Les Jardins Mystiques Vol.1

THE DEBUT ALBUM - Out Now

“The beauty of art is that it lovingly challenges us to step into our infinity. It gives us enough joy and reassurance to continue into all these unknown territories…”

- Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

14 years in the making, “Les Jardins Mystiques Vol.1” comprises 52 tracks / 3.5 hours of music composed, arranged and produced by Miguel with contributions from 50+ friends including Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, DOMi & JD Beck, Jeff Parker, Carlos Niño, Austin Peralta, Bennie Maupin, Gabe Noel, Jamael Dean, Jamire Williams, Burniss Travis II, Deantoni Parks, Josh Johnson, Marcus Gilmore and many more.

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Les Jardins Mystiques (lay jzar-dan mee-steek)

(The Mystical Gardens)

All Music Written, Produced, and Arranged By Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Mixed by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson & Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić
Mixing Engineer: Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić
Mastering Engineer: Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios
Recording Engineers: Be Hussey, Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić, Chris Harbach, Chris Rondinella, Maxmilian Sink, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Nature Photos, Art Concept, and Direction by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Artwork by David Crunelle
Album Layout by Adam Stover

Vol. 1 Musicians:

Allakoi Peete, Alison Bjorkedal, Ambrose Akinmusire, Andres Renteria, Anthony Parnther, Artyom Manukyan, Asher Shasho-Levy, Austin Peralta, Benjamin Shepherd, Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić, Bennie Maupin, Brandon Coleman, Brian Walsh, Burniss Travis II, Carlos Niño, Chris Lea, Daniel Rosenboom, Daniel Rotem, Deantoni Parks, Devin Daniels, Dexter Story, Domitille Degalle (DOMi), Gabe Noel, Garrett Smith, Gene Coye, Greg Paul, Greg Spero, Jamael Dean, Jamire Williams, JD Beck, Jeff Parker, Joey Dosik, Josh Johnson, Josh Nelson, Justin Brown, Kamasi Washington, Katisse Buckingham, Kharon Harrison, Lara Somogyi, Liza Wallace, Marcel Camargo, Marcus Gilmore, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Nick Mancini, Peter Jacobson, Pete Korpela, Sara Andon, Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner’, Timothy Angulo, Trevor Ware, Vardan Ovsepian

Disc One:

(14 songs, 70mins)

track one: Kiseki (4:47) (key-SEH-key) (Japanese for Miracle)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin, Reversed Acoustic Violin/Viola/Cello), Bennie Maupin (Bass Clarinet), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Flute), Josh Nelson (Piano), Marcus Gilmore (Drum Set)

One of seven songs on Vol. 1 that use reversed music. Reversed music has become an obsession of mine, probably stemming back from my teenage love of The Beatles. There’s an aquatic, psychedelic, poetic expansiveness that I experience whenever I listen to reversed music. Impressionistic art in all it’s forms is one of the styles that I relate to most and reversed music certainly activates that for me personally.

track two: Persinette (1:45) (pur-si-net)

(French literary fairy tale, written by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, published in the 1698 book Les Contes des Contes. This is the story that eventually became Repunzel 100 years later in Germany.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola), Burniss Travis II (Electric Bass), DOMi (Keyboard), JD Beck (Drum Set)

track three: Narva (0:41) (naar-vuh)

(municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, at the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus. The city of Narva is the country's third largest after Tallinn and Tartu.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Midi and Synth Programming)

track four: Eudaimonia (10:09) (yu-die-MOH-knee-ah)

(Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of 'good spirit', and which is commonly translated as 'happiness' or 'welfare'.)

This song was recorded during the session that would eventually become the very first session towards Les Jardins Mystiques March 20, 2011. This was recorded at the legendary KPFK studios and was heavily made possible by Carlos Niño, Mark Maxwell, and Benjamin Tierney. Austin is forever one of my most endeared friends and closest collaborators, having significantly positively affected my life forever. This session will forever remain one of my most treasured experiences in this lifetime. Austin is truly unparalleled in my life and in the lives of so many others. I Love you Austin!

