Void State - metapolis

A new track from my ambient/experimental project

Of all the creative pursuits I’ve explored, music has always been the most challenging.

Whenever an idea begins to take shape, doubt inevitably creeps in. More often than not, it wins, and the track remains unfinished. As a result, dozens of incomplete tracks sit on my hard drive, waiting for a burst of inspiration and confidence to align.

Releasing this track, Metapolis, felt great. It was as if getting it out into the world cleared space in my subconscious, making room for something new to take its place.

This track was originally part of an EP I intended to release late last year, but I got stuck in a listening loop while trying to mix the tracks and eventually gave up. Stepping away for a couple of months turned out to be exactly what I needed. When I revisited the project with fresh ears, I was able to finish this track within a couple of sessions.

To build the foundation of the project, I recorded random samples – everything from rainfall to the ambient noise of my hometown streets. These samples were then manipulated using various granular and generative tools before being arranged alongside other instruments. It was very much an “in-the-box” production using Ableton Live, with occasional help from my Norns clone.

At the time, I was immersed in cyberpunk films, games, and literature. It’s an aesthetic I’ve always been drawn to, and I wanted to create sounds that captured the feeling of wandering through sprawling neon cityscapes at night.

The name Metapolis is a fusion of two ideas:

Polis is an ancient Greek word meaning city or city-state.
Meta means "beyond," "transcending," or "self-referential."

So, Metapolis could imply a futuristic megacity that transcends traditional urban structures –perhaps a sprawling, interconnected cyberpunk metropolis, a digital city, or a city-state that governs more than just physical space.

This is the soundtrack to wandering Metapolis.

I hope this track transports you somewhere else, even if just for a brief moment. There’s more to come…