Songs of the Desert, performed by Emily Stellar
Words and Music by Christopher Sopher
℗ CosmicCrusaderMusic.com (BMI/ASCAP)
℗ Published by Christopher Sopher Media, LLC © 2011–2025
Valley of the Sun Press – Music – Lyrics: Songs of the Desert
Last Updated: December 15, 2025
Songs of the Desert began as sound. Late nights. Windows open. Heat still hanging in the air. These songs weren’t written with vinyl in mind. They were written because they needed to exist. Over time, the album grew into something bigger than I expected. It became a double record without me ever planning it that way.
Now I’m giving it a body. Slowly. On purpose.
Week 1 - 12/9/2025
I’m designing a physical double-album edition the way records used to be treated. Heavy. Deliberate. Visual. Not rushed. Not cheap. Every surface matters. The front. The back. The inside panorama. The lyric sleeves. The weight of it in your hands.
There’s no release date. No pressure. No production run locked in. This is just the document of the build as it happens. Decisions, mistakes, revisions, second thoughts. All of it.
There will eventually be two physical versions of Songs of the Desert. Not because one is “better,” but because they serve two different purposes.
The first will be a standard edition.
This is the accessible version. Simple, honest, affordable. A way for people to actually hold the album without the weight of a collector price. Black vinyl. Clean packaging. No excess. Just the music in a physical form that anyone can own.
The second will be the collector edition.
This is the one I’m documenting here. The slow build. The heavy stock. The gatefold. The panoramic interior. Printed lyric sleeves for all four sides. Color vinyl. Numbered. Signed. Built like records used to be built. This isn’t about mass production. It’s about creating an artifact that feels permanent.
There may also be a CD version.
Not as an afterthought. As its own format. A way for people who still love discs to have a physical copy without the size, cost, or wait that vinyl requires.
None of these versions are locked yet. No quantities. No timelines. No promises. Just options taking shape as the project evolves.
This is about letting the album become what it’s supposed to be instead of forcing it into one box.
If anyone wants to follow along while it takes shape, you’re welcome here.
I will set up a mailing list soon.
Week 2 - 12/14/2025
The masters are ready, the track list is finalized, and the files are organized into Disc 1 and Disc 2, with Sides A–D. The tracks are already in sequence, and each side falls within the ideal 15–18 minute range for a 33⅓ RPM album. The folders are now ready to be compressed into ZIP files.
I am still planning how I want to present the album using my photography. The center image was originally intended to be a single panoramic photo rather than split in two, though that may change when I submit the final artwork. I plan to use six photographs in total:
(1) front cover,
(2) back cover,
(3 & 4) center gatefold (left and right panels),
(5) left vinyl insert, and
(6) right vinyl insert, which will include the track list and lyrics.
