“IN A DREAM”
2012
MUSIC & LYRICS BY JESSE PAUL WARREN
PRODUCED BY JESSE PAUL WARREN
VOCALS BY HANEEN
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MUSIC & LYRICS BY JESSE PAUL WARREN
PRODUCED BY JESSE PAUL WARREN
VOCALS BY HANEEN
[ LINER NOTES ]
AFTER SPENDING MY YOUNGER YEARS writing and recording rock/pop/punk songs, “In a Dream” was the first real electronic song I ever released.
I made it in my college dorm room. That was really the best place for a studio. People would stop in all the time to hear what I was working on. I could gauge their reactions and see what was actually good, and what was just ok.
That’s a big part of making music. It’s easy to lose perspective and think that what you’re working on is amazing, when really it’s just blah. The only antidotes I’ve found are (1) time away from the project, or (2) other people’s honest perspectives — which are sometimes not fun to hear, and often require you to read between the lines. Or not even listen to what they say, and just watch how their body reacts to the music. But I digress.
I WORKED ON “IN A DREAM” for about nine months. So it was a thrill when it was actually well received. I’d hear it blasting out of people’s car windows around campus, and my friends would text me when they heard it playing at bars and parties.
I was actually at the above party shortly before this video was taken. But I left because I was feeling depressed for no good reason. So I missed the moment. That’s how life was back then for this moody artist.
AT THE TIME, I WAS PART OF A GROUP with two friends called The Bassment Bros. I made the music, they DJed. I hated DJing. I just wanted to make music in my room. So I always had to pair up with someone else who could deal with that aspect.
One of the other members had a girlfriend who was an amazing vocalist, so she sang the lyrics, which I had written. And “In A Dream” was born, which to this day is probably the most celebratory and joyful song I ever released.
“IN A DREAM” ROSE TO THE number one spot of a popular music-ranking website at the time called FindNewJams, and stayed there for over a month.
A team in Miami found “In a Dream” on FindNewJams, and offered to manage us. We agreed. That gave me some confidence to keep making music.
ABOVE IS THE ORIGINAL MIX. We later put out a different mix, called the Album Mix, aiming to sonically perfect it for big club and festival speakers.
But even though it wasn’t perfect, I think there was more magic in the Orignal Mix, so that’s the one I prefer.
* Credit for the above video goes to Jon Yahirun.
But even though it wasn’t perfect, I think there was more magic in the Orignal Mix, so that’s the one I prefer.
* Credit for the above video goes to Jon Yahirun.
