The Music of Cheops

Steve Douglas - The Music of Cheops

released on LP in 1976

I found another LP where the music was too recorded in the Great Pyramid. I thought the Paul Horn - Inside the Great Pyramid was the only album of its kind. Now I wonder if there were more albums recorded in the Great Pyramid and if so, how many.

Throughout most of his career, Steve Douglas (1938-1993) has been a session musician playing sax on recordings of some of the biggest names and notables in pop and rock music including The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Duane Eddy, The Righteous Brothers, The Ramones, etc. Douglas was a part of hit maker Phil Spector's "Wrecking Crew", a group of session musicians Spector used for his sessions. Douglas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 in the Sideman category.

Douglas also plays the flute which he does on this album in addition to the sax. The Music of Cheops was recorded on February 10, 14, and 15, 1976, all during at night. Douglas composed and played all the music in the King's Chamber, a room that is 34 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 19 feet high. From listening to the record, the room sounds like an awe-inspiring acoustic space where the echoes give the music an otherworldly sound, a sound that probably could only be achieved in such as space as the King's Chamber.
His Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bio actually mentions this album. According to the notes in his bio, Douglas wanted to keep a low profile because of health problems in the early 1970s. Apparently, he didn't record many sessions during that time. He recorded his own music. Curiously, his bio does not mention what other albums he released. The Music of Cheops sounds like something that Douglas made just for himself, the kind of music he wanted to play. It seems like he wanted to get away or needed to get away from the intense environment of the music industry. It's meditative serene music similar to Paul Horn's, but Douglas is more free flowing. His music goes in different directions and he does more to take advantage of the space by exploring and producing more sounds from his instruments. He also was there before Horn by a few months.

Tracklisting:

The Pyramid [side 1]

1.  Pharoah's Piper  {4:34}

2.  Impressions from the IVth Dynasty: A. Pyramid Power  {1:44}

3.  Impressions from the IVth Dynasty: B. Nubian Lament  {1:32}

4.  Impressions from the IVth Dynasty: C. Flight of Horus  {0:57}

5.  Impressions from the IVth Dynasty: D. Reflections Along the Nile  {4:00}

6.  Impressions from the IVth Dynasty: E. Procession  {2:18}

The Sphinx [side 2]

1.  Time Capsule - 1976 A.D. - 2860 B.C.  {1:54}

2.  Meditations at Luxor  {5:47}

3.  Journey from Atlantis  {8:09}

4.  Ascent  {0:54}

Disclaimer: I was unable to erase a lot of crackle and surface noise on side 1. I am seeking a better copy. If I ever find one or able to get a hold of one, I'll re-rip side 1. At least, you'll know what the music is like. I think my rips of side 2 sound fine.
Update: In the comments section, there is a link to my files that have been cleaned of most of the noise on side 1.

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Under the Earth Tones

Didgeri Dudes - Under the Earth Tones

released in 1997

Under the Earth Tones is the second album of experimental didgeridoo music by Jamie Cunningham and Brian Pertl, a.k.a. the Didgeri Dudes. The didgeridoo is an ancient Australian Aboriginal wind instrument that is capable of producing a wide variety of sounds utilizing combinations of pursed tones, harmonic manipulation, vocalizations, and circular breathing techniques. Using a sonic palette of traditional and modern didgeridoos made from wood, bamboo, plastic pipe, and cactus, the Didgeri Dudes and special guest Stuart Dempster paint ambient textures on the canvas of an abandoned two-million gallon underground water cistern at Fort Worden, near Port Townsend, Washington. This huge circular subterranean chamber boasts an extremely long reverberation of well over a minute requiring the musicians therein to play the acoustic space as an instrument. The recording was made during a marathon fourteen-hour session in the dank darkness of the cistern, illuminated only by the light that filtered through the small roof-top entrance. The effect of being totally immersed in pure sound for an extended period left the performers emotionally charged and euphoric at day's end. To recreate the dynamic and meditative ambiance of this incredible space, we recommend a quiet listening environment and high-quality speakers or headphones. No overdubbing, electronic effects, nor artificial reverberation was used in this stereo mix from the live four-channel digital recording. (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

