Guitares Cinématiques – “Penguins on Mars”
CD Liner Notes
©2008 Guitares Cinematiques
This music represents the film inside my head. My wish is that when you close your eyes and listen you will begin to see the film..
The name of the band, Guitares Cinématiques, implies guitar-based music with a visual or cinematic quality. As well, the translation of cinématiques more literally as “kinematics” refers to Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) dynamo theory in Physics.
Central to the film is the idea that the Earth is surrounded by electromagnetic fields which emanate from the Sun and from Galactic Cosmic Rays and that these fields are generated by the spin of heavenly bodies and the forces of gravity acting upon them. The Earth and the Sun dance like battling spinning tops. The differential rotation of the Sun’s outer layers at various rates is key to the creation and expulsion of the Sun’s deadly CMEs. Yet, the spinning of the Earth helps to create the protective magnetic field of our magnetosphere that largely deflects these onslaughts. Imagine a universe without spinning! -Nicolas
Track List
1. CME (2:57)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar, character voices and narration)
Recording Engineer: Nicolas
Background
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are eruptions of enormous plasma bubbles jettisoned from the Sun at incredibly high speed. They are the “hurricanes” of Space Weather.
They move rapidly across space like tsunamis and give precious little warning. Every 11 years the Sun’s magnetic field flips and the rate of CMEs bombarding the Earth increases 100 fold. CMEs are extremely dangerous. On the Earth’s surface we are protected by the Earth’s magnetosphere. However, when there is a strong southward component of the magnetic field CMEs can penetrate into the Earth’s atmosphere and carry with them protons of incredible high energy and speed via the North and South Poles. During times when the Earth’s own magnetic field flips the protective field of the Earth temporarily decreases to zero leaving the Earth largely open to attack. The “strange tint of green sunlight” mentioned in the vocal narrative is a reference to the solar coronal green line 530.3 nm of the ionized Fe XIV spectrum.
A little know fact: The geographical distribution of the neurological auto-immune disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), is 6 times more likely to occur in the north and south magnetic latitudes between 40 and 70 degrees. This is the same location where the bombardment of the Earth’s upper atmosphere by high energy protons and electrons from CME-induced geomagnetic storms occurs and where the polar auroras form.
Lyrics
I have a passion for visual sound. That is for creating sound that conjures up an image of something… In other words, painting with sound.
I grew up feeling like I was inside of a movie. I guess it was because it was so beautiful.
It was a little paradise…I used to paddle down the lake to a place where there was a hidden channel, of water that connected for about 6 miles to other lakes.
The scenery was so vivid, and it was amplified by the lake. It was particularly beautiful in the fall when the weeds were bright green, and the dark cypress trees had orange needles.
The thunder storms… they were very violent. When a thunder storm comes the sky gets dark and the water in the lake turns black with white caps.
There’s a strange tint of green sunlight when the storms come. It feels like the world was going to end…
Every 11 years these powerful beams of particles shoot out from the Sun. Like tsunamis they travel huge distances quickly and strike with almost no warning. The only thing that stops them is the Earth’s magnetic field. It kind of shields us.
So when the particles reach the Earth they’re deflected towards the Earth’s North and South poles. However, the field is decreasing, and, at the present rate it’s possible that in 5,000 years this magnetic field that protects us so well will be gone...
2. Natsukashii (5:12)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, Martian narrator (in Japanese)); Shanna (vocals)
Recording Engineer: Forrest Lawrence
This is the first piece of music I ever composed. The melancholy quality of the music led me to name the piece with the Japanese word, Natsukashii, because it represents a bittersweet longing for something dearly missed from the past. After naming the piece with a Japanese title I decided to record the narration with my voice in Japanese. This is narrated from the point-of-view of a Martian telling of the old Mars 4 billion years ago before everything changed.
Lyrics
Japanese (translated from English)
Sore-wa Toi Toi Harukana Mukashi
Chikyu-ga Mada mada Moeruyo-ni Atsuku,
Inochi-no Hajimari-sae Mirarenakatta Koro
Kasei-wa Utsukushii Basho-datta.
