enigmatic electronica
liner notes
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about the album
over the course of the last 2 years, i've been exploring the many intersections between jazz and electronic music with an emphasis on improvisation. the songs on this album represent the most memorable destinations along my journey. my hope is to have captured a special and unique perspective in each song.
the album features a blend of acoustic and electric guitar, fm synthesis, drum machines, and even tibetan singing bowls. improvisation is at the core of my musical philosophy, and as such the music on this album walks a fine line between improvised and composed, with guitar and synth solos woven throughout. i hope you enjoy and i thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my music.
tracklist
- 01. forest temple — 06:37
- 02. altitude — 05:34
- 03. meltdown — 06:06
- 04. hang ten — 06:51
- 05. earthbound — 07:16
- 06. basement full of dreams — 06:26
- 07. train to switzerland — 06:43
- 08. transformation — 05:40
- 09. break through the noise — 07:34
total runtime: 58:47
track notes
01 · forest temple
redwood national forest, california
the opening track of the album. after replaying zelda ocarina of time recently on an old n64 (that i stumbled upon buried very deep in my closet), a certain nostalgia-infused inspiration started brewing. i had been working on 12/8 time in my jazz playing at the time, and so this melding of afro-cuban style 12/8 music with a clavé and cinematic retro nintendo music began to take form.
02 · altitude
grand teton national park, wyoming
i was up in maine in early january and suddenly felt inspired to try to capture the feeling of being up in the snowy mountains in music. the evolving sequence that starts off the track was born of that initial inspiration of the view of the mountains and the feeling of skiing down through the trees in the refreshing air.
03 · meltdown
miami, florida
after a trip to paris to see some old friends, i was reminded how much i loved the french rap and hip-hop scene. as a musician, that genre is way out of my comfort zone of what i can create, so this track emerged from my admiration and aspiration to create something similar, even if only dimly.
04 · hang ten
trinidad, california
while spending a week in southern california, i was struck by the simultaneous focus and ease that surfers embodied while riding wave after wave after wave. around this time, i was replaying donkey kong country 1 (snes) on a gameboy advance i had with me, and funky kong's themes kept popping back into my head. this song emerged out of my awe of surfing and the recurring funky kong vibes.
05 · earthbound
purchase, new york
this is by far my most experimental track. as a listener, it takes some patience, but i encourage you to let it wash over you and try to follow it through. this song attempts to portray a group of (kind-hearted) aliens traveling through space in search of a hospitable place to land.
06 · basement full of dreams
origin unknown
while helping my family clear out all the old clutter in the basement of my childhood home, i discovered so many incredible long-lost items from so many years ago. photos, video games, stuffed animals, rock collections; the list goes on. this song came to me in a flash after spending several days down there and uncovering so many things i'd forgotten about.
07 · train to switzerland
lucerne, switzerland
while on a train ride from france to switzerland in march, i was charmed by the beautiful scenery and the lovely people i met in passing. luckily, i was able to record the foundation and song structure on my op-1 before i had to get off the train.
08 · transformation
graffiti, lisbon, portugal
over the course of several months, i had accrued several (seemingly) isolated unrelated grooves on my op-1. i liked them all, but didn't know where they came from or where they were going. in an attempt to step out of my own box, i began combining and mixing them together in every imaginable configuration. what emerged was a totally transformed piece of music and a huge realization that despite seeming unrelated, each groove actually came from the same generator, so to speak.
09 · break through the noise
tiles & graffiti, mirepoix, france
the final track of the album. this song comes at a time when there is a lot of noise out there in the world. noise can distract us from doing what we otherwise ought to do, or at least would like to do. this song attempts to express the process of cutting through the noise, and the fact that luckily it might be easier than you think.
bonus content
available at: chriscovney.com/enigmatic-electronica/downloads
- · synth and drum sample and preset packs for the op-1 field and op-1 original.
- · op-z pattern files and po-32 tonic kits and patterns (transfer data files).
- · full tape and project files for the op-1 field, op-1 original, and op-z for several of the songs from the album.
- · curated collection of one-shot samples of various fm synths and drum machines used throughout the album.
