THE LIGHT DREAMS

The Light Dreams is an ongoing intrumental Synthesizer project, founded in 2006, blending electronic and ambient into otherwordly soundscapes.

Creative force behind it all is UK-based artist and composer Alex Storer, who has been fascinated with electronic music since his childhood in the early eighties, listening to the music of pioneers such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Mike Oldfield.

With the release of his latest album, ‘Paranoid (Imaginary Themes)’, the time is perfect to have a ‘Synth-Spheric’ conversation with Mr. Storer, diving deeply into the world of The Light Dreams.

Hello hello Alex, a very good evening!

Hello, and good evening to you too - it's always a pleasure to talk to likeminded people!

To start I would like to go back in time, to be precise the year 2006 because that was when The Light Dreams came into existence. Tell us something about those days!

I'm going to wind back a few more years, to 2001. I had discovered a fantastic new album by John Foxx and Louis Gordon called 'The Pleasures of Electricity', and that album awoke something in me... I felt a real urge to try and make my own electronic music. I had created my first demos on an Amiga computer back in 1997 on some 8-track software called OctaMED. However by 2001, I worked on an Apple Mac, so I wanted to see if it would be possible to get some similar software for it.

There was a music shop in Sheffield, just across the road from where I was working at the time (and coincidentally in the same building as The Human League's private studio). So during one lunch break, I visited the shop to price up what I'd need - software, midi-synth and various other connections and boxes. It was going to be very expensive and I simply couldn't afford it – especially not even knowing if I had a musical bone in my body! So despite feeling that strong urge to make music, I let the idea slide, as it felt like too much of a gamble.

When I bought a new iMac in 2006, it came with Apple's GarageBand software. This felt like a gift from the gods, as it was exactly the sort of thing I had been looking for. I have no musical training, so that software - which was primarily based around loops - was a great starting point and means of learning. I bought a small midi-synth and started learning about the software and experimenting with making my own loops and melodies. It was a lot of learning - and I quickly made several albums of demos and ideas.

I think because I'd been a passionate music fan for so long, I had absorbed so many influences, it was all inside me waiting to be regurgitated into something new. That's really where The Light Dreams properly came into being.

I did make the mistake of releasing those demo albums (for free, via my website), at the time. In hindsight, I should have kept working, kept improving and not put anything out publicly until it was of a certain standard. But you live and learn – I was so keen to see what kind of reaction those early tracks would receive, I had to share them. It all sounds very amateur if ever listen any of them today - but the ideas were there.

Looking at what you have already accomplished, it was without doubt a very good gamble. Talking about Software & Synths, do you have any particular favorites? Equipment your swear by?

I would love to say I have a room full of synthesisers but sadly, I don't! I am software-based, and these days I work in Logic Pro.

A while ago, I did buy software versions of two classic Korg synths – the M1 and the Wavestation. Certainly, the Korg M1 was everywhere in the late 1980s and early '90s (Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Gary Numan, Mesh, Depeche Mode, etc), so it was really exciting to get my hands on the sounds I'd heard on so many of my favourite albums. Back in 2012, this really helped to define my own sound and direction, and that really came together in 2014, with the album 'Traces'. I still use both synths in my music today, as it links past with present, and brings a degree of nostalgia to my music, but hopefully without sounding too retro.

Which do you consider the ‘ultimate’ Synthesizer, as in a Synthesizer you would really really like to own?

I genuinely have no idea. It probably hasn't been invented yet!

Moving on to your discography, there are over 20 albums, several EP's and singles, an early demos collection and 2 ‘The Light Dreams Anthology’ compilations. How do you look back at all those? Do you have any personal favorites? Albums you would definitely recommend new fans to listen to?

I'm amazed I've managed to make so much music over the past 18 years - although I've only been releasing my work since 2011. There are a few albums I should have spent longer mixing or refining... but each project is a different learning curve, and a snapshot of how good you are in that moment. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

When an album is finished, I generally don't listen to it for a while – and quite often, after an album has been released, it almost sounds like somebody else's work; it takes on a life of its own. In the summer, I curated a second anthology compilation of what I consider my best, and most successful work. It was only when listening back to that, I realised 'Wow', I did all this!'.

I do have a few favourites, which I'm really proud of. The first album I would point anybody to, is 'Aspects', from 2022. In many respects, that felt like the album I had always been working towards; a combination of atmospheric and textured pieces with plenty of light and shade. It also feels like my most accomplished work to date musically. 'Traces' (2014) is an important album to me personally, and although I have improved since then, that was where I really started to find my own sound. 'Aspects' was a little bit like a sequel to 'Traces'; they go together well.

