Miami-based instrumental prog and math rock project Aurora Dream founded by 26-year-old Venezuelan guitarist Daniel Morales has released their highly anticipated first full-length album titled RUBIX. This album is the follow-up to their latest single and music video "Comfy," which features the well-known Japanese guitarist Ichika Nito.
Prior to the release of "Comfy," Aurora Dream also put out a remixed and remastered version of "Parallel Colors" from 2016, this time featuring Chris Allisonon drums, and also the single "A New Infinite" that features well-known Australian guitarist Plini, along with his bassist Simon Grove.
RUBIX was produced by Randy Slaugh, who provided a lot more dynamics to the record with his modern production techniques and layers that enhanced the listening experience with creative genre fusions. The album was also co-produced by keyboardist and synth player Eric Guenther from "The Contortionist," who teamed up with Randy and added his psychedelic, progressive, and ethereal sounds that added a lot more dimension to the album, creating a truly immersive experience.
Well-known Australian drummer Chris Allison from Plini performed drums on RUBIX, giving the record a lot more energy through his performance. Mangus Steedperformed bass on the album, providing his unique bass lines, riffs, and phrases that complemented Chris' drums amazingly. Simon Grove mixed RUBIX, while well-known Venezuelan engineer Moises D' Bello mastered it.
RUBIX features some of the best guitar players in the modern scene, including Tim Henson (Polyphia), Nick Johnston, Javier Reyes (Animals as Leaders), Sithu Aye, Angel Vivaldi, Ichika Nito, Mark Holcomb (Periphery), Felix Martin, and Josh Martin (Little Tybee). Additionally, this album features a harp section by Gabriela Gutierrez (Hardcore Harp) on the track titled “Same Opposites.”
The album is truly a masterpiece and a monument for instrumental guitar music because it delivers a profoundly unique listening experience that showcases many interesting genre fusions with prog rock and math rock, combined with modern production that adds more personality to the record and makes it stand out from the rest. The features also add a lot to the experience, not only giving each track a different twist that is unique to each player but also creating one of the biggest album guitar crossovers we have seen yet.
The production layers of RUBIX are inspired by many different genres, including pop, psychedelic rock, lo-fi, synthwave, post-rock, emo, and experimental music. Aurora Dream and Daniel Morales continue to innovate and push the boundaries of guitar music with their unique sound that fuses many different styles and creates a very fun experience that showcases Daniel's talent with his guitar tapping, complex riffs, strange time signature changes, and melodic writing that add on to the experience, making it a roller coaster of emotions across the entire record.
This album is available for purchase and streaming on all music platforms.
RUBIX Vinyls and CDs are coming out later this year, along with music tabs.
T-shirts are available for sale here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZJTKT9L?ref=myi_title_dp
Aurora Dream has set up a GoFundMe page where fans can pitch in to help fund their musical project. The ultimate goal is to plan a tour and land gigs at big music events, but they need your help to make it happen. If you're interested in contributing to this awesome cause, check out their page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-get-aurora-dream-on-tour?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
Every little bit counts, let’s make it happen!
“I started writing 'RUBIX' in early 2019 as a way to escape a very long depression that I was struggling with since the end of 2018. This was also around the time I wrote the song 'Doggy' as a memorial to my dog who had passed away due to cancer in early 2019. Playing guitar in my room helped me a lot, just like performing small shows at local venues, open mics, and bars around Miami and Wynwood. I never imagined that something that started as a simple bedroom produced album that was purely meant to be shared with my close friends and family would later turn into something much bigger after connecting with many talented people that shaped my artistic vision and helped me take it to another level through collaborations and other creative efforts," says Daniel.
He adds, "Despite all the collaborations and collective ideas, this record feels very personal to me because it embodies all of the emotions I experienced during some of my saddest and happiest times in the past four years. Just like a Rubik's cube, I was able to reshape my life into something much brighter that gives me purpose, belonging, and true fulfillment that aligns with who I am, not just as an artist, but also as a person. I will always be grateful for all the people who worked on this project, my fans, my friends, family, and all the people that supports my journey as I continue to deliver my vision as an artist through my music projects.”
Album Credits:
Guitars: Daniel Morales
Bass: Mangus Steed
Drums: Chris Allison
Keys & Synths: Eric Guenther
Harp on “Same Opposites”: Gabriela Gutierrez (Hardcore Harp)
Album Features:
Tim Henson (Polyphia) – Reframe / Reshape
Nick Johnston – Parallel Colors
Javier Reyes (Animals as Leaders) – Floral
Sithu Aye – Perfect Skies
Angel Vivaldi – Same Opposites
Ichika Nito – Comfy
Mark Holcomb (Periphery) – Happy Moon
Felix Martin – Doggy
Josh Martin (Little Tybee) – Rewind / Repeat
Production & Layering: Randy Slaugh
Mixed by: Simon Grove
Mastered by: Moises D’ Bello
Art Direction: Daniel Morales
Artwork: Jakub Krzyszkowski
Layout & Design: Rui Carneiro
Photography: 4102 Productions
Photo Edits: Alejandro Hernández
Aurora Dream is a Miami, Florida-based musical project that was founded by Daniel Morales in 2016, during his final months at university. The project was launched with the release of "Parallel Colors (Demo)," a single that was originally meant to be a personal release. However, due to high demand during live shows, Daniel decided to establish a separate project.
Aurora Dream pushes the boundaries of traditional guitar music with its unique fusions, writing styles, and production techniques. Despite this, the project retains its signature progressive, modern, and ethereal sound. As the driving force behind Aurora Dream, Daniel Morales has grown the project independently with the help of numerous talented individuals in the music industry. The result has exceeded his expectations, and the project has expanded beyond his original vision.
Daniel Morales, also known as “Duniel”, is a Venezuelan-American independent guitarist, entrepreneur, and composer. He is best known as the founder of the instrumental project Aurora Dream, and also releases music under his own name where he explores his creative ideas and continues to expand the boundaries of guitar music. Daniel composes, plays guitar, records, and manages his unique brand of instrumental progressive music, all from his bedroom studio. Born in Mérida, Venezuela, on September 11th, 1996, Daniel is considered to be one of the most successful and influential guitarists from his home country. His inspirations revolve around progressive rock, metal, emo, math rock, pop, and experimental music.
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