CATEGORY CHANGE: FYC - Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
ABOUT:
"OCEANS" is Jennifer's 8th studio album (released June 7th, 2024), consisting of 15 epic piano based orchestral masterpieces blending classical, contemporary, and cinematic elements. Jennifer started writing the music for Oceans in 2020 during the pandemic and it took her 4 years to complete. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London and featuring the utmost quality as you have come to expect from the music of Jennifer Thomas.
Oceans is unique from a stylistic point of view for Jennifer as she explored the use of layering of multiple pianos and piano FX. The album's sonic landscape carries themes throughout that involve the multi-layered piano as well as string bends and electronic FX and SFX that really bring the listener into the world of Oceans.
The album includes the brilliant orchestration by film score composer Glen Gabriel. Three of the songs are two-piano duets: "The Metamorphosis Suite" (based on themes from the Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto), and "Transcendence" (featuring pianist/composer Ryan Stewart alongside Jennifer). Jennifer also makes her vocal debut as the lead vocalist on her original song "You Carried Me Home", and her cover of Coldplay's "Something Just Like This". Jennifer is also joined by the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Alexa Ray on "The Siren and the Sailor", and her cover of "Mermaids" (Pirates of the Caribbean 5: On Stranger Tides by Hans Zimmer/Eric Whitacre).
"Oceans" was artistically mixed by 7-time Grammy Award winning mixer Brian Vibberts, who also mixed it in 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
Listen on Apple Music
Listen in Dolby Atmos on Tidal
“Oceans” demands more than a cursory 30-second listen. Darkness. Light. The emotions change in waves. This is music rich in layers, meant to be savored and appreciated. So take a seat, connect your best speakers, and let the music transport you into the vast, majestic, and mystical world of Jennifer Thomas’s “Oceans”.
–Natasha Barbieri, Editor, Classical Crossover Magazine
CREDITS
PRODUCERS:
Produced by Glen Gabriel and Jennifer Thomas
COMPOSERS:
All songs composed and/or arranged by Jennifer Thomas
(Tracks 7, 8, 9, & 10 are arrangements/covers and credits are listed below in photo credits).
Orchestral scores composed by Glen Gabriel
Orchestral transcriptions by Anthony Weeden
PERFORMERS:
Piano and multi-layered piano FX performed by Jennifer Thomas, with Ryan Stewart as a co-writer and co-performer on piano 2 on "Transcendence".
Vocals on "You Carried Me Home" and "Something Just Like This" performed by Jennifer Thomas.
Vocals on "Mermaids" and "The Siren and the Sailor" performed by Alexa Ray.
Vocals on "Transcendence" performed by Ardy.
Orchestra performed and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England
Conducted by Matthew Slater and Anthony Weeden
Musicians contracted by Isobel Griffiths, LTD
Choir recorded at Funk Studios, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Directed and contracted by Jane Fjeldsted
ENGINEERS
Mixed by Brian Vibberts
Mixing Assistant: John Morabito
Recording Engineers: Brian Vibberts (Abbey Road Studios), Michael Greene (Funk Studios, Salt Lake City, UT)
Recordist: George Oulton
Assistant Engineer: Neil Dawes
Mastered by Christofer Stannow (Cosmos Mastering, Stockholm, Sweden)
The following films are part of the "Oceans" project - all directed, produced, and edited by Jennifer Thomas, cinematography by her husband Will Thomas.
Film released already:
- Oceans -
- The Lighthouse -
- Underwater Carnival Ride -
- The Siren and the Sailor -
- You Carried Me Home -
Films coming Fall/Winter 2024/2025:
- Pirates Cove -
- Just a Teardrop in the Ocean -
- Sea of Diamonds -
- You Carried Me Home (A Cappella Version)