1. Magma {9:32}

2. Land of Snows {14:52}

3. Cosmic Frogs {7:56}

4. Orion Nebula {19:56}

5. Shudder {9:31}

6. Final Peace {8:19}

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Inside the Powers of Nature

Paul Horn - Inside the Powers of Nature

The challenge of this recording was to see how much could be done with flutes alone in a recording studio. No electronic sounds are used anywhere. The background sounds on Side One are all natural sounds from nature, created and put together especially for this recording. Side Two contains the actual sounds of Haida, a male killer whale living at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Both sides contain a lot of multiple tracking. The Bach chorales are all played on various flutes including alto and bass flute, sometimes with a multi-vider. The Kyrie from the Palestrina Mass has seven overdubs. The making of this recording was a wonderful creative experience. (Paul Horn)

Consider this as a kind of bonus of more nature/environmental sounds for the week, although they are blended with music as the above liner notes already mention. I'm trying out another service as some folks are having trouble with the service used in the previous post. Let's hope this service works better.

Tracklisting:

Side One

1. The Mahabhutas (Elements) {19:05}
(a) Prithivi (Earth) (b) Vayu (Air) (c) Tejas (Fire) (d) Apas (Water) (e) Akasha (Space)

Side Two

1. Haida {5:23}

2. Bach Chorales {4:07}

3. Centaur {6:04}

4. Mass: Kyrie {2:30}

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Lemurian Sunrise

Steve Kindler and Paul Lloyd Warner - Lemurian Sunrise

Steve Kindler - electric violin
Paul Lloyd Warner - piano

Lemurian Sunrise is a spontaneous collaboration between violin and piano. Recorded on the slopes of Haleakala volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui, each movement reflects the artists' desire to musically recreate the imagery of nature.

The violin is amplified through a series of tape loop regenerations to broaden the harmonic registration of the instrument, which is used to provide the lush orchestral sonorities heard within these pieces.

The grand piano used in this production, has a full, resonant, bell and harp-like tone. This recording is duplicated directly from the original live performance.

released on cassette in 1981

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Lemurian Sunrise {4:23}

2. Prisms {3:07}

3. Fruit of the Night Blooming Cereus {2:37}

4. Vision {6:12}

5. The Unicorn {1:56}

6. Prescience {2:15}

Side 2

1. Zenith {4:37}

2. Ancient of Days {5:45}

3. Lemurian Sunset {5:08}

4. Cone of Shadows {5:28}

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Frank Perry: Zodiac

Born 1948, Frank Perry started his musical career as early as in the mid-Sixties, playing in a number of Beat bands, before turning his focus to Jazz and Blues. In the Seventies, he moved on to the fields of free-form Jazz and Avantgarde. He played with musicians and groups like Evan Parker (in Perry's own trio), Derek Bailey (again in Perry's own trio, and in The Derek Bailey Group, & Company), Chris McGregor and Mongezi Feza (in various of McGregor's groups), Robert Fripp, Keith Tippett and Julie Tippetts in Ovary Lodge (founded by Tippett and Perry), as well as in the big performance ensembles Ark and Centipede. During this period, he also worked with a number of Theatre Groups and developed his unique form of solo concert. In 1976, a record by the David Toop & Frank Perry Duo was released on Quartz-Mirliton.

But in the late Seventies, Perry drove his own research further on. Instrument design (especially metal percussion - he designed a gong the sound of which can linger on as long as five minutes after striking), Meditation, Sound Healing and Spirituality became subjects of his interest. From that time on, Perry's work has concentrated on different forms of music for meditation and contemplation, settling him firmly in the New Age genre. Collaborators include Joel Andrews, Steven Berkoff, Paul Horn and David Hykes (Harmonic Choir of New York).

Frank Perry 1980

A special place in Perry's instrument collection is taken by Sound Bowls, Tibetan and others. He worked intensively with all forms of Sound Bowls, and many instruments of his own design are based on/inspired by them. The long, ringing sounds of these instruments are prominent in his contemplative music. "Zodiac" (1989) is a very good and beautiful example, a cycle of 12 short pieces which invite the listener to sound-dive deep into Frank Perry's musical cosmos.

http://www.frankperry.co.uk/

***

Part 1 - Aries 
Part 2 - Taurus
 Part 3 - Gemini 
Part 4 - Cancer
 Part 5 - Leo
 Part 6 - Virgo
 Part 7 - Libra
 Part 8 - Scorpius
 Part 9 - Sagittarius
 Part 10 - Capricornus
 Part 11 - Aquarius
 Part 12 - Pisces

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Mood Bells

Cylob - Mood Bells

Cylob is Chris Jeffs, an idiosyncratic electronic musician working in the realms of electro, ambient, pop and what is called "braindance". From what I remember reading somewhere, Chris visited ancient temples during his vacation somewhere in east Asia (I think it was China) and those visits inspired the work on this beautiful and serene album. The computer generated bell and gong sounds on these tracks evoke a temple or meditational setting in a virtual world like Second Life or something similar though the music would also work in real life.

