Earthen Herman - Alpes 240 [Cassette]

Alpes 240 invites you into a realm of duality, where introspection meets exploration, serenity encounters chaos, and life's complexities find resonance in sonic landscapes. 'Cicadas Ambient,' 'Looking back with a Grin,' and 'Lover, you are with me' were written in 2020, in the sanctuary of home, as the world seemed to be ending outside. The remaining tracks were written in 2022 while living in Mexico City, a place that is both old and new, busy and serene, inspiring and crushing. 'Sleeping Woman' ends with the horn blast of a guide leading a group on a hike through Mexico’s Iztaccíhuatl, a dormant volcano, which lies beside its active and enraged lover, Popocatépetl. The Aztec legend states that Iztaccíhuatl, the most beautiful princess in the land, was promised by her father to be wed to Popocatépetl, a strong Aztec warrior once he returned from war. He returned, expecting to reunite with his beloved, but was instead met with the news of her death. In the fury of grief, he carried her body to the top of a mountain where he laid her to rest, lit a torch, and vowed that it would never burn out. He then laid beside her and gave his life up to the land, becoming the raging, smoking mountain that burns to this day. The second half of the album explores this story. Through a blend of ambient melodies, tonal textures, and raw field recordings, Alpes 240 weaves a sonic tapestry that takes listeners on a journey through different dimensions, both temporal and spatial.

Mixed by Jake Carnley and Jonathan Oliphant
Mastered by Jonathan Oliphant
Art and Layout by Drew Ryan

Field Recording Equipment:
Tascam DR100mkiii
FEL Clippy EM272
JRF Contact Microphone
JRF Hydrophone
LOM Basic Ucho

Instruments:
Moog DFAM, Mother 32, Grandmother
Nord Electro 5d
Yamaha CP4
Arturia Microfreak
Strymon Nightsky