Yahunatan

The Best Of A Decade [Electronica] album is the first installment of the Best of a Decade Series, released after a decade of music (2003-2013). Over two hundred pieces were published prior to this project release, ranging from classical, to contemporary traditional, to various types of electronic music. Given the difficulty of choosing which pieces to highlight, it was decided to release a collection based on these particular styles. This is not to say that these music pieces are the only good ones within a vast library... yet they were the best ones to place in the collection due to 1) how they have touched certain listeners and 2) how they personally display major growing points within the musical journey. Each one tells a unique story which will hopefully be passed onto you. Many years though have passed since this release, with so many more pieces to highlight. We'll see what the next decades will bring. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed from 2003-2014. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This third album breathes new life into the Meditations series, capturing the essence of intimate prayers given in times of trial and remembrance. The pieces, although melodic as its predecessors, take on deeper spiritual emotions. Meditations III: Faded Souls also returns to a more piano driven palette like the original album (Meditations: Moments of Reflection) yet still provides soothing string voices as was present in Meditations II: Silent Dreams. Most pieces remain short (similar to Meditations II) although are balanced with two longer pieces (Life to Life and For Granted), both representing two types of musical expression. There were quite a few pieces that became fan favorites during the album release. Pieces, such as Journey Awaits, Cold Soul, How Time Files, Withering Grass, Faded Souls, and For Granted were greatly appreciated, listing high on charts and getting played many times over. It represents another highlight in my musical journey. The Meditations series throughout the years has always helped me readjust my direction back to the original calling. The albums act as a reset button, renewing my energy to explore new summits without getting too stuck in a particular style. It’s refreshing and very much needed in today’s world. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer), except for Mother’s Cry (originally composed by Lisa Raimer). All music played by Yahunatan. Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2013. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

An important goal in composing is to allow the music to tell the story. Sometimes we cater too much to what we want to hear, stalling our growth. Zugzwang stays away from this trap, telling a story from a nontraditional, yet honest fashion. The word "zugzwang" in German means "compulsion to move," or a forced movement which brings about personal disadvantage. Society is constantly forcing us to perform in this manner. Sometimes the best move is not to play. Zugzwang is an ambient, darker work that digs deep into the frailties within. The title track, An Unknown Odyssey, represents a pinnacle in my musical journey and is my best ambient work. Had to be creative to get it to save properly on the Yamaha DGX-500. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2013. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Eternal Sojourn has a classic electronic sound which is interwoven within a series of movements. It tells a musical story about a spiritual journey, expressing subjects such as life, death, reality, heaven, and more. The key piece to this album is the beloved first track called "Ashes to Ashes." It became a fan favorite and has touched many listeners over the years. Both "Ascension" and "Between the Eternities" also became favorites. The album received quite a few plays compared to my earlier works and represents a highlight in my musical journey. Prior to Eternal Sojourn, many of my albums contained tracks which were rather limited in length (time). This was due to the restrictions of the Yamaha DGX-500 in which recordings were performed and played back on the keyboard. The goal was to break out of traditional length tracks in order to create a much more developed range. This would allow the creation of movements and more elaborate-type pieces (such as ambient). It took practice and skill yet finally was able to figure out a method with this album. The Zugzwang album (published the following year) fully conquered this feat by releasing a 40+ minute ambient track. Vangelis listeners will appreciate the album as its style and structure is similar to his modern works. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2012. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Within is my favorite album project to date. Recorded in analog directly from the Yamaha DGX-500, it contains fantastic melodies while using unorthodox, yet very creative keyboard techniques. It has an old-school electronic feel which I miss from the late 80's and early 90's. Hope you enjoy it. A key niche when composing music is using sounds based on either a personal experience, particular occurrence, or physical object. The focus is to create music which helps visualization from within one's being. Hence the title of this album. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2011. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This was a fun album to create. The Edit project was my first remix album, highlighting certain tracks from 2003-2010. Unafraid and explosive, it has a quirky, loose electronica sound, similar to the style portrayed by Jean-Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk. By 2010, had finally begun to master the Yamaha DGX-500 and wanted to revisit previous tracks to take them in a new direction. During the prior seven years, had recorded music without worrying about editing. This was done to keep an organic flow moving with my music. For this project, editing software was used, along with audio effects and robotic voice treatments. The track entitled Mystery, for instance, would be a transitional work towards capturing spiritual messages within my music. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2010. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

