ABOUT THE EARTH BORN

The concept of this album is to show the evolution of Earth through a timeline dating from its formation until the present day. The composition is structured in four sections, and each section finishes with a momentous event that forms the most important cornerstones of Earth’s history. There are reoccurring themes called ‘Earth Born’, which provide both naturally occurring breaks and continuity to the entire composition. ‘Earth Born 1-4’ signal the beginning of a new period of Earth’s history. ‘Earth Born 5’ is the final theme that invites the listener to give their own interpretation about the future, based on what they have learnt from the past. In the future, will Earth adapt to Man, or must Man adapt to Earth? Each ‘Earth Born’ theme is different and suggests new aspects of evolution, since this music has many influences that contrast aspects such as Western and Eastern, traditional and modern, dynamic and slow moving.

THE MUSIC

‘Earth Born’ themes represent Earth undergoing a series of difficult transition periods during its evolution, and are characterized by a fretless bass guitar playing heavy blues riffs and stark melodies in an extended 12 bar blues chord sequence. The fretless bass in these compositions has two main features: not only does it produce a modern sound with broad melodic tones that transcend all other instruments, but it also follows in the tradition of 17th Century basso continuo by using ostinato riffs. Together, these recurring elements provide a sense of continuity and timelessness throughout the album.

The key of E minor was chosen for ‘Earth Born’ themes because it is part of a 20th Century blues tradition that represents significant episodes in people’s lives, or in this case, the evolution of Earth. Blues riffs played by fretless bass in this sombre key are interwoven by an Arabic counter-melody, which is played by ethnic pan pipes and electric piccolo bass. Consequently, the combination of key, choice of instruments, repetitive riffs and recurring melodies provide closely interlocking forces that contribute to the development of all five ‘Earth Born’ arrangements.

Percussion instruments originating from countries all over the world also play an important role in this project. For example, Chinese and Turkish gongs, chimes, and cymbals indicate important events in Earth’s evolution, while a Japanese Taiko bass drum plays a traditional, though halting rhythm, which symbolizes a constant heartbeat. English church bells, too, provide an offbeat pulse in some of these arrangements, since they have an iconic quality that represents stability and tradition. The use of Spanish castanets, on the other hand, highlights the contrast between dynamic with slow moving influences. As a result, this combination of traditional, ethnic and iconic sounds creates an appropriate mood for many significant periods in history.

In contrast to percussion and bass, a modern synthesizer plays low, churning drones in ‘Earth Born’ themes, implying that the threat of disruption and turmoil is never far away. However, a cello provides a more traditional, familiar sound, which not only supports the bass line by giving an extra dimension to ostinato riffs, but also indicates continuity, strength and resilience. Orchestral strings, too, augment the line-up by underpinning ‘Earth Born’ themes with rich tonal textures and a strong sense of drama.

Part 1

Tracks #1-15 represent how the Earth developed from its beginnings 4,567 Ma (million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous era (66 Ma, the end of reptile domination).

Part 2

Tracks #16-21 represent how the Earth developed in the Cenozoic Period, lasting from the Paleogene Era (66 Ma, ‘Impact & Diversity’) to the end of the Oligocene Era (23 Ma ‘Soaring Above the Deserts’).
Tracks #22-28 represent the Neogene Period, which includes the Miocene Era (23 Ma until 5.3 Ma, beginning of the modern world and primitive Man) and the Pliocene Era (5.3 Ma until 2.6 Ma, final formation of the modern world). This section of the album concludes with the Holocene Epoch (2.6 Ma to the present day), which features the rise of Man.
Track #29 represents ‘Future World’. In the past, life on Earth had to adapt to an ever-changing environment, but in the present world, Man is trying to make the world adapt to himself (symbolized by electric guitars, drum kit and synthesizers). However, when the drum groove comes to an end, the ensemble struggles to find unity, because the absence of tempo has created a state of uncertainty, where individual instruments can no longer function as a stable, cohesive unit. As a result of this changing environment, it is difficult to foresee what would happen next if the music were to continue, thus symbolizing our concern about what will happen in an unpredictable ‘Future World’.

