Mount Abora by Lensflare

released January 8, 2018

Mount Abora

Conceived on the concept of “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.

1 – Alph: the Sacred River 14:12

The Pleasure dome was built by Kubla Khan where the Sacred river Alph ran.
The vision is the one of a dark and obscure river running through “caverns measureless to man”, as reported in the poem.
Synth effects based on FM evolving sounds heavily delayed and deeply reverberating run while some Solina string section fills the air gently sweeping all around. Some Mellotron flutes echoes far away to represent the river flowing slowly.
Suddenly, an LFO’ed constant effect and Mellotron choirs open to an airy pad, intertwined with Minimoog light solo notes.
The LFO’ed efx start to be tumultuous while introducing the main rhythmic bass sequence which is overlapped by a second sequence transposed in higher octaves.
Here the river flow in the darkness of the caverns is described by a panning Oberheim lead accompanied by light string sections up to the end of the track, where the rhythm ends and the flutes appears again to recall the initial theme.


2 – Sunless Sea 12:49

In the “Fragment”, the Sacred River flows to a Sunless Sea.
The darkness of the landscape is reported by a gothic sounding FM synth prepared using phaser and delay. The atmosphere is filled with Mellotron Choirs and Solina string sections, while a pure Minimoog lead waves in background.
It is a still scenario, feeling like a dream, an obscure dream, until the main bass sequence starts pounding gently in rhythmic pulsations, and some synth melodies and prepared lap steel guitar slides reveal the gentle movements of the sea water where the river enters it.
The main sequence gains pressure while a Solina string carpet starts changing atmosphere adding darkness, and a new Oberheim lead brings some aurora borealis lights on the sea surface.

3 – Abyssinian Maid 11:12

A damsel with a dulcimer. With flashing eyes and floating air. Singing of Mount Abora.
The atmosphere remains dark and deep, presenting the Abyssinian maid suspended in a dream between the lifeless ocean and the Sunny dome and caves of ice.
FM prepared synth drones opens the scene to a bright and evolving digital pad insisting on the same note, while a pure minimoog movement gives epics to the scene.
Suddenly Mellotron choirs introduce the main bass sequence, which seems to reveal the ebony curves of the young damsel playing the dulcimer. Various gentle sounding synths colour the air all around to emphasize the sensuality of the damsel’s black skin in the twilight.
The Main sequence becomes agitated and changing to a bright arpeggio and the dulcimer reveals its notes, while played by the black fingers, and airy pads together with LFO’ed effects are the background of another minimoog speech, until the end, where the dreaming atmosphere created by the pads reveal the beauty of the girl’s face.

4 – Fragment: Live at Komorebi (Bonus Track) 12:00