Whispers Of The Silent Colors
Chandanam [Lithuanian composer Adomas Imkunas]
Virtual, 2011
http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/ishq/virtual/c01.html
A DELICIOUS BANQUET OF EXQUISITE SOUND DELICACIES
A royal feast of sound. I am completely satisfied. I have seen the shores of heaven and shall suffer no more. Happy the man who imbibes of such aromatic vapors so nectarine! I shall dwell in the thatch treehouse by the perfect surf forevermore.
A newcomer to the label of Matt Hillier and Jacqueline Kersey, who are Ishq, Elve et al. This album has a special vibe to it that reminds me of when I was listening to Makyo or Ishq and there was nothing else really like them around.
Chandanam is gentle healing music but also has wonderful rhythmic percussive moments that can hardly be described. It is like being shown someones personal vision with no backstory. Suddenly, you are seated at a kitchen table drinking strong arabic coffee, there are woods and a stream outside, the elves and faeries come through and each dips a little cup in your arabic coffee, laughing at you since you cant possibly hit them they are too fast.
Then the roof opens up and it is deep space out there, but cobwebs or something that are really huge, the room turns and you are poured out into space, but it is really comfortable out there, so you sort of fall into a nap and enter a dream of lucid paradise, etc etc. quite enchanting and nonintrusive, turn it down and you are ambienting.
Dreams of paradise always get a big thumbs up from me and Virtual seems to be connected to that Vision. Thanks for promoting this artist. If you could use a short trip to the glorious vales beyond, this is definitely a top Paradise Music album this year.
Photonic Movements
Robert Carty
EarthMantra, 2011
PURE SPACE MUSIC FOR THE SUBQUANTUM MASSES!!
After meandering with sound master Carty for three stellar albums of star music and then releasing the delightful Paradise Earth earlier this year, we find ourselves now in the position of being gifted with a free download of his new release by Carty himself via Earth Mantra at internetarchives.org.
This is a big rich synthesis sound hearkening to the early days of Michael Stearns but with that Heart that touches all music so cartyized. Three long tracks Shimmering, Particle and Wave describe the imagined luminal spaces between the packets of light phenomena.
Endless Flowing of Luminescence and Liminal Libidinal Light. :D The intense interactions of energized particulate masses and their subsidiary sublime realities. The beyond beneath the subrealistic.
Great album if you want some love drenched space music with an interlude of energized excitement. I think i'm likin' this best of the last handful of albums. check it out. http://www.archive.org/details/earman181
Conception
Various Artists
Free Floating Music, 2011
http://www.archive.org/details/freefloatingmusic001
THREE HOURS OF PURE AMBIENT
I had to mention this fantastic compilation of current Pure Ambient artistswhich is available for free download legally.
THREE HOURS of Pure Ambient: no rhythm, no drums, no percussion - PURE.
Really well done and gives a view of what the new ambient generation is up to :D
Ambient World
David Arkenstone
Domo, 2011
OUTSTANDING POSTMODERN AMBIENT 2CD!
I MUST start out by commenting that Ive never been a huge David Arkenstone fan. As with many of the new age artists at the turn-of-the-century, I found a lot of the old stuff two sugary sweet, too cloying and sappy. I think I actually started paying attention when he began composing as Troika and collaborated with his wife, Diane Arkenstone [who is a music star in her own right and Ive generally enjoyed her work more: I think she brought the music a bit closer to earth with emotional content less aloof. ] Cant say Ive been paying attention the last five years. Sorry, Dave.
So, I was pretty blown away by Ambient World, which is fabulous Ambient when played at low levels, but is also quite interesting at higher levels when one listens to this very ambitious production. Perhaps the most impressive this is the use of percussion and rhythm drenched in various filters and other sound processes in order to tone it down a bit. Most of the tracks have a lot going on, layers of instrumentation upon layers of synthesis, but at slower theta rhythms so the daydreaminess of it all sort of melds into one glorious vibe of inward paradisal moments.
The sound is not sugary or cloying. It sounds like Eno and Steve Roach, with touches of the mellower Tangerine Dream and Patrick OHearn. Not at all what one would expect from this artist, but superb, listenable all the way through two discs. Each disc has a song which features a danceable techno style beat [heavily processed,] and there are a number of downtempo tracks, but most of the stuff on these albums is electronic and ambient.
This will definitely be in my top ten of this year and possibly in the top five if we dont see some serious game soon. This album is great for active listening, but would be great backsound for studying or lounging. It might not fit the social moment for a few drinks and a chat, but for gazing out the window of your mind YES!
Drums Between The Bells
Brian Eno
2011
Making Space
Brian Eno
2010
MORE SQUIGGLES AND ODDITIES FROM THE OBLIQUE STRATEGIST
I bought Ambient 1 : Music For Airports the day it arrived at my local record shop back in the Seventies. At the time we knew this was big; we just could not foresee that eventually rock beats would get added and then speaking and singing lyrics and pretty soon Ambient could be just about whatever the crazy idea you wanted it to be. Back then, however, it was pure sonic incense, a vision of intensity coupled with nonintrusiveness. I suppose we were naive.
The latest album by Brian Eno has a potency that comes when music and poetry are fused. It wont really let you not listen; if for no other reason than keeping track of the spoken content meaning. While quite downtempo, the music has a rock presence not unlike his early art rock albums or the Nerve Net/Shuvtov Assembly period. I fancy he is influenced at times by Nine Inch Nails. [Not overly so, dont be scared.] Not actually my current cup of tea, but quite interesting collab with poet. And it did bring his release of late last year to my attention:
Making Space is much more to my liking. While most of the tracks are rhythmically based, the overall vibe is much more light-oriented than Small Craft on a Milk Sea, also released last year, which is both darker and more ambient. Of course, you know Brian, he has proven he can adhere to classical aesthetics of harmony, but his natural inclination is to craftily avoid the anticipation of cliched harmonic resolution in order to explore different kinds of feelings than typically presented to the listener. His is known for sombre moods, but often these are healthy introspection, wonder, discovery, searching, longing and so forth. This album rises to the occasion with these reflective, humble moods at numerous times during its course.
Only about 40 minutes long, Making Space, fades into cosmic spaces reminiscent of The Equatorial Stars collab with Fripp. Quite Mellow and respectable. The final piece, Delightful Universe, synth strings & chorus set in a stellar cosmos, qualifies as space music and shows why Eno is still an artist of great power decades after his appearance in the art world.
We Can Fly From Here
Yes
Yessongs, 2011
FOUR DECADES LATER IN THE AFFIRMATIVE!
Let me just admit here that i am a Yes aficionado from early on. 1971's "Fragile," with stupendous tracks like "Roundabout," "We Have Heaven" and pretty much all the rest -- great stuff -- immediately gained my life long admiration. i always have time to hear a new Yes album. Which is not to say that i find all their albums "stupendous." I will not regale you with their long list of achievements and the other of fizzlers. I wasn't that happy with the albums from Drama onward until the studio tracks on "Keys To Ascension" which would later become its own album "Yesstudio" (HORRIBLE name for an album that deserved to be "Keys To Ascension" and the live stuff on that earlier release -- nowhere near as impressive as the hefty "Yessongs" release -- left in the archives. Stuff after that seemed to be more form than passion and really the full orchestra album easily faded in memory.
Here we are eight years after that. What i immediately like about this new release is there is some of that exuberance reminiscent of decades gone by. The title composition is a suite of interlaced melodies much like the more ambitious of the early albums. The hooks are extremely pleasing :D and crank at times. While Jon Anderson is not in the band for health reasons, the new singer is the long time frontperson for the main Yes tribute band, so the difference is more one of pitch than presence. Howe has never had a better guitar sound and his performances are completely fluid. Chris Squire always turns in near perfect work for the band. White on drums has made the position his own. There is no reason whatsoever to miss Bruford anymore, at all. Trevor Horn returns to keyboards and brings with him sounds and sensibilities which add the occasional lilt from other classic prog bands like Peter Gabriels Genesis and Gentle Giant.
I got hooked on this album right away and can still listen to it any time. For my personal tastes, this is really the best album since Relayer. It might be the most accessible since Fragile. It is definitely better than Tormato [mainly due to some major flaws of that release.]
Anybody who enjoyed the soaring optimism of early Yes will like this.
16-04-2011
This first half of 2011 has produced a common thread between a number of my favorite Visionary Sound Artists and, delightfully, it is also about the Paradisal (one of my favorites subjects.)
Infinite Sky
Kip Mazuy
2001
ATMIC ANANDA VIBRATIONS INDUCE DEEP BLISSFUL STATES
This three disc set costs around one hundred dollars, but to me it is like buying medicine. Each subsequent release by Kip Mazuy is a further refinement of his sonic technique. The music on this album feels EVEN MORE Natural than his previous recordings. If there is melody, it takes place over such a long period of time i haven't discerned it. This is a Pure Ambient meditative aesthetic.
Occasionally punctuated by sparing use of flute, piano and sitar[or is it guitar?] it consists mainly of delicious synthesis drones which have brainwave matrices based on Mazuy's proprietary "Shaktipat Meditation Sound Technology." This music was so knocking me out that it took me weeks before i could intellectually analyze it. i literally was just disappearing into a beautiful blissful meditative state or slumber and would emerge with no clear memory of the actual music. To tell the truth, i can't even make clear distinctions between disc one and two. Disc three is clearly more oriented towards slumber and sleep. Every time i listen to this music, i am in bliss within five minutes. I rise out of it as it ends without effort, feeling refreshed and nurtured. This music FEELS AWESOME! If you are looking for more mental enjoyment, however, musicanship and etc, this is strictly for Ambience - Meditation and Healing.
I own all of the releases from Bliss Music. In my opinion only, there has been a progression of three periods in these releases. The first three releases - "Elements Of Ecstasy," "Beautiful Sound," and "The Sweet Nectar Of Silence" - were more accessible to waking consciousness, with piano performances and melodies that were more intellectually engaging. These recordings induced very pleasurable states that could lead to bliss, but rarely showed propensity towards mystical ecstasy. Deeply enjoyable all the same and i was enraptured by them all. The fourth release, "Now Is Forever," signaled a new plateau in production style and inducing bliss states that had ecstatic features. "Nurturance," which followed had the benefit of the more luscious production yet was again more narrative and about emotional healing, i thought. The last three releases - 2CD "Shakti Silence," 3CD "The Calling" and now 3CD "Infinite Sky" are all on an even higher plateau of ability to quickly induce bliss states where one can receive the shaktipat transmission and also offer very smooth gradients into mystical ecstatic states. Each of this last three releases is a significant refinement on previous efforts.
"Infinite Sky" is the most natural feeling sound meditation release that i own and offers opportunities for achieving ecstatic states that are as profound as any i have experienced before. One is not paying one hundred dollars for the music but for the EXPERIENCES one will have by exposing oneself to its highly spiritual vibrations.
Secret Paradise
Brian E. Paulson
2011 Aeon Records
http://www.music-for-the-soul.com/
BIO-SONIC MUSIC CREATES GEOASTROHARMONIC ENVIRONMENTS
I'm a big fan of the work of Brian E. Paulson. He is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who releases exquisite albums of Celestial Healing Music and also highly creative fusion albums bubbling over with tantalizing performances on a wide range of instruments. He is self-producing out of his own studio, which gives his recordings an intimate "in the room with you" kind of feel. He also has his own label, Aeon Records. Most of his recent recordings are not out with distributors, so don't expect to go find him on Amazon or anything like that. But he is easily reached at his website.
"Secret Paradise" is a welcome return to his Bio-Sonic music idiom. This disc is composed of two pieces: "Helios," which uses harmonic frequencies of our star, Sol - The Sun, as the fundamental resonances for a healing experience grounded by the patient throb of a hand drum immersed in an ocean of solar light. The second piece, "Secret Paradise," is based on the solar plexus frequencies. It is quite delicate and aromatic. It also has an Aquarian lilt i find satisfying.
Brian over the past decade has developed a style which reminds me for some reason of Raphael Sharpe who released some excellent works on Hearts Of Space. It is probably because of the use of Grand Piano in Lush Celestial Ambience in titles such as "Deep Release" or "Harmonic Bliss." Where Raphael had more of an emphasis on romance and sacred sexuality, Brian is very much more focused upon harmonious emotion and inward communing with the Sacred. The music on this album features a Paradisal inclination very much exploring Celestial Realms like other great Paradise Music composers: Iasos, Patrick Bernhardt & The Gordon Brothers, David & Steve, who are Sequoia Records.
i greatly enjoy the atmospheres offered here. They are wonderful backsound for healing work, massage, relaxation. i am quite sure they would drift one to the inner paradises *under the right conditions* ;) One of the amazing things about Brian E. Paulson is you never know what he is going to do next. He has quite a range of composition, some of it very band-like rock, prog jazz and world fusion. And then he has this delightful ambient side. thanks, BEP, for the good vibes.
Paradise Earth
Robert Carty
2011 Deep Sky Records
http://www.deepskymusic.net/PARADISE-EARTH.php
SYNTHWIZARD COMES BACK TO EARTH FROM THE STARS
Just emerging from the lengthy trilogy of Star Music he had been releasing the last few years, Robert Carty delivers unto us a sparkling vision in synthesis of Bios On Planet Earth. After our lengthy meditative journeys through the star fields, we have returned to our home planet and its sweeping grandeur of endless varieties of landscape, habitat & inhabitants.
This music is vast and bold like Michael Stearns or Constance Demby. Bright colors and deep lucidity infused in mind states of the miraculous. There is a bit of a narrative, i conjure: Sunlight activates Life in the Oceans, which crawls out to live on Land and eventually even learns to take to the Air; the varieties of Life learn symbiosis and interdependance. There is an enthusiastic journey of development and adventure, a grand circle of creativity.
Then, there is a sad song. i know it is sad because i was sitting there thinking "this is a sad song" and then the little kid downstairs began to cry [and continued to do so until i went on headphones with the music.] It's named "Orbital Awakening" and seems to be about becoming aware of how much of Nature's Paradise that we have destroyed. It's a bummer and true...and saddening to hear about....the final piece, "Remembering Paradise," seems also to suggest action being done which leads to a breakthrough and return to the Paradise Inside. i like that the album ends on a note of release and transcendence, rather than hope and earnestness as one might expect it to.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this album is that it is a more personal expression with a range of feelings that the artist has about our natural environment and the planet. The first 6 songs are joyous and dramatic, filled with a cinematic sweep that shows the artist is truly enjoying himself. These 47mins are a very positive energetic experience, like watching an exciting movie. The last two pieces are a bit more reflective about the human presence.
Robert Carty has a HUGE canon of recorded work and several styles within it. If you are looking for elegant synthesis that is celestial yet has physicality and is emotionally accessible, it is hard to go wrong with just about any Carty album. I'm glad we're back to Earth and welcome Robert Carty going explicity PARADISAL.
Skyspaces
Ishq
2011 Virtual
http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/ishq/virtual/vl01.html
MEDITATIVE AMBIENCE FROM EXOTIC AMBIENTERS
Having just released the elegant PsiAmbient "SAMA," Ishq now releases a Pure Ambient album which apparently is a collection of recordings from 2007-2010. Extremely subtle upper planes vibratory layers, having a cleansing effect on the auric fields. As ephemeral as incense, as pristine as fresh snow, shimmering like mirror waves of liquid quartz. "They say we do it to escape; if they only KNEW the EXTENT to which we are escaping!"
This recording explores Secret Edens on the Soul Planes. They are very lush and filled with exotic forms of life. Some of these may appear strange to you because they are not of Planet Earth's evolution. They are in their own way Gloriously Beautiful and have Gifts of Wisdom to impart to you. Every moment you can spend in these Gardens is a blessing. How Ishq discovered these sonic short cuts to the Eden areas, i do not know, but wow i'm thankful to be able to visit!
Ishq has developed a sound experience that is supremely exotic and distinctive. It is pleasurable for the body, total ear candy and imaginally takes one to some of the most outre vibration zones one encounters in Psychedelic Experience [the vibrant green zone has lots of nonhuman evolution and can get pretty intense, as can also, of course, the Causal or Soul Plane which has a lot of stuff going on because it is the Interzone of Universal Mind Travel, so to speak - Ishq leads one through these places like a mescalito guide.] Traveling to these Innerdimensional Spaces with Ishq is like slipping into a dream of heavenly realms that also is an adventure in wild nature. It is hard to describe and under the right conditions ;) can become quite amazing and even flabbergasting.
Gaia Sophia
Entheogenic
2011 Universal Symbiosis Records
http://entheogenic-usr.bandcamp.com/album/gaia-sophia
THE ELECTRODUB MASTERS ARE BACK IN FINE FORM
The whirlwind days are returning. There are few production teams in the Techno Music realities who can truly be said to be "peers" of Shpongle and Ott. Entheogenic, the music composing team of my friend Helmut Glavar and Piers Oak-Rhind, is one of them. In my mind, they, even more than Shpongle, have explored the possibilities of using PostModern Electronic Musical Technology to induce shamanic states of consciousness that are descriptive of the actual titanic Psychedelic Experience known by indole and tryptamine sacramentalists worldwide.
The last two albums were experimental for Entheogenic. "Golden Cap" 2006 wandered from the more cohesive trademark sound of their first three albums and tested the limits of their abilities. They seemed to desire the expansion of their sound. I frankly preferred the sound of the first three albums, but found enjoyment in observing them trying to push the limits. As it turns out, my recent perception is that "Golden Cap" seems to be one of the more popular of their albums. Their 2008 release, "Flight Of The Urubus," had a definite change in production values particularly in the rhythm section. There was lots of internet chatter about Entheogenic's "new sound." Fans, including me, can be resistant to attempts by artists to try new things, although this experiementation is quite vital for the artist to develop their vision and expression. i truly enjoyed "Urubus," while still acknowledging the production difference was pretty substantial.
This new release, "Gaia Sophia," is something of a return to the original big ElectroDub sound of the second and third releases: "Spontaneous Illumination" 2003 and "Dialogue Of The Speakers" 2005. Fat Memorable Electro Bass Lines with Dense Psychedelic Atmospheres on par with Shpongle. Whizzers and Spiralplosions that will knock yer socks off. Each track is like its own DMT tryp. This is music to dance to or go Imaginal with. You know me: i like to go all the way inside. One can only wonder where this disc would take one in there.
If you ever liked Entheogenic, you will like this album. They spent a little extra time on it, got the seamless near-perfect production thing in place, and reconnected with their flow. I was completely engaged, actively listening, from beginning to end. Stunned and befuddled, once again. No doubt this will be in my high rotation for a while! If you like ElectroDub, PsiAmbient or PostModern Psychedelic Music, check this out. If you are looking for a new rollercoaster for indole/tryptamine enjoyment, here you go.
Kinetik
Phuture Primitive
2011 Native Harmonix
http://phutureprimitive.bandcamp.com/album/kinetik
TALK ABOUT SWITCHING IT UP
I just got through commenting on Entheogenic trying a few new things and then coming home to the established sound and look what we have here: the follow-up to the debut album SubConscious by Phuture Primitive veers off in a new direction....
Sounding like a cross between Entheogenic and Future Sound Of London, this album is chock full of the bold powerful urban dayglo energies that FSOL was noted for, particularly on Dead Cities. Transitioning from a shamanistic sound reminiscent of Carlos Castenedas mystical worlds, Phuture Primitive tries something new with a more aggressive style. Whenever I hear music like this, I am reminded of Spenglers Faustian Will of Western Civilization or Nietzsches Will To Power. This is muscular Electro, bristling with spectacular HiDef energies certain to bring out the brightest, most electric colors in ones trypping regimen.
There is something wilful about this music. It is a cross of urban street level aggression and cyber smarts plugged into a world retracting from the natural order. Titled Kinetic, I would be pleased to report that this is a study of motion in space, much like, say, Empetus by Steve Roach or even some of the more geometric works of Higher Intelligence Agency, but there is an emotional component here akin to the confidence of the dominator western man that is right up the alley of FSOL and even Nine Inch Nails fans, but may not receive as warm a reception from fans of their single previous, and debut, album.
This is music about strength, will and activity. It would be good for exercising, intense physical work, high energy sports and intellectual argument over beers. I could see blasting it on the car stereo driving through the downtown of any urban area, especially at night. Trypping on it is probably either exhilarating or harrowing. [I do know people who like to tryp on the more hip aggressive music, like metal and so forth.] It is in no way a relaxed meditational journey, but more of an angst-ridden, high-powered invasion of super-charged intensities and electrified light.
If you are looking for an energy pump with aggro street cred, solid ensconced in the willfullness of the West, this will rock and awe your stereo.
EntheoMythic
Androcell
2011 Celestial Dragon
http://www.androcell.com/androcell_news.htm
STAYING TRUE TO THE VIBE
Androcell is not having any identity issues. The third album is a natural progression from the first two. If anything, they have moved closer to the ElectroShamanism of Entheogenic. The album is an enjoyable, seemless continuum of Psychedelic environments done in an ElectroDub style If Entheogenic had made their recent return to sound, I would be saying Androcell carries the mantle now. Well....they do anyway, because this is a great shamanic ElectroDub album by any lights.
In fact, Androcell might be a bit more Light-oriented than Entheogenic or Phuture Primitive, given these latest releases. From the moment the album begins, there is an emotional elevation that never becomes threatening, overly intense or hostile. Plenty of room is left for the imagination to twirl through these recordings. The feeling is more relaxed and friendly. At the same time, definite attention is given to lay down sufficient chops to maintain a general feeling of amazement. There is some use of speeding up and slowing down passages of spoken voice much as Shpongle has done recently. Overall, though, Androcell speaks with their own voice within this psychedelic idiom of modern music.
