I flew into Paris but had a show in Strasbourg a few days later. I rented a car for the following morning and booked a room in Verdun, the city in the middle, to help break up the 6 hour drive. The residency that brought me to Europe didn’t start for another week. I explored France and Germany with my camera, capturing footage for the songs I was about to write. 

Near Verdun is Vent des Forêts, a contemporary art exhibit in the woods. Some people fly into Paris to experience the city. I drove 3 hours into the countryside on one-lane dirt roads to hike alone in the forest in 91-degree heat. 

The album artwork and videos for “A New Day” is from that hike. The sculptures in the video are “Cartouche” by Marion Verboom.  “One of those who were too long in the woods,” by Stefan Rinck has been described as everyone’s friend of the forest.

The second song, “Black Forest ” features the trees and mushrooms of the Black Forest in Germany. The song was inspired by a melody I overheard two children singing to each other while hiking.

In “Beach Dreams,” forests reflect on stream surfaces. Underwater footage captures the light through water. 

“Sunshine and Pines” shows scenes of Planplatten mountain (7,365 ft) situated within the Uri and Bernese Alps in Switzerland. On my birthday, I rode a gondola to the top of the mountain with 2 other people and what appeared to be hundreds of pounds of cheese (not pictured).

“Delaney” features live, improvised, and looped vocals. The percussion was made by talented musician and pal, Delaney Davidson. The song is named after him. Many years ago, he tapped on the body of his guitar and I saved the sound to my loop pedal. At the residency, I revisited the beat and wrote the composition in real time as it was recorded. The footage is from the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. 

The dark melody of “And Let Live”’ matched the cold cellar at Chateau Orquevaux. I combined videos of clouds, water, fire, and the basement to achieve the haunting effects. Humble brag that I hit those low notes naturally. This song was featured on a compilation released by Volar Records, “Presence Not Absence – A Benefit Compilation for Trans BIPOC Housing Assistance.” Buy it on Bandcamp if you wish to support it. 

“Anticipating the End” features footage from ruins of the ancient Hohenbaden Old Castle and Burg Alt-Eberstein castle ruins in Germany, and a foggy night in Orquevaux, France. 

Skipping in Place meanders through the town of Orquevaux and showcases the beloved goats of the Chateau and their coordinated dance moves.

“Let it Flow” is the only song with lyrics on the track and the reason the album is named “Le Flux” (“the flow” in French). It features highlights from the trip to France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and view. I appreciate you and your support.
 
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Le Flux was recorded and written at Chateau Orquevaux, France in September 2019. 

This was my first artist retreat away from home. Past residencies were self-guided and completed in Cleveland while juggling other responsibilities. During this trip, all of my actions were focused on art.

I was determined to create as much as possible and abandoned any self-restricting rules. I muted my inner critic and nurtured the sound. Don’t have a chorus? It doesn’t matter. Lyrics,…who needs them. My voice is an instrument. These songs are acapella instrumentals. 

Staying in another country and not being able to speak French made me contemplate communication. Musical tones are translators. There are many songs I love that are in other languages. I am often clueless as to what the words are but feel I understand what the song is about. We hear emotions in the melody. Compositions can cross language barriers. I wanted to make music that can be enjoyed by many cultures. 

Every morning, I made myself a cappuccino and walked to the stables where my studio was. Whatever melody was in my mind at that moment I recorded and layered. These are the songs of Le Flux. All were written in a flow state. “Le Flux” means “The Flow” in French.  

Here are some photos of the space.

The film accompanies me on my tour of Europe. The movie has momentum. The videos ramble through forest scenes and castle ruins. The visuals, layered and modulated, transport the viewer. Forged by adventure and intuitive feelings, these recordings are unplanned and unrehearsed yet fuse into a uniquely harmonious production.

