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Larkenlyre is the brainchild of composer Matthew Labarge.
Extraordinary Voyages is a journey into the worlds of Jules Verne,
Rudyard Kipling, Jack London and Edgar Rice Burroughs; each a soundscape
into the tales and short stories that so many of us have read and
devoured. Here is another chapter, if you will-an auditory encounter
that will bring these well-loved adventures to life. With guest
appearances by Chris Bocast, Eden Macadam-Somer and Jimi Taft, this
album holds the mysteries of the Orient, the wind swept waves of the
ocean, the scorched earth of desert lands and so much more. With
hundreds of instruments, environments and objects, both virtual and real
world, each track is a unique voyage across oceans of time and the
pages of literature and longing.“Mistral Wind” begins with a tenuous atmospheric tone that invokes images of gazing across vast oceans to the future beyond. What lies beyond the waters of the deep? Do we as adventurers have the courage to cross the emerald waves, brave the beasts and sirens hidden under the circling tides? Piano music ebbs and flows with multi-instrumentation, bringing this piece to life. Harmonies twist and pull, like a rope secured snugly across the bow of a ship, tugging you closer and closer to the edge. The deep awaits-do you dare?
“Rainforest Omens” breaths vibrant life into the world of Rudyard Kipling. Images of a mongoose fighting a king cobra emerge from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as the pulse and percussion of this beat takes over. Hurry! dance, little mongoose. The snake bobs and weaves closer and closer, so quick to strike. Drums beat and the chirping of birds reaches a high twitter as they watch in anticipation for the victor of this battle. Their young will live or die by the force of your bite. Tail up and teeth clenched legs taut with readiness, the mongoose attacks, tearing out the throat of the cobra. There is safety in the bungalow. For now.
“Songbird in the Morning” is the last track on the album. Electronic keyboards pave the way into the sunlit early morning hours of dawn. Bright melodies circle the listener as light piano movements work through the piece, illuminating the high points of the piece like the shimmer of dew on a rose. Multi-instrumentation whirls as a kaleidoscope of color bursts into bloom; a garden of sound and substance.
Extraordinary Voyages is an album that journeys into the land of our most adventurous imaginings. Based on the novels and short stories of best loved authors Jules Verne, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London and Edgar Rice Burroughs, you can easily find yourself on the planet of Mars, sledding across a frozen tundra or dancing a death defying dance with a cobra as you fight for your life. Composer Matthew Labarge and fellow artists have crafted a multi-faceted landscape of sound experience. Each track is unique and will lead you on an extraordinary journey indeed.
Key Tracks-Mistral Wind, Rainforest Omens, Songbird in the Morning
Dana Wright
January 2, 2014