Rippling

Ravello Records is proud to present RIPPLING, a new album by composer Robert Morris. Morris recorded the album live at a “Summer at Eastman Concert” in Hatch Recital Hall, in Rochester, NY.

Consisting of only two tracks, “Mountain Streams” and “Mysterious Landscape,” these dramatic compositions turn ordinary sounds of nature in extraordinary pursuits of sonic ambience. Like a drop in a pond, both tracks start small and simple only to evolve into an all-encompassing, full sound that excites curiosity while evoking relaxation.

The first track “Mountain Streams” consists entirely of sounds from streams, creeks, brooks, and other bodies of moving water. In the beginning, the composition starts with a reading from a Zen Koan, as the sounds of flowing water move in real time. As the composition progresses, the evolution of sound grows, building the tension to a heart-racing climax until a splash disrupts the flow, breaking the percolating trance.

“Mysterious Landscape,” at a run time of about 30 minutes, is an improvisational electro-acoustic piece. Performed entirely on Morris’s laptop, the composition consists of four tracks twisting and blending into each other to create a serene soundscape. The natural noise of birds, frogs, insects, mammals, wind, and water play off the acoustics of the Hatch Recital Hall, sending the sonic waves oscillating throughout the room. Soothing and refreshing, RIPPLING is the sound of meditation in a compact disc.