Astral Bloom by Brendan Byrnes

This album is something I’ve been wanting to create for a long time. There are some traditionally structured songs here, but most of the music emerged from an almost improvisational process — written quickly and instinctively — progressing unpredictably and without a lot of repetition. Memories, imagery, and feelings from recurring dreams and a few perplexing astral projection experiences were a guiding influence. The album is intended to be experienced as a single, continuous piece that guides the listener through a fluid musical landscape. I wanted to capture the organic evolution and looseness of improvisation while maintaining clearly articulated ideas and thoughtful orchestration.

All of the music is composed using microtonal (xenharmonic) tuning systems, with custom-fretted microtonal guitars and bass leading the way. The album also features incredible performances by Louis Lopez on trumpet and Michael Mull on bass clarinet and alto saxophone. Their parts were meticulously recorded, often phrase by phrase or just a few notes at a time, using guide tracks to ensure precise tuning. James Waterman lights up to the final section of Constellational Tectonics with his masterful work on timbales, dunduns, and congas.

Thank you very much for taking the time to listen.

Tracklist

1.	Astral Bloom_Full Album_Gapless Playback	46:36

2.	Hypnadelic	3:48

3.	From the Surface	5:26

4.	Karst Towers	3:43

5.	Rock Fever	4:10

6.	Ravenous Bloom	4:42

7.	Constellational Tectonics	5:27

8.	Adrift	6:08

9.	Memoryless	4:14

10.	Under the Surface	4:25

11.	Return to the Surface	3:58

Credits

released May 13, 2025

Brendan Byrnes —microtonal guitars, microtonal bass, microtonal keyboards, percussion, vocals, other assorted sounds

Louis Lopez — trumpet on From the Surface, Ravenous Bloom, and Memoryless

Michael Mull — bass clarinet and alto saxophone on From the Surface, and Karst Towers

James Waterman — timbales, congas, dundun on Constellational Tectonics

Mixed and Mastered by Brendan Byrnes at Rocking Horse Studios, Los Angeles, CA

All music by Brendan Byrnes

License