Visurreal, my fourth album, was released in early 2012 after nearly three years of work. By that time I had become a father, and the album naturally took shape around themes of life, loss, and the cycles that connect them. It became a place where awe and grief could sit side by side, and where the music reflected the tension and harmony between those forces.

The writing began during a six week sabbatical on Orcas Island in Washington. I lived simply, wrote every day, and allowed the environment to guide the tone of the music. Later I finished the album in a studio on top of Yerba Buena Island, the small island in the middle of the Bay Bridge. That studio looked out across the water toward San Francisco, and the sense of isolation and transition in that space contributed a lot to the atmosphere of the record.

Visurreal became my most collaborative project up to that point. Sidecar Tommy from Beats Antique added percussion. Ilya Goldberg, also known as Lapa, contributed violin. David Block, known as The Human Experience, contributed guitar and production support. Vocalists Sasha Rose, Katie Gray, Rigzin Tromge, and Rodleen Getsic brought their own depth and character to select songs. My friend Cedar Miller (aka Custom Phil) also added percussion. Each collaboration shaped the album in a different way, and the result is a collection of tracks that each have their own identity while still feeling connected.

One track that stands out for me is “Sunwater,” which captures a sense of waking up to connection and community. That feeling was very real at the time. By 2011 the audience at my shows felt like an extended family, and the album grew out of that shared energy.

The cover art was created by my friend Android Jones, whose imagery reflects the album’s focus on mystery, transformation, and the boundary between life and death. His visual world matched the music in a way that felt natural and intuitive.

There is also a film from this period that documents the making of the album and the life surrounding it. You can watch Visurreality by Charles Shaw below.