Chip Dunbar and Peter van Gorder in the control room of GrooveFarm Studios, Sebastopol CA
Terra Nova is based in Sebastopol, CA and consists of Chip Dunbar, Sara Winge, Ted Dutcher and Peter van Gorder.
1. Say Goodbye (Chip Dunbar) – Chip: vocals and electric mandocellos; Blair Hardman: bass; Ted: sonic ray and bug; Peter: drums.
You don’t know what you got till it’s gone.
2. Raven (Sara Winge) – Sara: vocals, waterphone and guitar; Chip: vocals and Wall of Mandolins; Ted: bass; Peter: talking drum and djembe.
A haunting song about contemplating mortality. The spectral sound in the beginning (and sprinkled throughout) is the Waterphone.
3. Groundswell (Terra Nova) – Chip: balalaika, violins and octave violin; Peter: dumbec and djembe; Ted: bass; Sara: waterphones and guitar.
Middle-eastern flavor in three parts. The first section is based on a Shiftatelli rhythm and highlights balilika and dumbek. Then the Waterphone changes everything. The djembe hits a Belladi-like groove, and is joined by the Bug, spring guiro and the Fiddles of Doom.
4. All Sides (Chip Dunbar) – Chip: vocals and mandolin; Sara: vocals and guitar; Ted: bass; Peter: drums.
A Libran point of view of the world situation (which is desperate, as usual).
5. The Hills of North California (Tony Askins) – Sara: vocals and guitar; Chip, vocals, fiddle, mandolin and mandocello; Ted: bass; Peter: talking drum, djembe, percussion and drums.
A plea to pay attention to the natural order around us.
6. Across the Moors (Chip Dunbar) – Chip: mandolin, octave violin and guitar; Sara: guitar; Ted: bass; Peter: didgeridoo, talking drum, djembe and drums.
Inspired by a visit to the Yorkshire Moors.
7. Another Street (traditional proverb, music – Chip Dunbar) – Chip: vocals, guitar and violin; Sara: vocals; Ted: bass; Peter: surdo and drums.
Chip based this song on a Tibetan proverb about learning from life’s mistakes.
8. Aztecquorum (Terra Nova) – Bart Hopkin: bentwood chalameau; Chip: udu utar drum (clay drum); Kim Atkinson: bamboo stamping tubes, butu and groovestick; Sara: bamboo jaw harp; Ted: dual wind wands, Peter: dijeridoo, bamboo jaw harp, groovestick; Blair Hardman: bass.
Layers of interesting sounds from the experimental instruments of Darryl DeVore, Bart Hopkin, and Richard Waters (check out Bart’s Hendrix-worthy solo from the bentwood chalameau) .
9. Moonrise in Mojave (Sara Winge) – Sara: vocals and guitar; Chip: vocals and electric mandocellos; Ted: bass; Peter: drums; Kim Atkinson: congas; Bobby Lee: pedal steel; Tim Haggerty: piano and organ.
Written on a road trip to Lost Wages (Las Vegas). Appreciating the big and little things in life.
10. Livefeed (Terra Nova) – Peter: didgeridoo, drums; Ted: glass coffee mug, bass and batutu; Sara: vocals and waterphone; Chip: electric mandocello.
Trippin out on the dance floor. This started with a groove on a coffee mug and grew from there.
11. Twice as Hard (Chip Dunbar) – Chip: vocals and electric mandocellos; Sara: vocals; Ted bass: Peter: drums.
A crunchy tune about dealing with the tough stuff. Watch out for those painted demons…
12. Peace Begins with Me (Nancy Vogl) – Chip: vocals and guitar; Sara: vocals; Ted: vocals and bass; Peter: drums.
An anthem about taking responsibility for your own little piece of the world. Easier said than done.
Basic tracks recorded at Zone Recording (Cotati, CA), additional recording at GrooveFarm Studios (Graton, CA). Mixed and mastered by Warren Dennis Kahn at Banquet Sound Studios in Santa Rosa, CA.