The vibe this album creates is definitely friendly and pleasurable. It does not try to drag one through titanic alien landscapes or get one to focus on existential issues. It is the friendly joyful warfaring of the transdimensional pixies as they ride the Ship of Healers to the end of the line. If you enjoying dancing with the DMT elfin gnome wallpaper, this album just might help you do it.
By the way, the label this album is on Celestial Dragon releases consistently intriguing PsiAmbient and ElectroDub. I do hope Androcell has found a home with them.
EPILOGUE: Hey friends sorry for the long hiatuses between review sessions. There was a time i was reviewing weekly. My habit has been to write [or any of my other creative pursuits] when the Muse is upon me. It hasn't been lately... This is probably because of my appetites for new music, readings and videos. i go through phases; for example: i have at least FOUR CDs that i have acquired in the last few weeks that are still in the wrapper. This would NEVER have happened before. i would have cracked them out and listened immediately. My on-line obsessions - - finding music and texts for my Paradise Inside programming, and tracking down trippy videos to watch, plus my social stuff like Facebook -- have more the emphasis these days. Hey you would not want my weekly updates. i sent them to a friend [just the weekly list of music and texts acquisitions] for a couple of months and i think it bored him greatly. I'm a big collector of Exotica [the kitsch pop jazz craze in America just before Rock'N'Roll emerged] and World Fusion [do you really want to know about my Thai music field recordings??] not to mention that i do pay some attention to more "evil music" that are part of my studies but i wouldn't share here [for example: do you REALLY want to know about Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel's latest album? i think not.] The past couple of months i've spent a lot of time and energy compiling Early Eighties New Wave Dance REMIXES in order to create a simulation of my old Friday Night New Wave Dance Radio Program which was called "Darv's Dancing Deal" on KZSC-FM, Santa Cruz, California during the first half of the 80s. My enthusiasm over a particular Talking Heads or Devo remix from 3 decades ago has little bearing in this column. It's true i let things slide for nearly half a year. I've made promises to try to do better. This time i'll just express the hope that the Muse comes back to me.
1-08-2011
Essence
Jacotte Chollet
http://www.multidimensionalmusic.com/ 2010
GORGEOUS SOUND WHORLS FROM THE OUTER REALMS
Rapturous resonances of amethyst, violet, indigo & brilliant white reel from this recording like organic nuances from perfumed inner realities unseen. Joyousness and bliss supreme waft through ones soul as the music carries the listener deep into psychic spaces of healing and communion.
As usual, I had to play this album by Jacotte repeatedly before I was actually able to hear it, because it kept rendering me unconscious via powerful sedative resonances which induced deep dream processing. The only way I actually was able to sit through it and analytically follow what was happening was by drinking a strong cup of Hana Maui organic coffee [yes, it requires the good stuff] and sitting erect in a straight back chair.
My first impression is of course recognition of the song I hear just before I pass out. It is definitely in the low theta / delta range and has some recognizable features similar to her previous work that helps me to settle in and find my bearings...kind of... Prayer is reverent and gentle with a playfulness that is disarming and enchanting without being giddy. One finds oneself mildly smiling and relaxing into it. There is a feeling of satiety and safety which right away invokes the relaxation response. A seasoned listener also has to appreciate how clean the production is, providing sharp outlines where they should be while also allowing boundaries to merge where the sounds are conveying us. This is one of Jacottes great assets Ive notice of late: to give you a very clear sound pocket to reside within so that it is easy to let your full body auric field resonate to rather high and subtle vibrations.
The second piece, Inner Dance, is keyed right at that delicious place where violet and pink overlap. There is a repeated tapping right in the third eye [I think this is what knocks me out.] it is a delta wave, sleep. The synthesis environment is luscious & languid, providing an oceanic feeling of comfort. I feel much more in pale violet now, with sparkling amethyst suggesting itself at times. I try to identify where this music has taken me emotionally. It feels like caressing Care, like receiving the patient loving ministrations of an experienced healer. Like a Love regardless of what Ive done. Even shimmering with caffeine, the last four minutes of this 14 minute piece are making me drowsy, feeling like healing energy is pouring into me. Were in a range familiar to me from the listening to all of the dolphin recordings I have done in the past. I becomes a deep lucid gold. Wow....
Transcendence, the third piece, begins with choir voices powerfully invoking the higher harmonics of amethyst, aquamarine and brilliant white. Yes!: this is where I like to go! Choir and strings bring the firmament incandescent, with the flashing brilliance peeking through then fully revealing. It is intense! After getting fully blasted by the bright beyond white, we are scintillating with sanctity. The choir brings us then to the Heart level, to communicate that we are loved and are responsible to Love all that we are.
The fourth song, Tendresse, immediately darkens into a deep indigo; a pronounced change from the high vibration intensities weve just encountered. Were deep into blue and indigo, and encountering vibrational realities on inner planes often seeming inscrutable and weird to those not familiar. This is the Buddhic or Causal level of the Masters [many of whom have energies and embodiments somewhat bizarre by human standards] and the Subtle level of the Archetypes & Divine Energies. This song seems to touch on the relationship between the throat and the third eye, the Causal and the Subtle, that I am still processing and cannot explain as of yet. Vision & Voice....I recently read, and this might be related, *when your Practice is your Praxis, then you are getting somewhere* [when you actually do the behaviors of what you profess to be the underlying values of your spiritual beliefs.]
The final composition, Reunion, takes us into Deep Space. This is perhaps fitting as we are now confirming how utterly off-the-scale VAST the Multiverse IS. Reunion is to be whole again. We find ourselves in a Cosmic Ocean of Infinity where immense processes and minute nuances constantly intersect and transmutate. One might feel lost and tiny if wounded by this knowledge. This concluding piece describes to me a Mystery Radically Present to each of us in the dream of separation. I think it likes you :D Jacotte Chollet continues to produce intriguing and uplifting music, and I think she is still discovering new things, growing new ideas. Quite an interesting process to behold. Her peers in this area of Visionary music, like Marcey Hamm, Constance Demby or Michael Hammer, have not been too active recently so it is very cool to see these vibrant new recordings. This new release ESSENCE has a truly joyous quality and strong healthy vibration that allow me to unreservedly recommend this to all lovers of Visionary Synthesis
Natures Journey
John Banks & Michael Stearns
2007
VERY ENJOYABLE NEW STEARNS SOUNDTRACK
It is hard to get some new Michael Stearns these days and the only way I could find to acquire a proper copy of it was by DVD. I enjoy John Banks and own several of his DVDs but I think it is the sound track here that is the better part. Dont get me wrong: Banks videos are gorgeous, nondemanding and healing in their own way, but Stearns is possibly the greatest space music artist of all time and at least in the running. And his output has been sparse over the last decade.
This one is out there for relatively low cost. Good if you like Stearns.
Akash
David Parsons
Celestial Harmonies, 2010
MASTER OF TIBETAN SCHOOL OF SYNTHESIS VIVIFIES VIBRATIONS
I always enjoy albums by this long-time Visionary Sounds artist. He has created his own soundworld and continues to explore the various realms and climes it has within. His albums of the latter half of the millenium decade [with the notable exception of the juicy Earthlight in 2008] had been more ghostly and astral than much of his popular work, in some ways harking back to his initial releases. So it is with some inner rejoicing that I experience the vividness and vitality of this more electric work which has kinship with albums like Shaman, Vajra, or Earthlight. I like those bright colors!
This doesnt of course change the fact that the artist, Parsons, on one level is very formal as if presenting a painting or guiding a meditation. His emotional palette tends towards that of the Awe and Empowerment of Nondual Realization than to Love and Compassion [noting here that the album Maitreya-TheFuture Buddha is all about Compassion.] There is also plenty of Voidness of the Void Consciousness on this album. And this is why we listen to and enjoy David Parsons: because of his unique and masterful ability to guide our meditating mind into deep experiences of Void & Emerging Light.
The Visionary synthesis of David Parsons is excellent for cybershamans and for people involved in Tibetan Buddhism. Parsons is in the highest tier of excellence in Visionary Sound Arts. His music is intense, dramatic, passionate, yet also meditative and transic. The gravitas however requires attention, making it best for active listening and shamanic journeying. This album Akash has a low alpha sensibility which I find brings more Light and vivifying influence than some of his more recently astral workings. We must, though, recommend it has a more Dark Ambient, Void Electronica work just so people know what they are getting into.
Sigh Of Ages
Steve Roach
Timeroom Editions, 2010
RICHNESS IN SOLITUDE
I always keep up with Steves quiet side. This album is introspective, contemplative music perhaps best played as subtle backsound during quieter moments like reading, watching sunsets, Contemplation, or intimate communication. It features Steves sterling producing, intuitive soundworld Craft and a deep sincerity for well-being hard to not notice. There is also a reverence reminiscent of his work at Grace Cathedral. Rather nice.
Descriptive of the Modern Gnosis which does seem to hearken back to the Classical without overtly doing so. There is a temptation to imagine myself with Esoteric Initiates delving into the Inner Mysteries while ensconced in a Hidden Temple within a Secret Grotto where the Spirits still dwell. Much of the album is in Reverie, where Transformations occur in states of profound Unknowing.
All of this travel occurs however while feeling smoothly carried or transported through the changes and being supremely protected at all times. The bliss waves become huger and huger, but we never feel as if the intense radiation of ecstasy will sudden rip through us. This is a ride of gentle healing and mindful devotion. Could be good backsound for healing or lightwork.
Sama
Ishq
Electronic Soundscapes, 2010
Citation at Virtual
EXCURSIONS IN THE GREEN REALMS
http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/ishq/virtual/mp3/ishqsama/ishqsamademo.mp3
ISHQ is comprised of composer Matt Hillier and Jacqueline Kersley [who is credited with vocals but has a larger role obviously.] They have appeared in various guises since 1995 as Indigo Egg, Ishvara and Elve. All of the recordings under those appellations are stunningly appealing listens.
Sama is derived from the verbal root Sam, which means to be quiet, calm, resigned, tranquil, having equanimity, absence of passion and emancipation from all the illusions of existence: the fifthe of the eight bhava-pushpas (flowers of being) of Buddhism: self-restraint, charity, impersonal affection, veracity, meditation, patience, resignation, and selfless devotion. Through the practice of the eight flowers, sama secures the conquest and fnal delivery from all kinds of mental and psychological agitation. - - liner notes - - I am tempted to apply these terms to the 8 major tracks, but for brevity will leave it as a suggestion of the theory behind these recordings.
An immaculate production and a lucidity which perhaps is the key step forward for Ishq propels this sound experience through profound experiences of the Heart Paradises and meetings with the bright green ones that goes well beyond other green realities of Visionary Sound Art. The merging of the Crystalline, Flora & Sapient Consciousnesses is dramatically depicted in a variety of ways, helping us to understand that states like impersonal affection are actually quite natural.
What I really like about this release is that it allows a wider latitude of emotional response than some of the previous Virtual Ishq releases and can be considered the true follow-up to the Dakini/Interchill release Orchid. so if you loved Orchid, chances are youll dig this.
True Paradisal Music that could almost make you weep from the Beauty of it. For Deep Listening, EntheoJourneying and moments of deep reflection.
Emerald
Elve
Virtual04, 2010
CRYSTALLINE GREENTIME DREAMS POSTMODERN AMBIENT
Exotic tropical jungles and dense rainforest intermixes with sparkling gemstone realities of emerald, malachite and aventurine. I consider this to be the companion album to Ishqs Sama. by the same artists and probably emerging from sessions around the same time, this one is the more organic and hence more encountering psychic realities less familiar to the human [Sama is much more appealing to the familiar mind processings of human consciousness, whereas this one reaches out much more to the nonhuman and thus at times feels insectoid, avian or reptilian, which some might experience as Alien or Weird. But of course I love it! There was always something about Swastika Girls [besides the title] from the second side of Fripp & Enos classic No Pussyfooting album that I found vaguely dissonant and disturbing. This album takes the aesthetic of that piece and reifies it into sheer gorgeous soundworlds at once completely familiar [as when one looks under a log down by the creek or stream] but also so vastly different from our sapient processing that there is this intuitive nonsemantic sense of our alienation from the natural scene of life. It is a kind of relief to be drawn into, to fuse with, these realities and feel from the inside our connection with them.
This album is an epic sound-poem of the voice of Nature calling to us from her deepest nested realities of consciousness that we have pushed to our perimeters but still dwell throughout the world living lives we can only imagine when confronted by the actual environment or Art such as this recording.
10-24-2010
Full Spectrum Sound Healing
Alex Theory
Sounds True, 2010
http://www.soundstrue.com/authors/Alex_Theory/
Perhaps advancing the field of Visionary Sounds the most in this year, Alex Theory's 4CD set is comprised of discs that were released individually in 2008 and 2009. Each disc is built upon a singular vibrational concept and designed to help one's organism accept and imitate the unique vibrational signature. Water uses the vibrational signature of the hydrogen dioxide molecule, "water," which has been harmonically calibrated to the audible range. Air uses the vibration of Oxygen. Earth has light rhythmic percussion and is based on one of the Schumann Resonances [which are fundamental harmonics of our planet, Earth.] Light is based upon the frequencies of the seven colors such as expressed when separated by prisms, again stepped down to the audible range.
This album has an emotional buoyancy which reminds me of Brian Eno's Music For Airports and i would imagine anyone who appreciates Classic Ambient would enjoy these albums for aesthetic reasons beyond the therapeutic considerations. I consider this box set release to be one of the major moments for Visionary Sound Arts this year and perhaps even for its large subgenre of Healing Music. Not only classically beautiful, but appealing for the Deep Listening experience and also a worthy example of Scientific Healing Music. Since this music is true Ambient, it can be used for just about any relaxing or therapeutic purpose appropriate to gentle backsound. I'll probably use it primarily for reading and contemplation.
BRIAN E. PAULSON'S BIO-SONIC MUSIC
Aurum
Brian E. Paulson
Aeon Records, 2010
Layers
Brian E. Paulson
Aeon Records, 2010
MUSIC FOR THE SOUL WEBSITE
Brian's musical endeavors of the last few years have been more of a focus on his amazing virtuosity on a number of instruments. He has been active in a group band setting which has done some live performance recently. This music, which i believe i wrote about in my last entry on BEP, is very dynamic rock/jazz fusion, expressing fun energy and excitement. We must consider ourselves fortunate that he returns to his Bio-Sonic Music on occasion to provide additional sound pleasures to his Visionary audience. Both Aurum and Layers continue the Angelic mode which BEP began exploring during the Millennial years.
A case could be made that the seeds of his rich postmodern classical sound go back to the mid-Nineties with releases like Return To Giza, which was based on ratios found in the Great Pyramid of Giza, or to Arc Of Light with its Geo-Astro Harmonic Tunings, but we can clearly begin to see a development of what has become his Angelic sound in his 21st Century releases, Deep Release, Harmonic Bliss and Aquarian Dreamer. These all feature rich Grand Piano in the introductory phases accompanied by Lush Ambient backgrounds which are usually calibrated to scientifically demonstrable vibrational harmonies existing in Universe.
Both of these albums are high quality Bio-Sonic Ambience. Aurum, his just released album, is keyed to the Golden Light of the Crown Chakra. It transports the listener into a warm blissful enrapturement. Layers is performed on "sacred global instruments...known for their psycho-spiritual properties." It is calibrated more to an ecstatic full-body experience of the Light of the layers of the aura which surrounds the body. Each disc is an half hour long. Both are exquisite, nurturing experiences which also display BEP's evolving facility at producing this kind of music. I am thankful every time he produces another one. For someone like me, who so misses the releases of possibly retired artists like Raphael Sharpe or Michael Stearns, this is so welcome.
Higher Consciousness Activation
Shad Diamond
Diamond Crystal Music, 2010
Diamond Crystal Music Website
I am so glad that Shad Diamond is around! His Super Quantum Tones Technology, which calibrates the vibrations of crystals and gemstones into the audible range is extremely potent in a medicinal way while also being consistently Radically Beautiful. With this recent acquisition, i now own nine releases by Shad Diamond and believe that, although i have not heard his entire discography per se [i have heard soundbytes of discs i do not own and have extensively observed how his vibrations act upon me, i can say that his music is consistently gentle and meditative, describing contemplative vistas and at time feels like medicine [in a good way, but sometimes trying to get you to shift modalities, which creates some therapeutic dissonance at times.] There is an ever-present processing component in SD's music that is a part of the processing technology. It sounds like crystal wind chimes gently chiming against each other at obviously calibrated pitches, that is then, er, elastically swirled, effervesced and several other effects which kind of offer it like it was sonic silly putty. These sounds can be absorbed in the sense that the mass of one's body, or part of it anyway, accepts the new vibrational signal and shifts over to its vibe.
Allow me to quote from the liner notes: This new science uses sound waves as a carrier of super-luminary information derived from resonating crystals. Developed under proprietary laboratory conditions, the aggregate energies are Akashik-calibrated and then blended with musical instruments and/or nature sounds to create a vibrational medicine in the form of music
This year's release, Higher Consciousness Activation, a 47-minute continuum of meditative Angelic Music featuring a shimmering background of synthesis and synth harp that creates a sort of rolling effect up and down the spine which then also causes the aura itself to shimmer, is designed "to enhance higher qualities of spiritual evolution." It is a Michael Hammer-like Ascension Music which SD has been evolving through albums like "Crystal Heart" and "Timeless Golden Light" [both recommended!] The back of the jewel case lists ten potential benefits from resonating with this continuum; of which, i find most adequate is "Raising Your Core Vibrational Frequency." The immediate benefit is an increase in mental clarity and the ability to concentrate. It is also a gratifying listen, since the sound is intensely beautiful in the Classical aesthetic.
This album would be a good acquisition for the dedicated Angelic Music library. It is intentionally created to be used as backsound as well as for active listening, so it is multi-purpose for anything in the alpha range. Because it is not narrative music, it is very valuable for doing Angelic work, where one is providing a radiant, inspired environment that would attract nonphysical beneficents. I myself was quite glad to see the appearance of this new work, instantly bought it, loved it and have come to more deeply appreciate it on repeated listen. I have a constant in-flow of new Visionary recordings and when one of these discs becomes a regular listen for me, even if i don't know exactly why, i come to think of it of having special qualities possibly beyond description. This one is in that status for me right now. After three months, It has yet to go back to the stacks to join its sibling Shad Diamond CDs.
9-01-2010
Sounds Of Heaven
Elizabeth Bradley & Moon Kinnaird
http://www.elizabeth-bradley.com/soundsofheaven.htm 2009
http://www.myspace.com/moonkinnaird/music/playlists
This disc joins the ranks of a special group of ascension oriented recordings in my collection; in which the entire disc operates as a multi-phase tuning device constellated upon a deific narrative. in this group of recordings, i would include "Ascension Harmonics" by Richard Shulman, "Solaris Universalis" by Patrick Bernard or Brainscape's Chakradancer release. Each of these albums is conceived as an energetic journey intended to transform the listener's vibrational field with sacred energies. This idea is encompassed in what i have discussed elsewhere as "MultiDimensional Music," with perhaps a distinction with these particular discs i've indicated which have a stand-alone narrative arc making the disc itself rather peculiar to others of its species and even to its own sibling works by the same artist in some cases.
The intention of this journey appears to be the initiation of spirito-psychic contact with archangelic beings and ascended masters. The title of most of the musical pieces is also a name of an angelic being, a mantra suitable to that piece which may be repeated or intoned verbally or mentally as that particular music is being played. The basic story arc is our vibrational reorientation into heavenly auric realms in the first two pieces, "Ascension" and "Emissary," followed by introductory meetings with five major qabalistic/hermetic archangels and then, after a brief aligning interlude, a series of four meetings with Ascended Masters in order of increasing brilliance to the point where finally one is face to face with the dazzling brilliance of a master closely merged to Light.
What i like about this disc is that it is straightforward, not an indulgent amount of multitracking, no emphasis on technical manual performace but rather on harmonically rich synthesis and melodies calibrated to move lifeforce in one's biofields at healthy frequencies. One is being tuned to vibratory rates conducive to interfacing with nonphysical beneficent beings and intuitive truths about our vibrating bodies and energy envelopes. I also found it interesting that the rates of speed that i am used to chanting or intoning many of the angelic names in my practice seemed to fit right in with the musical speeds on the album. A number of times i found the feelings being described by the music similar to feelings i've had working with the same angelic energies.
A well done album of skillful angelic music that i would think could be appreciated by anyone trying to tune in on the beneficent nonphysical realities pervading our midst.
7-01-2010
i've been super busy lately and it seems i'm deriving my main Visionary Sound Arts satisfaction by programming Paradise Inside over at Blip.FM the music acquisition rampage has continued apace, although i must say a lot of retro-collecting which i wouldn't bother this column with as to an external viewer my current interest in some, say, Elton John album from the 70s has no bearing in this column, having more to do with personal nostalgia than any cutting edge that could be said to exist somewhere.
