#ivebeenaway

No need to fear! I’m still around, just busy. Last winter I was able to start working as a cashier at a local shop. Which has keep me insanely busy, but now I’m sure that I will be able to post more and be a ton more active. Hopefully I’ll be posting some today~ either Monster Boyfriends or~ Rainy Day Club punk patches~

Exploring Emotion, Nature, and Identity with Tom Hartman Tom Hartman is back and he has delivered something truly special. His latest release, I've Been Away, is a deeply personal and moving song that speaks to something we all feel — our connection to the natural world. Blending folk, blues, and alt-country into one beautiful sound, the track paints a hopeful picture of a future where people live more humbly alongside nature. The inspiration behind the song is just as captivating as the music itself. During a visit to Switzerland, surrounded by stunning landscapes and a breathtaking waterfall, Hartman began reflecting on what we have lost by replacing natural spaces with human-made environments. That honest reflection became the soul of I've Been Away. The production is nothing short of stunning. Intricate 12-string guitar work, warm atmospheric reverb, and the rich sound of a traditional African calabash come together to create a dreamlike listening experience that stays with you long after the song ends. This is more than a song. It is a love letter to the Earth, an exploration of human emotion, and a bold statement of artistic vision. With new releases and live performances on the horizon, Tom Hartman is clearly just getting started. Do not miss what comes next. Listen to I've Been Away   https://open.spotify.com/track/67WqK4oqJ3M8g5pejgvCZF?si=77930bcca6224d1f   Follow Tom Hartman Facebook Spotify Youtube Instagram Tiktok   “I've Been Away” feels like such a personal title. What story or emotion were you trying to share with this song? To me, this song is a dream beyond humanity’s destructive nature. It’s an ode to hope for a utopia in which that strange destructiveness is controlled, wrapped in a love song towards ‘Mother Earth’. Can you take us back to the moment when you first knew you had to write this track? What sparked it? I had a date at a waterfall, and the scenery was so beautiful that it definitely did something to me. I go into detail on that matter a couple of questions later. The phrase “I've Been Away” can mean so many things. What does it represent for you in this song? To me, this phrase means a brief moment lost in thought — a future dream. In that dream, we as humans redeem our humble position towards the planet we live on. [caption id="attachment_65784" align="alignnone" width="2000"] In that dream, we as humans redeem our humble position towards the planet we live on.[/caption] How did you approach bringing this track to life in the studio? What was your creative process like? My creative process always starts with a jam based on a feeling, and then fine-tuning the lyrics around that feeling. After that, I select the tempo of the track and record a ‘guide track’, which is a live version of the song with guitar and vocals recorded to a metronome. Around that track, all the instruments and vocals are added. Was there a specific experience or period in your life that inspired “I've Been Away”? I was working as a DJ in Switzerland, where the nature is so inspiring; it felt almost holy to me and made me humble. You can see this reflected in the culture of the people there as well. In Holland, I live in a city where our surroundings — the environment — are completely under our control; almost an enslavement of ‘nature’, one could say. What was the most challenging or rewarding part of creating this song from start to finish? The song is based on fingerpicking on a 12-string guitar, which was quite tricky to master. How does “I've Been Away” fit into your overall sound and artistic vision as Tom Hartman? The sonic vision of this project is based on folk ’n blues/alt-country, using a lot of rhythmic guitar playing, different percussion elements, and harmonica hooks. The storytelling has an introspective nature, exploring psychology, perception, and existential themes. https://open.spotify.com/artist/3xeKJYMZTzK8x5hbLSxQkb?si=p99G-eq1R6SazdyHOD745Q What do you hope listeners connect with or feel when they hear this track for the first time? I think my audience consists of people who value storytelling, emotional vulnerability, and genuineness in the music they listen to. This song is made for those who are curious about themselves, exploring their identities and complex emotions. Were there any particular instruments, sounds, or production choices that helped capture the vibe you were going for? There are different elements in this release where both the 12-string guitar and the ambient reverb on that guitar represent the dream. The percussion was done on a calabash, which is a traditional African instrument. This provides an additional “back to our roots” atmosphere as another layer of that dream. Looking ahead, what can fans expect next from you? Does “I've Been Away” hint at what's coming? It definitely does! There are multiple releases planned for 2026, all using folk/country sonics to explore the complexity of our emotions. Besides that, gigs are planned throughout the Netherlands this summer, with the prospect of a small European tour later this year or next year.

Watch the video on http://gmhiphop.com/negu-ivebeenaway-prod-jxxbx/19721/

I haven’t been on here for a year. Time to get back to the grind... lol