These songs were both created after attending Black Lives Matter protests earlier this year. These were created as reminders and celebrations of the fact that we can and should continue to fight for change. There are causes we must keep fightings for, and together we have to believe and have hope that we can bring about the change that is desperately needed. We have choices to make every day. Choose life, choose love. Choose to vote. Choose to speak out. Choose to create art. Choose to do what small actions we can make things better.
Download / Buy and Support Us on Bandcamp:
Fighting For Years / We Will Rise by Creatures Once
Stream everywhere:
About These Songs
Fighting For Years
This song was created after attending the Black Lives Matter protests earlier this year. Emotional, inspiring, powerful, experiences. Much respect and solidarity to all those who are fighting for justice. Those who have been and will continue fighting for years. There is work to be done. I want to stay optimistic that we’ll progress. Keep on going strong. Creators can keep creating good art. That is something powerful.
About the creation of this song:
Went into the creature’s studio and created this in a couple of emotional and fun recordings sessions. With all that inspiration and emotion from the protests, I came home to create sounds, because that’s what I do when I don’t know what else to do and it makes me feel better. Needed to bang on things. So I pulled out the djembe, and a talking drum my dad just gave me. It’s gotten a little limp in its old age. Have to squeeze it real hard to get the juicy tones. Not unlike my dad in its own way, I suppose. I felt like screaming, so I did some mouth sounds through the Kaoss pad. Started with a bassline from the Volca Kick. Layered in some synths that were the first ideas I thought of: used the Circuit Monostation, max for cats synths, prophet (virtual), and rhodes samples. Lyrics were improvised off the cuff and recorded first take, which is what I’ve been doing this year. At this point if I sat down and wrote lyrics and focussed on vocals, I’m not sure I would ever release anything. I have to capture and move on. This middle section of the song got a little darker and more chaotic, and that was fun, but not the end of the story. There will be some chaos, a lot of anger, and eventually a little dancing, and looking forward.
More information, including samples and Ableton set coming soon to our website creaturesonce.com
lyrics
Come step up now
Step up, keep on going strong
No one ever told us it’s time to give up the fight, keep on going strong
Get in a day what you’ve been fighting for years
Fighting for years
Playtime over, step up and respect
No one ever told us it’s time to give up the fight, keep on going strong
Playtime over, step up and respect, give us what we due
credits
Aaron August Miles – Instruments, production, voice
We Will Rise
This song was created not long after attending Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. It’s a reminder and a celebration of the fact that the collective “we” can do the work and make things better. Together, we can rise to greater places. I like to remember it’s a choice sometimes. Every minute. To be hopeful or fearful. To give up or to keep doing the work that’s in front of us. Hard choices, but choices that can be made.
The female vocals are from Monica Miles chanting “asatoma sadgamaya”, which kind of translates into “lead me from darkness to light”. This track features some African flutes and percussion (sample instruments created by Behr) like this seem celebratory to me. I like to have a little “let’s get up and do this” flavor but also some “let’s also party” reminders.
Let’s choose. Let’s rise.
Get the free flute and percussion sample instruments here: emilehoogenhout.com/santuri-safari/
More information, including samples and Ableton set coming soon (I hope) to our website creaturesonce.com
lyrics
LYRICS:
Come on
We will rise
Come on
We will choose
Choose life
Choose love
Come on
credits
Aaron August Miles – Instruments, production and vocals
Monica Miles – Vocals
creaturesonce 