ATARAXIA

COMMENTARY

I started work on “Ataraxia” while working on my ongoing album project, but it always felt like it had a life of its own apart from the other tracks I was working on. The project started as an improvisation I recorded near the end of 2024. I had recently heard some tips about writing melody: “think about what you would normally play, and then play in the spaces where you wouldn’t normally be playing.” It created this interesting, spacious, melancholic, yet beautiful effect—not only did it make me realize that I often overplay in order to fill space, but it generated so many ideas for songs, including this one.

When I was thinking about the recording, I mentioned to my wife that it would be interesting to hear a drum n’ bass or breakbeat spine on the track, underneath the piano. The idea stuck in my head, and I spent some time with my brother Josh—a fantastic drummer—at his home studio in May of 2025 fleshing out the idea. We started with one of his homemade drum sample libraries, and he hammered out a tight set of loops over the track. I then took the original drum recording, quantized it, and manipulated it utilizing a number of plugins, including Cableguys’s ShaperBox 2, an incredibly powerful sample manipulator.

I attempted to extend the song and add more sections a number of times, but it always felt like I was changing something that already told its own story and had its own identity. “Ataraxia” is a short idea—it says what it wants to say and gets out—but there was something about it that kept me hitting replay again and again. Eventually, that impetus to listen just one more time bled into the production choices, and it became a song that was meant to be listened to on repeat. An endless song on an infinite loop, for as long as the listener is in need of it.

I chose this song to be my self-titled single because I am incredibly proud of it. It feels like I have finally been able to fully meld my piano composition and electronic music production skills into something that showcases the best of what I’m able to do in these genres in a manner that fans of either genre will be able to engage with.

But there’s another reason I decided this song should be called “Ataraxia.” This season, I’ve been dealing with some pretty intense family emergencies, and this song has been on my mind during all of it. I initially chose my musical artist name, Ataraxia, when I was messing around with a few old friends of mine regarding singing group names, but it has taken on additional layers of personal meaning for me over the years. Ataraxia is an Ancient Greek philosophic term that refers to a state of mind that is free of any worries and anxieties, completely calm and ready. I’ve been feeling a lot of worries and anxieties, and this song has been with me every step of the way. The act of creating it has been a necessary balm.

Thank you for listening to “Ataraxia,” visiting this website to learn more about the creative process behind the track, and sticking with me for so many years. I appreciate you!

—Emmy