NRG by STAS
NRG (EP 2023)
Energy is an album dedicated to overcoming periods of creative block, self doubt, lack of time, stress or anything that is an obstacle to creative self expression.
I started these tracks 2-3 years ago, just before the pandemic. The inspiration came after a trip to Egypt. I used to dream about being in the desert one day and previously, this fantasy dominated my choice of instrumentation. After visiting a beautiful desert on the Sinai Peninsula my perception of the sound of that landscape changed completely. To me the sound of the desert suddenly became less echoey. It translated into a much more dry and intimate sound that is warm yet immediate.
The album begins with a dive into the Red Sea. Accompanied with choirs and the warm sound of a Korg MS20, which is one of the main instruments throughout the album, leads an arpeggio of kalimba.
I love this track for its subtle mix of percussion with analog drum-machine in a simple set of instruments.
The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a story of discovery. The technical background of this track is that it’s mostly made on a Teenage Engineering OP-1, edited and mixed in Ableton in post.
Where The Money At is a song about existential frustration. Plain and simple. It does not want to be more than a scream for compassion.
Have you ever felt like everything is closing in on you? Hyperventilate is about taking a big breath when courage is needed. As the arpeggios speed up, the atmosphere intensifies, finally releasing all the tension through big synths and drums.
Funky is a track just for fun, to enjoy all the endorphins released after going through the roller coaster ride of Hyperventilate.
For me, traveling is a very important part of growing. Often it is only after a long trip is over, that you comprehend the distance you have completed. It isn’t so obvious in real time, just like observing the growth of a plant, or the passing clouds. The sixth track on the album is dedicated to that.
Finally, ‘Voices’ is a celebration of going through changes and coming out as a whole person on the other side.
Tracklist
| 1. | Dive | |
| 2. | The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected | 4:56 |
| 3. | Where The Money At | |
| 4. | Hyperventilate | 3:08 |
| 5. | Funky | 2:52 |
| 6. | Clouds Above Nekhel | 5:22 |
| 7. | Voices | 5:23 |
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
Stas got involved with music first as a guitar player throughout elementary school. When he struggled to turn his wish to become part of a band into reality failed in high school he decided to try a different way to create the music he didn't find elsewhere and wanted to listen to so badly.