Album Notes

This album was three years in the making. I composed the songs with recorded sounds from nature and world musics, blending the textures and timbres in a style I call Electronic Impressionism, blending styles and timbres from different cultures into a coherent thematic representation of the metaphorical journey from birth, through the growth of reason and understanding, the accumulation of knowledge, the awakening to the true realities, and the triumphant return home to celebrate the victory and share the wisdom.

This album has been recorded entirely from instrument sample libraries. No live instruments and no microphones were used in the creation of this work. While some of the performances are stylistic performances by the musicians who created the samples, most are played in real time on keyboard by the composer/improviser/interpreter (me!) The one exception is the final piece, Mr. Toad. This is a tabla and djembe jugalbandi, or duet. The solos are constructed from existing solo fragments overlaid on a background lhera, or ostinato line.

Most of the compositions begin with an extended introspective movement; thus it is difficult to get a feel for the unfolding work in a 30-second demo. Please visit my home web site at www.thesoundsmith.com/private/lifecycles.htm to hear a more representative demo.


About the Compositions:
Pipe Dreams
An extended intro of a form I call "American Alap" is followed by a dream of soaring over a steam-powered carousel

Vision Quest
A native bansuri melody introduces the story of a young boy's quest for spiritual awakening

Yo'zho'
Navajo word for harmonizing with one's surroundings, "going with the flow."
A youth choir introduces the evolving, multifaceted theme.

Initiation of the Maidens
The Tibetan Rag Dun horn and Chinese Zheng open this tribal celebration welcoming the young women of the village into adulthood.

Dance of the Ancestors
The Wisdom of generations forms the essence of a two-headed old man,
who shuffles along while one head smiles and laughs and the other warns and scowls.

Spirit Warrior
Wind Dancer, driving but ethereal, this is movement with purpose, process with rhythm.

Hangin' with the Dragons
A Chinese Temple Flute and Angklung duet precedes a dynamic, percussive rendering of the main themes.

Return of the Seeker
Successfully finding the knowledge hidden in his dreams, the young boy, now a man, returns home.

Ixsixan (I Love You)
From the Tlingit. A group of Eastern instruments leads to a rhythmic contrapuntal dance of joy and love.

Heshook-ish Tsawalk
"Everything is one," a phrase from the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples of Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Heaven's Gate
Hulusi and Angklung play off each other to open heaven's gate. Guzhen and piano expand on the theme of redemption.

Mr. Toad
Based on Raga Todi, this is a triumphant tabla and djembe jugalbandi, or duet, giving closure to the cycles.