Set
2: Lac of Dreams (3' 01") - Ref.
1702
Early morning lake-front
dreamscape for one of the richest cities in Europe. Looped EP audio sample with atmospheric soprano woods. Distorted
algorithmic grand piano to finish - 81 bpm, 4/4 time
Set
3: Tram 16 (3' 30") - Ref. 1703
Tram 16
provides a direct line into Geneva from Thônex. Bogeys on the tracks
provided by Jazz Bass, Ac. Piano and E. Bass, with overhead power from vox, EP,
Mute Git and Expresso synth - 85 bpm, 4/4 time
Set
4: 1602 (3' 06") - Ref. 1704
L'Escalade - the defeat of the
Savoyard by a cauldron, during their failed attempt to take Geneva on the 12th
day of the 12th month of that year. This may partially explain why the French 'deteste'
Marmite (an English savoury). A Baroque-instrumental
dance in rounds, as is the annual Fun Run around the Old City - 110 bpm, 6/4 time
Set
5: Cantonale (St. Pierre) (4' 53") - Ref. 1705
Many steps climbing the cathedral
tower with magnificent views over the city. Cathedral organ, choirs, harp &
harpsichord, with an ambient chromatic electric git solo - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Set
6: Jet Stream (Jet d'Eau) (9' 01") - Ref. 1706
A powerful bass undercurrent for the water
pump, the high water column and the spray of Geneva's most famous landmark,
through various bass sequencers and overlays in electro-rock style. First - 70
bpm (1st section), then 80 bpm, 4/4 time
Set
7: Rive (Reggae Romande) (4' 53") - Ref.
1707
The hubbub of one of the main Geneva
shopping streets. 3 accordions accompanying all kinds of activity - 130 bpm, 4/4 time
Set
8: Timepiece (2' 13") - Ref.
1708
A specialist local industry ticking
along. As Edmund Blackadder might say "As regular as the timetable of a
Swiss train driver on a high fibre diet." - 96
bpm, 4/4 time
Set 9:
Nations (United)
(4' 16") - Ref. 1709
A blend from different continents;
African drums, Indian toms, Arabic strings, South American pan flute, Eastern
temple bells & western instruments - 95
bpm, 4/4 time
Crosstown
Traffic (ProX Jazz Mix) (3' 15") -
Ref. 1710
A laid-back jazzy ProX version of the Hendrix classic -
118 bpm, 4/4 time
Comfortably
Numb (ProX Chorale Mix) (7' 02") - Ref. 1711
A couple of teenagers at home immediately spring to
mind!
An arrangement of Pink Floyd using ProX voices with an extended
introduction - 130 bpm, 4/4 time
Walk
On By (2'
24") - Ref. 1712
An arrangement with ProX voices - 160 bpm, 4/4 time
The
Model (ProX Dance Mix) (3' 27") - Ref. 1713
Plenty of beautiful people and fashion
around Geneva - something for the Rue du Rhône.
About 10% faster than the Kraftwerk original with a richer ProX
base, but honouring the original electro-Euro Pop feel - 135 bpm, 4/4 time
Robert
Miles' Mix '97 (ProX Mix) (9' 12") - Ref.
1714
An arrangement of the Eurodance track - 133 bpm, 4/4 time
Benny
The Bouncer (2' 21") - Ref. 1715
Bouncy rendition of the ELP track to conclude - 150 bpm, 4/4 time

CD16: Un
Petit Cadeau (Geneva 2007)
It's a wrap - sweet seize?
Alex
Foley (ProX Dance Mix)
(6' 56") - Ref. 1601
The 'Beverly Hills Cop' theme cut and spliced. The full force of
the ProX bought to bear - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
LA
Woman (ProX Mix) (7' 11")
- Ref. 1602
A ProX sliced and diced 'modern
version' of the Doors classic.
Assorted kits and light/heavy bass underlay with piano & synth overlay. The
EP sound included - 176 bpm (except slow bridge), 4/4 time
Cassini
Mission (3'
11") - Ref. 1603
First outline was put together
sometime ago for the NASA probe's visit to Saturn. After some year's the probe
is still functioning.
Some spacey orbital guitar running rings around the brighter planetary
background on a dark bass line - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
À
Quoi Ça Sert?
(4' 06") - Ref. 1604
What is it for? The good life, and relaxed café society on the banks of the
Rhône in Geneva.
Based on a looped sample from Cheb Mami's "Dellali" album ("Ma Vie 2
Fois") with overlaid piano, jazz bass, mandolin, tubular vibes, vibraphone
and strings. The accordion provides the French feel - 102 bpm, 4/4 time
Dan's
The Man (6'
21") - Ref. 1605
With Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, a remodelling of the James Bond Theme.
