Intro
I’m Supersigil, the digital shadow of composer/producer/guitarist Alex Roth. In 2017, I started carving out time in between playing in bands on the UK experimental scene, scoring for theatre/dance, and other collaborations to make the music that was haunting my dreams. From the outset, but especially during the pandemic, this project represented a realm of blue-sky possibility I’d escape into, where some of my most personal ideas found expression. The material was so different from a lot of other stuff I’d done that it made sense to create a new identity for it to exist under. Thus Supersigil came into being to channel this new music. Now, I'm psyched to announce️ the debut Supersigil LP Spectres.
Tracks will be added to this page as each one drops. Scroll down to read more about the project.
Tracks will be added to this page as each one drops. Scroll down to read more about the project.
What is Spectres?
Spectres comprises 13 tracks I've composed, recorded, and produced over the last seven years—the 28th release in my discography but my first ever completely solo full-length album.
Archetypes
While working on this record, I delved deep into Jungian psychology, concepts from which became central to the project. All 13 tracks are named after archetypes—innate, universal forces that shape our experience of the world: Tree Of Life, Bird, Mage, Trickster, Shadow, Water, Serpent, Mother, Father, Death, Child, Hero, Anima.
Artwork
Spectres is also a visual art project. For each of the 13 tracks, I trained a bespoke AI GAN on consensually crowd-sourced images submitted in response to the corresponding archetype. By limiting the training time of these custom image-to-image models, I found I could achieve results that mirrored the formation of archetypal symbols as I imagine them deep in our collective unconscious: elusive yet powerful forms emerging from abstract swirls of colour. I think of this process as filtering the archetypal forces through contributors' personal psyches before channelling them back into the realm of the universal. For the album cover I trained another GAN on outputs from all the previous GANs combined, resynthesising the individual archetypal energies to forge an integrated whole.
Release
Spectres officially drops on web2 (Spotify, Bandcamp etc) on 23 November 2024.
Before then, I'm rolling it out across the web3 ecosystem, dropping tracks on Sound, Catalog, Zora, Lens and other emerging platforms. In a novel release structure, collectors of individual tracks gain instant access to stream the full album months before its official release. The goal is to push the limits of onchain interoperability to explore what a web3-native album release can look like in 2024.
Before then, I'm rolling it out across the web3 ecosystem, dropping tracks on Sound, Catalog, Zora, Lens and other emerging platforms. In a novel release structure, collectors of individual tracks gain instant access to stream the full album months before its official release. The goal is to push the limits of onchain interoperability to explore what a web3-native album release can look like in 2024.
Outro
Spectres is more than a collection of WAVs and JPGs; it is a dialogue between the personal and the universal, a multidisciplinary exploration of the forces that connect us all. The album has taken me on a transformative seven-year journey through sound, imagery and psyche. In the resulting work, individual and collective experience harmonise, revealing the profound depths of human interconnectedness.
FAQ
Who are you?
I’m Supersigil, the digital shadow of composer/producer/guitarist Alex Roth.
I've been releasing music under various band names and aliases for over a decade.
Some highlights during this time include having my music recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra; playing on the soundtrack for Black Mirror; and performing in over a dozen countries across Europe, including prestigious venues like the Royal Albert Hall and festivals such as the BBC Proms.
Check out my full biography here.
I've been releasing music under various band names and aliases for over a decade.
Some highlights during this time include having my music recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra; playing on the soundtrack for Black Mirror; and performing in over a dozen countries across Europe, including prestigious venues like the Royal Albert Hall and festivals such as the BBC Proms.
Check out my full biography here.
What's your long-term vision?
My long-term vision is to manifest Spectres as a virtual world wherein each track is a realm built around the corresponding archetypal character. Funds raised from track sales will go towards making this a reality.
Subsequent Supersigil albums will also manifest as virtual worlds, all interconnected to form a galaxy comprising my entire discography. I believe this is the future of album releases, and I'm excited to invite you to join me on this journey.
Subsequent Supersigil albums will also manifest as virtual worlds, all interconnected to form a galaxy comprising my entire discography. I believe this is the future of album releases, and I'm excited to invite you to join me on this journey.
When will Spectres be released?
web3 (Sound, Formless etc): summer 2024
web2 (Spotify, Bandcamp etc): 23 November 2024
web2 (Spotify, Bandcamp etc): 23 November 2024
What's web3?
In a nutshell, web3 is the next iteration of the internet.
It’s an umbrella term that encompasses emerging technologies such as blockchains, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and cryptocurrencies. Some of the guiding principles behind these tools are decentralisation, interoperability and sovereign ownership.
For more information, see this in-depth guide I wrote.
It’s an umbrella term that encompasses emerging technologies such as blockchains, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and cryptocurrencies. Some of the guiding principles behind these tools are decentralisation, interoperability and sovereign ownership.
For more information, see this in-depth guide I wrote.
What if I don't have a crypto wallet?
No problem. Some web3 platforms like Sound allow you to use an email address instead of a crypto wallet. Moreover, the album will be available on all the usual digital platforms (Spotify, Bandcamp etc) from 23 November 2024. The web3 part of the release schedule is for people who want to collect tracks as NFTs. They will get to hear the album first as a reward for this higher level of support.
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Supersigil
Musick maker / shadow dweller.
