We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.
The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.
Our 18th Home Diaries edition is by Richrmond, Illinois based artist Time Rival. Michael Southard the man behind the project, also runs the Triplicate Records label. Michael and his wife are used to working from home but the pandemic has made this more difficult with taking care of two children. He has managed to balance his time carefully and ‘Indoors‘ is a blend of Modern Classical and Ambient compositions which has a careful blend of intimate piano moments and wide open, cavernous spaces.
We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used. There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:
-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-018
-ARTIST LINK-
https://open.spotify.com/album/0SMyd0lnItfy4G32c3AMPj
press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.
For our next Home Diaries, we’re joined by Michael Southard who records as Time Rival and also runs the Triplicate Records label. Based in Richmond, Illinois in the United States, Michael and his wife have already been quite used to home working for their respective jobs. One of the challenges has been fitting this full-time since the pandemic, around the needs of their two young children.
Michael has still managed to work in some free-time into his new-found routine by getting up early and this space has been mostly reserved for music. Household environments and every day objects, toys and sounds were used to develop modern classical compositions and contemporary soundscapes. Some pieces feel intimate, particularly when piano notes and strings combine, whereas others feel cavernous and dreamy. ‘Indoors’ was created during a time when a new routine was being established by this family and if you allow yourself the time to absorb this mini album in full, you’ll be struck by a sheer level of detail, order and balance.”
credits
Written, produced and mastered by Michael Southard
Artwork by Harry Towell