This “Listen to the sea” album fits in the format of an audio CD with about 31 minutes of music along 8 tracks.
Blending, here and there, synth pads & sweeps (mostly by Roland XV/SRX series/SRJV80 collection, and Korg M1R) with virtual analogue modelling synthesis (by Korg MS2000R), it freely explores the submarine world of oceans, as an encounter between sound and meditation.
One will notice, in this album, that mmb’s original idea was inspired by Jean Michel Jarre who released an extended track of submarine music : “En attendant Cousteau”, in the nineties.
Jarre went down into the ocean, as he was invited inside the Calypso submarine by the Cousteau crew, and the French artist reproduced in his album the noises and sounds of the ocean as listened to from within. Jarre's 45 minutes track was a question mark and served as an early source of inspiration for mmb's own work.
The idea of immersion, total immersion, is actually familiar to modern intercultural anthropology. Marc M. Bosche (mmb) has been using this methodology in his own field research works in Korea, Japan and Tibetan culture.
Going to a research field, practicing anthropological research immersion are not absolutely different from diving under the oceans.
In the musical field one could therefore deepen the idea of immersion.
This is also why the first track of the album “Apollinaire” is dealing with a social subject, the teen life in a French provincial high school.
In a way immersion, heuristics, discovery and mystery are shared by both the scuba diver in his ocean and the cross-cultural anthropologist in his research field.
A few release notes related to the tracks:
1. Appolinaire. Vocal (in French). 4'14.
This track is vocal, with words spoken in French by mmb. Some say it is a “slam” track, as this style of rythmic prosody is often labelled so nowadays.
Please see the words included along the track if you are fluent in French.
This track is dedicated by the author to the pupils of the Sidoine Apollinaire high school in the city Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne - France).
2. Introduction to the main theme of « listen to the sea » / Kayakum source. This first movement starts with a kayakum sounds solo (a traditional Korean string instrument). Then the instrumental synths will layer their evocation of submarine life. 4'55.
3. Listen to the sea (part 1) Peace Ocean (pianissimo). 5'06.
4. Listen to the sea (part 3). The theme of sub oceanic life is further explored (allegro). 4'29.
5. Listen to the sea /Voices from ocean (part 3). The -indeed very strange- voice of submarine life is created real time with virtual analogue modelling synthesis, thanks Korg MS2000R ! (pianissimo). 4'52.
6. Mystery: Travelling the seven seas. The traditional theme of the endless sailing voyage is explored with an emphasis on intensity and focus.
After listenning to the sounds of the ocean from within, we are now invited to slide on the sea waves, back to a position more familiar to the modern sailing Odysseus. The relationships between the life of the sea, the life of the sea traveller and the one of the cross-cultural anthropologist appear more clearly. 4'08.
7. Sitar awakening. The Indian sitar is a bit understated here due to its "general MIDI" sampling. Its power of meditative evocation may not be perfectly conform to the original instrument. 2'54.
8. Ocean wave. The sound of the sea (final). The sound of the ocean is suggested with the mix of two types of synths, virtual analogue modelling plus the vintage Roland sound canvas patch. 1'03
Warning : Please note that the original recording of some of the tracks may present some loudness saturation on some reproduction equipments according to the streaming and file codecs.
This defect may or may not be a hindrance to the listener.
In case it is: please try to adjust the audio tuning of your sound system. Slightly diminishing the level of bass and/or removing the “truebass” or "loudness" effects could help.
Recording specs :
Composed & produced / cover artwork, texts & music : © mmb—2003-2007. Made in the EU (France).
Digitally engineered multitracks.
Analogue mix & remix 6 meters bridge (3060) Fostex 350.
16 bit digital recording at mmb digidesigns lab non smoking home studio.
mmb plays the following keyboards : Yamaha Clavinova CLP1 53S & Roland PC200 MK2.
Electronic devices: Atari Computer 520ST (programs) & Korg M1R sequencer (additional programs)
Synthesisers: Korg MS2000R (virtual analogue modelling), Korg M1R (multitimbral work station), Roland XV 2020 (SRXO9 World Collection expanded, 20 bit) & Roland Sound Canvas (vintage !).
Programmable patch bay: Akai ME 30P.
Sound System / monitors: Yamaha MS2OS. H.P. Sennhelser HD500.
Microphones: Shure SM58 & United 6000 (cardloid dynamic).
SFX voice processing / vocoder special effects: Korg 16 band MS2KR.
Some rights reserved, Creative Commons license. D/A/D