I give the chance of this becoming the next Bond
movie theme at about .007% -
143 bpm, 4/4 time
The
Hustle (ProX Mix) (4' 33") - Ref. 1606
Maximum amount of Flanger on strings to reproduce that 70's disco and US TV
theme sound. Brass played by Charlie's Angels - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Omniverse
(3' 38") - Ref. 1607
2007 represents a good period in my
life....
Twinned steel strings and toms rhythm section overlain by French horns, flute
& strings. A muted trumpet and flute provides the bridge - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Change
Is The Only Constant
(3' 51") - Ref. 1608
'Water World' sounds plus
percussion - 90 bpm, 4/4 time
Themes
from "Tubular Bells, Part 1" (ProX Audio Version)
(18' 35") - Ref. 1609
For CD10 I spent several months midifying the basic themes of Mike
Oldfield's classic work as a homage to the piece of music that inspired my
interest in music composition in the first place. I use the word
"themes" since it is impossible to transcribe all the various elements
of the piece without an original score. The CD10 version was pure Korg ProX sequencer. This version is
composed of more than 65 separately recorded audio tracks. Too many instruments
and changes to key and tempo to mention, and difficult to mix.
California
Dreamin' (ProX Mix)
(2' 29") - Ref. 1610
An up-tempo remixed
synthed version of the Mama & papas classic. Dance beat - 150 bpm, 4/4 time
Paperback
Writer (ProX Mix)
(3' 18") - Ref. 1611
A "wood and glass" arrangement of the Lennon/McCartney song. Variable
speeds, but based around an up-tempo 180 bpm, 4/4 time
Camille,
Merci (Un Petit Cadeau) (3' 26")
- Ref. 1612
A little thank you (un petit cadeau)
for my French teacher. Hopefully this sounds better than my French pronunciation!
Nylon, jazz and steel-stringed guitars, oboe and flute leads, strings, and not
forgetting the ubiquitous French squeeze: mwah, mwah, mwah.
Bridge provided by an EP - 116 bpm, 4/4 time
Father
Christmas (ProX Mix)
(3' 18") - Ref. 1613
A version of Greg Lake's
Christmas single arranged for Christmas 2006.
6 layers of acoustic and 12-string gits, plus synth leads and piano to end.
Marimba back beat with Yuletide jingles/bells - 115 bpm, 4/4 time
Peter
Gunn (ProX Mix)
(6'
32") - Ref. 1614
After H. Mancini & ELP, synth
dance rhythm and layered synths, cut up and remixed - 127 bpm, 4/4 time
Albums
11-15
Output from the
'Rumaithiya Studio', Kuwait (2001-2004):

CD15: Phat (Kuwait 2004)
The album cover is the jolly Buddha
(carved
in bamboo) I bought in
Shanghai old town in 1986, caught mid-chuckle and always guaranteed to make me smile.
In his case fat = phat.
Phat Chance (5' 27") - Ref. 1501
The title track. A rich (phat) rock anthem with bass line sequencer, heavy gits, and
processed drum kit - 126 bpm, 4/4 time
Akiwowo
(4' 48") - Ref. 1502
An Akiwowo African rhythm section for normal kit with
orchestra and a mini Moog - 150 bpm, 4/4 time
Indian Summer, Part 1: Silks
& Saris
(5' 41") - Ref. 1503
Sitar, piano, flute, percussion and ambience laid on top of a small sample of
tabla and flute from Zakir Hussein's 'Ethereal
Rhythms' album - 90 bpm, 4/4 time
Indian
Summer, Part 2: Pitta Patta (2' 47") - Ref.
1504
Sitar, piano, temple bell, and voices on top of a modern
bass with ambient effects - 102 bpm, 4/4 time
Indian
Summer, Part 3: Monsoon Breaks (2' 51") - Ref.
