Album Crossfade Demo:
youtu.be/Tqc_VUpZm0c
Album Art by reine:
twitter.com/reinene_
3D Visuals by Mondo Designs:
www.behance.net/mondo_design
Vocals and Lyrics on "Blast+" by DEMONDICE:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCK0efN6mG-J8gv9Qq-MHGPA
twitter.com/DEMONDICEKaren
Vocals and Lyrics on "Pilgrims" by JubyPhonic:
www.youtube.com/jubyphonic
twitter.com/JubyPhonic_P
---
Hey everyone! This album has been in the works for around a year now and I am extremely proud to finally release my first concept album! I've been wanting to do something like this for a while now and every time I've attempted to make something like this, I always end up overwhelming myself by trying to go as grand as I can. I had to sit down and tell myself to start smaller and simpler then to branch out from there. In the end, I came up with the Odyssey Cycle concept by pulling inspiration from my love of the Zelda series, Arknights, and RPG soundtracks!
When writing Blast+, I imagined a battle involving magic with a connection to technology. It would take place in a world similar to Arknights where people with powers are struggling to survive in a futuristic setting. After explaining my vision of this song to DEMONDICE, she wrote some amazing lyrics for the song after many weeks of brainstorming and different lyric drafts. Huge shout out to Karen for doing such an excellent job writing and singing for this project!
After producing most of the EP, I needed to figure out an ending song and I remembered an old song I was quite fond of. After remaking the song from the ground up due to lost project files, Pilgrims turned out to be a perfect ender to the EP but I needed to flesh out the lyrics to complete the whole thing. I decided to collaborate with Juby on the song and she ended up writing lyrics that matched exactly what I was envisioning for the piece! Juby's singing voice matched the vibe I was going for as well and she took the original arrangement to the next level. I'm happy to have her on the project and she absolutely delivered!
On the art aspect of this release: after explaining my ideas for the Odyssey Cycle concept to reine, they came up with a spectacular character design for the hero on the album art! From there we brainstormed ideas on where this story would take place and settled on a castle in the sky! I absolutely love what they did with the album art! From there, I decided to have Mondo add more context to the scene in the album cover by making 3D environments within the world of Odyssey Cycle. They surprised me with the amazing work they did on the animations and having their work alongside the music of this EP worked flawlessly with what I visualized while listening to the project!
Overall, I am insanely proud of the whole project and I can't wait to experiment more with concept albums in the future!
---
"Zenpaku brings a refreshing new energy to the electronic music community. Based out of Orlando, Florida, Zenpaku exemplifies an artist that is passionate and who puts his blood, sweat, and tears into his art. After ten years of releasing remixes, Zenpaku is the new alias of dj-Jo that is now focused on releasing original music. Inspired by the likes of 黒魔 (Kuroma / Chroma), MisoilePunch♪, and Frums, the prowess in Zenpaku’s music delivers a unique rhythm game sound that will have electronic music and concept album aficionados hooked.
This songwriter and producer seeks to create rhythm game inspired music that tells a story and immerses the listener into Zenpaku’s world. Undoubtedly, a true producer with an aggressive yet unique composition approach, Zenpaku is set to gain listeners' attention by using his melodies, rhythm, and perspective to implement his creativity in a song. A real breath of fresh air in the scene, Zenpaku is here to leave a legacy.
Zenpaku drops his latest captivating EP “Odyssey Cycle.” The experimental electronic EP contains every element to get listeners hooked and dancing. “Odyssey Cycle” takes the listener on a musical journey with a nostalgic complextro sound combined with a modern breakcore style. The melodies and hard-hitting rhythms seamlessly work together for a must-listen record. Moreover, Zenpaku radiates melodic bliss across the EP that will hypnotize any listener. The powerful synths, production, and composition in each track give the EP an anthemic, uplifting, and radiant feeling. Through the seven-track EP, this talented artist maintains a fully charged arsenal of high-octane music that supports the fact that he is set to make a substantial impact on the music scene. This release is a testament to Zenpaku’s versatility as a musician and his innate talent for a variety of genres. “Odyssey Cycle ” offers feel-good instrumentation with strong synths and melodies that will have listeners wanting more. The EP will be available on all digital streaming platforms on October 29th."
released October 29, 2022