Updated 12-20-2013.  A church bell strikes 12 times as Stefano Lorenzini and his brother are thrown into prison in Florence, Italy, by the petulant Grand Duke Cosimo III de 'Medici, who by now has little respect for Lorenzini's impressive study of sharks.  This original composition mixes modern and classical Indian rhythms set against a "film score" that explores our fear of, and fascination with, sharks.  The main theme, serious and intense, leads to a crescendo that resolves differently each time it is repeated.  The middle sitar-infused section is dreamlike and even playful until the main theme breaks through ominously one last time as the fear returns.  Underwater photo c.2003 taken by the composer off the island of Moorea during a Friday morning "breakfast with the sharks".

The Ampullae Of Lorenzini

Inspired by our departure from Ua Pou as its towering basaltic pillars recede behind us.  The WK-7500 does not have a Polynesian rhythm so it had to be custom-built in various ways using my own recordings from our 2007 Marquesas trip as a guide.  This track features snippets of the Hapatoni Dancers from Tahuata, edited and strategically placed into the mix.

Leaving Ua Pou

Representing NGC 6826, a planetary nebula in Cygnus.  In a small telescope, it appears to blink due to the fact that averted vision is more sensitive to light than direct vision.

The Blinking Planetary

An ambient soundscape representing M31, The Andromeda Galaxy, one of the closest galaxies to us, and visible with the naked eye under dark sky conditions.

Andromeda

A driving string orchestra track with electric guitar, created in GarageBand connected from iPad to a Casio WK-7500 keyboard.

Markarian's Chain

Funky synth piece for the Deep Sky project.  NGC 2359 is a nebula in Canis Major known as "Thor's Helmet".

Thor's Helmet

The Blue Marble (Return To Zero Position)

Cheerful little piece.  Fiji is the name given to a kid's fort behind our neighbor's back yard.

Short Walk To Fiji

The Seeds Of Longyearbyen

This is an instrumental version and Westernized arrangement of the famous Javanese gamelan piece which was selected to be included on the Voyager Interstellar record.  A "ketawang" is a short gamelan piece and the title translates as "Kinds of Flowers".    It is believed to be written by Prince Mangkunegara IV of Surakarta who reigned from 1853 to 1881.  The piece is a tribute to his favorite wives and concubines, and in its nine verses he compares each to a flower.  Two of the nine flowers are represented here:  kencur, and blimbing (starfruit).  (Track updated 3-8-2015)

Ketawang:  Puspawarna

Whitsunday Islands

A customized techno track representing the gritty volcanic ash from Mount Etna that regularly falls on a town below.  We walked through its streets in 2022.

Ash on the Streets of Zafferana Etnea

An experiment in 9/8 meter with a driving beat.  The structure is somewhat like a rondo with a repetitive mute guitar riff taking the part of the principal theme.  This riff makes 9/8 an odd meter by grouping the notes into two alternating bars of 2-1-3-3 and 2-1-3-1 (quarter rest).  The first episode is a theme played by a tenor sax.  The second episode is a different jazz organ theme which acts as an interlude that eventually continues to play over the return of the principle theme.  This is immediately followed by a double voice lead solo that segues into a repeat of the first episode before a fade-out of the principle theme.  Therefore, the form is roughly ABACABA.  The track is used to represent Pão de Açúcar, the famous monolithic granite peak in Rio de Janiero known as Sugarloaf.

Doug Herbst 1

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