Spirit Lights Finds Harmony in Chaos with Expansive Double Album ‘Spirit Lights / In Balance’

Australian electronic artist Spirit Lights returns with his most ambitious work to date — a sweeping double album titled Spirit Lights / In Balance. Built on a foundation of modular synths, analogue gear and improvisational alchemy, the project explores emotional duality through pulsing arpeggios, ambient soundscapes, and themes rooted in Taoist philosophy, poetry, and psychology. Speaking with AAA Backstage, Spirit Lights opens up about the years-long journey behind the release, how spontaneity shapes his studio process, and the quiet power of stillness in a chaotic world.

Congrats on the release of Spirits Lights/In Balance! How does it feel now that it’s out?

I put a lot of myself into the music and concepts, and definitely spent a long time on it all. The albums both went through multiple iterations and I’m mainly relieved to let go more than anything.

Your double album spans a wide sonic palette, built around modular synths and analogue gear. What drew you to instruments like the Moog modular, Prophet 6, and MS20 for this project?

The unpredictability and range of sounds that come from analogue gear is pretty exciting. After much practice, I like that I can use my gear to make layered drones and arpeggios quickly. I do record a lot of my experimenting with synths as I find the magic and feeling of the first takes are hard to replicate. There are many happy accidents!

You’ve mentioned many of the synth parts were taken from live rehearsals and improvisation. How do you balance spontaneity with structure in your compositions?

Playing at improvisational Synthetique nights with other electronic acts has been very inspiring. I recorded a lot of rehearsals for these live gigs and used collages of those takes for the albums. It means there is a lot of feeling and movement in each layer. When playing live I like to leave a lot of room for the synths to lead the way, my favourite spontaneous bits usually determine structure.

Can you walk us through a typical session in your home studio? How do your ideas evolve once you start layering sounds with your gear?

I will power the synths and usually start with drones from the modular. I have been recording a sketch a week for about 5 years, each has taught new techniques or ways to work. I don’t like to start with blank canvases, usually I build on another idea. There are many synth layers buried in mixes or removed after layering new recordings, which is still very helpful in finding form.

A creative technique I love is to combine elements from different sessions to see what else comes forth, often songs change meaning and take lives of their own. It is great when unrelated parts work together, often forming bases for further recording. For me, structures solidify over time and are discovered through long improvisational sessions.

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The two albums feel like companion pieces — almost like two perspectives of the same moment. What led you to release Spirit Lights and In Balance side by side?

‘Spirit Lights’ came first. In my writing process I did notice that there was so much going on underneath the arpeggios and sequences that I wanted to bring to the foreground somehow. 

By chance, I was then scheduled to play an hour-long deep listening gig with a surround sound system. To meet the task I challenged myself to re-write and rearrange some of my music to fill the room and create a calm and hopeful space. 

The gig never came to be but in preparation I recorded a lot of material using a strange setup of synths into pedals and modular. I then arranged the recordings in a different way to my other work, automating the volumes and panning from left to right in long patterns of multiples of 5, 6 and 7 bars. This was to create a lot of gentle movement and something immersive the listener could get lost in.

I then realised the album was the Yin or stillness to the self-titled album’s Yang and motion. I think the ambient album balances out the other release, hence the title. I think balance is very important in the world, stillness and meditation have certainly brought much to my life.

Many tracks draw inspiration from Eastern philosophy and poetry. What kinds of ideas or emotions were you exploring during the writing process?

I’ve been quite drawn to the reflections on the natural world in Taoism. I find the idea of a cosmic balance of all things in a chaotic world quite comforting. ‘Forever Flows’ and ‘Waves (Within)’ are about the ebb and flow of life. ‘Yield’ is tied to Taoist concepts of non-violence and acceptance. ‘Life in Every Breath’ is Bushido ideology relating to gratitude. Other songs have titles based on poems of my own, there is one published in the CD liner notes that adds to the album themes well I think.

You describe ‘Darko’ as a reflection on Jung’s shadow self. How does psychology influence the way you approach your sound design and storytelling?

Carl Jung’s work on the unconscious, anima and ego were early inspirations for the self-titled album. ‘Darko’ and ‘Glimmers’ are counterpart meditations on those concepts and are basically light and dark. ‘Darko’ is about the integration of the shadow self that Jung proposes. As Leonard Cohen says: ‘There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.’ I found that mantra inspiring.

Benjamin Shannon’s drumming adds an explosive live element to the record. What was it like working with him in such a free-flowing creative setting?

Recording drums for the album happened late in the writing process. I am very pleased that we captured his live essence and tried as hard as we could to keep that live-ness for the record.

Ben is a master improviser who has played prog, jazz and alt-rock with Big Dead, Milton Man Gogh and Kodiak Empire (to name a few). We rehearsed a few times, played a show and recorded with Cody McWaters at Hunting Ground Studios a few days later. Ben basically recorded his drum parts in a single day. I was with him in the recording room (guiding with my OB6) and we played along to the album in full a few times, combining the best of all drum takes for the LP. I love the end result and hope to work with him again soon.

From your first live set in 2020 to performing the album in full this month, how do you feel your vision for Spirit Lights has evolved — both musically and personally?

I feel really pleased with where Spirit Lights is now. I started the project as a way to get away from the DAW and just use gear. I definitely feel more comfortable with my instruments now and aware of the sounds I like. I am always trying to push and experiment with it all. It still brings me a lot of joy to discover new sounds and melodies from nothing. Personally, I am fulfilled in being able to express more meaningful work than I ever have.

As Spirit Lights continues to evolve — both as an artist and a seeker of sonic truth — his latest release stands as a testament to creative freedom, inner reflection, and the joy of imperfection. Whether it’s the frenetic energy of live synths or the meditative calm of ambient textures, Spirit Lights / In Balance invites listeners to slow down, tune in, and find beauty in the balance.

LP Launch:

4000 Records Presents: Spirit Lights, Ghostwoods & Fhae – June 27 @ ISAS

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