PANGAEA
Stephen Bacchus



Pangaea(pan gae a): The term used to describe the vast
supercontinent that was to have existed on earth over
225 million years ago, before breaking up into the
continents of the present day. Made up of Gondwanaland
in the Southern Hemisphere and Laurasia in the Northern
Hemisphere, Pangaea was surrounded by a vast superocean
called Panthalassa.



Stephen Bacchus has taken his inspiration from this concept
and created music using instruments and environmental sounds
from nearly all the continents of the world. Combined with
this are state-of-the-art sythesizers and samplers, which
together form an exciting new blend of World music and New
Age music, known as New Age World Music. Some of the
instruments on this release include the gamelan from Java,
panflute, the Japanese koto, silver flute, as well as Djembes
and other drums and percussion of Africa.

THE STORY OF PANGAEA

Pangaea was the vast supercontinent that existed on earth over 225 million years ago, before breaking up into the continents of the present day. The recently completed continent extended almost from pole to pole, formed a barrier in the way of ocean currents and planetary winds. This huge land, bordered or traversed in many places by the still lofty mountains remaining from the collisions of its birth, should have been very dry in its interior, and dominated by monsoons to a degree not seen even in present India. The extensive redbeds, salt deposits, and dune sands confirm that during its brief existance, much of Pangaea was a harsh, arid world not unlike present central Asia. It was surrounded on all sides by an enormous superocean called Panthalassa, which reached from pole to pole and extended at the equator over about 80 percent of the circumference of the earth. Water much warmer than that of the western Pacific today bathed the east coast of Pangaea. The circulation of the ocean currents of Panthalassa, and hence of the atmosphere, was more sluggish than now. Consequently, drought and periods of heavy rain might last for months or even years. .The gingko tree, the Cycads and the treeferns made up the tropical jungles of Pangaea. Through these marshes lush with fern trees, conifers and giant club mosses, a river meanders toward a swampy bay. A dragonfly the size of a dinner plate swoops past.The icecaps were located at high latitudes, and the sunny and dry subtropics had an abundance of evaporites, deposited on desert saltflats and in coastal saltpans. Based on our understanding of today's climate, we surmise wet west coasts in the temperate zones, and much rain on the equatorial east coast.
Pangaea gradually divided into two supercontinents -- Laurasia in the northern hemisphere and Gondwanaland in the Southern hemisphere. Laurasia was made up of North America, Europe and Greenland and Gondwanaland included most of South America, almost the whole of Africa, Madagasgar, India, and Antarctica. The space between them was occupied by a sea called the Tethys.


WHAT PEOLPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "PANGAEA"



"One of the most moving albums I have heard in a
long time. The concept is beautiful and the
music bears that out."
Renee Gelpi
CELEBRATION STARSONG
CIUT-FM Toronto, Canada

"The best New Age album I have heard in the last four
years."
Mychael Danna
Academy Award Winner for music for The Life Of Pi

"Very simply, this is one the finest debuts that has come
our way in years."
Lloyd Barde
BACKROADS DISTRIBUTORS
Corte Madera, CA

"A masterwork!" DIMENSIONS MAGAZINE
Toronto, Canada

"Pangaea is a transformative musical experience"
SOURCES MAGAZINE
Toronto, Ontario

"Combines natural sounds and music brilliantly.
The best album of its kind ever!"

Tom Plewman
MADRIGAL CLASSICAL RECORD SHOP
London, Ontario, Canada

"Refreshing, innovative and highly evocative!
The imagery and feeling of prehistoric Earth is
captured beautifully."

Peter Roth
GIFTS FROM THE EARTH
Toronto, Canada