This is the page for the GENRE Series of Andy Murkin albums
First released in 2007, the GENRE Series groups music of the same style on the same album
The GENRE Series albums are described here
You can listen to some of them here
You can buy them here
The regular Andy Murkin albums are described here
Some listeners are not keen on different styles of music mixed up on one album. Fortspring Music has addressed this problem with the new GENRE Series albums. The GENRE Series aims to unravel the contents of the Andy Murkin albums and present them in themed collections, as well as releasing new material of a more esoteric nature.
Most of the GENRE Series albums contain previously released material. Occasionally they may be presented in a remixed version, but not substantially altered from their original form. Some of them contain new material.
All tracks are clearly marked as to their origin, and Sampler albums will be released periodically containing unreleased material which was mixed on albums with material previously released. It is not the intention of Fortspring to lure unsuspecting listeners into purchasing the same material twice.
The GENRE Series albums have credits but mostly no sleeve notes, so here are some observations on their contents:
The AMBIENT Series contains music which uses natural and ambient sounds which reflect the atmosphere around us, with musical and electronic sounds designed to shape the atmosphere around us.
AMBIENT I [FORG 01], and AMBIENT II [FORG 02], contain previously released material, AMBIENT III [FORG 03], and AMBIENT V [FORG 05], contain entirely new pieces.
AMBIENT IV [FORG 04], introduces one long new piece, Alien Landscape III, but as this wasn't long enough to fill the disc, two shorter tracks in a similar style have been included from the album Return to Devil's Island.
YELLING ELEMENTS [FORG 11], is a companion album to Yelling Graveley, released simultaneously in 2008.
Tracklists:
AMBIENT I (2007): Oxford Circus [36.04]; A Picnic in the Malvern Hills [34.48]. This album was previously released as Disc 3 of Walking with Bees (2006)
AMBIENT II (2007): Long Walk Along the Canal [62.58]. This album was previously released as Disc 3 of Bits & Bobs (2006)
AMBIENT III (2007): Alien Landscape I [30.26]; Alien Landscape II [30.58]. PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
AMBIENT IV (2007): Land Ho! [7.25] (Previously released on Return to Devil's Island, 2005); Becalmed [12.49] (Previously released on Return to Devil's Island, 2005); Alien Landscape III (38.49) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
AMBIENT V (2007): Alien Landcape IV [62.56] PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
YELLING ELEMENTS (2008): Fire [15.11]; Earth [15.25]; Water [15.12]; Air [15.06] PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
[extracts from Water and Air appear on the GENRE Series album Progressions I (2009)]
The CLASSICAL Series is so called because the music is mostly instrumental and draws largely on the western classical tradition, ancient and modern, for its sounds and structures.
POPULAR CLASSICS [FORG 06] focuses more on the longer, 'serious' pieces; LIGHT CLASSICS [FORG 07] features shorter, more accessible tracks, including some of the Midland Symphony Orchestra's contributions to the live progressive rock albums; PRACTICAL CLASSICS [FORG 16] consists of chamber pieces, mostly for a small woodwind ensemble; PIANO MUSIC [FORG 17] collects together works for piano - and broken piano - from previous regular albums.