Kelly Howell is one artist i should like to discuss here. To my mind, her millennial output of Brainwave Music is on par with Dr. Jeffrey S. Thompson's in the Nineties. As The Doctor sort of faded out recently, content with reissuing product in new packaging and creating series of CDs catering to a more mainstream audience seeking to unwind, sleep, sound meditate or heal, Howell put out a large body of work which included instrumental soundworlds but to large measure was vocal hypnotherapy and guided visualization. i recently reviewed her "Ecstasy" release, which i still consider my best endorphin release recording. I can also speak highly of "Brain Power" and "Sound Healing" which do what the title implies and i find are quite effective.If you are one of those people waiting for new Jeffrey Thompson releases,do check out Howell's enormous canon. Lots of self-help recordings like increasing creativity, stop smoking, lose weight, enhance mental focus, stuff like that. Click here to see a list of a lot of her work.
Devo has a new album after a two decade hiatus. It's good to have them back."Something For Everybody" is an album that would have been a monster smash hit if it had followed on the heels of "Freedom Of Choice" which had the now iconic "Whip It." If you ever loved Devo, [ and let's face it: Devo Was Right About Everything ] this should be a wonderful 38mins of zany New Wave energy for ya. As a long-time Devo fan [i still own the 45rpm 7inch vinyl JockoHomo/Mongoloid single produced by Booji Boy Records Akron, Ohio, which i bought at Rhino Records when it was still on Santa Monica Blvd. back in 1976 two years before the Brian Eno produced debut album] I can guarantee that every song is fun, the album's sound is bold and will leap out at you from even small computer stereo systems [this probably due to the extreme peak limiting in the mastering process, but i think fits this particular album] and god for once somebody in this nation's current pop scene have something to say! Only Devo could get away with "Don't Tase Me Bro" as a chorus! We need more songs like "Cameo," which feature burly Native Americans looking for some white ass to kick! The album was partly finessed using on-line focus groups [i myself participated in the focus group picking the song line-up] and to some extent takes advantage of previous Devo hits [like how the familiar opening drum riff of "Whip It" serves as the introduction to the infectious "Sumthin (For Everybody.)"] Cognoscenti will appreciate the subtle musical nods Devo makes to artists like Reznor and Thirlwell [as i listen further, even Elfman & of course Eno.] If i could say something to Devo, i would go off on them like Will Smith on Martin Lawrence: "Now THAT'S how you supposed to make a Devo album! From now on, THAT'S how you make a Devo album!" What are you waiting for? http://www.clubdevo.com/
4-25-2010
Light of Asia
Margot Reisinger
Costa Verde 2008
Just finding out about this artist, who has at least six releases dating back to 2002. Mainly acoustic music with some synthesis support, the music is a blend of Eastern Asian and Indian/Nepalese sensibilities, featuring flute, shakuhachi, gutheng, koto, piano, sitar, guitar, monochord, as well as vocals, keyboard, natures sounds and a wide batterie of percussion. Crisp yet intimate production values and full use of separation in the stereo field make this an endlessly fascination recording that breathes with the life of acoustic instrumentation.
Margot's music has the lush sensuality that i am attracted to, yet is also filled with a true devotional sincerity that takes me into very appealing theta-alpha states. The musical performances are engaging and inventive; while she plays most of the time, she has excellent assistance particularly with vocals which include the Tibetan Buddhist Monks of Kachoe Ghakyil and well known Thangka artist, Phenpo Tendhar. The music is definitely a modern hybrid music that would do well on radio, actually having some more energetic moments for virtuoso soloing. The overall mood, though, is meditative [and i could with this very easily!] and suited for massage, healing treatments, moving yogas, energy work as well as reading or lounging.
At MySpace, Margot says that she sounds like Enya or Kitaro. While they are discernable influences in the recordings, she has a sound much like Blue Asia / Makoto Kubota, also reviewed here. i am very pleased with this acquisition and am looking at her other work for possible further explorations.
Check out her Divine music at LAST FM
Makoto Kubota
Bali Dream
AbyRecords, 2008
WONDERS OF BALI & JAVA TAUGHT VIA DREAM SOUND
While i am somewhat confounded by the fact that it takes YEARS for me to find out about a new album by Makoto Kubota, a prime figure in Blue Asia [which i just found out has a recent release i again hadn't heard of entitled, "Sketches of Myahk," which you KNOW i shall track down!,] i am also delighted to report that it is another wonderful World Fusion release in which he has recast the musics of Bali and Java in a modern idiom featuring clever and subtle Beat Science - almost hiphop or funk grooves at times, nature and location sound recordings interwoven throughout, and even some playful humor. All together, it makes for a delicious Asian Gumbo as only Kubota can do.
Makoto has done a great job, as always, of rendering the sharpness of the Gamelan and the oddness of Just Intonation with a production that makes it easily listenable to Western ears. That said, there is no way that the "klanginess" of the Gamelan can be smoothed away without losing the character of the music. One would actually have to do it in synthesis. Well, this album uses a wide range of acoustic instrumentation and of performers from Bali, Solo, Bandung, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo. It has the top-notch production values that Makoto Kubota has become known for, and the profoundly tasty performances he somehow manages to elicit from musicians he barely knows. It's GOTTA be magic.
While i absolutely LOVE this album, we must acknowledge that it will be most accessible to people who enjoy Gamelan. It's like Opera, i suppose, it either touches your soul or leaves you cold. However, the zany jazzy cosmopolitan sensibility of Makoto Kubota keeps this album in a dynamic touchstone mode that might make your jaw drop more than once. For me, it gets better with every listen.
3-4-2010
Body-Field Sound Healing
David Gibson and Harry Massey
Nutri-Energetic Systems, 2009
Click Here for Link
STATE OF THE ART SOUND HEALING DEVICE
This album is all about how you feel as the sound waves entrain you to its Vibe. While not being particularly unique in melody or general construction, this album is using advanced therapeutic technological know-how to induce events in ones energetic physiology that enhance the overall sense of biological harmony. My personal belief based on my initial listen is it also has the potential to cause intense healing fugues. My experience fundamentally consisted of bone realignments in previously not adjustable areas. The resonant adjustment seemed to create more space or leeway where previously there had been none [frozen.]
The feel of the disc is I guess Id call New Age Chill with the derigeur soft acoustic piano at times and something of a penchant for the Native American lilt in the genre. Comparisons with Soulfood and DJ Free would obviously arise. Although this is closer to the Scientific Ambient of Brian E. Paulson. At times, I noticed fairly repetitious and familiar melodic bass patterns that somewhat annoyed me for verging on cliche, but then my critical mind would be suspended again as my attention became absorbed with the energetic changes occurring in my body. Ultimately, the familiar melodic structures allow one to stop following intellectually and notice how ones body is responding. Its a mellifluous, lush production with great resolution which is obviously calibrated to resonant frequencies in the energy-body. The major changes seem to take place in the aura, but I had a very intense response with an extreme physical component [probably because of my years of learning to glom into the music.]
I have seen reviews on this disc claiming that the song order of the disc and cover do not match. I cannot confirm this but will addendum if I come to any conclusions. I havent tried to critically listen for song order since I get so absorbed in my somatic responses to the sounds that it doesnt matter what the song title is! This may be a reissue [and #5 is definitely not a delta piece, as a critic claimed.]
Collectors of Therapeutic Music are going to want to hear this. As far as my body is concerned at this point, this is true Multi-Dimensional Healing Music on par with Jacotte Chollet, Marcey Hamm or Jeffrey Thompson. I recommend it as good backsound for healing work and massage [be advised: there are some very downbeat gentle rock grooves so not meditative] and also for reading or creative work. By the end of the album, you feel expanded and buoyant. Awesome. [Available at Amazon]
2-23-2010
What a great time in all of the world to be alive! Things just keep getting more interesting and as much darkness as there might seem to be, The Light is leading us in Love & Creativity by leaps and bounds. Case in point: the completion by Iasos of a near decade-long process of sculpting digital video media phenomena to his 2001 CD release, "Realms of Light."
As much as i may have raved about Visionary DVDs in the past - - from brainwave music based 3Dkaleidoscopes like AV3X or vivid mandalas such as the Hemi-Sync series to the thought-provoking sound&light poetry of Steve Roach and friends in "Kairos" or "Atlas Die" by Daniel Colvin music by Robert Rich; along with mystical works like "Luminous Dimensions" or "Ibiida Lahaa" and of course the Surreal Impressionism of John Banks and more naturalistic works like "Timeless" with the music of Patrick O'Hearn or "Naturescapes" scored by Jeffrey Thompson & Jim Oliver- - this DVD creates a watershed moment where the mastery shown so variously in SOUND is now matched by the highly skillful crafting of Color, Intensity & Form. There are times in this DVD where the visuals are very close to what i've imaged while listening in various states.
The light of the video output effects me as much as the music, and that is saying something quite remarkable considering that this is the music of the Master of Celestial Paradise Music! This video output has HEALING effects! You can really feel palpable shifts in your aura! At the end of the 65mins of Olympian Bliss, credit is given to 2 outstanding Bay Area Lightworkers whose expertise in crafting Light contributed to this release: Ken Jenkins and Todd Stock. I know both of this guys and, believe me, they have to be considered as in the upper tier of computerized visual media Wizards on the planet.
This DVD truly is continually fascinating on repeated exposure and i believe is a therapeutic tool for energetic wellness. Beyond that, it will make you gasp in Awe many times like "Luminous Dimensions," but this Vision is so much more Beautiful and Beneficent that there is little comparison outside of that. If you ever liked Iasos or enjoy Angelic music generally, this is a 2010 must have and a true Planetary Event in the Art realm.
Click Here For Preview Clips Iasos has posted at YouTube
Ylang
Robert Rich
Soundscape Publications, 2010
Click here for Robert Rich dot com
SHADOW & LIGHT EROS & GNOSIS EARTH & SKY
Robert Rich has a diverse panoply of styles and atmospheres, in just intonation, spanning over three decades of miraculous music making. He can be darker than a dungeon or brighter than brilliance, wafting like vapor or scrabbling across moss covered logs like some fabulous mythic creature. His use of microtonality and complex timbre is legendary and exceeds other major artists in his genre just for sheer elegance in minutiae. While he has created amazing albums of pure Ambient atmosphere, he also has explored rhythm and polyrhythm from geometric and architectural points of view, along with styles influenced by Magian aethetic, where the music is woven into complex interrelationships like mosaic or Arabic geometric design, Islamic patterns.
This superb new release is the latest in this particular line of sonic inquiry, following adeptly in the lineage of "Propagation" and "Seven Veils." [Though i daresay leading back further to "Gaudi" and even "Geometry."] What perhaps sets this album apart is that the grooves, mostly done in complex Arabic hand percussion styles, sometimes are backed by a drum set, giving them a pleasant and modern straight-ahead kind of feel. Very stylish for the downtempo room at more spiritual rave scenes.
Now, this is NOT a rave-ish kind of album: it is serious electro-acoustic performances with the signature Robert Rich lush production. There is female voicing on a few tracks using vowels and actually very mysterious and alluring. The album is in light trance mode, upper Theta, so it might actually be possible for backsound in intimate conversational settings, perhaps even for reading. This music however calls for your attention as such interesting things start occurring that i would not say it was for massage or therapy. Deep diving in the realms of Entheos? sure! expect intricate mandalas.
1-30-2009
TRANSMISSION Frequencies of Sacred Mt. Shasta
Diana Gazes & The Lighteam
The Lighteam.com 2008
POWERFUL FOCUS INDUCTION FOR LIGHTWORKER ASCENSION
Darv is always checking for new material from Michael Hammer. It's been a while. His 2000 release, "The Sacred Heart," is the last completely solo release of his that i am aware of, although through the Millenial years, Michael was involved in at least one collaboration i noticed on his site and then i just discovered this one, in which the music is his and a very pleasant female voice takes us on a guided tour of Panther Meadows near Shasta [where i've been! so there was a natural attraction - - i must says hearing those multiple brooks nature sound did remind me of them so much] into the Heart of the Mysteries of Shasta.
The vocal induction [over music] is the first fifteen minutes of the recording. The next 13 minutes is the brilliant soundscapes of Michael Hammer. There is a channeled angelic energy on this recording. It reminds me of the angelic energy-forces i've experienced in areas like Shasta, Sedona and Haleakala. The intensity of these vibrations is as strong as Gerald Jay Markoe at his most Pleiadian. There is a guided stress-relief in the voice induction which is very powerful. A lot of confused energy just grounded right out. Around 28mins the voice returns; we reached the Peak & returned to Panther Meadows [which truly is a magically beautiful place.] At several points in the recording, there are calls to various Beneficent and Ascended Beings. i guess it would help the listener to be able to accept such mystical utterings. The entire recording is 35mins. It may be a little expensive, but this is powerful multi-dimensional music with energies very reminiscent of what i encountered on the occasions i visited there.
I must confess that to fully enjoy this recording, one must utterly surrender to its vibe. It knocked me out the first 3 times. Be ready to possibly become enraptured and suddenly the music is ending. This is not music for casual backsound or even healing work or bodywork. but i view it as a very therapeutic light hypnotic induction that is salutary and aesthetic pleasing. and you feel wonderful afterwards!
MICHAEL HAMMER
the above link will take you to the webpage for probably the clearest music channel for the Ascension energies. His music is densely packed with spiritual information and condensed spiritual attunement experience. Michael has a rich catalogue of Higher Consciousness recordings that richly pay back any investment you give them. His 4-CD "Music For Awakening The Light Body (Volume 1)" is eight half hour nonverbal vibratory lessons in Lightworking. Each half hour is a lengthy study in itself. There are many many hours of delight and discovery. Yes, it is $60, but goodness gracious, you are purchasing a series of classes on the subject of your vibratory reality.
Michael has so many excellent discs and tapes, but serious collectors of Angelic Music should at least have "Aligning With Your Higher Self" [possibly his best] and "Gifts of the Archangels" which is celestial music at level with all others imho.
1-26-2009
Golden Ratio OM in King's chamber of Great Pyramid -- GLOBAL OM *perfect 7.8 HTZ* Patrick Flanagan
very awesome recording worth downloading!
[ free mp3 http://bit.ly/6CbAOI ]
1-07-2009
Harmonic Healing OM
LATEST BY SONIC GURU - INSTRUMENTAL DELIGHTS!
While there are some vocals, mainly intoning vowels, on these albums there are no lead vocals, no lyric sheets to read and , well, basically symphonic Aquarian musique par excellence.
"Harmonic Healing" is a series of nine well-crafted meditation compositions which display a level of complexity that Patrick began exploring with the technically impressive, Buddhistic "Mantra Mandala" album, but actually are cast in the original classic Paradisal sound of PB's first two monumental Visionary albums, "Atlantis Angelis" and "Solaris Universalis." In fact, the first track takes the listener to a soundspace with a familiar feel of the debut album. The first half of the album is fidelitous to the Aquarian Vision, being extremely harmonious, peaceful and Bliss-inducing. Each composition is carefully structured to induce specific bioenergic effects. Few composers in healing music have this ability to produce such specific effects; Iasos and Jacotte Chollet immediately come to mind. This recording is indeed performing at that level and is true "Paradise Music." In some ways, i've been looking forward to this release since i became aware of him at the release of the second album.
However, this album moves into new audio territory for Patrick, while also honoring the composers who are influencing him. During the course of this album, i can hear that Patrick has heard Akshara Weave and Steve Roach [in particular: an interesting fusion of Patrick's classic "Om Spheres" with a Native American Shamanistic ritual atmosphere including drum which rather acknowledges the powerful "Kiva" album by Roach, Stearns & Sunsinger.] The very cutting edge longer piece, "The Crystal Temple of Atlantis," begins with a powerful anthem seemingly Egyptian, only then the tabla comes in [giving a sort of India impression] and the melody obtains an odd scale which at first seems an Egypto-Arabic hybrid but then seemingly incorporates a Greek lilt. It does end up sounding Atlantean!
If you are one of those people who never tire of Patrick's first two albums, but haven't followed his career, i can tell you that if an instrumental album of that kind of Aquarian healing music sounds good to you, it will be a very pleasant listen that has new depths on repeat listen. I myself always buy Patrick's latest album when it is released because for years he was my Sound Guru, i learned so much from his music -- about what Music is and can be, plus the enormous amount of Spiritual Information packed into his albums -- that it would take many pages to explain it all and probably very inadequately. And why should i when the music itself does it all automatically?
"OM - The Healing Power of Spiritual Sound" basically takes Patrick's CLASSIC "Harmony of the Om Spheres" from "Solaris Universalis" and extrapolates a number of different tangential melodies from it. 63 minutes of luscious Crown Chakra loving vibrations. Years ago, in a letter to Patrick, i told him i was looking forward to his White Light album, whenever he got around to it. Well, thank you, Patrick! Prayers answered! These ten compositions use the intonation of "OM" on the Crown Chakra tone with the orchestrations of infinite bliss for which he is known. While they all partake of the shimmering, shining expansiveness of the classic piece, each has its own sound jewels that give it a relatively individual character. After ten minutes of this album, i can feel the Heaven Chi, the Yang Bioenergy, in my body begin to intensify. I can feel that luminous lavender-white infusing my auras. Under the appropriate conditions, i'd definitely be heading UP the falls with this album. Which i am also looking forward to... This is a great album for anyone who collects Crown Chakra music or who want a nonintrusive Paradisal backsound for meditation, high level entheogizing or healing practices.
Early Reflections
Val(liam)
Dewtone, 2005
EXCELLENT POSTMODERN AMBIENT DOWNLOAD AT ARCHIVE!
Liam Skogland had a marvelous CD out in 2009 named "Daydreamer," which very well could have been the best Postmodern Ambient [ie: TechnoAmbient, which had drum programming, but without the drums; moving closer to the Classic Ambient aesthetic.] This album does have some drumming and nature location recordings but also has the wonderful crystalline, airy quality of Daydreamer, which i could only compare Dilate & the only ever release "Octagon" [which probably nobody reading this would remember BUT immensely satisfying Ambient 2CD.] i've had wonderful quiet reflective moments with Early Reflections, truly, and in many ways it makes me nostalgic for the early days of Ambient in the Seventies. so glad i made it to hear this 21st Century Postmodern Ambient!
BTW: this album is free to stream on-line or download in mp3 format at Archives.org so don't just take my word for it, click the link and hit the play button over there
12-26-2009
Ambient Manifold
Master Margherita
Bakshish Music, 2009
CINEMATIC ABSTRACT VOID AMBIENT
Here I am loving this job again!
This is proto-Dark-Ambient hearkening back to the days when Industrial music had begun to soundscape in earnest. That means these compositions utilize noise to a degree far greater than what has become the rather refined Space Music aesthetic of todays mainstream Dark Ambient. In this more Industrial subgenre, we find artists whose works call forth the mid-80s work of SPK, and more modernly artists like Brian Lustmord, Kim Cascone, Cyber Zen Sound Engine or Omicron.
MM & his collaborating partners are working in this same very odd soundrealm, but have instilled a dry sense of humour at times perhaps comparable to the deadpan seriousness of Yello, then sketchy like early-Zappa, then bizarre like 50s-60s electronica.
There are times when this music is spooky, almost sinister & alarming, other times it is playful and quite ridiculous, bringing a smile to the face. Its a quite enjoyable listen for those listeners like me who enjoying exploring the Cave of the Unknown, the Dark Place Within. Best of all, you can download the high-quality mp3s for free by clicking on the Bakshish link! Get the 36 minute mix too!
OuterSpace Introspection
Travis Nobles
Travis Nobles dot com, 2005
EXCELLENT SPACE MUSIC ALBUM HAS ADVANTAGE OF BEING FREE
Nobles has numerous download albums at his site and seems to come from a Celtic Music background. I found one of the tracks from this album, "Shimmering Starlight," and liked it so much i decided to check the whole album out. This is a wonderful bit of space electronic journey in climes ventured by such high level synthesists as Numina or Robert Carty [and if you appreciate their work, Travis Nobles is a new artist for you!] These tracks also reach intensities almost in the Multi-Dimensional or Inter-Dimensional realms and thus have a touch of the angelic that always pleases me.
If you should like some beautiful relaxing space music that is thoughtful, multilayered and gorgeous, click the link above. The downloads are very crisp, high quality mp3s that jet right down with high speed. [ps: i am listening to his dance music set, "NeoDiscoTech," and am finding it fun & inventive as he's tweeked out 70s-style disco into a millennial uptempo technoambient mix. positive vibes, but only for those who like classic disco.]
12-12-2009
Healing Sounds of Tibet
Anjey Satori
Vikkon, 2009
NEW SONIC WORMHOLE IN TIBETAN-STYLE GENRE!
Not that i would want David Parsons to ever feel under pressure to step up his game, but Anjey Satori is giving indications that he is definitely capable of evoking feelings and headspaces in the same league. Let's face it: Parsons has created a niche much like Steve Roach or Michael Stearns - nobody does it as well as the Master - but many artists influenced by these other artists are strong and intriguing in their own right. I've definitely dug around for artists working the Tibetan-style of electronic music. Dean Evenson's "Ascension To Tibet" certainly attains the plateau, though Evenson has his own unique musical signature as a New Age artist and while entirely willing to immerse in deep meditation is not as willing to go Astral or Abysmal.
Satori not only takes us beyond Midnight quite adeptly, but also makes use of brainwave entrainment with the strings, readily uses effects and voice commonly associated with Celestial or Angelic music, and tends to pieces in the under 7 minute range which are a bit more narrative in harmonic movement. Like Evenson, the music is a bit more compact than Parsons. To wit: with Parsons one experiences a work of Art and one is swept away into its mighty Vistas of Vision; Satori is more conversational, journey-like and picturesque.