I’ll share stories about the individual songs soon. Stay tuned!  (subscribe at UnoLady.com)

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Watch Le Flux on Youtube

 
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Hi friends, I appreciate everyone who was able to buy the new record, Single Rider. Thank you! We are sold out of the limited Wax Mage customs and nebula varieties but there are a few random colors & clear with blue pigment swirl left in my shop if you want one.

Alaska was amazing! For 6 weeks I was an artist fellow at Chulitna Lodge. Located on the shores of Lake Clark in Port Alsworth, Alaska, the wilderness lodge is only accessible by plane and boat. There are no roads.

The plane sat 4 people and carried 2 Costco pizzas plus a box of moose burgers. We flew eye level with the mountain peaks. We took off in Anchorage and landed at Port Alsworth, AK. A boat transported us across Lake Clark to Chulitna Lodge.

It’s challenging to put my feelings into words. The environment and experiences are one-of-a-kind and life-changing. The love I have for the people I shared the space with is profound.

Depending on the week, the lodge housed 8-13 people while I was there. I was surrounded by like-minded, creative, kind people, all whom I miss dearly. You can read about the other artist fellows, staff, and the history of the lodge here.

The scenes were the most beautiful views I have ever seen. I lived in a yurt, cozied up with my recording equipment and a bed. At the fellowship, I wrote and recorded 10 songs and filled a huge hard drive with videos and nature sound samples. I experimented with some new approaches and am ecstatic with the results. I will release the songs after they are mixed and mastered.

I went to the fellowship to develop a project that honors and explores old-growth forests. I wish to create compositions that encourage others to feel enthusiasm and love towards trees. I wrote 6 pages defining what that looks like. I will use the text for future residencies, to find support, and continue on my forest mission.

Chulitna Lodge is lakeside and the beach is beautiful. There are wild chives, fireweed, and other wildflowers growing among the beach rocks. Down the beach is a massive beaver dam. On the other side is a maze of water channels that flow through the forest. I went paddle boarding for the first time and explored for hours in the canals. The water was warmer than the glaciated lake and crystal clear. You could see moose and bear prints at the bottom imprinted in the sediment. Twisted pine trees surrounded us. It was incredible.

Although I didn’t see a lot of cities in Alaska, I had many adventures around Chulitna Lodge. Across the Lake is Mount Tanalian. We took a day trip and hiked to Tanalian Falls.

There are a few self-maintained paths around the property and in the National Park. Towards the end of the fellowship we hiked the mountain directly behind the lodge. They call it Mount George because it looks like George Washington’s profile. From the top of the mountain you can see Kijik Lake. I read the land around the lake was known as Qizhjeh Vena, ‘a place where people gather lake.’ The Qizhjeh (Kijik) area includes K’q’uya Vena (Kijik Lake). Qizhjeh Vena is the ancestral homeland of the Dena’ina people.

This hike was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I love nature and being outdoors, but I’m from flat Ohio and rent cabins. The other hikers were more experienced but they shared their knowledge and encouragement the entire way. I have never been on a hike where the trail was bushwhacked as we progressed. It was an incredible challenge and I am proud of myself for pushing through fear and hesitations. I sobbed gratitude and relief at the top. The view was breathtaking.

The midnight sun never let it get dark. During solstice, there was 22 hours of daylight. Even when the sun set the sky glowed. On the longest day of the year we made solstice tea with foraged wildflowers. We took the boat around Lake Clark, explored some islands and abandoned cabins. We saw bald eagles and baby moose. I love the photos from this day.

I had the best time and will be forever grateful for the opportunity. Thank you, Chulitna.

In other news, I am loving living in Maine. So far so great. I’m painting the studio next week and will be back to recording soon.

In addition to Uno Lady, I write compositions for other creative folks. I record vocal harmonies for people’s albums and arrangements. I make original music for virtual exhibits, art installations, meditation practices, and write jingles for businesses. Please consider working with me on your creative projects. You can hire me through SoundBetter, Fiverr, or message me directly at unoladymusic@gmail.com

Warm regards,
Christa, The Uno Lady

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Uno Lady is going to Alaska for an Artist Fellowship