall, we want you to play
come join our parade"

The ghosty harmony vocals only mildly reference the debut Alien Blue CD "An Alien Blue" and take the listener into an entirely new direction that is featured throughout the CD.....

Give it a listen: Welcome to the Show