Pluviality

The Carnian Pluvial Episode was a major global change in the early Late Triassic most notable for being a two million year period of massive worldwide rainfall. Before this wet spell, the entirety of Earth’s landmass was locked together into the supercontinent of Pangea. Rain clouds couldn’t move much past the coastlines, and mountain ranges couldn’t break up the low arid land, making the huge majority of terrestrial environments desert-like plains ruled by large reptiles and reptile-like mammal ancestors. However, as rain began to reach Pangea’s interior, conifers began to dominate the global landscape, and one group of small animals began to capitalize on this change in the environment: the dinosaurs. By the end of the CPE, the dinosaurs would make up 95% of the Late Triassic’s fossil record. 

Pluviality, literally meaning “characterized by abundant rain”, aims to depict life on our planet during this period. Beginning with a light and flighty melody that persists throughout the piece with agility similar to those early bipedal carnivores that would give rise to the theropods, this composition seeks to have moments of rambunctious energy as well as heavy impacts with a sweet yet primal sound. Thunderous statements in the low end serve to support raindrop-like high notes in a precipitation inspired groove section, and the evolution of the main melodic material could be said to mimic the development of the animals that thrived in this period, going from small and scampering segments to longer, lumbering lines or quick, bounding statements.