Tim Morse Remasters and Expands 'Transformation' For 20th Anniversary

06-04-2025

(Glass Onyon) Prog multi-instrumentalist Tim Morse will be releasing a remastered and expanded 20th anniversary edition of his debut album "Transformation" on July 5, 2025! Transformation is a concept album about how a person can undergo a series of events in their lifetime that will ultimately leave him/her transformed as a result of the experience. However, unlike many concept albums, the songs on Transformation can be listened to and enjoyed separately outside of the whole album/concept.

Says Tim, "At the end of last year (producer) Mark Dean and I were observing that 2025 would be the 20th anniversary of my debut album Transformation. We decided that we would celebrate that occasion by releasing a completely new remastered version of the album with bonus tracks. Mark took on the remaster of the original recording and left me to organize the bonus tracks. I decided to put them into three groups, 1. Associated Recordings (music recorded in that era, but not intended for the album), 2. Live Recordings (live songs from Transformation, along with a cover version of the Genesis song 'Dance on a Volcano'), 3. Alternate Mixes and Demos. As it turns out, we found that there was over 60 minutes of bonus tracks, making it an essential album for fans of this music."

"One of the associated recordings became the song 'Sacred Skies.' It was originally written and recorded with only drums, bass and a keyboard pad for one of Mark's guitar students to practice playing different modes. Says Tim, "As a joke my working title for it was 'Mr. Mister' because it had a bit of that band's sound. When the song was rediscovered this year, Mark and I completed it with additional guitar and keyboard parts. I'm very pleased with the hypnotic and spacey atmosphere it conjures."

The recording of the original album was a labor of love - it was a mission in life for Tim Morse and Mark Dean. They wrote, arranged, recorded and mixed for over a year until it was finished. Says Tim, "I'd often work my day job and drive an hour to his recording studio, where we'd start around 6 p.m. and finish at about two in the morning. I'd drive home in the early hours and then start the process all over again. While that might sound exhausting, I actually found the experience exhilarating. I was finally working with a producer who also happened to be a writer/multi-instrumentalist that could help me realize my musical dreams. For example when I told Mark that I wanted to add a Gregorian Chant to one of the songs, he didn't bat an eye. It was the first time I was recording music without looking at the clock in the studio, thinking about the recording budget or worrying about any 'rules' (musical or otherwise). For months it was just Mark and myself piloting the ship with occasional cameo appearances from other musicians."

"The first thing we worked on became the song 'Present Moment.' I had written the music for it in college and performed it as an instrumental with a fusion band I was in at the time. When Mark and I met, we agreed to finish it as a song with lyrics and a vocal melody. The recording of 'Present Moment' became its own progressive rock adventure with layers of keyboard parts, haunting guitar melodies, a 28 voice choir and the incredible lead vocals of Rich Zeller. The live version of this song is the first single from the 20th Anniversary Edition of Transformation."

Prog multi-instrumentalist Tim Morse will be releasing a remastered and expanded 20th anniversary edition of his debut album "Transformation" on July 5, 2025! Transformation is a concept album about how a person can undergo a series of events in their lifetime that will ultimately leave him/her transformed as a result of the experience. However, unlike many concept albums, the songs on Transformation can be listened to and enjoyed separately outside of the whole album/concept.