Anyone who enjoys the work of David Parsons or Tibetan music would find enjoyment in this album! Plenty of use of chant and intonation in the Tibetan style also!
Click here for info page on Anjey Satori
Hidden World Beyond
Jonn Serrie & Gary Strousos
Valley Entertainment, 2009
COMPANION DISC FINE ADDITION
The combination of Jonn Serrie's classic space music with the melodies and atmosphere of modern Native American music in the New Age crossover is probably the finest example of fusing synthesis & traditional style [at least those traditional styles palatable to Western listeners.] Coyote Oldman is wonderful but intense and overwhelming; Ancient Brotherhood has done some fine work but can be inconsistent; but Serrie has an aesthetic which adheres strictly to his artistic Vision of ultimate Peace & Pleasure.
I was completely involved with their first collaboration album, "Hidden World," 2000. Always marveling at how the music was able to slowly bring me into its space without shock or tricks. As a Shaman, the feelings of reverence were couched in a sonic language i related to: transgalactic awe & the surprising power of experiencing my own inner Universe.
This album incorporates ideas from the music of India & Tibet. I guess this might be part of the "Beyond" in the title. They definitely try out some new ideas. This disc will please Serrie fans and i would recommend it to anyone who is looking for Native American style flute music in a Visionary Sound context, but finds much of what is out there comes with too much cheese. This synthesis is beyond all that.
Ineffable Mysteries of Shpongleland
Shpongle
Twisted Records, 2009
AND IT'S SHPONGLE FOR THE WIN!!!
This disc wasn't first in this review session's line-up only because i'm trying to show some restraint as a critic and put the definitive Visionary Sound Arts first before wading into the more disreputable, and much more FUN!!, modern VSA genres coming out of the Electro and Techno realms. What tears the world shed when being told that Shpongle's 2005 album, "Nothing Lasts But Nothing Is Lost," would be the final release in a mind-boggling spree of Unsane Music straight from the Atmic center of the Entheogenic Psychosmos.
Imagine the planetary organic orgasm upon announcement of the imminent release of this wild slice from the other side! It is amazing the globe didn't fly off of its' axis! And worth the waiting [if we had only known we were waiting!]
The music of Shpongle is LOUD INTENSE ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC DANCE MUSIC that is like being sucked into the Psychedelic Cartoonland of a 20 gram peak on magic mushrooms. Under the appropriate conditions, the colors are vibrant electric dayglo, one is shot through wormholes, spiralled down maelstroms of crazy color, thrown into the circle of magic rituals under transdimensional skies and...and...the list is endless. While much of it is synthesis and automation, there is plenty of bass, guitar and winds played by humans. While there are many fine TechnoAmbient and ElectroDub projects out there, few reach this incredible level of articulation and spectacularity! yes, you need to make up words to describe this stuff! perhaps only Ozric Tentacles and Entheogenic have taken it anywhere near this far!
This album maintains the High Quality of Shpongle releases and when it ends there is no doubt that you have been Shpongled! While for musical palates willing to take the risks & exhilirations of intense dance music, this is AWESOME and i think i like it a little bit more than the last album. don't know why. it might be that Simon Posford's skill are that much more advanced. yeah, that's it.
Hippies With Gadgets
Master Margherita
Peak Records, 2009
LABEL FROM SWITZERLAND JUMPS INTO THE GAME WITH BLAZING GOOD MUSIC!
Dudes, i'm so sorry: i thought i had reviewed this album! I'm marking this one down as one of the VERY BEST ElectroDub albums this year. Really juicy; creative ideas; always a sense of adventure and exploration, Master Margherita lays down some amazing shamanistic downtempo grooves comparable to the top of the line at Aleph Zero or Six Degrees.
This is a well-considered album with many layers which reveals itself over multiple listens and is intriguing from beginning to finish. Lots of hand percussion and dizzy-whirlies happening: one gets so involved in it one can no longer ask all these questions "how was that done?" and so forth. there is reverence and awe right beside giggles & silliness. the acoustic instrumentation is often so absolutely dripping with harmonic richness as to be near-flabbergasting and the deep grooves are really fun. A lot of people are going to have good living room backsound for in-depth bong research. It's that good!
SolaLuna
Solar Quest
Entropica, 2008
INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS 2CD TECHNOAMBIENT WITH GENTLE SPIRITUAL CARESS
ok: say you want music with modern beats but more along the lines for doing yoga or something more devotionally-oriented than the Dionysian celebratory glories of more Psychedelic artists. This is a great World Fusion Technoambient release with one cd more on the activating-Yang side and the second cd on the more queiescent-Yin side. The albums wander through cultural influences from around the planet and make wonderful use of Goddess-like female vocals. Becoming completely transcendental and aethereal at times, this is a delicious sound massage that will keep your ears perking up for a long long time.
I've always liked Solar Quest, though i can't say i'm familiar with all their works. I acquired the Orgship/Orgisms double repackaging when it came out and find it great as backsound for conversation and reading. There is a truly reverential quality to this music that is quite moving and even fulfilling for the listener. Yes: it is modern beats and always works within a modern sensibility, mixing various cultural milieus in a melange of sound sensations in a millenial context rather than trying to evoke distant culturally-bound scenes or trying to sound "authentic."
I'm quite happy with this acquisition and feel nourished after listening to either disc.
11-15-2009
10-19-2009
Jyoti
David Parsons
Celestial Harmonies, 2009
NEW RELEASE BY VISIONARY MASTER A SONIC TREAT
Parsons has been moving in a pleasing direction with the
last couple of releases. After going through what i thought
was a period of Ghostliness, with the Spooky "Inner Places,"
and the more Astral feel of "Surya," we are beginning to
see the dynamism he displayed in "Dorje Ling," "Shaman" and
more recently "Yatra." I rather like his music when it
is more rhythmic and shamanistic. The Ghostly side of
Parsons is less emotional, haunting and at times daunting.
"Jyoti" took me on a strange imaginal journey
reminiscent of a psilocybin experience but also cinematic
and suggestive. I particularly enjoyed passages where he
explores his influences more explicitly than perhaps ever
before. These moments of hybrid music seem to open new
vistas that he may develop in coming years. What follows are
my impressions as i listened to the album for the first
time.
We begin with the title song, in a pastorale setting
as if we are in the foothills of a soaring mountain range
that disappears into the cloudscape above. The crisp air
from higher peaks whispers around us gently. There slowly
arises a sequenced pattern and an implication of effort
being exerted as one's respiration and perspiration
increases during a walk up a path to steeper inclines.
The increase in altitude brings with it a grander view,
cooler air and a sense of purpose which presides over the
awe and the trepidation accompanying hikes to the heights.
We enter the reverie that saturates the mind with long
duration uphill hiking. This transic state submerges into
the self to attain an inward peak. One of the interesting
things about this piece is the use of a metallic klang
sound as part of the percussive line. This almost industrial
aspect hearkens back to Parson's experiments with gamelan
and the extreme intensities of "Dorje Ling."
"Incarnation" starts out quietly, slowly, fading up
to reveal a grotto-like or womb-liken environs. There is
a hybrid atmosphere that is organismic like Robert Rich,
has deep gaseous fumes and boulders in the Abyss like
Lustmord, and rolling-grindstone-like sounds that Steve
Roach perfected in his Primitive phase. A deep sleep,
water at midnight, somewhere in the distance: a shore.
Midway through the song, a sinuous band of bioelectricity
begins to writhe in the somnolent murk. There is activity
begins and rapid grow blossoms into some unforeseen and
unknowable future. The scene becomes incandescent and
a kind of "cosmic tearing" process peels back the
layers to reveal this unfathomable, mysterious growth.
"The Valley Below" finds the dreamer awakening, sitting
up to a new focus. Clarity, suddenly noticing the vision
of grandeur from the peaks achieved. A wide panorama of
the land we have ascended from spreads out before the
inward viewer gloriously. Sensing the rarefied atmosphere,
the purity of the air, and the puissant vibrations of
higher climes, one sense awe and pleasure of the
rewarding view for the effort committed to the Journey.
Everything below is somehow familiar, though seen from
a wider perspective, yet seen simultaneously as if for
the first time. Eureka! So powerful! We are pulled back
into the paradise within, dining on the delicacies of
the Divine, as if for the first time. The rush of bliss
pervades, drawing us in to the last three minutes, inside
a mandala. I saw the Mandala of All Valleys At All Times.
"City of Spirits" displays the architectures of Light.
The many mansions, an enormous structure filling the sky.
Beams and walls ornately crafted with unspeakably
beautiful figures and designs. This is the upward course
which leads to the Dome. i know this place. There are
beings, creatures sentient and difficult to focus on,
amongst the girders. A long ascent upward ensues: toward
a clime more filled with Light, and it becomes quieter,
more reverential. There is the sound of bird call, but
these must be quite large birds, sapiens sized or larger.
and a steady flow of Heart Light....
"Tsaparang Moon" this is the composition i would
gravitate toward as a programmer. An airy higher chakra
vibe with very positive emotion. It begins very gently
and perhaps with a "feminine" or "Goddess" aspect.
This slowly increases in intensity in the way that a
lover slowly increases their depth of caress. We are
being woven into the fabric of something that is nurturing
and healing. The two minute are a deep anesthesia bliss
state, enfolded in the arms of the Goddess.
"They Come," the last piece, closes the album with
a darker piece, again utilizing a near-industrial click
pattern sequence to carry the slow tempo: theta dreaming
busily, but about to break through to a more lucid state
When this occurs and we achieve the new state, it is like
being awake while sleeping. The working ends on a note of
clarity, responsibility, adaptability and willingness
to engage.
A new David Parsons disc is always a pleasure to me,
but i do so love it when he uses the bright colors! A real treat for
those who love his stuff and actually a decent place to start.
10/16/2009
i've been remiss the column of late yes i know
stupefying heatwave, insane loud music from neighbor &
general bachelorean lassitude the main culprits.
Destination: Beyond
Steve Roach
Projekt, 2009
Click for Steve's Site
THE CONTINUING SONIC VOYAGE THROUGH SPACE-MIND
REGULAR READERS of this column know that Steve Roach is
one of the Modern Masters of Visionary Sound Arts (in my
mind & sentiments anyway.)his is vast soundworlds of
incommensurate beauty of which i have had rare privileges
of beholding and of coursing through on the inner planes
of Thee Divine Imagination. Here is not the place for
extended comment of the deep spiritual meaning Steve Roach's
modern shamanic music has afforded me. Where Patrick
Bernhardt (Bernard)showed me the dimensional levels and
that they are INHABITED, that the transdimensional garden
is an ecology of souls, Roach revealed an essentially
MYSTERIOUS relationship between my individual self and a
Vast Cosmic Self utterly BEYOND my "reality-tunnel" (or in
some cases, "labyrinth.")Where Iasos showed me ultimate
vistas of joy, bliss & ecstasy in radical beauty, Steve
showed me the freedom and power of being alive NOW.
i could go on, but i SAID no extended commentary!
this new release is a longform Ambient piece, clocking
in at 71:39. it has active rotating sequencers which keep
one in an alpha wave headspace. i like that it is a little
more faster pace, allowing me to be alert. it has a crisp
production and interesting passages which allow one to
sort of wander away mentally and be lost in the vibe, yet
come back and find what is happening to be dynamic and
interesting. the overall feel is neither ascending nor
descending, but a floating stasis in a certain soundworld
which seems involved with the sort of repeated work gestures
one sees the tryptamine gnomes performing.
after the first 30-35 minutes, the sequencers and,
hence, rhythm, fade out and we are left suspended, wafting
in one of Steve Roach's signature dreamy love flows. around
minute 47, a new slower theta rhythm emerges; growing
organically, it would seem, from the flowing incandescence
within which we had been immersed. while we seem to have
brought the fundamental to Heart, this entire section is
extremely Psychic.
the vibe of 1st half hour: peaceful,awake, aware, seeking
some kind of inward knowing, almost earnestly, yet tranquil.
later it becomes dreamy & theta wave material. this part
seems to be keyed to the throat and hence the buddhic or
proper Astral plane, the luck plane that the boats of
healing beings cross. towards the last ten minutes, it again
becomes purely Ambient and begins an eternal drift toward
the sweet caress that awaits us all....
this music is obviously intended to disappear into the
background and support relaxed reflection and musing. the
harmonic one octave down could certainly support low theta -
high delta dream journeying, but i must confess i feel
centered and focused listening to it now.
"Destination:Beyond" is rather in the line of descent
in Steve's sound worlds from the original exploration in
motion of his first three, more kinetic, albums. If you
liked the recent "Landmass" or this year's AWESOME, quieter
"Dynamic Stillness," you might find this a worthy subject
of your perusal. i certainly did...
...and am very pleased with this album. i consider it good
backsound for conversation, reading, writing or other visual
art. because of the slightly faster pace it may not be as
useful for bodywork, yoga, energy healing but certainly for
ritual, long distance driving, trypping, meditation and
typing reviews....
8-25-2009
Healing Gold
Aetherium
Paradise Music, 2006
Chakra Gold
Aetherium
Paradise Music, 2007
Click For Paradise Music Site
SURPRISINGLY DELICIOUS AMBIENT NEW AGE HEALING
Aetherium is Kevin Kendle. I've heard much of his
music over the years, as it gets shelved in the collections
of numerous radio stations i've worked for over the years.
i'll be perfectly honest: like many i have certain
attitudes about music that are intractable. one is: i don't
like "safe" sugary sweet goody-two-shoes new age music
that strives to have no Shadow and therefore no Soul, and
also conveys a concept of Spirit that seems sucked dry
of Essence and therefore Power & Intensity thereof. most
of Kendle's stuff on the New World Music label (forever in
my mind linked with similarly lighweight Llewellyn) i just
found to have this problem. well, perhaps it was MY problem.
of all his New World releases, i only ever collected
"Tarot." this had a few cuts i could work into Tarot music
sets.
Lo & Behold, as i left radio broadcasting and hence
Kendle & Llewellyn fell off my radar, they were both
transitioning into a more Ambient expression which i was
not aware of until recently. my attitude towards Llewellyn
has been rehabilitating for some time, but it was somewhat
shocking when i suddenly enthused about Aetherium, ordered
the two twenty-five dollar discs and then discovered i had
recent works by Kevin Kendle! with the readjustment of my
listening, i could recognize his style and indeed i knew
that Aetherium had new age underpinnings so it took me
some time to absorb this and partly why the 20 day interlude
between reviews.
i relate to this music as angelic music. the tunings
are correct and sit precisely in the chakric areas. there
is an obvious artistic maturity displayed by competent use
of sound to move chi (life force) and induce specific
energic states. you can tell this artist has STUDIED.
yet, there is a range of Noble emotion we must call Angelic.
and energy-presences are evoked by sheer wave Calling.
Shadow is present just in the way in needs to be to allow
Transformation to occur.
the sound of the albums is at all times warm and
supportive. not trying to prove anything. patient, yet
firm and flowering. how apt that the name Paradise Music
was acquired to produce these works. sometimes reminding
me of classic Don Slepian, at other times modern in the
range of "Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle," these two albums
are a treat together. one is very specific to the chakras,
the other is more energetically holistic, reminding me
of reiki music or Michael Hammer's ascension music. this
music is all synthesis (possibly real piano.)it is largely
wafting waves of relaxation that FEEL REALLY GOOD. and
you know i'm ALL about that.
Aetherium should be of great interest to Light Workers
and Healers. primarily beatless sonic incense for Heart
and Body. love it.
8-05-2009
TRANSMISSIONS OF LIGHT CODES
"Journey Towards Ascension"
Shapeshifter
Visionary Music, 2009
Click Here For Transmissions Of Light Codes dot com
TRANSMISSIONS OF LIGHT CODES
"Aya's Underworld"
Shapeshifter
Visionary Music, 2009
Click here for TLC page in VM catalog
VIBRATIONAL MURMURS FROM THE HEART OF THE UNCONSCIOUS
This new series that Shapeshifter is beginning incorporates
voice and mantric vibration into the genetic evolutionary
ascension process (using sound) that is the foundation of
Shapeshifter's work through an already extensive catalogue
of high quality Visionary Sound Arts. Both CDs are hour-long
tracks recorded live with some post-production overdubbing.
I've reviewed Shapeshifter quite a few times now, usually
with glowing, even gushing, reports of amazing synchronistic
events occuring in temporal zones adjacent to the Listening.
What strikes me immediately with these new releases is the
sensations accompanying the vocalized syllables. it does
seem like some kind of living code entering my system. It
actually engrossed my attention away from the music, feeling
both primordial, ancient, yet familiar (again activating my
er...apparent memories of and longings for a Mu i've never
seen and The Land of The Blue People where i appear to be
from. i've mentioned this before in Shapeshifter reviews,
but it continues in my experience of their new music.
A longing and yet a questing.
If you click the first Shapeshifter link above, you
will be presented with a moving triptych of odd looking
lettering, flowing by in a multi-color flood of light.
I was seeing that, or something rather like that, listening
to the first album without ever going to that page. these
artists HAVE tapped into something, a "current" if you
will, that i've experience from other artists on rare
occasion, but usually painters.
"Journey Towards Ascension" should please listeners
who have heard albums produced by Shapshifter since the
Millenium. it is true to their signature Ascension style
and sound. the addition of mostly female voice is done
in a rather understated way, allowing the voice for the
most part to reside democratically in the stereo field
with the other elements, only gaining the foreground to
deliver mantric syllables on occasion. the musical
composition shows increasing understanding of melodic
principles to communicate spiritual ideas. at times, they
are reminiscent of Celtic Goddess soundweaves or Native
American Skywalking. indeed, Shapeshifter incorporates
numerous sounds from "new age" genre, but i find the
level of electronic artistry, the backing esoteric
knowledge and the commitment to healthy intent brings
Shapeshifter into the "ancient wisdom" genre.
"Aya's Underworld" is shamanistic dreamtime music.
It is more appropriate for listening at night. In the
past, Shapeshifter has put a dark song or two in the
mix of an album that was mostly Light. this time, both
sides are honored on separate discs. "Dark" here is in
the sense of modern tribal shamanistic music as done
by top artists like Steve Roach. I experience this disc
as Shapeshifter's own artistic cutting edge of honoring
the inward Unconscious, often visited by Shamans around
the world as a Dreamtime or Underworld, which is not a
Hell or anything like that, but a place of rich Imaginal
experience where one can encounter one's own Shadow
material and reclaim what has been lost. For an Ascension
artist, this is an important articulation in Wisdom.
for what is sometimes called Demon is oft-times a Key to
or Treasure of One's Own Self Beshrouded in One's Own
Fear (and Anger, which is based on Fear.)We are not to
deny or destroy our Shadows but to reclaim them in Light
in order to obtain the Key or Treasure which they safekeep.
I think the emphasis in "Aya's Underworld" is that healing
and reclaiming part, whereas so many modern electronic
underworld sound artists are content to Explore and
Discover yet not perform the alchemy but revel in the
soulful Darkness. "Aya's Underworld" will appeal to, say,
ambient room DJs who want to play genetic ascension
music, but are looking for that shamanistic darkness,
with drums and even some drum machine, some mystery and
maybe even a scary shadow encounter however brief. they
want a chilled sound that isn't classical or new age.
this first full-scale attempt by Shapeshifter is a worthy
listen that "ancient wisdomers" such as my self will
enjoy.
these albums are available as immediate internet
downloads or as CDs. see the above links.
7-16-2009
Journey To Atlantis
Kevin Kendle & Llewellyn
Paradise Music, 2006
Click For Listing At Paradise Music
EPIC UNDERSEA JOURNEY TO SUBMERGED CITY OF ATLANTIS
From the opening majestic synth flourishes to
the final glimmer at the end, this is a fantastic
sonic adventure which i would call "Space Music,"
except for the fact it is subaquatic. With all the
grandeur and finesse of Michael Stearns at his best,
combined with dizzying orchestration reminiscent of
Raphael's greatest flights of fancie and a touch of
the angelic a la Iasos, this is an exciting listen
which derives a satisfaction as if one was reading
a good book rather than watching cinematic artistry.
I've been aware of both of these artists for
many, many years and was most familiar with their
independent of each other solo work at New World
Music [a highly productive British new age CD label
that, i felt, released by and large schlock - the
kind of music that makes "new age music" an easy
target for accusations of being safe, hackneyed,
prissy, cheesy, etc...one had to be selective with
the roster, gleaning the gems.] i heard most of
the cd's as they arrived at the station where i
for many years did my Visionary Sound Arts broadcast
work. During the 90s, i felt these two artists
had the saccharine sound like Deuter's sugary sweet
pop albums that did not suit me for entheogenizing
with, productive of no spiritual essences for my
particular psychic disposition. i think of the
two artists, i only owned Kevin Kendle's "Tarot,"
[2000,] which had 3 songs i could play in my
Tarot-based music-&-reading sets. i really didn't
own any Llewellyn until about 2006, when i was
expanding the Tantra music section of my library,
which included acquiring his "Tantric Sexuality"
[1999.] Both of these were among the handful of
New World Music discs that i owned. i thought this
second disc, although rather repetitious, displayed
a change in Llewellyn's aesthetic sensibility that
to me revealed greater sensitivity to psychic and
spiritual vibration and a different production
approach that was more Ambient. surfing around, i
discover his recent at the time "Reiki Gold," [2005,
and acquired in order to expand my Reiki music section,]
which i think in 2006 i may have described as the
best angelic release in a long time. Two weeks ago,
i found some on-line music by Aetherium which i was
very stoked about and ordered 2 - "Healing Gold," [2006]
and "Chakra Gold" 2007,] which turned out to be
Kevin Kendle, but more on all 3 of these later.
