Ok. Serious bit first, then some music talk.
According to recent data, 1 in 6 women will have experienced online stalking. The use of technology has expanded the reach of stalkers, with 80% of victims experiencing both tech-facilitated and in-person stalking.
Victims often report significant emotional distress, including 61% experiencing depression and 83% facing disruptions in daily life, but only 37% of victims report cyberstalking to authorities.
Alongside stalking, approximately 1 in 3 women experience some form of general online harassment in the UK, with a King’s College London report highlighting that 33% of girls aged 17-21 in the UK have faced some form of online abuse.
Any light that can be shone on this problem is energy well spent, and as a male in an all-female household, I’m particularly conscious of the issue - which is, chaps, a male problem.
So any awareness about the threat (both online and offline) is important and that’s what this piece represents - a reminder that however paranoid one is perhaps led to feel if you’re uncomfortable by a male presence or you think something is wrong it’s ok to shout about it. I’ve stuck some links to helplines and information at the bottom of this article if this helps anyone.
From social platforms to train platforms, this needs to stop.
That all being said, a little about the music itself.
The slightly claustrophobic feel suggested the thought process around the theme and video in the first place, but what initially started this one off was an experiment in playing some rather chopped-up drum loops due to a slight boredom with a straight rhythm. This lends it a rather ‘jazz’ drums-falling-down-a-stairwell feel, although as my lovely mentor pointed out, it’s ended up sounding a bit more retro hip-hop (I’ll take this), and now I’ve finished it more than a little Portishead.
I wanted to play around much more with some space in the music - things dipping in and out or disappearing altogether. It’s always a really powerful trick.
There are also some interesting things going on with the bass here too - it initially just had an upright double bass (there’s the jazz bit again) but that now drops in and out with some much more ‘rock’ Rickenbacker for added oomph.
At first, it wasn’t really a guitar-led piece, but after adding some lines to support the main melody it kind of spiralled until we ended up with the full Pink Floyd-style solo in the latter half which leads into the final section inspired by the latest work by The Smile (who have made slightly mad jazz prog kind of cool again). Guitars are back, baby!
Also (fact fans) this is the first recording in existence where I play slide guitar - I think - so, it’s a Semiphore first. Also, this is the first piece where I’ve spent significant time on my final mastering chain (geek alert!). Previously, I’d just outputted via Logic’s Mastering plugin, but this one is the result of a bit of research and all sorts of EQ tweaks, compressors and limiters to shine up the final result. Can you tell?
Finally, it’s the first proper Ambient Soul piece I guess - completely written and produced with the genre in mind versus a kind of vague feeling that I had before. More Ambient Soul thinking coming soon, but in the meantime, if you’re not up to speed on it, get the brief here:
Anyway, enjoy the track. I know it’s not an easy subject that I’ve aligned this one to, but music has a power and if that can help in any way then that’s all for the good.
Cyber Stalking Contacts and Support:
The National Stalking Helpline:
https://www.suzylamplugh.org/pages/category/national-stalking-helpline
Victim Support
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk
Revenge Porn Helpline
https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk
Refuge
https://refuge.org.uk
On Every Platform, A Monster.