A Path Untold: “Duality, Emotional Exploration, and Finding Solace in Music Production”

Electronic musicians like A Path Untold (aka Daniel Merrill) tend to be some of the most visionary artists in music. Rather than piecing together an album with individual songs, the record is like one large painting of shapes and colours. Merrill has done that not just with one album but two. He recently released the two-part EP In the Light of Shadow and Realms of Solace, released six weeks apart in the fall. Both were released via Epidemic Sound, and the albums represent Merrill’s vision of the known and the unknown. They explore the light and the dark, evoking a sense of discovery and curiosity. Musically, they are quite eclectic, featuring layers of manipulated field recordings, lo-fi instrumentation, and textured rhythms.

Their approach to sound design joins together both EPs. Merrill made great use of analog and digital synthesizers to record both records. They are deeply textured recordings with every sound closely scrutinized. Both were recorded in Merrill’s Sierra Nevada studio. They are personal and emotional stories to him. They are like an invitation to explore the vast space of your imagination and discover alternative dimensions of perspective and meaning. Throughout the two EPs, you get to see Merrill’s vision unfold and portrayed over the course of two full bodies of work.

We are pleased to have Merrill join us today for a Guest Blog, offering us his viewpoint on these recordings. He describes his thought process behind them, the fascinating approach he took to finding the right inspiration, and ultimately, what they represent to him.

“Duality, Emotional Exploration, and Finding Solace in Music Production”

We are never far from our realm…
We were never part of this world…
You know you’re all I see…
You know I still believe in you and me….
You know what you see, what you see…
You know I still believe in you and me…

“Mystery Of Being” (feat. Molly Szpara), the closing track on Realms Of Solace.

“I make mostly instrumental, abstract electronic music that is highly interpretive, allowing the listener to find their own relationship with it, hopefully in as many ways as possible. So, it’s rare that I incorporate lyrics, but I co-wrote these with my partner, and they speak to one of the main themes of Realms of Solace: the intricate journey of loss, remembrance and a sense of eternal connection. Accentuated by the melodies and harmonies, they explore the emotions of remaining tethered to someone through the timeless bonds of love, memory, and threads of the mind and heart. They’re about how those types of bonds guide us toward unexpected revelations and deeper connections with ourselves and the world around us.

“These two albums are, in many ways, the story of my last few years. They’re reflections of everything I’ve been navigating as an artist, as an emotional being, and as a dreamer. They’re both deeply personal to me but are also meant to feel universal, and creating them was a process of getting lost, finding meaning, and interfacing with the unknown – striving to find peace within it… on both individual and collective levels.

A Path Untold, photo courtesy of artist

“In the Light of Shadow was born from an ongoing fascination with, and expression of, duality, the push and pull of opposites that shape our lives. It’s about the moments that sit between mystery and clarity, discomfort and growth, the organic and the synthetic, melancholy and euphoria. I wanted this album to feel like exploring a deep, lush and mysterious forest at dawn, as the mist rolls in and the dramatic allure beckons you, unsure of what you’ll find, but knowing there are beautiful unknown revelations within it that will impact you and elevate your perspectives.

“Starting this project, I immersed myself in experimenting with new approaches and tools. I spent countless hours recording, processing and fusing natural elemental sounds with novel sound design techniques, wood, air, water, and earth, trying to shape them into something surreal. The process of blending these organic elements with synthesized tones became a pursuit of harmony between the ancient and the futuristic, like crafting a bridge between two contrasting worlds. That aspect of composition endlessly fascinates me within the art form of music production. This approach is something I love about genre aesthetics like Future Garage. The implementation of organic, tangible real-world found sounds, that are then sequenced, arranged and articulated in a super-human way that can only be done with modern technology. It’s like super-human surreality.

“And then there’s Realms of Solace. If In the Light of Shadow is about facing the unknown, this one is about finding your footing again. It’s a more grounded album, warm, reflective, and intentionally soothing in ways, although it has moments of haunting mystery and resolution as well. It came from a place of needing to find peace, to carve out moments of calm and connection when life felt overwhelming.

“I think of these two albums as conversations with each other. Both of them have a significant approach in common, serving as sonic stories that present a sense of mystery, conflict or inquiry, and then evolve into a response of triumph and uplifting resolution. That’s a common theme that seems to dominate my work throughout and is my way of exploring duality and emotional contrast. Whereas In The Light of Shadow pushes you to explore, Realms of Solace invites you to escape and recharge. They both carry all the moments that shaped me while making them.

“One of the things that also made this process meaningful is my deep love for dance, movement, and performance art. I often watch videos of dancers and performers while writing music, to see how their movements flow and unfold, I love to vibe with that… It helps me craft sounds that feel alive, that fit and flow naturally with the rhythm of human motion. I find it endlessly inspiring to create music that feels like it’s in conversation with movement as if the two are meant to complete each other.

“At the core of it all, these albums are about feeling: being in touch with deep, real emotions. They’re for the nights when you can’t sleep because your mind won’t stop wandering. They’re for the days when you need to remind yourself that beauty still exists, even amidst the chaos of the world.

“I’ve always believed that music is a way to connect with something deeper – within ourselves and with each other. These albums are my way of saying, ‘I see you. I feel it too.’ Whether they help you navigate your own shadows or find your own moments of solace, I’m grateful to share this music with other people who might connect with that.

“Here’s to finding light, even when it sometimes feels far away.”

A Path Untold, photo courtesy of artist