Calida Ray - Between Me And Myself (2024) [Hi-Res]

"Often without realizing, the mind takes control over the true self, obscuring a deeper consciousness. My music and especially the creation of this album arose from a state of pure presence. Relieved and free from the past, the future and the rational mind these 51 minutes of sound emerged in moments of full awareness. Yet, during this time, I often felt as though I was standing on the edge between reality and illusion, psychological time and presentness, Me and Myself.

'Between Me And Myself' reflects the ambivalence we repeatedly encounter as we grow up, capturing the ongoing inner dialogue we face along the way. The album encapsulates this inner dialogue—exploring the space where our inner truths and external perceptions meet and sometimes conflict."
— Calida Ray

On his debut album "Between Me And Myself", young pianist, singer, and producer Frederick Schulze-Schilddorf alias Calida Ray explores psychedelic soundscapes, blending experimental jazz aesthetics and immersive ambient spheres with elements of downbeat elements and driving electronica. The 21-year-old newcomer sings his deeply personal coming-of-age story, reflecting on his ambivalent relationship with growing up in dream-like lyrical sequences. In times of single-focused music production, “Between Me And Myself” is the antidote: An album best listened to as a full body of work, meditating into the complex layers of harmonies and rhythm changes over the course of 51 minutes.

Calida Ray wrote, produced and mixed “Between Me And Myself” in Freiburg, Berlin and Lisbon mainly between late Summer 2023 and Spring 2024. Many of the songs were first written on piano at Calida Ray’s childhood home. Therefore it only makes sense how Calida Ray’s longplayer describes the torn feeling between old comfort zones and at the same time emancipating from old dependencies. It tells stories of heartbreak and then finding solace in it. Of fading into dreams and then seeking out to express them in reality. The title describes the polarities, the ambivalences we find ourselves in over and over again growing up. Ultimately, “shadows [are] blown away” like Calida Ray states on outro song “fall”.

Calida Ray has been making music for a while already before starting his solo project. Together with his childhood friends Leevi Lamadé aka LOUSELV (on drums) and Kim Winterhalter (on bass) he formed the Nu-Jazz oriented trio KITSCH, who are also working on their first EP at the moment. The trio went to school together in southern Germany by the Swiss and French border and subsequently all moved to Berlin to push their music careers. Both Leevi and Kim among other gifted friends are crucial instrumentalists on Calida Ray’s debut LP “Between Me And Myself”. Especially another old friend, rising Berlin singer INDOME alias Candra Lorber contributed to many songs, including first single “falling into you”. The intimacy and warmth of the album comes from both, the protagonist searching for inspiration by isolating himself and fleshing out his ideas, as well as through inviting his closest creative circle to contribute to the music.

Calida Ray’s bold debut album “Between Me And Myself” will be out on December 13th via Kommerz Records on all digital platforms.