1505
Sitar, synth, strings and sounds. Scratchy violin is
sampled from an album by Qareeb - 150 bpm, 4/4 time
Paparazzi Digitali (4' 53") - Ref. 1509
Sinister bass, strings, synth with rhythm provided by
paparazzi digital camera shutters. Piano and mandolins join the second part for
an Italian feel - 114 bpm, 4/4 time
Pink Nylons (4' 21") - Ref. 1510
Not what you think, but some pink noise from
nylon-stringed gits. Assorted basses, gits and choirs - 130 bpm, 4/4 time
Rolled
Over Beethoven, Part 1: Over the Moon (2' 53") - Ref. 1511
A double-tempo version of the 1st Movement from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C#, Op. 27
No. 2 "Moonlight" arranged for jazz quartet (Piano, jazz git, bass & drums) - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Rolled
Over Beethoven, Part 2: Just Too Pathetic
(2' 31") - Ref. 1512
A double-tempo version of the 2nd Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C, Op. 13
"Pathetique" arranged for jazz quartet (Jazz git, acoustic git, bass and
occasional piano) - 122 bpm, 4/4 time
Ray Charles Tribute (6' 41") - Ref. 1515
While I was compiling this album 'The Genius' died, so this tribute is my mix of
two favourites - 'What'd I Say' & 'Hit The Road Jack'. Plenty of the
ubiquitous EP, with drums, bass git, synth bass and brass lead (with possibly
too much
reverb) for the first part, adding E Gits and alternating synth vox in the
second (as fortunately for you I don't sing!). Hit The Road was apropos since by
this time I was well fed up with Kuwait and looking for a strategic exit to
develop further - 180 bpm, 4/4 time & 170 bpm, 4/4 time
The PanGalactic Gargleblaster (4'
39") - Ref. 1516
A 'mostly harmless' offering to fans of Douglas Adams' 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy' and the best drink in existence. The musical equivalent of 'having your
brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick'. You
may find you prefer a Vogon poetry recital. Assorted synths and piano on top of a dance beat, with space
FX and percussion -
135 bpm, 4/4 time

CD14: Drive on Highway 5
(Kuwait 2004)
The album is named after a piece done in 5/4 time. The album covers contain pictures of the boys taking
their first driving lesson on Boxing Day 2003, when a group of expats drove in
convoy across the open northern desert of Kuwait to the Iraqi border for a
picnic. It is flat terrain, so great for a 12 and 10 year old to get their first taste
of driving a 4x4 while watching those American M1 tanks on manoeuvres! In Kuwait
we lived at the eastern end of the 5th Ring Road, and along with the 40 Motorway
(as musically depicted in CD12) was part of my daily commute.
The Gamer's Nexus (5' 02") - Ref. 1401
Even my kids, who are big gamers, think this could be game music, which is the
intent. There's an area in our local Souk in Salmiya which has banks of networked PCs where
the kids can shoot the hell out of each other, but otherwise a true description
of our household as our boys spend most of their free hours, with or without friends,
playing PC & PlayStation games. A bass sequencer provides the
heartbeat, with piano and orchestra on top plus a synth lead - 118 bpm, 4/4 time
Men In Black (ProX Dance Mix)
(7' 07")
- Ref. 1403
A neuralized version (and
therefore entirely forgettable) of the film theme - Assorted drums, synths, voices and
beeps with Phaser FX - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Point Southwest
(3' 44") - Ref. 1404
C&W-style backing from 4 guitars, drums and synths, overlain by a
chorused git - 115 bpm 4/4 time
Vertices
(3' 44") - Ref. 1405
The unofficial title track and the grid on the album cover. Solo piano on top of
a 5 part background - 120 bpm, 4/4 time
Secret Gardens (3' 04") - Ref. 1406
ProX 'Secret Garden' ambience with solo electric guitar - 75 bpm 4/4 time
Drive on Highway 5
(5' 29") - Ref. 1407
More rush hour traffic, but at least it's flowing. Groove provided by piano
and amplified acoustic bass (excluding bridge), accompanied by E Grand, voices and steel string
guitar - 160 bpm 5/4 time
Pick Up The Pieces (ProX Dance Mix)
(5' 03") - Ref. 1408
An extended mix of the disco classic with processed drums, additional mega bass,
saxophones (of course) and distorted synthy strings with Flanger FX. This one
has been kept as close the original as possible but with an upgraded beat - 112
bpm 4/4 time
Le Freak (ProX Dance Mix Chic)
(7' 05")
- Ref. 1409
Another extended disco mix. The ubiquitous funky git, with additional deep bass
- 120 bpm 4/4 time
Deutsche Elektro
(6' 53") - Ref. 1410
I grew up with the German techno-rock of the 1970's, and this piece reflects the
electronic influences of Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Klaus Schulze, as well
as Vangelis and others.