Tracklists:
POPULAR CLASSICS (2007): White Sails in the Wind [4.20] (Previously
released on Return to Devil's Island, 2005); Slow March [5.40] (Previously
released on the Birds & The Bees, 2005); Perpendicular Ideal of the Glasshouse, Pt 1 [7.41]
(2004 remix of track previously released on
Goodbye Finisterre, 2003); Long Train Blues, Pt 1 [6.26] (Previously
released on Walking with Bees, 2006); View From the Top [12.46] (Previously released
on Walking with Bees, 2006); Temple Bells [25.20] (Previously released on
Bits & Bobs, 2006); River [8.24] (Previously released on
A Walk in the Park, 2005)
LIGHT CLASSICS (2007): Fanfare [1.51] (Introduction to Freefall, previously released on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004); 3 Pizzas, Lee [4.45] (Previously unreleased combination of the 4 versions on Devil's Island Discs and Flotsam & Jetsam, both 2004); Losing Faith, Variation 1 [2.07] (Previously released as part of Losing Faith on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); Losing Faith, Variation 2 [1.18] (Previously released as Lima Foxtrot on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); Losing Faith, Variation 3 [1.51] (Previously released as Minor Loss of Faith on Bits & Bobs, 2006); Losing Faith, Variation 4 [0.33] (Previously released as Elastic Band on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); Losing Faith, Variation 5 [5.38] (Previously released as Slow March on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); Losing Faith, Variation 6 [1.36] (Previously released as Tango Victor on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); The Bee Song [1.24] (Previously released on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); The Maypole Song [4.20] (Previously released on The Birds & The Bees, 2005); Skyride (Introduction) [3.28] (Previously released on Bits & Bobs, 2006); The Shipping Forecast. Pt 12 [2.07] (Previously unreleased remix of the track on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) 13 From A to Z (Vocal version)(extract) [1.31] (Previously unreleased remix of the track on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004); Islington, Pt 3 [1.54] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002); Islington (Vocal version) [0.58] (Previously released on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004); Just But See What I Have Done, Pt 2 [3.30] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2005); Caravan, Pt 4 (extract) [2.32] (Previously released on Caravan, 2006); The Islington March [3.28] (Previously released on Bits & Bobs, 2006); Brass Spy [6.02] (Previously released on Bits & Bobs, 2006); Long Train Blues, Pt 4 [6.28] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2006); Overture [5.06] (future release date not known)
PRACTICAL CLASSICS (2010): 1. Clarinet Variation 2009 [1.51] A slight rearrangement of the track from Walking with Bees (FORT 08, 2006), which was itself a variation on the Losing Faith theme for brass band from The Birds & The Bees (FORT 06, 2005). The instrumentation is a wind quintet of Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone and Oboe. PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED; 2. Yelling Woodwind 1 [8.58]; 3. Yelling Woodwind 2 [9.52]; 4. Yelling Woodwind 3 [7.11]; 5. Yelling Woodwind 4 [9.11]. These pieces are taken from five of the six sections of Yelling Graveley (FORT 13, 2008), where, in some cases, parts of these individual pieces were originally separated by other material. (Part 5 had no Woodwind section). A wind quartet of Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet is joined at intervals by other instruments, not all conventional members of the orchestra and not all played by professionals; 6. Spectrum Woodwind [13.19]. This piece presents the six individual woodwind pieces (in the order 1 6 4 3 2 5) from the album Symphony No 1 (FORT 14, 2009) as a single continuous work, scored for the same wind quintet as track 1. Material from the Spectrum electronic music project (FORG 14, 2009) is included where used in the originals; 7. Postlude [11.23]. This track, from the album Windsurfing (FORG 15, 2009) has a rather fuller orchestration, but still contains significant sections using the wind quintet format.
PIANO MUSIC (2012): 1. Windsurfing Interludes 1 and 2 [2.14] from Windsurfing (2009) [FORG 15]; 2. Piano Fugue [1.10] from ODZNENZ (2011) [FORT 15]; 3. 3 Pizzas, Lee (Piano Version) [1.07] from Flotsam & Jetsam (2004) [FORT 04]; 4. Yelling Piano Piece #1 [7.50] from Yelling Graveley (2008) [FORT 13]; 5. Yelling Piano Piece #2 [7.54] from Yelling Graveley; 6. Yelling Piano Piece #3 [7.29] from Yelling Graveley; 7. Yelling Piano Piece #4 [8.04] from Yelling Graveley; 8. Yelling Piano Piece #5 [7.55] from Yelling Graveley; 9. Jazz Club Incident (Broken Piano Edit) [1.24] from Flotsam & Jetsam; 10. Fantasy (Piano Practice Edit)/Practice Makes Perfect [7.10] from Walking with Bees (2006) [FORT 08]; 11. Windsynthing (Broken Piano Edit) [2.36] from Holiday on Devil's Island (2012) [FORT 17]; 12. Windsynthing (Long Piano Version) [6.45] PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED.
The EXPERIMENTAL Series is designed to contain the more difficult and 'avant-garde' pieces. All the tracks on the first release in this series, VOICES [FORG 08], feature voices from the human and animal kingdoms, including examples of the electronic manipulation of speech known to Fortspring as Sonic Poetry.
PROGRESSIONS I [FORG 13], begins with an entirely tonal orchestral score, and ends with an entirely electronic one, illustrating some steps along the way from one to the other.
