Mantra Chill
2007
The concept behind this album was to create a sound-healing tool.
In new age speak; the vibrations (in the form of songs) would transport the listener into an altered state of consciousness resulting in peace, love, and all around enlightenment. This needed to be accomplished with no effort on the listener’s part. It had to work as a pure cause and effect reaction; so long as one heard it, the body, mind and spirit would respond.
In scientific terminology; we were looking to create sounds that would result in an aural-neural-endocrine stimulation (ears, nerves, and glands) causing a parasympathetic nervous system response. This is the relaxed state of wellness, no adrenalin, all systems at ease.
In normal English; the music would have the direct effect of relaxing the body and mind by utilizing know sound therapy concepts. Our bodies and minds respond in a de-stressing way allowing maximum healing and serenity.
Many early reports of the effects of this album came from grateful parents who found that it calmed their children, especially on long car rides. The music transformed the kids out of their “Are we there yet?” attitude to a “We’re here, now.” state of being. Some other positive feedback we received in regards to using this album (besides the obvious; yoga and massage) were hospice, anxiety and insomnia.
How was this achieved? In part, through the use of tone, timing, and intuition.
For example, the first track, Ong Namo, is set in a D minor Dorian mode, which is known to give music a timeless, primitive feeling. Over the past few hundred years, Dorian (and a host of other music modes) went out of favor as the European dominance of musical composition limited the majority of popular tunes to classic C major or minor modes. But the Dorian mode has persisted here and there, its fans being drawn to the ancient, and even Oriental moods that are evoked by its sound.
A bit of popular music has been written in Dorian mode. For example, songs such as Greensleeves, Along Comes Mary and Scarborough Fair can suggest feelings of medieval times. The darker side of Dorian mode can be heard in classic rock tunes such as Another Brick in the Wall, Eleanor Rigby, Billie Jean, and the Moog synthesizer solo from Light My Fire. And now you have Ong Namo to add to the list.
“Timing is everything.” Anonymous
Then there's the beat. “Ong Namo is in a 7/4 time signature which is very unusual. To contrast, most modern music is in patterns of 4, 8, 16, etc. When the conductor says “ A one, and a two, and a three…” we plug right in to the pattern, we know exactly where the “and a four” is going to land. But there are many other time signatures used in the more ancient music traditions of Asia and Africa and they all exert different effects on our minds and bodies. The 7/4 timing, seven beats in each phrase, draws us into a hypnotic state, a trance mind, where the listener can become spellbound by the way the "eight" beat never arrives. After seven counts the scale begins again. But the eighth beat’s absence is noted by the unconscious, leaving one mesmerized when the cycle starts over. It can be very euphorically relaxing, like the gentle rocking of waves helping you drift off into bliss.
WWMJD?
A big part of creating Ong Namo, and the whole album, was intuitive. We spent untold hours listening and drifting off to la-la land and if it didn’t feel right we reworked it until it was. And it was difficult work to stay awake, paying attention while letting the music lull us into altered brain states. And we always asked WWMJD? Literally, when confronted with a production decision we would ask each other, “What would Michael Jackson do?” Since I had been blessed to closely observe him make his musical magic I set a standard that, like Michael, we would accept nothing short of our absolute best. No matter how difficult or frustrating, we would keep working the mix until we knew in our hearts we had “it.”
Long before I produced any music, long before I was a musician, I sat in recording studios from L.A. to Milan with some of the greatest record producers of our time, to watch and soak up what they were doing. As a “chiropractor to the stars” I was given opportunities to see behind the scenes and my natural curiosity allowed me to learn by paying attention and asking questions. Luminaries of the studio such as Hugh Padgham (Genesis), Don Was (Stones, Bonnie Raitt), and Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen) were more than generous with sharing what was on their minds as they sat at the control board and created musical history. These experiences were invaluable in informing my intuitive sense when it came to actually producing recordings of my own.
An intuitive side note: We unintentionally released this album exactly 40 years to the day after Sgt. Peppers came out.
“Speech is silver, silence is golden.” – Midrashic Biblical commentaries, 600AD
We thought a good way to end this album would be silence, a time to reflect and let the effects of the healing vibrations permeate into our hearts and souls. So we decided to let there be a stretch of quiet at the end, several minutes in fact. And then Jason Carter brought up the concept of a “hidden track.”
This is when a new song begins after a period of silence. But you can’t get to the extra track by clicking to the next song, it is still part of main song with a gap in between. It is “hidden” and meant to be a surprise when it plays. Although The Beatles and Nirvana, to name a few, used this technique it is not really a popular thing to do. So we asked, “WWMJD?”
