SHADOW WORK
INTRO
Shadow Work arrived unexpectedly. The initial idea came to me while half asleep, almost as if it had surfaced directly from the subconscious before the analytical part of my mind had time to interfere. Within a single day, the track seemed to unfold almost fully formed, revealing itself faster than I could consciously understand it.
Only afterward did I realise that it had somehow absorbed and unified several separate creative ideas I had been exploring independently. In hindsight, it feels like I uncovered something that had already been forming internally beneath the surface.
That experience led me to the title: Shadow Work. In psychology, shadow work refers to the process of confronting and integrating the hidden or repressed aspects of the self. The unconscious parts that shape identity, behaviour, fear, desire and emotion, often without us fully recognising their influence. This track feels deeply connected to that idea. It feels like an exposed part of myself in audio form. Beautiful, immersive and euphoric in places, but also slightly unsettling. Like opening a door to another world that cannot easily be closed again.
COMPOSITION
As the track builds, it continuously hints at something larger waiting underneath the surface. There is a feeling of tension and temptation running through it, almost daring the listener to go further. But once that threshold is crossed, the release becomes overwhelming and impossible to contain.
To me, the track feels almost confrontational in that moment, as if it is saying: "You wanted to see what was hidden? Fine. Then you'll get all of it."
VISUAL INSPIRATION
A sense of emotional release and subconscious overflow informed the visual world surrounding the project.
During the composition, visual inspiration for the cover art began emerging alongside the music itself. Images of bioluminescence, cosmic organisms and hidden natural phenomena kept returning to me. References such as the Astrophage imagery from the film Project Hail Mary, fire flies and glow worm caves in New Zealand reminded me of the dreamlike sparkling textures heard throughout the track.
What resonated with me most was the idea of something completely real and natural appearing alien, mystical and almost supernatural. At first I considered artificially recreating that aesthetic, but eventually realised the emotional power came precisely from the fact that it already exists in nature. Something hidden within our own world that feels impossibly otherworldly once discovered.
That felt inherently connected to the emotional core of the track itself: something buried, beautiful and alive beneath the surface, finally emerging into the light.
COVER ART
The final cover artwork uses a still taken from real footage captured inside a glow worm cave in New Zealand. Rather than creating a synthetic interpretation of the visual language I was imagining, I was drawn to the authenticity of the image itself. It already contained everything I was looking for: beauty, mystery, depth and a sense of hidden discovery.
The typography was influenced by the film The Shape of Water. The colour is taken directly from the natural tones surrounding it, allowing the text to feel embedded within the image rather than sitting on top of it.
The alignment of the two O's in the title follows the contour of the naturally occurring dark space within the composition. I also used subtle vertical brush shading through the letterforms to help them sit within the depth of the environment. The image contains a strong sense of dimensionality and the typography needed to work with that rather than fight against it.
The same visual approach was extended into the video version of the artwork, which was used for Spotify Canvas, social media and the release campaign. The movement of the cave footage reinforces the hypnotic atmosphere of the track and allows the artwork to feel alive without distracting from the music.
CAMPAIGN IMAGE
While the cover artwork was always intended to stand on its own, I also recognised the importance of connecting the release back to myself as an artist. On social media, people are far more likely to stop scrolling and engage when they can immediately associate a piece of work with the person behind it.
Rather than inserting myself directly into the cover artwork, I chose to create a separate campaign image that belonged to the same world. Using practical lighting techniques, I created a studio self-portrait inspired by the glow worms and bioluminescent imagery that informed the project.
The blue lighting, floating points of light and surrounding darkness echo the visual language of the cover without attempting to recreate it directly. Seen together, the images almost feel as though the camera has been turned around, revealing the person standing within the hidden, dreamlike world that inspired the project.
This approach allowed me to create a stronger connection between artist and artwork while preserving the integrity of the original cover art.
EXPERIENCE THE TRACK
If you'd like to hear the full track, Shadow Work is available now on all streaming platforms - find yours here.