An album release in wartime: Unknown Destination

Just my luck: in 2020, when I had just received the final masters for my previous album, the COVID pandemic erupted. Now, just when I am about to release my first album since that time, a huge war has erupted here in the Middle East.

Last time, I tried to turn the disadvantage into an advantage. I named the album “Love In The Time Of Corona“, and I figured that it was a smart move. Still, the mood in the world was so bad, that the release campaign didn’t work out so well.

A deliberate album

Now, I have no such choices to make. Unknown Destination is not a compilation; it’s an album that I deliberately recorded as an album. For months in a row, every time I came home from work, I dove into my studio, driven by a clear a vision of how I wanted the songs to be, and which sound I was going for.

The result is an album that really is an album. It’s not a compilation of singles after the fact, as all my other albums basically have been.

It’s very interesting, because I truly feel extra proud of it this way. And now that this outrageously crazy war has broken out, started by outrageously crazy and unimaginably evil warmongers (the usual suspects), I don’t want to change a single thing about.

March 27th: Unknown Destination

The release date is March 27th. The album cover is done. The song order is decided (and has grown on me). ‘Ain’t no stopping us now’, as the song says, which by the way is a pivotal song in the American civil rights movement, in case you didn’t know.

Our life is disrupted; I don’t want to get into details about that, as I am not a journalist. Things are not looking good at all. But we move on.

Let me clarify it with a quote from the title song, and you will see how well it applies. “You and me, we both don’t know where we’re really going. But we’ll have to keep some stability, just to keep it all flowing. There’s no place for stagnation, no room for frustration, not until we reach this unknown destination.”

Dedicated album webpage

And that’s how it is. And there’s nothing I can do about the situation. So I keep calm, and focus on getting this release out, even if people are pre-occupied with other things, as was the case with my previous release. I know I will feel accomplished, regardless. This album is going to be brought out on vinyl as well, and that’s really special to me!

Mark the date in your calendar: March 27th. Also: check out the dedicated album webpage. You can presave the album, or order the vinyl! And the best thing is: that page has the lyrics to all the songs!

Doc Jazz

P.S. Here is a potential bonus for reading this post – although this link will expire within a few days from publication, you can stream the whole album here!