Gaius

A Brooklyn-based noisemaker seeking triumph over silence. New music drops regularly. Post-Rock/Electronica.

[gaiuscastor]

_M_LS

My track naming process changes with practically every song. There are some cuts which have a title before the song is even fully fleshed out; while other tracks get their name from particular themes or moods derived from the composition itself. This particular example was named with a combination of both processes. I knew what I wanted this song to be called in a very roundabout fashion before I even settled on an arrangement, but the title didn’t get finalized until I added a particular reverb treatment towards the end of the track.

I’m often very conflicted when making production decisions for a track. There is a part of me which aims to achieve a definition and clarity which highlights the various notes and timbres present in each composition. That being said, there is also a part of me which strives for the murky, ambiguous qualities which shroud many of my favorite songs of all-time. I believe this track achieves a happy medium of both ambitions without altering the track’s intent.

[gaiuscastor]

B_RÇ_

I happen to be among the millions of fortunate people who live in New York city, and I firmly believe it’s the greatest place in the world. This particular track however is about a city I cherish nearly as much as my own… Barcelona.

If you’ve already been to the heart of Catalan culture then you’re well aware of its charms. If you haven’t visited yet, then please… make sure it’s the very next thing you do with your life.

When composing this song I tried my best to focus on and channel a particularly feeling which I know we’ve all experienced before… That indefinable moment when adventure meets the night, and suddenly limitless possibilities become available. Such a sensation in Barcelona typically leads to meeting people from lands you’ve only ever heard of, winding down streets and alleys which are ancient by western reckoning, cultivating a buzz as sweet and soothing for the soul as the mediterranean breeze, and if you’re truly lucky… listening to some great music as well.

I have had the pleasure of all of those particular pleasures numerous times… and many more as well… and for that… I will also adore… my beloved Barcelona.

[gaiuscastor]

J_B_L_NT

Like anyone else, it's difficult for me to break out of my comfort zone. Artistically speaking my inspiration tends to come from a rather maudlin place, but lately I've been trying my best to compose from a different headspace... Believe it or not, this song actually represents an attempt at joy and exaltation.

In celebration of my 2,500th follow on Twitter, and the date of my birth I'd like to share a new track with you all! I hope you guys on Tumblr dig it.

[willowlle]

THE ADVENTURES OF RADIOHEAD

[gaiuscastor]

What the hell did I just read?

[shoegazecat]

[gaiuscastor]

Still a better drummer than you...

[gaiuscastor]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as an avid gamer who loves to share his opinion, it’s people can’t believe I don’t enjoy the Mass Effect trilogy. Bear this in mind: I don’t disparage the BioWare space opera, nor those who enjoy it, but the games just don’t do it for me. From my humble, and probably wrong perspective Mass Effect just doesn’t scratch any itches appropriately. There aren’t enough RPG elements, it isn’t a satisfying shooter, and I don’t want to spend my time stripping planets of their minerals and resources.

That being said... The music is pretty tremendous. 

Composed by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick, with additional music by Richard Jacques and David Keith, the Mass Effect Original Soundtrack is reportedly inspired by classic 80s sci-fi movies and is every bit as epic as the games. Aside from a few interactions throughout the game and how much I despised the Mako, the thing which has stuck with me most since my play throughs (I have played the first two to completion) is the wonderful orchestral, meets vintage electronica music. At least that’s something right?

[gaiuscastor]

Be Automatic (Gaius Remix)

Remix of Caralis 'Be Automatic' by Gaius. https://soundcloud.com/gaius-castor

In at attempt to show you all that I myself happen to be a functional and capable musician I'd like to share a remix I made earlier this year:

This is a rather wild remix I made for an eminently talented, and up and coming London music group known as Caralis. Their music is tremendous, and the lads themselves are absolute Princes. You can check out more of their tracks at https://soundcloud.com/caralis. I hope you guys enjoy it, and the mix above.

If any of you are interested in checking out my own tunes you can scroll down my feed as I have shared all of the tracks I've released thus far... OR if you're lazy you can click here: https://soundcloud.com/gaius-castor

Thanks, G

[gaiuscastor]

It’s been a while since I uploaded some quality video game music so I’ve decided to share the first soundtrack I ever listened to while NOT playing the game itself. 

