Sahara (Ney version)

Arabic ney track. Intermittent ney phrases with elaborate ornamentation and an improvisatory feel, accompanied by a tense drone, anticipatory percussion and subtle snaking string parts. Mysterious, tense and thoughtful, an unsettling build, powerful background music for a documentary set in the Arab world.

Version available without percussion.

Oud versions available.

      Sahara_Ney-JPM_version
      Sahara_Ney_No_Perc-JPM_version

Sahara (Oud version)

Arabic oud track. Fragmented melodic phrases on oud, accompanied by a tension-building drone. Subtle percussive hits add further anticipation. Suspenseful, atmospheric and mysterious, the perfect soundtrack to a Spaghetti Western set in the Middle East.

No percussion version available.

      Sahara_Oud-JPM_version
      Sahara_Oud_No_Perc-JPM_version

Endless Sands

Oud instrumental with strings drones. Oud improvisational melody with a string drone building atmosphere and tension. Intermittent percussive snare rumbles punctuate the drone. Rhythmic percussion introduced and some vocals and a short expressive but subtle ney interlude. Anticipatory, mysterious and exciting, perfect evocative Arabic instrumental to soundtrack documentaries or travel shows.

Alt versions have a more free and meandering feel.

      Endless_Sands-JPM_version
      Endless_Sands_No_Percussion-JPM_version
      Endless_Sands_No_Percussion_Sparse-JPM_version

Clarity

Cretan-Irish fiddle track. Droney, sustained fiddle notes, melodic rounds over the drone, becoming more Irish in flavour as the tune progresses, before taking an Arabic turn with percussion and doubled fiddles. Hynotic, meditative, earthy and lively, perfect for a documentary set in the Middle East or Eastern Mediterranean, a beautiful, fluid fusion of musical cultures.

      Clarity-JPM_version

No More Rain

Spanish guitar instrumental with cajon and flute. Melancholy melody played on guitar with subtle percussion, ornamented flute joins on melody. Guitar break with Flamenco-like hand claps. Sparse guitar section joined by subtle shaker. Romantic, passionate and slightly desolate, a delicate dance, the perfect accompaniment to an onscreen love story set in the summer heat of Andalusia.

      No_More_Rain-JPM_version

Cura Saz

Turkish saz instrumental. Improvisatory solo on Turkish saz, resembling the Arabic oud, as well as lute or guitar. Improvisations end on repeated refrains. Melancholy and meditative, bringing to mind desert plains and traditional ways of life, imagine a Spaghetti Western set in Turkey. Perfect folk music for an Arabic or Turkish documentary.

      Cura_Saz-JPM_version

Mantis

Folk fusion instrumental on Cretan lyra and fiddle. A cirucular melody on Cretan lyra is doubled on fiddle and joined by subtle percussive hand claps, sounding at once like Austrian mountain folk without the yodelling and like a weaving Middle Eastern melody. Thoughtful and open yet formulaic in its structure, wandering music for an epic nature walk, perfect for a travel or nature documentary.

      Mantis-JPM_version

Oud Taksim

Improvisatory oud track. Meandering oud solo, measured and spacious, with pauses full of resonance and contemplation. Expressive, contemplative and meditative, perfect music to accompany a middle Eastern landscape on screen, vast, beautiful and unpredictable.

      Oud_Taksim-JPM_version

Blue Dusk

Atmospheric orchestral string track with electronic drones, vocal samples and Arabic-style percussion. Other-worldly ambient intro of vocal effects and muted sustained orchestral strings. Percussion joins, tambourine and hand drums, giving a Middle Eastern influence. Piano and string break. String drones and percussion resumes, choral effects added, lending gravitas and sense of awe and wonder. Powerful, atmospheric and mysterious, perfect for a historical, Middle-Eastern Film/TV/Documentary scene, sounds of a storied past.

      Blue_Dusk-JPM_version

Puddle Pondering

Hypnotic improvisational string track on Cretan lyra. Layers of overlapping Cretan lyra play drone-like modal phrases. At 3 minutes, the various lines come together along with added percussion, to form a more driving, unified, full melody, growing in intensity with hints of Irish folk music and Arabic music, to a powerful ending. Mesmerising, contemplative and experimental, singular sounds for a documentary looking at lesser-known cultures, spiritual places or undefinable combinations of cultures.

      Puddle_Pondering-JPM