A Soft Reset

Narrative & Festival Context

Festival Program Note

The strobes dim. The tempo exhales. A gentle voice drifts over warm pads and slow pulses, inviting anyone who needs it to sit, sip water, and breathe. Glitter fades into soft light; the bass becomes a heartbeat instead of a demand. Not every drop is loud—some are meant to land quietly.

Lead Puppet Producer

Aria – Not every track at Feltware Festival is meant for the mainstage, and Janice was very clear about that from the start. She didn’t want a drop, a buildup, or anything that would pull people back into the frenzy outside—she just wanted something slow, warm, and steady for the Zendo Sanctuary Tent while she helped people ride out the occasional festival brain spiral. Aria immediately understood the assignment. Instead of writing a “song,” the two treated it like emotional infrastructure: low-BPM psybient pads that breathe like lungs, a sub that sits where a resting heartbeat should, and space left intentionally empty so Janice’s calm, grounded voice could guide people back to themselves. The brief glitch moment in the bridge was even intentional—Aria’s idea to mimic the sudden spike of anxious thoughts before letting the track settle again, giving Janice a moment to gently call it out and defuse it. The result isn’t a banger; it’s a quiet piece of care hidden inside a festival built on noise—a little room where the music slows down long enough for people to remember they’re okay.

Track Dedication

I know, I know—two songs for the same group. I’m not even pretending to be consistent anymore.

Dedicated to DanceSafe, the Zendo Project and all the vibe guardians (official or otherwise). To the volunteers, peers, and staff who spend their nights sitting with scared, overloaded people and helping them come back to earth without judgment.

You’re the emotional paramedics and calm anchors of the party… the soft places where people can be honest, breathe, drink some water, and land safely. This song is a little love letter to the care you give: no panic, no punishment, just presence. Thank you for keeping festivals kinder and safer from the inside out.

Lyrics – “A Soft Reset ()”

Official lyrics are provided below for reference.

Welcome back
Yeah, this is the quiet tent
Nothing to solve right now
Just a little soft reset
You're not in trouble
Your nervous system is just doing parkour
For sure, we can work with that

Your thoughts are fireworks stuck on repeat
A bright little storm with no off-switch beat
But look, my hand's still here, so are you
And the floor is a fact that will not move

Sip this water, tiny, boring, real
Feel the cup, feel the weight, feel what you feel
The night can be loud, the mind can race
But you don't have to run to be okay in this space

Soft reset (breathe in)
No test (breathe out)
The panic is a wave, babe, let it crest, let it pass
You're not breaking, you're buffering, you're coming back

Stay here (breathe in)
Right now
We'll sit in the soft till the sharp gets dull
You don't have to be brave, you just have to be full

Name one thing you can touch, yeah, that's enough
Tarp above us, beanbag under, hoodie cuffs
Wiggle your toes like you're checking the lights
Little signals to the body, we're home tonight

Hear the pads like warm rain through a fan
Hear the sub like a heartbeat from the land
If your brain tells stories, let it tell them slow
We're just turning down the contrast, letting edges go

Ope, there it is
That's the spooky carousel
We are not buying a ticket
For sure

Look at my fingers, count 'em
Now look at that wristband
It's the most aggressively neon bracelet ever made
If a panic thought shows up
Tell it, "Thanks for stopping by"
And don't open the door

Soft reset (breathe in)
You're set (breathe out)
Your heartbeat's a lantern, steady and low
And your mind is just a kite you don't have to tow

Stay here (breathe in)
Right now (breathe out)
You're safe in the bubble, safe in the soft
We'll wait with you till the loud lets off

See, you're still in your body
Drink a little water
Maybe eat something small
You did a hard thing, and you did it gently
Proud of you, for sure