“As a fellow seeker who has found great inspiration, release, catharsis, and healing in music, particularly in singing, I was intrigued and excited by the invitation. From the moment I first heard the draft of the song, I felt a lot of energy, intensity, longing – an inspiring, rhythmic soundscape that I was hungry to sing on. Starita shared that his process in creating all the music on the album was one of unconditionally trusting of what was coming through in the moment, rather than over-thinking it. That encouraged me to take the same approach,” shared Johnson. 

“I’ve been a fan of Seán Johnson’s for years. More recently, I took a deeper dive into Starita’s impressive discography on Spotify. With these two artists at the helm of the original version of ‘The Search,’ I knew that I’d have great raw material to work with for the remix,” Leinbach elaborates.

“As we were distributing candy to the neighborhood last Halloween, I grew bored with the grown-up conversation and ended up dancing on the roof of my friend’s mini van to Daft Punk. The way they blend modern sounds and electronica with a retro 1970s vibe was inspirational. I feel like the music of Daft Punk influenced this remix. In my most recent remixes, I’ve strived to produce and arrange the tracks to sound more like pop music. I tried to create verses and choruses, bridges and breakdowns, and sought to highlight elements in the original tracks that could be featured, repeated, and turned into ‘hooks.’”

“In my productions, I seek to create a blend of the primal and celestial. So, deep, earthy drum grooves coupled with ethereal, floating, psychedelic sounds. I like layering on ‘world’ sounds; meaning percussion and stringed instruments from around the world, to give the productions a universal sound. I love reframing melodies with different chord changes. How many different backdrops can I fit behind the same or similar vocal and instrumental melodies? The original vocal melody works great in this minor key, but can I find chords that would work with the same melody that create a more major key vibe? With this approach, you can create a dynamic arrangement with just a small amount of raw material.” 

Leinbach’s process resulted in a World Pop track that incorporates a blend of disco groove elements, a touch of electronica, and a mystical eastern sound. It’s completely transformed the original – experimental, ambient, atmospheric, dark, meditative house beat – into a new song that’s bursting with energy, happy, fun, celebratory, dancy, fancy, yet introspective. 

The full production team on ‘The Search – Ben Leinbach Remix’ include – Ben Leinbach, remixer, songwriter, recording engineer, mix engineer; Starita, songwriter, recording engineer; Seán Johnson, songwriter, vocals, recording engineer. Mastered by Michael Romanowski of Coast Mastering. Creative direction by Tam Starita. Released by Be Still Records, a division of Starita Music. 

“After listening to this reinterpretation, I hope that listeners feel energized and inspired; shed any baggage that may be weighing them down,” Leinbach imparts. Starita and Johnson adds, “…embark on a journey that allows them to let go of something they no longer need.” “Spirituality is so personal and subjective. Close your eyes and let this song transport you on a journey into the wilderness of your imagination where you can find a meaningful spiritual connection that takes a personal form that speaks to you. Trust whatever arises, because this is the spirit that this music was created with. What makes the song different for a listener who might be used to hearing music with more of a formulaic song structure, is to let go of that expectation and let the song take you for a ride.” 

Starita’s ‘The Search feat Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band – Ben Leinbach Remix’ single is available across all digital service providers on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

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