Tracklisting:

1. Tamtam Intro {0:18}

2. Majorette {2:06}

3. Endorphin Afterglow {3:03}

4. China Gong {1:35}

5. Dark Days {1:43}

6. Snowing {2:04}

7. Mood Gong {2:53}

8. Bryozoa {1:51}

9. Sentinel {2:58}

10. Sun-Day {1:26}

11. Worlds Within Worlds {2:22}

12. Spheres Within Spheres {2:24}

13. Mood Bowls {2:19}

14. Gong Meditation {2:35}

15. Mood Bath {4:01}

16. Mood Bells {2:10}

17. After the Soup {3:42}

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The Deep Listening Band -Troglodyte's Delight (1990)

The earth holds mysteries, and they are composed of movement and stillness. The sounds from below the surface are of particular interest to the Deep Listening Band. During early June of 1989, members of the Deep Listening Band explored the sound properties of The Tarpaper Cave in Rosendale, New York in a special underground concert and recording.

To me, this recording represents a unique fusion of "environmental" and "intuitive" music, a really enchanting experience.

Vocalist and electronics specialist Panaiotis: "We really wanted, as a group, to become an aspect of the cave. During the recording, and the concert, we were responding to the cave... (the idea being) to listen to the cave, and then, as the group participated, to respond to each other as well."

The Deep Listening Band spent a week in the cave preparing for the concert. Panaiotis used this time exploring different areas to find acoustic "hot spots, where things really blossom and resonate." ...
Where Panaiotis recalls the incessant and omnipresent mosquitoes of The Tarpaper Cave, trombonist Stuart Dempster remembers "the capriciousness of the lighting... mists blowing down with changes in the weather... it was like Valhalla from time to time..."
Stuart Dempster - trombone, didjeridu / Pauline Oliveros - accordion, voice, whistles / Panaiotis - voice
Guest artists: Fritz Hauser - percussion / Julie Lyon Balliett - voice

1 Cave Water

2 Quarry Query

3 Cannery Row

4 After Dinner With The Trogs

5 Rain Delay

6 Trog Arena

7 Cave Water

 This way to Valhalla: (1)

More Hykes: Harmonic Meditations

In the comments section of my post with David Hykes' "Harmonic Meetings" I just discovered a message by Closet of Curiosities visitor Vaubu, who very generously uploaded a rip of "Harmonic Meditations" by David Hykes, for us & you to enjoy. Thanks a lot, Vaubu, and welcome in the "Hall of Fame of the Closet of Curiosities".

David Hykes: Harmonic Meditations (2005)


The disc features music from three different sources. The “Harmonic Meditations” were recorded in “The Cistern”, an empty 2 million gallon underground water reservoir in Washington state. “The Silent Ground” was premiered at the re-inaugural concert at the Winter Garden atrium, opposite Ground Zero. The last two pieces were taken from the film
“Travellers and Magicians” by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

... Refining further what has become a personal and significant contemporary, contemplative music, Hykes explores Harmonic Chant, a complete musical language he has been mastering for decades. This skill allows singers to explore the inherent harmonic ornamentation present in producing an identifiable fundamental vocal note. By manipulating the normally untapped resonance of the human voice, singers are able to make audible two or three tones simultaneously. ... Deep resonating drones, full-throated chants and controlled wispy whistling overtones ring out individually in turn, then combine to become one ethereal sonic body. This is more than harmonious textural drone music as throughout, heavenly melodies inevitably rise out of the shifting overtones.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this music is how the listener attempts to associate the sound with the source which, while emanating from people, is often perceived of as unearthly. Performed in reverberation sensitive architectural spaces, Hykes' music benefits from the acoustics of large cathedrals, church sanctuaries and underground caverns. These unique spaces seem to compound the sound of each voice by providing a resonance that brings out the otherwise subtle overtones.

(Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END, June 30 , 2005)

01 Unity Meditation One
02 Trio Meditation One
03 Unity Meditation Two
04 Trio Meditation Two
05 Unity Meditation Three
06 Trio Meditation Three
07 Unity Meditation Four
08 The Silent Ground
09 Times to the True
10 Special Times Three

Robert Mann - percussion, voices
Joel Bluestein, Timothy Hill - voices
Peter Biffin - dobro, E-bow
Bruno Caillat - percussion, zarb
David Hykes - keyboards, voices, bells, breathing
Tony Lewis - percussion, tabla

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And - over at GD's highly bookmarkable "Crystal Vibrations" blog

http://crystalvibrations.blogspot.com

you can get Mr. Hykes early release "Hearing Solar Winds". Highly recommended.

David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir

Here's a beautiful double LP from the Celestial Harmonies label, a glorious soundbath in lossless APE format. I even cleaned out a good deal of the scratches: HARMONIC MEETINGS

Harmonic chant with pure overtones, and sacred words from the Abrahamic religions, recorded 1986 in the abbey of Le Thoronet, France.

from the liner notes by David Hykes:

In my previous work with the Harmonic Choir, the pure vibrations of the harmonic voices always said what I wanted to say, without words.

All the same, for some years, I sought words that could be sung with this harmonic music. This interest came into the foreground when I was asked to compose music for a traveling art exhibition concerned with the sacred art of Christianity, Judasism and Islam...

As I began to research the musical histories of these religions, it became apparent that musical differentiations between them appeared in time as liturgies gradually diverged. (...) I became fascinated by accounts of the so-called jubilus singing in which the congregation would improvise using sacred words and syllables such as HALLELUYAH (Glory to God), sometimes even leaving out the consonants and chanting open vowels. In my own work, I tried to experiment with words common to at least two of these three religions.

It is the harmonic content of the words which interests me; singing pure vibrations and singing words is the same work. The harmonic content in a word can be brought to life; it comes from the same place as a pure vibration. Sacred words are vibrations and can be experienced as such; content can be found that is free from the ordinary mental and emotional associations which prevent words from having a resonant meaning in the present moment.Dive deep: (1) (2) (3)  [maybe reposted soon]

Inside the Great Pyramid

Paul Horn - Inside the Great Pyramid

Flute player Paul Horn recorded this album in three rooms of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh (Cheops). Sides one and two were recorded in the King's Chamber and side three was recorded in the Queen's Chamber. Side four was actually recorded in the Burial Chamber of another pyramid (Kephren). Horn was attempting to obtain a spiritual experience from playing in the pyramids as well as record his playing including the unique echoes, in the pyramids' rooms, generated by his playing.

Previously, Horn has played and recorded inside of a structure. In 1968, he recorded his playing from inside the Taj Mahal. The tape of the results were released as the album Inside. Afterwards, Horn would go on to record the "Inside" series of albums including this album, Inside the Cathedral, Inside Canyon de Chelly and Inside Monument Valley.

Horn started out as a jazz musician playing mainly what is described as "cool jazz" then went to India in 1967 to study trancendental meditation. This experience would mark a new direction in his career as he started to create more new age or meditative style of music starting with his Inside album from Taj Mahal.

In the first week of May 1976, Horn went to Cairo with his recording engineer. Horn and his recording engineer accompanied a group touring the pyramids and other Egyptian ancient structures and monuments. Horn only had a few days available to get permission to play in the Great Pyramid after closing hours. Horn eventually was granted permission to go in the Great Pyramid on the evening of May 6th, 1976 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Horn's recording engineer had one tape recorder and a microphone which were used to record Horn's playing. The music Horn created that evening was totally improvised. He interacted with the echoes as if he was playing with another musician. The next evening Horn and his recording engineer were granted permission to go after closing hours in the pyrmaids Kephren and Mycerinus and Horn's playing was recorded in these pyramids.

Inside the Great Pyramid was originally released as a 2-LP album with a booklet that was used as a source to provide some of the information in this post.

Tracklisting:

Side One - Initiation

1. Invocation {0:41}

2. Psalm 1 {4:06}

3. Psalm 2 {2:10}

4. Psalm 3 {2:18}

5. Psalm 4 {2:49}

6. Psalm 5 {3:18}

7. Psalm 6 {2:20}

8. Psalm 7 {4:04}

Side Two - Meditation

1. Psalm 1 {3:45}

2. Psalm 2 {1:17}

3. Psalm 3 {4:55}

4. Psalm 4 {2:57}

5. Psalm 5 {2:59}

6. Psalm 6 {5:08}

Side Three - Enlightenment

1. Psalm 1 {4:01}

2. Psalm 2 {4:07}

3. Psalm 3 {2:28}

4. Psalm 4 {3:04}

5. Psalm 5 {4:26}

6. Psalm 6 {0:53}

Side Four - Fulfillment

1. Psalm 1 {5:07}

2. Psalm 2 {3:21}

3. Psalm 3 {1:52}

4. Psalm 4 {3:43}

5. Psalm 5 {2:11}

6. Psalm 6 {1:24}

7. Psalm 7 {2:15}

8. Psalm 8 {1:21}

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A Young Person's Guide To Phill Niblock