"JOURNEY TO ATLANTIS" is stunningly beautiful.
These two artists have found an admirable complementary
alchemy between their styles which entirely transcends
them to coalesce an amalgam of profoundly intriguing
synthesis. perfect for astrally journeying through
vibrational realms easily on par with aforementioned
masterful artists. i feel like this is the new Michael
Stearns i've been waiting for so long to be released.
i urge you to go to the webpage i've linked and listen
to the Quicktime soundclips.
This music has the potential to transport the
listener to realms of gorgeous beauty and high adventure.
if you've ever wanted to visit Atlantis and obtain to
the Inner Sanctum to commune with the high spiritual
radiation of the Great Crystal, to be irradiated in the
transmission of the One Energy, this may be your best
chance to do so!
Albums like this are why i am constantly pursuing
the cutting edge.
7-12-2009
Starlight - Volume 2
Robert Carty
Deep Sky Music, 2009
Click Here For the Carty Website
CONTINUING THE SERIES OF CELESTIAL WONDERS
Got Starlight?
This is a very pleasant collection of Planetarium
Music, perfect for stargazing, instrospective hideaways,
lounging during time of high solar radiance and
for smoojing out the mellow.
With many releases behind him, Carty has recently
been using his signature stylings to make star music.
Havin a predominantly synthetic sound which can be
completely ambient or include intense drumming, Carty
can create maginificent dream visions in astral cloudland,
intense shamanistic dreamtime exposures, romantic
adventures of the Heart and fractallized voyages through
abstract zones of cosmic experience.
the Starlight series is very equanimous: no dramatic
soaring or shifts of energy, but wafting expansive
star dust through glorious fields of gas and radiation.
this is calming, gentle music, allowing one to experience
Wonder, whether the stars be in the outer heavens or
inner planes. i believe my comparison with the Planetarium
Music of Jonn Serrie still holds true, and that's a good
thing should one enjoy relaxed moments of Awe and
Amazement.
i've been enjoying this mainly as low volume Ambient,
backsound around Darv Xanadu, rather than for deep
listening on headphones. You can be sure: the environs
still get effectively Cartyized.
Angel Codes - Messages from the Archangels
Tom Kenyon
Orb Communications, 2007
Click Here for Listing at Tom Kenyon Website
THE REAL DEAL: ANGELIC CALLS FOR NEW MILLENIUM
i only own a few Tom Kenyon releases, because i've found
that the production quality can vary to a great degree.
"The Gandharva Experience," while still having clarity
issues, had a great piece for opening the heart chakra.
"Soma," Kenyon's release for The Relaxation Company's
Healing Music Series, also seemed muddy [perhaps ambient
miking with microphones not really up to it? or lower
quality tape? i dunno] but again had some brilliant
and effective moments.
Kenyon is primarily a vocalist who emphasizes the
spiritual and therapeutic effect of sung words. he chooses
words reputed to have mantric qualities and singing
styles from established mystical singing traditions to
create vocal music [usually accompanied with quite
minimal instrumental: a drone, thumb cymbals, etc.]
his ideas and performance are always worthwhile, but
as i said sometimes the recording values compete for
my attention.
"Angel Codes" is very well recorded, however, and i
found the medium never called itself to my focus. It is
live performances all given on the same day of angelic
calls for the Hermetic angels Raphael Michael Gabriel
Ariel Zadkiel Chamuel and Metatron. he covers a range
of arcane singing styles which after a while can become
somewhat spooky. like if you were with Gandalf or
some other wizard as he conjures using various
barbarous tongues. the volume range is quite dynamic:
from murmurs to loud commands.
i spent an afternoon in a dedicated angelic ritual,
primed myself for a couple of hours in preparation
[using my own calls, angelic music and trance techniques,]
then listened to the entire 2CD set [with a couple of
instrumental breaks.] By the end, i was fully angelicized,
glowing with that healing numinescence that permeates
their climes.
A great addition for the serious angelic worker, for
people interested in modern chant like David Hykes and
the Harmonic Choir or Michael Vetter and the Overtone
Choir. This 2CD can be challenging and requires your
attention. I would compare it to Vetter's solo release,
"Nocturne," for being powerful at times eerie mystical
voice stylizing by a single person.
7-6-2009
Energy Mind Consciousness
Mystical Sun
Mystical Sun, 2008 - Click Here For Website
Click Here For Listing at Last.FM
WOWZIE WOW WOW - COZMIC INFINITUDE ON TAP
An amazing downtempo release by Mystical Sun, an
artist who releases only occasionally, yet always
seems to feel close and familiar.
I remember the first Mystical Sun release, which
was very dark technoambient with a hint of strangeness
that put them in a special subgenre of Electro inhabited
by strange birds & odd bedfellows like [to my mind, of
course] Cyber Zen Sound Engine, Tetsu Inoue or perhaps
the ill-fated, semi-failed Transcendental Anarchists.
But Mystical Sun had a Castenedan Native American
shamanism environment somehow intermixed with outer
space and alien environments. The longest piece on
"Primordial Atmospheres," [1994,] is in the deep sleep
delta brainwave range and demands a rigorous transic
session.
"After Materia Cloudland," [2000,] was a satisfying
cosmic pop release in the sound realms of The Orb. It
remains perhaps the most immediately accessible release.
Even had the semi-classic, "Something Very Pure," which
is like "Fluffy Little Clouds," but a more rarefied
spiritual atmosphere. The third release, "Deeperworlds,"
[2006,] tried to move into the midtempo realms with
some danceable tracks that, as i recall, showed an
affinity for the sound of The Cure. While this was
enjoyable, i was definitely gratified to discover this
new release backing off the more pop sound to reengage
the introspective dreaminess of early Mystical Sun.
In fact, in terms of production, progressive
development in individual pieces, choice of percussive
voicings and overall design, this album is clearly a
watershed for Mystical Sun. The accomplished mixing
and mastering rather show the comparatively primitive
skills in the first album, yet "EMC" is able to
reincorporate those nascent sensations into this
more sophisticated sound. Wisely deciding to return
to the more meditative, transic realms of the first
two albums, the album shows a continuing development
of the initial Vision and lessons learned from previous
outings.
These days, we would suggest Mystical Sun is more
aligned with artists like Carbon Based Lifeforms:
densely organic psychedelically-charged technoambient
operating in the low theta and in the delta ranges.
These are intrepid interior journeys to the Underworlds
and the Realms of Labyrinthine Space beyond. Recommended
for psychonauts and electrodub deep divers.
Chakra Chimes
Ramesh Meyers
Allowed Sounds, 2002
Click For Soul Vibes website
NOTHING LIKE VIBRATING METAL BARS
This CD is a recording of improvisation on a set of
eight mounted chimes, each of which is tuned to the
frequency one of the major chakras of the cranioskeletal
array. It is not really meant for "listening" with one's
ears, but with one's entire physical/energic envelope.
a meditation of surrender and entrainment to the
vibrations, resulting in a harmonizing effect over time
between one's chakras.
i use this CD when i'm feeling jaggy and want to
smooth the stress out of my system quickly. I find it is
more immediately effective than some other recordings i
have, like Weave's "Ten Minute Chakra." since we are
just listening to struck chimes that have no melodic
narrative, this is ideal for simply resonating with
the biofeed. Weave and some others are more interesting
intellectually. This album is good just for studying
the harmonic resonances within one's body and the
sympathetic harmonizing that occurs after some time's
exposure to the sounds.
this is an austere meditative/healing recording
that i recommend for serious study of the effects of
tonal sound on one's energy-body. for that purpose, it
is amazing.
6-22-2009
bizzy this last month. in a dither. sorry.
PREVIEW - David Parsons, Kulu Days
from forthcoming, "Dhauladhar Dreaming"
as yet unreleased
Click here for David Parsons "Kulu Days"
a YouTube video posted by my friend, Eric Meece (so it's authorized)
a beneficent augur of things to come! :D very elevating piece
The Edge of A Fairytale
Between Interval
Spotted Peccary, 2009
A NEW MASTER OF NARRATIVE SPACE MUSIC
i'll be honest with you: i miss Michael Stearns and
Ron Sunsinger for being the masters of cinematic
narrative in space music. they always came at you
with an enormous, enveloping sound that placed you
in context, with all necessary audio cues, in some
mysterious story of discovery and adventure.
Stefan Strand [aka Jnsson,] the Visionary Sound
Artist who is Between Interval, has over four releases
carefully crafted an ever more eloquent, aesthetically
elegantmillenial form of space music that tells a story
cinematically, allowing your Imagination to play
into the grandest of stories.
Having the intrepid questing spirit of Steve
Roach, the emotional warmth and blissfulness of
Jonn Serrie, and production skills comparable to
Michael Stearns, Strand has managed to transcend
his abilities to a distinct sonic Voice with Visions
that transport the listener to incredible higher
dimensions Beyond & Within the Imagination.
The production ideas here are profligate and
too cool. Take, for example, a dirdgy synthbass
like some plodding Tangerine Dream riff, but make
it soft like a heartbeat and some delay so that
it isn't too stiff. Smooth all the edges so that
it is like a caress. It's textural; the "feel."
The album just feels good to the body. Ahhhhh...
This is evening or night time music. It has
the velveteen satin smoothness of shadows and
deeply introspective imaginal work.
While i have not heard the first two Between
Interval albums, you can bet they now have priority
in the acquisitions list. Albums like this
help you realize that there ARE still limits that
can be pushed.
My Oracle Lives Uptown
William Orbit
Guerilla Studios, 2009
JUST RELEASED MAGIC SHOW BY WUNDERKIND PRODUCER
William Orbit has a long career of producing work
impressive for technical ability and gorgeous to
hear and feel. His renowned "Strange Cargo" series
was sort of a permutation of themes through a
variety of musical and production styles. The wild
thing was that serious consideration of any one
song was a joy in terms of beholding the effects
of the technical and aesthetic choices. This all
rather culminated in the fully refined statement,
"Strange Cargo 3," an album of purified pop
perfection, and the fourth album, "Strange Cargo:
Hinterland," a bookend sibling to the culmination
of his Torch Song motif with the release of the
insanely good, "Toward The Unknown Region," in the
same year, 1995.
Orbit was earning his chops before the 80s and has
been crafted in to a sound that is HIS sound as
much as anyone has ever "had" a sound, for some
time. Lately, he has rather moved away from a hard
dance rock sound to a softer, more elegant atmosphere,
more classically-oriented. In fact, he broken with
his own tradition by making an album that was
largely pop electronic covers of compositions by
great classical composers. "Pieces In A Modern
Style," [1999,] received a moderately warm reception
from the critics, but many a fan desperately replayed
the disc over and over, scanning for dance beats.
they weren't there. of course, people like me were
"oh nice, something more ambient for the post-party
hours." William then went on a marvelous saga as a
demigod producer, co-inventing a smash album with
Madonna and, well, working working producing other
stuff. 2006 saw the release of an aesthetically
elegant [and i keep using this word, because i
think it is the correct word] yet casual and
understated album, "Hello Waveforms." i thought this
mellow, tasteful album was a wonderful counterpoint
to the near-hysterical production works of the
new masters like Posford, Ott, Shulman & the
Entheogenic duo, english Piers Oak-Rhind and
austrian Helmut Glavar. Orbit is simply true to his
aesthetic, a sense that he has developed over many
years. unfortunately, i thought the album unfairly
savaged by critics and the long-time fans still
pining for a return to the 80s. [ain't gonna happen
kids.] kind of like "how dare you sound like yourself!"
This new album finds William Orbit in a more
energized party mood. He's technofied a bit, but
never lets the tempos outpace the heart vibration.
he keeps plenty of emotional space available. the
compositions seem to be exploring some new directions
and even the occasional familiar theme quickly gets
caught up into the infectious mood of friendly
joyousness. It's evident euro sensibility also makes
it destined for the fashion runways and Mediterranean
hotspots.
This is a BIG electro sound created by someone with
a lot of experience. i think the slightly updated texture
and faster tempos will allay a lot of the previous
criticism. however, William has staunchly decided to
keep certain signature synth sounds that you can tell
he loves. [i do too and i don't blame him!] i remember
somebody complaining about that cheesy casio synth voice
and how i exclaimed: what's wrong with a good cheesy
casio voicing if you are using it properly??? take that
classic Moog voice: WHY should we throw off something
awesome because it has been used before. heck, if that's
our logic, let's start with something more hideous like
the...the tuba or bassoon. come on you guys!
Seriously, great summer fun to be had with this album.
well thought out and executed. afterward, you feel as
if you had eaten a meal of fine cuisine. can't say it
better than that.
danceable tracks but more like great party backsound.
with the classic William Orbit aura.
5-24-2009
Dynamic Stillness
Steve Roach
Soundquest, 2009
Click here for Steve Roach website
TWO CD SET OF LIQUID WAVES OF BLISS IN THE DESERT
This music reminds me of those immense plasma oceans
of bliss and numinosity that one encounters in the post-peak
entheogenic experience. While i have seen writers exclaiming
that these recordings finally capture the mystical feeling
of the desert at night, i think there are recordings in Steve's
past that do so better because actual sounds of desert are
present. This release is all synthesis.
While Steve Roach has done ecstatic and reverential
soundscapes in the past -- all of which i find superb and i am
a permanent admirer of this work done by i daresay the
world's preeminent sound shaman -- this new release consistently
provides sonic opportunities to achieve blissful consciousness
states. The context appears in the mind's eye to be an immense
space filled with thick luminous and incandescent gases flowing
around each other like liquid. not unlike experiences that may
occur under anaesthesia. Occasionally, spirit radiation
peaks through, but never as an ecstatic eruption. simply, an
endless flow of pleasure.
i'm sure there will be people who after five minutes of
this music will announce that Steve "has done this before."
this is a music of NUANCE. okay? this is a REFINEMENT of a
soundscape SIGNATURE to this artist. deep listening or trypping
will reveal that this is quite its own thing and that the
artist is in top form here. the feeling of utter naturalness of
flow & expert use of stereo field, microdetail and so forth, is
quite impressive. if this is something that he's done before,
but is also an improvement on the space, are you suggesting i
throw out the old ones in order to keep the new one?
and -- hello -- he hasn't done it before. close listen
will show he is constantly striving for excellence. his abilities
and understanding of the medium continue to surpass most of
the artists in his oeuvre. and if that wasn't true, how could
he release recordings numerous times a year. yes, it's that good.
Worlds Within
Brian E. Paulson
Music For The Soul, 2009
Click Here For BEP MySpace Page
LuckyGoHappy
Brian E. Paulson
Music For The Soul, 2009
Click Here For Music-For-The-Soul Website
SOLARNEUROOPTILOGICALSUBCONSCIOUSTONEGENERATION
Brian E. Paulson continues to amaze with the simultaneous
release of two CDs expanding his fusion accomplishments.
This is a music of joyousness and clever playfulness.
tempted to call this "Cosmic Giggle" music. and it's my
column, so i will. which is not to say that it is a
silly music nor comedy music. BEP plays a plethora of
instruments, acoustic and electronic, and is obviously
a bit of a whizz at this thing. The music is a mixture
of lounge, world beat, soft jazz and electronica, all
swirling around in an effortless mix as BEP unleashes
a galaxy of instrumentation in sometimes unlikely
combinations that delight and surprise. All of this
music is rooted in the rock combo, with additional
elements. BEP is not doing astral space music right now.
"Worlds Within" is more of a Visionary World Fusion
album, displaying predilections to the more electronic
and ethnic side. while filled with positivity and
FUN, this music at times resembles the work of, say,
Paul Haslinger or late period Brand X. BEP, however,
never indulges in an angry aggressive vibe. it's closer
to the movie soundtrack or light jazz radio format
aesthetics. within these aesthetics, BEP provides
changes at the right times, crescendoes for psycho-
logical satisfaction and knows the secret of "get in,
get your effect, and get out." While i have enjoyed
both of these albums on headphones, i think their
ultimate purpose is backsound for parties or
for physically active recreation, road trips,
housework, working out. good alpha/beta vibes!
33 minutes of smiling energetic fusion!
"LuckyGoHappy" begins with a joyride in a stolen
car to a tricked-out 21st century jazz-loung mutation
of the peter gunn theme james bond theme scenario.
or what is it pink panther? this establishes a trend
in the album that shows a definite affinity for
modern lounge. like the other album, soft jazz,
world fusion, rock and electronica mix it up in an
atmosphere more urbane and oriented to the bachelor
pad [the psychedelic bachelor pad.] there's a Brazilian
jazz influence, a something thank you Stevie Wonder,
a mix of The Cars, Steely Dan and deep funk, mixes
of worldbeat and 80s rock, endless...
the final 12 minute piece, "Bonehead Boogie,"
becomes a sort of extended downtempo techno fantasy
which gets spacey and then quite abstract and odd.
a gumbo of strange effects and twists of fate. it
rounds out this 37 minute album leaving behind a
quizzical feeling as if coming out of Mister Toad's
Wild Ride for the first time.
the only artist i could even compare to this would
be William Orbit. but it's hardly fair because BEP's
multi-instrumental work is so far beyond programming,
keyboards and a bit of knob twiddling.
All of this music has been produced in a way that
is conducive to already established radio formats. one
can only hope that adventurous programmers will somehow
come into possession of these sound desserts and sugar
up their audiences with multisourced 21st Century music.
Brian E. Paulson: check Music For The Soul to
find out about his ambient work. this guy is a true
wonderworker.
5-1-2009
The Divine Invasion
Bluetech
Aleph Zero, 2009
Click Here For Saiko Sounds sample page
SOUND AESTHETIC UPGRADE FOR ELECTROWIZARD
This top modern exponent of electronic designer
music continues to improve as a composer and producer.
a full lush production akin to Dakini & Aleph Zero,
the sharp outlines typical of the Waveform production
have been softened, more soma-friendly. while the
angular tryphop compositions are in there, there are
stylized downtempo club beats in the mix. the soundfield
is also pretty detailed in, with even more going on
in the background than before. complexity of the
flourishes is also enhanced.
Bluetech is an all-synthesis technoambient project
by Evan Bartholomew which could be favorably compared
with Higher Intelligence Agency and A Positive Life.
The tone color is bright, the drum machine is inten-
tionally mechanical like Kraftwerk or Jean Michel Jarre,
but programmed much more densely so the drums are
quite adept and tricky, the emphasis is on intense
fields of radiation; quirky stilted biochemical
interactions and geometric crystalline growth patterns.
Similar to HIA and APL, Bluetech also emits positivity
affect - happy, curious,exploring, playing, satisfied -
almost mindlessly so. the music is narrative only as
watching stop-motion animations of tinkertoys or legos
into various mandalas or geometric solids would be.
this recording does not appear to riff on the novel
of the same name, "The Divine Invasion," by Philip K.
Dick, but i'm sure reading that marvelous tome whilst
listening to this album would be quite apropos.
Quite pleased to indicate a definite bullseye recording
and those who like the quirky, lizard-like sinuosity
of Bluetech should be heartened with his growth
as an artist and the increased sensual pleasure to be
had of the production. TO BE CONTINUED....
4-23-2009
Daydreamer
(val)Liam
Celestial Dragon, 2009
click here for Daydreamer webpage
Label Page With Samples Click This One
BEAUTIFUL COSMIC VIBES INTO INFINITY
Daydreamer is for the Radical Beauty enthusiast
looking for that *je ne sais quois* in enchanting
modern synthesis. These are powerful emotionally
positive vibrations throughout much in the Ishq
realm, but with thoroughly chilled technoambient
and electrodub downtempo beats for the first
few songs. Then, it becomes near beatless beauty,
crisp & shining, flabbergasting. Every
piece is lushly produced, gorgeous to feel and
emotionally revivifying.
spring water with liquid crystals.
this is music to disappear in; for real.
[i'm very impressed with what is happening
over at Sonic Dragon & affliates. my package
was postmarked from Hong Kong.]
according to the liner notes, this music is
composed by Liam Skogland. he's got a MySpace:
Click Here For Liam's MySpace Page
this is amazing blissful synthesis and one
of the best releases so far this year. modern
visionary music aficionadoes on the paradise
tip should take note: new acquisition necessary.
4-22-2009
Crystal Bowls Chakra Chants
Jonathan Goldman & Crystal Tones
Spirit Music, 2009
Click For Healing Sounds Website
METAPHYSICALLY CORRECT CHAKRA MUSIC
Jonathan Goldman is probably the premier sound healing
recording artist of the planet, in my estimation at least.
His impressive catalog is a valuable resource to any
person investigation the effect of sound on consciousness
or the therapeutic use of sound to promote well-being
and health.
This new album, "Crystal Bowls Chakra Chants," done in
collaboration with William Jone and Paul Utz, who call
themselves Chakra Tones, melds Goldman's chakra sounds
technologies which he showcased in the "Chakra Chants"
albums with the use of crystal bowls, struck and rubbed,
which have been calibrated to tones that are harmonically
related to the 256hz fundamental (itself a harmonic of
1hz.) Without getting too technical, this calibration
finds some consensus among chakra sound enthusiasts.
I own numerous crystal bowl recordings and chakra
sound crystal bowl recordings. Some are just pure drone.