In the same way that ‘Earth Born 1’ began with sustained, swirling sounds from keyboards and percussion, ‘Earth Born 5’ ends with the addition of low vibrato drones from a modern-sounding organ. This musical development represents how Earth is continuing to evolve, despite a multitude of unforeseen hazards along the way.

THE STORY BEHIND THE EARTH BORN

The Earth Born: Part 1

Earth’s history started 4,567 Ma (million years ago) in the Hadean (‘hellish’) Eon when the planet was hot, molten and volcanic. Once Earth’s crust began to solidify, bacteria generated oxygen, which contributed to the formation of oceans and an atmosphere. Large amounts of algae then caused a ‘catastrophe’ of extra oxygen that not only killed off old forms of life, but also created new kinds of cells and bacteria. However, massive rivers of lava and volcanic dust clouds subsequently polluted the atmosphere and caused the first Ice Age that lasted for 800 million years.

Global collisions of Earth’s unstable tectonic plates then began forming the first mountains, followed by the creation of supercontinent Rodinia, where multi-cellular life actually started. Much later on, though, when Rodinia began to break up 850 Ma, large scale volcanic eruptions led to another prolonged Ice Age. Unfortunately, while life on Earth was recovering from this set back, meteor impact caused the massive Avalon explosion, which shifted the unstable continents of Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia, and set them on a collision course with one another. While these continents were still moving, the first fish, anthropods and reptiles managed to evolve, together with wide-scale forests and plants on land. However, when the inevitable happened, and these continents finally did collide, further volcanic eruptions led to yet another Ice Age and a mass extinction event on Earth.

Life started to recover 542 Ma with widespread diversification of jellyfish, sponges, corals and hard-bodied organisms in the sea. Then, once fish had formed bones and jaws, the ‘Age of Fish’ began with new species of ray finned fish and the first amphibians. Meanwhile, the formation of supercontinent Pangaea led to deserts replacing rainforests on land, and to the evolution of reptiles in a changing environment. However, the eventual breakup of Pangaea caused a mass extinction event and the elimination of 90% of marine species.

Although life on Earth took 30 million years to recover, the ‘Age of Reptiles’ began 252 Ma with the first dinosaurs. Remarkably, they increased to huge sizes within 5 million years. Earth’s atmosphere also recovered, leading to more coastlines, humidity and rainforests, and as a result, the first true mammals and new flowering plants were able to evolve. However, 66 Ma, a devastating Ice Age caused the mass extinction of all dinosaurs, together with 50% of land animals and large marine reptiles.

The Earth Born: Part 2

After the continents had moved roughly into their 20th Century positions, and the atmosphere was recovering from the previous Ice Age, the ‘Age of Mammals’ started 66 Ma with small animals evolving into larger, diverse groups. This was the era when camels, ostriches, rhinos and primitive monkeys appeared, and primates quickly diversified. Then 44 Ma, meteorite impact caused ‘The Great Break’, which inhibited the evolution of most animals except species such as dogs, cats, eagles and hawks. ‘La Grande Coupe’ also caused a large-scale extinction event that eliminated many marine species.

Between 23 and 5 Ma, Earth’s atmosphere became similar to the 20th Century, and life in the sea not only recovered, but diversified into many new species. Although Old World life still existed on land, the evolution of New World life enabled deer, giraffes, bears and kangaroos to develop, apes to arise and diversify, and human ancestors to appear in Africa. Furthermore, as tree sloths, hippopotami, zebras and elephants diversified, many species like kangaroos, lions, dogs and vultures increased in size. Even the giant mammoth appeared. Meanwhile, as land masses continued to shift, many global changes started to happen; for example, monsoon patterns in Asia were greatly affected by the rise of the Himalayan Mountains, and ocean currents were dramatically altered when North & South America finally connected at Panama. These changes were significant enough to cause the Earth’s climate to cool down.

2.5 Ma, early man (Homo Erectus) not only began to use stone tools, but to travel so extensively that his evolutionary successor (Homo Sapiens) reached Asia, Australia and North America half a million years ago. Then, as Earth warmed up after the last Ice Age finished 11,700 years ago, the ‘Human Era’ started in the Holocene (‘entirely recent’) Epoch with modern man increasingly dominating life on Earth and focusing his efforts to a great extent on agriculture and urban living.

However, what lies ahead of us? What will it be like in the ‘Future World?’