A lot of my music has been influenced by science fiction books or films, and I have made several science fiction and space-themed concept albums. Not all of those projects turned out exactly as I'd hoped, although they have their moments. However, when I made 'The Ministry of Machine Building' in 2021, I finally achieved what I'd been striving to create in terms of telling a dark, dystopian story through the music. That was quite a heavy album, with more of an industrial influence and a complete contrast in stye to something like 'Aspects', though still very much in my style.

In 2018, I made an ambitious album called 'Crossover'. This one flew under the radar a bit, but I think it contains some of my strongest work and my most complicated music. I really wanted to pay tribute to the concept albums of the 1970s. My original idea was to create an album of two long, continually-evolving sections, like 'sides' of an LP. It actually turned into three 15-minute tracks, each going through a number of movements. I wanted a dreamy feel to the music and a sense of adventure, exploring the blurred lines between the dream world and waking to reality.

I was going to leave it at four, but I should also mention 'Back Into the Light' (2017). I made that album to celebrate ten years since my first proper album, 'Into the Light', which I originally made in 2007. I liked the idea of returning to a particular style and mindset, and trying to recapture the excitement I felt when making the original - a bit like going back to one of your favourite places; you see things that have changed, but the things that made it special to you are still there. I really enjoyed working on that album; while there's still a lot of light and dark moments, it is generally a very upbeat and optimistic album.

You mentioned a lot of your music has been influenced by Science Fiction books/films. What are some or your all-time favorites?

I'm probably more influenced by books than films, as your imagination can really explore the written word. The book which had the most profound affect on me - influencing both my music and art, was 'The City and the Stars' by Arthur C. Clarke. In terms of films, I'm a big fan of Westworld, Logan's Run, TRON, Blade Runner (of course) and Dark City, to name a few. I'm also a big fan of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films - anything where you can escape to another world or existence!

For me, music is an escape, both in making it and listening to it - and especially with instrumental music, you can really interpret it your own way and see where it takes you.

Imagine Alex that trough music you can literally escape to Middle-Earth, what place would you want to visit first? The Shire, Rivendell, Moria, Mordor?

Rivendell for sure!

To stick to the subject of books and films a little longer; I always find Synthesizer/Electronic music to be the perfect atmospheric ‘finishing touch’ for the score of Science Fiction & Fantasy films/TV series, not to forget Space & Nature documentaries. Do you agree?

I agree, it's perfect for the genre - though I find electronic music soundtracks are too often overlooked in favour of symphonic, which just doesn't have the same atmosphere for me. One of my favourite soundtracks was Daft Punk's score for Tron: Legacy.

I'm also a big fan of Doctor Who (the original version more than the recent series), and a lot of the show's incidental music by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop always fascinated me as a kid, watching it in the early 80s - and of course, the theme music, which still sounds unlike anything else. The original version was a milestone in electronic music.

Talking about Doctor Who, who is your favorite ‘Doctor’?

Oh, that's a loaded question! How long have you got?

I've been a fan of Doctor Who for as long as I can remember. I was about three years old when I first started watching it in the early 1980s. Those memories also coincide with hearing music like David Bowie, The Human League and Jean-Michel Jarre - there was always interesting music playing at home; certainly enough to capture my young imagination - and Doctor Who took that to another level.

I'll always have a preference for the 1980s Doctors, especially Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor) as he was the Doctor when I first started watching it, but if I had to choose a favourite, then it would be the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker. He is the definitive Doctor and the very epitome of show. Those stories from the 1970s might look their age today, but the direction and the writing - solid, original science fiction - still stand up strong today. I never tire of it.

The name 'The Light Dreams' reflects the music that you make perfectly. How did you come up with it?

I think it was a misheard lyric or maybe a sample of dialogue in a song back in the mid-90s – I can't quite remember now, but it stuck with me. I've used it ever since for both my artwork and music.

It does match the kind of music I make, and it's much more interesting then my own name!

Many (multi-)instrumentalists and Synth wizards in the past have worked together with established vocalists and singers. For example, to just name a few; Vangelis with Jon Anderson and Paul Young, Mike Oldfield with Bonnie Tyler and Maggie Reilly, Jean-Michel Jarre with Laurie Anderson and Pete Townshend … How about you? Are there any vocalists/singers who you most certainly would like to collaborate with?