Others are rhythmic and narrative, at times to a fault.
What makes this disc special is not only Goldman's well-
considered vocals and the spellbinding use of crystal,
but the incredible gentleness and subtlety of the music,
and the superb balance between instruments. The vocals
SUPPORT the sound of the bowls instead of competing
with the delicate overtones. Where some bowl albums
feel like strict meditation, this one feels like
medicine. that is not to say it is "medicinal," but
that it touches ones body with a sensitivity, with care
and honor, that is palpable and convincing. It is easy
to simply allow the music to move through one's physique.
Played over speakers, the precise conditioning and
attuning of the indicated areas of the body should be
evident even to the untrained person. In fact, over
speakers with this device is better. the full intensity
of the bowls becomes more evident and one can really
appreciate how Jonathan has allowed the bowls to be
front and center in the mix and the voices in a supporting
role. i think i like this one best of the "Chakra Chants"
albums because the vibratory support from the bowls
gives one a feeling of confidence that one will stay on
vibe. in the previous Chakra Chants recordings, the
emphasis is on the mantric power of sung syllables.
this can take you to spiritual states, or "places," where
even an experienced journeyer like myself may feel at
the limits of their abilities. one must tread for the
moment. crystal bowls never leave you like this. they
help you assimilate the information of the mantric
intelligence by maintaining coherence to the dominant.
it's great!
An excellent meditative device, suitable for backsound
also for creating healing environments.
4-19-2009
Natural Born Chillers [compilation]
Various Artists
Aleph Zero, 2004
Natural Born Chillers 2 [compilation]
Various Artists
Aleph Zero, 2009
2ND EDITION MORE ROOTS; 1ST YAH!! SHOOTS!!
THERE IS A CERTAIN ELEGANCE i've appreciated in the
realms of visionary sound arts. i'm not exactly sure
how to describe it properly. i've seen it called
"Radical Beauty." certainly the classical ideal
participates in this, but it also entails our modern
use of sound to achieve window frequency states and
beneficial SOMATIC conditions. as a young synthesist,
i found this beauty not so much in the stodgy
Beethoveness of the Berlin school, but in the firm
classical values of Constance Demby and the wild cosmic
speculations of Michael Stearns. Not only was this
narrative cinematic music spectacularly beautiful to
hear, it also engendered highly salutary physical
body states. Many people would cite Brian Eno's
"Music For Airports" as an example, although i would
certainly merit "1/1" as such but not the entirety.
in the modern electric scene, i might cite
The Heavenly Music Corporation, particularly the
first album and the "Orchid" album by Ishq.
This album is a likely candidate to join these
admirable albums in sound heaven.
to be fair, a lot of this disc is SERIOUS
electrodub absolutely on a peer level with Posford
and Ott. it can be quite busy with A LOT going on
in the foreground, background, overground, underground
and intraground. all over the place and included
therewith are these passages of great elegance and
transcendental power. a lot of tryppers are gonna
have a GREAT time with this one.
The first song, "Alaya" by the afore-mentioned
Ishq, is on a "1/1" level, but even more high-definition!
When Hillier hits his mark it is simply stunningly
gorgeous! no beats, sheer waves of voluptuous sound
pouring like tapestries, lavishing itself upon the
listener like inescapable sultry tropical breezes.
Following this, Anahata kicks in with a solid
deep bass line at the heart chakra! "Shakti" follows
a groove so bottomed out it is amazing to find out
it resonates halfway up! There is a patient straight
up and forward movements in the blutechy way. Induces
a sort of love serenity.
we then move into the far down groove, descending
through air with trance drums to land gracefully in a
new place of wonder and amazement. "A New Philosophy"
by Zen Mechanics is an 11 minute merrilymerrilymerrily
down the stream flow session that transmigrates into
a shponglized electroreggaedub experiment, but not in
a zany way but rather of going farther and farther
inside as the Universe becomes larger and larger.
just when you think you know where you are going, it
shifts into a triphop phantasmagoria. and now you KNOW
you are listening to an Aleph Zero album because this
kind of global fusion, even the riffs that must
somehow find their way back to Tony Banks of Genesis,
the multicultural references, the ace programming
are some of the spectacular things about the label
and the artists on the label!
Jirah's "Disconnect" picks up the tempo a bit.
there is a feeling up being alert and active. hitting
the navel and solar plexus, it brings us into a more
focused state. the affective content is more wilful,
making things happen, wanting certain somethings to
happen and causing their occurence. this certainly
would be good works music for the paradimensional
gnomes. some fun, interesting hand drum work towards
the end....
..."Monochrome Rainbow Pixie" by Agalactia
chills it all down with a more meditative environment
environment with flute that becomes transcendental &
more Alan Watts [one of the previous songs had some
too] gives way to a technoshuffle? this song is more
playful. i think the previous song was sort of the
freeway to get us here to the amusement park. these
are the dancing wallpaper pixies, repeating the same
little dance over and over joyfully in a carnavalesque
atmosphere. excuse me whilst i dance with them a bit....
*dancing with the pixies in cartoonland*
wha? now they are leprechauns?! by god it's a jig!
i DO love a GOOD JIG!
*dancing with the leprechauns, etc...*
the next chill down is with guitars, hinting at,
yes what does become an technoambient blues dub piece
by Cosmic Fools, entitled, "Be Yourself." flanked by
acoustic blues guitar and sparkling acoustic piano,
the throbbing synthriff makes me think of the moon shine
on the veranda of a sleepy town love shack on the
edge of the swamps, kicking back spliffin it.
o: lyrics! "be yourself, let your conscience guide you,
follow your heart not the people around you."
electrotabalas pull us into the inevitable symbiosis
of blues and raga....
when the crisp drum pattern and sunshine synths of
"Estha" by "J.Viewz" snaps up the vibe and carries it
to a new optimistic level it is like a breeze has
begun to pass through the room and the chill is down.
flute and female chorus bring us into focus above
the heart. it seems like anything i could think of
realistically can be made to happen if i go for it.
the sarod. and things are getting deeper. o man
i've really done it this time. "On Air" by Son Kite
[remix: Midival Punditz] connecting the solar plexus
and the heart and reminding me of my responsibility.
Get back on plot. bold major chords marching bravely
into the future. meditation on will.
by the time Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Steve Shehan
hit us with "Ya Bouy" we are ready to get back into
our body. there is a celebratory air with expert
arabic percussion and the oud singing out a wail of
thanksgiving and forgiveness.
the final piece - - "Under Water" by Eastern
Spirit - - takes us, of course, into a liquidic
medium of some time, with sonar echo from some
impossible electric octopoidian being escorting us
through realms of what appears to be an underwater
civilization. just a glimpse and then we are travelling
back along the tube, back to the world & our lives
in the monochrome....
yeah!
The just-released "Natural Born Chillers 2" lets the
listener know right from the start that this with be
a more dubby ride. With Cajun Lousiana blues guitar
& jamaican seasonings throughout, the second edition
is more earthy in textures along the lines of Boozoo
Bajou or Little Axe, but with that inner Aleph Zero
hardwiring.
the first song, "Hibernation," by a project of the
same name, includes the aforementioned Lousiana bluesie
vibe, which gives way to a pretty lean electrodub mix
by Ott of Bluetech's "Prayers For Rain." this track,
while receiving the benefit of a production similar
to the work Ott did for Hallucinogen, is pretty straight
ahead for the modern dancefloor. After that 9 minute
jam, comes some Jamaica stylee wit' 3 Wise Monkeys'
"I'ts gonna rain." i forgot i was in maui for a sec.
Then Majan gives us more Cajun style which morphs into
a Jamaican/Arabic mix in the AlephZero mode. that's
a lotta cross-spicing in the gumbo! Things slow down
for the epic 12-minute "Flying In The Rain" by Tau Kita.
It's like having some Roger Waters Pink Floyd electro
techno journey replete with extended guitar solo &
dream-like passages. a vocoderized voice becomes our
psychopomp through some fantastically bizarre Alan
Parsons on serious tryptamines environments. This is not
a dance piece but a harrowing skin-of-one's-teeth
journey through dreamland to end up reaching the
quiet of the far shore.
this is when Interlaced kicks in with "Insologic."
we have melted through into vast unpredictaable realms
of shimmering intense radiation! is it the winged
white with bright yellow trim serapenthim, swirling
incandescent UFOs from the ET heavens? things get
complicated as the gates below open and we see the
extradimensional pixies and gnomes working on their
incomprehensible machineries of reality creation.
this somehow calms down into the Agalactia
track, "Aatmatyaag," which is a pretty standard
downtempo bhangra-influenced track for them.
Midival Punditz continues the India theme, with
"Vande Mantaraam" solo male sanskrit vocals mellow
but with a deep ragga groove. this song marks the first
really formal devotional feelings on the album. getting
into DJ Cheb i Sabbah territory here. swear it sounds
like "Monday Martyrdom" there at the end.
"Kali Ma" by Outerspect begins with processed jaw
harp and the return of the cajun guitars in a slow
rocker, live drumming, and female vocals sung
to Kali, the great mother destroyer. pleasant song.
"Numb" by Pi quiets down even further. leisurely
electric piano and acoustic guitar with a bluesy
electric lead guitar. we're led down an endless
labyrinthine hallway. it makes me feel high. so numb.
what does it all mean? a quirky set of contrivances
fool me into almost missing the sneaky snaking
reggae groove setting in. is there really a ghost
in here? or is it that static wind? wha?! melting?
"Coffee" by Eiten Reiter - this gets mellower and
mellower until one disappears completely.
4-14-2009
Drums Of Fire
David & Steve Gordon
Sequoia Records, 2008
Drum page @ Sequoia website
LEGENDARY DUO RELEASE ANOTHER GREAT DRUM DISC
i first started keeping track of the Gordons when i
discovered their timeless ambient music which
might be called "new age" by some but for me will
always be "aquarian paradisal." Discs like the
Garden Of Serenity 1 & 2, Sanctuary and the
essential, ONENESS, which istwo angelic continuums
for extended celestial travels. Then they released
some drumming albums which i used repeatedly to
wonderful effect as backsound for ritual and
journeying. i am particularly fond of Sacred Earth
Drums and Sacred Spirit Drums. this is the best
one since those first two.
it presents itself as the first of a 4-part
series based on the elements; hence, this is the
drum of FIRE. there is an inventive, refined use
of the stereo field and a multitude of percussion
instruments, plus occasional flute. in the liner
notes they mention a writer wishing they would do
a percussion only album and i should like to echo
that sentiment, at least for the EARTH album, dudes.
this is an enjoyable recording and easily resides
in my collection next to the other Gordons' drum
releases. the pace is still in the upper theta range,
not fast paced beta as one might theorize about fire
music. i find it rather trancey and not exactly
housework type music. on the contrary, one of the
things that really stands out about David Gordon and
Steve Gordon is that the music is always conducive
to the listener having a relaxed organism. even the
drumming albums are gentle, like a massage. it is a
natural production ear talent that they share. they
are older now and there is a feeling of assuredness,
of deftness that surpasses the previous albums. "Drums
Of Fire" is something of a progression building on
their past work. the sound and feel is much the same.
their grasp of energetic work is the key here. the
drums are nourishing, filling one out, rather than
energizing and ecstatic.
the album is replete with the rich production
one comes to expect from Sequoia. if you like the
other drum discs by these crafty paradiddlers, check
it out!
3-29-2009
Observer
Magic Sound Fabric
Spiralight Recordings, 2008
Click Here For Page At Spiralight
ELECTRODUB NONDUALITY
Magic Sound Fabric evolved to essential electrodub,
a solid movement in modern techno and dub influenced
electronica. The sound moves in the same vibration
currents as Zero One, Bluetech or Karl Bartos.
With distinct continental flavorings and namastes to
Kraftwerk and Enigma, this is a big sound perfect
for the down curve of that long-awaited acid trip.
Faithful to the CR78&Cheaps drum set and carefully
using the most successful voicings from previous albums,
which allow his grooves to provide rich fullness
while not getting too complicated but with a
nearly angelic feel at times
While being hip groovy electrobeats mixed with
fat dub passages, this album has distinction for the
semantic content, which is quite mantra-like:
Track one: "the world is an illusion" - de rigeuir
electropop to go with your Kraftwerk & Bartos;
Track two: "the world is make-believe; let it go" -
that euro-hint of Enigma
Track 3: dubtastic! "there is no illusion (in the
Light of the One)"
Track 4: "I trust the Light and regain my soul." -
gets a little euro again, we're interdimensional here
Track 5: "Heaven's coming down to meet the Ground"
- very angelic and the sky opens up -("nothing in the
world can keep me from bliss") - a spiral download of
vibrant dayglo rainbow energy from on high
Track 6: comes the dub "there's a unified direction
to the mirror of perfection" - the Mystic Dream Song -
"shining down the recesses of the subconscious mind"
a DEEP groove pulling us inside and up simultaneously
Track 7: this is what dub must sound like in heaven.
Some snaky guitar riffs even. "only love is real"
a synthdub charmer. radio rotation material.
Track 8: did somebody give Peter Frampton some
acid and have him sing in that guitar/voice synthesizer?
Bet if one was trypping that they would understand
the words. One of the more varied and complicated songs
of the album, "Majesty," has bold major chords and a
feeling of looking ever-farther into the distance
Track 9: of course, the album ends on a crown and
heart chakra piece that gives me shivers of delight
just thinking about it. "Beautiful" brings us back down
into our heart as the journey peacefully lands, flying
saucer-like, back in our familiar environs.
This is the fourth Magic Sound Fabric album. The
first was remarkable for intense wordplay and an intimate
"made in my refurbished garage" sound. There is nothing
like "Unfold" (1999) and i do recommended it for those
who like truly shroomy music. "Uplift Drift" (2002) was
the beginning of the MSF electrodub sound, good for
electrolounging with headphones as the cover indicates.
an interior headtryp wafting through the occult spaces.
"Freedom Star" (2004) i called an angelic electrodub
album and i still think it is fair to say that. People
who like Shakatura The Saafi Brothers or Makyo should
like it. Even people who enjoy Amorea Dreamseed or
Michael Hammer might possibly relate to it if they can
at all handle programmed drums. "Freedom Star" is HUGE
vibrant dayglo mandalas.
I really like the mystical nature of these works
by Cameron Akhunaton. For the spiritually-oriented
listener, this is a quite superior place in the
electrodub realms: ie-not zany and crazy like Shpongle,
not all detailed-in like, say, Bluetech; not too
stripped down and modular like Zero One, but devotional
and openly tryppy. This latest edition shows an alacrity
and strong dance groove intentions (while still being
midtempo) which make 2009 a bit brighter guaranteed.
3-26-09
TERRY RILEY
Terry's best known works
were created in the late 60s and early 70s.
In C, A Rainbow In Curved Air and
my personal favorite, Shri Camel,
all featured permutating minimal melodies
which i have referred to as "musical mandalas"
or "sonic kaleidoscopes.)
While the main body of his canon is trance
music played live on organ with various echo and
loop processes (much in the style of Robert Fripp's
"Frippertronics," but Riley was doing this quite
some time before Fripp,) Terry also has a number
of releases which are more varied, using voice
and narrative melody. these tend to be quirky,
but quite thoughtful and original.
recent darv acquisitions:
Persian Surgery Dervishes (2 CD set)
Robi Droli, 1993
First disc is a live performance in Los Angeles,
the second is in Paris. Much like Shri Camel, but
the tonal colors are darker, the mood more sedate
and late night.
Descending Moonshine Dervishes (2 CD set)
Kuckuck, 1983
First disc is record live in Berlin, 1975. It is
more extemperaneous mandalas, with occasional phase
shifting giving the music a feeling of high
velocity travel.
Second disc, titled, "Songs For The Ten Voices of
the Two Prophets," features Riley's nasal voice
reminiscent of David Allen or Steve Hillage, singing in
a solo wailing style typical of arabic styles. It is
interesting to hear this style done in ENGLISH. He is
singing about how marvelous the EMROIDERY is on
a particular piece of linen. This leads into an
extended instrumental section which sonically
describes the embroidery. this stuff REALLY reminds
me of arabic mandalas.
These two 2-CD sets i recommend for collectors who
really enjoy Rainbow in Curved Air or Shri Camel and
want to hear variations. this is a music of nuance,
where differences are heard in the subtleties. good
for meditation and deep listening.
3-18-2009
Indigo Egg
Ixland
Celestial Dragon, 2008
Click Here For Listing At Sonic Dragon
TRUE PSYCHIC THIRD EYE TECHNOAMBIENT TRIUMPH
Matt Hillier (a.k.a. Ishq, Virtual) truly stunned
my aesthetic senses with the luscious, ravishing double
CD release, "Orchid." Since that astounding audio
adventure, i have collected whatever i could find of
his work which includes the material at Virtual.com,
his collab with Coldrick and the album i recently
acquired, which had samples at Virtual, "Temple"
by Crystal Moon (although this last i am now unsure of,
since the notes at Sonic Dragon imply that "Indigo Egg"
is the pre-Ishq material.)
I've enjoyed all of these albums, altho the Virtual
thing is quite different from the Vibe of "Orchid." Even
the Ishq album in the Virtual series sounds like Virtual.
Those albums are piquant sound delicacies, to be sure,
but never approach the voluptuousness, the deep sensuality
of "Orchid." This new release is a magnificent return to
style for Hillier. Whereas "Orchid" created a insanely
deep blue environment -- a buddhic plane throat chakra
navigation device for swarming the lotus blossoms through
interuniversal hyperdimensions -- "Indigo Egg" goes to the
next level of the sixth plane third eye, the subtlety
of the psychic. Present here is not only that fantastic
richness of Indigo, but the lavender of the intuitive
use of psychic power
Click Here for a good pic of third eye psychism
Click&Video Heita Copony Mandalas-pause @ 2:40 real psychic vibe
All of the tracks except the last on this album are
keyed to the third eye aspect. This would obviously be a
VERY intense tryp under the appropriate conditions and
recommended for experienced users only. The album begins
with an energetic dozen minutes of uppermidtempo scene-
setting, then quickly brings us down into the theta range,
probably around my fave 4.9 hertz, although i did lose
consciousness at times at the 2.45 harmonic, which is
there also. These fascinating all electronic pieces are
probably the best sound representation of feelings that
i experience when connecting with my third eye abilities.
But beyond that, the production is gorgeous and i
immediately think that Dakini Records will pick this one
up for its label because it is so perfectly in sync with
their sound and style. I found the emotional climate on
this album also to be more positive than "Orchid." There
is a blissful quality, rather than the deep meditative.
I'm finding this a year after release, but WOW!
two consecutive listens and am totally stoked and
impressed.
3-7-2009
Three Cities
Bombay Dub Orchestra
Six Degrees Records, 2008
Bombay Dub Orchestra (2-CD set)
Bombay Dub Orchestra
Six Degrees, Records, 2006
Click Here For Bombay Dub Orchestra Website
Click Here for BDO @ Six Degrees Records
FULL ORCHESTRA INDIA DUB CLASSIC
Albums from Six Degrees are always a pleasure to hear.
The production is warm and earthy, yet detailed to a
remarkable, shall we say?, degree. The material that they
select is always high quality and their long term artists
continue to develop and innovate their sound. I implicitly
trust this label's taste and integrity.
Last December, in my usual manic spate of holiday CD
acquisition, I picked up these albums, enjoyed them
immensely, yet somehow never got around to reviewing
procedures. Then, they were occultly lost in the continuing
deluge of visionary sounds as is the custom in this household
of One. This morning, the guy in the red truck parks in my
parking space below my closed-windowed apartment and
begins belching the de rigeur subwoofed hip-hop through
my walls. Sensing that this was my opportunity, lo & behold,
I ended up playing "Three Cities" double-woofed and
mid-volumed as a way to redefine our sonic relationship.
After many listens of Bombay Dub Orchestra, this was my
first chance to allow the music to fill the space around. Man,
was I blown away. The richness and intensity of the full
orchestra give this album a density and intimacy not often
found in Asian Fusion, but also the nectar of the perfect
bass, cleverness of the riffs and relaxed awareness that the
music offered me made for a perfect hour of attentive
listening alternated with reading my new book by John
Allegro, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Myth."
So involved was I, so awash in this beautiful fusion of
North Indian Classical with reggae dub, hip-hop and r&b,
that I scarcely noticed when my erstwhile antagonist drove
his little red freak show away! Yay!
But seriously, all of the Bombay Dub Orchestra that I have
heard is top-notch Asian Fusion with an affinity for full
orchestra classical which goes well beyond most other artists
in the field and is simply breathtaking at times. While there are
some higher tempo dance tunes, BDO is rather dedicated to
the mid-tempo dub stylee. As I said, listening to BDO I am
mostly in mid-alpha and able to concentrate, read, converse
and so. Under the appropriate conditions, I am relatively certain
that this music could be used to tour many of the Vedic
heavens and possibly interact with the GanDARVas themselves!
"Three Cities" is striking for the string arrangements
and lush orchestration on top of energizing compositions that
have full emotional positivity and leave one feeling nourished.
With this album, BDO manages to transcend its influences and
present its own unique voice that may possibly lead to a
future reality where you know that it is BDO in the first
8-16 bars. yes, the artistry is THAT inspired!
