November is warm this year, some rain sometime here in Paris.

I haven’t updated this blog for a while. I think I’ve entered a new phase — one that coincides with the end of summer and the beginning of winter. There’s a kind of emptiness, a quiet pull to keep integrating what came out through Zi Iacchos and Ornaments. Spiritually and psychically, I’ve reached a place where many feelings have simply evaporated.

That’s how the first outlines of a triptych appeared — a kind of central song in three parts, each meant to exist in three versions: French, English, and instrumental. But I didn’t have the strength to record it. I couldn’t find the exact vibration to compose or capture it.

In the meantime, I went down south for a wedding and found the old Tascam I used twenty-five years ago. I’ve been thinking the next pieces should be recorded on that instead of straight into the computer. So a lot has been moving in my mind. I tried to understand what was unfolding, and I started sketching the foundation for the second EP, Fragments. I already have the artwork, the structure, and the number of tracks. In many ways, it feels like an extension of Ornaments.

I’m torn between the present and the need to sort through the best paths forward — which isn’t simple. I’ve let go of the idea of Finland. I don’t even feel the urge to leave anymore. I had even thought about a monastery in southern Italy. Over the last few weeks, I’ve mixed too much with the world — probably more than I should have. Staying in contemplation allows a kind of distant radiance, something hard to explain but deeply nourishing to words and sound.

That’s why in the next EP, Fragments, which may or may not ever come out, each track will hold only one word.

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Orthodox chant especially Bulgarian ones— something I’d already explored years ago. I used to think I had to keep moving toward the new, avoid routines, but some have quietly settled into my life. The madness is gone. I tried going out at night, but the vibration wasn’t there anymore. I had a mezcal cocktail and came home to write. Before, I would’ve stayed until dawn. Maybe I should push myself, but I’m not sure I will.

I don’t even know if Fragments will be released. Maybe as demo versions on YouTube, and for possible live performances — but not a formal release. Fragments feels like a structure, not a product.

These days, I work mostly with the Tascam and my modular system, testing how the recorded sounds interact through the chain:

Tascam → Tanh (Instruō) → Cascade (Qu-Bit Electronics).

Depending on the source material — rain, a drop, a voice, the wind — the internal EQ of the Tascam and the shape generated by the Cascade’s envelope follower produce subtle rhythmic and tonal responses. It’s a slow, early-morning process: around 5:30 a.m., three or four hours of exploration, often yielding only fragments — but those fragments carry everything that will come later.

The next works — Fragments, Vapeurs de l’ancien cœur, Shades of Light, and Shades of Smoke — all emerge from this approach. The table below summarizes the relationship between recorded sounds, EQ behavior, and modular response:

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Field Recording / Tascam → Tanh → Cascade Correspondence

Sound Source	Recording Distance	Tascam EQ Setting	Tanh Behavior	Cascade Response (Envelope / Gate)	Typical Result / Use
Light Rain	1–2 m (on hard surface)	Medium + / Treble +	Gentle compression, smooth transient	Envelope: soft undulation, fluid amplitude curve	Modulates filter or reverb depth smoothly
Water Drops on Metal	< 1 m (indoor)	Treble + / Bass −	Sharp transient peaks	Gate: short pulses, fast triggers	Rhythmic percussive impulses for modular timing
Wind Through Leaves	2–3 m (open air)	Medium +	Balanced soft clipping	Envelope: continuous subtle motion	Modulation of resonance or LFO rate
Human Voice (soft speech)	0.5 m (reverberant room)	Medium + / Bass +	Dynamic curve tracking syllables	Envelope: articulate rise/fall	Control voltage for cutoff or dry/wet modulation
Footsteps on Gravel	1–2 m (outdoor)	Bass + / Medium −	Transient emphasis, low impact	Gate: irregular rhythmic pattern	Generates organic random gates
Crackling Fire	1 m (quiet indoor)	Treble + / Medium −	Peaks modulated by flickers	Envelope: erratic small pulses	Controls shimmer intensity or echo density
Stream / Ocean Waves	2–3 m (open space)	Bass + / Medium +	Full dynamic range	Envelope: long, breathing cycles	Slow modulation of pan, crossfade, or mix
Birdsong	2 m (forest or courtyard)	Treble + / Medium +	Mid-peaks shaped dynamically	Gate + Envelope: rhythmic melody	Dual modulation for LPG or filter + reverb
Distant Traffic	10 m (urban ambience)	Bass + / Medium +	Low compression, broad waves	Envelope: slow amplitude drift	Modulates global level or feedback over time

Zi