Stunning beauty
Maison Melody was Stephen's beautiful previous release, and how delightful it was to wander hand in hand with Stephen through the house where those very compositions began their lives. The aftertaste that settled in the musical memory was impressive and beautiful. Returning to Maison Melody was never a chore; it is even better now that there is new music by Stephen to listen to.
While Maison Melody already entailed the struggle with tinnitus during its creation process—and the album specifically demonstrated that it was possible to make music in defiance of the accursed tinnitus—that same tinnitus brought with it the loss of hearing in Stephen's left ear.
Tinnitus
The stubbornness of tinnitus and the pressure associated with it affected Stephen just as they did others who were afflicted by it, and he too sought solutions to cope with it. The willpower and resilience involved, coupled with immense creativity, can be heard on Mt. Mundane. When you are searching for how music can return to your life, when it is such an essential part of your existence and Mt. Mundane is a solution in that regard, then, for that reason alone, it cannot be otherwise than that this path holds something good for you.
Two Time Journeys
Going back to recordings he made when significantly younger, and now listening to them again with his gift for coloring music and transforming it into how he heard it, he effectively made two time journeys: on the one hand back in time, to the perhaps basic compositions he created as a youth, and, with his knowledge and experience, forward in time to the realization of the music you can now listen to in the here and now. Abbey Road Studios
Stephen was given the opportunity to record the album at Abbey Road Studios with an impressively large orchestra, supported by Anthony Weeden as co-responsible, alongside Stephen, for the orchestration and conductor. He orchestrated the music for The Lord of the Rings, among others, and worked extensively with Jóhann Jóhannsson, while simultaneously with acts such as Junkie XL, David Byrne, Anna Calvi, Django Bates, Richard Bona, Antony & The Johnsons, Kate Tempest, Oleta Adams, Marc Lavoine, Gary Lucas, and Jagga Jazzist; he also conducted the largest British orchestras.
Stunning beauty
The very idea of time travel is fascinating, and with the opportunity to bring the music to life—including through his own influences—with a choir, an orchestra, and magnificent piano playing—especially when shaping your music within the limitations Stephen faced, Stephen has managed to get the most out of it. The result is simply of stunning beauty.
Monsieur Croche
Stephen calls it a personal journey through his life, and having listened to the album multiple times now, that is exactly how you can experience it. Let the titles be signposts for what you might encounter; even if you cannot interpret the titles, it is an album to listen to with bated breath. Mr. Croche, for example, is a reference to Claude Debussy, one of Stephen's influences, but even if you do not know that, that adagio is very beautiful.
Becoming still
It almost makes you nothing but very still. And that is for two reasons: firstly, what you hear is, without exception, extraordinarily atmospheric and captivating, and that resonates, even without fathoming the essence of the titles. Secondly, if you try to put yourself in the shoes of trying to translate the music you made as a youngster into this very beautifully orchestrated music, you can be moved by the journey Stephen has taken.
Very beautiful
Mt. Mundane is beautiful, it is very beautiful. It is not only a monument of willpower in defiance of seemingly insurmountable barriers; it is an album that surprises and that emphatically captures life, its peaks and valleys, and that also manages to move you in its interpretation of the accompanying emotions.
The album Mt. Mundane by Stephen Emmer was released by Electric Fairytale Recordings on October 11, 2024.
[Written In Music - Marcel Hartenberg]
Listen to Mt Mundane on your favourite music platform here
Buy the Mt Mundane album on CD here