The Brightness of the day is bigger than the bed (Music for Dance & Film Vol 2)
The Brightness of the Day..... is a compilation of instrumental works made for live dance performances and films created in New York & San Francisco, mostly over a five year period. Some pieces date back further. As with his previous work, Whitehead makes extensive use of unusual or self-made acoustic instruments, this time with the addition of sampling & electronics to his palette. The result is an assortment of pieces, as diverse as the dance & film projects they were made for. The music ranges from richly textured orchestrations & soundscapes, to a Latin flavored guitar jam, to minimalist electronics, to rock, to a circus-like accordion. Track 6, composed for legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, moves from ambient electronics to driving, celebratory rock. Track 1 uses more conventional orchestration to provide the atmosphere for Ralph Arlick's introduction to his film Following Sean, an aerial view of the approach to a modern city. Track 12, one of several composed for choreographer Susan Marshall, sets a series of haunting, sparse, melodic fiddle phrases over an abrasive, grinding, metallic backing track. Track 11 makes use of minimalist phrases played on a failing electric toy piano. A number of other tracks are purely electronic, some using samples of Whitehead's self-made acoustic instruments. The final track, composed for a children's museum, is the sound of an exuberant, exploding washing machine.

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Adamantine
This music was created as a live score for New York choreographer Susan Marshall's 2009 dance performance "Adamantine", first performed at Montclair State University, New Jersey in March of that year. The music marks a departure for Peter in that it incorporates electronic keyboards as well as the acoustic instruments he is better known for, often blended together in one composition.

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Under the Gun
More beautifully crafted songs from multi-instrumentalist Peter Whitehead, fill this follow up to now this with dark and rich soundscapes that feature Peter's amazing range of handbuilt instruments and heartfelt vocals, highlighting yet again his ability to compose intricate arrangements around lovely melodies.

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Now This
Introspection, humor, rich soundscapes, memorable melodies, inventive arrangements, well crafted lyrics and original instruments, from a British-born singer /composer/ instrument builder. Featuring spike fiddles, lyres, mandolins, cellos, junk percussion, tapes, toys, banjos, canjos, panjos and other original inventions.

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OOR CD003

Three Bags Full
Soundtracks and scores for Dance and Film. This collection features a number of instrumental pieces composed and played by Peter, all selections from his numerous dance and film scores, created for San Francisco Bay Area choreographers and film-makers over a period of roughly four years. The music is lyrical as well as rhythmic. Rich in texture and atmosphere as well as melody. Features a number of the artists original self-made instruments.

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GISELLE
Giselle was created as a score for choreographer Brechin Flournoy's modern adaptation of the classical ballet "Giselle." The story is based on an obscure Eastern European folk tale. The sixty minute score was composed and played by Peter Whitehead using a variety of instruments which he either bought during his travels or constructed himself. He also used a number of 'found' instruments and toys. The result is a richly textured weave with a variety of timbres, all of which blend together into a musical narrative which follows the story of Giselle, a young peasant girl who dies of a broken heart and passes to the underworld.

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