Slave Labor On Mars

Alongside our timespans, life exists at another level-unattested and ignored by the current hegemony. A transmission of unspoken qualities independent of time and space-neural impressions, mythic visions, or synesthetic apprehensions-bringing knowledge of the higher order dimensions. Occurring here in two to eight minute bursts, this discrete transmission is recorded live, without overdubs, to capture the present moment. Played at a competent skill level-in most cases for the first time-and recorded. A tendency exists for each transmitted quality to crystallize other qualities by its mere existence, generating a cumulative, non-local effect beyond the scale expected. Twenty listenings are suggested at a minimum.

Song List

The preponderance of tracks are digitally mastered, mastered in digital stereo without being mixed down from multi-track session recordings. Many tracks feature synth/sampler, percussion battery, and live/sampled vocals together with Second Sufis' integrated guitar, stick, and bass textures. James Mott appears on bass, Chapman Stick, acoustic guitar, and occasional keyboards. Mike Gorman can be heard on electric and acoustic guitar. Mike and Jim also contribute acoustic and digital percussion. Jerome Pier appears as a guest on half of the tracks playing synth/sampler as well as some stick and occasional vocal paroxysms.

The CD is punctuated by acoustic guitar work extant in a digital remastering of Spring Thaw and the previously unreleased Open. A digitally remastered version of Tombs of the Pharaohs, an electric polymeter from the earlier release The Galaxy Gift, underscores the change in the sound due to the new digital production--amounting to a revolution in the sound quality now attainable by cottage recording industries. The richness in sound far exceeds the quality of commercial production houses, which often role off much of the brilliance and depth of digital recordings for the mass market, pandering to the lowest common denominator in home audio (i.e. the overcompressed midrange of a boom box). ¨The drop in cost of personal computers, hard disk recording systems, and professional quality digital signal processors has put CD quality sound within reach of musicians willing to learn the technology.¨ Second Sufis released a companion album on cassette, West of Mars, with many other recordings from these productive sessions.