Establishing the mood with a cosmic oud performance, astral bells, and emotive strings, Ben Miller opens Dürer’s Dream with intrigue, and a sense of spiritual dimensionality. The opus expands with atmospheric vocals and ethereal flutes to manifest a sublime and transcendental soundscape.
We appreciate the syncopated nature of the production, which adds to the cinematic allure and psychedelic notions – almost as if one were being transported into another universe.
Inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Melencolia I and the Jungian idea of shadow integration, the piece is designed to unfold like a dream – textured, evocative, and full of psychological symbolism. “This is the threshold,” confesses Ben. “Not just of the album, but of the self – the edge of the known psyche. Dürer’s Dream is the first whisper from that place.”
We learn that the track serves as the introduction to jazz pianist Ben Miller‘s new ensemble project Dweller on the Threshold. The composer tells us, “The project features various types of orchestration in chamber jazz and classical styles using fine talent from around the world and is themed around mystic shadow integration.”
Ben created every piece – composing, arranging, mixing, and mastering – at his own Third Motion Studios in Rochester, New York. This project follows his acclaimed debut as leader on the jazz piano trio album Feathers of Ma’at (Truth Revolution Records) and other recordings like Orbiting Human Circus Quartet’s Quartet Plus Two (Merge Records).
Naturally, we are in awe of the composition, and have added Dürer’s Dream to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY and TIMELESS playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Ben Miller and anticipate future releases from Dweller on the Threshold!