In mid-2020, decided it was time to share some lost, forgotten pieces which have not been part of any particular project released. They are fragments created from the late half of the 2000's. Most of the pieces are humbly-released singles or tracks which never quite made the cut for their respective albums. For this release, also made the effort to rescue (from the cutting room floor) four tracks which were made during the earlier Meditations recordings. They are called Honest Friend, Marching Tides, Royalty, and Within A Glance. They may not be my best recordings, yet they have a story to tell. They should be allowed to tell their story. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed from 2005-2010. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Similar to its predecessor, this album is a collection of intimate psalms given in prayer and thoughtful meditation. The pieces themselves, although brief, remain melodic and touching to the soul. Meditations II is more orchestrative than the first album released five years earlier. Instead of being piano driven, it uses mostly string and choir voices. You can sense a deeper maturity as well. This album was also a strong refocus towards my earlier works. The previous couple of years had produced a stronger electronica sound (as heard in the albums Edit: 2003-2010, Video Game Soundtrack, and Kaleidoscope) and eventually felt the need to get back to a deeper, spiritual calling. This eventually manifested while composing the album Within. The album took much longer to put together than any other album produced thus far. It actually stretches over two years (composed during the Kaleidoscope and Video Game Soundtrack albums). Many listeners have appreciated the pieces in this album. The title track Silent Dreams was a fan favorite, along with Sands of Time, A Faithful Hour, and Sanctified Spirits. There are others as well. The track entitled Home, which was originally meant to be in the first album, was also included given its familiarity with the other tracks. Meditations II: Silent Dreams was a key album which helped to set the path for future Meditation projects. Am happy to be able to share it. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2010. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This soundtrack originated from a video game my friend was developing at the time. It is loosely based on the Yamaha chip (FM synthesis) sound from late 80's console video games. The album is, essentially, chip music – a series of energetic tracks designed to be played repetitiously. Roughly five pieces were developed before the game was scrapped, although felt it necessary to complete the music project. Hence the generalization of the album title. While listening to the album and glancing the track titles, it makes you wonder what could have been. The album, when released online, was well received. It resonated with those who were familiar with this particular music. It was also a musical achievement in the quest of mastering the Yamaha DGX-500. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2009. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

My least known album, Kaleidoscope was a completely experimental work which uses electronic pop to express certain musical themes. It was a precursor towards establishing an electronica sound, a sound which eventually balanced with the earlier classical electronic styles. This is kind of my “hidden” album. It’s the one that is not often acknowledged yet was vital to the progress of the musical journey. Prior to this album my works were mostly classical-contemporary sounding. This project broke the mold. With that said, it was still raw and didn’t have a deep spiritual tone as this person wanted it to have. It wasn’t until 2011, while putting together the album Within, that a balance was finally reached. The title track, Kaleidoscope, was the only piece that was really acknowledged after the album’s release. With that said, the piece Shadows of Substance has stood out over time and is my favorite of the tracks. The project is also one of my shortest length albums given the experimental approach. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2008. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Impromptu is a live, personal concert which was played during the night of January 12th, 2008. It consists of five pieces and is roughly thirteen and a half minutes long. As the title implies, it was completely made up at the moment of its live play. Have fond memories of this night. It was cold out and had a desire to hook the Yamaha DGX-500 to my stereo. The stereo had speakers all around the room. The sound came from everywhere. It was at that point decided to play and record a personal concert. The Yamaha DGX-500 can only record five tracks besides the accompaniment style (rhythmic) track. Because of this limitation, decided to record one song per track. This allowed me to continue play while keeping each recording. Because of this, each piece gets more and more intimate. The actual concert was about an hour given voice programming and other constraints. Shortly afterwards, was able to record each track to the computer with keyboard play – yet after saving to to floppy disk the tracks lost some digital information as it was gathered together as one MIDI file. Years later, when remastering this concert, was able to enhance the MIDI portions while cutting missing pieces from the original master. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the concert sounds both crisp and live sounding. Although simplistic in composition, the heart of the music is deep and resonating. Atonement, which was the climax of the concert, is extremely touching. This project would be appreciated by fans of Brian Eno. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2008. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This unconventional (yet inspired) project has gone through various revisions, yet has stood the test of time. It tells a future in which the chosen people in Revelation awake and change the world. It’s one of my least known albums, yet is deeply spiritual compared to other works. The story as to the making of Messiah’s Children is rather fascinating. Definitely was under the spirit when creating it -- although it wasn’t realized until much later. Prior to being called Messiah’s Children it was known for many years as Epiphany’s Children. Epiphany’s Children was a script that was worked on while in college. Eventually stopped with writing the script and decided to play it instead. Remember being unemployed at the time. Had volunteered to be laid off to help someone else from losing their job. It was a great test of faith. Eventually the money started to run out and was concerned about paying for my car. Remember after recording the pieces having our whole family living up at the 2nd level (as they were installing tile throughout the 1st level of the house). The picture of the album was a fruit that was placed upon my bed in a room that was shared with all my family members. Was very distraught and humbled, yet the Father was working something in me. Remember selling just enough on Ebay to pay the last couple of payments for my car. And it was right after my birthday (November of 2007), this person received a great blessing. Was called to come to an interview out of nowhere. When going to the interview, found there was someone this person knew for many years prior. Right when the interview was done (having come back to the house), received a call that this person had gotten the job. It was a life changing move that would forever change my life and my family. Messiah’s Children represents a great test of faith. It was created during one of the lowest points in my life and helps me remember why it is good to trust in the Father’s words. Given the unstable time this project was created, the sound quality suffered quite a bit. Some of the files were not saved correctly. Had also started to use more sound effects which were poorly recorded on software. It has taken many years to give it a proper remaster. The track arrangement has also changed throughout the years. It is also one of my shortest length albums given the rush of moving upstairs with the family. Two tracks, The Children and The Declaration, were well received when the album was published online. They are both really good compositions. The melody from The Children is one of my best ever made, whereas The Declaration is one of the most innovative and unique pieces ever created. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2007.

