The Waters, They Are Rising - available now

The official release date is not until next week. But....I have unleashed the new release today – “The Waters, They Are Rising”. Available for direct digital download and hard copy CD via mail order. (Most all of the 7d Media catalog is also shipping as hard copies now -- with t-shirts coming in a few weeks.)

I'm quite excited about this new recording. Namely for the general direction it is sending me. It is part one of a four CD group well in process – each of a quite different flavor. The second is gurgling up at present and seems to be pointing in the opposite direction of this one.

The next exciting thing is the beautiful opening track. A Bob Dylan cover(what?!!?) rearranged by yours truly, hauntingly sung by Dylan Nichole Bandy and recorded/mixed by Michael Cozzi. This was originally recorded as part of my score for Sonya Lea's short film “Every Beautiful Thing”. With the CD version we have fleshed out the arrangement and made some alternative choices.

My excitement proceeds along through the other tracks – this includes a series of live improvs based on Peter Gabriel's song "Here Comes The Flood". These served as introductions to the piece during The Security Project performances last year.

Then we have the cover design by Julia Hensley. Perfectly edging up to the edge but not quite peeking over. A streamlined version of the design for t-shirts will be here soon, in both stealth and branded versions.

And in other areas:

I have decided to take a new business/artistic decision with this release. I am raising the price to above the norm. The norm being a steady "race to the bottom" where music ends up having no monetary value whatsoever. I am choosing, what turns out to be, a rather radical direction -- not lowering my price to meet everyone else's, but raising it to the level that, 1. I think it deserves, and 2. is needed in order to make this kind of stuff. The pricing equates to about what six cappuccinos cost at most places in the world.

I have no doubt that many will understand, and even support, this. 7d Media's USA distributor (City Hall) is putting their full support behind the decision. However, I have been extremely surprised at how the digital downloading world is working against me here. It turns out that neither Amazon nor iTunes will let anyone price their digital albums above $14.50. I have no idea why and it frustrates my strategy. Therefore I am having to put it through their networks as a stunted release of only three tracks. I will not be adding it to any streaming services, as all of their pricing mechanisms are designed to benefit only their investors.

I am expecting, to at least some degree, a pushback on this. So be it. I have no idea whether this is a sustainable, or even a good, idea. But, for now, I must give it my all. Perhaps something will come from it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if music was valued as much as a few cups of coffee? 
 

Comments

[Em]

This new stuff sounds uber-cool so I for one may have to downgrade from a venti to a grande latte for a day to pay for it.

[Tiago Coutinho]

Trey, the record is wonderful. It is worth the price and for my money, you should keep it coming!

[Ben Mevissen]

Im touched by this release trey,your intelligent,creative and with substance music stirs my soul...I buy your record asap...