PTP (Purple Tape Pedigree) present the debut album by Celestial Trax (real name Joni Judén) entitled Nothing Is Real, which he describes as a departure not only in sound but also geographically and spiritually from his previous output, having found an increased interest in mysticism and the esoteric. Taking inspiration from a quote by Anton Chekov, "if you want to work on your art, work on your life," Judén aimed for the album to be a true representation of his voice at this time. He felt a need to distance himself from the distractions a creative hub like New York City can often provide, not wanting to become too influenced by the city's current trends, and instead shifted his focus inward to cultivate a more meaningful self-connection: this journey and struggle thus serving as the main inspiration to the writing. In beginning of Nothing Is Real, Judén had reached the point of creative purge, deleting almost all samples, sample packs, and software synths. Fueled by ideas of rebirth and true self-projection, he amassed a library of field recordings from New York City, plus samples from his own cassettes, vinyl, and YouTube search history - utilizing every sound source he could come across in his studio whilst trying to spend as little time as possible on the computer screen. The result is an album less concerned with achieving a masterful Polish and sonic bombast, and instead aims for more organic textures where noise and imperfection reflects the human experience, with recurring themes of existentialism, surrealism and nature permeating throughout.
