On this occasion, I’d like to write about my second album, Melophile. This album is an instrumental one, making it a distinct departure from my previous album, Exulansis. I started working on the writing and recording not long after the release of Exulansis. After releasing my first album, I wanted to enrich my discography with an instrumental project. Melophile was born from many musical ideas that I’ve collected over the years.

The opening track, “Daybreak,” is an ambient piece composed and executed by Hisako Ozawa, who played with me in my old band, HYDN. This track was intended to offer an epic yet minimalist feel to the listeners, while also providing a smooth transition to the next song, “Meliora.” “Meliora” is probably the core of this album. This is the first song I recorded, and it made me realize that I should make an instrumental album. My biggest dilemma when recording this song was whether I should add a lead vocal track. I considered using a repetitive, chanting-like vocal line to give the song a surprising element at the end. I finally went for it after getting hooked on the line: “Everything is temporary. Ad Meliora (towards better).”

Track 3, “Snowbound,” was inspired by a short excerpt I learned during my time at McNally Smith College of Music. The piano-based verse has the original progression, but I added a few guitar-based sections, which eventually led to multiple transitions between guitar and piano. The title “Snowbound” reflects my love for winter in Minnesota. Track 4, “In Reality,” was inspired by neoclassical artists like Hania Rani and Ólafur Arnalds. I used a similar composition approach for most of the songs on this album: writing two distinct sections (A and B, or Verse and Chorus) and playing those sections again with additional instrumentation. I like to call this approach “The Radiohead Formula.”

For the next three tracks, I prefer to treat them as a medley of calming and peaceful solo piano pieces. These three tracks share a lot in common, particularly in mood and vibe. “Fall In E Minor” was originally a guitar instrumental loop I created in 2019, but it turned out to be a better piece on piano. “Greensleeves” started as a string quartet arrangement for school, then became a guitar instrumental piece that I even posted on YouTube. But, just like the previous song, it evolved into a beautiful piano piece that fits my album perfectly. “Stargazing With You” was the last track added to the album. This is actually one of my favorite tracks (along with “Meliora”). The A section of the song was inspired by a classical piece, and I honestly feel the melodies could be either romantic or dark, depending on how you feel when you listen to it.

The closing track, “Won’t Say Goodbye,” feels like an old friend. I wrote this piece completely in 2017 during a difficult, heartbreaking period of my life. This track is the only one on the album that uses the AABA (jazz standard) structure, which gives it a contemporary instrumental feel. I feel this song is perfect as the closing track—not only because of the composition but also because of the message it conveys. Yep, this is not a goodbye. You’ll still hear more from me.

I’m planning to finally revive my band project and start recording the material I’ve been putting on hold for so long.

I hope you’re enjoying Melophile. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!