sound library
Celebrating Two Years of AMAZONAS on Vinyl
Bill Cutbill has just released a brand new music video for Land of the Fireflies; a track taken from the full-length album AMAZONAS.
The video features previously unseen footage from Bill's trip in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Join him as his native guide, Nonato, paddles deeper and deeper into the darkness in a simple wooden boat with limited provisions.
The release of this video marks the second anniversary of AMAZONAS on vinyl, which was released by Safe Sounds with a very special show at the Cameron House.
Speaking of Land of the Fireflies, Cutbill told us:
"I was privileged to spend a week in the Amazon, some of which we spent camped in the middle of the bush sleeping in hammocks with only mosquito nets for protection. It felt dangerous but at times it was also surprisingly peaceful!
"We didn't have much with us, so our guides had to do some spear fishing at night in the shallows for our dinner. The fish were sleeping in the water and Nonato and Gilmar shone a torch down and speared them. In the music video, you can see some of the footage from that moment.
"That's what the poem is about in the middle of the track which is read by my brother Ryan, because one of the fish was a stone fish and it was a crazy ugly thing with a really hard shell-like skin.
"After we had been fishing, my guides then took me down to an area where there were millions of fireflies nesting in the banks of the river. It was crazy, because everything is so dark when the sun goes down in the Amazon, but suddenly it was like being in Disneyland – so many lights, such a unique sound.
"I actually recorded the sounds of the fireflies, which I cleaned up and included as part of the Amazonas Sound Library, which is a free resource of natural Amazon sounds... so you can listen to that here if you want to be transported there.
"I loved being in the Amazon rainforest so much. It really does feel like a dream now looking back.
"I was checking my files recently looking for something else when I came across this music video. After writing, recording and promoting the album so intensely, I think I was just burnt out at the end of it all and didn't end up putting this out originally.
"I would love to go back and I hope my two trusty guides (Nonato and Gilmar) are doing well again after the pandemic put a stop to tourism."
There are limited copies of the Safe Sounds AMAZONAS vinyl left, which can be purchased on Bandcamp or directly by emailing us for more information.
You can alternatively create your own unique version of the artwork and download AMAZONAS for free (with a recommended donation to the Rainforest Trust) here.
Sonja and Friends Mix by DJ Cutbill
DJ Cutbill has a new mix out today via the Sonja and Friends series. Bill was set the challenge to work around soundscapes, so this is a (mostly) tranquil mix combining the sounds he recorded in the Amazon rainforest with a downbeat vinyl set.
A few shoutouts to Canadian faves BADBADNOTGOOD and Paul Jacobs who appear on this mix, but don't let these names fool you as there is still very much an electronic edge overall.
Bill's Amazonas Sound Library, if you didn't already know, is a free resource for filmmakers, musicians and creatives. You can listen to the raw files and download them here.
Check out the full Sonja and Friends series now.
Gloin Remix EP Arrives Today - Sft Mnstr Rmxd
Toronto heavyweights Gloin, have today released a full remix EP called Sft Mnstr Rmxd - listen here. The original EP, 'Soft Monster', has been reenvisioned track-by-track by Lia Braswell, Teepy Slime, Ceremony East Coast, Moss Harvest and our very own Bill Cutbill.
Bill Cutbill's AMAZONAS remix makes use of the free sound library of Amazon jungle samples Bill unleashed upon the world in 2020. The library features 100+ samples he recorded in Brazil, and is free for artists, filmmakers, musicians and creatives to download and use in their endeavours.
Please check out the sounds of the Amazon now, and if you use any of the samples, all you gotta do is reference Bill's Amazonas Sound Library as one of your sources!
Bill would like to thank Gloin for inviting him to be a part of this release -
"I spend a lot of time hiding under the ground so that I can pretend I'm swinging between the trees. This project gave me something to focus on. Without the shackles and limitations of rules, I had a great time exploring the possibilities within the stems I was given.
"Starting with the bass and guitar lines, I found joy in pitch-shifting the two to create some new melodic paths. Having been given multiple drum channels, I then loaded them all into a session and pulled individual stems back or forward to find new rhythms from the original recordings. The bleed from the mics adds natural counter-rhythms and by finding areas that gave me satisfaction, I was able to create loops using the existing drums that had a completely different feel and supported the new melodic direction.
"Adding a combination of original synth samples and others I generated using a Juno-106 (which I believe I'm right in saying was the same instrument used on Gloin's original track), I finally layered the vocals take-by-take to create something that I hope will prove soothing to listeners out there in the great unknown.
"If you enjoy the track, please consider downloading AMAZONAS and making an optional donation to the Rainforest Trust to protect the endangered rainforest and the species that call them home."
AMAZONAS Arrives Worldwide To All Platforms
Bill Cutbill's debut LP, AMAZONAS has arrived worldwide via Safe Sounds (SS108).
The album will raise money for the Rainforest Trust charity to protect threatened tropic rainforests and the species that call them home. As such, it is free to download via desktop for a limited time, at which point you will be prompted to make an optional donation.
Using our incredibly snazzy Artwork Generator (desktop only), you will also be able to create a unique version of the AMAZONAS artwork to accompany your download, consisting of photos that Cutbill took in the Amazon rainforest in September 2019.
To support this release further, you can follow Bill on Spotify and throw the album on repeat. Please also consider sharing this release with your friends, family and worst enemies.
The AMAZONAS LP features a diverse range of field recordings that Cutbill made in a threatened ecosystem. We are therefore pleased to announce the accompanying — Bill's Amazonas Sound Library — which is a free resource of over 100 natural samples recorded in the Amazon rainforest that artists can use in their creations.
These samples have been cleaned and prepared to make them suitable for musicians, filmmakers, artists and more. We hope that this resource will provide an important snapshot of the Amazon rainforest and also give comfort to people who want to immerse themselves within this lush environment, at a time when international travel is almost impossible
Remember, we must all work together to save the Amazon rainforest.
