summertide | LP | deep dive
Welcome to another Tuesday morning here on between space; I hope you’re well. Either way, thanks for being here. Over the weekend, I assembled some ideas for future posts, and I’m pleased with what I have so far. I have typically written anything and everything I feel like, so it’s a fun change to hone in a bit on the topic of ambient and see what results.
I’ve been making ambient music in a more “official capacity” since January 2024; I gave myself the entire year, with the only goal being release an 8+ track album. On August 23rd, 2024, I released summertide, the first full length body of work I’d ever completed! I had released some music in the past, but this was different; I had demo’d for months before settling on the final tracklist concept, demo’d some more, and slowly gathered together the specific vision that resulted in 8 tracks I was exceptionally proud of. It was the biggest artistic project I’d ever seen through from start to finish, and I’ve carried what I learned from it into genuinely every other part of my life. So, why summertide, what did I learn from it, and why is it so hot outside this week?
Why summertide
Here’s the write up I posted and shared when summertide was released:
summertide is 8 tracks, each inspired by moments across a summer’s day that are important to me. I made it to encourage moments of peace, quiet, and stillness, whether you’re in a restful place or toning down the noise of life.
I created many different demos over the course of the year, but it took me a while to pin down the direction I wanted for a full release. summer has always been my favorite season, so it felt right to appreciate and write for that which was already all around me. I could probably write and dedicate 100+ songs to summer, but 8 is a good start ☁️
I love summer, heat and all. As a kid growing up, there was no freedom quite like summer. I was homeschooled and grew up out in the country (only about 10 minutes away from Meijer, not the boonies or anything so intense), so a lot of my favorite memories involved getting lost in our half acre yard, stargazing on the roof, or lying in the yard watching the clouds go by. I seem to primarily structure memories and experiences around the spaces I’m in; I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember. The scent of the cornfields at dusk; the way it feels when it’s humid but also kinda chilly; the literal energy of the atoms that make up the air when it’s 95 degrees without a cloud in the sky. I was extremely blessed to have a good childhood in a wonderful old house that creaked in routine ways and had a specific smell for every season. Summer was marked by many mornings spent in the pool, followed by coming into the cold house as the AC provided a respite from the blazing sun. One of the stranger positive experiences to try and describe was mowing. We never had a zero turn mower despite the size of the yard, so I’d be tasked with spending 3+ hours of an evening on the basic ride mower, listening to music and having plenty of time to think. I’ve veered away from the music a bit, but my point here is to establish that I loved summer, still love summer, and was enamored (whether I knew it or not) by the world I was inhabiting. I still try and practice that now, although working a full time job makes summer feel just a little bit less magical; the magic remains, you just have to work a little harder to find it. Summer last year was special, because I spent time creating those 8 tracks that embody some specific experiences/things that still mean so much to me. It reignited some of that childhood magic, as I got to sit in my memories and imagine what I’d like those moments to sound like. So, why summertide? Because I love summer, and I wanted to share some of that with you. It’s certainly occurred to me that each season deserves its own soundtrack, so we’ll see if I’m ever nudged in that thematic direction again.
Why ambient music? I touched on this a bit in my last post, but it’s worth some more notes here. I listen to ambient music because it’s calming; it slows me down, something I’m always not good at doing without help. The Lord has provided space and time for me to find true rest in the past few years, and ambient has been a big part of that. I was drawn to create it out of pure inspiration and love for the craft, but I wanted to share that with others. Ambient is currently somewhat of an up and coming genre, but it’s still not necessarily popular or well known, so it’s my hope that through my music, friends, family, and internet strangers can tap into a whole new world of incredible music and the restfulness that comes along with it. When I first sent a demo to a friend, he said he “forgot he was listening to it, sorry”; little did he know, that meant it was working. Legendary ambient producer Brian Eno is credited with this gem:
Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.
The Process
Although I started with the express desire to create a full length album, summertide as an official project didn’t come to life until June of ‘24. I spent January - June demoing, experimenting with sounds, and learning how to use a synthesizer. Truth be told, it took those 6 months to figure out what the process could look like, simply because I was thoroughly unpracticed. I can follow rules, deadlines, etc., from others no problem; I’m a fairly organized person when forced, but I knew this project was going to require something more, something new. Because music is a side gig, there’s always a measure of flexibility required. Some days didn’t go as planned, some nights I was too tired, and sometimes I needed a complete break, even if I didn’t want it. I settled on aiming for 3-4 hourly sessions a week (typically evenings, with the occasional morning if I got up early enough), and prioritizing music work when I had free time. This worked pretty well, and I locked in during July and August, as I had settled on 95% of what I wanted to do by then. That last 5% materialized in maybe 2 song title changes in the 11th hour because I felt lead in a slightly different direction than initially planned. The track titles and general sequencing structure of the album morphed with time; I kept a single notebook where I wrote and rewrote thoughts, ideas, to-dos, challenges, everything. That record ended up being a crucial part of the whole thing, as I knew where to put every single thought that took hold. I tend to have a very busy brain, so having a specified dumping grounds for any and all musical thoughts helped me compartmentalize when necessary. If needed, I would write them down on my phone and transfer them over by hand later.
