EARMOVIE II
Jeffrey Hall
If you crave a deep dive into a new and exciting solar system of starry digital soundscapes, Jeffrey Hall’s EARMOVIE II is certain to take you on an interstellar ride. This digitally synthesized album is described by its composer as “the musical equivalent of science fiction,” and delivers in all aspects. Hall likes his listeners to think of his compositions as an EARMOVIE — a soundtrack to an imaginary film inside your head. In this way, Hall opens up the door for the listener to build their own understanding of EARMOVIE II; the titles of its movements are only a guideline to the experience; what the music truly evokes and tells is entirely up to you.
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Jeffrey Hall – The Temple of Oblivion
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Haunted Garden | Jeffrey Hall | Jeffrey Hall, digital instruments | 9:59 |
| 02 | The Temple of Oblivion | Jeffrey Hall | Jeffrey Hall, digital instruments | 7:06 |
| 03 | From the Winds of Avalon | Jeffrey Hall | Jeffrey Hall, digital instruments | 6:32 |
All pieces composed and realized 2002-05 by Jeffrey Hall using the open-source synthesis program called “Csound”
Created at the composer’s home at Diamond Bell Ranch, in Tucson AZ
Executive Producer Bob Lord
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Chelsea Kornago
Artist Information
Jeffrey Hall
Jeffrey John Hall, a composer residing in Tucson AZ, was born in Milwaukee WI on May 22, 1941. His education includes both M.A. and D.M.A. degrees from Columbia University. He has written works for computer sound, voice, chamber ensembles, piano, and chamber orchestra. He has held resident fellowships at The Composers' Conference, Yaddo, and The Hambidge Center. His grants include a grant of computer time at Princeton University from 1980 to 1982, where he worked with Paul Lansky, as well as four grants from "Meet the Composer."
Notes
Comprised of three movements, EARMOVIE II uses variants of standard FM techniques, along with additive and subtractive procedures. With digital instruments built from scratch, Hall varies width and speed of vibrato to express syntactic differentiation. Movement I, “The Haunted Garden,” is a composition evoking a ghastly quality that evolves into unexpected sparks of fluttering, bubbling, and blipping synth-wave and heavy-set bass lines. “The Haunted Garden” effectively captures the nature of the spirit with a flair of cosmic-horror.
Movement two, “The Temple of Oblivion,” opens with high, eerie strains that develop into a fast-moving musical entropy punctuated by sounds reminiscent of radar, doppler, and the terrifying recordings of sea-floor creatures, digitized into one mass of sound. The bassline’s entrance carries with it the unknown nature of deep-space, a looming constant amongst the startling combinations of shuffles, whistles, and whirls.
Hall completes EARMOVIE II with “From the Winds of Avalon,” which opens with a great burst of popping noise washing over the soundscape, indeed, much like a wind. For brief and beautiful moments “From the Winds of Avalon” borders on the atmospheric, before being scattered back to pieces by great crashes, bangs, and background explosives. It closes almost extraterrestrially, staying true to its original sound while somehow still completely evolving into a new and unexpected beast.
— Emily Mettner, Shane Jozitis