POLYΦONIC / Moments in Time
‘Moments in Time’ is the second album within the ‘Cosmosaic’ series by Ancient Infinity Orchestra (released in December 2020). It is the prequel to; ‘Things that used to be on Earth’ (released in 2019).
The compositions paint a timeline through our planet’s history. Starting from the beginning of the universe, then to the gradual forming of stars and planets, the balance of elements and greenhouse gases, streams, rivers, plants, creatures large and small, all the way through to the emergence of human beings and the sudden, more rapid transformations of our planet. Each track represents just a few pivotal points in our Earth’s story, as we begin to look outward, back into the universe that created us and wonder its many mysteries.
The album was recorded on the 3rd and 4th of March in 2020, which happened to be just before the national lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak. During lockdown, I found myself with plenty of time to mix the tracks and work on the post-production aspects to the album that I had in mind with Giorgos Kravvaritis (Polyscope). This included the insertion of field recordings and finding ways to create the continuous flowing structure for the album that I had imagined.
Some compositions are extremely open with little in terms of parameters: key words to reflect on, a snippet of melody, a subject matter, a specific instrumentation or a limitation to be creative within. By contrast, other compositions are specifically detailed and more thoroughly composed. The versatility of the musicians involved was essential to bring my vision of this project to life.
Ancient Infinity Orchestra is an ensemble led by bassist and composer Ozzy Moysey. The group features a flexible line-up, with a core of 11 musicians, often collaborating with dancers for live performances.
The group does not affiliate within a specific genre, it attempts to emulate the diversity of life and sound found on Earth or perhaps imaginations of other worlds (in the context of the Cosmosaic series of albums). An openness and fearlessness to explore sound is the way of the band. Performances are often described as a cosmic and meditational experience.
The group is based in Leeds, UK.