This is the only life we will ever know. All those individuals who work extremely hard to challenge themselves daily, to push to the cusp of failure only to be surprised by the outcome should be celebrated for their bravery. Great sacrifices are made every day in order to provide for our families, to become better humans, to create a more diverse world, or to achieve our goals. If you are the type who morphed from a sheep into someone seeking exhilarating experiences or simply a path that provides genuine happiness, my ten gallon hat is tipped to you. For those who are too apprehensive about breaking free, you can do anything you believe you can do. Start small, take steps, fail intelligently, prosper enormously.
A fine example of someone who sees the opportunities that exist beyond their daily routine of work to eat to earn their keep in order to ensure there is somewhere to sleep is an artist pondering his newest release.
Reverberating out of a small corner in a Chicago apartment, the sounds Abreaction creates in his in-house studio reach more than just his immediate neighbors. Fans hail across the globe, applauding his efforts with each released single. That appreciation helped fuel this independent artist in his newest creation, Intelligent Failures. Deriving sounds from various musical instruments and vocals, listeners of Abreaction’s Intelligent Failures will grow with the album as “different soundscapes emerge embodying the theme of maximizing the potential of the human spirit.”
As we become more aware of self-inflicted busyness, the potential to scale back to a healthy equilibrium of work and personal growth becomes increasingly possible. Intelligent Failures was “designed as a soundtrack to complement the journey each one of us embarks on to unlock the mysteries hidden within the fabric of the cosmos.” Tranquil beats and contemplative lyrics sprinkled throughout the album act as a guide for fostering a better understanding of who the self is.
I was able to catch up with Abreaction to ask three questions in relation to this latest release. A heartfelt thank you for his generosity:
JT: Describe what Intelligent Failures are, both in the context of the album title and out in the world.
Abreaction: All too often we all think there's one clear path to success, whereas the reality is it takes many failures before reaching success. Intelligent failures are about taking calculated risks by trying to overcome fears, most of which are the byproduct of worrying about the ramifications of what we think might happen, instead of having the courage to move forward with taking chances. Failures are crucial to providing learning experiences to maximize our individual potential as we journey into the abyss of life. Throughout the album, there are influences from quantum mechanics and relativity, which I believe to be the pinnacle of human achievement, and despite enduring centuries of mistakes, we continued to persevere as a species to strengthen our collective knowledge of the cosmos which also happened to have the unintended consequence of making cell phones, space shuttles, and GPS possible.
JT: Lyrics to the song Remember to Forget say, “I want to lose myself, I want to live my life.” What is the message behind this statement and what advice would you give to others that feel this sentiment, but are too afraid or do not know how to begin living accordingly?
Abreaction: I truly believe every single person, young or old and rich or poor, has a life experience or skill they can contribute to society as a whole. Although we need guidance from others to learn from and mature, we shouldn't also feel restricted by these same outside influences on what we truly want to attain. As with the theme of the album, we need to minimize fear and exploit the talents we all have as we are the only ones in control of our own respective destinies.
JT: A paradoxical dichotomy exists in today’s society- Live to work or work to live. An increasing number of people seem to be attracted to finding ways in which he or she can achieve the latter option. How has the production of this album challenged that notion for you?
Abreaction: I don't think working to live is necessarily a bad thing as I know of very few people that live to work. It's true you shouldn't hate your work but you also don't have to love doing it every day. I work an office job, which is of course vastly different than dual life I live as a musician, and in addition to providing the finances for equipment, working has also given me those skills (exerting influence, communicating, etc) that I feel can be used in all aspects of my life, not just with work or even musically.
Check out all things Abreaction and listen to his new album, Intelligent Failures, in its entirety. This album is not backed by any other means than the devotion of Abreaction. Annoyingly share this with others because you believe in becoming an individual; talk to people about this project because you want to inspire others to stop hesitating and begin a new endeavor; purchase this album because you are a supporter of the sacrifices made in order to bring projects to fruition, or just because it is damn good music.