AMS Publication

CD



STARSHINE CD+DVD

released in 2009

STARSHINE

The music of “STARSHINE” travels further to explore the spiritual inspiration and ethnic roots that create A Moving Sound’s uniquely transcendent music. This new release also includes a DVD with exciting footage of AMS concerts around the world and site specific happenings you have to see to believe!

The title track, “Starshine” is inspired by the Eastern spiritual concept of reincarnation, the soul’s journey through life after life, evolving and learning. The chanting you hear in the song is derived from a Buddhist chant used to help guide the soul from one life to the next at the time of death.

Other songs on the CD explore cultural influences in and near to Taiwan. Aiding us in this is guest artist Yi Chun who performs several songs on an unusually haunting instrument called the “satar”. This instrument has a long neck and is played like an erhu but has a set of sympathetic strings like a sitar, it was brought to Taiwan from western China.

You will also find the playful spirit of A Moving Sound in “Toh De Gong” which is an ode to the earth God of the same name. There are many small temples found all over Taiwan for this somewhat “local” god who is quite easy to offend…. luckily it doesn’t take much to make him happy again so things work out alright after all. In “The Master Sighs”, you’ll experience a mysterious journey with a surprising conclusion.

To purchase the CD internationally please go on line to:


Songs Beyond Words

released in 2007

Songs Beyond Words

Breathtaking vocals from Mia Hsieh woven together with erhu , zhong ruan and more take the listener on a richly theatrical musical voyage. Catch us on the Discovery Channel’ Six Degree. CD package by Grammy nominated designer Qing-Yang Xiao.
●“one of the most original outfits working in the world music arena today.” --Tom Pryor, WorldMusic.NationalGeographic.com, former ed. Global Rhythm
●“an exciting new development in the progression of Chinese music… joyous, evocative and enchanting.”--The New York Public Theater

To purchase the CD internationally please go on line to:


Little Universe

released in 2004, new packaged in 2009

little universe cover

This CD was originally named "Pacus's Trip" for A Moving Sound’s self-released version which is carried on line internationally at the above links. "A Little Universe" was released by TCM and is sold in most Taiwan record stores.

This CD was recorded with our core group Mia, Scott and Alex and several very special guests. Pieter Thys brought his amazing guitar techniques, Eduardo Campos a very respected Brazilian percussionist added a special richness and color to the drum tracks and George Chen a talented pianist and arranger contributed lovely lush piano parts to several songs. This CD is the official arrival of A Moving Sound to Taiwan (and to earth, really) after two years of developing songs and a basic sound identity based on Mia's voice, Scott's composition's and Alex's incredible versatility on Chinese instruments and all sorts of percussion. The CD has been praised for its effortless crossing of stylistic and cultural boundaries, beautiful melodies and avante garde originality.

"The first full-length CD from popular multi-media performance troupe, A Moving Sound, is an eclectic blend of instrumental ethnic harmonies, atmospheric ambience and highly distinctive vocal techniques.

Formed in 2001 in New York, A Moving Sound productions have since become regular crowd pleasers whenever it takes the stage at venues such as Taipei's Witch House. Embracing the talents of the troupe's three core members-- US national Scott Prairie, Taiwan's Mia Hsieh and Alex Wu--and with the help of great musicians such as Belgian Pieter Thys and Brazilian Eduardo Campos, the CD makes for a harmoniously pleasing listen.

Enticing listeners from the off with "Rain Forest", a tune that lulls the listener into a false sense of new age-ness only to burst into life after three minutes with a magnificent salvo of Gypsy/Middle Eastern tinged vibes, this CD exposes the listener to a smorgasbord of world-beat sounds.

Be it the African influenced "Mongani", the Aboriginal -sounding "Crossing the Usuli", the off-center and Tom Waits-like "Cabaret", the Balkan /Adriatic sound of "The Crying Song" or the jerky indie pop-like City Adventure", A Moving Sound creates an audio space that arouses, amuses and bemuses."

To purchase the CD internationally please go on line to:


Other CDs


Other CDs are available directly through A Moving Sound (but more distribution is on the way!) They are as follows.

This is a special CD. Some of it was made within the month that Mia and Scott first met in New York City. Basically Scott, recognizing the incredible "chemistry" and creativity that was happening in performance work with Mia, got a studio and his drummer roommate and they all created songs "on-the-spot". The music that resulted was wild and tender and full of the magic and spontaneity of good improvisers first meeting. The songs have vocals, drums, bass and French horn. It's somewhat on the experimental side, but still very melodic in the style of A Moving Sound. Several other songs on the CD, solo vocal pieces by Mia using her sampling device, were made six months later in Taipei. Anyone who has seen A Moving Sound's live shows know that these meditative, beautifully layered pieces are an amazing trip through your imagination.

--by Scott

Our music comes very directly from feelings it is not written down. I feel this is a most powerful way to create. In our music project I am both collaborator and director .I make it my goal to provide "containers" or structures for us to create in. Often I create a foundation and Mia flies from it with her amazing voice and creative energy. It's very exciting for me to work this way.

My strongest sense of creating is to make art that in some way demonstrates the process of a person becoming free. I feel the listener can sense this liberation in our music, a feeling of pushing beyond fear and it's limitations. It is my hope that the listener can take and use this sense of freedom in their own life. For me this is the greatest purpose of art.

--by Mia

For me voice is like a dance, a moving sound traveling inside the body. I especially love the unique vocal expression in traditional folk music, which is real and direct. I'm attracted to both the primitive and modern qualities of it. I also like to explore the possibility of making sound, speaking and singing in a humorous and experimental way. The process of vocal improvising is like a meditation.All the cells in my body vibrate with each wonderful sound wave; without expectation, without resistance, I'm purely present and free.

Scott actually has a few other identities other than that of "A Moving Sound"’s co-founder. Scott composed and performed for ten years in New York City and before that as a singer-songwriter. His songs are very personal and melodic. Some think that his training as a classical French Horn player forever gave him a love of beautiful melody. However before you think his music might sound like "Enya" know that some of Scott’s biggest influence’s are "Lou Reed", "The Violent Femmes" and "Brian Eno". This first collection emphasizes, full band recordings some of which were made at the famous rock band studio of "Trans AM" in Washington D.C. and others made in Dayton OH with the drummer of the even-more-famous band "Guided By Voices". The songs have a great personal pop power that will touch your heart and keep you singing them again and again.

This collection of songs has a greater range than the first one, with some more carefully produced songs done in New York City studio’s, including some with producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth). Some of these songs feature the beautiful, soulful voice of collaborator Kelly Moylan and a host of cello’s and pianos. On the other side of the CD are a few very intimate home-recorded tracks done on Scott’s four-track machine with bass or casio keyboard. The CD concludes with two songs in which Scott worked with several respected NYC DJ’s. This collection has a bit more theatrical quality, exploring personal and universal challenges with a wide artistic palette.

This CD is for the true psychic adventurer, not afraid to go into the wildest realms of sound and imagination. In this CD containing all improvised music, Scott performs on electric bass, vocal, etc, with incredible NYC drummer Kevin Shea who has been featured on a number of underground releases on the "Touch and Go" record label. With him is the noise/rock master guitarist Mark Tierney who now makes his home in the Czech Republic. The CD is very emotional and theatrical in a sort of beautiful drunken punk sort of way, going to extremes of noise and subtle beauty, sometimes in the same song. Check it out if you like thrills and spills.