Crimson Cactus by Solar Ritual

Crimson Cactus was an absolute joy to write and record.

Oddly enough, the track began its life titled "Turquoise Terrapin" as I was trying to write a bass line inspired by the band Tortoise. It of course came out sounding nothing like that. The bass is more reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Money" than it is of Tortoise.

After arranging the drums and bass, I began to tinker with piano and various synths to try and create layers and depth while maintaining a sparse, slow, groovy vibe.

The track really came together when I wrote, played and recorded the simple acoustic intro that is based on the same chords of the "body." I was pleased to be able to incorporate the acoustic "real" instrumentation with the electronic synths and production.

I spent way more time on this than I should have, adding parts, taking them away and generally playing with the arrangement. Finally, I took a step back and decided "less is more" and left the bare fragments of what I began with.

This song is inspiring as it advanced my recording and production techniques and encouraged me to continue experimentation. I am also pleased that it sounds absolutely nothing like anything else in the Solar Ritual catalog.

Solar Ritual is a recording project by Ben Allen.

All music is written, recorded, mixed and produced by Allen.