INAL BILSEL

Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow

Discover the soundtrack to a fable above the clouds...

Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow is a cinematic concept album for attentive listening. Drawing on the evocative language of soundtracks, it weaves intricate instrumentation and rich textures into a story of wonder and magic.

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Follow the story of Lulu and the fantastical world she visits every night until dawn.

Read the story while listening to the music and discover the many details within the music.

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AUDIOPHILE RECORDING

"Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow" is a labor of love for the discerning listener. Mixed meticulously over the course of a year, the album was crafted with audiophile setups in mind, inviting listeners to experience it as a cohesive whole.

This deliberate choice of preserving dynamics mirrors a cinematic experience, allowing the quietest moments to breathe and the climaxes to soar. While some may perceive the album as quieter than others, this is an intentional feature designed to elevate the listening experience. Whether enjoyed on high-end speakers or simpler setups, the album promises a memorable sonic journey that rewards repeat listen.

"I am mesmerized! You are a great orchestrator, you have a great sense of tone, depth, balance, and stereo image. I can tell that your album is telling a mythical story, without words but with vocal sounds that are used orchestrally in a beautiful, evocative way. [...] You have achieved mix Nirvana!"

Bob Katz

"The album resembles fine silk, its melodic and atmospheric structure offering a glimpse into a vivid, otherworldly realm."

-Helena Lynch (Voxwave Magazine)

"Every track contains multitudes within multitudes, and is presented with creativity, taste and skill"

-Dino DiMuro (Pitch Perfect)

"The album looks and sounds like a storybook"

-Richard Allen (A Closer Listen)

Soundtrack category winner

Sleepwalker

A Night at The Cloudtop Imaginarium

Best Production category winner

Sleepwalker

A Night at The Cloudtop Imaginarium

Inal Bilsel is a Cypriot composer and producer whose work explores cinematic storytelling, memory, and electronic sound. His music has been released by Sony Music Turkey, created immersive sound designs for art exhibitions, and performed at festivals internationally.

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Go deeper...

daughter, voice recording, microphone, studio

A Collaboration Across Cloudtops: Recording My Daughter's Voice

I explore how I incorporated my daughter's voice into Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow—from unscripted bedtime storytelling and melodic fragments to vocal sampling and percussive sounds. These recordings helped capture the intimacy and wonder of early childhood, turning our shared moments into musical textures. It’s a deeply personal collaboration that adds emotional depth and narrative richness to the album’s sonic world.

Crafting Space with Reverb

There’s a certain magic in how a room sounds—and each one sounds different, with its own signature reverberation.

The Long Road to a Cloudtop Meadow

The journey of creating Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow began during the quiet, reflective time of the pandemic.

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