Album - The Attic Reels

Released On February 7th 2025

Listen on bandcamp here

After the complexity and emotional weight of The Awakening, The Attic Reels was a conscious retreat - a lo-fi, minimalist experiment in creation. Every track was written, mixed, and mastered entirely on an iPad using Logic Pro, an iRig interface, and a compact MIDI keyboard.

Instead of aiming for cinematic grandeur, this album imagines a man alone in an attic, discovering a box of dusty old reel-to-reel tapes - intimate, imperfect, but filled with soul. Many of the sounds came from a treasure trove of iOS synths and sampled instruments, especially those by IceGear Instruments - such as Mersenne, Laplace, Redshrike, and others - alongside the UVI Ravenscroft 275 piano and Steinberg’s Iconica Sketch.

This album leans into imperfections: unquantized drums, sparse arrangements, reverb-drenched textures, and ghostly synths - all meant to evoke nostalgia, introspection, and the raw simplicity of creation for its own sake.

Track Highlights

The Darkest Hour

A solo piano piece performed on the Ravenscroft 275, soaked in subtle tape wobble to evoke a vintage mood. This opener feels like a quiet confession recorded in half-light. It's introspective, warm, and minimal - like a personal moment captured on a dusty attic reel.

Icelandic

Built on a reverberated piano line and a solitary lo-fi kick from Klevgrand OneShot, this track is stark, spacious, and cold - like staring across an Icelandic tundra at twilight. It has a chilling serenity, where every note breathes.

Acidic

An acid bass line snakes beneath an evocative synth lead from one of the IceGear synths. Sparse hi-hats and snare patterns lock in with the melody. While minimal in composition, the pairing of acid groove and airy melodic synth makes for an unexpectedly deep vibe. More fun than profound, this track just works - a tape reel with bounce.

Farsight

Composed using Mersenne by IceGear - a bell-like FM synth - Farsight conjures the sensation of soaring above the clouds. A soft kick anchors the track as glistening overtones evoke an eagle’s-eye view of the world below. A dreamy, feather-light piece that captures open skies and quiet awe.

Regal

One of the richest arrangements on the album, combining Iconica Sketch orchestral strings with a companion synth lead. There’s a dignified grace to this piece - cinematic yet humble, stately yet soft. The strings provide structure while the synths add shimmer, like a lo-fi coronation procession heard through dusty speakers.

Desdemona

Named after the Shakespearean character, this track blends strings from Iconica Sketch with a soft, bell-like synth plucking counterpoint on the right channel. A lo-fi kick supports the rhythm. It’s wistful, reflective - like wandering palace halls long after the guests have gone. Restraint defines this track; it whispers rather than shouts.

Salty Breeze

A pirate jig filtered through tape hiss and memory. Bowed basses from Iconica Sketch drive a bouncing rhythm, while a synth mimics pizzicato strings, creating a charming counterpoint. With hand percussion and a breezy energy, this track is a playful nod to seafaring days and salt in the air.

Defy And Justify

A steady groove and a wobbling Moog-style Reese bass form the backbone here. The lead synth - again from the IceGear stable - offers a plucky melody with attitude. The title reflects the track's mood: if this had lyrics, it would chant “defy and justify” in a rallying cry against the mundane. A dusty b-side with a rebel heart.

Solitude

Another solo piano track, full of lo-fi charm and subtle tape wear. This piece feels like sitting alone in a room, thinking about everything and nothing. Just left-hand partial chords and top-end melodies, spilling across time. A quiet highlight of reflection and grace.

Take It Or Leave It

Chill funk with a shrug. Built around a Rhodes-style piano, a smooth bassline, and a laid-back drum groove, this track isn’t trying to impress - but ends up doing just that. It closes the album with a wink and a nod: easygoing, confident, and unbothered. A warm goodbye from the attic.

Final Thoughts

The Attic Reels was an experiment in restraint - a chance to step away from the complexity of full DAW sessions and rediscover the joy of making music with minimal tools, simple textures, and a relaxed workflow. Created entirely on an iPad, these ten tracks are like dusty old tapes found in a forgotten corner of the attic - raw, unpolished, and deeply human.

This album isn’t about perfection. It’s about honesty. About hearing the creaks in the floorboards, the wobble in the pitch, the imperfection in timing - and letting that be enough. In that way, The Attic Reels is a quiet reminder that sometimes, less really is more. Music doesn’t always need a grand purpose; sometimes it just needs to be.