Nicole Laurel
Asensio is all set to celebrate her birth month with 'CHANGES OVER TIME,' a
brand new collection of original music in tandem with producer Gabe Dandan, as
well as a series of shows across the metro.
'Changes Over
Time' is a four track EP that lures the listener into a labyrinth of sound that
traverses through themes of time. Orchestral elements and intoxicating rhythms
are delicately coalesced into the electronic components of the songs to
compliment artist Nicole Asensio’s poetic propensity and meandering melodies. All
the tracks were mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos by Waxiefied Sound
Production.
“This EP is a
cocktail of different styles from me and Nicole’s favourite eras of music.
There are elements from the 80s, acid jazz influences from the early 90s,
neo-soul influences from the mid 90s and a melding of 70s disco and modern
house/electronic. The Dilla swing feel is present throughout the EP but
expressed through the different sonic platforms each of these eras of music
have.” - Gabe Dandan
“We
wrote the initial demos during a lock-in session in my home, and later brought
them into the the Dolby Atmos equipped production suite “Waxiefied Sound
Production.”it was a tireless three day process of writing and producing on the
fly, but the spontaneity of our process for this EP is what gave these songs
their unique charm and sound.” -Nicole
Welcome
to the dream… nothing is what it seems.
“Amused” is
a tune reminiscent of a smooth cocktail served over the plush velvet seats of a
swanky bar. The instrumentation is robust yet laid back, opening with a full
orchestra sound and slipping into a slow groove, full horns section. Much of
the style is inspired by 80’s soul-r&b. Nicole’s uniquely textured vocal and a section of female
backups garnish the track with sensual subtleties.
“Hours into our
session, Gabe continued to stack tracks as I was simultaneously writing words
to match them. I already had a melody in my head for the next song, but our
first couple attempts to match ideas weren’t jiving just yet. After an
ear-break we decided to jump into the next song “Where We’re Meant to Be” a
track that is inspired by accepting our circumstances because we cannot chase,
change or turn back time. Despite the heavy connotation of this topic, I wanted
to keep the vibe light, warm and summery. Lyrically, the song is about
accepting that everything happens at the right time and there is nothing one
can do to alter that, after all, We still can choose to count the blessings and
live in the moment when everything else seems out of sync. - Nicole
The second track “Where
We’re Meant to Be” blends hints of acid jazz and soul into a spirited and
upbeat brew. Percussive elements and classic jazz melodies meld into modern
elements and production styles creating a bounty of musical flavours.
The third track “Mirages” was inspired by a recent experience we
had in Siargao island. While skimming the streets, driving a dusty motorbike on
a sweltering hot day, the roads began to fade into a silver haze, mirages of
water shone on the path and as we got closer they would disappear. The track
opens with exotic string and wind instruments such as a koto and lute, as the
arrangement rises to a hilt, it suddenly plunges into a dark beat reminiscent
of trudging footsteps on desert sand. I kept the low and slow on this track, to
give the ear a different place to go. I was thrilled to have Gabe finally share
a little bit of his vocals on this track too! It took quite a bit of coaxing as
he can be extremely shy about singing, but I am glad he finally decided to come
out of his shell and share it on this EP.” - Nicole
Time in motion
it won’t stop for no one…
“The message of
this EP is about how ephemeral our lives are. We cannot escape the movement of
time and the fact that everything and everyone around us changes as well. These
four songs are our way of expressing how we should grow and evolve without
losing what it truly good and beautiful about us. I feel the music reflects the
changes over time because of how unconventional the song forms are with the
combination of different genres plus all of the abrupt sonic changes that would
intentionally throw listeners off yet reel them in again a few seconds later.” -
Gabe
The fourth and
final track which is also the EP title “Changes over Time” is comprised of four
parts or “seasons” within itself. As the title suggests, the track has multiple
shifts in tempo and feel. The song opens with 2000’s influenced house beats,
string elements and effervescent vocals, then descends into slow, intimate
musings of sadness over a sultry groove, it then picks up again and
shape-shifts with the help of electronic elements such as vocoders and synths,
the cycle repeats before fading into a gospel choir influenced outro. Truly a
sonic experiment reminiscent of the many changes that come as we sift through
sands of time.
“We retained a lot of elements
from our first writing session such as the bass, keys and some of the synths. We
then headed to onQ studios where we got to work with music stalwart Mr.
Marvin Querido
who tracked our live sessions with drummer Randall Enriquez and a horn section
spearheaded by Michael Guevarra. Nicole and I recorded lead vocals and backup
vocals at Waxiefied Sound Production Dolby Atmos suite. We blended in
vocals from industry friends Mel Torre, Sarah Holmes and Dominic Dimagmaliw.
After most stems were in place, singer-songwriter Kevin Yadao added some more
smooth backups to the mix. One of the highlights of working on this EP is
guesting L.A. based world renowned trumpet player Aaron Janik, who plays
alongside some of the greatest musical acts in the international scene. The
entire team was comprised of titans in their own right, and we were honoured to
work with each player. Finally, I added guitar as a finishing touch. We brought
to Waxie Joaquin to mix and master because of his expertise and understanding
for this multi-genre type of music. Waxie, Nicole and I would stay up everyday
till 5 in the morning working on the immersive experience and getting
everything to its optimal sound across the board. After Mastering was done, Jiggs
Hermano did the
quality control and after a couple of hours of careful listening we all agreed
it was ready and sent it out for distribution through Warner Music Philippines.”
- Gabe
“Working on “Changes Over Time” was a refreshing immersive experience. Bringing all the songs to life was such an
impressive sonic journey. These songs were truly conceptualised composed and
arranged to be heard, listened and “felt” in
Dolby Atmos.”
Waxie Joaquin, Waxiefied Sound
Production
The tandem paints
a sonic landscape that is both peculiar and familiar in the same deep breath.
Through the shifts in tempo, rhythm and language from English to Filipino,
there remains two common threads—homage to soul music and an earnest
articulation of words from the soul.
'Changes Over
Time'
will be
released on all digital platforms on July 5, 2024 at 12mn.
There will be a
countdown launch gig on July 4, 2024 at 8:30PM in 19EAST, east service
road, Sucat followed by the following tour dates:
July 7- A birthday show at Salon De Ning, The
Peninsula Manila.
July 12- The Astbury,
Poblacion (by invite
only)
July 19 - 78-45-33 Salcedo Makati
July 26- The Spirits Library, Poblacion.
More Road tour
dates across the Philippines to be announced.
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