“I’ve been awakened, I’m awake in all my dreams, all my dreams have awakened me, and all I’m taking, is my dream’s melodies, all my dreams have been taking me…” sings Pleun van Dieren with a high spiritual quotient as Meet Apollo opens Awaken.

We are in awe of the soundscape that accompanied the play on words and the conscious depth with a high emotional frequency that manifests. The track is euphoric and feels akin to an ascension. We are in awe of the delicate instrumentation and the sublime vocal delivery.

With reference to the recording process, the project’s auteur Daniel Daemen confesses, “The recording process for Awaken was a blend of spontaneity and precision. Most of the music was recorded live in one day, capturing the band’s natural energy and interplay. The saxophones were added the next morning with multiple melodic layers. The vocals were recorded later in my home studio, surrounded, as written before, by the quiet of the countryside. For the faster phrases in the bridge, we used vocal alignment to keep the phrasing tight while maintaining a human feel. Our pianist re-recorded his part at home after he heard my vocal tracks on an upright piano with exactly the warm, intimate tone the song needed. The mixing process was a collaboration between me and producer Dave Menkehorst.”

We appreciate how Awaken serves as an authentic collaboration which was birthed from deep creative trust. Pleun, Daniel Daemen and Jens Dreijer shaped its warm, layered sound and prose which carries influences from D’Angelo, Gregory Porter and Lianne La Havas. We can also hear notions of Alicia Keys and Bilal in the vocal layers.

At a time when society needs it the most, Awaken tells a story of opening the senses. The sonic switch up which almost feels like a second song reflects dreams, symbols and quiet inner shifts, laced with conscious mantras engaging our minds and bodies, breathing life and love whilst feeling grounded and at one with the universe. Naturally, we are in awe, and have added Awaken to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist!

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