Équator

Equator was the sixteenth album released by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1985. It marked the studio return of bassist Trevor Bolder, who had rejoined the band for the Head First tour. The band also had a new record label, Portrait Records, a subsidiary of CBS…

BBC - Equator with Simon Reeve (2006)
HDTV | 1280x720 | .MKV/AVC @ 3606 Kbps | 3x~59min | Audio: English AAC 128 kbps, 2 channels | Subs: English | 4.77 GiB
Genre: Documentary

Simon Reeve travels to paradise beaches, dense rainforests and towering volcanoes on a 40,000 kilometre journey following the invisible line around the world. For most people, the equator is just an imaginary line around the globe but in this series Simon Reeve comes face-to-face with the reality. On a 40,000-kilometre journey, he reveals the equator as a unique region of our planet; home to both the world's greatest concentration of human poverty and natural biodiversity. Beneath the sweltering heat of the equatorial sun lie paradise beaches, strange foods and exotic wildlife, along with some of the world's most extreme terrains: dense rainforests, towering volcanoes and perilous rapids.

The shimmering textures and sparkling patterns on these eight immersive, buoyant dream-fragments began with electric guitar improvisations Erik Wøllo looped in his living room in Norway, utilizing a style first heard on his 2022 Inversions EP. Following the spontaneous and intimate beginnings, Wøllo expands the horizons by seamlessly adding speckles of synthesizers and sequenced rhythmic elements to the sonic excursion built upon his guitar and looping pedal compositions. This minimal album is characterized by simplicity and clarity across the forty-five minutes of emotionally engaging ambient pieces. These tracks invite listeners into a realm where innovation meets passion. Unfolding like a musical narrative, the evolving harmonies and melodic motifs captivate the senses. The interplay between the various guitars and synthesizers creates a harmonious dialogue, engaging from start to finish.

Percussionist Jim Brock gets first billing on this CD that he co-leads with Van Manakas, but Manakas' guitar is the main solo voice, he contributed all nine originals, and he is largely responsible for the date's success. The music ranges from being classical-oriented to funky to atmospheric, and there is even a slight amount of straight-ahead jazz. Manakas dominates the proceedings and is joined on various selections by Brock (whose colorful sounds from his percussion set uplift the music), keyboardist Gary Marcus, electric bassist Steve Kim, drummer Rick Dior, Phil Thompson on reeds, and Alan Kaufman on accordion. This intriguing set is worth giving a few listens to.

Equator: "Rivers of the Sun" The mighty Amazon River is the lifeblood of the jungle. For half a year, freshwater fish flourish in floodwaters that rise among the trees and then, as the waters retreat, these fish face a six-month drought. The enduring Amazon is both a time capsule for ancient animals and a hothouse for the evolution of new species.