The initial track in this series was “Three”. It was created back in my high school days when I would hum tunes during recess. The first officially published track from this collection was “Five”, released in July 2022. This release marked the fifth anniversary of my arrival to Berkeley, and I am considering whether future releases should follow this trend (“Seven” does follow that – out in 2024!1).
Being part of the “Prime” Collection doesn’t necessarily mean these tracks are more polished or extravagant than my usual Iridium Point pieces. I doubt my current skills would support creating a pop hit, even if that were my goal. Instead, the “Prime” Collection serves a simpler purpose. These tracks are fast-turnaround projects, typically completed in a day, that align closely with Iridium Point’s primary mission: celebrating the beauty of nature and the progress of civilization.
The cover art for each track will feature unique graphic design work incorporating prime numbers in various forms. As the project progresses, I plan to include more mathematical elements, reflecting my fascination with more than just numbers—though I admit, I still have much to learn about them.
This page will serve as a documentation and companion booklet for the “Prime” Collection project as it evolves. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Streaming links will be provided below when they become available. Here you can also find a SoundCloud playlist containing drafts and alternative mixes of some tracks.
- Used for emphasis. Not factorial. ↩︎
2 – Farewell, San Francisco
Started: May 2018 (Digitised in September 2021)
This track was an exercise of writing music that goes in sync with a video clip. In this case an exceedingly simple one — my driving recording as I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.
It may be about farewelling and the uncertain paths ahead, but it is presented in the style of a lo-fi dance number that I hope brings glitter and highlight to the memories of my time in a magically challenging and enabling place.
3 – More is Different
Started: Nov 2014
“More is Different” has been a piece that, for the longest time, lingered in the realm of production hell.
The title is a homage to condensed matter physicist P.W. Anderson. His profound insight reveals how the collective behaviour of systems diverges from the predictable pathways of the individual components. Just as a multitude of atoms may manifest properties unseen in isolation. I hope this track will be heard and recognised as a tapestry of sound that transcends the sum of its parts.
5 – Fields Rhapsody
Apr 2022 – Jul 2022
The cover art is a football rolling in a (Cycles render) football field. This track is about many things. It was my first try in writing polyrhythm, and it was envisioned to be a blend between Silicon Valley tech video backing track (good, low aspirations, I know), and a not-so-annoying ringtone that people might want to use as the alarm clock sound.
7 – Student common room, Physics north
Started: February 2018
Previously published as a piano jingle in Curiosity, this track celebrates the crowded and positive environment of the physics study room of UC Berkeley Department of Physics, which I considered to be my second home for a long while.
11 – Sea Ice Explorer
Started: January 2023
13 – Farout
Started: July 2022
Originally an improvisation written in the morning JWST returned the first batch of images, one of whom showed an extremely far away galaxy, this track has experimental renditions of the cosmic vastness — I am not unfamiliar with this subject, but it represents an attempt to bring musical sophistication into my cosmic-themed ventures.
Yourong Frank Wang 