This music is best experienced with the headphones on and the lights dimmed. The mix and effects I created are as much as the music itself. I will re-mix this one day for Dolby Surround, but for now, set your stereo switch to 'on'...
The End ©
A Fine Start!
A very theatrical and dubious start to the album - church organ, rock percussion, a string section and horns open the story.......
Music and title Copyright 2008
Moonlight and Palms ©
Written in 2004, and finally mixed in January 2008, Moonlight and Palms is the second piece of music that Stephen uses Florida, as an underlying theme for the music. As with most of Stephen's compositions, this piece was written for orchestral performance, but recorded using high quality samples of orchestral instruments, controlled from a synthesizer"
Kick back and relax to this easy-going romantic piano and orchestra piece, as you sip a fine wine, looking out to sea from your Miami balcony."
Music and Title Copyright 2008
From Earth to Sky ©
This was written, recorded and mixed within the space of 2 days, The style of this particular piece is a far cry from anything classical, and is more Jarre than anything. "From Earth to Sky" was inspired by the Blue Angels and The Red Arrows and the music actually features the sound of the teams' roaring jets in the background to add dimension to the music.
From Earth to Sky is an up beat, 144-bpm-tempo synthesizer piece. Strap yourself in and enjoy!
Music and Title Copyright 2008
MoonTides ©
This piece was first written in 1989. The final mixed version heard on this site was completed in January 2008. There is a good reason for the slight delay, and the story will unfold later.....
Moon Tides is an andante, soothing piece that will take you on a musical journey through the ocean as the Moon pulls the warm, South Florida Atlantic out....
Music and title Copyright 2008
Paradise in Trouble ©
The music was originally written in the late eighties, but was recently updated and finally recorded in April- May 2006. The piece had grown in length to become a four-part twelve and a half minute epic! The theme of hurricanes forever hitting the paradise of the Florida peninsula was chosen as a basis to arrange the music on. The background of thunder and rain effects with crash cymbals depicting the storm, along with re-engineered flutes and strings with auto-panning effects will keep the listener's interest piqued for the duration.
The piece has four parts as follows:
I. The Storm Before The Calm.
II. The Outer Bands.
III. Storm, I.
IV. Going Home.
Music and Title Copyright 2008.
Fanfare for a New Day ©
This was written in 2005 originally, and only took me 3 years to finally polish it off! I am challenged to describe this music, it is a long, 9 minute track, with low and high tempo parts in it. One part is piano solo, another part will have full Orchestra with String, Percussion and Brass all fighting to be heard. The music is all about the mixed weather you can get in England on a Summer's Day- hence the varying tempo! The last part of this song is soothing and "trippy"- perhaps Surreal? I hope to hear a full Orchestra play this some day.
It's broken in to two parts as follows:
Part 1. Fanfare For a New Day
Part 2. English Evenings By The Fire
Music and Title Copyright 2008.
Surealty ©
Originally Conceived in the early 90's, Surealty Part III was the result of experimenting with chords one morning. The bridge came quite quickly after I built the main melody and the entire piece was written that day I seem to recall. I had no idea at the time which synthesizer voice I would use and how percussion would sound, but it worked out well. In 2007, I wrote Part 1, and decided to add some Surreal effects to complete the song. Surrealy Part II has these effects which is basically the sound of a radio being tuned across several stations. I used a real radio and captured some real radio announcer material but also dubbed an interview with John Lennon from the 1960's in there to add to the "Surrealty" of it all. This whole song is really a tribute to the Beatles, and in particular John, adding a Strawberry Fields theme of Nothing's Real to it. This time, I change it though and say "its all real.... totally surreal" I gave each part a name, and hope the words I put to it are equally enjoyed.
The Three Parts are as follows:
Part 1. In My Dreams
Part 2. Radio Waves (Surrealistic Journeys Throught the Ether)
Part 3. Escape the Dream
Music and Title Copyright 2008.
The End (Reprise) ©
The end is nearly nigh!
Music and Title Copyright 2008.
My Heart My Soul ©
This piece of music originally started off as a bridge or section, in "Fanfare For a New Day". I liked the melody so much, I felt it deserved to be its own song. This song was a lot of work as I needed to build around the original first few notes and compose an entire song around it- it just seemed harder than the others. After I did this, I felt it deserved some violins and brass in the back ground. Shortly thereafter, I realized I had the first piece of music that to me, really sounded like something off Yanni's Acropolis Album. It is not as sophisticated as anything Yanni would do and has a long, long way to go before it gets to "Reflections of Passion" So Yanni, don't worry, I'm a fan of yours and am no threat!
Music and Title Copyright 2008.
