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PRICE:
$14.50
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
Intervals
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
VILLAGE 010CD VILLAGE 010CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
10/23/2012

Snow Palms was initially conceived by composer David Sheppard (State River Widening, Ellis Island Sound, Phelan/Sheppard, etc) as a vehicle for instrumental pieces based around xylophones, glockenspiels, vibraphones, metallophones and other mallet instruments. Having set about more than two dozen such essays inspired by everything from Moondog's Elpmas marimba études to Arthur Lyman's faux-Polynesian exotica and Carl Orff's Schulwerk children's music, Sheppard hooked up with producer/arranger Chris Leary (Ochre) to sort the wheat from the chaff, adding layers of chamber orchestration and discrete electronic textures to many of the intricate, polyrhythmic superstructures. The duo then expanded the arrangements to embrace woodwinds, a string quartet, classical and electric guitar, harmonium, reed organ, prepared piano, omnichord and synths. The result is a mellifluous, chiming sound-world, ineffably marrying liquid gamelan soundscapes with English orchestral pastoralism, Krzysztof Komeda-esque soundtrack mystery, beguiling, Yann Tiersen-like themes and playful woodwind/strings/percussion face-offs infused with the spirit of Moondog.