Stay (Before You Go) – Analysis of musical piece

 "Stay (Before You Go)" is an instrumental composition in the Jazztronica and Cinematic Chill / Instrumental Soul genres with a contemporary sound that blends a rather deep, emotional harmony, atmospheric production, and a subtle, wordless narrative. Written in the form of a slow-paced urban scene, it conveys the moment of meeting a close person in a city at night—a moment filled with a silence one is unwilling to break. This is not a song about drama; it is about the unsaid. About one last look when things can still be changed. And it is precisely then, according to the "film director's" vision, that this music plays.

The composition's concept is built on the feelings of a young man who meets an old female acquaintance amidst an urban metropolis. Fortunately or unfortunately, all things must come to an end, so despite their intention to spend more time together, they realize that the moment of parting will soon arrive, and it is unknown when their next meeting will occur.

Did they once have a romance, or are they merely acquaintances? This is a question that only the listener can answer.

The track "Stay (Before You Go)" contains no vocals and is therefore instrumental. The foundation of the harmony, built upon the track's two sections, consists of: an old Upright Piano, a Wurlitzer E-Piano, a Saxophone (MIDI with manually drawn velocity), a Bass Guitar, a Drum Machine with found samples, a barely audible synthesizer, and vinyl effects.

The two-part harmony is applied in a form unconventional for jazz. The first part has the progression Ebm – Db – Ab5 – Fm / Ebm – Db – Ab5 – C7 – Fm7 – B – F#5maj7, while the second part contains a modulation to C# Minor and appears as follows: C#m7(9) – G#m7 – Amaj9 – Emaj7(13). The first chord progression hints at the sad feelings of old acquaintances, while the second "adds air to the minor" through its jazz harmony, illustrating how the moment of parting between the two young people is endlessly delayed. The Emaj7(13) is almost the chordal climax, as it dissolves the tension—not by resolving the idea, but by releasing the listener, leaving hope for a continuation.

The track's production is transparent and unobtrusive, with heavy compression but with meticulous EQ work so that no instrument loses its place in the mix. The space is created using reverb on bus channels, and the live sound is organized through work with the articulation of the instruments.

This track is open to interpretation, as its main idea—the inner silence before a farewell—is familiar to everyone.