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The Eternal Presence |
The Eternal Presence brings together four didjeridu virtuosos from around the globe to perform new compositions in a richly resonant natural setting. The resulting CD is an extended, continuous cycle of eleven interwoven compositions that takes the listener on a journey through landscapes that are ethereal, introspective and invigorating. This makes it an ideal accompaniment for meditation and "deep listening", as well as a wonderful tool to enhance yoga, massage or other body and healing work.
The
recording bears the aural signature of a remarkable location - a richly
reverberant stone tunnel perched at the peak of the Marin highlands,
high above the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.
The tunnel was built during World War II as part of a military seacoast
fortification, but abandoned shortly thereafter as its weaponry became
obsolete. Transformed by the dense quiet of the night into a
cathedral-like chamber for sacred sound, the tunnel becomes one of the
players, contributing a powerful resonance that shapes every note of
the performance.
Prior to
recording this CD, the group performed a twilight concert in the
tunnel's misty location perched above the Pacific Ocean. John Steere, a
San Francisco environmental consultant, relates his experience,
"I was moved beyond words experiencing your
transcendent process of grounding the spiritual and embodying sacred
sound. I was in a ritual/altered space until the wee hours of the
morning thanks to the medicine you played."
The didjeridu (or didgeridoo) is an instrument originating from
Australian Aboriginal culture that has spread around the world due to
its evocative sound and expressive capabilities. In this recording, new
ground is explored as the sounds of multiple didjeridus are used to
create harmonic combinations that evoke a wide range of moods. For
example, "Eternal Octavos" utilizes three instruments played in octaves
to produce an intensely focused sound with rich overtones, while
"Primal Cycle" uses the musical "circle of fifths" to create a tonal
center that is ambiguous yet strangely grounded. Other tracks on the CD
explore different combinations, and all are interwoven into a
continuous, organic listening experience.
| Track Listing (with didjeridu keys) | |
| A Mystic Meandering (Bbm/F to FCFC) | play sample |
| Dynamic Ground (four Bb's) | |
| Clarion Call (belltones) | play sample |
| Rite of Passage (four D's) | |
| A Shaman's Spiritwork (octave F's) | play sample |
| Primal Cycle (G cycle of 5ths) | play sample |
| Mist of Low Breath (four D's) | |
| Eternal Octavos (octave F's) | |
| Our Creator (octave D's) | play sample |
| Sonic Spiral (E's glissando) | play sample |
| Reprise: A Mystic Meandering | |
| total time: 70:37 |