Since 2018 I have been making music under the name Alley Dash. In those 6 years I have somehow managed to release at least one album a year (for 3 of the 6 years it was 2 per year) alongside all of my other music projects. I am currently working on a new album and it's getting close to being done, but it's not quite there. So with that, 2023 will be the first year since 2018 that I won't get an album of new material out. I thought about releasing what I currently have done before the year's over, but rather than rushing to release it, I want to take some time and make sure it's as good as it can be before putting it out. Especially since I've surprised myself thus far with each album (and this entire project to be honest). So to keep things consistent with at least one release per year, I thought this might be a good time to put something like a "greatest hits" or "personal favorites" album together. With being 8 albums in, it seems like a good time to do so anyways. Some songs I picked are what I think of as "singles" or "hits" from their respective albums, while some are more "deep cuts". The original albums that the songs have been selected from are listed in the album credits.

Putting this compilation together has been really fun. As I looked back, I think I had things more planned out than I initially gave myself credit for too, even down to the project name itself. I went through quite a few names before landing on Alley Dash, but as soon as I thought of that one, I knew it was fitting. When I began creating music that was instrumental, I started picturing fake scenes in my head while producing each song. It took me a while to realize it, but I was imagining the types of scenes or characters that would be associated with the music. As if I was creating a score for a show or movie. Some of the song names are references to those scenes or characters, as is each album title. While "alley dash" refers to running through an alley past all of the places within each album.

This project has been my first attempt at anything other than playing in punk and rock bands and it has been a lot of fun so far. It is such a different approach to creating when compared to writing rock songs and playing in bands. Almost like creating a collage rather than drawing or painting. With being such a different creative process, I need to be in the right headspace in order to make any beats. But the great part about the process is that everything that comes along with playing in a rock band that's really exhausting like technical difficulties, costs of playing/touring, writing from scratch, singing, lyrics, etc. are non existent with this type of music. It is such a contrast that creating beats and playing in bands now compliment each other. When I'm burnt out on one, I jump over to the other. It has helped me to keep creating as an artist and I think each project pushes the other and they progress together as well. I feel the same way about my recent attempts at noise and ambient projects too.

I've admired a lot of DJ's and producers for a long time (I almost bought a turntable setup rather than guitar gear when I first started college...it's funny to think about how different my life would be if that would have happened) and I was eager to give it a try, but I never knew how. My biggest concern was the legality and copyright considerations that come along with sampling. As soon as I discovered royalty free samples, sampling became much less intimidating and like the legal barriers were broken down. I had no idea where this project would take me when I first started it. I thought of it as a "quiet side project" early on and didn't even tell anyone about it for the first few years other than close friends. I was afraid of what others would think and didn't expect I'd be taken seriously because of being a white girl from a small town who listens to 90's hip hop and electronic music when not listening to alternative rock albums. But as I kept going, I realized that my diversity and mix of influences are probably my greatest strength as an artist. So much so, that in more recent projects like my rock band Hollow Flowers, the mix of rock music and sampled beats have become entirely mixed together.

I'm sure if you would have told me in 2018 that in 6 years I'd still be sampling and creating beats, I wouldn't have believed you. But I'm really excited that it has been the case. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go next, and a huge thank you to everyone who has listened and supported me so far. 6 years down...and hopefully many more to go.

Lastly, here are some fun facts about some of the songs in case anyone is interested:

Destruction Head is the first song on the album The Corner Store because it's the first song I created for the album. It immediately felt like I was onto something and sounded like something I'd listen to when I'm in the mood for a hip hop album.

All of the vocal samples in How It's Going besides the line "lay your vision down...ugh" are played in reverse.

The opening guitar sample in Top Shelf is the same sample used in the Nas song Speechless (produced by Hit-Boy). Not only do the songs share the sample, but they were released the exact same day (Christmas Eve 2021). I thought it was awesome that Nas released his album Christmas Eve just like I chose to do with mine. But my jaw dropped when I pushed play and heard the same sample. There are plenty of songs that share samples, but to share both a sample and a release date is like a needle in a haystack.

I added (Part II) to the title of Essential Delight (Part II) as a small nod to Mobb Deep, as they're known for their hit Shook Ones, Pt. II.

Riding Shotgun in the Getaway Car is one of my personal favorites and, to me, sounds like a transition from hip hop inspired beats to more 90's/2000's electronic artists such as Quantic or David Holmes. I named the song Riding Shotgun in the Getway Car because I kept envisioning a car chase scene as I was making it. I always thought a cool music video for the song would be footage from the famous car chase scene that's in the movie Bullitt.

The original version of Close Calls was sped way up. After finishing the song the first time, I turned the rate way down on the playback which slowed the song down and lowered the pitch. I then added additional samples and exported the song as is from my computer to make the version that made it onto the album.

It's not uncommon for me to chop up drum samples quite a bit within songs, but I specifically made a point to do so on the song Cold Sauce. It was my attempt at a DJ Shadow type beat.

When making the song Candy Bars, I kept imagining MF DOOM verses when making the beat. I tried chopping the drums similar to how some of his production is styled. I listened to his various projects a bunch throughout 2020 and was really just heavily getting into his stuff right before he passed away. Another song on the same album that reminded me of him was Thanks for the Herbs (And Everything Else), so I decided to dedicate the song to him and name it after the Special Herbs boxset, since those were the first MF DOOM albums I heard.

The song Classical Condition was one of my personal favorites (right after Destruction Head) on my first album. I loved how "hip hop" it sounded compared to other songs on the album and kept picturing a 90's hip hop act singing over the blown out drums that are on the song. I hadn't listened to El-P or Run the Jewels yet at that point, but I think the song shares a lot of the gritty characteristics of El-P's beats. A few years later, El-P and Run the Jewels became my most listened to hip hop artists for a good year or so. I immediately bought tickets to see them play with Rage Against the Machine when the tour was announced.

Three of my biggest influences when creating beats so far have been: RJD2, El-P, and Madlib.