Back somewhere around 2010, Michael and Raymond had a dream. We would create a band called Pagan Thunder, we would only refer to the pieces we created as movements, and we would tout ourselves as "Canada's leading environmental imaginicians". If ever we played a live show, we agreed that we would enter the stage fully robed and hooded, carrying laptop computers, plug in, and press play. While the music played, we would remain hooded and sit stone still, and when the music was finished, we would close our laptops, unplug, and walk off.

During one of our cabin getaway weekends, we made the first step in realizing this dream and made this EP, which we entitled "Celtic Reflections: Volume 1". One track, three movements, 3 hours or so of recording and crafting, a little over 17 minutes of finished product. Michael made a cover which involved a very wide shot of a harbor and lighthouse and a lot of sea, I believe from somewhere in Amsterdam, with an incredibly enlarged picture of his face superimposed on the water, as if it were a reflection. It made absolutely zero sense, and it was hilarious. If I can find a copy of it, I'll replace the current track image with it.

When creating this, we pledged that it would contain about 3 recorded minutes of Michael playing various guitars, with looping and programming and adding in royalty-free pre-recorded samples and sounds to bloat it out to over 17 minutes. And we accomplished this, with lots of laughs along the way. Later we would agree that it was perhaps one of the most commercially viable things we'd ever created.

At one of our Triple Depresso shows, we shared a brief account of this story, and after the show, someone in the audience *actually offered us a gig* at a pagan festival that they were booking. We suppressed our laughter and said we were interested. Sadly, due to a downturn in Michael's health, it never came to be.

Now, on the 10th anniversary of Michael's untimely death, I present it to you. I laugh and cry still whenever I listen to it, to me it is a little treasure. Set aside about 17 minutes, turn it up, and join us as we were back in 2010 - happy, laughing, whiskeys in hand, being goofballs, having a blast.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and as you're listening, please send your love to dear Michael, wherever he has gone.

--Raymond Yates