This double CD selected compilation of Phill Niblock's sustained tone pieces (drones, if you like, although somehow the music transcends such a simplistic description) was released in a limited edition of 1000 by Blast First and The Wire magazine in 1995. The microtonal interactions of the tones are an integral part of each composition, creating inner rhythms and fluctuations. The result is mesmerising, and can induce something akin to a meditative state whether or not the listener intends to enter one!

Phill's career as a film-maker and musician is neatly summed up on Wikipedia, and his official site is here.

Download all 4 zip archives for the full compliment of tracks.

EDIT: It's in two parts now. [06/23/2014]

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Harry Bertoia - Unfolding

Harry Bertoia (1915 - 1978) was a furniture and jewellery designer who went on to explore sculpture, and its sound-making possibilities. In the 70's, he released a series of LPs under the title Sonambient, now rare collectors items. This compilation of four pieces culled from the albums was released in Japan in 1993. There are three official websites devoted to his work: Harry Bertoia Research Project, bertoiaharry.com, and Bertoia Studio.

Presented in two .zip archives, download both for the full compliment of tracks.

Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2

[maybe reposted soon]

More Japanese Solo Flute

In the early 80s, Japanese flutist Tosha Suiho realized his recording project "Four Seasons in Kyoto", a series of solos recordings, performed around Kyoto over the course of 1 year. All recordings were done outdoors, at specially selected locations. To avoid unwanted human noise pollution, most of the recording sessions took place either late at night or in the early hours of the morning.


The pieces can be described as compositions with improvisational elements, each one having a special connection with the location of its performance. In his free-flowing play, Tosha is reacting to / in dialogue with the different ambiences, very much like a jazz-musician might, carefully weaving his music into the sonic textures of the elements(wind, water), nature (birds, plants) and the human world (in "Hieizan", represented by the bell of a nearby monastery, calling the monks to their morning prayers).
The music could be categorized as something like "contemporary traditional": elements from classic Japanese music reshaped and newly blended under the influence of different modern styles. Instruments are the Shinobue and Nokan bamboo flutes.

This is a 3-CD set (originally released on 4 LPs). Each file is one complete CD, the first file includes cover pics and booklet (German only). [Edit 12/07/14: all CDs are in one file.]
Listen in the dark: (1) 

Glass Orchestra Toronto

Here's an interesting one which I recorded back in the 80s from several radio broadcasts.

The Glass Orchestra Toronto, founded in 1977, is the only ensemble in the world whose musicians create and perform entirely with glass instruments. Drawing on a wide range of musical influences and performance techniques, the musicians explore the unique sonic properties of glass, creating an ethereal, percussive soundscape with a vast array of glass instruments, both "found" and custom designed. The skill of the members in designing and making glass instruments has earned them a place in the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments.

The Glass Orchestra has performed in major cities across Canada and has toured the U.S., Europe and the Far East, playing mostly at art galleries and museums. The group also holds specially arranged workshops.

Instruments include tubes, bottles, wine glasses, glass bells and Pyrex bowls, a specially designed Glass Harmonica, the "Slide Clarinet" and the "Lepto Tootis" (glass wind/reed instruments), the Glass Marimba (glass bars on a resonantor box), the microtonal Tube Xylophone, the Crystal Gong made from quartz, and numerous bigger and smaller percussion instruments.

FAQ & A from the Glass Orchestra website:

Q - Do you break many instruments?
A - The Glass Orchestra is probably the only ensemble in the world that can count on the total destruction of its instruments. The breakage can be caused by the musicians in performance or can be caused by the correct choice of baggage handling company. They have developed the breakage philosophy that now instead of one instrument there are two or more new instruments. When an instrument breaks the result is usually more harmonically complex and interesting to listen to. (Unless the destruction is total!)

Q - Why do you use candles in the show?A - The ensemble chooses to place many candles in and around the instruments during the show and turns the stage lights down very low because we like to see the hundreds of reflections in the instruments.

