Certain projects are the result of inspiration; Reetoxa’s “Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars)” is the result of experience. Jason Mckee has produced a project in which personal history plays a significant role in the act of listening, linking difficult memories with instances of imagination, discovery, and creative recovery. The end product is one that appears sincere even though it does not have to exaggerate its intentions.
The backstory of “Akaroa” gives the EP a particularly unusual character. Although Mckee had no prior association with the New Zealand town, a name which he had heard in a vivid dream stayed with him. It wasn’t until years later that a sudden visit to the place during a cruise caused the forgotten song to return to his memory. The circumstances involved in completing it create an interesting link between memory and coincidence, and the songwriting turns that experience into a concrete thing.
The fact that the creative process involved in ‘Erica And The Stars’ brings an extra dimension to the project is significant. When writing during one of his most difficult periods, Mckee discovered that making music enabled him to concentrate on his thoughts. The orchestral sound that he imagined as he was writing later on became included in the recording via the Budapest Orchestra. Instead of viewing these experiences as mere background details, Reetoxa lets them shape the character of the final piece.
The EP benefits from the expertise of a very skilled team, consisting of Simon Moro who produced, mixed and mastered the project, together with Luke Crouch who acted as engineer. Terry HarT, James Ryan, Kit Riley, Peter Martin and Jessica Mcpherson-Riley also take part in it, along with the Budapest Orchestra. This collaboration provides Mckee’s ideas with a solid musical structure without losing his individual viewpoint. “Double A Side 2” is a significant piece of work by an artist who has turned difficult experiences into an opportunity for creativity, expression and progress.