Kuki-wa Sumiwatari Pin-to Haritsumete-inagara
Atataka-datta. Ima-towa Chigau. Tsumetaku-nankanai
Ounabara, Mizuumi, Kawa-no Nagare
Daga Yagate Itsuka...
Kasei-wa Shi-heto Mukau-koto ni Naru
English
It was such a long time ago...
Long, long ago....
when the Earth was too hot to support life...
Mars was a beautiful place.
The air was clear and crisp.
It was warm! Not cold like it is today.
There were oceans, lakes, and streams.
Then...Mars began to die...
3. Kontiki (3:46)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar, cello, djembe); Xavier (synthesizer); Shanna ( vocals)
Recording Engineers: Forrest Lawrence (vocals) and Nicolas (guitars, cello, djembe and location recordings at night of ocean waves and howling winds at Point Reyes Lighthouse, CA).
This piece was inspired by the 1950 book by Thor Heyerdahl, the famed Norwegian explorer. Heyerdahl and his gang build a raft and floated across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia in a 3 month voyage proving that it would have been physically possible for ancient people from Peru to have crossed the Pacific. Heyerdahl proposed that the Polynesians were descendants of an ancient race of Peruvians who survived the journey by raft. Modern day DNA evidence has overturned this theory. Yet the book Kon-Tiki and the courage of Heyerdahl to float across the entire pacific on a raft captured the imagination and awe of a generation. This is a dream scene in my film. Mid-way in the piece something magical happens to the line of floating rafts… I created this piece because the vastness of the ocean in Kontiki reminded me of the vastness of the lost ocean on Mars.
Lyrics
When...will...we...
Reach...the...land...?
End - less - ly...
With - out...sand...
Gold - en...sun...
wind...and...rain...
Wear - il - ly...
we...drift...on...
4. Rain (1:27)
Nicolas (Classical guitar)
Recording Engineer: Forrest Lawrence
This piece is for a quiet moment. I love the sound of rain.
5. So Easy (3:15)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar, narration, character voices); Steve (trumpet); Shanna (vocals)
Recording Engineers: Forrest Lawrence (vocals), and Nicolas (guitars, and location recordings of freight trains in Emeryville, CA & cicadas screeching at midnight in St Augustine, FL).
Disclaimer:
This song is a work of pure fiction.
Any resemblance to real events is entirely coincidental.
Oddly enough, this song was inspired by Einstein’s thought experiments with trains that dealt with the relativity of simultaneous events. Einstein said, “Life is a persistent illusion.” It’s an illusion. Except…for the trains.
Spoken Lyrics
F 11 07 10?
Yes sir?
11 45.
“T-5.”
Okay.
Will do.
C’mon… It would be so easy…
Oh my god…that man!
Police Officer!
So easy…
Sung Lyrics
Haven't got the nerve to go on,
just don't wor-ry
Letting go is ever so hard,
it's so ea-sy.
Speed of light’s a fixed quantity,
or so they say.
Planet Mars with a constant sea,
that's long a-go
Crashing waves, now silent-ly
no dy-na-mo
Thirty-six million miles a-way
takes half a year
Just a few more steps and I'm done
1...2...3...4
Now, I feel so numb,
life is no fun,
can't tell the Sun...
...is sh-in-ning
So, what will ensue?
Lucky for you,
Life is a dream...
....Just watch your step
Slow-ly walk-ing,
Train is com-in'...
Head-lights flash-in’,
Hear the en-gine...
Time is wast-ing
I'm just ask-in'...
What can I do
If I...?
Spoken lyrics
Are, are you okay ?
6. Hi L’eau (5 :02)
Nicolas (Classical guitar) ; Steve (flugelhorn) ; Shanna (vocals)
Recording Engineers: Forrest Lawrence (vocals & guitar) and Elliot Meyer (flugelhorn).
Lyrics
A wise man said, there is no an-swer...but,
just fools, who follow me.
A life of lies, is easy to swallow,
Just pretend and close your eyes...
