There are times in life when words fail. For Scott Ibex, that’s when music speaks the loudest.
As an artist with five albums to his credit, and performances at the McPherson Opera House, the Casper Events Center, and the House of Blues in Hollywood, Ibex chose to make Moab, Utah his home after touring nationally for years. Through a desert soundscape, he sought transition to a life as a regional performer affording more time to explore the craft of songwriting.
In late 2013, he embarked on a musical journey to discover an album called Horizon Tides. Initially inspired by the mantra, “If ye hath the courage to stay the tides and remain focused on the horizon, the future will always be bright,” the record ultimately became the soundtrack for a soul.
During the songwriting sessions, Ibex’s good friend and bandmate, Daniel Moore, passed away in a tragic BASE jumping accident. “It affected the entire mood of my artistic spirit. I instantly knew that I wanted to honor my friend, who was not only a great musician, but a selfless and giving person to all he knew,” said Ibex.
Ibex turned to the Incan concept of animal allies as a source of thematic expression.
“In ancient Incan symbolism, the mountain lion represents life, and the serpent represents the underworld a soul must travel through in order to reach peace in the realm of the condor. Daniel was very alive in all he did, and he loved BASE jumping. I thought the ultimate destination of his soul being at peace upon the wings of a sacred bird was apropos. Artistically, the music reflects his vibrant spirit and then explores what I imagine to be intensely disembodied emotions reflected in melodic interplays of silence and tonal harmonies. The album ultimately resolves with an homage to the power of unconditional love, which remains with Daniel’s friends and family as a lasting reminder of whom he was.”
The opportunity to work with a famous artist in the solo acoustic guitar genre, Antoine Dufour, was a true thrill for Ibex, who had previously recorded his independent releases with talented engineer Ryan Borrell of Temecula, CA.
“Simply put, Antoine is a musical genius. His original compositions have been viewed millions of times on YouTube and he performs at the finest concert halls throughout the entire world. Having the opportunity to craft an album with him that was larger than life was an experience I’ll never forget,” said Ibex.
Ibex still loves entertaining, and can be found hosting a local open mic on Wednesday’s at Blu Pig BBQ and Blues in Moab. He also regularly performs at Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa and hosts monthly benefit concerts for community organizations.
Horizon Tides and Scott Ibex’s previous releases can be purchased on iTunes, Amazon MP3, and bandcamp.com. Upcoming performances are listed on his website www.reverbnation.com/scottibex.
