The Making Of Spirit

Musical innovation is often comes from accidental misnotes, mistimings, unusual chord combinations that in the hands of the open-minded results in something altogether fresh and exciting.

Serendipitous moments have led to Modern Jazz, Erik Satie, Radiohead, Autechre and so much more. It is that knife edge that Marmalade Soup now inhabits. ‘The Other Side’ was the first track to be recorded. Undecided which way to go, two bass lines were created - one synth, one double bass. Musical development often occurs when things are combined that shouldn't go together. This is exactly what happened in The Other Side. When both were accidentally listened to together, the beautiful converging, diverging nature of the song began to take shape. The two lines were left largely unaltered forming moments of jazz-like dissonance, moments of harmony, and a new sonic landscape was created.

Another track that represents a giant leap of creativity for Marmalade Soup was the opening track ’Look Up’. It began life as an indie-inspired guitar/bass/drum piece accompanied by a complex synth sequence. Whilst muting all other tracks in order to perfect the synth line, it morphed into something completely different. There was greater beauty in ditching everything else and running with that single synth track. This process of building up songs then paring them back into something entirely different became a new way of working for Marmalade Soup. Complex music would be built up, ripped apart, reduced to its barest minimum and rebuilt into a form often unlike how it began - an altogether sculptural process. ‘Boldness’ began as a multi-layered exploration of 70s funk, then ripped apart, cut apart, leaving richly dispersed distorted clavier and synth lines building to a crescendo. Part of the compositional process is what’s left out, as well as what’s left in.

Mathematics bears another influence over the music. ‘Reflection’ began as a piano chord sequence that is repeated as a variation, then reversed as a reflection of the first two phrases. The piece takes on a form like Satie’s Rosicrucian period. ‘Joy’ developed from an experiment in the circle of fifths into a track with somewhat alternative 80s pop undertones. 

Another influence over the whole album is the richness joy in the Holy Spirit - it is never overt, apart from in the track titles. ‘Spirit’ is intended as a spiritual journey through life, missteps become Spirit-breathed that bring moments of distinct joy, sadness, frustration, hope and resolution.

I started out as a pastor kid - son of a Methodist Minister; rebelled against God as a teenager - becoming a Buddhist for 13 years. Buddhism became an austerity and I eventually realised I was practicing it purely to stop the feeling of guilt when if I skipped it. It took three years to wean myself off it. At the end of those three years I met my wife online and when I proposed she said I had to go to church. I said I'd go to church but wouldn't necessarily believe! Two years' later I was baptised and discovered the reality of God through personal experience of The Holy Spirit. Not looked back since. God loves us all - no matter how vehemently we fight against Him.

If this album brings even one person to Christ, it will be a success.