Living Stones from Seven Succulents by KiloWatts

Living Stones, lithops... I don't have any myself, but this is probably the simplest embodiment of a succulent. A perfect example of mimicry in nature, the pebble plants camouflage seamlessly with their surroundings. You've probably stepped on a few while cavorting out in the desert.

Beats zip and bounce, skimming across sand, partly out of Reaktor's Sinebeats ensemble, enhanced by a low end sub kick. This is an experiment in beat subdivision, similar to Liveforever's rhythm play. The liquidy synth comes from Madrona's Aalto, and there's some additive glassiness in the middle as well. Towards the end, you'll hear a custom Reaktor ensemble doing rhythmic granular exercises on a singing recording of my lovely wife Lynne.

This happened in a single afternoon and sat patiently waiting for the remainder of the album to be finished, as if anchoring the overall sound in a particular direction. When I'm putting together an album, certain tracks always hold it all together, like roadsigns saying "this is the end of the line of what will happen here sonically". This one dictated the nature of the other tracks heavily. Makes sense... Nothing's more succulent than a Lithops.

Whether expressing the warmth of the heart through lush chords and melodies, or engaging extraterrestrial aliens through twisted granular tractor-beams, Jamie Watts is committed to sharing music with the world, and beyond.

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