I used Arturia’s Pigments 5 to create everything you hear in summertide, so it was an all digital project. I hadn’t gotten myself a synth yet, and I found Pigments to be very user friendly, especially for a beginner. It’s a wonderfully complex digital synth that I’m still using now alongside my Arturia Minifreak Stellar. Other tools used include Valhalla Supermassive, Raum, and two Akai midi keyboards. With summertide being primarily drone ambient, the writing process usually looked like creating a pad I liked (sometimes saving what I’d made for later if it didn’t fit the current track), laying down some chords, adding reverb, and tweaking parameters until it felt right. Textures and other details, often made with a randomized sequencer, would follow. I admittedly don’t remember every step of the process (something I’m currently tracking for my next album project), but it worked. I’d demo 2-3 tracks, then go back and flesh out the existing ones into a much fuller state, repeat. The first 4 tracks were created out of order, as I hadn’t created the track sequence yet; once that was mostly finished, I followed it sequentially through to the end. stargazing was the last track created and the last track on the album. stargazing is the track that sounds the most like I heard in my head before ever laying down any chords, which felt like a special accomplishment. By that point, I was both ready to be done, and feeling both productive and proud of myself.
All mixing and mastering was done by yours truly. I had very little experience and still do, but I’ve come to enjoy the process quite a bit. I have a mild hearing loss, so I likely do double the work - demo, mix, listen on various sources (studio monitors, airpods, earbuds, studio headphones, phone, sometimes car), repeat with hearing aids in. Depending on the track, I tend to give it a week or two with this so I can get used to the track, often times mixing it in reference playlists to make sure nothing stands out. I have a few friends who I always run tracks by; each of them has a different level of experience just to cover the bases. My wife Rachel is the #1 judge; if she likes it, we’re good to go. She listens to enough ambient with me to know what I’m going for, but knows when something sounds bad (plus her ears work fine, unlike mine). For summertide, I did 2-3 mastering passes per track; I had previously attempted mastering on old projects, but this time I really learned the value. It’s one thing to have a beautiful lump of dough, but time in the oven really glues it all together into a worthwhile, delicious presentation. Shoutout to Venus Theory for a tutorial and mastering chain that I’m still using. Even if you’re not an aspiring producer, his work is excellent and highly recommended.
Learning
I’ve written a lot more about this than I expected to, but that leads nicely into the fact that when was all was said and done, summertide was more work than anticipated, but I enjoyed every step. Praying, listening, trying out album names; writing, recording, playing tracks back; trying, failing, succeeding. The process was a gift, and I’m thankful for how much I got out of it. I dug out an old photo I’d shot on my nikon D7000 the year before, did a little bit of re-editing, and knew it was the right one for the album. The shot I used for the single, clouds, is probably one of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken. I took it from the street in front of my house on a stifling July day; it’s a nice memory, because I knew that was going to be the one. Funny thing about clouds: I created it months before I had settled on the theme and didn’t care for it, but a friend told me he liked it, so I kept it around while I kept working. Not only was it the single, but it was very well received and set the stage for a successful album release.
Here are my takeaways:
Try new things you’ve always wanted to try. You can do this, I promise.
Take your vision seriously. Your art is important, and sharing it with others is important. You’re worth it.
We love to say things like “failure is good for you!” but I would instead say that learning is good for you. Failing is tough, but I don’t consider missteps or uncertainty to be failure; you’re just finding your way.
Recognize your limits and work within them. I didn’t have any fancy equipment, it was only 8 tracks, and I’ve spent 2025 figuring out my musical style. It was a first try, and that’s a great thing! Respect where you’re at and aim high.
When you do share your art, you’re sharing yourself. Be genuine. Express why you’re creating, what your goals are, and let people be a part of it. The sharing and bravery that it requires are extremely valuable.
Conclusion
summertide was a success by every metric; I’ve got so many wonderful responses from listeners, every song has passed the daunting 1k streams gateway on spotify, and I created something I’m still so proud of. I completed a full album project for the first time, and it was just the beginning. I’m still writing, improving, and figuring out who I am as an ambient artist. It’s a joy. I’m very blessed to do any of this. If you’ve read this whole thing, thank you; I love talking about music. Cheers and thanks for being here.
You can listen to my music just about anywhere: https://ffm.bio/ethanbliese