A mix of ambient, electronica, post-rock and extra, The Blurred Horizon is probably greatest described as a phenomenal file, having a pure grace to it. From opener “Half Remembered”, which is tinged with melancholy, to the hotter “Cwmwl” or the haunting “Later, Then Now”, it’s fairly an understated assortment, but with rather a lot happening – the agitated, busy “Hypneurotic”, for instance, including a unique taste to the combo. Predominantly the work of Matheos, he acknowledges the benefits and downsides of engaged on one thing alone. “It may be enjoyable getting misplaced in my very own head when writing and never having to handle different folks’s expectations. However, there are occasions when it will be good to bounce concepts round or get some goal suggestions.” Nevertheless, whereas it is rather a lot his child, he’s not the only real performer on the file, enlisting the assistance of different musicians the place vital. “It’s primarily a solo venture, however with the thought of getting completely different company on every file to assist fill it out and, hopefully, give each a barely completely different sound. With the primary file, there was Anna Lynne Williams on vocals for a few songs, and Lloyd Hanney of God Is An Astronaut on drums. For this one, the stay drums on 5 tracks have been dealt with by Gavin Harrison of The Pineapple Thief, King Crimson, and Porcupine Tree. He’s my absolute favourite drummer, so he was the primary individual I considered after I determined that a number of the songs may gain advantage from actual drums. I initially was pondering of only one or two songs, however as soon as I heard how good he made them sound, I saved asking him do extra, which, fortunately, he agreed to. His enjoying added a complete new dimension to the songs, notably on ‘Hypneurotic’, the place he performs two completely different full drum equipment takes, panned left and proper, to realize a type of ‘double drummer’ impact.“
“All the things Is Free” – the closing monitor and just one on the file to incorporate vocals – is a canopy of a Gillian Welch and David Rawlings track from 2001. “Fates Warning have been fascinated with doing a little cowl tunes as bonus tracks for ‘Lengthy Day Good Evening’ (2020), and when that didn’t occur, I saved this one in thoughts for a future venture. It appeared to suit properly right here, regardless that it’s an in any other case instrumental album, and the vocals are by Tim Bowness. Like Gavin, Tim is somebody I’ve labored with prior to now, with OSI and a number of other different tasks. He’s obtained a phenomenal voice and his mild supply is simply what I wished for this one.” For the opposite tracks, Matheos wanted to give you titles, maintaining a working file of concepts and including to it any time he got here throughout one thing inspiring or encountered a phrase that may work. “The very first thing I did was undergo these and see if something ‘match’. Aside from that, it’s only a query of listening to the track and seeing what sort of temper or imagery it evokes, and hopefully choosing a phrase or phrase that conveys that, at the least to me.” The album title has no particular which means or idea behind it, Matheos pondering it simply properly summed up the track titles and music, giving some sense of course to all of it. “With instrumental music, it’s very exhausting to inform a ‘story’ with any specificity. Ten folks listening to the identical track, and not using a title to counsel one thing, will doubtless give you ten completely different concepts about what the track is about. However the majority of them will, hopefully, get the identical total feeling or temper, So there’s a way of seeing – or feeling – one thing, however not figuring out fairly clearly what it’s. And it gave me the chance to take yet one more title off my record!“
Recording as he was writing, it was an “multi function” course of, monitoring in his residence studio – and having his company do likewise of their private studios and sending the information to him – taking roughly six months to finish. This made for a clean endeavor – the toughest half choosing the track titles – and the guitarist is simply eager for folks to listen to it. There aren’t any plans to assemble a band and tour the file, doing so financially prohibitive given how exhausting it’s even for a band as established as Fates Warning to tour lately, and there might or will not be one other Tuesday The Sky file sooner or later. “It’s exhausting to say. Artistically, it’s enjoyable and satisfying, however finally it will depend on whether or not or not anybody desires to listen to one other!”
