hindsight twentytwenty by deaf-child
about hindsight twentytwenty
Creating this album was my main means of processing the saddest and scariest parts of the COVID-19 pandemic as a provider of both medical and mental healthcare. This is also a deeply personal album, and one that invokes far more of my subconscious than the pandemic alone.
Suggested listening settings: Although they are non-essential for enjoying hindsight twentytwenty, I strongly recommend using headphones with default equalizer settings for the most immersive listening experience. And while I understand that 21st century life is often at odds with the art of the album, please know that it is meant to be heard as a whole.
The album is available to stream at most major streaming services. It can also be downloaded through Bandcamp, though please note that the listed price is merely a suggested donation. I write music to process and express my own emotions, and I produce music because I want to hear it and listen to it. I am excited to share it with everyone and do not intend for anyone to be denied a listening experience on the basis of cost. If you want to download the album at no cost, please email or message me (via any platform you prefer) and I will gladly send you a download link.
Dedications: hindsight twentytwenty is dedicated to everyone who experienced any type of stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially to those who experienced loss. The musical ideas which formed the basis for two songs in particular – the first and last songs on the album – came to me during April 2020, when I was privy to the peak of the pandemic in New York City. These two songs carry heightened emotional meaning for me personally, and thus I have attached additional dedications to each:
The first song, “Look,” is dedicated to my father, who showed me how to have vision.
The last song, which has multiple names and meanings, is dedicated to The Bronx, with much love.
credits
released February 2, 2022
All songs composed, produced, and mixed by Alexander W. Legge
All songs mastered by Owen Brafford
All documented lyrics were performed by Alexander W. Legge, except for “Time Loop III” and select lyrics in “Time Release I,” which were performed by a computerized voice patch, as well as select lyrics in “In the Underbelly of the Basilica,” which were performed by vocal sampling software.
Samples used:
“Look” includes a vocal sample from the film ‘Field of Dreams’
“Arachnids” includes a vocal sample from the film ‘The Shining’
“Sea Shanty for Intellectuals Who Miss Each Other (Zoomers’ Lament)” includes a vocal sample from the film ‘Forrest Gump’
“Time Loop III (“Perfect Vision”)” includes a distorted vocal sample from the Broadway recording of The Who’s Tommy.
“In the Underbelly of the Basilica” contains an audio sample of the 7pm clap, originally distributed via the New York Times online during April 2020.
Additional assorted sound effects, including ambient sounds, are from Freesound.org. For a comprehensive list, please email me or send a message through any platform.
All songs were produced using Reason 12.
Additional vocal sampling was added with the help of Vocaloid 5.
Additional software used: Logic, Audacity
All tangible album art was created utilizing a collage of photographed and found images, layered and edited using SuperImposeX. Any related pareidolia is attributable to your own neural tissue.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to everyone I have ever shared a musical experience with, and especially anyone with whom I have ever played music. Thanks to all who inspire me to write music, even the people that will never read this. Thanks to Victor Ivanov for helping me reengage in concert-going after two years of living under a rock. Additional shout outs to people who provided feedback regarding this record along the way – including David Cumming and Drake Andersen. Special thanks to Jack Payne, who provided feedback which was integral to mixing the vocals. And kudos to Owen Brafford for all of the feedback and work/time dedicated to helping me bring this project to life.
For more info, including lyrics, visit deaf-child.bandcamp.com. Lyrics to hindsight twentytwenty can also be found via select streaming services, including Apple Music.
If anything ever goes awry, simply stop by here to fix it.