For those of you not familiar with F-Zero, it was a massively addictive racing game which dropped way back in the year nineteen hundred and ninety, and became a smash success on the Super Nintendo. In the 25 years since its release, the graphics haven’t aged well,  and the nostalgia has faded more than a bit, but the music, composed by Yumiko Kanki and Naoto Ishida, is still exemplary. 

I used to listen this Soundtrack on CD (it was the medium which came before the MP3), and there’s no doubt I spent more time listening to the game’s music than actually playing the game itself. But there’s good reason for that... The tunes are killer. Don’t take my word for it though. Give the music a listen yourself... and enjoy one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all-time.

[chiquillopot]

[gaiuscastor]

Terrifyingly darling...

[sgt-peppers-blog]

[gaiuscastor]

I like to think that it was someone’s job to walk around with this table. candelabra, and everything else you see JUST IN CASE The Beatles wanted to have some tea.

[90sjockisgone]

ive confirmed that i know even less about shoegaze than i had previously thought

[gaiuscastor]

Consider this Cliff Notes for the uninitiated.

[passionchangeverything]

[gaiuscastor]

Far too sexy...

[gaiuscastor]

Music generally accompanies life... I’d like to make it clear that I’m using both definitions of “accompanies” in that last sentence. Not only does music occupy the same space-time of your perceived reality, but it also augments, enhances, and in many cases enlivens your existence. Such a relationship with music often leads to forging distinct associations between moments in time, and particular works: i.e. “That song makes me remember (insert event X). man”.

When one forges ties between music and video games it’s important to keep in mind that not only are you enjoying the work in question, but subconsciously you’re remembering a particular flourish or refrain accompanying (there’s that word again) a particularly bold act of heroism or fun... Whenever I hear the soundtrack for The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time, a rush of memories envelope me.

I can’t exactly explain the feelings which well up inside me when I hear this music. There are some absolutely fond memories, but there’s also a strange pang of sadness. I suppose I mourn the inability to be that young, naive, and innocent ever again. I miss that little bastard sitting cross-legged in front of his TV and N64. I suppose there are both two sides of the same coin. 

Nevertheless... Ocarina Of Time truly has a timeless quality, and it absolutely deserves to be honored here as some of the greatest video game music of all-time.

[invisibleisthissoul]

[gaiuscastor]

Muse...

[throwingsomethoughts-deactivate]

[gaiuscastor]

Unbelievable… This is one of the three records which changed my life. I hope it can do the same for you.

[thefunservice]

“I’m not here, this isn’t happening.”

[gaiuscastor]

Kid A was the biggest risk Radiohead could take in 2000. As the third millennium of “human reckoning” began, the world’s finest group of musicians could have easily continued down the immaculate path they had crafted during the recording of OK Computer. Instead... The band decided to deconstruct their greatness, and build something different, something sublime, something truly incredible. 

With the very first notes of Everything In Its Right Place, listeners knew something had changed; the most important band in the world was taking both their music, and us, into the future. It was clear to the ear that some elements were recognizable, but those weren't what stood out... What did stand out was the new, brave, and unreal sonic landscape which unfolded over the course of its ten tracks. 

As the years go by, and the blogosphere loses track of the forrest and the trees, I get the sense that the zeitgeist is concluding  Kid A is a greater album than OK Computer. This is an absurd notion, but it does speak highly of the impressive magnitude of Kid A a record so great, it practically alters reality.

[gaiuscastor]

Shadow of the Colossus is a game which has left an indelible impression on me over the years. As is obvious by some of the content here on this Tumblr, I am a massive fan of video games and on many levels view them to be one of humanity’s greatest achievements in the fields of both art and expression (admittedly some are better examples of such a claim than others). In all of my time playing games I had never encountered an interactive experience which made me feel so lonely... so sad.... so conflicted as this gem from the Playstation 2.

Without much backstory it became clear to me and all other players that the protagonist had slay these majestic giant creatures in order to resurrect his precious Mono, but every time I located one of the behemoths... I felt guilty. After all, these colossi had never done anything to me. It truly felt as if they were just engaging in their own solitary existence and my character was arriving to take both their peace, and their life. In all, the game is an undeniable masterpiece which has yet to be truly imitated or reiterated.

Beyond the landscape, the horse (what a great horse), the colossi, and the jumble of feelings, the music from Shadow of the Colossus has remained with me as well. Ko Otani’s score is absolutely marvelous and truly reinforces the feelings of loss, fate, and melancholy which hang like a miasma throughout every second of this exceptional game.