Hope you like this video, we shot this entirely in Thailand and the Far East. I have been waiting a long time to produce this music video and I worked with my nephew John Weiler, a very talented videographer on getting the right shots for this music. Enjoy !!!
8.24.2015
New Albums Released Today... 08.24.2015
Announcing the official release of my 2 new music albums. Now available on CD, MP3 at iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Google+......You can preview the music on my site or at my YouTube Channel. Please feel free to browse my web site for more info and leave comments if you like.
8.09.2015
Slap's new album "Recollections: Volume 1:
“Recollections” : Something from the past that
is remembered.
Composer,
multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer, Robert Slap returns with a new
album of eclectic music, melodies and rhythms that span a wide spectrum of
styles including jazz, world, rock, new age, electronic and film music.
I offer you this 12 song
collection of my favorite instrumental tunes recorded over the last several
years, along with a couple of gems from earlier recordings. Much of this
material was developed through live performance while others evolved from my
work with film and video soundtracks.
It has been difficult to
describe my musical style since I crossover many genres in my compositions. I
call it “music for creative visualization”. I hope you enjoy this contemporary
set of original tunes featuring some really great musicians I have worked with
over the years.
The Tracks:
Looking Glass
Starting out this
collection is a sweet, jazzy melody utilizing guitar and flute, and anchored
with a solid rhythm track with acoustic guitars and bass. I opened my live set
with this, so it is first up here, featuring Bray Ghiglia on flute.
Zen Morning
Cool jazz meets the Zen
master in this cut. Emotional, smooth and sexy can best describe this track
featuring Bray Ghiglia on sax and flute. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Charles Lloyd
have influenced my work with Eastern, Oriental styles and instrumentation over
the years.
Lateral Movement
This is a dynamic piece we
cut live in the studio. It features Suzanne Arthur on flute, Karl Schaffner on
fretless bass, Marie Matson on marimba/percussion and myself on synth-guitar
and 12 string. There is some great interaction between bass and marimba
throughout the tune while the flute and MIDI guitar exchange introspective melodies. Enjoy this
classic.
Tsunami
A contemporary cool jazz
/funk fusion instrumental. I recorded this short version for the album single,
since the live version was in three movements and much longer. I may save part 2
for another bonus release. I play all the instruments on this including the
guitar synth controller on the solo track. I was one of the few guitarists
using MIDI guitar technology back in the 80's,
along with Alan Holdsworth, Robert Fripp and Pat Methany.
Voyager
This would make a great
main title for a movie. A voyage through space and time in search of new worlds
and life. Will mankind ever make it that far?
This tune conjures up images
of journeying across the desert in a caravan, searching for that hidden oasis
across the vast expanse of the Sahara .
90265
While driving down PCH in
my sports car at 3 AM in the morning and watching lights crisscrossing the sky
over the Pacific, this song popped into my mind. What else can I say?
Top Ramen
Another really fun tune to
record and play live, starting out with the meditative Zen intro and then
breaking into contemporary jazz fusion, featuring Suzanne Arthur on flute, Karl
Schaffner on second guitar, Marie Matson on marimba and percussion and myself on
lead acoustic guitar.
Voodoo
A dark, mysterious, funky,
jazz groove that I have been playing for many years. I like this recording best
because of the subtle guitar solo at the end. The haunting theme is carried out
throughout the three movements.
Carnaval
A festive upbeat song
reflecting the spirit of Carnaval, celebrated all over the world from Rio to New Orleans
Apsara (Angel Dance)
I have always been
attempting to blend eastern and western music styles in much of my work. Here
is my interpretation of one the ancient dances of Siam
Pas de Deux
I imagined a contemporary
modern dance duet when I wrote this music. It is my homage to Tangerine Dream,
a group that deeply influenced me with their original soundscapes and arrangements.
8.04.2015
Atlantis: The story behind the tracks
Atlantis Track List
Crystal Chamber:
A labyrinth deep inside the Earth where select crystals and
other natural resources were placed to generate the terrestrial power needed by
the Atlanteans. Only a select few Wizards and Elders were ever allowed into the
chamber, which was adorned with crystals of every color of the spectrum. The
secrets of the crystal power were hidden in three halls of records created by
the Atlanteans when they returned to their home. These are yet to be
discovered, but it is rumored the great halls were below the Sphinx, in the
jungles of the Yucatan peninsula, and near the
Biminis , in the Bermuda Triangle, as we know
it today.
Indigo:
The special color of the Atlantean Wizards. It is the color
of intuition and perception, promoting deep concentration during times of
introspection and meditation.The Wizards dressed in special woven robes of this color
only, distinguishing themselves from the Elders, who only wore white. Indigo is
a color which enhances the ability to use the higher mind to see beyond the physical
world, telepathically ascending through the Astral Planes to the seventh level,
the Universal Mind.
Voices from the Past:
Deep, deep down in the caverns of your mind, if you can calm
and quiet yourself, you will hear them calling to you. Although they left
thousands of years ago, the Atlanteans have left their imprint on our planet.
It is up to us to find those connections which will hold the key to our future
on Earth.
Equinox:
The Wizards and Elders called all people to the Great Temple of Atlantis twice a year for the equinox, when the plane of Earth's equator passes the center of the Sun. The procession to the temple was accompanied by the playing of the wooden flute by the three Great Wizards of Atlantis.
Healing Temple
An ethereal, musical exploration into ancient healing
techniques used on Atlantis during the enlightened period. The Elders (aka; the
healers) were telepathically connected, with advanced healing powers using
color, light, sound and vibrations, mentally focusing their power through
crystals. The Healing Temple was the spiritual center of Atlantis, and it
is believed the “OM ” (highest spiritual sound
of the universe) was first heard here.
