Note: This post was written in 2025 and backdated to appear on the day I wrote and published the track.
This entry to the Mare series brings back some direct, rather than implied, rythmic elements. I didn’t want to be an outright beat, but rather a soft accompaniment.
- Mare Orientale Ray Toler 7:14
It’s not compositionally complex, but I think the length of each chord keeps things moving without taking away the languid pace and space to absorb. The backing pads, noise washes, and granular effects provide ongoing variety, becoming much more involved than the primary pluck sounds.
I didn’t use many of my ambient tricks. There’s some very minor volume animation on two of the background pads that helps the main theme become more or less prominent over time. Once again, I get lost in these. It’s just getting started and then I see we’re at seven minutes and it ends.
This makes me wonder if I shouldn’t also make “full length” versions that could be available as Bandcamp exclusives when I put these albums out.
Colophon
Instruments & Samples
Slate + Ash Landforms, Choreographs, & Cycles, Pigments, Spitfire Polaris
Effects, Mixing, & Mastering
FabFilter, Gullfoss, Valhalla Supermassive, Soundtoys PanMan, Output Portal
Source Image: NASA