Hello, Cloud. “In My Dream” blurs the line between dreams and reality, what inspired you to explore that emotional space in this song?
I had big dreams of achieving great musical success like Nirvana, but in reality, I faced constant setbacks. This song was born from the frustration of repeatedly going back and forth between big dreams and cruel reality.
The track builds in three powerful sections, did you always plan that structure, or did it evolve naturally in the studio?
I actually completed the structure of this song over 10 years ago. I sent the finished demo to Luis and Alex, who performed a wonderful piece. They sent me the performance data back and I was able to put it all together.
You mention the light and dark sides of dreams, which side do you personally connect with more when writing music?
I strongly identify with the dark side, because so many things in my life didn’t go well. I’m only now beginning to feel the light side.
Nirvana’s contrast between stillness and movement influenced the sound, how did you channel that into your guitar playing?
Nirvana was known for using intense distortion on the guitar when transitioning from quieter to more explosive parts, creating an explosive energy in their songs. I used that technique, but to avoid simply imitating Nirvana, I asked Luis to play a beautiful melody in the quiet part. In the end, we successfully blended a beautiful hard rock melody with the explosive energy of grunge.
Working with Luis Gerardo Moreno and Alex DP, how did their energy shape the final feel of the track?
It’s clear that the energy of their performance made this song so special. Luis plays every part of this song, from the quiet parts to the explosive parts. In that sense, his guitar is the protagonist of this song. I only played guitar on the explosive parts. Alex took the explosive parts of this song to several levels higher. His drums are really powerful and imposing, and with his playing and the power of Luis and me added, this song has three powerful engines. As a result, this song is far more powerful and emotional than the demo I had completed. Their playing stands out even when compared to the many musicians playing, and deserves great praise.