Beautiful with Time is a music poem dedicated to my sister Rebekah. The poem is in three parts (tracks), each representing a unique aspect. The concept of a music poem came early during my MIDI years. The idea was to express certain poetic thoughts and emotions into music instead of words. Eventually it flourished into two later projects -- this one and Poetry and Light (dedicated to my sister Melissa). All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2007. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Poetry and Light is a music poem dedicated to my sister Melissa. The poem is in three parts (tracks), each representing a unique aspect. The concept of a music poem came early during my MIDI years. The idea was to express certain poetic thoughts and emotions into music instead of words. Eventually it flourished into two later projects -- this one (Poetry and Light) and Beautiful with Time (dedicated to my sister Rebekah). All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2007. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This music album audibly depicts the spiritual battle spoken about in scripture, specifically referencing the letter written to the Ephesians. It succeeds in moving electronic music to a very unique orchestral format. Principalities was originally created during the year (2007) of publishing my music online. It was a daunting project which eventually transitioned into to a string of classical electronic albums. Its project format would eventually be revisited in the Leviticus albums (almost a decade later). Notable tracks at the time of its release were Principalities 1, 2, 6, and 10. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2007. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This early album, as its name suggests, is a collection of various mellow electronic pieces which varies in style, length, and mood. It shares actual, real-life situations through music. Mosaic is my third album using the Yamaha DGX-500 and was an entirely experimental project. It has a unique quirkiness as its motive was to sound honest, not mainstream. It's based on an early online lecture which speaks about everyone having an important part in a great story. Hence, my story at the time. The key track during its release was "Nothing Like A Diamond," which became somewhat of an early fan favorite. It was composed with lyrics in mind and is based on a lover's scorn. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2006. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

A breakthrough album. The first Meditations project captures a life story spoken with piano and strings. Contains intimate, peaceful melodies which has touched the heart of various listeners. The album holds a mature sound which has stood the test of time. Has a classical Vangelis feel. At the time of this recording, had completed three albums (two using a MIDI program and one using the recently purchased Yamaha DGX-500). It was a frustrating time given the difficulty of manifesting what was being played inside my being. Eventually learned how to tell a story about myself. Not easy to do. The album succeeds in its honesty. As the title implies, they are actual meditations from musing the past. The track Heavenly Presence became a fan favorite after the album's public release in 2007, representing a highlight in my musical journey. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2005. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

