Exciting news: Announcing the debut instrumental Jabun album / EP (Pics +demos too!), World Mental Health Awareness Day + Better Than The Book is hosting an 'Ask Me Anything' to celebrate 100 followers on Twitter!

It's certainly been an exciting week since the last update and I have some BIG news to share with you all. No delays, let's get straight into it!

So firstly this week, I am pleased to announce that last weekend I started work on the first instrumental Jabun album / EP! It's been long overdue and I'm so excited to be working more concentrated on the Jabun project again. One of my goals for this year was to release something from Jabun, and with the "(Feels Like) Heaven" remix, and "The Ocean Above" I feel I've accomplished that, but I'd like to push the boat out even more and write and release a full length album or EP too! It's still partially in the planning stage and not all the details have been figured out, but I can tell you some things about the album already:
          Firstly, it's going to be strictly instrumental, though I will leave the door open to vocal interpretations of the songs later. Secondly, it's going to be mostly electronic with some orchestral / acoustic elements but on the whole I'm going for an organic, and chill vibe. Thirdly, since the album has no lyrics, I'm very aware that I DON'T want any track just to be some beat you can bob your head along to; I want each track to represent and evoke a very deep emotion or feeling. Because of this, I know and am prewarning you that this album will not be to everyone's taste. It's going to be a little more experimental, it's going to be a little more adventurous, and it's certainly going to be different! I hope though that for those of you it does resonate with, you appreciate that in this album, I'm not trying to be in any specific genre, I'm not trying to recreate a style, I'm simply digging deep DEEP within myself and creating sounds / tonalities which convey something words could not alone. THAT is my goal for this album: to be able to move people without words, and with only the simplest of sounds.
           Progress on the album so far: Last weekend I composed one new track by the working title of "Palindrome", which just needs a final mix and master later, cleaned up an older idea which has been sitting around for a little while, but I'm very pleased with, and started on one more new track too. By popular demand and a Twitter vote too, the new album / EP will include remasters of my old singles "Distance" and "Home" which fit the same themes and vibe I'd like to convey with my new work (chill, emotional, deep). Feel free to listen to them below for a taste of what's to come! I'm not sure exactly how many tracks the album will be or how long, but I'm aiming currently for around 10 tracks and definitely 30+ minutes of music. Whether I manage to get that done before the end of the year will be a little more tricky to answer, but we shall see! Anyway, I hope you're intrigued, excited and wanting to know more, and I shall leave you this week with a photo from the end of Day 1, and links to listen to "Distance" and "Home" for a taste of what's to come! I'll keep you updated on progress as and when and certainly, get ready to chill out and (mostly) relax!

 
Next this week, on Monday it was World Mental Health Awareness Day, and for those of you who know me well, you'll know I've had my fair share of demons in the past (not quite as much now thankfully), and it's been evident in the lyrical content of my music since the very beginning of BTTB. I feel very strongly about this topic, as it's not only effected me, but also friends of mine in the past too, and I know that while it can be a difficult topic to bring up, it something we all have to talk about to be able to break down the stigmas. I won't go on a full length discussion on it here, but I urge you, if you do have something on your mind, please talk to someone, don't bottle it and make sure you get the help you need. I'll just leave it with a quote from something I wrote on the Better Than The Book Facebook page, and I hope it inspires you to know, that you can bring out change in your own life and other people's and that you are not alone: 

"Remember, it's ok not to be ok, that you are never alone (someone's is going through or has been through what you have), and that there's always someone to talk to. I use my music as catharsis for my own demons, worries, self-doubt, anxieties etc..., with the aim being to show people that they aren't alone, to help inspire and to help motivate, as well as to get people moshing and put a smile on their faces :)
          "Don't let your demons control you. Own them and turn them into something which will inspire change in the world. You are in control. Fear may be the gunner in your back seat, but you are driving. Be better than what that little voice says is written for you. Even when your heart is racing a hundred miles an hour and your path might not be so clear, don't let that stop you. Live for just this moment. Find and chase your dreams. Don't let anyone or anything hold you back, even when you feel so small trying to stand above the crowd, don't let your fears and doubts control you. Keep holding on even if just barely and keep your head above water. Success isn't about where you get to, it's how you go about getting there, so just enjoy each single moment while it lasts. And when it feels like your just staring into headlights, just overwhelmed, remember THIS IS YOUR LIFE, and you have the power to keep on running. It all starts with one small step.
        "That's my 2 cents for today, and that's what it means to be me."

Finally this week, I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who's supported Better Than The Book, and to announce that we just surpassed 100 followers on Twitter! As a celebration, I'm letting people ask me anything until the end of the weekend, so please, if there's something you'd like to know about BTTB or me personally, then send in your questions, here, or on the BTTB Facebook Page or on Twitter! Looking forward to your questions and thanks again to everyone who's helped support Better Than The Book over the years in reaching this goal! Next stop 1000!

That's about it for this week. I'm back to Burgess Hill again next weekend, and it'll likely be the last time before Christmas, so I'm going to have to make the most of it. Hoping to do some more work on the Jabun album this coming week, as well as more reaching out and connecting with people as my notes from the MusicLaunchSummit suggested. Certainly exciting times on the horizon and I'll keep you updated as usual on all the goings on! Hope you all have a fine and dandy next week, and thanks as always for supporting Jabun, JabunAudio, Better Than The Book, and all my other audio endeavors! Take care!