Traces of Time (Remastered) by Emerald Web

This is the remastered version released Jan 2024.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Emerald Web (Bob Stohl and Kat Epple), was a husband and wife duo who each played both synthesizers and flutes, and were pioneers in Electronic Music and music technology. They created a melodic brew of Fantasy, Space, and New Age music from 1977-1990 on an array of analog synths which were “state of the art” (now-vintage) analog synthesizers including Lyricon 1 Electronic Wind Instrument, Arp 2600, Moog, sequencers and many more, along with acoustic instruments such as flutes, World Instruments, and voice.”Traces of Time” was Emerald Web’s eighth of twelve albums, and was originally released in 1987 on cassette tape. It was subtitled “A Musical Anthology” and was a collection of fan-favorite music tracks from previous Emerald Web albums from the 1980s, and three new recordings, including “Variations on Pachelbel’s Canon.” The album’s original 4 track reel-to-reel master tapes were meticulously baked, restored, archived, and re-mastered for this digital download release.In addition to recording the albums in their studio, Emerald Web also composed film scores for PBS, Apple Computers, famed-astronomer Carl Sagan, and others.

They were renowned for their live performances which took place in alternative venues such as Planetariums, Astronomical Observatories, science museums, caverns, the redwood forest, Academy of Sciences, The Oakland Zoo, and Science Fiction conventions. There were not a lot of Electronic Music bands playing live in concert because of the difficulty and complexity of performing on these early analog synthesizers and sequencers which had volatile memory, drifting intonation, and no pre-programmed sound banks. Emerald Web’s concerts also incorporated visual elements, including contemporary dance, live artist painting, lasers, liquid projection, computer animation, photography, and analog video feedback projected on fabric screens

This album features the Lyricon 1 Electronic Wind Instrument, which is an unusual hybrid synthesizer/woodwind that uses additive synthesis and a bass clarinet mouthpiece to create a variety of sounds on this album such as oboe, synthesizer, violin, cello, electric guitar, French horn, and contra bass. The song “Valley of the Birds” also features Bob and Kat playing soaring flute harmonies and melodies together, along with their sequencers, keyboards, tape echo, and foot pedals.

“Traces of Time,” was remastered and reissued on vinyl Jan 2024, on “Stoned to Death” Record Label based in Czech Republic. The following is a link to an excellent new review by Bradford Bailey for the international music website/Zine, Soundohm (Italy).