The self-titled 2-CD set is as consistently excellent but
without all that acoustic instrumentation. The synthesis
carrying these background responsibilities is very competent
and a pleasure to behold. great voicings! The moods are a bit
more Western/Continental also, with phased Rhodes piano at
times and jazzy underpinnings. Sometimes there is that French
influence like the Buddha Bar stuff, etc. But overall, quite
delicious courses of exotic auditory cuisine. Perhaps best is
the sustained interest and variety for the course of two full
discs! ready to hear it again at the end!
Im sure my later reporting on these wonderful discs
is old news to fast and sure follows of the Six Degrees saga.
But to the rest of you who enjoy World Fusion in the flavors
of India, the work of Bombay Dub Orchestra is a must-hear and
worthy addition to any serious aficionado of the IndiaDub realms.
"Three Cities" is a worthwhile classic. If you like it, i
KNOW you will like the 2-CD set, which has some wonderful
ambient pieces on it as well.
3-6-2009
Starlight, Volume 1
Robert Carty
Deep Sky Music, 2008
Click Here For Deep Sky webpage
CARTYGRAPHER OF THE LUMINOUS HEAVENS
Fresh from its creation in December, this initial
release in the Starlight series finds our intrepid
sound explorer sauntering boldly into the realms of
Planetarium Music; a natural subgenre, it would seem,
for the expansive, silky style of its creator.
For ageless aeons extending to the nethermost
nuances of the ancient past, titans like Jonn Serrie
and Michael Stearns have plumbed these celestial
depths for the shining treasures of firey stellar
noumena, glistening in the velvet black manifold
of the dreaming void. Now, Robert Carty unveils a new
chapter of this aural drama.
As i said, it's a natural. Carty's sonic palette
has been so extended over these many years of intensive
creation, that he has developed the perfect space music
sensibility within his wider range of aesthetically
intriguing atmospheres. This type of environment is kin
to Serrie's mellifluous "layers of continuum space,"
but is an outgrowth of Carty's many years of developing
his own unique idiom of synthesis. His style tends to
have more developed micro-levels, higher definition of
outline and edges, and also a brighter emotional color.
Rather than the, at times, nearly pious and academic
reverence, mixed with awe and humility, of Serrie's
major works, Carty's Planetarium Music seems to me to
filled with the sense of fusionary bliss and Oneness
which is the real payoff from sustained stargazing.
From the Stearns-like opening track, "Polaris,"
an arresting and powerful lightning strike of a
composition which is really quite different from the
rest of the album, more active and intense but does
immediately draw one into "deep listening" mode, to
the lovely "Saturn's Song," which finds Carty in fine
form working with heart chakra vibrations into the
last half hour of the album: a fully satisying
set of luxorious star music.
Robert Carty has an enormous catalogue of albums.
This latest release reveals that his powers as a
synthesist and sound painter continue to be excellent,
and his spiritual sensibility is finding fuller, mature
expression in his development of stellar music which
now is become a landmark in Planetarium Music per se.
2-15-2009
Stream Of Thought
Steve Roach & Erik Wollo
Projekt, 2008
Click Here For Steve Roach website
AMAZING FUN COLLAB OFFERS RHYTHMIC THRILL RIDE
It begins with a sparkling, glistening environment of
crystalline light with all the cheerful breeziness of
a Pat Metheny album, but somewhere between Paul
Avgerinos rich production values and the steady pluckpulse
of Steven Reich's best work, then suddenly we slide down
the slippery slope into the glurpy glorp of the primordial
ooze, filled with dmt-gnomes from the 5th dimension.....
.....water, luminescent water, through which we see parallel
wave-like corridors of flow in which swim beautiful
iridescent eel-faeries or sylphs....the background fades
away to deep space in which toroidal asymmetric pulsar-like
globs of magnetic plasma lifeforms emit radiation of high
frequency intelligence.....each environment more strangely
beautiful and deeply alluring than the previous one,
for 19 technisonic episodes....
Wollo brings a fresh perspective to Steve's deeply
committed sonic shamanism. He has a sense for the emotionally
dramatic and high gloss space music like Avgerinos or Stearns
which makes for wild shifts in texture and really clean,
sheer definition between audio events. Steve responds in the
superb category with intuitive meldings that allow his
style to mesh with Wollo's, nearly, it seems to me, taking
the support role which provides cohesive value to this
70 minute journey to the inner stars.
A strange and wondrous journey which consistently
couches its imagery in a positive, spiritual ambiance. Even
in the darkest regions of "Stream Of Thought," there is
plenty Light. The percussion is quite interesting, being
most theta shamanic trance but also increasing the pulse
rate into very enjoyable alpha ranges. A hint of techno
influence. Some of these beats pleasantly hearken back
to "Empetus." We find ourselves mostly in Dreamtime and
the lower astral "Cartoonland." But, man, are those crazy
kids having fun with the dancing psilocybin wallpaper....
People who like Robert Rich's brighter albums or the
afore-mentioned artists should enjoy this one quite a bit.
Sanctuary
Shapeshifter
Visionary Music, 2008
Click Here For Shapeshifter Sanctuary Web Page
GO HOME, HOME BABY, GO HOME
The web page has a very nice 7 min sample from the
beginning of this album if you click the link....
Here we have an album inspired to guide you to the
reality of my favorite subject: THE PARADISE WITHIN.
These are musical compositions centered on keyboard
stylings, but synthesizer-based in sensibility and
texture. What we have here is an hour of extreme
inner planes paradise done in the signature style of
an artist who apparently has been doing this sort of
thing for a number of lifetimes.
i hear so much Lemuria in this that it brings a
fond tear to my eye. it is amazing in this day and
age that we have reached the point of reconnecting
so far back! and yes there is Atlantean influence
also. of course, we find more modern idioms, but i'm
really talking about the feel of the album. it
comfortably compares to the ambient works of David
and Steve Gordon; i'm thinking primarily of "Oneness,"
"Sanctuary," and the "Garden Of Serenity" albums.
comparison to Michael Hammer naturally comes to mind,
but Shapeshifter is much more narrative and story-telling.
yes, i think there is a narrative here but i am still
exploring. i think it is about how to bring the
inner paradise to the outside world, but still testing
at this point...
while i am an avid collector of all of Shapeshifter's
work, the recent "Shamballa," "Rejuva" albums, plus
this new one, "Sanctuary," establish this artist as a
primary source for Paradise vibrations and certainly
as essential picks for any ambient room i would consider
doing. we can file this one in new age or healing music,
but i think it fair to call it true Visionary music, as
the company's name implies.
1-25-2009
Earthlight
David Parsons
Celestial Harmonies, 2009
Available @ Steve Roach's site, click here
HEY, DAVE, COULD YOU SET THE BAR ANY HIGHER?
He'll smile wistfully and tell you he's not a musician,
but a "sound painter." Then suddenly, you're several dimensions
over the line, hovering in the plenum Void, incandescent astral
mysts slowly entwining upwards towards a *what!?!* an
ENORMOUS daystar of brilliant sparkling white Light??
David Parsons must be the ultimate electronica craftsperson.
Using samples he has recorded on numerous visits to India, Tibet,
and Bali, along with state-of-the-art Kurzweill equipment, with
every subsequent release Parsons reveals not only new aspects of his
abilities but also an attention to detail and minute resolution
which is sine qua non. Like most long-term Visionary Sound
artists, Parsons has developed several styles that he like to work
in: the first I'll call "Tibetan Meditative"-consists of long form
pieces that induce meditative mind states, like "Himalaya,"
"Dorje Ling" or "Maitreya;" "Cultural Ambiance" albums like
"Yatra" or "Parikrama" which include meditative pieces but are more
trying to describe a locale; and more rhythmic/shamanistic works
like the Balinese "Ngaio Gamelan," "Shaman" (a fave of mine,)
and 2004's electro release on Groove Records "Vajra." This last
would be a great acquisition for people who have never heard
this artist before and have more modern technoambient
affinities than classical or asian classical.
Recently, David Parsons released the ghostly 2005 album,
"Inner Places," in which he conjured visions of the Lokas. This
album seemed to be in touch with spirits of the dead and was a
little scary tryp kinda. To find music in his canon like that, we'd
have to go back to 1980's "Sounds Of The Mothership," with
atonal stuff like "Tree Spirits," or 1982's "Tibetan Plateau."
Earlier in 2008, after a three year hiatus, "Surya" appeared. It
was also pretty astral, but perhaps more to the dark ambient
side like Steve Roach. Both "Inner Places" and "Surya" were
rather sedate, exploring the darker, more Neptunian mysteries
of Tibetan mysticism.
This new one, "earthlight," is the more energetic and exciting
Parsons of "Shaman" and "Vajra." !! While working within his
familiar idioms, Parsons embues these visionary sounds with
an excitement and wondrous sharp resolution that made me
*gasp* more than once. Gorgeous and overflowing with life-
force, spectacular dynamics and surging enthusiasm make
this album a grand return from the realms of the dead to the
revels of the living. Yay! Extremely powerful like "Shaman,"
with strong melodic work, wild contrapuntalities and deep
spiritual force, "earthlight" takes the listener on a far-ranging
cosmic ride comparable to the best of Demby or Stearns,
but right here in the juice of the planet. *whoa*
This one is a MUST for Parsons fans and for all who like
expertly executed, thoughtful and thought-proking electronica
in the Visionary mode.
Atmospheres
Deuter
New Earth, 2008
THE CONTINUING PRODUCTION OF EXCELLENCE
You can always count on Deuter for crisp production values,
total emotional/intuitive commitment to the performances and
a lush, evocative feel that is as luscious as a perfectly ripe mango,
fragrant as a rose in full bloom and pristine as a lily pad. Wow.
This album is in Deuter's more western classical mode, the
more traditional sound that made him world-famous. While not
breaking any new ground, it does take its place alongside the
pantheon of his main modality musics including the recent
2003 releases, "Sea & Silence" and "Earth Blue." I distinguish
these albums from his Reiki releases, which tend to have more
of an explicit influence from eastern Asian classical musics.
Regular readers know that I prefer his meditative and healing
musics. Last year's "Spiritual Healing" is one of my most loved
Deuter releases of all time.
I always keep up with Deuter because when he gets it right,
it is nearly perfect. This album, while not in my preferred style
and not terribly original, is a very enjoyable paradisal
environment and the relaxation response my body had to it was
near immediate and quite profound. I should point out that
Deuter stands out as one of the early progenitors of what would
come to be called "New Age Music" along with other highly
notable composers like the supreme angelic sounds artist, Iasos,
and the pioneer of scientific healing music, Stephen Halpern.
Like either of these other artists, when you put their music on,
it will sound like "New Age Music" because they are IN FACT
"New Age Music" because they are the ones who developed
"New Age Music." My body convinced my mind that i like it.
1-19-09
Aquarian Dreamer
Brian E. Paulson
Aeon Records, 2008
Music For The Soul
MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST EXTRAORDINAIRE CONJURES
MELLIFLUOUS CONFLUENCE OF TONAL EVENTS
hey, I'm a big fan of BEP and it is always a pleasure
to hear what is new at Music For The Soul. For those
readers not familiar with him, I'll just say he has
several interesting styles and plays a panoply of
instruments. A lot of his early work is what I'd call
"Scientific Ambient," in that the vibratory matrix
in each piece has a fundamental pulse rate that is
calibrated to measured vibration rates or to brainwave
states.
He also has developed more narrative musical works
which are more in the New Age realm but are underpinned
by considerations of sacred geometric ratios and
chakra theory. These works are considerably more complex
in structure and feature Brian's talents on numerous
instruments. They tend towards blissful and enchanted
states of consciousness. Lately, these types of works
have crossed over into what I consider to be Angelic Music.
A third style that has always been present is Brian's
fusion music that combines worldbeat, jazz and rock.
This style gives him a chance to let loose with drums
and guitars with abandon. Solos, flourishes, dynamic
changes in energy and mood: the whole gamut. So much so
that it can leave one breathless and completely confused
as to what could possibly come next.
AQUARIAN DREAMER is one of the Angelic albums and
part of the strand he began weaving with 2004's
"Deep Release" album. Where that album soared high
and dived deep to achieve healing responses, this
album is more geared to relaxation and creative
imagination.
The first piece, the 30 minute, "Dream Vision,"
I can comfortably enjoy as backsound in a relaxed
alert state, or I can sink in to a lower vibration just
on the edge of sleep, a visualizing theta state.
The music rather offered me both choices. The overall
mood is a meandering casual dreaminess in which
various sounds and textures float in and out,
some appearing only once, as Eno called
"jewels in the desert." I am tempted to call this
"Possiblistic Music," as it seems to encourage
taking one's time and to consider alternatives,
look at something from various angles. This playful
exploration of texture reminds me of meanders Patrick
Bernard likes to do, and there is a background vibe
in the Michael Hammer mode which makes me feel like
the back cover of the cd case, which with abstract light
pastels and a swath of vegetal green, is more
representative of the album than the darker (even if
quite stunning) computerized graphic on the front.
"Aquarian Dreamer," also half an hour, features
soaring piano as in "Deep Release," which often
reminds me of Raphael or Lafond's work with Patrick
Bernard. BEP plays some tasty bass throughout (which
gives the piece a lower end presence sometimes missing
in ethereal music) and a range of devices from
harmonica to triangle. These paradisal notes create
an atmosphere that I hear potentially so many
influences in, but Brian has created his own sound.
It IS Aquarian and what feels to me as Atlantean
(this may be because of his previous work in Egyptian
modalities, or it may just be how I distinguish his
atmospheres from, say, Hillage's & Giraudy's Aquarian
vibes, which tend to be on a cosmic mandalic scale,
whereas BEP is much more conversational and here in
the mezzocosm with us.) As the piece progresses, we are
drawn into a slow groove which seems to be gracefully
carrying us through a luminous environment.
This is luscious music for relaxation and
creative daydreaming. It would great backsound for
friendly intimate conversation, for laying out,
cuddling or doing yoga. After listening to the whole
album, my heart and third eye feel tonified and
my entire body is relaxed. I listened to the album
as I wrote this and at no time did I feel that I
was slipping out of alpha, but I do know from previous
listens that it is entirely possible to go transic
on this stuff and get some visuals. In fact, BEP admits
that this music is a REPRODUCTION of Visionary dream
states that he has experienced. I recommend this to
people who enjoy Angelic and Cosmic musics.
There are getting to be so many albums from
Brian E. Paulson now that you just have to go to
the website and check him out. Some of these newer CDs
are not posted at the site and I am unsure if he
is actually selling them, but drop him an e-mail
and I imagine something is possible.
Quirk
Brian E. Paulson
Aeon Records, 2008
Music For The Soul
GOT QUIRK?
Starting with a drum beat that almost makes you
think that a mid-period B-52's album is about to begin,
"Quirk" immediately gets the listener caught up in some
strange conglomeration of science fiction, modern
lounge, progressive rock and fusion jazz, with sudden
infusions of fun craziness liberally spiced with
aromatic concoctions of synthesis and cultural
references like a musical encyclopedia on acid. He calls
it "proto-pop/jazzy/worldfusion/solarneurooptilogical
tone generations." I call it good clean fun! Seriously,
though: I'd have to call this the latest incarnation
of Space-Age Lounge Music, which we might as
well call Modern Lounge.
Chosen by Keyboard Magazine as the CD release of
their December 2008 "Unsigned Artist of the Month"
feature, this album allows Brian to really pull out the
stops and create some *FUN* energy. A celebratory,
party atmosphere, "Quirk," can get you tapping your
toes and snapping your fingers while wondering at
the same time "what exactly is this wild wacky
wondrous stuff you are listening to?" It is a music
that is unpredictable, highly unusual and takes a
fair amount of risks. By that, I mean that it DOES NOT
sound like the ready-made, easily digestible pabulum
that typically gets pushed across the scanner.
No: this music is TRYING to get you to have fun,
to crack up and laugh, to maybe even, could you?,
be silly without being embarrassed. Then you listen
closely and - whoa - is this guy getting all dexterous
and over the top like Return To Forever? What's going on?
It's so kooky and playful, yet how on earth
did he play THAT?
I have a number of Brians fusionary albums and
he is getting increasingly good at this thing.
Perhaps what really stands out with this album is
the full professional production (perhaps some new
mastering tricks?) which makes the music jump out
at you like a chimpanzee. It's incredible, really.
This album is NOT for serious jazz aficionadoes
who want to sit there with a straight face and
"critically appreciate" the artistry. Nope. BEP
will say, "excuse me?" and blow your mind with
some wild imaginings beyond your considerations.
While the chops are there in abundance, what is
actually going to happen is that you are going to get
pulled into his giggly googly world of wiggly
waggling tongues and raised eyebrows. That's it.
Forget about rubbing your chin thoughtfully.
How can you do that when your fingers are snapping?
This album is brimming over with 21st Century
Lounge, Worldbeat fusion jazz hearkening back to
the Eighties hey-days, and eclectic rock forms
all tied together with exciting keyboard riffs,
unique synthesis and a bright optimism that
only a QUIRK could cook up.
1-5-09
Temple
Crystal Moon
Kinetix, 1997
LOST TREASURE OF THE PSY-ERA MUDRA
I found some free mp3 samples from this album at the
Virtual website & on first listen i knew i wanted the disc.
Click here for free sample page
which is out-of-print but can be found by the intrepid
visionary sounds aficionado, if diligent enough. i've seen
it for $40 plus shipping, but i found mine for a reasonable
eight bucks at ebay.
This is some amazing psi-ambient very reminiscent of early
Heavenly Music Corporation, but there is indian percussion
which gives it a subcontinental elegance not unlike Makyo's
side project, Padmasana, but even more ambient. since it was on
the Virtual site, i'm tempted to speculate that this might
even be early material by Hillier (et al?) from Ishq.
it does have an Ishq kind of vibe:
translucid shimmerings of exotic nirvana, this will provide
an excellent sonic feast for lovers of lush electronic exotica
like Makyo, HMO, or even Jarre. let me say it: this is like
suddenly finding a long lost Heavenly Music Corporation album.
the song titles are a clue: "Sea of Mermaids" "Temple"
"Cloud" "Silent Pool" "Pamuya" "Sundream" "Butterfly" "Lotus"
very dreamy, paradisal stuff. wafting away on the aromatic
vapors of spiritual essence. my kind of electronic.
"Temple" appeals to my fundamental musicophilia: my
obsession with and pursuit of direct conscious experience of
the Inner Paradise. take a few grams, put this CD on, and
call me in the morning.
12-28-2008
Timelapse In mercury - Virtual Space Volume 1
Virtual
Virtual, 2008
Click Here For Virtual Website
ELUSIVE TECHNOAMBIENT VISIONARIES RELEASE DEEP SPACE PROJECT
VIRTUAL is the overarching music project of the minds
behind the stunning release "Orchid" by Ishq. While it never
gets fully stated, i believe that Virtual is Matt Hillier,
with Jack Stephanson, who has passed away, and possibly
collaboration with Matt Coldrick (?) Anyway, this website
has been releasing some high quality technoambient and
with "Orchid" has firmly cemented a place in the annals
of millenial electronica.
"Timelapse In Mercury" begins their Virtual Space music
series. AND SPACE MUSIC IT IS!!
It begins with so many audio trappings of the science
fiction genre, one almost thinks it is the beginning of some
kind of Star Wars saga. But rather than amping one up for
the jump into hyperspace, this recording begins with an
intense delta wave vibe that slammed me into hypersleep
before the end of the second piece on my first THREE attempts
to listen to the album!
So begins an incredible journey into innerdimensional
space through a collapsing wormhole into a trippy fifth
plane environment filled with tryptamine gnomes, UFOs and
ultimately to sixth plane angelic beings. It kept coming to
me: "this is the REAL alien dreamtime music!" Virtual has a
sound that features the organic slurpiness and insectoid
crackling of Vir Unis, melded with a profound sense of
gorgeous space on the order of Serrie, Demby or Carty.
after being pulled into sleep and dragged through the
wormhole, the adventures begin as clearly upperdimensional
phenomenon and become increasingly ethereal with strong
resonances in the upper cranium. the title piece is completely
brilliant and perfect, showcasing the awesome production
work which, for all the incredibly high-pitched almost
screeching sounds such as one would get by stretching the
sound of glass chimes, there is *virtually* NO distortion in
the upper register. crystal clear.
after a two minute almost frightening transition, we are
deposited for the last two compositions in a celestialangelic
space so pure and pristine as to be nearly shocking. we are
immersed in luxurious golden light and end up serenely
calm, lieing in a meadow by a pond with ducks. paradise.
love this album and would buy it again. completely
synthesis with no drum machine as such and what percussion
exists is pretty ambient. snag it as only 500 copies
were made.
12-13-2008
brightwhitelight
Sounds From The Ground
Waveform, 2008
SFTG DUBBY DESIGNER MUSIC DIGITAL DELIGHT
This new release is more upbeat than the last one,
"High Rising," which was good snooze material for audio
enjoyment at lofty heights, but not so good for early
morning stocking at sea level. That is to say: this
album is midtempo electrodub; there is enough energy
to use it for light activity and the bottom bass end is,
as usual for Waveform releases, wide and deep, at times
satisfyingly chunky and full of juice.
Sounds From The Ground started with a pretty
reggae-roots-oriented style and has slowly moved towards
a more techno-flavored electronic downtempo environment.
I daresay that this album is somewhat inspired by the
recent work of Bluetech, for the edges are a bit more
angular and the rhythms crisp & complex. They still retain
enough of the roots feel to make lovers of traditional dub
perk up their ears. I've seen it happen.