I'm really keen to collaborate with more vocalists. There are some wonderful Icelandic singers I would like to work with, but I'm yet to find the courage to reach out! For a long time, I firmly stuck to my guns of producing instrumental music, even though people would say to me, "That would sound good with vocals on..." (which in a sense can be a deflating comment when you've worked hard to create a hopefully engaging instrumental!). However back in 2021, I collaborated with a great vocalist called Ren Faye, and we produced a song called Glacier Heart, and it felt like a door opened - it was a new direction and one I enjoyed. I have just completed another collaboration with another artist, which I'm really excited about, which will be coming out in January

A couple of years ago, I started a project, where I planned to compose the music for several potential songs, and then offer them online to anyone who was interested in collaborating. However, I find writing the music for a vocal song (in a typical verse/chorus/verse etc arrangement) far more difficult than creating a complex instrumental! In the case of both collaborations so far, I had already written the music without the idea of it being a song, so it was a real surprise to hear how much vocals changed thigs - and I think any good song or piece of music always needs an element of surprise somewhere. I guess it also has to be something the vocalist feels inspired to work with and put lyrics to.

I have collaborated with a guitarist in the past and that was great fun. I'd certainly like to do more of that – I can’t play the guitar, so it brings a new dimension to the music, and more surprises!

Have you with The Light Dreams ever performed live?

No, I'm quite content being a studio artist. It would be difficult to perform my music solo and have anything genuinely live (plus I would need several of me!). I have jammed live with other musicians though and that's always fun and a great way of finding new ideas.

Curious though. Say there would be a one-time opportunity to perform live with the assistance of guest musicians, what tracks would be included on the setlist and which bands/artists would you love The Light Dreams to share the stage with?

I'm fortunate enough to be friends with some great musicians - including Simon Hayward, the keyboard player from Simple Minds/Depeche Mode tribute band Mind2Mode, and another friend who is currently working on his first album. I'd be in safe hands with those guys! In terms of the setlist, the first song would definitely be 'Awakening' from the Traces album. There is something special about the first song of a concert, and it is always my most anticipated moment of any gig.

In addition to music, you also create futuristic graphic art. What can you tell us about that?

I have been fascinated with science fiction art since an early age. I spent a lot of my childhood looking at books of futuristic artwork, and imagining escaping into those worlds. I have had a long a career in graphic design, but the inner urge to create my own artwork was never far away - I finally started working on my own pieces a couple of years after my musical journey began. I always had ambitions to work as a cover artist, and I've been lucky enough to work regularly with authors and publishers who specialise in speculative and science fiction over the past decade.

For me, making art and composing music is a similar process - one uses sounds, the other uses colours. Although as I experience mild synaesthesia, I also think in colours when I'm working on my music! There is a regular crossover between the two – sometimes a piece of artwork might inspire music, or vice-versa.

Finally, your latest at the end of november released album: 'Paranoid (Imaginary Themes)'. Another great achievement. However this time with a completely different theme.

Yes, 'Paranoid (Imaginary Themes)' was quite a different project to what I normally do. It is an album of fictitious video game music for a series of games I made myself on my Commodore Amiga back in the early 90s. They were 'shoot-em-up' style arcade games, but the software didn't have the capability to add music - and the games I loved always had great soundtracks (especially those by German composer Chris Hüelsbeck). I'm still a gamer in between everything else! I revisited my old games a few years ago, and suddenly realised I could now make the music that I wasn't able to do back then, and thought it would form the basis of an interesting album. 'Paranoid' was the name of the first game I made together with my best friend.

This was originally going to be a personal project and I didn't plan on releasing it - especially as it wouldn't really mean anything to anybody but myself and my old friend. But as the music progressed, it started to sound like an album in its own right, but with an obvious influence from classic arcade game music. Video game music has always been a big influence on my work - back in 1990, I remember putting a cassette recorder in front of the computer so I could listen to my favourite game music when I wasn't playing them – so it all really dates back to then!

It was a fun project, which has taken most of the year to complete (although the title track actually dates back to 2020). I deliberately avoided doing anything in a typical chip tune or synthwave style, although there are hints throughout the album. It has been really well received so far, and those who've heard it really get the concept.

Alex, it was a real pleasure talking to you. Only thing left for me to do is give you a big thank you on behalf of Peek-A-Boo and raise the glass to a fantastic, healthy and musical future. Cheers!

Thank you! I've really enjoyed taking with you and I'd like to thank Peek-A-Boo for supporting underground artists and helping expose our music to the right audience. See you again soon!

• The Light Dreams – Art and music by Alex Storer (Official Website)
• Music | The Light Dreams (Official Bandcamp)

Hayley CLX
06/12/2024