Everything laid on top of a main sequencer beat -
146 bpm, 4/4 time
Mission Impossible (ProX Mix) (3' 45") - Ref. 1413
The classic TV & film theme. This is my extended upbeat dance mix of Larry Mullen & Alan Clayton's
film score version using the ProX voices - 95 bpm, 4/4 time
Futurama (ProX Dance Mix)
(5' 45") - Ref. 1414
My attempt at an upbeat 'club dance' mix of the TV cartoon series theme - one of
Alex's favourite shows. Possibly not 'good news' for anyone. Assorted processed
drums, synth basses, synths and not forgetting the themes FM bells & Tubular vibes - 120 bpm, 4/4 time

CD13: Jazzamatazz (Covers 3)
(Kuwait 2003)
Some reworked covers of some Jazz & Funk classics. The picture is one of
Felicity's jazzier quilts.

CD12: A Love of Indigo (Kuwait 2003)
This album represents my musical catharsis for 2003.
The album cover is a photo taken by me at Bandos Island in the Maldives in 1986,
which was as beautiful and blue as it comes.
Café del Mark
(7' 00") - Ref.
1201
My uptake on the 'Café del Mar' series; Strings, ambient voices, gamelan
(with plenty of reverb & echo), piano & drums - 130 bpm, 4/4 time
Thermocline (6' 22") - Ref. 1202
Aquatic ambience involving some liquid strings, harps & choir - 115 bpm, 4/4 time
The Right Mr. Wong (3' 22") - Ref. 1203
Western jazz-rock drums, bass, E Gits, & EP meet an oriental themed Rezpad - 190 bpm, 4/4 time
140 on the 40
(4' 01") - Ref. 1204
A typical driving speed (in kph) on the 40 Motorway in Kuwait. Driving in Kuwait,
possibly the
second most dangerous place on the planet for this activity, is something to
behold and get used to quickly as a survival strategy. Some of the stress, chaos
and speed are reflected in the music, with the four minutes being my average
time on that piece of road (at 140 kph). Synthrock - 140 bpm (of course), 4/4 time
Cute, But Deadly (3' 25") - Ref. 1206
An in-joke about our youngest son, Alexander. Any further comment risks embarrassment!
- 130 bpm, 4/4 time
New Ireland (5' 13") - Ref. 1207
The Celtic Tiger or an island NE of Papua New Guinea in the Bismarck
Archipelago? A mix of pipes and native rhythms - 117 bpm, 4/4 time
A Love of Indigo (4' 57") - Ref. 1208
A cryptic clue in the Daily Telegraph crossword for 'Anil'. Jazz/Rock and the
joy of living; fresh air, blue skies, blue sea, sailing, and surviving the
drive home from work! Rock piano, bass, bright brass and air flute lead -
130 bpm, 4/4 time
Lost Innocence (Bali October 2002) (6' 05") - Ref. 1210
Having holidayed in Bali in 1997, this was my tribute to those who died in the
atrocity of 2002. A mixture of western requiem cathedral organ, harpsichord, choir, strings
and eastern gamelan, pan pipes, Balinese percussion and the mournful toll of an
ancient temple bell - 106 bpm, 4/4 time

CD11: Shelvock (Scotland 2000/Kuwait 2001)
This concept album is based on
my One-Name Study for the name. Several of the themes were developed
while in Scotland but I was uninspired to finish for nearly two years. As a
result it was a hard album to bring to life. The album was finally finished in
just two
weeks in Kuwait when inspiration returned. This album was the first full album
issued on the Vitaminic label. The album cover is a modified photo taken by me at Shelvock in
Shropshire. The six tracks below represent the
entire album. This CD was dedicated to my
uncle Wilfred Harry Hart who died in 2001.
Set 1: Three Berewicks (10' 55") - Ref. 1101
In the Domesday period (1086) Shelvock in Shropshire was one of the three
Berewicks (a hamlet attached to a manor) of the Manor of Wykey, owned in Edward
the Confessor's time by Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and in William the Conqueror's
time by Odo. The piece is divided into
three, provoking different atmospheres for the times -
Part a. mediaeval village life
(Piano, bass, acoustic git, strings, electric piano, choir, wine glasses, &
mandolin) - 150 bpm, 4/4 time;
Part b. a
market day or festival (Chorused gits, strings, percussion, bass & drums) - 105 bpm, 6/8 time;
and
Part c. a pastoral (Echoed woodwinds, lead oboe, percussion, synth bass, ambient
effects, piccolo, drums, orchestra & church organ) - 125 bpm, 11/8 time
Set
2: Ath (5' 34") - Ref. 1102
Ath of Shelvock is the earliest mentioned by name in a Manor Roll of 1374. Ath
is also an Old English word for "dweller", and may have been a real name or
simply referred to a person who dwelt at Shelvock. The set is in two parts
depicting Ath going about his daily life at Shelvock.
