'Luan' (Released Friday 02/10/2020) is the new single from 'Waiting Space' (the audio & visual project, and alias, of musician and creator, Chris Falconer, from Waterford, Ireland).

'Luan' was initially commissioned by the Luan Gallery, in Athlone, Ireland - as a musical accompaniment to a ‘virtual walkthrough’ video of the gallery's spaces, which was hosted online for Culture Night 2020 - and created to allow audiences to 'visit' the gallery from a distance, during a time when COVID-19 restrictions continued to limit movements.

While the original 'gallery walkthrough' video by Louise King, can be seen on YouTube at youtu.be/-k53o_xCPcM - Waiting Space has also created a new 'visualiser' (at youtu.be/QusWQUNU1No) to accompany the piece. In the video, the letters that make up the song's title, drift in and out of focus in an imaginary space - inspired by the rotations of a 'hanging mobile' which sits above Waiting Space's studio desk. Each letter bears a distinct, strong colour - which are based on the colours of Ireland's Culture Night festival - and as the song progresses, focus continues to blur, and the colours begin to bleed into each, and the screen is overtaken by iridescent motions.

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More About 'Luan':

'In early September 2020, I was commissioned by the Luan Gallery, in Athlone, Ireland, to create a musical score to accompany a ‘virtual walkthrough’ video of the gallery spaces – which would allow audiences to 'visit' the gallery from a distance on Culture Night 2020 - in a time when COVID-19 restrictions continue to limit movements.

A quick turnaround was required in order for the piece to be included in the gallery’s Culture Night programme – and so ‘Luan’ was written and recorded within 4 days. As a result, it is probably the most organic, and honestly-recorded piece of music that I have worked on (and a great diversion from how normally find myself tweaking and reworking songs for weeks or months, before feeling ‘comfortable’ to release them).

When creating ‘Luan’, I decided that emulating the feeling of being in the physical spaces of the gallery could be a leaping-point – and so I decided to place piano at the centre of the song, as I felt it was the best instrument for conveying the reverb of a ‘room’. I additionally tried to emphasise this by including the ambient sounds of pedals, and mechanics of the piano, in the recording.

The piano-focus of the piece was guided by the work of some of my favourite artists – including Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Agnes Obel, Trent Reznor, Thom Yorke, & more - and when creating the track, I tried to produce a delicate blend of sustained, rhythmic piano chords, acting as the foundation for clear, punctuating top-melodies, that evolve, and eventually blend, over the course of the song – so that the near 6-minute length of the gallery virtual walkthrough, felt cohesive (with similar re-occurring themes), but not stationary (with subtle melody changes adding new perspectives to the chords' notes).

Additionally, the chords flutter between darkness and light, in order to simulate the initial intimidation which can occur when entering a gallery space – which can be relieved the eventual joy of making a connection or revelation with a piece of art on display.

Occasional atmospheric synths, and musical feedback, bleed in and out around the piano at the core of the song - to reinforce the anticipation of turning corners onto new views -and to try and reflect the movement through the gallery spaces which the ‘virtual walkthrough’ video took. I particularly allowed the electronic elements to wash over the mix, when the camera focused its intention on an incredible glasswall which the gallery building has, and which allows an uninterrupted view onto the River Shannon - making a 'artwork' of the building's surroundings.

Thanks again to the Luan Gallery, and Curator Aoife Power, for including me as part of their Culture Night programme.'

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Get In-Touch/ Listen / Watch @:
Official Website: www.waiting.space
Email: info@waiting.space

Social Media:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/WaitingSpace
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WaitingSpace
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WaitingSpaceIRL

Everywhere else: just search...

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Credits:
Written, performed, recorded, produced, and mixed by Waiting Space (Chris Falconer). Artwork, footage, and video composition and editing, additionally by Waiting Space (Chris Falconer).

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Select equipment used:
Shure SM58, Shure SM7b; Novation Impulse Midi-Keyboard; FocusRite Scarlett 18i20 Audio-Interface; Sonor Drums; Sabian Cymbals; Macbook Pro w/ Logic X; Adobe Premiere.

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All footage, and music, copyright © 2020 Chris Falconer (Waiting Space).