If you want to know all about Adastra Recordings, you might want to brush up on your Latin. “Ad astra” is a Latin phrase meaning “to the stars”, but unless you’re a songwriter for Broadway musicals, “to the stars” just doesn’t cut it if you’re known for unfathomable basslines and abstract melodies.
Adastra Recordings is the most obvious step forward for a music producer like TPower who, after more than twenty years of defining and redefining his craft, continues to indulge in the relentless pursuit of the purity of tone and the injection of science into sound that’s extrinsic to the creative process itself.
In essence, there's a much deeper understanding of music going on here and an immense feeling of reverence for the artistic methodologies from which music is born. It is TPower’s continuous exploration of the humanization of the electronic process and the seemingly effortless translation of waveforms into an orchestration of sounds that are relatable and communicable that characterizes the bulk of his extensive collection of work.
Most TPower fans describe his past works as “progressive” or “experimental”. Fair enough. Those are the best adjectives for describing a style of music that doesn’t quite fit into “button-down” labels or categories. By no means has this been an intentional digression from “mainstream” or “popular” music on the part of TPower, but rather a candid and somewhat naive curiosity for exploring the boundaries of music and unlocking caged frequencies that are capable of stirring untapped human emotions.
When asked to describe the underlying intention behind the creation of Adastra Recordings, TPower replies, “It’s about being grounded in what TPower was originally about. It’s about going back…but with new nomenclature, new mathematical expressions for music and understanding what’s possible with sound and harmonic theory…and taking the timing and pitch off the grid. It’s about orchestrating waveforms so that they’re emotionally all-encompassing. It’s about workflow and music production based on judgment rather than luck. Most importantly though, Adastra Recordings is about separating art from product.”
Fundamentally, the creation of Adastra Recordings is proof that TPower is coming home, except this time he has a new set of master keys.
But don't be mistaken. TPower won't be relying on his past accomplishments to stake his ground as a reputable and well-respected music producer. Adastra Recordings marks the evolution of TPower as a musician, composer, producer and most importantly, as an artist.
"When I look back at what I've done musically, I know that there were holes in my production...I can honestly say that the success of Self Evident Truth of an Intuitive Mind and Waveform was based more on luck than actual judgment and process. I knew it back then and I know it now, and the difference being that I now have the tools and knowledge to bring my production to a higher level of sophistication and refinement, probably the highest I've ever been able to work with...and now that I'm beginning to understand and actually apply the intricacies of sound and harmonic theory, the possibilities are endless. For the first time in my life, I can hum a melody in my head and transcribe it note for note. I wasn't able to do that before because the notes in my head are not part of the equal tempered scale."
For the fans who have patiently waited for a follow-up album to either one of these TPower classics, it likely won't happen. That's the bad news. The good news is that a new TPower album is now in the works. MUSiC4LiF3 has two main intentions: to remind fans as to why they waited in the first place and to reassure them that their wait was well worthwhile. You could even throw in a third intention and say that TPower has never been a fan of complacency. After all, the evolution of a true artist necessitates the ability to adapt and change for the sake of preserving one's artform. And evolution often results in "longevity" and this is exactly what TPower is after.
Adastra Recordings welcomes you to the new era of the TPower sound.
