Now live is my second installment in The Queen's Waltz series: Electric Ensemble. In this project, I've begun multiple different instrumental arrangements of one single composition. So far, I've completed the solo piano rendition, and now the electric rendition.

This track went through multiple different versions. As I began the arrangement, I knew that the primary instrument would be the electric piano (a modern Wurlitzer electric piano). I wanted to imagine how this piece could be played in a band format, so naturally I had to include the electric bass. Rather than emphasize each movement of the waltz, I used it sparingly, only to emphasize the main melody. And finally, I chose to use the jazz organ to provide a nice water-like atmospheric texture to the track. The bridge provides a nice moment for the organ to poke through the mix, and it's actually playing a melody which I ripped from another arrangement of mine for this song (which will be released in about two weeks).

At one stage, this song featured an electric guitar. But after spending more time on it than I should've, I realized that it simply detracted way too much from the vision for the song. So, the guitar was eliminated. Once I finished the first mix, I found that the original piano had way too much effects going on (reverb, phaser, etc) which translated horribly to the phone speakers. This exposed an issue in my mix and forced me to return to square one. I then stayed up until 3:00 AM completely redoing the mix until it sat right…. I fell asleep that night on my sofa listening to the Electric Ensemble on my Air Pods. That next morning, I perfected the master (though it could be a bit louder), uploaded it, and scrambled out the door to pick up merch and head to a rehearrsal with my band Empire Grade.

To me, this arrangement helps me visualize the composition better. If the Queen is the electric piano, the bass is the ballroom, and the organ her dancing partner. The picture has expanded, and with it, the story. Though the original piano has a purity to it, this piece, having two melodic instruments, has more voice and detail. My favorite moment is the bridge, when the organ rolls through the silence to present a whole new melody. Enjoy this new arrangement of The Queen's Waltz, and standby for two more arrangements being rolled out this month.

Nick Sax