Visiting themes of loss, resignation and out-of-body experiences for week 44.

For the big four-0, I started with a 3-track vocal line, then this happened. I thought I was building the basis for a double-bass improvisation, but adding anything else felt like overkill.

Aiming for a little horror, a little of the Electrician.

Vocals by Rebecca Allen, nylon guitar by Steven McKnight.

I'm calling this genre "creepy-little-girl-core"

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I had a big dirty groove, then I found a bass patch called The Ox. It all seemed propitious.

My good friend Steven McKnight gave me the story, an excerpt from his Diary of a Coconut, and some tasty guitar solos.

I'm not sure what to say about this piece; I wanted to wrong-foot the listener then leave them feeling uncomfortable in the dusk in a vaguely familiar place.

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I've re-set a set of my lyrics from the early 90s and created new music to make the mood a little more sinister.

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I count this as more a remix than an original, as it's based on a series of VCS samples by Barry Cullen.

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This piece, number 24, started off inspired by Black Heart Procession, but then traveled through Gravenhurst and latter day Nick Cave. Once again, it's a bit dark.

Becca Allen joined in on backing vocals and autoharp.

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I decided to assemble a track that has been sitting in bits & pieces gathering dust, and apply some of the things I've learned so far to the arrangement and production.

I'd intended the song to have lyrics, but I've come round to the idea of it being an instrumental, using guitars & synths to highlight the vocal melody. Also my falsetto disappeared about 15 years ago, so my vocals were never gonna work ;)

This week's work is the theme for the protagonist of a dystopian sci-fi movie. Sump is a lot like Rick Deckard.

I'm not sure if the reprise is used for the trailer, i.e. for a montage, or for the final moments of the film as Sump stares into his melting ice-cubes recalling the details he hasn't shared with anyone.