Future Predictions was my first keyboard album created back in 2004. The contained tracks were played and recorded directly from a purchased Yamaha DGX-500, which was a new, affordable keyboard at the time. It has a facetious, loungy type of sound. It took a good amount of keyboard practice on the DGX to develop this project. The first two albums solely relied on MIDI software programs and the typical Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (they were eventually updated to the Coolsoft Virtual MIDI Synth). In contrast, this project relied on the Yamaha Voices and Styles, providing a much broader musical range then was previously available. Future Predictions was originally meant to be two albums. Due to playing error (it was recorded with analog play) and lack of keyboard/software experience, it was simplified to one album in a 10-track format. It wasn’t though released online until three years later as a supplemental work. Years later was finally able to properly and heavily remaster/fix this album, bringing back most of its tracks from the cutting room floor. It is great to hear many of the keys fixed along with a (much improved) sound quality. It is now an 18-track album, playing just over an hour in length. This particular release comes very close to capturing the original concept a decade and a half ago. Listener response to this album was minimal. Metropolis was a small breakthrough in terms of keyboard technique. Symmetry was my first piece on the Yamaha DGX. Unwired and Far Outskirts are my favorites. Only Predictions is very bittersweet as it reminds me of my early days playing music, when it was just me in my room playing to myself. All music on this album is composed by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2004. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This album is the last of two projects which solely relied on computer MIDI software and soundfonts from the early 2000's. Although dated, it contains some interesting MIDI compositions with unique drum patterns. It was eventually updated from the basic Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth to the Coolsoft Virtual MIDI Synth. If any of you remember the Internet during its early years, you will know that dial-up phone speeds of 56 Kbps brought limitations to sharing and listening to music. MP3 files was an early attempt to help with this issue, yet were usually formatted with limited audio (otherwise it would take forever to play and download). MIDI compositions, on the other hand, were data structured and could easily be download and applied to a soundfont. Computers running Windows 98, Me, and XP had a basic synth you could play a MIDI file with, known as the Wavetable Synth from Roland. This is where you get the early MIDI computer music synthesis. Early first-generation websites would have MIDI libraries of compositions copied from known synth releases. Music Poems was originally a scrapped project on the cutting room floor, due to the recent purchase of the affordable Yamaha DGX-500 keyboard. Prior to its abandonment, it primary consisted of five compositions – The Giver and Taker, Skyscraper, Grandfather Clock, Menagerie, and an Untitled Work (which eventually became known as You’ll Be There). This last track was left incomplete at the time of the keyboard purchase. Four years later (2007), the project was released online as a supplemental/historical work in EP form. Also included were two MIDI Medley tracks which included various MIDI compositions. This project was originally known as Musicopoemia. Finally, in 2016, the album was given a proper re-master. It re-recorded and restructured the original compositions, as well as included earlier MIDI files recorded (yet not included) in the first MIDI album project (Experiences: However Small or Insignificant). The re-master also includes two very early tracks (Flame and Junk Pile) from the Yamaha DGX practice sessions which were converted to MIDI. It now has a healthier run time of thirty minutes. It was one of the hardest albums to fix yet was worth the time and effort. As mentioned prior, there are some interesting drum patterns in this work. Menagerie, for instance, runs at 5/4 time, creating a very unique sound. My favorite is Grandfather Clock. As the title implies, this project attempted to create music based on an experience or object. This concept would later be refined in future albums. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2003. Website - Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.

This album is the first of two projects which solely relied on computer MIDI software and soundfonts from the early 2000’s. Although dated, the album contains some creative compositions, becoming the early precursor for future projects. It was eventually updated from the basic Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth to the Coolsoft Virtual MIDI Synth. It is my first album. If any of you remember the Internet during its early years, you will know that dial-up phone speeds of 56 Kbps brought limitations to sharing and listening to music. MP3 files was an early attempt to help with this issue, yet were usually formatted with limited audio (otherwise it would take forever to play and download). MIDI compositions, on the other hand, were data structured and could easily be download and applied to a soundfont. Computers running Windows 98, Me, and XP had a basic synth you could play a MIDI file with, known as the Wavetable Synth from Roland. This is where you get the early MIDI computer music synthesis. Early first-generation websites would have MIDI libraries of compositions copied from known synth releases. Much could be said about this album given it is my music debut. It includes my first composed track, called Life Ship. About a week or so prior, had learned that an online friend of mine (Rebecca) had composed a computer music piece from a Freeware MIDI program. Was fascinated by the prospect of composing music and decided to download it myself. Electronic music in the United States was rare at the time, while known electronic musicians (such as Vangelis and Jean Michael Jarre) were already waning. This further enhanced the will to compose music. While composing, eventually decided to purchased a MIDI program called Digital Orchestrator. Was also able to find an old keyboard that my mother played in the 90’s, known as the Yamaha PSR-47. The keyboard was connected to the computer for data recording, creating pieces such as Interval of Memories and Release. Also had a small Casio SA-5 as a reference for the keys (was just learning to play at the time). Besides Life Ship, My Hope is Strong was another breakthrough piece for me. It is composed with words in mind. Other pieces, such as Claw of Hawk, Release, and Resurrection, were also highlights. The album was released online years later in 2007 as a reference work. All music on this album is composed and played by Yahunatan (Jonathan Raimer). Keyboards and programming by Yahunatan. Composed in 2003. Website – Yahunatan.com You are allowed to use this music in your projects, yet please give appropriate credit (the same as you would want to be treated). Thank you.