Having just finished up a grueling Master’s degree in Sound at the School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, it’s impressive, but unsurprising that spirited Chicagoan violin prodigy, sound designer, and composer Troy Schafer has been able to balance a wealth of inspiring musical work with his intense studies. While he’s best known for his weeping string and guitar arrangements for Kinit Her and Wreathes and composing with Burial Hex, he’s also kept plenty busy over the past few years dialing in a brilliantly soulful approach to more scholarly sonic endeavors. We couldn’t be more excited to present ‘Untitled No. 1;’ some of the most inspired work from Schafer yet, as he presents this holy trinity of his artistic identity. According to Schafer, the incredible A side is the culmination of 36 hours of recordings chopped up and expertly sequenced into a gorgeous collage packed with string arrangements, modular synthesis, algorithmic analog and digital systems, tape, and much more. The controlled pacing of the B side’s moodier dirge pushes the listener into steady footing before twisting him/her into panicked, screeching emotional heights via organized bursts of sonic chaos. Art Design by Dani Schafer.