This recording project is a response to the direction the world seems to be falling into: at the mercy of the large corporate money machines, which have now seized power from governments, silently, without armies, but with SWAT teams of lawyers.
Our vision is being blocked in, constrained by the Lock-In software and economically-damaging patents that big business are pushing through the governments of the world.
"A Davos World Economic Forum report has found that the organisation's own members are failing miserably in their goal of improving the state of the world." [...] "When it comes to saving the planet, the private sector's first official report card can be summarised in just three words: 'must try harder'."- Stunted Development by Oliver Balch in The Guardian, Tuesday 2004-01-20
The false belief that "the market will decide what is best" is to blame. The market only serves itself and the people at the top who pull the strings. It is these people who perpetuate this false creed. They need to be exposed, and made to clean public toilets for the rest of their lives.
As individuals and collected peoples, we must be vigilant to quosh such economic terrorism, and stop it at the root.
Materials are limited. They shall be traded.
Ideas are free, infinitely reproducible.
Information is knowledge is power. Don't lose your rights.
The Third Milennium
begins. New ways supplant the old.
The
obsolete
become memories.
I can see a light way ahead of me.
It's hard to move in this confined space, but I try.
If only I can just make it to The Light...
| Title | Instruments | Environment | Duration | Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Prelude With Naturvangam | bowed guitar, harmonizer, voice, oud, naturvangam, shakers, chimes, gong, boran | - | 3'45" | ? |
| 2. Interlude | claps, ankle bells, slit bells, djembe, tyres screeching, traffic | car park | 1'30" | 130bpm |
| 3. Nude Oud Funk Etude Eludes The New Dude Blues | piano, djembes and tubanos, snare, claps, guiro, shekere, triangle, tambourine, electric bass, percussive oud solo | Schoolhouse | 4'30" | ? |
| 4. The First Cuckoo Of Spring | dawn chorus, cuckoo clock, springs, rulers, doll, vocals/film samples | Offley Woods | 2'11" | ? |
| 5. Harpeggiator | harpsichord samples, Jupiter-6, tabla | Dartington Hall | 7'40" | ? |
| 6. Interface | tubanos, frogs, guiro, footsteps | car park | 0'58" | 140bpm 5/8 |
| 7. Wood & Metals | piano, bells, flute, harmonizer, metals, wood, frogs | Schoolhouse | 5'01" | ? |
| 8. Interlock | tubanos, distant claves, cowbell, opening doors, running downstairs | stairwell | 1'40" | 140bpm |
| 9. In The Hall Of Many Doors | Jupiter-6, harmonizer, bottles and tins and jars, drill bits, shakers, slit drum, slit bells, chains, creaks | Offley Church | 8'15" | ? |
| 10. Dreaming Of ? | water, found sounds, foil, bed, chest, thighs, jars, bowls, flowerpots, footsteps, seeds | Offley Church, Offley Woods | 12'51" | 128bpm |
| 11. Tunnel Vision | Jupiter-6, harmonizer, bells, chimes, bowls, cymbal, slit drum | tunnel under A41 | 7'57" | ? |
| 12. Dial M For Mayhem | crashing, furniture smashing, stereo Jukis, bed, head, pen, sound effects (explosions, breaking glass) | car park | 3'03" | 110bpm |
| 13. The Music At The End Of The Tunnel | flutes, footsteps, claps, djembe pen, slit drum, wineglasses, Tibetan singing bowls, water bowl | tunnel under A41 | 9'19" | 130bpm |
| 14. Bowl Heaven | voices, flutes, wineglasses, bowed oud, Tibetan singing bowls, water bowl | tunnel under A41 | 4'33" | 000bpm |
A Canopus Production (c)20?? (to one day be) recorded at my studio and various locations in Hertfordshire:
All music conceived, composed, arranged, performed,
recorded, engineered, mixed, mastered and produced by Malcolm Smith,
except for female voices on tracks 9, 10 and 14 by friends,
and additional percussion on 2, 6, 8 and 13 by friends.
Piano recorded at The Old Schoolhouse, Baas Farm, Broxbourne.
Harpsichord (made by Colin Tilney) sampled at
Dartington Hall.
Digitally recorded and edited using
GNU/Linux free
audio software.
Artwork designed by Malcolm Smith using
The GIMP.
Cover photographs by Malcolm Smith of
Aldeburgh Martello Tower, Suffolk.
This project is still being composed, although much of the music and texts
have been planned conceptually. The tracklisting is now completely different
from above (which will get updated soon), with about twice as many tracks.
Some vocals have
been recorded
pending editing. I'm working on
my mixing chops,
getting up to speed with
Ardour on smaller projects and
archive material before
embarking on major works like this.
[Scores and recordings will eventually be available]
© copyright Malcolm Smith 2006-02-18 - last updated 2011-06-11