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Viola) Austin Peralta (Piano)

track five: Porpita (3:28) (POR-pita)

(marine organism, also known as ‘Blue Button’ consisting of a colony of hydroids found in the warmer, tropical and sub- tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Arabian Sea. Distantly similar to a jelly fish.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin, Reversed Piano/Sleigh Bells), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Benjamin Shepherd (Electric Bass), Brandon Coleman (Reversed Hammond Organ), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Chris Lea (Reversed Flute/Alto Flute), Jamire Williams (Drum Set), Jeff Parker (Electric Guitar), Josh Nelson (Piano), Kharon Harrison (Reversed Drum Set), Trevor Ware (Reversed Acoustic Bass)

track six: Nazo No Tenkai (1:20) (nah-zo no ten-kye) (Japanese for ‘Mystery Unfolding’)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming) Justin Brown (Drum Set)

track seven: Mångata (3:24) (moan-gah-ta)

(Swedish word that describes the reflection of the moon on water. It refers to the wavy, road-like shape that appears across the water when the moon is shining on it. It consists of the prefixes Måne meaning moon, and gata meaning street/road. So it is sometimes indirectly translated as "moon-path", "moon-river", or “moon-track”.)

Josh Nelson (Piano)

This composition is subtly influenced by and dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven and the 1st movement of his Moonlight Sonata written in 1801. I am infatuated with Beethoven on numerous levels, and forever in awe of the fact that once he lost his hearing, his compositions speak to me the most, and perhaps it’s fair to say that his hearing improved.

track eight: Ano Yo (12:29) (ah-no yo)

(Japanese word meaning 'the other world.' My composition here is not only referring to all things related to life after death, but also all things 'other'- which i'm interpreting as things less off the beaten path, and things not fully explored and understood. So, in that sense - I'm also interpreting the word Ano Yo to mean 'opportunity', which in my opinion, is always in the here and now.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin, Sleigh Bells), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Daniel Rotem (Tenor Saxophone), Devin Daniels (Alto Saxophone), Gabe Noel (Electric Bass), Gene Coye (Drum Set), Greg Spero (Piano), Lara Somogyi (Harp), Liza Wallace (Harp)

track nine: Zarra (0:58) (Urdu for ‘Atom, Particle’) (ZAH-rah)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track ten: Kairos (Amor Fati) (14:04) (kye-ross) (AH-more FAH-tee)

*I have many different recorded sections/versions of an over arching composition called ‘Kairos’. To differentiate the various recordings, I have included a second title in parenthesis after the first word ‘Kairos’.
(Kairos: Greek for the perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place) (Amor Fati: Latin phrase that may be translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola), Alison Bjorkedal (Harp), Brian Walsh (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Chris Lea (Flute), Daniel Rosenboom (Trumpet), Garrett Smith (Trombone), Josh Nelson (piano), Katisse Buckingham (Alto Flute), Marcus Gilmore (Drum Set), Sara Andon (Bass Flute), Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner (Electric Bass)

This treatment of my composition Kairos is subtly influenced by one of my all time favorite recordings- the inaugural recording of my hero Wayne Shorter’s composition Nefertiti as recorded by the Miles Davis Quintet in 1967 (released in 1968) on the album ‘Nefertiti’, in which the entire recording contains the ensemble GENIUS-LY exploring one chorus after another of the 16 bar form, while the melody is continuously iterated. In my song ‘Kairos (Amor Fati)’ I loosely go in and out of employing the same approach, but not as overt, and use my orchestrations as an improvisational voice.

track eleven: Magnolia (Aisling) (1:49) (ASH-len)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola)

track twelve: Cho Oyu (8:56) (cho-oh-YOU)

