Through the Prism - A Closer Look

A lot has happened in the past year regarding my involvement in compos, and my creative output in general. In the latter half of 2012 I launched The Duosis Mixtapes, a podcast made entirely out of derivative material. It initially provided context for my music entries from competitions; rather than release my Duosis tracks as an endless series of singles, I merged them to create cohesive, themed episodes. After a while I started to make entire episodes from scratch instead of producing tracks for compos. This led me to consider making conventional albums again. Thus the seed for Through the Prism was planted.

The album was conceived as an alternate soundtrack to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. As some people have guessed from the title and cover art, the concept is based on the supposed theory that the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon synchronizes with the film. Rather than do a Pink Floyd cover album, I wanted to produce an original work that deliberately plays off of the visual imagery of Oz. The end result would effectively be an alternate score and therefore would have recurring themes. Melodic lines in the first half of the Through the Prism are rearranged in the second half, just like elements in the early scenes of the film come back later when Dorothy reaches the Land of Oz.

You may wonder if Through the Prism has to be played alongside a copy of the film in order to appreciate it. While it was fun composing and editing the album to match the on-screen activity, I see the music as a standalone work that merely has an audiovisual bonus. People may in fact loop the album two or more times to cover the entire length of the film, but there is no guarantee that the synchronicity will work after the first go-around. Through the Prism is set to be released on March 8, which happens to coincide with a certain other take on Oz. Now that’s what I call a tie-in.

JH Sounds – Through the Prism track list

01. Sepia Skies

02. Seeds We Sow, Part I & II

03. The Lord

04. True Haranguer

05. Genius Stroke

06. Forecast Horizon

07. Skies of Hue

08. Almighty

09. City Stroll

10. To the Hangar

11. We're Off

12. Vertex Fields

13. Softshoe

14. Bistro

15. Young in Heart