First Thus by Colin Andrew Sheffield

"First thus" is a phrase used by book sellers, publishers, collectors, etc. to describe a book which may be considered a first edition and/or first printing, but which has been available previously in a slightly different form. A true first edition is the original, first printing of a given book, while a first thus is the first printing of a new version of that book. This classification can come about for any number of reasons, though often times it has to do with a new translation of a particular work, the involvement of a new (different) publisher, or with a new forward or introduction....
"First Thus" is Sheffield's debut solo album. The recordings on this disc were entirely composed using other commercially available recordings. The goal was to distill the essential qualities of these works and then utilize that essence for new recordings. Only very brief sections of the original works were selected. These raw components were then contracted, expanded, layered, and/or otherwise processed until something new was forged. The result is gorgeous ambient music that gradually shifts and unfolds, offering subtle nuance and quiet restraint. In a sense, it is a collection of other people's work, but this music appears here for the first time in a new setting or, if you will, a new translation.

Colin Andrew Sheffield (b. 1976, El Paso TX) is the founder of the Elevator Bath label. He has released a number of solo recordings on labels such as Auf Abwegen, Sublime Retreat, Glistening Examples, Invisible Birds, and more.