I composed a brand new track called “Metamorphosis Under the Chatham Light” for the new Oceans compilation album. The album is “name your price” and 100% of any donation of $1 goes to Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) to save all whales, dolphins and their habitats. In this post I’ll share some info on the project followed by a behind-the-scenes look a this composition and production. Help Save Whales and Dolphins and BUY THIS ALBUM HERE.
You can preview the album with the player below.
Help Save Whales and Dolphins with Electronic Music
Oceans is the latest charity album to be released on San Francisco-based artist Jack Hertz’s Sound for Good record label (sound4good.bandcamp.com). For this album Jack has pulled together tracks from 60 artists on to one release!!! So great music for a great causes. 
I was honored to have contributed to an earlier release as well called “Take to the Trees” with all funds going to the National Arbor Day foundation. This project has already helped plant over 6500 trees!
Oceans focuses on helping whales and dolphins. “Every year, 100,000's are injured or killed from boat strikes, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution, and whaling. You can help by downloading the Oceans Music Project to benefit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) for just $1 or more. Every dollar you give helps the WDCS save all whales, dolphins and their habitats. To show their appreciation, these artists are giving you 60 electronic music downloads for supporting our oceans”
“Metamorphosis Under the Chatham Light” by Mark Mosher
My contribution is track #36 and is called “Metamorphosis Under the Chatham Light”. This song is the soundtrack to an imaginary experience where – using a special morphing environment suit – you instantly transition from a land to sea simply by walking into the surf. Listen using the player above and following along using the notes below.
Story
0:00-1:20 Approaching the Ocean – You observe a figure walking down the st eps on to Chatham Lighthouse Beach late at night. The figure is silhouetted by the beam of the Chatham Light. As the figure walks past you and on to the beach you switch to the figure’s point of view. You then walk towards the ocean with the beam of the Chatham Light swinging out over your head and enter the surf.
1:21 – 2:03 Metamorphosis – As you enter the surf, your environment suit extends and wraps you like a second skin. You hear the mechanics of the metamorphosis as the suit jacks in to your mind and adjusts your buoyancy allowing you to keep walking down on to the sea floor.
2:04-4:12 One with the Sea – Under the ocean the sensors isolate and amplify sounds from the environment. You close your eyes and listen.
4:13-4:30 Return – You environment suit morphs back to land mode
4:31 – 5:04 Exit the Beach
Composer/Producer Notes
Eighty percent of the sound and music in this piece is derived from 120 degree stereo field recordings made at the Chatham Lighthouse Beach on Cape Cod Massachusetts on night in January 2012.
To create this sonic soundscape I used a variety of techniques from processing the recordings with effects through resynthesizing the harmonic content of the ocean surf to make new playable virtual instruments that allowed me to morph the piece from simple field recordings into a composition.
The “Metamorphosis” scene is made from the field recording from the previous scene but is heavily processed with filters, delays, reverbs, and frequency shifters. I also resynthesize this audio to make it playable.
I created the “One with the Sea” scene by playing original synthesized sounds programmed from scratch. Instruments used: Ableton Live, Sampler; U-HE Zebra, ZebraHZ, Zebrify; Camel Audio Alchemy; Rob Papen Predator.
While this the song is improvised and not locked to a tempo, the master of tempo of the song which syncs delay effects varies between 60 BPM (human heart at rest) and 20 BPM (heart rate of many whales) during this scene. “Return” is similar to “Metamorphosis” but runs in reverse. The back to field recordings.
Spread the Word
Please spread the word about this important project.
Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Synthesist, Composer, Performer from Boulder, CO
