With the latest collaboration between electronic ambient visionary Deborah Martin and renowned oboist Jill Haley, the artists traversed even deeper into sonic playgrounds surrounding acoustic and electronic textures and voicings, melodies and impressionist sound tapestries. Like their previous releases on Spotted Peccary Music, Rendering Time compels with a lightness and poetry that seems an unlikely match with the more prevalent, often darker electronic tones of ambient music. The album exudes with their collaborative spirit, blending instruments and inspiration into something both forward thinking and evoking antiquity: the cascade of the passing ages in ten hypnotic pieces.

Through the melding of their creative backgrounds, Martin and Haley revealed an even more complete submersion into their combined voice. As individual contributions merged, each track is focused on a different approach to composition, evolving as the project progressed, exploring new roles for the artists. Haley contributed vocals to the captivating “From Source.” An ode to the primordial, it conjures images of the first people emerging into untouched land. Haley and Martin’s ethereal vocal elements ebb and flow over a hypnotic beat, as a sylvan oboe melody weaves through the sonic wilderness. “Soaring” is a widescreen vista, led by a cinematic horn melody and held aloft by Martin’s dreamlike acoustic guitar. The closing track “Sunlight and Starlight” builds from gentle texture to a shimmering guitar and oboe harmony, as bright as dew glimmering on morning leaves.

On Rendering Time, Martin and Haley once again demonstrate their mastery at crafting beautiful, visceral soundscapes. As these ten pieces warp and wend through instruments and textures, it is all the journey of existence: a celebration of the natural world and all the beautiful things it calls into being.

Quotes

“What an Extraordinary Exquisite recording of mystical, magical, mesmerizing, and evocative music – a sweeping musical journey not to be missed.  All of the elements intermix and blend beautifully to sweep the listener far away and deeply into the enchanted landscapes these two extraordinary artists evoke and portray.  Is it okay to award 10 **********.  Heartfelt congratulations for the album of the year, if not the entire decade.  Fasten loosely and soar high above and beyond, all the way into and through their vast space free of limits.” Lloyd Barde

“Rendering Time through music is a triumphant work by Deborah Martin and Jill Haley. Their synchronous compositions and melodies truly capture what they are saying through instrumentation’s alone. This observation highlights the value and quality of the audio, which can be considered and appreciated in a tangible way.” Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

Reviews

 Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck on October 05, 2025

The latest collaboration between electronic ambient visionary Deborah Martin and renowned oboist Jill Haley, featuring instrumental tracks on Rendering Time—a title that signifies the duo’s exploration of the concept of time through their music—is a deep dive into the soundscapes of electronic ambient music.

The title track, “Rendering Time,” begins with wordless vocals for a moment, then the track launches into a multitude of layers of synths and oboes, bells, whooshing wind sounds, and more. The ambient textures, reminiscent of a serene forest or a tranquil meadow, transport you to a magical realm of music, perfect for relaxation and reflection.

“Space Within Spaces” is prolific in both wordplay and music, as the duo explores the space within space to place their sounds. The title itself is a clever play on the idea of creating a musical space within the larger space of the album. Jill’s Oboe is resonant and hypnotic as Deborah consistently accentuates her instrument with a variety of sounds, colors, and layers.

“Cenote (Place of Deep Water)” is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. This keeps the strong connection the ladies feel with nature (I am reminded of Jill’s recordings in outdoor venues and national parks). The echoing, reverberating tones of the Oboe are significant, as the lovely bed of synth sounds allows that instrument to effortlessly float over the top while pulling you in and keeping you.

“From Source” begins with a lovely melody, breathy sounds, and the soft beat of a tribal drum. This feels organic and in tune with something ethereal or spiritual, connected to the earth. The ambient layers give it a feeling of some ancient ritual as the Oboe creates an air of mystery. I like the idea of the track title being so animated and thoughtful as the music not only implies but brings to life. Like whisperings in the wind, it calls to you.

“Fitful Dreams” would imply a stressful condition; however, even if the title suggests that music is the eternal healer. The tempo is a bit higher, and there is a lot of movement as you would expect. Although that is true, the ladies do their best to find a place where your consciousness can arrive to let go and relax with the sounds. The synths are layered beautifully, flitting around like a bird in flight, echoing back and forth. The spacey sounds make those uncomfortable dreams disappear.

