The new solo project known as Salt House Lavish started-out as part of an exploration into sound during lockdown. Experimenting with samples and creating his own sounds multi-instrumentalist Andrew Lavick performs on a wide range of instruments from guitar, bass and keys.
The new track, ‘Staring off into Space,’ was produced and performed in his own kitchen, where he set-up mics and wires to ensure the right sound and focus. In this track specifically Lavick was inspired by the artist Garath Ian Williams whose artwork he has selected to accompany the track, ‘this piece really stood out and inspired the whole album’.
The electronic arts track combines dissonant sounds and samples to create a slice of what can be described as avant-garde with a hint of dark pop. A poignant lyric, ‘I’m staring off into space, drowning in all the memories that we had together’ conjures up images of floating out in space anchored by only one chord, in the depths of oceanic unease, while the protagonist comes to terms with their loss. You can relate to the lead character dreaming of what could have been, in the aftermath of an abandoned love-affair. You get the sense there is a searching for the pieces, the words left unsaid, disintegrating into the ether, while the person floats among the atoms and comets in an un-tethered stratosphere.
Inspired by the one lyric mentioned above, both evocative and ethereal, Lavick set about using this vocal line to layer and create the harmonies to conjure up the emotion inspired by the artwork. The track is filled with dissonance, yet a sense of harmony and melancholy pervade, we are reminded of a beating heart at the centre of it all, a little off-kilter while it finds it’s equilibrium in these changing tides of sound.
He tells us more about the process, ‘It all fell into place, with a simple effective beat – that worked perfectly to bring both the lyrics and sounds together.’
The music emerged from cut-up bits of guitar and piano to create the esoteric sounds, woven and layered to create the experimental and abstract nature of the track. Electronic layers create harmonious landscapes, illuminating a beauty within the darkness, as Salt House delves deep into his subconscious to emerge with a bright shimmering gem.
Working with and creating his own samples and sound effects, he explains, ‘I spend a load of time making sounds and soundscapes then I reuse them to make my songs…as a chef, I’m no stranger to mixing things together to create new and exciting flavours and music is no different, it may be a different canvas but the creative process is the same.’
‘Staring Off Into Space‘ is out 17 June and is from the forthcoming album, ‘Take a Deep Breath People’.