https://youtu.be/dqzrRu-0JTM?si=u8WBI9zNWpUiWZqa

Mario Diaz de Leon plays with forces in his music that, at first glance, seem opposed. He makes metal with his band Luminous Vault, diaphanous electronic sounds as a soloist, and writes modern classical compositions. Thematically, too, his works explore opposites, growing from both earthbound and metaphysical ideas. With Spark and Earth, he endeavors to bring all of these contrasts into one place and, in the process, he finds metamorphosis.

Diaz de Leon began making solo electronic music under his own name with 2022’s Heart Thread, which wove pulsing textures and bubbling phrases. Heart Thread was also his first foray into bringing his beliefs to the foreground of his music; the album takes its name and inspiration from the idea that there’s a continuum of flow that leads the listener to an intimate spiritual connection. With Spark and Earth, he goes even further into these facets of himself. Here, he blends both his solo guitar playing—the first time it’s heard under his given name—with his electronic music. He also explores another facet of his faith: the “spark” on Spark and Earth represents the Holy Spirit, or divine spark, while the “earth” is a metaphor for the body. The two together serve as reminders that divinity isn’t untouchable, it’s right there in the body’s movement. As Luke 17:21, one of Diaz de Leon’s oft-referenced quotes, says: “…look, God’s kingdom is inside you all.”

Diaz de Leon composed Spark and Earth throughout the past couple of years, writing and recording between home and his studio at Stevens Institute of Technology. He began the process by sculpting riffs on his electric guitar, then bringing in detailed electronic patterns to interlace with them. The synthesized sound of woodwinds and dulcimer glimmer around his thrashing and simmering guitar, forming short but powerful vignettes that feel luminescent and f.......
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