Heaven is a 5-song EP that contains four original songs and one cover. Some of the songs were recorded during the Dark Blue Moonlight sessions. I just don't really think they would fit on Dark Blue Moonlight album. It's sort of like a B-Sides collection. The EP cover, designed by myself, represents the image of a black cat dancing with ghosts in the dark blue moonlight.
WARNING: This EP will not release via Spotify/iTunes.

Heaven (Dancing With Ghosts) is a song that I originally wrote back in 2014, based of my old song that I truly despise that title “I’m Getting Higher”. Lyrically, describes my personal feelings about not knowing how to get home by public transport, after the show ends at the big music festivals. I will feel horrified if this happens. I usually go to concerts by artists or bands that I admire or in this case, I like. I remember when I went to Primavera Sound 2014 in Porto to see the Pixies live, for example, on the second day, with my cousin, we didn't know which way to go to the hotel where we were staying, I don't really know which one it was the hotel but hey, that was a long time ago. On top of that, public transport was all closed at night. This song reports that kinda feeling.

Disturbed is the most aggressive, heaviest and angriest song I’ve ever recorded. Very dramatic too. A new song that I wrote during the Dark Blue Moonlight sessions. There’s a lot of negativity and ugliness in terms of message on this song to make it sound, well, fucking ugly and “disturbing”. It’s ugly music to headbang to or to moshpit to. A Typical fight song to say the least. The first verse describes a 17/18 or 19 year old me’s point of view who has been bullied in high school by students which they never stopped poking fun of my personal life and by abusive teacher who was also a secretary that looks like the absolute worst actress you’ve seen on shitty soap operas every night on your average TV. There was a time that had a lot of shit music, shit films and shit parodies. That was not a particularly pretty time for me in late 2000s. And the second to last verse describes a 14 year old me’s point of view who was been bullied by the students in middle school. 2003-2004 were still terrible years and I don’t miss that era. There was slow internet back in the day, there was no Shazam nor allmusic or YouTube or last.fm, I would be horrified if I was not discovered new music (on alternative stations, for example) that wasn’t overplayed to death like some really mediocre top 40 stations. So, in this song, I decided to make music in the style of… well guess what subgenre of rock that was pretty popular in my lifetime, during the 2000s… Guess…….(wait for it….). Nu Metal or Alternative Metal.
Also, the “guitar solo” section contains a sample of a live version of Zucchero Fornaciari’s “Solo Una Sana…”.

Honky Tonk Rat, another new song, is a one minute and half upbeat instrumental honky Tonk / country music (exactly what it says on tin). The feeling of this song kinda illustrates me the picture of a western comics, films and videogames à la Lucky Luke.

Regarding the cover of a song “Running Up That Hill”, originally done by Kate Bush. Before the viral impact of the Stranger Things soundtrack, I discovered Kate Bush through the song “Wuthering Heights” (I was not yet born at the time of its release). On my first listen, I wasn't convinced, I was just a lazy kid who spent my time watching TV and playing console games instead of working. As the years go by, on repeated listens, the song has even endured and grown on me. And after reading the positive reviews in her catalog, excluding The Whole Story (because it's the greatest hits album), "Hounds Of Love" was probably my first album (which has the song "Running Up That Hill") I heard and was super impressed. Her dramatic voice may be an acquired taste for some but in musical and production terms it's done very well with the unique arrangements. Very eclectic too. In terms of writing songs and the stories she tells in music, they were unparalleled and there is no negative aspect I can clarify. Why did I choose “Running Up That Hill” to cover? Because it's one of the perfect pop songs ever written and composed in terms of creativity, not because of Stranger Things and not because of Placebo's version either. I wasn't born yet at the time this song was released (just out of curiosity the single “R.U.T.H.” was released on August 5, 1985, the same day as my father’s birthday and the album “Hounds Of Love”, which has that such a single, was released on September 16 of that same year). I also love the music video, very artistic, beautiful and original. The original title would be “Deal With God” but the publisher did not accept the proposal due to religious interventions and Kate decided to change the title. I don't believe in God, I was never Catholic person much less Christian, but I took religion and morals classes when I was in the 2nd/3rd cycle. And so I decided to cover this song. Hope you like it. Thanks.

And finally the closing track “Intermission (Or End Credits)”, a one minute instrumental track that contains a sample of main guitar riff taken from “Spellbound” by Siouxsie and The Banshees, accompanied by the acoustic drums and added the flanger and phaser effects. It was also included on Stranger Things 4 soundtrack which I became fascinated by the whole series. Right from the first season.

The recordings and productions of the EP were made in Pro Tools 12 software at my house, in Lisbon. The last song “Intermission” was recorded in the beginning of November 2021. Remaining of the songs were recorded from May to December 2022.

Influences on Heaven EP:
R.E.M., U2, Simple Minds, David Bowie, The Doors, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Smashing Pumpkins.

Recorded: November 2021, May - December 2022.
Software: Pro Tools 12
All vocals and instruments by Me (Black Cat).