Part a: Acoustic git solo, chorused gits, piano
& ambient effects;
Part b: Acoustic piano, ambient effects & harp - 100 bpm, 7/8 time; 100 bpm 5/4 time
Set 3: The Oak
(6' 41")- Ref.
1103
This is a deliberately haunting piece to reflect the majesty and the presence
through time of the oak trees at Shelvock. For the oak, time is slow compared to
the many lives passing all around through the ages. Consequently various themes come and go. There is
an oak tree at Shelvock still, and one can only imagine the magnificent tree or
trees on the shelf that became known as Shelvock. Ambient effects, percussion,
choirs, strings, various synths, bells, haunting trumpet solo. Despite some
comments to the contrary, I was not on drugs when I composed this piece
(actually it fell together in less than 3 hours one afternoon) - 130 bpm, 4/4 time
Set 4: Hemp In The Perry (7' 45")
- Ref. 1104
In the 1583 manorial court records 'Roger Thomas and Roger Shelvock were fined
for putting hemp in the river Perry.' A law had been passed in 1541 that banned
the watering (i.e. the rotting of the non fibrous parts of the plant prior to using
it for making rope) in any stream or pond where animals were allowed to drink.
Hemp is part of a plant group that includes cannabis, and all the animals just go a
little bit crazy. The two Roger's are consequently in big trouble. Synths, bells, strings
(Intro); wooden percussion, vibraphone and lead distorted electric guitar
(Bridge); Drums, pumped bass guitar, lead E Git, chorused E Gits, various clean
and distorted E Gits, EP, choirs, piano, acoustic git & synth lead (Main
theme) - 128 bpm, 4/4 time
Set 5: Decline & Dispersal (7'
57") - Ref. 1105
This set in two parts represents the decline of the family name from the 1600's
and the dispersal of the few remnant families in the modern day. Part a: synth
vox, harmonica, harp & choir;
Part b: Oboe, ambient effects, string synth,
woodwinds, hybrid keys, acoustic git & orchestral strings - 230 bpm, 4/4
time; 100 bpm, 4/4 time
Set 6 (Finale): Reunion (5' 08") -
Ref. 1106
This piece celebrates the success of the website, my
one-name study and
the Internet bringing today's remaining families closer together. Muted
orchestra, bells, pan flute & effects (Intro); Harp (as rhythm lead and
bass), chorused acoustic guitars, harpsichord, acoustic piano, woodwinds,
strings, cathedral organ, female & male choirs, bells & tympani (Main
theme) - 175 bpm/200
bpm, 3/4 time
Intermission
#1
Music
composed by my colleague and fellow geologist Chris Garland that has been DisGracefully
geowarped:
Bright
Lights (1' 33") - A Christmas arrangement.
Magnificat,
version 1
(2' 15") - "Magnificent Space
Cathedral" - originally a choral piece.
Magnificat,
version 2
(2' 34") - "Magnificent
Orchestra", the same but slower, with lots of horns and woodwind.
Nunc
Dimittis
(0' 57") - A jazzy version of
the slow choral piece.
Playtime
(2' 14") -
"Parisienne" - destined for a
little 'je ne sais quoi' by 'moi'.
No. 2 in Chris's "Academy Sonata" for Flute & Piano.
Reflections
(2' 33") - Rainy day musings.
No. 3 in Chris's "Academy Sonata" for Flute & Piano.
Reverie
Paysanne
(6'
15") - a collaborative ProX orchestration of his "Reverie
Paysanne" quartet.
More
about Chris Garland's music can be found at GeoHarmony
The
Lost Tapes - "Virtually Live in China" (1986)
In 2008 it will be 22 years since
my stay in China, and apropos my return this year I discovered my early analogue
tapes collecting dust. Here you find some early works semi-live aided by a Fostex
8-track & Aria Spring Reverb, starring lead keyboards Korg DW6000 &
Yamaha DX7, accompanied by the Roland SH101 on bass and sequences with the
Roland TR707 Rhythm Composer. Many of these were precursors for later works.
Session 1:
Busman's Holiday (2' 00")
Huang Hai (3' 27")
Japanese Jig (2' 36")
China Hotel (5' 21")
My Little Girl in Shanghai (7' 58")
Bionix (1' 28")
Session 2:
Ying Binguan (4' 15")
The Dinner Set, parts 1, 2 & 3 (13'
09")
Summer Sand (6' 00")
Hot Pants (3' 18")
Bamboo Rafts (2' 56")
The Journey Home (4' 38")
More
Discography - from my First Ten Albums
Back to Home Page &
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