SPECTRUM [FORG 14], consists entirely of electronic music derived from an audio recording of a computer game cassette - not the sounds from the game, if it had any, but the cassette used to load the program onto an early home computer - a Sinclair Spectrum, in fact, from which the name of the project derives.
The 5 Movements of WINDSURFING [FORG 15], are all the result of electronic manipulation of recordings of the track Windsong, with 5 orchestral Interludes.
PROTOSYNTHESIS [FORG 18] is a collection from the earliest electronic or synthesised material from the regular albums.
Tracklist:
VOICES (2007): Picnic (extract) [3.01] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2006);
Islington, Pt 5 [1.13] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Adrian);
On Queensway [1.09] (Previously released on A Walk in the Park, 2005) (Voice: Andy);
Islington, Pt 2 [0.56] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Adrian);
Islington, Pt 4 [1.44] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Adrian);
A Night in the Forest [2.29] (Previously released on Devil's Island Discs, 2004);
A Walk Along the Canal, Pt 1 [0.34] (Previously released on A Walk in the Park, 2005) (Voice: Andy);
Music from an Imaginary Spy Film (extract) [2.01] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Adrian);
A Walk Along the Canal, Pt 2 [0.57] (Previously released on A Walk in the Park, 2005) (Voice: Andy);
90 Years [1.42] (Previously released on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004) (Voice: Adrian);
Midnight in the Forest [2.31] (Previously released on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 3 [0.46] (Previously unreleased voice-only remix of track from Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) (Voice: Andy);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 7 [2.08] (Previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) (Voice: Andy);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 8 (extract) [1.22] (Previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) (Voice: Andy);
Words (spoken introduction) [1.13] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Bruce);
I'm Growing Some Bonsai Trees [4.28] (Previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002) (Voice: Adrian);
Caravan, Pt 2 (extract) [2.07] (Previously released on Caravan, 2006) (Voice: the Band Leader);
Murmurs From Malvern (extract) [6.52] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2006) (Voice: Andy);
Merry March and Song (extract) [5.54] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2006) (Voice: Julia);
Just But See What I Have Done (extract) [1.16] (Previously released on Walking with Bees, 2006) (Voice: Julia);
Another Egress (extract) [4.02] (Previously released on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004) (Voices: Bruce, Victoria);
There Are Songs Edit #1 [2.10] (Previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) (Voice: Victoria);
There Are Songs Edit #2 [4.44] (Previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003) (Voice: Victoria);
Escape from Devil's Island [1.08] (Previously released on Devil's Island Discs, 2004);
Kensington Gardens [0.45] (Previously released on A Walk in the Park, 2005) (Voice: Andy)
All tracks written by Andy Murkin, except Track 2, 4, 8, 10, 16: Text by
Adrian Chilvers; Track 12, 13, 14: Text courtesy The Meteorological Office; Track 16: text by Andy Murkin and Adrian Chilvers;
Track 18: Text by T.Watson; Track 19, 20: Text by J.N.Kidd
PROGRESSIONS I (2009): River (Previously released on A Walk in the Park [2005]) [8.24]; Slow March (Previously released on The Birds & The Bees [2005]) [5.38]; View From The Top (Previously released on Walking With Bees [2006]) [12.44]; The Distant Sound of Roaring Dogs (extract) (Previously released on Yelling Graveley [2008]) [6.07]; SOS/Becalmed (Previously released on Return to Devil's Island [2005]) [18.18]; Air (extract) (Previously released on Yelling Elements [2008]) [7.05]; Water (extract) (Previously released on Yelling Elements [2008]) [6.42]
SPECTRUM (2009): Introduction [0.32]; Part 2 [6.54]; Part 3 [3.46]; Part 4 [5.46]; Part 5 [7.18]; Conclusion [1.44]; Alien Landscape V [31.13]
Tracks 1 -6 also released on Symphony No 1 (2009); Track 7 also released on ODZNENZ (2009)
WINDSURFING (2009): 1st Movement [9.28]; 1st Interlude [1.16]; 2nd Movement [6.52]; 2nd Interlude [1.12]; 3rd Movement [2.40]; 3rd Interlude [1.17]; 4th Movement [13.04]; 4th Interlude [1.19]; 5th Movement [6.43]; Postlude [11.23]
PROTOSYNTHESIS (2012): Southern Ocean Swell, Pt3 [6.10] from Return to Devil's Island (2005) [FORT 07]; Southern Ocean Swell, Pt2 [4.01] from Return to Devil's Island; Alien Simulant (Edit)[4.30]; I Like Bees (Merry March and Song, Pt 2) [5.26] from Walking with Bees (2006) [FORT 08]; Hedgehog Freeform #2 (Long Edit) [3.50], adapted for Holiday on Devil's Island (2012) FORT 17; Windsong I (2012 Edit) [7.08] from Yelling Graveley (2008) [FORT 13]; SPECTRUM (Conclusion) [1.44] from Symphony No 1 (2009) [FORT 14]; Spectrum of Light [4.50] from Symphony No 1; Infrared Spectrum [3.47] PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED; Electrohell [3.18] PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED; Windsynthing A (extract) [5.28] from Holiday on Devil's Island; Hedgehog Freeform #2 (Long Edit) [3.50], adapted for Holiday on Devil's Island; Windsynthing B (extract) [5.28] from Holiday on Devil's Island.