“Shadow of the Moon” begins with a dreamy soundscape as acoustic guitar and English Horn resonate tones fill the air. I enjoyed how the acoustic guitar was used, creating that atmosphere of a person riding with the moon behind them.

“This Place We Call Home” is more than just a title; it’s a story waiting to be told. The carefully crafted sounds and layers draw the listener into the narrative, creating a sense of engagement and immersion. With the perfect balance of Oboe, English Horn, and ambient synth sounds, this duo has truly mastered the art of storytelling through music.

“Soaring” is like taking a flight on all the tones, colors, sounds, and frequencies of this fantastic musical journey. Although short-lived in comparison to previous tracks, it is one of the most beautiful compositions that utilizes their many talents. Your seat is reserved.

“Secrets of the Talking Trees” is their masterwork, covering 6:58 minutes of spiritual and complete connection with our amazing trees. Their vast roots and underground networks are a wonder of nature. I am certain there is much more to learn about what they do and their importance to humanity, sustaining life on our planet.

This music brings a listener into focus with the swirling, whooshing sounds (like leaves and branches moving with the wind). It’s not hard to imagine walking through a Timberland, hearing these sounds. These marvelous living things process carbon dioxide so we can all breathe, and to think we are constantly cutting them down for wasteful purposes is truly baffling—very engaging and thoughtful music.

“Sunlight and Starlight” is the perfect encapsulation of this auditory journey through sound and nature. Melody, electronics, guitar, and the call of the horn capture one’s imagination and the pure magnificence of the beginning and end of a day. We experience the miracles of the turning globe each day we are here. The synths continue to swirl around the horn sounds as you now feel like everything just came full circle.

Rendering Time through music is a triumphant work by Deborah Martin and Jill Haley. Their synchronous compositions and melodies truly capture what they are saying through instrumentation’s alone. This observation highlights the value and quality of the audio, which can be considered and appreciated in a tangible way.

October 3, 2025

For over 30 years, Deborah Martin has been inspiring listeners with her ambient electronic sensibilities. An award-winning artist and Producer, Deborah works on her own projects and collaborates with other artists in pursuit of creating compositions that defy typical boundaries in the musical spheres. Crafting authentic and powerfully deep expressions in sound, Deborah’s music is always rich and simply beautiful, offering crystal clear perceptions and compelling voyages through an inner realm of ethereal visions, ancestral legends, and timeless places.

Rendering Time is the 23rd project in Deborah’s discography. Her other Spotted Peccary label releases with Jill include 2021’s The Silence of Grace, and 2023’s Into The Quiet. Jill Haley is an oboist, English horn player, pianist, and composer who travels throughout the United States visiting National Parks, often as an Artist-in-Residence, and composes music inspired by the Park while living there. She is an accomplished symphonic orchestra player, teacher, and church musician. Jill continues to appear as a guest artist on recordings created at Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Roads Studio; her many recordings on English horn, and Corin Nelsen and Tom Eaton recorded Oboe.

Exposé Online, Peter Thelen, Published 2025-09-29

The first fifteen seconds or so of the opening title cut let the listener know they are in for something special, a mesmerizing choral sound unlike any other I’ve heard — it seems to have been processed and texturized, while shimmering with beauty, later joined by electronics and melodic orchestral woodwinds. Amid further vocal embellishments, percussion (gongs and hand drums), and synthesizers, the piece embraces a powerful sound palette that drifts and flows throughout, splashing gentle colors and warmth, steadily morphing and stirring, up to its six-minute conclusion. In fact those are the panoramic elements and sonic tapestries that fill the ten tracks that comprise this wonderful new opus by Deborah Martin and Jill Haley, a follow-up to their earlier endeavors The Silence of Grace (2021) and more recently Into the Quiet (2023), their previous collaborations on the Spotted Peccary label. The pieces here are jointly composed and arranged, with elements of orchestral, electronic, and tribal intertwining. Haley is known for her series of works interpreting the beauty of various national parks and monuments, several of which we have covered in these pages; here she plays English horn, oboe, black cedar flute, Yamaha Motif (synthesizer), Taos drum, and vocalizations. Longtime Spotted Peccary artist Deborah Martin plays Yamaha Motif, Roland V-Synth, Spectrasonics Omnisphere, handpan drum, Taos drum, rainstick, acoustic guitar, vocalizations, and more. There are many standout tracks herein — in fact all ten have something unique on offer: “Soaring” wanders through mostly orchestral terrain with some guitar and electronic embellishments, a beautiful melody dominating throughout; “From Source” begins with lush woodwind orchestrations until the shimmering vocalizations, electronics and tribal drum sounds take it to an altogether different place; from its dreamy opening, “Cenote (Place of Deep Water)” brims with scintillating beauty, while “Fitful Dreams” explores the more electronic side with sequences and loops; “Secrets of the Talking Trees” explores a magical forest of stark beauty, while the gentle and dreamy closer “Sunlight and Starlight” wanders the universe with guitar and oboe in tow. An astonishing work that deserves to be heard.

