The journey of the song began with my acquisition of a Limited Edition Darkglass B7K Ultra V2 bass pedal, sparking the idea to compose a piece that would both demonstrate the pedal’s capabilities and feature the powerful guitar work of Davis Ho on the guitar. This project coincided with my participation in an orchestra composition contest where “Elven Woods” was born. Consequently, the initial song was shelved for seven months, until news of my family’s impending visit to Taiwan rekindled my resolve to complete the composition. I invited my brother, Diego Orozco, to contribute on drums and my father, Gustavo Orozco, to lend his guitar skills.

In preparation for my family’s arrival, and with the song still half-finished, I revisited its structure. I re-engaged Davis to finalize the details, but with time constraints preventing me from composing the orchestration, I turned to Manuele Carli Ballola, a composer I had long admired. Fortunately, he was available to contribute, which was an exciting turn of events.

The quest for a fitting name for the song proved challenging until a week before my family’s arrival to Taiwan. During the hiatus, I found solace in my father’s music, particularly from his ex-band, Quinta Raza, where he was the guitarist. The melodies from this period, reminiscent of my childhood and time spent playing Nintendo 64, influenced my creative process. In a discussion with my friend ChatGPT about potential Japanese names, the theme of “time” resonated with me. This led me to reminisce about “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” particularly the spiritual stones and the ocarina as a time-traveling device, which ultimately inspired the song’s title, “Stone of Time” (時の石, Toki no Ishi).

The song’s narrative arc unfolds with an energetic and metal-driven beginning featuring Davis, Diego, and Anders. As my father, Gustavo, joins in with his guitar, the music shifts to a reflective tone, harking back to his time with Quinta Raza. It was my reaching out to El Chino for his opinion on an early version of the song that led him to suggest switching to nylon strings for the acoustic guitar. This adjustment, inspired before my family’s visit, seamlessly integrated the past into our current soundscape. This acoustic section serves as a bridge, melding our musical legacy with contemporary vibrancy.

As the composition draws to a close, it revisits the initial metal intensity but with a newfound depth, marking a return to the future—this time, with my father’s presence enriching the texture. This final segment, enriched by the presence of family, encapsulates an evolution, standing as a testament to our shared musical journey.

The production phase of “Stone of Time” was expertly handled at 無心工作室 (Mushin Studio), a versatile space that seamlessly merges a photo and video studio with a music and rehearsal area. The studio’s layout includes two distinct shooting environments—a cyclorama and an open area—alongside dedicated spaces for musical endeavors.

Our journey began with Willy Krieg Tai at Mushin Studio, who took the helm for mixing and mastering the track. Willy’s precision and expertise in audio engineering brought the intricate layers of “Stone of Time” to life, ensuring each note resonated with clarity and depth.

Video production was led by Blake Liu and supported by Flack Gaga. Having discussed the video storyboard extensively with Blake well in advance, our collaboration was smooth and productive. My background in video production facilitated clear communication, allowing Blake to fully grasp and execute the vision as Director of Photography.

We initially planned to film the entire “Stone Of Time” video in the rehearsal area at Mushin Studio but ended up utilizing all three areas for greater visual diversity. Interestingly, while we shot the first and second parts of the song in both the open area and the rehearsal area, only footage from the open area made it into the final edit. The acoustic segment was beautifully captured in the cyclorama, highlighting its unique sound. Although the rehearsal area footage wasn’t used in the final music video, we have included these shots in the behind-the-scenes video, providing a glimpse of our original shooting plan and showcasing the full range of our creative process.

The behind-the-scenes video brings extra insight thanks to the invaluable help of my good friends. Rudi skillfully managed the video footage, capturing the essence of our production moments, while Henrry, affectionately known as Killer, took stunning BTS photos that vividly document each step of the process. Their talents significantly enriched the storytelling of how “Stone Of Time” came to life.

Stream 時の石 (Stone of Time) here