Note

To explain this song (Part II), it helps to first look at the making of Part I and its style at the time. In 2008, band activity had been on hold for a long time, and only a single guitar and loopers were used to explore what could be done alone. In Part I, the main phrases focused on the pleasure of multi-tracked arpeggio guitar, which is still a favorite. Inspirations included Gastr Del Sol’s “Black Horse” (Camoufleur / 1998), Glenn Branca’s “Lesson No. 1 for Electric Guitar” (Lesson No. 1 / 1980), and something like the Cocteau Twins’ sound. It was thought that adding vocals would be interesting, but making lyrics was tedious. Instead, lyrics were skipped on purpose and replaced with scat-like chorus parts, deciding the main structure of Part I. Multi-tracking guitar and vocals required an unusually large amount of storage, and the work of mixing and layering was done across three different projects, completing Part I.

Right after the release of Hidden Sun, improvisation and recording continued based on these multi-tracked guitar phrases, and most of Part II’s melody was completed early. At the same time, Part III was under consideration, and while deciding whether to include them on an EP or album, Part II’s arrangement was continuously developed. Around 2015, drums and other instruments were added, creating a form almost identical to the current final version. The decision was made to release it as a single, with most tracks re-recorded. The usual heavy layering of vocals was reduced, and panning effects were tested. After grueling days of mixing and mastering, the song was finally completed. One small complication this time was differences in display on streaming services. Apple Music, in particular, seems to have strict rules. The preferred title is Brilliant Sky Part II, but to follow Apple Style Guide it appears as Brilliant Sky, Pt. 2. Either is acceptable, but where it can be set manually, the original title is used.