Sara had a little phrase she wanted to include in the album but we never found the right spot for it. People still tell me that they've listened to the album dozens of times and are surprised when they finally discover the hidden track. When Sara’s melodic, almost whisper “Oh God, my being is divine” breaks the silence and brings the listener back to home planet the real end of the album is moments away.
I was never able to play this music for Michael Jackson before he was gone. But from the way he was always so supportive and generous I like to think he would have had something nice to say. He was that kind of guy...
TRACKS
1. Ong Namo 11:39
2. Ocean 8:49
3. Mool Mantra 10:21
4. Within You Without You 8:14
LYRICS/CREDITS
Ong Namo
Humbling oneself before the Divine in all - Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo
Guitar, zils – Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Additional vocals – Kalea Wiseman
Tabla – Mark Powers
Keyboard drones – Jason Carter
Ocean
Bowing before the primal, feminine life force, the peaceful Mother ocean
Adi Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Pritham Bhagawati, Kundalini Mata Shakti, Namo Namo…Om Shanti Om
Guitar, hand percussion & the gong – Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Didgeridrone - friendly spirits
Mool Mantra
There is only one Creator of all creation…this will always be true
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Karta Purakh, Nirbhao Nirvair, Akal Moort, Ajooni Saibhang, Gurprasad, Jap, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach
Guitar, rainstick – Steve Koc
Vocals, piano – Sara Wiseman
Cymbals – Mark Powers
Within You Without You
The Beatles revisited
Guitar– Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Tabla – Mark Powers
Keyboard drone – Benjy Wertheimer
Tamboura - Michael Stirling
Original music by Steve Koc
Published by Chaka Groove ASCAP ©2007 all rights reserved
“Within You Without You” by George Harrison, SONY/ATV Tunes LLC dba ATV Northern Songs Catalog © 1967 all rights reserved
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jason Carter at Wavelength Multimedia Salem, Oregon, www.wavelengthmutlimedia.com
Original album art by Steve Koc ©2007
Martyrs of Sound gives Thanks and Praises: God and Our Families, Jason Carter, John Doan, Mark Powers, Dog Skulls, Tim Knight, Julie Hoy, Layne Young, and Hollee Haas. Extra special thanks to Kaley, Charlie and Emma. We love you!
Mantra Chill
2007
The concept behind this album was to create a sound-healing tool.
In new age speak; the vibrations (in the form of songs) would transport the listener into an altered state of consciousness resulting in peace, love, and all around enlightenment. This needed to be accomplished with no effort on the listener’s part. It had to work as a pure cause and effect reaction; so long as one heard it, the body, mind and spirit would respond.
In scientific terminology; we were looking to create sounds that would result in an aural-neural-endocrine stimulation (ears, nerves, and glands) causing a parasympathetic nervous system response. This is the relaxed state of wellness, no adrenalin, all systems at ease.
In normal English; the music would have the direct effect of relaxing the body and mind by utilizing know sound therapy concepts. Our bodies and minds respond in a de-stressing way allowing maximum healing and serenity.
Many early reports of the effects of this album came from grateful parents who found that it calmed their children, especially on long car rides. The music transformed the kids out of their “Are we there yet?” attitude to a “We’re here, now.” state of being. Some other positive feedback we received in regards to using this album (besides the obvious; yoga and massage) were hospice, anxiety and insomnia.
How was this achieved? In part, through the use of tone, timing, and intuition.
For example, the first track, Ong Namo, is set in a D minor Dorian mode, which is known to give music a timeless, primitive feeling. Over the past few hundred years, Dorian (and a host of other music modes) went out of favor as the European dominance of musical composition limited the majority of popular tunes to classic C major or minor modes. But the Dorian mode has persisted here and there, its fans being drawn to the ancient, and even Oriental moods that are evoked by its sound.
A bit of popular music has been written in Dorian mode. For example, songs such as Greensleeves, Along Comes Mary and Scarborough Fair can suggest feelings of medieval times. The darker side of Dorian mode can be heard in classic rock tunes such as Another Brick in the Wall, Eleanor Rigby, Billie Jean, and the Moog synthesizer solo from Light My Fire. And now you have Ong Namo to add to the list.
“Timing is everything.” Anonymous
Then there's the beat. “Ong Namo is in a 7/4 time signature which is very unusual. To contrast, most modern music is in patterns of 4, 8, 16, etc. When the conductor says “ A one, and a two, and a three…” we plug right in to the pattern, we know exactly where the “and a four” is going to land. But there are many other time signatures used in the more ancient music traditions of Asia and Africa and they all exert different effects on our minds and bodies. The 7/4 timing, seven beats in each phrase, draws us into a hypnotic state, a trance mind, where the listener can become spellbound by the way the "eight" beat never arrives. After seven counts the scale begins again. But the eighth beat’s absence is noted by the unconscious, leaving one mesmerized when the cycle starts over. It can be very euphorically relaxing, like the gentle rocking of waves helping you drift off into bliss.
