I’m often asked what certain pieces of music are about, and/or how I got the ideas to write them. Well, it’s not quite that simple to explain, but I’ve tried by writing some text below on each of the tracks you’re about to listen to with a view to providing a little bit more insight into each piece of music.
I hope you enjoy listening to Entranced,
Very Best Wishes,
Mario Parga
MidnightCafe Studios, England November 3rd 2007
Entranced tracks & the stories behind them.
Entranced
I wrote this instrumental in 1993, but never did anything with it. At the time, I’d put together a project called ‘Savage Paradise’ and I demo-ed the track at a friend’s studio in London. It has an almost hypnotic quality about it, and so was given the name ‘Entranced’. ‘Entranced’ was also great fun to record.
The heavy rhythm guitars, melodies and fade solo were recorded with my Washburn X50 pro guitar. The main solo and clean guitar were recorded with my Ibanez guitar (custom S-type) (affectionately known as ‘The Ripper’). The amp used was my Peavey Classic 30.
The Journey
A short neo-classical piece. The main melody was created first (I think sometime back in 1997), I’d always liked it but never had any particular place to put it within a composition. In the end, I decided to turn it into the short piece you hear today. This piece of music reminds me of travel, hence it's title, and in particular the journeys across Spain I sometimes took as a child with my Father. I’d take along numerous cassettes of mixed music to listen to as I looked out of the car window, but would usually listen to classical music as the night drew in.
The Washburn guitar and Peavey amp were used.
Legend
The third track on Entranced has a keyboard and guitar introduction followed by the main composition. I got the idea for the verses whilst writing ‘Valse Diabolique’ (The Alchemists, 2001). Whilst they didn’t fit into ‘Valse’, I put aside the melodies until a few years later. It got it’s title after I watched a documentary about ancient legends. It’s got a heavy-rock riff and feel about it, with neo-classical verse melodies. The intro solo was recorded very late at night at around 4am.
My Ibanez guitar was used for the majority of this track, with the exception of the second solo and additional fade rhythm guitars which were played on the Washburn. The amp used was the Peavey.
Haunted
Not ghostly activity, but about moments in time that leave haunting memories. I have many memories that I’ll never forget, some happy, others sad. A piece of music that’s very personal to me. The most memorable hearing of it was driving through the Joshua Tree National Forest, California, at twilight not long after I’d completed the recording. It was a warm, muggy evening and very calm and eerie. The evening was so beautiful I stopped the car and took several photos of the forest, one of which appears in the inside cover of ‘Entranced’.
The Washburn guitar and Peavey amp were used to record ‘Haunted’.
Ritual
A dark, heavy track with a Spanish sound. At times gentle, at other times a rage, this piece contains both electric and acoustic guitars. The best way to describe it would be ‘heavy flamenco’, and it’s about that most basic instinct in all of us… ‘Ritual’ was written in 2004, with additional parts added (the acoustic guitar intro) in 2006. The electric guitars were recorded extra loud to provide some feedback.
The guitars used were my Crafter Nylon-Strung for all the acoustic parts, the Washburn for all the electric parts, and the Peavey Classic 30.
Storm Warning
This track reminds me of thunderstorms, I remember one a few years ago when I was driving through the French/Spanish border on my way to visit family. Just beyond San Sebastian, Spain, the sky literally turned black and the storm came down with such ferocity that all the cars on the road came to a complete stop as it was impossible to see out of the windscreen due to the rain.
Another great storm took place in the Valley of Fire, Nevada, just prior to me completing the recording. It inspired the main solo and prompted me to finish the recording that had been laying dormant for a while.
Washburn guitar and Peavey amp.
Mirage
Another neo-classical piece, but not in the ‘dark’ tradition. A lighter sounding track, ‘Mirage’ was originally composed in 2003. It was only when I started to record it for Entranced that I decided to turn it into a more orchestral composition. The choral part was written for 8 voices.
Washburn guitar, Peavey amp.
Spirit of Night
An instrumental dedicated to the night. As much as I like the sun, I love the night... It’s a tranquil period when I can concentrate intensely on music as I have no distractions. I’ve always suffered from insomnia, so the night’s my old friend… Whenever I travel to cities and stay in hotels, I often look out of my hotel room window in the night and realise that somewhere in the city that night someone will be experiencing joy, others sadness, anger, pain etc. All under the blanket of night… My personal favourite on the album.
Ibanez guitar and Peavey amp, Alhambra classical guitar.
