stephen parsick: cambrium -- music for protozoa (ARP 2600)

[doombient]

"cambrium – music for protozoa" was music for a planetarium programme which was composed and conceived in the second half of 2008. The original idea was to create an album which was based entirely on the sounds created on only an ARP 2600 synthesiser with matching sequencer, utilising extensive analogue and digital processing, loop devices, and various treatments. To me, it was like making electronic music the way an old-fashioned pioneer of the genre would have in the 1950s or 1960s, just using a very basic synthesiser, a couple of tape recorders, a splicing block, and whatever outboard gear the studio had available.

The programme was premiered live in concert at Bochum Planetarium on 13th December, 2008, and it was greeted with warm applause. To quote fellow colleague Phelios, "you did that very beautifully!". I therefore decided to make the music on "cambrium" available in two different ways and two different formats:

One: If you were present at the concert and would like to have the music the way it was performed live on stage (as a souvenir or whatever), you can order a custom-made, all-black CDR in a special packaging (those who own my limited-edition ambient music albums I released previously will know what to expect). The CDR will contain one extra track which was supposed to become the encore but ultimately wasn´t performed. For 15 Euro (shipping within Germany included), you will get nearly 79 minutes of highly atmospheric, brooding, dark ambient music.

Two: If you despise home-brewed CDRs and believe they´re a waste of money, you will be able to buy a legal download album from Extended Moment at www.musiczeit.com. I will make this download available by the end of January 2009. This album will contain the first rehearsal in a series of "living-room concerts" I recorded before the actual concert, hence the music will be similar but not exactly the same. Also, the encore will be missing. There will be sound samples on the Extended Moment site as soon as the album is available. I will post more details then.

If you´re interested in obtaining your personal copy of "cambrium" on CDR, please feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks for reading,

Stephen.

[doombient]

The album is also available as a download from musiczeit now (mind you, this is a studio rehearsal, not the actual Bochum concert). There´s also plenty of stuff to listen to:

http://www.musiczeit.com/album.php?albu ... k+Cambrium

Thanks for reading,

Stephen.

[doombient]

Here´s a review:

Stephen Parsick – Cambrium -music for protozoa-
CD-R, Private Release, 2009

The biggest part of the dark dronescape music on “Cambrium” was played live by Stephen Parsick during a concert at Bochum planetarium on December, 13th, 2008, although the concept and the shape of the music had been in his mind for a couple of years.For the music, Stephen extensively used the Arp 2600 synthesizer for creating both layered drone textures and immersive soundscapes next to wide range of weird sound effects, which were all to visualize the hatching and development of new life forms, the core concept of the album. Thick layers of expansive drones, short sequenced passages and slowly moving, dense atmospheres make up the core of this album, although the title track sounds a tad lighter with its flowing impact. This is night music to be absorbed with dim light or your eyes closed and headphones on. Be immersed!

“Cambrium” was released in a small batch of only 25 numbered copies, but is available as legal download album from Extended Moment at MusicZeit.
Bert Strolenberg
www.sonicimmersion.org


Thanks for reading,

Stephen.