Then...you will be wise, and naive too...
Nowhere to hide, no one to turn...to...and,
No time in space is clear…
You may guess why, or you may be dreaming...
Even if we're not from Mars...
How...long will it take.... before you know?
7. My Semi Annual Dream (2:07)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar, pilot’s voice)
Recording Engineer: Nicolas
Disclaimer: The name “Comatrin” was created just for this song as an imaginary substance in the future. Any resemblance to a real product is purely coincidental.
Lyrics
Good morning. This is your captain speaking. Our altitude is, uh, 20,000 feet at the moment. We’re rising up above the city of Denver. To the right you’ll see the Superdome.
We’ll be switching to “space-mode” soon. Please make sure you’ve taken the Comatrin tablets we’ve provided for you. The Comatrin will begin to take effect in a few minutes. You’ll enjoy a peaceful sleep for the duration of the flight. Flying time to Mars is 6 months 3 days, and 7 ½ hours. The current time on Mars is 11/8.
This craft is equipped with a magnetic dynamo mechanism. In the event of a solar coronal mass ejection, the dynamo will activate automatically and provide maximum shielding against proton storms. As well, the Comatrin dosage we’ve given you is calculated to regenerate, and counteract any tissue damage that may occur during flight due to radiation exposure…
So…sit back and relax. Here’s wishing you a safe and restful journey. We’ll see you on Mars…
Until then….
8. Pas Encore Mars (2:35)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar, cello, vocal sfx)
Recording Engineer: Nicolas
9. ALH840001 (3:33)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, MIDI guitar); Shanna (vocals)
Recording Engineers: Nicolas (guitars) and Forrest Lawrence (vocals)
ALH840001 is the catalog number of the Martian Meteorite that was discovered in Antarctica. It became the focus of great scientific and public interest through discussions as to whether the tiny magnetite grains embedded in the sample could have come about by biological or non-biological means.
10. Penguins on Mars (4:24)
Nicolas (Classical guitar, adult voice); Mikailo (kid voice)
Recording Engineer: Nicolas
I recorded this sound effect at midnight. I felt the sound was so unusual so I composed a story around it. The title comes from the realization that a Penguin standing on a Martian meteorite in Antarctica would, for that instant, be a “Penguin on Mars.”
Lyrics
Hey! I’ve got something to show you… Look!
What is it?
It’s a rock from Mars!
Cool!!! How did they take the picture?
They found it in Antarctica
But… how did it get here from Mars?
Well, some people think that an asteroid might have hit Mars a long time ago, and pieces of rock might have exploded out from Mars into space.
Gee, that doesn’t sound like a good theory to me… I mean, Mars is so far away. I don’t believe it…
Yeah, I don’t believe it either.
I bet someone put it in Antarctica.
They also say that a long time ago Mars was a blue planet like the Earth and had water. There might even be some water inside this piece of rock.
Hey! Do sound waves keep on going forever when somebody speaks or do they just disappear?
What do you mean?
Well, I mean, like, maybe if that rock is really from Mars and like if we were really tiny and listened really carefully then maybe we could still hear the sounds of the Martians talking! Cool, huh?
Well, that’d be pretty hard… You’d have to be in a really quiet place. But, uh…
Yeah. I guess that would be kind of hard…
But, it’s a cool idea. I wonder what it would sound like… to hear those voices talking…
11. Natsukashii (Instrumental) (5:12)
Nicolas (Classical guitar); Shanna (vocals)
Recording Engineer: Forrest Lawrence
CREDITS
Guitares Cinématiques is Nicolas
Classical guitar (all tracks), MIDI guitar as percussion and horns (CME, Kontiki, So Easy, My Semi Annual Dream, Pas Encore Mars, ALH840001), cello (Kontiki & Pas Encore Mars), djembe (Kontiki), adult voices in Japanese and English
Guest Artists:
Xavier Horcholle – synthesizers (CME and Kontiki)
Shanna Gilfix – vocals (Natsukashii, Kontiki, So Easy, High L’eau, and ALH840001)
Steve Stanley – flugelhorn (Hi L’eau), trumpet (So Easy)
Japanese translation on Natuskashii by Teruyo Wilson
Japanese vocal coaches: Fusako Shiotani and Mihoko Tokoro
All artwork by Nicolas
Logo for Guitares Cinématiques by Lorraine
Layout & Art Direction: Julie Bay
Recording Engineers: Nicolas, Forrest Lawrence, and Elliot Meyer
Mixing Engineer: Nicolas
Mastering Engineer: Charles Stella
“Mercedes” cutaway classical guitar with MIDI– designed by Dr. Michael Kasha. Built by Richard Schneider, Jay Hargreaves, and George Majkowski.
