So ... this is actually a more or less focused extension of a more or less experimental project called Flowers For Kristin, that I began in the Fall of 2019. Both projects are ongoing, but what makes this one unique is that it's centered on Kristin's vocal emulation, with a little backup from myself, from time to time. Productionwise, the template is fairly well set in stone, so the songs will flow seamlessly, from one to the next. The tracks on this site are high quality mp3s (320 kbps). If you want a 16-bit wave, go to SoundCloud or Bandcamp. They are also free.
The cicada is an ancient symbol of resurrection. Their song hung thick in the air, the year we met, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's a name of my own choosing, but we came up with this music together, over the course of six years, with the late Winter of 2018 being the apex of that discussion. She had something to say to the world; something important to share, from the perspective of her own life experience. She had a mind to play a snare drum and sing with me, as she sorted through plans to obtain her master's degree in creative non-fiction, and I learned how to record myself properly. I just wanted her to sing, regardless. It's always been my dream to back a female vocalist, and she had a wonderful singing voice. Perfect pitch, in fact, without a single lesson. My mind did a few somersaults, that following Spring, needless to say, and it's taken me a bit of time to recall the discussion at length. In any case, I wasn't expecting her voice to come popping out of thin air, like that. The similarity is uncanny. (It is not AI. It is an artistic representation of her voice that I began experimenting with in the Winter of 2020.) As I keep repeating to everyone, I don't know whether to laugh or cry, at times. She had asked me to marry her, when her path was a little less encumbered with obstacles. I still wear a ring and am faithful to our promises, to this very day. Earlier this year, I realized that I had everything I needed to fully engage in the project we had more or less settled on, to begin with. Simple songs based in acoustic and electric guitar, surrounded by rural ambience -- country, blues, tin whistle ... what have you. It's the most agonizing weight my heart has ever carried. And, the most beautiful.The only thing that could possibly be better is her presence beside me, in the flesh, to sing the songs that are forthcoming. I am confident that whatever your definition of "spirit" may be, this music is directly connected to hers.
May her voice in the world never be forgotten.
Ali “Shayx" ibn Yusef
Onion Creek, Washington
7/29/23