(Cho Oyu is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at 8,188 metres above sea level. Cho Oyu means "Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin, Sleigh Bells), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Electric Bass), Jamael Dean (Piano), Jamire Williams (Drum Set), Lara Somogyi (Harp), Liza Wallace (Harp)

I’m not a mountain climber, but I am an avid lover of the outdoors and have enjoyed a lifetime of hiking on Mt. San Jacinto in California. I adore looking at pictures of mountains all around the world and opening up my own internal dialogue with them. I think each mountain is holy in its own way. To my great surprise and delight, after I penned and recorded my song ‘Cho Oyu’, the most amazing documentary was released a couple years later called ’14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible’ which Cho Oyu is featured. My composition Cho Oyu centers around the awe the mountain inspires and the humility I personally feel being in dialogue with the spirit of the mountain itself. This recording is from a live show at the holy Blue Whale performance space in Los Angeles, California.

track thirteen: Matumaini (4:48) (maw-two-my-ee-knee)

(Swahili: hope. belief that something wished for can happen)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

I finished this composition soon after returning from my first and only trip to Africa in 2018 where I was fortunate enough to perform ‘Suite For Ma Dukes’ with my 12 piece ensemble at the Cape Town Intl Jazz Festival. My dad’s side of the family’s ancestry is originally from West Africa and I for sure felt my ancestry speaking loudly and proudly while there. Seeing and feeling first hand the residual affects of the apartheid in South Africa made a lasting impression. I think some of the emotions of feeling angry at the crimes against humanity resulted in me writing a composition that includes some feelings of trying to rip off layers of skin in order to expose a self so powerful that it can somehow right all of these wrongs, honor those that became before us, and protect everyone moving forward.

track fourteen: Zoticus (1:04) (ancient greek: full of life) (zoh-tee-KOHS)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

Disc Two:

(18 songs, 70mins)

track one: Légäsi (8:35) (lay-GAW-see) (having fun with the pronunciation of the word Legacy)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Alto Saxophone), Josh Nelson (Piano), Marcus Gilmore (Drum Set)

I truly think everyone has their own potentially beautiful and meaningful legacy, however long lasting and impactful or not. It is a very beautiful thing to me, and I chose to honor that feeling with this composition. The funny pronunciation I gave the word legacy was coming from a desire to dramatize it because I think there is soooo much that goes into continuing to fully develop oneself.

track two: Votivus (1:37) (VÓ-tee-vus)

(Latin: of or given under a vow, dedicated in fulfillment of a vow or pledge)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi/Synth Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Timothy Angulo (Drum Set)

track three: Querencia (1:41) (kay-REN-see-ah)

(Spanish: a place from which one’s strength is drawn, where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authentic self)

Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Benjamin Shepherd (Acoustic Bass), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Jamael Dean (Piano), Jamire Williams (Drum Set), Jeff Parker (Electric Guitar), Kamasi Washington (Tenor Saxophone), Nick Mancini (Vibraphone)

track four: Kundinyota (2:36) (koon-deen-yo-ta) (Swahili: constellation)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track five: Dragons of Eden (1:39)

(The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence is a 1977 book by Carl Sagan, in which the author combines the fields of anthropology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and computer science to give a perspective on how human intelligence may have evolved.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Ambrose Akinmusire (Trumpet), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Alto Saxophone), Josh Nelson (Piano), Marcel Camargo (Electric Guitar), Marcus Gilmore (Drum Set)

track six: Eunoia (6:13) (you-NOH-iea) (Ancient Greek: well mind; beautiful thinking’)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Viola), Artyom Manukyan (Acoustic Cello), Brian Walsh (Clarinet), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Alto Saxophone), Pete Korpela (Percussion), Vardan Ovsepian (Piano)

track seven: Znaniya (Falkor) (3:55) (zee-NAH-knee-ya)