Migration:
It is believed there were 3 great periods of Atlantis that
ranged from 50,000 BC to 10,500 BC. These were days of great discovery as the
Atlanteans traveled the Earth in search of resources (crystals, gold, sacred
waters from volcanic pools) as well as interacting and learning about the human
tribes that roamed the Earth. The Atlanteans were spirit beings that were able
to project themselves into human form. In Greek mythology, the God Poseidon
came down from the heavens and mated with earthly women, creating five sets of
twin males. These offspring went on to form the 10 tribes of future mankind.
This story is very similar to those in many great religions of today. Could we
be direct descendants?
Wizard’s Journey:
The Atlantean wizards were not a ruling class, but a group
of meta-physicians that shared the secret knowledge of the universe, including
engineering techniques, telekinesis, telepathy, philosophy, mathematics and
time travel. They explored the planet searching for those elements that could be
used to develop their culture on Earth.
Brave New World:
The Elders and Wizards perceived great natural changes
coming to the planet Earth. They knew the time had come to leave the planet and
return to their terrestrial home. This earth changing event has become known as
the “great flood”. Whatever caused this cataclysm is just now being researched,
but much of the planet along with the Atlantis legend has remained buried under
the sea for many, many years. Modern man emerged from this “Brave New World” to
rebuild, repopulate and create the civilization as we know it today.
Epilogue:
Imagine an Atlantean Wizard standing on the bluffs, looking
out to the sea.
Hear the mournful cry of the wooden flute, the very last
song to be shared by these ancient beings. As the sea fades into tonal
ambiance, we recognize this is the end of one incredible journey and the
beginning of another. One day we may discover our true history, but until then
all we have are the “voices of the past”.
8.02.2015
The Making of Atlantis Trilogy
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| Art Director and album design - Jason McKean |
The story behind the Atlantis Trilogy began in 1983 when I traveled to Mexico to explore the pyramids of Teotihuacán……I was always interested in the stories about the lost civilization of Atlantis as well as the history of ancient civilizations. I had read the book “Chariots of the Gods” by Erich Von Daniken in the early 70’s and was quite fascinated with his theories. The journey to Mexico was an exciting experience, exploring the pyramids of the sun and moon, and the walk of the dead. I was deeply moved by the sheer scale of these structures, being able to climb them and look out over the countryside, imagining what it might have looked like in the days of the Mayans and Aztecs or even earlier. After returning to the states, I spent the next several years researching additional sources of the Atlantis legend, and from this came the idea to create a musical journey into the ancient civilization of Atlantis.
After several years of toying with the idea, I finally began an effort to start writing the music in 1986. I originally planned to record just one album, but my research took me into so many different directions I decided to start the first one and see where all this would lead me. In addition, I wanted to approach this music from an improvisational standpoint. I had some ideas about hidden “crystal power”, déjà vu, past life memories, UFO’s etc., so it was a matter of turning those ideas into sounds that would capture the story of an ancient civilization. The way it has always worked for me was to get an image in my head and the music would follow. The first Atlantis track was recorded very quickly. The “doo dah, doo wah” melody from Crystal Chamber floated in my mind and I spent most of the time creating soundscapes and searching for the perfect blend of sounds to capture the ideas in my head. Mixing all this together was actually the “real” album; this was a new approach for me, since I had always written everything out into music charts with arrangements. I was able to break the bounds of creative consciousness and let the sound, stories and ideas flow through me. The result turned out to be my first, very successful solo album “Atlantis Crystal Chamber”, which delved into the culture of the Atlantean civilization, the powers of crystals, hidden knowledge of the past, telepathy, telekinesis and time travel. As it turned out, I was writing my story and the soundtrack at the same time.
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| Courtesy of Ted Duvall |
Five years passed, I was working on many other projects for other artists, and I wanted to return to the Atlantis theme. The second album was focused on the advanced healing powers of the Elders, a group of healers and metaphysicians, gathering the people into the healing temples and providing mind, body, and spirit transformations. The Elders possessed extraordinary telepathic powers as well the ability to heal with touch, colors, and sound. This recording was released in 1991 as “Atlantis Healing Temple” and I reused many of the soundscapes and textures developed from the first album to provide continuity.
Time passed again, and by the late 90’s, the new age music market had faded and I was working more and more on music for film, TV, and documentaries. So I did not start thinking about the next chapter for many years, until renewed interest in ancient aliens and the Atlantis connection started to reappear. This got me thinking about the concept of Atlantis being of alien origin, and much, much older in the timeline of our history on the planet. I had a new direction for my story and the music followed.
Over the last several years, many people reached out to me looking for music titles I had created, receiving some very nice compliments. However my titles were no longer commercially available and the distribution had changed dramatically with online music. A chance discussion with some former colleagues at the beginning of 2015, gave me the idea of releasing my music on my own record label. I had no experience in self-publishing or creating E-music for downloads, but as I thought more about it, I was sure that the time was right to present my musical ideas to the world.
Thus was born “Brave New World”, the story of the end of the Atlantean period and the beginning of our modern era. This is the final chapter of my Atlantis story. I had a musical theme in mind and I recorded multiple songs utilizing this theme, the idea was to create a trilogy of my Atlantis music, rather than releasing 3 separate albums. I had not listened to the first two albums for twenty years, I spent several weeks listening, making notes and evaluating what I had to work with.
Surprisingly, the original album material had an ethereal quality that still sounded fresh. This resulted in editing specific selections of music from the original masters, along with the new music, remixed and remastered for the digital age. I started the process with over 150 minutes of music and was able to edit this down to 48 minutes, combining elements of over 30 years of musical exploration into this set, the Atlantis Trilogy. Welcome to my world.
Robert Slap July 29, 2015
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| Photos courtesy of John Weiler |
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