The EASY LISTENING Series gathers together tracks of a less challenging nature, whether they be jazzy, slow or 'new age-y'. SMOOTH SOUNDS [FORG 09], is the first release in this series; AEOLUS TO ZEPHYR [FORG 12], contains remixes and rearrangements of previously released pieces related in one way or another to the wind.
Tracklist:
SMOOTH SOUNDS (2007): Slow Motion, Pt 1 [7.01] (Previously released on The Birds & The Bees, 2005);
The Bells, Pts 2 & 3 [6.05] (Previously released on The Birds & The Bees, 2005);
39 [6.26] (Previously released on Bits & Bobs, 2006);
Caravan, Pt 1 [9.31] (Previously released on Caravan, 2006);
Fair Weather [4.30] (Previously released on Return to Devil's Island, 2005);
Sailsloop 3 [6.00] (Previously released on Bits & Bobs, 2006);
Freefall [8.15] (Previously released on Devil's Island Discs, 2004);
Land of Great Skies & Measureless Horizons [7.47] (2005 version of track previously released on Devil's Island Discs, 2004);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 10 [2.17] (2007 remix of track previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003);
From A to Z (Slow) [6.10] (2007 remix of track previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2002).
AEOLUS TO ZEPHYR (2008): Atlantic Swell [8.12; Messenger
of Spring [11.54]; Summer Gale [13.28; Mirage [14.57]; Windsong III [9.10]
Rearrangements of material previously released on Goodbye
Finisterre (2003), Devil's Island Discs (2004),
Flotsam & Jetsam (2004), Return to Devil's Island
(2005), Caravan (2006), Bits & Bobs (2006) and
Yelling Graveley (2008), and due for release on ODZNENZ (2009).
SAMPLER [FORG 10], contains all the tracks released in 2007 marked 'remixed' or 'previously unreleased', but which are on GENRE Series albums mixed with previously available material.
Tracklist:
SAMPLER (2007): 3 Pizzas, Lee [4.45] from LIGHT CLASSICS (Previously unreleased combination
of the 4 versions on Devil's Island Discs and Flotsam & Jetsam, both 2004);
Perpendicular Ideal of the Glasshouse, Pt 1 [7.41] from POPULAR CLASSICS (2004 remix of the track previously released on
Goodbye Finisterre, 2003);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 3 [0.46] from VOICES (Previously unreleased voice-only remix
of the track from Goodbye Finisterre, 2003);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 10 [2.17] from SMOOTH SOUNDS (2007 remix of the
track previously released on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003);
The Shipping Forecast, Pt 12 [2.07] from LIGHT CLASSICS (Previously
unreleased remix of the track on Goodbye Finisterre, 2003);
From A to Z (Vocal version) (extract) [1.31] from LIGHT CLASSICS (Previously unreleased
remix of the track on Flotsam & Jetsam, 2004);
Alien Landscape III [38.49] from AMBIENT IV (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED);
Land of Great Skies and Measureless Horizons [7.47] from SMOOTH SOUNDS
(Previously unreleased version of track on Devil's Island Discs, 2004);
From A to Z (Slow) [6.10] from SMOOTH SOUNDS (2007 remix of the track
previously released on From Aardvark to Zebra, 2004)
Return to andymurkin dotcom Home Page