Post Description

In 2003, I was hired by my dear friend and longtime collaborator Chip Duncan (duncanentertainment.com) to create a score for documentary he was working on called “in a just world”. The film dealt with women’s rights to choose abortion and contraception in various cultures around the world. It called for a score that reflected cultures in the Middle East, Central Africa, South America, and the USA. In the original score, I featured several women’s voices including the ethereal and evocative voices of two of my beloved acquaintances- sacred chant chanteuse Deva Premal (devapremalmiten.com) and R&B singer Martha Redbone (martharedbone.com). in 2004, I was awarded an Emmy for the score. In 2006, I decided to elaborate on several of the themes and create full compositions of them. I enlisted another dear friend, Eric Zang, who added percussion, chant, and flutes to the growing arrangements. At that point life took me in many directions and I shelved the project for the time. In 2010, I was cleaning off a hard drive in my studio, and I discovered the songs that I’d all but forgotten about. Upon listening to them, I felt inspired to develop them further. I composed three new pieces for the project, and for Christmas of 2011, “Maya (and of the eight illusions)” was complete. 

I invented words for the titles to these pieces based on how they felt to me. Hopefully, the “words” are as non-–literal as the compositions. Any meaning in any language is purely incidental. Yes, some of the chants are devotional, but I see every act of creation as devotional. In short, I wish you inspiring listening experiences with this work. I have dreamed, meditated, made love to, and danced to this music. This work has assisted me in becoming increasingly aware of the entire body as a receptor and responder to sound. The ears are only the beginning. Everything is vibration. 

The songs are meant to be run in succession and after the first piece are segued very specifically. When playing and burning the CD, make sure to leave NO SPACE between songs. This should make for a very smooth and uninterrupted listening experience. 

The Characters:
Chris Spheeris: sound designer & visual designer
Eric Zang: Middle-Eastern Percussion, male vocal chants and flutes
Deva Premal: the most beautiful of “ahhs” on “Lanilei” and “sadoor”
Martha Redbone: soulful voice on “soulana”
Steven James: Sarod & violin on “Ghali”
Alan Ames: voilin on “Narabi” Courtney Yeates: cello on “Narabi”
John Running: original portrait of Chris from which cover was designed


 “Iets kan zowel goed, slecht of geen van beiden zijn. Muziek is bijvoorbeeld goed voor iemand in een melancholische bui, slecht voor degene die rouwt en de dove maakt het niets uit.” 

 “A person does not hear sound only through the ears; he hears sound through every pore of his body. 
It permeates the entire being, and according to its particular influence either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation; it either wakens or soothes the nervous system. 
It arouses a person to greater passions or it calms him by bringing him peace. According to the sound and its influence a certain effect is produced. 
Sound becomes visible in the form of radiance. 
This shows that the same energy which goes into the form of sound before being visible is absorbed by the physical body. 
In that way the physical body recuperates and becomes charged with new magnetism.”

~ Sufi Inayat’s  ~ 


” Muziek spoelt het stof van het dagelijkse leven van de ziel.” 

  “Iedere dag: Wat goede muziek horen, uit een goed boek lezen, een mooi schilderij zien en een paar redelijke woorden spreken. [/b]

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~ 

 “Het belangrijkste van de muziek staat niet in de noten” 

 Enjoy the feeling