Somniferious is that 'in between' state of consciousness where one is not fully awake or fully asleep. It's the borderland of sleep, a place where solutions and answers meet the questions that fill our own lives. A state of mind where we meet our fears and our fantasies, where physical reality intersects with the expansiveness of eternity. The idea for this album came to me seven years ago. Throughout the long incubation it continued to evolve and transform, sometimes in unpredictable ways and always with a spirit of discovery and adventure. Along the way I had the honor and privilege to meet Justin Lassen, who with his creative vision and artistic mastery, took the idea and transformed it beyond anything I could ever have imagined,  propelling it upward to an entirely different level. At its core, the music is based on ancient Byzantine chant. Growing up as a Greek Orthodox Christian, I became fascinated with the haunting beauty of these sacred chants. I always wanted to play them on the violin and find new creative ways to express them. Perhaps due in equal parts to my rebellious nature and my passion for creative expression, I sought to go beyond the strict musical tradition of the church which only allows these melodies to be sung a cappella and at certain times of the year. My desire is to honor the power and beauty of these magnificent melodies in a fresh, new, innovative way which reaches beyond the church and can touch people of all faiths and levels of consciousness in a deep, profound way. The transportive quality of the melodies, played by the solo violin, is the musical epicenter. Framed around it is an exquisitely rich, evocative soundscape conceived and designed by Justin. Together these musical offerings take us on a journey through inner space, drawing the listener into strange worlds and other dimensions; to the universe we call “Somniferious”.