Phil Western

Written & produced by: Phil Western

Additional synth + extra bits by: Hashmoder

This is the very last music track Phil worked on before his death.

It was late 2018 when Phil played this unfinished track for me at his studio. I fell in love with it immediately. Then Phil asked me for extra synth layers to add on top and make this track more distinguishable transitionally along the movements between each

arrangement-block along the timeline.

Fast forward to Sunday, February 3, 2019, at Phil’s studio — the evening before his departure to Berlin the following day. I provided him with my audio stems of extra synth layers which were then added to this song’s multitrack session. Everything glued together perfectly. Oh my, Dream Death sounded so full, so beautiful…and emotional.

Where did your genius come from, Phil? Such a work of art through and through.

“It’s the sequel to Truth” (from Worlds End album) Phil hinted. It was getting late. No time to finalize the track that night. Phil had to get ready for his trip to Berlin. “We’ll finish it when I get back.”

We then drove to Commercial Drive, had Pho for dinner, and then I dropped him home afterwards, and we said “Love you brother!” to each other. I watched Phil walk away from my car to the door around the side of his dwelling. I drove away. That was the last time we spoke to each other — the last time I saw him alive.

Phil left us less than 24 hours later.

Give it a rest
Cuz we're hitting the wall now
Mess with my head
The child in me cries out

I must confess
I walked through the marshes
Up to the water's edge
I saw myself drowning

I turned away
Went back the way I came
Decided to live
And smiled at your game

Originally written/produced by:
Phil Western w/Hashmoder (extra synths + bits)

Remixed by: Hashmoder

The original version of Dream Death is incredible! How the hell was I going to remix it — so richly perfect, wrapped in Phil’s genius — and not lose the pure essence of the original track’s story, flow, emotions, and feelings? Where do I start?

Many draft remix sessions were scrapped. None of them became faithful to the original. I studied closely Dream Death’s arrangements, and music composition, in order to get clearer direction(s). I needed to produce a remix that must contain my sound-&-style but, yet, remain 100% faithful to the original.

After a painful long time, the end result: a remix with almost an identical structure/arrangement blocks; completely different sounding elements; a middle section breakdown with Phil’s very emotional vocals in solo; layered build-up; and an accentuated drop of Phil’s vocal phrase “turn around” stuttering in a technique from the 1980s — my child/teenhood decade of which I love & cherish.

And finally…a remix made with passion, packed with sentimental love and reminiscence of him.

Phil, you were a gift from God. Thank you for having been in my life.