Phil Western’s Afterflash: A Remixed Tribute just went live for preorder, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic! We worked on the album for so long and it’s finally here to share with you, my lovelies. I’m bursting with gratitude to be part of such a heartfelt tribute to someone so dear to me.

So much of my creative energy was poured into this project, and there are many others who could say the same.

What started as a phone conversation with Seth Branum, the album’s executive producer, became one of the most meaningful creative collaborations of my life. When Seth first mentioned the idea of a remix tribute album for Phil, I knew it must be done. I felt Phil somehow with me shouting: YES, MAKE THIS HAPPEN! So I emphatically nudged Seth to go for it, offering my help.

The Cover: A Visual Homage

Simon LaPlante created the beautiful portrait of Phil at the heart of the cover, and I volunteered to handle the overall layout and design. It became a thoughtful collaboration between fellow remixers Simon, Tim Hill (Rim), and me as we worked through different approaches to visually honor Phil’s memory.

Tim suggested drawing inspiration from Organisation, an Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album. I loved the idea. It felt right to reference a design style that carried meaning in our shared musical tastes. Especially because Phil planted taste references in his music. We arrived at something that felt like more than just an album cover. It felt like a tribute.

Weaving Stories into Liner Notes

For the liner notes, I knew it would be important to Phil to have something more personal than just credits and acknowledgments. Phil was quite literary, and I wanted to call back to that. So, I reimagined a surrealist game that combines the creative output of numerous contributors. I reached out to the remixers, asking them to share a memory of Phil to be stitched together into a eulogy.

Each personal story was a thread in the larger tapestry of who Phil was to us. I took great care in shaping them into a cohesive narrative, something that reflected the depth of love and admiration we all had for him.

My Remix: A Technical and Spiritual Journey

Under the moniker Love Above Will, I did a bardo remix of Phil’s Kone song called “I Love You.” I think that it is telling that this was the only song on my list of possible options that was found on his old hard drives.

Creating my own remix track was the most challenging and, ultimately, the most healing part of the process. It had been over a decade since I labored over sound and even longer since I used a digital audio workstation outside of Garage Band. I had never used Ableton Live before, and the learning curve was steep. But my desire to honor Phil’s music kept me going even when I felt defeated.

Seth and Tim generously offered their technical knowledge, guiding me through the gaps in mine. I also leaned on trusted friends who are talented musicians and they offered honest feedback to help refine the track.

But the technical side was only part of the challenge. The deeper work happened in the quiet moments, between adding effects and stretching samples. I set up an altar in my workspace with Phil’s picture and a vial of his ashes. I burned Japanese incense and chanted Shingon Buddhist mantras, particularly the Light Mantra, envisioning Phil’s spirit filled with radiance, present in the room with me.

The imaginative poet in me spoke to his photo as I tinkered, asking him if I was getting the sound right. Some days, the weight of loss was too much, and I let the grief wash over me in heavy cascades. The remixing process became something more than making music. It became a way to stay connected to Phil. And to transform my grief into art.

More Than Just an Album

Looking back, I realize this project was never just about putting together a remix album. It was about memory, about love, about keeping Phil’s creative spirit alive.

This album became a space for all of us to gather—musically and emotionally—to venerate the one and only Phil Western. And for me, it became a form of healing I didn’t expect.

Afterflash exists as more than just a collection of songs. It’s a sincere tribute, a sonic memorial, an artifact that carries Phil’s presence into every now.

And I’m grateful to have been part of it. Because it is forever a part of me.

I hope you can support the album, which Robert Shea is distributing through his legendary label Map Music. Please know that the majority of proceeds go to Phil’s daughter Mora.

Afterflash: A Remixed Tribute releases on April 20, but you can listen to a few tracks now and preorder a digital copy:

https://mapmusic2.bandcamp.com/album/afterflash-a-remixed-tribute