This page holds my personal music portfolio. The links contained within will guide you to my most recent musical endeavors. Older projects will be replaced with newer projects as they manifest. Much of the music here is free. If you enjoy what you hear, please consider donating, or purchasing music from the shop. Current projects include: The Happy Vanishing, My Own Invention, and some one shots.
Note: I’m currently in training to swim the English Channel 2021 for Parkinson’s Awareness. All profits from services and music/art sales will go towards this endeavor. -C.H.
Art rock: A term describing a subgenre of rock music that tends to have "experimental or avant-garde influences" and emphasizes "novel sonic texture." Art rock is an "intrinsically album-based" form, which takes "advantage of the format’s capacity for longer, more complex compositions and extended instrumental explorations." The Golden Age of Rock lectures define art rock as "a piece of music in the rock idiom that appeals more intellectually or musically; that is, not formulated along pop lines for mass consumption." The lectures note that it is "…usually somewhat experimental", using a long structure with several themes like classical music” or "a suite of individual songs." Art rock “almost always features keyboards more than guitar." As well, art rock is "not so much for dancing as for listening and it often tells a story or there is a philosophical theme to the lyrics."
Art pop: According to critic Stephen Holden, the genre often refers to any pop style whose artist deliberately aspires to the formal values of classical music and poetry. It is distinguished from art rock by emphasizing the manipulation of signs over individual expression. According to cultural theorist Mark Fisher, art pop involved the rejection of conventional rock instrumentation and structure in favor of dance styles and the synthesizer.
Indie music: The most obvious interpretation of the word indie is music made by independent artists, without the support of a record label. Indie music is often characterized as having more grit and less of an eye towards commercial success. Some would argue that artists with no ties to large, commercial labels allow indie artists to create more interesting work. Overtime indie music has come to describe an aesthetic, an attitude, and a sound. Indie music carries a DIY attitude. Without the capital of a major label, independent artists are left to design their own art, create their own music videos, and promote themselves however they can. Many indie artists are passionate about creating a supportive DIY scene that cooperates and works together. The DIY ethos also lends itself to an indie sound – more low-fi, often recorded at home, or on the cheap, and generally quirkier.