Links:

http://www.glassorchestra.com/index1.html

www.vex.net/~rixax/GlassO/GlasIntro.html

The group compositions/improvisations "Euroglass 8" and "Euroglass 9" were recorded at a concert of the "Neue Musik im Staedel" series, on February 8th, 1980, in Frankfurt/M., Germany. Musicians were: Marvin Green, Eric Cadesky, Miguel Frasconi, John Kuipers and Paul Hodge.

Enjoy! (1)

Tibetan Bells

Henry Wolff and Nancy Hennings - Tibetan Bells

* originally posted on February 21, 2007

From the back cover:

Bells have been made throughout Asia for centuries. In the Himalayas, where the finest bells are traditionally found, the bells of Tibet have long been prized for their marvellous purity and duration of tone. Composed of subtle alloys of the finest Himalayan metals, the accomplished instruments of an ancient and distinct tradition, the bells of Tibet are supreme. Yet until recently Tibetan bells have rarely if at all been heard beyond the Himalayas. Tibet has been a closed country. Only as a result of the turmoil of the 1950's when thousands of Tibetans, carrying what they could, fled to bordering states, have Tibetan bells begun to be known to the outside world.

For many Tibetans brought with them their bells, and with the bells was revealed a new dimension of sound hitherto scarcely suspected outside Tibet.

The timbre of a Tibetan bell is unique. It can not be confused with the tone of a bell of Indian or Chinese manufacture. Tibetan bells are of the utmost purity, their tones often reminiscent of impulses of electronic origin, yet too rich harmonically to have been produced by any synthetic process. Often riding a haunting echo of unrivalled duration, the bells of Tibet are an "audible smoky-mirror image" of a perceived domain beyond common hearing and beyond common sight.

The bells used in the presnt album were collected and assembled in the East by the musicians who play them on the album. They have not hesitated to exploit the characteristic Tibetan sound in a way which, though not current amongst Tibetans, is yet thourougly implicit in their instruments and music. There is no sound on the record (with the exception of some whistles) which is not originated by a Tibetan bell.

This album represents several firsts. It is very likely the first time Tibetan bells have been recorded. It is surely the premier album devoted exclusively to the bells of Tibet. It is also the first time Tibetan bells have been recorded as played by Western musicians in a sound entirely of their own devising and invention. In this respect the music is an authentic meeting of East and West.

Note that this is the LP version.

Tracklisting:

Side One

1. Khumbu Ice-Fall {2:16}

2. Rainbow Light {3:23}

3. White Light {1:06}

4. From the Roof of the World You Can See Forever {3:11}

5. Wrathful Deity {4:29}

6. Clear Light {3:56}

Side Two

1. A Choir of Bells {14:30}

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Windsongs: The Sound of Aeolian Harps

Roger Winfield - Windsongs: The Sound of Aeolian Harps

* originally posted on October 21, 2006

From the liner notes:

"Windsongs" is a unique album. Using an orchestra of eight Aeolian Harps - instruments played entirely by the wind - Roger Winfield has captured the essence of the Four Winds.

Some years ago Roger became interested in the possibilities offered by the wind in activating musical strings and creating its own 'music of nature.' This was while he was living in a wild spot on the magical Preselli Hills of West Wales. The initial fascination was sparked off by hearing the breezes playing across a guitar that had been accidentally left outside.This led to the creation of several weird and wonderful contraptions that made potentially unique musical sounds yet lacked satisfactory volume. These subtle sounds may have been sufficiently loud for the ears of the ancients, but in our modern noise-laden times this music of the air could be easily drowned out by the intrusive sounds of man. He decided to overcome this problem by experimenting with microphones and pick-ups and eventually settled for the latter. Magnetic pick-ups are used to amplify acoustic guitars and are small electronic gadgets fixed to the body of the guitar close to the strings.

Several years later the idea of an Aeolian Harp orchestra began to develop and with the aid of experienced instrument makers Roger created the sculptural ensemble that are featured on this album.

Made from wood, perspex, fiberglass and metal, the instruments were designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as technically functional. Each instrument was designed to take a particular gauge of metal string; the largest instruments strung with bass strings, the smallest with thinner strings so creating a soprano effect. These were then fitted with the magnetic pick-ups to make them audible.

Tracklisting:

1. North Wind {9:01}

2. South Wind {9:06}

3. East Wind {8:13}

4. West Wind {8:21}

5. Windsong 1 {5:13}

6. Windsong 2 {7:02}

7. Windsong 3 {3:41}

8. Windsong 4 {6:58}

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