Robin B. James-Igloo MAG.

Deborah Martin is a true force, a multi-instrumental artist who, for over three decades, has inspired listeners with her multidimensional electronic sensibilities blending with traditional acoustic instruments which range from all manner of guitars and drums to Garden Weasel and Wooden Cricket. Here, with this collaboration with Jill Haley, Rendering Time, the oboe and English horn, the resonant black cedar flute, the grounding Taos drums, and the otherworldly handpan meet the Yamaha Motif, Roland V-Synth GT, and Spectrasonics Omnisphere. The amazing time machine album graphic design is by Daniel Pipitone.

Sometimes, the line between electronic and acoustic sounds blurs, a deliberate choice that makes you question what you’re really hearing. Rendering Time completes a trilogy, following 2021’s The Silence of Grace and 2023’s Into The Quiet, each a step deeper into the smooth unknown, on a journey that began with nature as its focal point, that has evolved into more inclusive, expansive themes. This wasn’t cooked up by some soulless AI; every note, every shiver, every unsettling echo is the product of human hands, human breath, human intent. This is the artists’ original work, forged by hands and breath, untouched by the eager hum of artificial intelligence.

Even the raw, primal sounds of primordial voice vocalizations and wind breath vocalizations are woven into the tapestry, recorded and mixed with an almost obsessive precision through a Yamaha N12 Console, Rode NT4 Microphone, and Focal Solo 6Be Monitors. That is part of the beauty of this double palette of sounds—they merge. “Render” itself is a word of many faces: to depict, to tear apart, to transform, to yield, to provide. Each musical composition within Rendering Time depicts a specific idea, a thought, separate yet collective in scope.

The next foundation slowly, terrifyingly, comes together, a sequencer heartbeat that picks up, an interesting flow through the hardwoods and night breezes. “Fitful Dreams” (4:53) thus opens with the rapid, kaleidoscopic drone of flickering flute loops, riding waves into a loop-driven plateau.  It’s an interesting flow through hardwoods and night breezes, as new creatures emerge, from those fluting loops, chanting imps signify in the darkness, their presence just enough to be felt, perhaps not.

The ringing strum of metal guitar strings in “Shadow of the Moon” (4:08) weaves with woodwinds and flute into a dark night, an open sky where something is leaping and hopping. The interplay creates favorite moods and sensations, a unique story etched in gold and darkness, a tribute to the moon’s enduring power. It suggests the cosmos is ever-present, the call of the reeds stylized and haunting.

Strings join woodwinds and a liquid orchestra in “This Place We Call Home” (3:12), continually building, raising hills of splendor. Huge vistas stretch to the horizon, a sky bigger than the earth—a cinematic tableau that walks, stands upright, and moves itself at will through a picture of a place long lingered here and beyond. This is where flight opens wider, an unexpected ascent, a woody buzz, a horn, steel strings strummed and plucked, blending concurrent phenomena into an upbeat and positive swell, “Soaring” (3:45) catapults the listener from darkness directly into bright, infinite skies. Guitar strums, now we are above the world, where flight opens your vista wider than you ever thought possible.

Bowed strings and vibrating tone breaths tumble into an orchestral discussion of many voices, covering varied but consistently calm territory. These mixed textures, rich and vibrant, quiet yet sweeping, reach their crescendo in “Secrets of the Talking Trees” (6:58). The woodwinds, truly the trees’ voices, are assertive, calm, sure, and true. They go on, exchanging hidden truths, all the way across the dark, whispering forest.