All music and lyrics by Nicolas
Produced by Nicolas
© & ℗ 2008 Guitares Cinematiques - All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
www.penguinsonmars.com
www.guitarescinematiques.com
THANKS
Thanks to my family for letting me spend the past 5 years on this crazy project. Thanks to my parents for inspiring me to seek my own path, and for all of the moral support. A huge extra special “thank you” to Dr Kasha for having designed such a fantastic guitar. A heartfelt thanks to Jay Hargreaves and to the late Richard Schneider for their extraordinary workmanship and dedication in carrying out my father’s dreams by handcrafting this amazing guitar. An extra special thanks to Jay Hargreaves and to the late George Majkowski for having completed this wonderful guitar that Richard Schneider had started. Jay, what can I say? Without this guitar the CD could not have been made. Thank you soooo much! Thanks to Richard McClish at RMC pickups. Thanks to my guitar teachers, Bruce Holzman, Steve Cardenas, David Russell, and especially to Ralph Towner who taught me how to really listen. Ralph, you were so kind to have taken the time to guide me during the many hours of private lessons at your home in Seattle. That experience had such an enormous impact on me. Thanks to Charlie Merrill and to Barry Saver & Rose Kwok for letting me stay at your homes all those times when I’d flown up to Seattle for guitar lessons with Ralph. A special thanks to multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven whose contagious energy inspired me to take risks and put me on the path to composing. Thanks so much to the guest artists who contributed to this album: Xavier, Shanna, and Steve . I feel so lucky that you joined me on this CD! Thanks to Mikailo, for the superb dramatic voiceover on “Penguins on Mars!” Many thanks to my friends at The Annex recording studio in Menlo Park, CA and especially to engineers Forrest Lawrence and Elliot Meyer for those great recording sessions! Thanks to Charles Stella for the exquisite mastering! Thanks to my Japanese vocal coaches Mihoko Tokoro and Fusako Shiotani and to Teruyo Wilson for the Japanese translations. Thanks to Hania Koever for translation of Johannes Resch’s 1995 scientific paper in German on MS and solar storms. Thanks to John Schimpf for engineering practice recording sessions and to Steve Jarvis for rentals of high quality recording gear. Thanks to the folks at Café Aquarius in Emeryville, CA for the scrumptious pastries and coffee I’d consumed at the Café while composing the lyrics for Kontiki, So Easy, and Hi L’eau!
Over the past 5 years, a number of friends have helped so much by providing valuable feedback during the multitude of revisions to each song. I wish to particularly thank the following friends for their time and efforts: Yih-Tai Chen, my uncle Harry, and Nike Jegart for countless hours of listening and feedback via phone and e-mails. Thanks as well for all of the great feedback from my friends: Artemis Housewright, Rich Kuhns, Julia Petchey, Francesca Benevento, Monica Ip, Wai-bun Yau, Carmyn Roper, Karl Greenberg, Ricardo Leigh, Sofya and Ron Morgan, Pat and Wendy Smith, Sudhu Tewari, Vadim and Anastasia Kalmeyer, Kevin Riley, Kathy Ulriksen and Juan Navarro, Richard Warp, Robert Edgar, Brian Walker , Wing Ng, Ashsha Kin, Diane Comey, Suzanne Schumacher, Gavriel Weiner, Romaric de France, and Neal Margolis.
(Feb 23, 2009)