Husband-and-wife duo Ben and Anita Tatlow—under the band name Salt of the Sound—are instrumentalists who create music from Hong Kong. Together, the duo creates what they term 'ambient worship' music—both songs with lyrics and instrumental music that can be used for times of prayer, meditation, and reflection, to soothe the soul and calm the mind.
I had the opportunity to connect with the couple about their music and their latest album, Made Whole.
Your new album was inspired by the Psalms, a rich book full of emotions. How did you incorporate such inspiration into the new album? Is there a specific passage or verse that really encapsulates the entire project?
Rather than a specific passage, it was more the recurring themes of the Psalms that inspired the album. For example, the concept of 'deliverance' is present throughout the Psalms, and this formed the theme of the opening song, “Deliver Us.”
Indeed, this concept is perhaps most poignant in Psalm 34 when it appears to be coupled with anxiety, another key theme that we wanted to explore throughout this album. The worldwide anxiety and fear of these past 20 months has been so prevalent, and as someone who lives with anxiety on a day-to-day basis, I (Anita) wanted to write songs that were Psalms and prayers in themselves, expressing this emotion, but recognising that amid anxiety, there can also be a coexistence of joy, peace, and hope.
As Psalm 34:4 (ESV) says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Your music is largely ambient and instrumental. Do you find it more challenging to communicate in this form?
Definitely. It's not what people are expecting to find when they hear we write Christian music. But one thing that's been truly wonderful is receiving messages from people saying that our music is something that they never knew they needed, which was meaningful to them at an important moment in their life.
And in terms of communicating the messages of the songs themselves, it's really been about capturing feelings and emotions through the music. So even if a track has no lyrics, the spirit and message can still come through.
So, seriously, Anita, you and Ben must be the calmest, at peace people on the earth. Please tell me your closet rockers when you’re not making some of the most beautiful ambient music out there.
It's interesting. Many people do assume that we're super peaceful people, and while I think we certainly aspire to this daily, in many ways the music we write is an attempt to create a stillness in our own souls that perhaps doesn't come naturally to either of us. Music-wise, our influences and daily listening habits are diverse, too—not just ambient music.
Talk about a few themes on the record and where they show up. Why did you want to write about them?
In my experience, when we go through seasons of anxiety, grief, or loss, the emotion can feel all-consuming. Recently, and in part through the process of writing Made Whole, I have found it helpful to recognise and acknowledge that during these circumstances, other emotions can also show up. There can be small moments of joy, feelings of peace that come in waves, and even glimmers of hope on the horizon.
In fact, the Psalms are a great example of this; David often writes from a place of deep despair or sometimes life-threatening situations. But he still finds time to praise God, to cling to Him and to be hopeful. It's our hope that the music of Made Whole is both a solace and encouragement to anyone going through the storms of life.
Kevin McNeese started NRT in 2002 and has worked in the industry since 1999 in one form or another. He has been a fan of Christian music since 1991.
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