Dust Choir from Forgotten Keys by Softstroke

"Dust Choir" opens the album with the faint sound of breath taken in forgotten spaces, drawing listeners into the very first moments of the wandering spirit's journey. Here, the prepared piano's quiet thrums and the subtle brush of glass rims become less instruments and more ancient tongues, stirring drifting motes into a wordless vocal presence. This is where the initial concept of *Forgotten Keys* truly started to coalesce for us, finding how these neglected sounds could form their own kind of harmony. The felt piano lays down a deep, muted resonance, while the brushed glass rims introduce a delicate shimmer, almost like a hesitant sigh. Later, muted viola overtones weave in a thread of melancholic warmth, shaping an airy lattice that balances profound fragility with unexpected poise. The lyrics, like 'Mahogany sighs through cracked keys' and 'Motes waltz like runaway church hymns,' do more than just depict; they conjure the very breath of these old halls, hinting that even inanimate objects hold echoes of life. When the whispered choir emerges with 'Breathe with the Dust Choir, let forgotten lungs conspire,' it’s a pivotal moment. This isn't merely a refrain; it's the spirit's first collective breath, a fragile realization that voices, even silent ones, can rise from neglect. The subtext here suggests how shared vulnerability can transform isolation into a quiet strength, a core idea we aimed to convey from the very first notes. This piece moves from a raw loneliness toward a quiet, almost imperceptible sense of belonging, a shift many will find themselves revisiting for its introspective qualities. The collective efforts in shaping these unique sounds, combining the prepared piano with crystal and bowed strings, allowed each texture to contribute its distinct voice to this emerging "choir."

We found our sound hiding in empty buildings where pianos gather dust. These forgotten places whisper stories through cracked windows and weathered keys, and we translate those whispers into music that moves between silence and breath.