*I have many different recorded versions of ‘Znaniya’. To differentiate the various recordings, I have included a second title in parenthesis after the first word ‘Znaniya’. (Znaniya: Russian for ‘Knowledge’)
(Falkor (also called Fuchur, German, Falcor or Falcore), is a luckdragon and the first dragon in the series. He is one of the main characters from The Neverending Story, appearing as the deuteragonist/tritagonist.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track eight: Tzedakah (9:52) (tse-dah-KAH)

(Hebrew: living in right relationships with God or with others, demonstrated by fairness, charity, and trust.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola/Cello, Yamaha DX7 + Roland D-550), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Asher Shasho-Levy (Oud), Benjamin Shepherd (Electric Bass), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Daniel Rosenboom (Trumpet), Gabe Noel (Bouzouki), Garrett Smith (Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone), Jamire Williams (Drum Set), Jeff Parker (Electric Guitar), Josh Nelson (Piano), Liza Wallace (Harp)

This is a very special track to me. It was created in many different stages stemming back to one of the first compositions (‘Doom Raider’) I wrote after Flying Lotus asked me in 2010 to do an album for Brainfeeder. I essentially recorded a version of that live in the studio with some of these musicians, edited a section of it that became the body of the new composition ‘Tzedakah’ as heard here, overdubbed on it live with Carlos Niño, then arranged and orchestrated on top of that, and created a coda section. My personal relationship to the concept of Tzedakah is that of a daily vivacious stepping into my own infinity, ever evolving authenticity, and wish to have some type of positive presence/impact in the world.

track nine: Apocrypha (2:00) (uh-PAW-kruh-fuh)

(Ancient Greek: 'the hidden [things]') are the biblical books received by the early Church as part of the Greek version of the Old Testament, but not included in the modern Hebrew Bible. They were excluded from their canon by the non-Hellenistic Jews, centuries after the Christian scriptures were compiled. Their position in Christian usage has been ambiguous.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track ten: Asherah (2:58) (a-shay-RAH)

(in ancient Semitic religion, is a mother goddess who appears in a number of ancient sources.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Viola), Artyom Manukyan (Acoustic Cello), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Flute), Vardan Ovsepian (Piano)

track eleven: Plotinus (0:31) (plo-TIE-nus)

(Plotinus was a philosopher in the Hellenistic tradition, born and raised in Roman Egypt. Plotinus is regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of neoplatonism. Neoplatonist beliefs are centered on the idea of a single supreme source of goodness and being in the universe from which all other things descend.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track twelve: Kairos (Kefi) (5:09) (KYE-ross) (KAY-fee)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi + Orchestral Programming), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming), Burniss Travis II (Electric Bass), DOMi (Keyboard), JD Beck (Drum Set)

track thirteen: Qumran (4:49) (koom-RAAN)

(region in NW Jordan, near the Dead Sea: site of the caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts first found in 1946/47 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Benjamin Shepherd (Electric Bass), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Jamael Dean (Piano), Jamire Williams (Drum Set), Jeff Parker (Electric Guitar), Kamasi Washington (Tenor Saxophone), Nick Mancini (Vibraphone)

track fourteen: Makaria (1:51) (maw-kah-REE-ah)

(Ancient Greek: happiness, bliss, blessedness, blessed death)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track fifteen: Kupaianaha (8:26) (koo-pie-yah-NAW-ha)

(Hawaiian word for amazing, strange, surprising or wonderful and it may have influenced surfers who had grown up with Howdy Doody. "Cowabunga" appeared in a 1965 Peanuts cartoon in which Snoopy uses the word whilst surfing, and in surfer movies of the time.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola, Yamaha DX7 + Roland D-550, Reversed Piano) Alison Bjorkedal (Harp), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Peter Jacobson (Acoustic Cello)

This is a very special track to me in that it is based upon a meaningful solo piano improvisation that I did at my beloved KPFK 90.7 studios many years ago, then reversed, improvised upon, and composed/orchestrated further upon. The vibration that it evokes is one that is very special to me and is meant to inspire awe, wonder, and open-mindedness/heartedness.

