Photo via Facebook / Ace Parker
The feeling of being awake late at night is a unique mix of loneliness, introspection, and peace. That’s the sound that goes into Milwaukee artist Ace Parker’s latest project, 3:17, which hit the internet last week. It has all the feel of being out too late, or in the house, unable to sleep.
The project covers various facets of late-night activities, with plenty of music to set the scene. 15 tracks make up 3:17, with a broad range of production dictating where Parker takes his verses next. Rather than lumping together songs of a similar sonic texture, there’s a more scattered arrangement of tracks, creating a juxtaposition that feels like one restless night to the next. Parker goes from talking about his past on “Traumatized” to an upbeat song about a stripper on “Sommer.” Whether that lack of direction is by choice or not is to be determined by the listener, but Parker makes the most of whatever beat he selects next.
“This album is a compilation of thoughts” explains Parker. “3:17, or 3:17 a.m., is when all of the crazy life things are thought about or happen. It’s really a moment in time where I think about my life or where I want to go with music on my journey as an artist. It’s a moment piece. It’s when you look back at the last two years of your life and what you’ve been up to, and this is what comes from it.”
The creation of 3:17 was reportedly very authentic, as well. Much of the nights of sessions would begin with beat selection, with Parker choosing a final track to work on for the night around midnight. From there, it was business as usual, with vocals being laid down well into the early hours of the morning. There’s an interesting dynamic that occurs that far into the recording process.
|
|
“I think I recorded most of it late at night” said Parker. “My normal day-to-day, I’m making music from around 3 p.m. until 4 a.m. or so. My normal process is to get some ideas out on tracks, and by 12 a.m. we pick an idea and settle down with it. By 3 a.m. we get the first mix of it done and you look at what you’ve done with it. 3:17 a.m. is one of those times where you look at the clock and it’s always that time it seems.”
A laundry list of talent makes contributions to 3:17 as well. While production is handled by notable names like Sean Sison, Mic Kellogg, Day Tvvo and more, there’s also guest verses from Camb, Tyso Sprme, Lou Buzzins and Dreamteam Santana. The more influences in the room, the better for Parker, as he pulls from whoever he’s around to adapt his style and mesh with his collaborators. Reaching out to the featured names was an easy task.
“I’ve actually been friends with a lot of those people for years now” said Parker. “My main focus in the last few years has been connecting with people in the scene and building relationships with these people. These are people that may come over late into the night to work on music, and the project is a compilation of the best things that have come from that.”
While you could listen to it just about any time of the day, 3:17 is an eclectic mix that hits just right as the night wears on. You can hear the solitude of the project, and it seems important to assure you, Ace Parker is, in fact, getting some sleep in as well.
“I’ve been working on getting more sleep (laughs)” said Parker. “I’ll be okay.”