- · bonus tracks and jams that are more raw and experimental.
a note to the curious listener
the process of making an album exclusively on the op-1 field involves a lot of patience, but the unique constraints of it as a device force you to be creative and innovative in your approach to music composition and production. you'll discover things and make musical decisions as a result that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. i'd like to share some of the insights i've gained throughout the process of making this album with you.
experimentation is paramount:
unlike a traditional daw, the op-1 field was designed from the ground up to be an all-in-one performance and recording machine: it is both an instrument and a workstation. as such, it offers a remarkable panoply of features all of which are exquisitely available to you at your fingertips, giving you a unique level of spontaneity and creation. to that end, experimentation and spontaneity are absolutely necessary in order to get the full potential out of the device and the creative process it offers. however, the elephant in the room must now be addressed: there is no undo function. therefore, the key to actually following through on being spontaneous is to use the duplicate tape feature and the lift/drop feature liberally. throwing caution to the wind is also a great alternative and can be very liberating. otherwise, either by making frequent duplicates of your entire tape project or by lifting and dropping sections of your tape, you must do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable in experimenting without hesitation. this really is a must-have. i can't tell you how many times i've discovered the much-needed interlude or bridge to one of my songs by slicing and dicing a tape project.
use the entire 6 minutes of the tape:
the op-1 field's primary medium is audio, not midi data. this comes with its caveats, such as limited control and manipulation of musical choices after they have been recorded to tape. however, it does offer a unique and often overlooked advantage over working primarily with midi data: the ability to imprint an immutable section of music on the tape that captures a unique time and place in the music that would be hard (or impossible) to recreate otherwise. to better explain this, i will provide an example. say you are trying to find that perfect drum groove for your track, either by manually drumming on the keyboard or by using one of the built-in sequencers. the unique advantage here is to capture your drumming experimentation onto the tape for the entire 6 minute tape length. you may think 6 minutes is overkill, but i assure you it isn't. with enough experimentation and some patience, somewhere in that 6 minutes will lie 2 bars of a stellar iteration of your drum groove (whether by accident or otherwise) that you can now use as the foundation of your song, while everything else from that 6 minute experimentation can be deleted. this can be repeated and applied to any trial and error process, such as developing melodies, sequences, and chord progressions. it is especially useful when manipulating effects on the fly, such as the cwo or phone effect. sometimes all it takes is finding that one sweet spot on a drum or lead effect to make your song really pop.
your composition is a performance:
once again, the op-1 field is unlike a traditional daw in that it does not offer automation. therefore, taking a tape project that is "complete" and transforming it into a "song" requires one final step: hitting play from the beginning of your tape and recording your performance of the automation live, on the fly. that includes muting and unmuting tracks, adjusting track panning and volume, adjusting master effects and gain, and anything else you would otherwise prepare in advance in a more typical daw. to that end, part of your artistic journey with the op-1 field as an instrument involves practicing the "performance" of your compositions. each one of my songs took at least 10 performances to get right, and in some cases more than 50.
wishing you the very best in your musical journey and please reach out to me through my website chriscovney.com or my bandcamp if you want to chat more about the music making process.
-chris
about chris
chris is a graduate of the institute of contemporary music performance in london and lehigh university, where he studied under vic juris, tom guarna, gene perla, dave liebman, and bill warfield. his influences in jazz span from andrew hill all the way to john scofield, and being a child of the early nintendo era, the music from classic snes and n64 titles is a permanent source of inspiration.
chris is based in providence, rhode island, where he is composing, producing, and performing in various contexts. currently, he is exploring the many intersections between jazz and electronic music. he is extremely fond of espresso and dark chocolate, which largely fueled his work on this album.
credits
- · released november 7, 2025.
- · all tracks composed, performed, and produced by chris covney.
- · recorded, mixed, and mastered by chris covney entirely on an op-1 field, tx-6, and tp-7 with no post processing.
- · guitars: koentopp archtop and danocaster electric.
- · original album artwork by erik van dam.
- · artist promo photography by louise bichan.
- · web design, liner notes, & track-specific photography by chris covney.
legal & links
℗ 2025 chris covney. © 2025 chris covney. all rights reserved.
- · publishing: self‑published
- · links: bandcamp • soundcloud • youtube • homepage
listen on bandcamp