Ring Records will be releasing the Mystic Seers self-titled album on a double LP in April of 2021. They worked very hard to deliver a high quality audiophile pressing. Big thanks to Ring Records for believing in this project!
The début album is here! It's been a long time comin!
It's likely that it will not be available on digital streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon) until early 2021. The self-titled Mystic Seers album is now available to order on CD (digital download link included with purchase). This album is currently not available on vinyl but set for a double LP pressing which is tentatively set for March 2021! Stay posted for news on the vinyl.
"I believed it deserved a proper analog hi-fi master pressing. So I'm currently working with an indie label. Working to get the highest quality laquer and master cut to give it proper care for audiophiles." -Derek White
The CD exclusive pressing designed and produced by Derek White & co-produced by Adam Fischman. All lyrics are also included within its packaging.
"I've been working on this album in my makeshift home studio on and off since about 2013. I had a vision to create what I'd to imagine as my "Pet Sounds", "White Album" or "Dark Side of the Moon.” You get it.. a classic kind of album, a great musical expression, one that holds longevity and ages well. I don't want to talk myself into a hole explaining what it sounds like because that gets a bit silly coming from the artist, but my tastes are all over the place." -Derek
"I was pretty methodical about how I approached recording. I would step away when I'd have doubts, if I felt bad vibes, tired or uninspired. I wanted a balance of structure and improvisation. It's a personal redemption album, I have had a lot of trying times much like anyone else would. I was dealing with depression for a while and felt the need to clear out my soul through musical expression. Working on this record really helped me turn my poison into magic."
"I had about 2 albums worth of material so I began demoing and I'd spend countless hours driving around critiquing the songs & mixes the past 6-7 years. I enjoy hearing this album the most cranked up loud while driving. I also made sure that the mixes sounded warm and balanced in headphones. I played the majority of the instruments on this album, I've had some supplemental help from some very talented friends, & a couple of session musicians. I've engineered the entire album at my various "Monophobic Studios" spots, including the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. (which I've managed to sneak in a quick cellphone piano recording on the actual piano "Paul Simon's Kodachrome" & "Bob Seger's Old Time Rock n' Roll" were played on!) One of the great aspects of the modern age is the advantage of having a phone to record all the interesting field sounds, whether it's the wind blowing, birds chirping, church bells, or hitting rocks with hammers. It's great fun to incorporate the sounds of life and movement into the music."
The Mystic Seers album was recorded & mixed by Derek White. The Analog mastering work was handled by the great Brian Zieske of Off Axis Mastering. The album was co-produced by Adam Fischman, a great friend of Derek and tough critic who has really been a catalyst in terms of fine-tuning the structure overall flow of the album.
Due to Covid-19 and the inability to perform live, It's been rocky waters navigating a release strategy for this album. At the moment Mystic Seers is holding off from making the album available on major streaming services such as; Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Pandora, Tidal. To benefit local businesses during Covid-19, I have made the album available at local Pittsburgh record stores such as:
So pretend it's the 90's and treat yourself to a CD!..
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If you're interested in supporting my vision please subscribe to my Patreon @MysticSeers. By becoming a patron to Mystic Seers it will give me the opportunity to bring more focus into my music production work. Having patrons gives me the opportunity and freedom to live up to my artistic standards & abilities, create more content and turn my visions into a reality for you, myself & many others to enjoy.
The first single from Mystic Seers‘ upcoming full-length, “Devil Woman” is a thorough success. The project of producer and multi-instrumentalist Derek White, Mystic Seers has spent the past six years crafting the album in Pittsburgh. White handles all the writing, recording, performing, and mixing, stylistically drawing influence from ’70s prog-rock, ’60s psychedelia, and some free-jazz.
"White describes the track as “about seeking love with disingenuous intentions, and getting what you deserve in return on a karmic level. Creating your own hell from making the same mistakes over and over.” Acoustical shimmers quickly expand into twangy rock expansion, with the hypnotic vocals joining alongside the initial breeziness. Added guitars at 01:22 exude a bouncy fervor, with a delectable solo at 02:32 also standing out. The track touts an abundance of catchy, memorable melodies — with the lush piano-led restraint around 02:53 being another one.
"Tired of Staying Home" Be sure to add "Tired of Staying Home" to your Spotify playlists.
"I've been playing this finger-picking "McCartney-esque" tune for years. During the (Covid-19 lockdown) I was furloughed from my job, money wasn't coming in.. I had a mortgage to pay, bills weren't stopping, and my wife was pregnant with our first child. I was certainly becoming a bit distraught, so writing a song about it felt necessary. The city was bare, the skies were grey, it felt dystopian. Everyone was living in paranoia and keeping their distance. I feel like this song sums up vibes of the time."
"When your routines have been broken and all the stores have closed their doors like a ship that might be sinking and we don’t know where we stand I know that you and I are tired of staying home missing all your friends and family i hope that everyone is staying healthy laughter echos through the windows from my neighbors favorite shows I know that everyone is tired of staying home stay at home, stay at home starting to get tired of staying home they said Stay at home, stay at home, stay at home. life is getting stranger, and the city has gone dark. no more meeting friends for coffee, no one playing in the park on the news they said stop working but the bills don’t ever stop everyone is tired of staying home."
Thanks to my good pal Nik Westman of Central Plains for including "Tired of Staying Home" to this (Corona Tapes Mix!)
Wednesday April 8 “Don't They Know (it's the end of the world)” Mystic Seers mysticseers.bandcamp.com Featuring a sample of Skeeter Davis’ 1962 track “The End of The World,” this Mystic Seers tune has a melodic beat that at first sounds full of sorrow. But don’t let it fool you, the lyrics are full of optimism. “I feel at peace,” it begins. “Soften the noise and let light comfort me / I don't want any of that bad energy / Let me be here with the breeze.”
Official Single "Don't They Know (it's the End of the World)
Derek White's Recent Production work & collaborations: