At the end of 2019 I had decided to get back into making music again after having retired 4 or 5 times due to life suffocations, started practicing drums daily and had 5 projects lined up.

One band had already secured a gig the following May. Then Covid hit and the plan was scrapped.

I made visual art instead for a few months, but by June 2020 I realized it wasn't going to be satisfying enough so I bought an MPC Live 2, in keeping with my MPC2000 past.

Von Trapp was the first beat I made on the Live, and at the time I had no idea what bpm or genres I would find myself producing in later on, I had not yet done that research to see where my type of tendencies might fit best as I hadn't programmed beats in 20 years at that point.

So although this tune is relatively elementary, and production wise not awe inspiring, I just used stock sounds and it is raw, I like it because it is something that just flowed out naturally before any plans or expectations formed.

But more so, it is a marker in my timeline because at that time I had no idea that the Dust~ project would take center stage and be the vehicle by which I would go completely all in on taking care of myself and my happiness for the first time in my life. This song was a catalyst in starting to build the life for myself that I want.

I have known since I was 15 years old that music was what I wanted to do and was best equipped to do, but, life had other plans. In 2020 I felt that this was my now or never moment, and I boarded what felt like the last available train and dedicated myself to it since.

By January of 2021 I had my third Dust release, Bravado, and this was the final track on that EP.

Fast forward to January of 2022 and a badass MC had selected this track as possible collaboration material, so I worked the stems into Ableton and had it remastered for that possibility.

Technically this is "remastered" and not a true "VIP" but I f'd it up the first go and sounding better qualifies even if it is the same arrangement.

Although that collaboration fell through I thought it worth sharing. I hope this finds some ears that enjoy it.