Planetary Unfolding

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Planetary Unfolding is an album of electronic ambient music by the American musician Michael Stearns.

Planetary Unfolding
Studio album by Michael Stearns
Released 1981
Recorded 1981
Genre Ambient
Length 52 min
Label Continuum Montage (1981), Sonic Atmospheres (1985)
Michael Stearns chronology
Morning Jewel (1979) Planetary Unfolding (1981) Light Play (1983)

Michael Stearns became a resident composer musician at Emily Conrad's meditation classes in 1975. He composed and performed at first on a Minimoog and various electro-acoustic instruments. In 1979, he was introduced to the Serge modular synthesizer by Kevin Braheny, who owned a 15-panels system (dubbed "The Mighty Serge"), which he used on Morning Jewel. He then build his own 12-panels Serge. On this one, as he already did with Braheny's system, he performed electronic music with a strong feeling of space.

Planetary Unfolding was recorded around 1981, when Michael left Conrad's Continuum Studio. Musical ideas that Michael performed on the Serge the previous years were put together and developed and gave birth to this 52 minute piece of music, with two parts each cut in three tracks.

The album was given a first release under Michael Stearns' own label, Continuum Montage, in 1981. It was reissued on CD in 1985 by Sonic Atmospheres, and seem to be now unavailable, as it wasn't since reissued on Stearns's new label.

It is considered a classic of ambient.[1] [2].

[edit] Track listing

  1. "In the Beginning..."
  2. "Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!"
  3. "Wherever Two or More Are Gathered"
  4. Life in the Gravity Well
  5. As the Earth Kissed the Moon
  6. "Something's Moving"

[edit] References

  1. ^ 25 Influential Ambient CDs. Jeff Towne and Peter Manzi (2002). Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  2. ^ 25 Significant STAR'S END Albums. unknown (Star's End website) (2001). Retrieved on 2007-02-20.