Water. Basic to all life. So relaxing to listen to.
My remix of airtone’s H2O instrumental features beautiful liquid clarinet by Stefsax , bass clarinets by Geert Veneklaas (from snowflake’s Hot Core) and Jurgen Herrmann (from Ciggi Burns’ Rest) and my own shakuhachi and guitar work. As always, thanks to ccmixter.org and all who make their work freely available to be enjoyed by anyone.
(click on “H2O” below to hear it.)
Native American flute by EphemeralRift.
Shakuhachi by Rob Walker.
Production by Chuck Berglund.
Wind instruments appear in all cultures. Despite variations in construction, playing techniques, modes and scales, there’s a remarkable similarity in the sound. There’s something very close to the human voice in the timbre and its reliance on breath makes it seem like an extension of your own body. Once you’ve internalized the basic techniques it becomes a part of you, using your diaphragm, stomach muscles and tongue – like singing with suppressed larynx. My sensei constantly reminds me to use minimal breath, just as good vocalists use their abs, expel little air and make it look effortless. (It takes years of hard slog to make it look effortless!)
Thanks Chuck for melding the instruments of two cultures to make this wonderful celebration of diversity. I find the sliding notes on the indigenous American flute especially thrilling.
(Hear it by clicking on the title below)
