Behind The Tracks/Behind The Artworks: Liminal Spirit - Pathways (EP) (2025)

“Behind a Track” and “Behind the Artwork” are intertwined a bit too much to warrant separate discussions for “Pathways.” It is a single-track EP that tells a story of five characters trapped in a maze. This is depicted in amazing artwork by James Becker, who developed a visual concept that perfectly aligns with the music. The music itself is composed in a way that is meant to instill a sense of confusion in the listener so that those hearing the music will feel lost in the composition, just as the 5 characters in the story do. The technique I chose to get that feeling across was by structuring the song without using any repeating phrases at all until the very end, when the characters break out of the maze. As they get out and find stable grounding, the music builds to a climax where a repeating theme is finally fully fleshed out, serving as a reward for navigating a constantly evolving linear musical journey. The cover art depicts the stage of disorientation and hopelessness the characters feel in that they are attempting escape from multiple separate positions, but they are only able to break free of the structure by joining together. Reading the lyrics will flesh out the characters and their emotional states during their path towards freedom, and the music shifts in mood to suit the emotions of each speaker.