track sixteen: Taijasa (4:50) (tie-ee-JAH-sah)

(Sanskrit: which means endowed with light, brilliance, being in dream, dream consciousness)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Viola), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Deantoni Parks (Drum Set), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Marcel Camargo (Electric Guitar)

This is a song of hope, friendship, teamwork, patience, vision, strength, and tender heartedness. It’s basically a song to describe that if we have a vision in our heart that we believe deeply enough in, that despite the trials and tribulations that we might experience, if we continue to hold space for that vision, it will eventually blossom in a way more amazing than we initially envisioned.

track seventeen: Vesta (1:27)

(Roman goddess of the hearth and home, 2nd largest asteroid in the solar system)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola/Cello)

track eighteen: Ziggurat (1:32) (ZIG-goo-raht)

(in ancient Mesopotamia) a rectangular stepped tower, sometimes surmounted by a temple. Ziggurats are first attested in the late 3rd millennium BC and probably inspired the biblical story of the Tower of Babel)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

Disc Three:

(20 songs, 70mins)

track one: Ziya (3:19) (ZEE-yah)

(Turkish given name for males and females, it is of Arabic origin, in Turkish Ziya means light.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Viola), Artyom Manukyan (Acoustic Cello), Brian Walsh (Bass Clarinet), Carlos Niño (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Josh Johnson (Alto Saxophone), Pete Korpela (Percussion), Vardan Ovsepian (Piano)

track two: Scar (6:37)

Josh Nelson (Piano)

This song is about how potentially beautiful the function of scars can exist in our lives depending upon the ongoing relationship that we have with them. We all experience hardship, confusion, heartbreak, etc and often it can create an emotional and/or physical scar in our life. It can be beyond devastating, horrifying, and traumatic to our core. This song is dedicated not only to the traumas in our life- but to the potential beauty that they can give birth to if we choose to continually evolve. I am most certainly a work in progress, but many of the most meaningful and beautiful things in my life have come as a result of choosing to funnel those experiences into creating value for myself and the world around me.

track three: Let the Light Shine In (1:07)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola/Cello), Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass)

This is a song dedicated to the reality that even if the multiverse is conspiring to help us in anyway- that if we’re closed off to that, we might not be able to receive and perceive those blessings.

track four: Komorebi (2:48) (koh-moh-REH-bee)

(Japanese: sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola, Voice) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track five: Daydream (4:08)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track six: Dream Dance (12:47)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Gabe Noel (Electric Bass), Josh Johnson (Alto Saxophone), Greg Paul (Drum Set), Jamael Dean (Piano)

track seven: Apotheosis (7:58) (elevation to divine status)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Reversed Keyboard, Acoustic Violin/Viola), Alison Bjorkedal (Harp), Daniel Rosenboom (Trumpet), Garrett Smith (Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone), Peter Jacobson (Acoustic Cello), Sara Andon (Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute)

Igor Stravinsky is one of my biggest inspirations. I’ve been obsessed with him ever since I was around 10. When I was around 15, I had the huge fortune to be able to play his ballet ‘Apollo’ with my main youth orchestra. The whole thing is a total masterpiece, but in particular, the last two moments of the ballet spoke to me and forever been two of the most influential pieces on me. One of them is entitled ‘Apotheosis’ and conveys a similar feeling to which I tried to convey here. Like the Phoenix rising out of the ashes, despite the suffering we experience, we are blessed with the chance to rise, and rise again despite the inconceivable odds that we may feel. As we struggle and find some way to rise, I can’t help but to feel some type of divine energy that transcends our being.

track eight: Magnolia (Astronomia nova) (1:43)

*I have many different recorded versions of ‘Magnolia’. To differentiate the various recordings, I have included a second title in parenthesis after the first word ‘Magnolia’. (Astronomia nova: book, published in 1609, that contains the results of the astronomer Johannes Kepler's ten-year-long investigation of the motion of Mars.

