Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Hopi Torvald 2011 Almanac - Volume I - January




2010 was a good year. Lots of changes, lots of developments....i definitely learned a lot, did a lot, and loved as much as i could. I wish all of you a happy new year and hope that the time ahead of us brings you joy, love, and inspiration.

This post represents the first of 12 installations which i am calling my monthly almanac. Each month, there will be a different song for your gentle ears to download and hopefully enjoy.

This song, "january", is comprised of the sound of large snowflakes falling on beech leaves in the woods behind my parent's house...this mixed with more recordings from the aquarium/lyra class and the usual synths and such. Christmas can be a lonely time...especially as you get older. i enjoyed my trip home overall and the magic of being able to peruse those old familiar woods (once called "russian fields" to the old-timers) as they collected the white snowfall was simply lovely...and inspirational. i came home full of energy and faith in the productivity of the upcoming year.

so...on my mind right now, this 5th day of january...a randomly ordered top ten, if you will:

1. eyedrum - we are currently moving into our new location and concocting all manner of good things to fill it. im confident that sonic and visual wonderment will ensue.
2. blast off burlesque - helping these uber-creative and terrific people with a show next week...titled "holidazed and confused". i've been privy to the prelude, and it's gonna be two halves of a hoot.
3. these bands: salah ragab and the cairo jazz band, gnaw their tongues, charles mingus, herbie nichols, celso murilo, jacques loussier, milton nascimento, king crimson, omar korshid, etc etc etc...
4. bbc's wonders of the solar system - watched every bit of this when i was sick a couple of weeks ago. too cool.
5. tree identification - got one of those handy dandy audubon society guides and it's been great..next up, birds and insects..
6. the hound of the baskervilles...my first sherlock holmes book...diggin it
7. sun ra's space is the place...awesomely bad yet incredible movie. the music ranks among my fave from this jupiter-born genius..
8. playing piano daily...playing more drums...
9. local faves magicicada and nomen novum...tree creature (my other musical project) is doing a 3-way split release with them to be unveiled at our show at the music room at the end of february. stellar.
10. lyra (the aerial hoop) - best and most fun exercise i've had. dig it.

anyway, enjoy yourselves and hope to see you soon.
download the song here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?s7y7a2aroad437o