Blue Navy

Today would have been David Lynch's birthday.

I first watched Eraserhead when I was 13. Discovering it made me feel rebellious - like I had stepped into the waters of a foreign cinematic world. That movie's dreamlike atmosphere and imagery were rather epiphanic for my young brain, and I knew I needed more. That led me to becoming a huge fan of Mulholland Dr., Twin Peaks, Inland Empire - even earlier projects of his, like The Alphabet and The Grandmother. In addition to his eyes, Lynch had quite the ears. Angelo Badalamenti's moody soundtracks left a profound impact on me, in addition to the records he made with Julee Cruise. "Floating Into the Night" still ranks as one of my all-time favorite albums.

Needless to say, I have taken many cues from Mr. Lynch. Heck - the original Blue Navy logo was a still from "Mulholland Dr.", and I directly listed Badalamenti and Cruise as influences on my Blue Navy Bandcamp page! Visually, aesthetically, and musically, I always aspired to embrace the mysterious and ethereal sides of art, and that made me feel rather fulfilled, creatively.

Additionally, he taught me many lessons that I still abide by to this day; to pursue ideas, to use my imagination to its fullest potential, and most importantly, to keep dreaming.

David gave us all new perspectives on art, cinema, and existence itself. I can assure you all that my artistic (and perhaps career) trajectory would have been completely different if not for David Lynch.

While I will definitely miss him, I'm glad he left us with so many pearls that will be cherished for years to come, and I'm thankful that he left such an enormously positive impact on my life. Wherever you are, David, I hope you're seeing blue skies and golden sunshine all along the way.