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track nine: Moksha (6:12) (MOKE-shuh) (Sanskrit: Liberation, Release or Emancipation)

Alison Bjorkedal (Harp), Carlos Niño (Percussion)

track ten: Datsuzoku (2:12) (daw-zoo-zo-koo)

(Japanese: a break from habit or daily routine, an escape or freedom from the ordinary; a life unbounded by convention)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Electric Violin, Acoustic Violin/Viola, Voice)

The concept of Datsuzoku to me partially represents the relevance for us to continue to cultivate open mindedness. I feel like the pathway to having a breakthrough in life at any given moment very well may be connected to hearing and seeing things anew and how that type of spirit can lead to not being to deeply ensconced in close-minded habits.

track eleven: Hypatia (3:01) (high-PAY-sha)

(born c. 350–370; died 415 AD) was a neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a prominent thinker in Alexandria where she taught philosophy and astronomy. Although preceded by Pandrosion, another Alexandrine female mathematician, she is the first female mathematician whose life is reasonably well recorded. Hypatia was renowned in her own lifetime as a great teacher and a wise counselor.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola)

track twelve: Kuleana (1:05) (KOO-lee-ah-naw) (Hawaiian for Responsibility or ability to respond)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi + Orchestral Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track thirteen: Aldous (0:34)

(Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books—both novels and non-fiction works—as well as wide- ranging essays, narratives, and poems.)

Anthony Parnther (Bassoon, Contra Bassoon)

track fourteen: Jijivisha (2:35) (gee-GEE-vee-sha)

(Hindi word jijivisha refers to the strong, eternal desire to live and to continue living. It is usually used to talk about people who absolutely love life. It suggests intense emotions and the strong desire to live and thrive.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi and Orchestral Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola), Allakoi Peete (Reversed Percussion), Andres Renteria (Reversed Percussion), Austin Peralta (Reversed Keyboard), Carlos Niño (Reversed Percussion), Daniel Rosenboom (Trumpet), Dexter Story (Reversed Drum Set), Garrett Smith (Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone), Joey Dosik (Reversed Keyboard), Peter Jacobson (Acoustic Cello), Trevor Ware (Reversed Acoustic Bass)

track fifteen: Paititi (0:47) (pie-e-TEE-tee)

(is a legendary Inca lost city or utopian rich land. It allegedly lies east of the Andes, hidden somewhere within the remote rainforests of southeast Peru, northern Bolivia or southwest Brazil. The Paititi legend in Peru revolves around the story of the culture-hero Inkarri, who, after he had founded Q'ero and Cusco, retreated toward the jungles of Pantiacolla to live out the rest of his days in his refuge city of Paititi.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming), Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming), Gabe Noel (Lap Steel)

track sixteen: Airavata (4:30) (eye-raw-VAH-tah)

(is a white elephant who carries the deity Indra. It is also called 'abhra-Matanga', meaning "elephant of the clouds”. Indra is an ancient Vedic deity in Hinduism. He is the king of Svarga (Heaven) and the Devas (gods). He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows and war.)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Reversed Electric Guitar, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Gabe Noel (Acoustic Bass), Peter Jacobson (Acoustic Cello)

track seventeen: Znaniya (Ahura Mazda) (3:54) (zee-NAH-knee-ya)

(Ahura Mazda: Lord of Wisdom in Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, having originated in ancient Persia)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Harp Programming)

track eighteen: Nag Hammadi (1:20) (nog ha-MAH-dee)

(city in Upper Egypt where in 1945 a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts were found)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming, Acoustic Violin/Viola) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track nineteen: Halcyon (1:20) (HAL-see-un)

(denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful))

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Midi Programming) Benjamin Fredrick Vukelić (Synth Programming)

track twenty: Sweet Invitation (2:04)

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Acoustic Violin/Viola/Cello)

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