Shadows Within

This ambient piece carries a special energy because the bass flute I played isn’t just an instrument. I got it last summer from Dani Bošnjak, after the last concert with Cantus Ensemble in Cakovec. He told me he wouldn’t need it anymore ?? and that he knows what it’s like, but that I’d definitely know how to use some of its sound for my own thing.

It was in such a condition that nothing would come out unless you held down the B key, so I decided to slowly jam in G minor, but it turned out that sonically it was F-sharp minor, so in Ableton Live we worked in F-sharp while the flute was playing in G.

An old ORSI bass flute, I’d say from the mid-20th century, also passed through the hands of Eva Kingma, because Dani was crazy enough in the best way to put money into the flute tube, send it to Eva in the Netherlands, and ask her to solder a new headjoint onto it. An Eva Kingma headjoint!

That’s proof that Dani had a special relationship with this flute and gave it a new life that I’m continuing in a way that feels close to me. The flute is a singer, even though it’s very demanding in terms of intonation, but I’m working on getting it into shape. That’s why the recording isn’t perfect and the flute part is a one take.

You can hear the air, various imperfections like cracks, the time that has passed through the metal, the mechanics I used like an Amazon rainforest effect, and all kinds of intonation, but the skilled ear of producer Emil turned it into authentic sounds and supported the melodies the flute can still sing.

But maybe that’s exactly what remains,
that something between breath and memory.

Breathe into this tune, stretch, feel your body, dive into the vastness of another world or your inner one.