Me (and you)
First of all, nice to meet you! I am a musician based in Italy and "Moods and Modes", the subject of this post, is my main musical project. If you care to know something more about me, you may read this nice interview in the Alternative Friday blog (and maybe you’ll discover some new indie artist while you’re there!):
If you’d like to say hi and tell me more about you, you may hop in my Discord server and have a chat!
The project
The purpose of “Moods and Modes” is to explore the feelings that the different musical scales and modes inspire (at least to me) by composing a collection of short instrumental tracks, in a variety of musical genres.
The pieces are collected in volumes of 6-7 songs each, released on Bandcamp and on every streaming site.
The short pieces are also intended to be used as source material for extensions, recombinations and contaminations. So they are often subject to remixes, both by myself and by musician friends, spinning side projects.
Bookmark (or collect!) this page and come back often if you’d like to join me on this exploration trip. Welcome to my musical world!
Volume I (2018)
“Moods and Modes vol. I” collects 6 pieces written in musical scales with less than 7 notes:
For the Joy. Jump for the joy with this major pentatonic tune. Remix: The Joy of Sailing Away.
Sail Away. Gently roll on a minor pentatonic boat. Remix: The Joy of Sailing Away.
Geronimo. A hammond organ make the blues scale rock. Remix: Oil and Water.
Marilyn. An electric piano makes the blues scale swing. Remix: Oil and Water.
Sunrise on Mars. An alien synth salute the rising sun with a major pentascale tune. Remix: From Dusk Til Dawn.
Autumn Sunset. A latin jazz mood inspired by a minor pentascale. Remix: From Dusk Til Dawn.
Volume II (2019)
“Moods and Modes vol. II” collects 6 pieces written in different flavors of the C major and A minor scales:
Simple Dreams. A simple emotional sketch in C major. Remix: Blissful Serenade
Serenidad. A serene latin dance in C major.
Easy Goin’. A happy fiddle stroll in C major with a blue note.
A Glimmer of Hope. A symphonic sketch in A minor.
Scheherazade. An eastern vignette in A harmonic minor.
Sound of Past Moments. Retro sounding rock in mixed minor mode.
Volume III (2019)
“Moods and Modes vol. III” collects 6 pieces written in D Dorian (one of my favorite modes) and F Lydian:
Fanfare for a Jester. The renaissance flair of the Dorian mode
Clouds on the Road. A minimalist piano piece in Dorian mode
Door to Elsewhere. A jazz sketch in Dorian mode.
Gentle Rain. A gentle ballad for winds in Dorian mode
Liaisons Dangereuses. A soft waltz with a swing heart in Lydian mode
Summer Sky. Ambient track in Lydian mode.
Volume IV (2020)
“Moods and Modes vol. IV” collects 6 pieces written in other modes without accidentals (well, mostly). The first 3 pieces are a short trip around the world, the other 3 a short trip inside a mind.
Duende. A passionate piece with a spanish tinge in E Phrygyan
Kurai Umi. A fantasy japanese trip along some dark waters in the Insen scale
Ceilidh. A new take on a celtic jig in G mixolydian
Changes. Subtle mood twists in B locrian
Don’t Worry. A carefree swing track in C major blues
No More Fears. A small rock anthem in A minor blues
Volume V (2024?)
“Moods and Modes vol V” will explore the G major scale and the moods it suggests to me. Pieces released so far:
Come Out and Play Again. A simple power pop ballad for complicated times
Rags to Riches. A ragtime piece with a suspenceful twist
Let’s Walk and Talk. An easy listening nostalgic piece
Synesthesia. Dance to the sound of colors!
Empathy. A cheesy pop song about caring for each others, in G Harmonic Major
Serendipity. Happy surprises in troubled times, in G major and F lydian
Digital collectibles
All the tracks of the project will eventually be released as NFTs and find their permanent home on the blockchain. These are the different releases that will spin from the project:
Every “Moods and Modes” piece will eventually be remastered and “eternalised” as 1of1 or limited edition NFT on Ethereum
Every remix will be released as a limited edition on Sound.xyz on Optimism or Base and the revenue will be used to remaster and publish the original songs.
“Liquid Dreams” are small improvisations inspired by the remixed pieces released exclusively on Sound.xyz. "Moving Covers" and "Clockwork Dreamscapes" are small video clips on Zora that document my experiences onchain, like a sort of digital scrapbook. “Liquid Dreams”, "Moving Covers" and "Clockwork Dreamscapes" collectors will have access to all future presales and to a dedicated space to help shaping the project (a dedicated channel in my discord server). If you like what you are hearing, these are maybe the easiest point of entry to my musical world.