Finally, “Sunlight and Starlight” (4:40) tells of neo-lyrical harp fingers on strings, a tragic tension against warm wonder, a cosmic vista straight up from the mountains, cold clouds, pure sunshine burning, sprinkling tiny, swirling lights from harp strums. The oboe lifts, exposing more new, terrifying territory, with a loving harp of cosmic delight, hand drums, and rushing sensations—returning themes and memories that cling to you like cobwebs.

Deborah Martin revels in experimenting with acoustic sounds, even pushing for “primordial vocal sounds” and “wind breath vocalizations” – improvised, raw, and deeply unsettling, especially in “From Source.” She asked Jill to play a Black Cedar flute for that track, adding another layer of unsettling mystery. Her music is rich, beautiful, yes, but always with that undercurrent, offering crystal clear perceptions and compelling voyages into inner realms of ethereal visions, ancestral legends, and timeless, dreadful places. Jill Haley, a woodwind player, pianist, and composer, brings her own enchanting chilling experiences to the table.

Haley visits National Parks, often as an Artist-in-Residence, composing music about the very ground beneath her feet and the trees reaching high above her, towards the fiery sun in the sky, refreshed by the laughing waters. Her signature oboe and English horn are here, mirroring the infinity of our planet and universe, always transforming, torn apart, rebuilt, and moving to another plane of being. And sometimes, when they merge, you can’t tell where the human ends and the echo of something else begins.

It’s a continuous process throughout infinity, our planet and universe constantly transforming, torn apart, rebuilt, moving to another plane of being. Once an audio or video track is rendered, it’s final. And this final album might feel like the last page of a story, one you might not want to finish. The very title, Rendering Time, suggested by Deborah, carries a profound weight. The word “render” means to depict, to tear apart, to transform, to yield. Each song flows seamlessly into the next, a continuous story of us, our planet, our universe, our solar system – growing, changing, always moving, always in its own time and place, with the lingering scent of something ancient and hungry. Indeed, the lines between electronic and acoustic sounds often blur, a deliberate act of artistry, a journey through the echoes of our past, the tremors of our present, and the whispers of a future yet to be rendered.

A Journey Through Sound and Meaning:

Watch their interview on the Music is Art Podcast, Ep. 9

At its heart, Rendering Time explores transformation—birth, life, death, and beyond. Deborah Martin reflects: “We are born, we live, we die. This is a continuous process throughout infinity, as our planet and universe are always transformative.” 

Jill Haley adds: “I truly feel that I am given a gift from the beauty surrounding us in our natural environment. That makes the music flow effortlessly into my fingers and onto the instruments.”

Across its ten compositions, Rendering Time blends classical acoustic instruments with electronic textures. Together, the artists bridge ancient and modern, acoustic and electronic, intimate and universal. An important point for the label and the artists is that the music is entirely made by these two humans:

 • Jill Haley: Oboe, English Horn, Black Cedar Flute 
• Deborah Martin: Handpan, Guitar, Taos Drums, Synths 

reviews by Steve Mecca, Chain D.L.K.

‘Rendering Time’ is the third collaboration between multi-instrumentalist/synthesist Deborah Martin and oboe/English horn/black cedar flute player Jill Haley. If you have heard their previous albums, you may have some idea of what to expect. Haley’s melancholy reed/woodwind melodies combined with Martin’s atmospheric electronic textures form a magical landscape with cinematic vistas and untamed wilderness explored throughout the ten tracks on this 47 minute album. Although there is plenty of melodic input (primarily from Haley) the focus seems to be more on the mood and ambiance than song-like melodies. To me, this is an autumnal album, not just because it happens to be Fall now, but these wistful compositions create a feeling of nostalgic longing, especially prevalent on track 6, “Shadow of the Moon” with atypical acoustic guitar from Martin in the soundscape. While a couple of tracks like “This Place We Call Home” seem a bit unfocused, there is still an overall beauty to this episodic soundscape and there’s nothing wrong with having peaks and valleys in it. This is an outdoors album, a nature walk crunching through leaf-strewn pathways, partially bare trees and cloudy skies. Memories of time and people gone by, events real and imagined, tears and laughter, a flood of emotion, all wrapped up in the sonics of ‘Rendering Time.’ Of the three albums by Martin and Haley, I like this one best. It is simultaneously emotionally gripping and beauteous in its execution. Absolutely enchanting!