All of us are drawn to mystery in some way. History is filled with tales of Mermaids, Sea Serpents, and monsters so beautiful and gruesome they defy all reality. Stories of Loch Ness and Sirens instill fear, giving mankind respect for the sea while making us believe in the 'larger than life.' Funny enough, the reality is, in our many centuries of experience on the ocean, particularly over the last century with modern technology, no evidence has been found to support the existence of these infamous creatures. With almost no indication to prove otherwise, it appears as though myth & lore have merely been ways of exaggerating off-shore experience with on-shore storytelling.

Why is this significant? Mystery and the unknown still play an important role in modern entertainment and art, just as they have in the past. That being said, I'm going to focus less on that concept as it relates to ancient creatures and legends, and now talk about mystery in the sense of feel. How does a song or story feel mysterious? What notes and chord progressions express mystery and keep you wondering while building just the right amount of intrigue? If a writer gives too much or too little information at a given time, a story loses focus. It certainly takes a very skilled writer to do this strategically. Likewise, in music, if a melody doesn't follow certain 'guidelines' and convey feelings in the right way at the right time, the impact to the audience is greatly diminished. This is a concept that has become a very important part in recording this album.

Sounds, chords, instruments, and effects all play key roles in determining how the final mix of a song will feel. It's the sum of all these parts that combine together and allow a song to remind you of an experience, place, or emotion. These same parts also shape and determine the amount of mystery portrayed in a song. Mystery has been an important concept across the board on this album, but was initially explored on one song in particular.

I'm not normally one to write about fairies and mythical creatures. As a general rule I like to convey emotion and reality with things that are more relatable and close to home. Perhaps with this song it was the intrigue of the unknown, or an idea of something so unique and beautiful like a mermaid...maybe in the end it's better left up to the imagination. This song was actually inspired by a few things over the course of a couple years.

It wasn't long ago I was driving through San Francisco. We had just driven over a bridge as I looked out over the bay. Fog hovered over the water as the sky threatened afternoon rain. A few years later while experimenting with celtic instruments in the studio, I found that image stuck in my head. It was a rainy day just like the one in San Francisco. My mind pictured an elegant european castle overlooking a bay overcast in fog. That led to a vision of the bay holding a secret...maybe a magical power, maybe mermaids, or perhaps more simply, a rare natural beauty unlike any other bay in the world. Not 5 minutes later I had written a new song which ended up on the new album.  

I learned some valuable lessons from this experience. I realized some things are better left to imagination. Sometimes just the right amount of mystery can put a song or piece of art over the top. I also discovered there is a surprising complexity to simplicity...you don't want to say too little, but you also don't want to say to much.

This week in the studio - The album artwork is largely complete and is now in the final editing stages. I am working continuously on the biggest production on the album which is coming together quicker than expected. As far as KevinBluemel.com...well lets just say some big changes will be happening very shortly...

-Kevin