Ofu Island Night

Samoan legend says Tagaloa created the world beginning with islands of Manu`a (where Ofu Island is located) and then created the first people there. Manu`a is where time began. The archaeological record shows that Samoans have lived on Ofu Island for more than 3,000 years. There is a tremendous amount of history on this little patch of land in the middle of the South Pacific, and even more myth and legend. This recording was captured in fale number two at Vaoto Lodge on the American Samoa island of Ofu in May of 2003 using a Sony MZ-R700 digital mini-disc recorder and an Audio Technica AT822 stereo microphone. Fifteen feet behind this fale is the foot of Tumutumu Mountain, 50 yards south is the sea. This mp3 is meant to be heard at low volume levels. It is intended as a background and not as a primary listening focus. Think of it as 'audio incense’, something which augments a space but does not dominate.

[ tags: sea night ocean samoa island ] [ genres: field recording ambient ] [ info: 79:57 mp3 ccbysa2.5 ]

Song Of The Dead

We exist at a unique place in history. For the first time ever, we can look at old photographs and motion pictures of crowds or listen to early recordings of music and know that every person in the crowd, every child in a street scene, every musician in the orchestra, every home-recorded baby is now long since dead. Exclusively using source materials found at the Cylinder Preservation And Digitization Project's website (Edison cylinder recordings used under the Creative Commons deed), I manipulated samples of the departed into a long-form dronescape. Every sound heard on Song Of The Dead was made by a person who is, most certainly, no longer among the living. Further details: http://www.blueinfinite.com/sod.php

[ tags: ] [ genres: drone experimental ] [ info: 33:13 mp3 ccbysa2.5 ]

Ofu Field Recording

"Ofu Field Recording" This is a hybrid collage of sound recorded at many locations and times on Ofu Island, American Samoa. My footfalls on the sand and coral road lead through the rainforest to the beach and shoreline. Along the way we hear a young woman working in her garden, a congregation singing in church, and children banging on oil drums, shouting, and setting off homemade fireworks on New Year's Eve. The early portion of the piece features some very delicate synth and piano as a sort of 'mood setting' to frame it in my state of mind when I'm in this far away and little known place on the edge of the world.

[ tags: ] [ genres: ambient field recording ] [ info: 13:24 mp3 ccbysa2.5 ]

Veils Of Rain

Based around a field recording done on Ofu Island, American Samoa, captured in May of 2006 of a sudden cloudburst on a sunny, Polynesian afternoon. It is the relaxing sound of rain on a tin roof and forest leaves dappled by the shower that is central to this piece. Afterwards, very delicate synthesizer sequencers were mixed into the proceedings to add an electronic counterpoint to the organic mix of sound. No edits were made to the source field recording; it is presented as it happened. For best results take this piece with headphones just before sleep, in a darkened room, with eyes closed, lying down.

[ tags: ] [ genres: ambient field recording ] [ info: 8:16 mp3 ccbysa2.5 ]