WWMJD?
A big part of creating Ong Namo, and the whole album, was intuitive. We spent untold hours listening and drifting off to la-la land and if it didn’t feel right we reworked it until it was. And it was difficult work to stay awake, paying attention while letting the music lull us into altered brain states. And we always asked WWMJD? Literally, when confronted with a production decision we would ask each other, “What would Michael Jackson do?” Since I had been blessed to closely observe him make his musical magic I set a standard that, like Michael, we would accept nothing short of our absolute best. No matter how difficult or frustrating, we would keep working the mix until we knew in our hearts we had “it.”
Long before I produced any music, long before I was a musician, I sat in recording studios from L.A. to Milan with some of the greatest record producers of our time, to watch and soak up what they were doing. As a “chiropractor to the stars” I was given opportunities to see behind the scenes and my natural curiosity allowed me to learn by paying attention and asking questions. Luminaries of the studio such as Hugh Padgham (Genesis), Don Was (Stones, Bonnie Raitt), and Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen) were more than generous with sharing what was on their minds as they sat at the control board and created musical history. These experiences were invaluable in informing my intuitive sense when it came to actually producing recordings of my own.
An intuitive side note: We unintentionally released this album exactly 40 years to the day after Sgt. Peppers came out.
“Speech is silver, silence is golden.” – Midrashic Biblical commentaries, 600AD
We thought a good way to end this album would be silence, a time to reflect and let the effects of the healing vibrations permeate into our hearts and souls. So we decided to let there be a stretch of quiet at the end, several minutes in fact. And then Jason Carter brought up the concept of a “hidden track.”
This is when a new song begins after a period of silence. But you can’t get to the extra track by clicking to the next song, it is still part of main song with a gap in between. It is “hidden” and meant to be a surprise when it plays. Although The Beatles and Nirvana, to name a few, used this technique it is not really a popular thing to do. So we asked, “WWMJD?”
Sara had a little phrase she wanted to include in the album but we never found the right spot for it. People still tell me that they've listened to the album dozens of times and are surprised when they finally discover the hidden track. When Sara’s melodic, almost whisper “Oh God, my being is divine” breaks the silence and brings the listener back to home planet the real end of the album is moments away.
I was never able to play this music for Michael Jackson before he was gone. But from the way he was always so supportive and generous I like to think he would have had something nice to say. He was that kind of guy...
TRACKS
1. Ong Namo 11:39
2. Ocean 8:49
3. Mool Mantra 10:21
4. Within You Without You 8:14
LYRICS/CREDITS
Ong Namo
Humbling oneself before the Divine in all - Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo
Guitar, zils – Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Additional vocals – Kalea Wiseman
Tabla – Mark Powers
Keyboard drones – Jason Carter
Ocean
Bowing before the primal, feminine life force, the peaceful Mother ocean
Adi Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Pritham Bhagawati, Kundalini Mata Shakti, Namo Namo…Om Shanti Om
Guitar, hand percussion & the gong – Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Didgeridrone - friendly spirits
Mool Mantra
There is only one Creator of all creation…this will always be true
Ek Ong Kar, Sat Nam, Karta Purakh, Nirbhao Nirvair, Akal Moort, Ajooni Saibhang, Gurprasad, Jap, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach
Guitar, rainstick – Steve Koc
Vocals, piano – Sara Wiseman
Cymbals – Mark Powers
Within You Without You
The Beatles revisited
Guitar– Steve Koc
Vocals – Sara Wiseman
Tabla – Mark Powers
Keyboard drone – Benjy Wertheimer
Tamboura - Michael Stirling
Original music by Steve Koc
Published by Chaka Groove ASCAP ©2007 all rights reserved
“Within You Without You” by George Harrison, SONY/ATV Tunes LLC dba ATV Northern Songs Catalog © 1967 all rights reserved
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jason Carter at Wavelength Multimedia Salem, Oregon, www.wavelengthmutlimedia.com
Original album art by Steve Koc ©2007
Martyrs of Sound gives Thanks and Praises: God and Our Families, Jason Carter, John Doan, Mark Powers, Dog Skulls, Tim Knight, Julie Hoy, Layne Young, and Hollee Haas. Extra special thanks to Kaley, Charlie and Emma. We love you!