It is also worth mentioning that this is a stripped-down
sound: like Zero One, there is a relative austerity of
sound events happening and each is in its highly-defined
sonic zone in the stereo field (I typically refer to this
kind of production as "modular.") what this means is that
listeners who hope to find new levels on repeated listen
wont really....however, repeated listen will deepen the
pleasure of noticing the contrapuntal relationships and
various expertly timed tone jewels.
This is fun, hip synthetic backsound, chock full of
the signature dub vibrations and momentary glories one
comes to expect from SFTG. It continues the trend of moving
to a more electro sound and stays rather well within
aesthetic definitions, taking few risks, but rather
offering the sumptuous vibe feast typical of
the Waveform label.
OZRIC TENTACLES
Back in the mid-90s, I had a friend who was into
pretty angry american hardcore and death metal, but we
had some common interests in the occult and worked together.
At one point, once he was familiar with my musical interests,
he told me that I would probably be interested in Shpongle
and Ozric Tentacles. I have to admit I somewhat discounted
his opinion and made no attempt to follow up on his
suggestion. After my transition to Maui in 2003, however,
I began to have a greater interest in midtempo technoambient
and electrodub (thereby attenuating my previous aversions
to hard techno and reggae.) As readers of this column know,
I began a ravenous course of exploration into the talents of
all the artists on the roster at Twisted Records, along
with a growing interest in the electrodub of Entheogenic,
Shulman and others.
I dont know...perhaps it was the implied Crowleyan
and Lovecraftian connections in the name, Ozric Tentacles,
that kept me from making initial inquiries into their work...
Boy, was I missing out! This group has over two dozen albums
and has sold over a million copies worldwide.
What do they sound like? That's just it! HARD TO EXPLAIN.
If you took a massively shredding prog rock fusion
band like, say, Brand X or the Dixie Dregs, gave them a
enormous phalanx of synthesizers and a steady diet of
psilocybin tea, they might come up with something as
psychedelic and high-energy as this. The songs are not your
standard narrative arrangements, but basically solos
connected by bridges, no verses or choruses. And every solo
is wild and completely over the top in some odd yet
exciting tryptaminic fashion.
For those of you familiar with Steve Hillage, this is what
might have happened if he had continued with the Aquarian
crystalline UFO concepts of "Green," but dispensing with
voice and going all instrumental. In fact, we HAVE to
source Hillage's work as a primary influence on the band
and the guitarist's style. Which is fantastically
AWESOME by my lights!
For those of you who like the modern technodub
stylings of Shpongle, you might as well go get a copy
of Ozric Tentacles' 2004 album, "Spirals In Hyperspace"
and 2006's "The Floor Is Too Far Away" is a really fun
ride also. People who are more into progressive rock -
you need to check this band out! There are just too many
albums and almost all are great tryps. I highly
recommend 1994's "Aborescence," which maybe has some
Jeff Beck R&B accents and takes one through thick jungles of
psychedelic flora. 1999's "Waterfall Cities" is also
a favorite of mine and quite paradisal in the Hillage mode.
It has been said that if you have heard one Ozric
Tentacles album, you have heard them all. Well, I think that
each album has its own subtle production differences and
stylistic idiosyncracies. And certainly a few stand out
as being rather unique, particularly Spirals, which uses
quite a bit of drum programming I think, whereas most
of the albums feature predominantly live drumming (imho.)
But even if that were true, then it would mean that
you would have to get them all!
11-30-2008
Golden Ratios - Pythagorean Harmonic Healing Vol. 1
Dr. James Hopkins
Art All Ways, 2007
Click Here For Website
AUDIBLE FRACTALS - THE LAMBDOMA SEQUENCE
This album was composed using painstaking precision.
Going so far as to custom design and construct unique
instruments based on a rigorous fidelity to the
intricacies of Pythagorean musical theory, Doctor
Hopkins has produced a breathtaking drone meditation
album that is surely on par with the caliber of works
by Joachim-Berendt and Johari. Furthermore, this is
one of the few albums that one may have the fortune
to come across that is actually sonic sacred geometry
(the others that come to my mind immediately are
Dr. Jeffrey S. Thompsons calculated musics of the
Sri Yantra and the Labyrinth.)
The twelve string instruments Doctor Hopkins
has created vary in size from 2-7 feet and have
anywhere from 25-117 strings. These strings must be
tuned precisely (a task which Hopkins describes as
extremely arduous and time consuming) in order to
derive the pure mathematical toning function created
by Pythagorus two and a half millennia ago.
The result is a harmonically rich sonic wash
perfect for meditation and sound healing. I can state
quite honestly that on the very first listen, my body
reacted to exposure to these sounds with a strong and
definite healing realignment of my upper vertebrae.
This is all quite fantastic when one realizes that
this universe of sound is being generated by hundreds
of strings that are tuned to only two notes, D and A.
This is a quite exciting tuning, as it tends to realign
the relationship between the sacral chakra and
the third eye!
This disc is an automatic no-brainer acquisition
for serious students of audio meditation, sonic healing
and visionary sound.
Spiritual Healing
Deuter
New Earth Records, 2008
NEW AGE EXPONENT CREATES ANOTHER GORGEOUS VISION
Deuter has settled into a comfortable niche which
features the signature sound he has been working on
for over a decade. While I was always marginally aware
of Deuter throughout the first quarter century of
his work, it was his 1995 album, "Wind and Mountain,"
that converted me into a regular listener. That album
successfully melded his celebrated facility with piano,
flute and strings with a technically advanced
understanding of the use of synthesis and production
technique. Deuter's last few albums have been on-going
refinements of this sound. I have "Earth Blue" and
"Sea & Silence," which I found to be very enjoyable
and filled with the pristine beauty that one comes to
expect from Deuter, but I always love it when he returns
to the graceful sweep and meditative purity of
"Wind & Mountain."
This album is yet another technically superb,
somatically pleasurable and emotionally uplifting Deuter
release, featuring the crystalline production sound,
expert intuitive understanding of the use of sound to
induce therapeutic states and sensitive musicianship
that he always brings to his craft. Anybody who likes
Deuter at his best will love this album. This certainly
makes me want to backtrack to the last few albums I
skipped for some negligent reason.
Deuter is one of the founding artists of
"new age" music. His trademark sound is a fundamental
to it as is Steven Halpern or Iasos. There is no
doubting this. People who have a set predisposition
against the genre will not want to hear this music.
Poor you.
Dreamtime Submersibles
Evan Marc (aka Bluetech) (featuring Steven Hillage)
Somnia, 2008
SUBAQUATIC ADVENTURES WITH THE LIQUIDIC ELVES
An escapist fantasy into the psychedelic deeps as if
some crazy hit of DMT dragged one all the way down
to the bottom of a breathable sea. This is a real
deparature from the rather cerebral, angular
"designer music" of Bluetech into a space-music
oriented style similar to Alpha Wave Movement.
Only perhaps it should be called "undersea-music."
Very gentle, very psychedelic, this is basically
a leisurely tour of a submerged realm of liquid secrets
populated by a vast variety of impossible life forms
and odd, curvaceous architecture built by some unknown
race of beings. And, yes, there are vehicles to ride in
to get around to the various vistas of vision.
I suppose these are the "submersibles." It's almost
like an entheogenic ride at some far out amusement park
of the imagination. DMTsneyland. But very mellow,
not wild and freaked out techno kaleidoscoppery,
but serious modern electronic space music.
Joined by psychedelic music composer,
Steven Hillage, on guitars, Evan Marc takes us on a
highly pleasurable exploration of unknown realms deep
in the waters of the Unconscious. Hillage completists
can rest assured that they will not be disappointed,
as he puts in some fine and subtle work here.
People who enjoy Alpha Wave Movement, Zero One
or downtempo technoambient projects like them will dig
this release. I find it imminent listenable for enjoyment,
good backsound for reading or relaxing. It is totally
NOT energizing; a laid back trip. Under the right
conditions, this album is sure to produce a fantastic
journey through the lush liquid realms of the
innerdimensionals.
Terra
Alpha Wave Movement
Harmonic Resonance, 2008
THE MELLOW SIDE OF OUR PLANET
Gregory Kyrluk has such an impressive body of work
that it is hard to understand why he hasn't received
greater recognition. Along with a handful of genius
americans like Robert Carty, he has been regularly
creating albums of great craft and beauty that, I think,
can be considered truly "American Electronic." While
Kyrluk is obviously influenced by Tangerine Dream,
I have no difficulty saying that he near immediately
surpassed his influences and if you compare year
to year what he has released and what TD has released,
he is, well, clearly superior.
His first release, that I am aware of, was
"Transcendence," which still remains one of the great
technoambient releases to date, imho. It was as if
Steve Roach's "Structures From Silence" mutated into
electronic modern beats. Kryluk then went through a
longer, darker period with whole albums that feature
brooding, menacing states rather describing the
primordial struggle for existence as well as states
of deep bliss. But recently, he has come back out
into the Light with 2003's "Cosmology" and 2006's
"Beyond Silence," both of which are filled with
numinous incandescence. This album, "Terra," is the
full return to a delicate, divine imbued with deep
feelings of compassion and grace.
We have to call this space music. The kind
of thing that ends up on the syndicated shows like
Hearts of Space or Musical Starstreams. But this is
the real deal, created by someone who has already
demonstrated that he understands the darker side.
Definitely in the top of 2008 list.
11-13-08
Reconciliation
Jacotte Chollet
MultiDimensional Music, 2008
Click here for MultiDimensional Music Website!
LATEST FROM FRENCH COMPOSER IS A MEDITATIVE MASTERPIECE!
i have written extensively about the music series entitled,
"Listening To The Self, Restoring Wholeness," by Jacotte,
of which this album is the ninth and most recent release.
"Reconciliation" has the soft mellifluousness of her
earlier work, "Silent Light," -- one of my favorite discs
to have on as i sleep -- and expands on the themes of
spiritual development which emerged in her two previous
albums, "High Spaces," and the 2-CD "Ascension."
This is her most meditative disc to date, consisting
of 5 relatively long works which maintain a constant
emotionally soft, meditative environment while each performs
energy realignments specific to its vibrational shape.
It is almost as if the grandeur of the celestial sweep
of the Shasta Ascension composer Michael Hammer had merged
with the profoundly intuitive, transformative insight of
Australian synthesist Marcey Hamm, and together they
explore the deep meditation vistas forged by David Parsons
in his sound paintings of Tibetan meditation. Jacotte's
mastery of the medium is evident in one's continuous
sensual, emotional and intellectual pleasure of being
effected by these mysterious sounds.
During one of my deep listenings of this recording,
i found myself spontaneously imagining three circles
vibrant with the primary colors -- blue, water; red, fire;
yellow, air -- merging to form brown which deepenend into
black. and the visualizing them as if on a tv set, merging
into bright white. it seemed to me as if this music was
dissolving the boundaries represented by these colors --
blue, emotion; red, spiritual; yellow, mental; brown,
physical -- and that i was actually experiencings these
dissolving boundaries, mergings and new unions which the
colors simplistically represented. we usually think of
the philosophical reconciliation as that of black and
white, material and spiritual, mind and heart, and so
forth. i felt like i was experiencing a complex process
like that, but it felt very simple and straightforward.
Lightworkers and those who love angelic music will
greatly appreciate this album. People who enjoy the
previously mentioned artists should too! Those looking for
a pleasurable meditative soundscape which also encourages
mental attitude softening and healing of the emotional
body should also definitely check this out!
if you wish to read DARV'S NOTES ON THE 3RD LISTEN of
this album, click here:
Reconciliation description
track by track
for all the MultiDimensional Music reviews
click here:
Darv's MultiDimensional Music review page!
10-20-08
Naturescapes DVD
Brainwave score composed & performed by:
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson
Music composed, produced and performed by:
Jim Oliver
The Relaxation Company, 2008
SCENIC PASTORAL VIDEO WITH PIANO SCORE
I like the photographic qualities of this dvd
more than the score. Meandering through a myriad
of meadows and reveling in reveries of river rivulets,
Naturescapes is notable for its compositional expertise.
Like a flowing painting, the video carries us through
a series of natural scenes which are all balanced
in terms of color, light and shading, organic movement
and symmetrical transformation. All quite pleasing
to behold, but not filmed to be breath-taking nor
awe-inspiring, but rather to inspire a feeling of
Oneness and interconnectedness.
While one often gets the impression from the
promotion of this disc that Dr. Thompsons music is
herein, that is misleading. The Doctor actually created
the brainwave matrix (or score as it is called in
the accompanying literature and on the disc.) The music
is by Jim Oliver and is done in his signature sound
and style, on piano, with some string and synthesis
accompaniment. While Olivers work sounds largely
the same to me - - long drawn out noodling where
it is hard to pick out the melody - - his art is
based on solid healing music theory and does evoke
the relaxation response. His stand out release is
Harmonic Resonance, which was released as part of
the Healing Music box set by The Relaxation Company
in 1995, but can be purchase separately. That album
is one of the most intense resonant pieces that I own
and is completely AMAZING when experienced under the
appropriate conditions. I havent kept up with Olivers
career, but I do think that this soundtrack is a
mature work compared to what Ive heard and,
while perhaps not intriguingly original, it is quite
pleasant as backsound.
The Doctors brainwave score is nonintrusive
and perhaps mostly hidden in the nature sounds.
If I was sitting in a doctors or a dentists
waiting room, it would be great to have this flat
screen on the wall with the music very low.
Quality natural landscape video with artistic
balance in the cinematography, with a pleasing if
somewhat bland musical score. But perhaps that is
the point, since the intent is to induce states of
relaxation and feelings of wholeness. I can dig it.
Frankly, I like this better than the John Banks
videos, but less than, say, Timeless which has
scenes of great grandeur and a tasty compilation
of Patrick OHearn compositions for a soundtrack.
Lastly, Naturescapes comes with an accompanying
CD called Gentle Rain, but one can barely hear the
rain for the chirping birds, and if one turns the
volume up high enough for the rain to be satisfying,
the bird chirps are FAR too loudly. O well.....
sadly, I know of NO easily available soundscape
of even, gentle rain! The best recording of that
kind that I have ever heard is Rain from
the Sound of Nature series (notice: it is
the SOUND not SOUNDS of nature.) That recording
is difficult to acquire, but it is on a torrent
somewhere....Most rain recordings mix in music.
Good solid rain is hard to find! Thunderstorms, yes;
gentle rain, no.
ANYWAY....I do appreciate this DVD for the
simple, uncomplicated relaxed state that it induces.
The images are beautiful while not so full
of grandeur as to awe or otherwise excite the viewer.
The brainwave headspace is a quite familiar
mid-alpha state that provided a transparent
vibratory atmosphere for me to write this review!
10-14-08
Liquid Light of Healing
Aeoliah
Oreade, 2008
Divinaura
Aeoliah
Oreade, 2007
CUTTING A NEW FACET IN GEM OF TRANSUNIVERSAL ANGELIC MUSICK
The first thing that comes to my mind to tell you is
that this music is the taste of 21st Century hyperangelic
technologies that are beginning to kick in now.
Aeoliah has a LARGE discography dating back to 1980.
i became aware of him around that time, as his albums were
logged into the library of the University radio station i
worked at during those early years. his discs were actually
in the stacks of every licensed station i worked for
throughout my on-air career. so i've somewhat kept track of
his work all these years. i'm particular about my early
Aeoliah recordings. "Angel Love" is the perennial classic,
and de rigeur for serious angelic libraries. I am very fond
of "Inner Sanctum," probably because it is greatly influenced
by Iasos. I also own: "Majesty" as my selection of his many
orchestral albums; "Crystal Illumination" a synthclassical
chakra suite which is beautiful but didn't really work as a
an accurate resonance device for the chakras in my opinion;
"Colors Of The Heart," which is solo classical piano with
synth embellishments, quite new age radio stuff, commercially
well received but not a favorite of mine; "Angels Of Healing"
and "Angel Love 2" are lovely half hour pieces 2 to a disc
and good for people who already know that they like Aeoliah.
"Realms of Grace" (2005) and "Radiance" (2006) represented
a new phase for Aeoliah, where he had come to properly
integrate brainwave resonance considerations along with
a new awareness of pitch accuracy, nuance in voicing and
lush production.
"Liquid Light of Healing" is a state-of-the-art, pure
and pristine exemplar of contemporary angelic synthesis. while
i immediately enjoyed earlier albums, this one blew me away
and was a completely involving transformative journey from
beginning to end. completely synthesis, i would put this
album on par with Iasos' greatest works. probably the first
time i've claimed that. probably. this is a righteously good
suite of Shasta Ascension music taking us to realms akin to
our deepest flights with Constance Demby. yes, it is that
wonderful! the song titles themselves tell the story:
+ Out of the Silence
+ Activations of Star Portals
+ Portal of Transmutation and Purification
+ Heart of Compassion
+ Portal of the Luminous Presence
+ DNA Activation/merkaba/ascension
+ Unity
+ Nirvana
i have no doubt that transdimensional experiences with these
tracks would approximate the vicinities described in the
titles! angelicists, lightworkers, dimension shifters all
need this recording. highest recommendation to people who
enjoy previously mentioned artists or others like: Patrick
Bernard, Michael Hammer, Raphael, & Andrew Forrest.
"Divinaura" reveals Aeoliah's dual side, which, much
like Deuter, largely consists of confectionary new age pop
songs in the 4-5 minute time frame. i generally am not attracted
to this sort of thing regardless of who is doing it. It is
much like the label, "Higher Octave," which produces supersweet
new age music that i generally don't relate to (it is my own
bad attitude, i'm sure;) while its offspring label,
"Cyber Octave," has has numerous recordings that i enjoyed
because they were more shamanic or technoambient.
And, sure enough, the album begins with a graceful
light classical piece that the cynical would surely lambast for
its cloying, muzak-like qualities, replete with a surreptitious
technically simple, spanish guitar solo. the second piece
brings the spanish guitar to the fore. slowly the music begins
to tread a path into less-familiar territory until we are
dancing with downtempo trance dance beats. some of this new
more shamanistic rhythm work he's using reminds me of Gerald
J. Markoe and his work with Ancient Brotherhood. which is fine
with me and interesting to hear Aeoliah get a little more
physical in his music. but along the way there is plenty of
Aeoliah's tradmark piano, synthstring, voice and harp. one
thing i have always impressed with is Aeoliah's sincere love
of the music that he creates.
The album is presented as a transmission of Goddess energy,
and i am in complete agreement that the overall mood and
texture is of the Divine Feminine. this album would certainly
feature in any Goddess sets i chose to perform. certainly,
devotees of the Goddess will greatly appreciate this release.
as far as these pop-oriented sorts of discs go, i enjoy
Divinaura far more than the other Aeoliah of this nature and
far and away more than similar efforts by Deuter. because this
is a Goddess transmission, it has far more SOUL, i think, than
the others.
So that's my *dig it* on this matter: "Liquid Light Of
Healing" is a superb celestial music acquisition; "Divinaura"
is a quality release of Goddess music which largely avoids
cliche, but is suited to special tastes which appreciate very
feminine music.
10-05-08
The Calling
Kip Mazuy
Bliss Music, 2006
Click Here For Bliss Music Website
3-CD SET CONTINUES THE JOURNEY TO THE ULTIMATE BLISS
As mentioned in my prior post, i recently acquired new
releases from Kip Mazuy that had been out for some time, but
that i had just realized were available via internet. These
recordings have blown me away with just how good they make
me feel. from the first listen, one can feel this powerful
yet subtle and familiar sensation that eventually develops
into deep pleasure and bliss. any experienced trypper could
tell that these discs have ecstatic potential.
whereas the "Shakti Silence" double-cd has one disc of
masking noise that is encoded with the bliss signal and the
second disc is a drone meditation piece similar to the works
of Hans Joachim-Berendt with the sandawa or to many tamboura
droning recordings of which i find "Attunements For Dusk and
Dawn" by Harish Johari to be particularly wonderful, "The
Calling" is much more reminiscent of Mazuy's past ambient
work. while after several listens each of all 3 discs, i
still find them hard to distinguish mentally (should have
taken notes,) i can still tell you that they are splendidly
beautiful in the western classical sense, have some piano
and minimal guitar at times, and there is quite a bit of
voicing, sometimes in what i believe to be Sanskrit.
The effect of these recordings upon the listener is
stunning and near immediate, although as one is entrained
the blissful state intensifies. After 30-40 minutes of
exposure, i find my body releases the fundamental of its
basic resistance and i am in a sort of free-floating
sensual pleasure that can become so strong that one wonders
if one is maxing out, but just can't seem to turn it off.
After two weeks of daily listens (at first i could
only listen to one disc a day because i needed time to
integrate the experience,) i find that i feel calmer and
happier all the time and my physical pain has either
lessened or i've somehow tuned it out better. in any event,
in my case this has been a strongly positive transformative
process and i wonder how i will feel in another couple of
weeks!
I strongly recommend these recordings for those who
are seeking spiritual development, experienced meditators,
and pleasure seekers. Although pricey, i feel they were
a quite worthy investment and look forward to the changes
that will surely come as i continue to listen. These discs
surely are potential "best of 2008" here @ Darv xanadu.
you can experience this for yourself. for free.
simply click the below link to the bliss music website
page that has the sample link. scroll down to the
bright blue letters that say click for audio sample.
i recommend you right click, select "save target as"
and save the one minute sample to your hard drive.
then you can select continuous play on your winamp
or whatever, splice the track by 3 or 4 seconds and
bingo! you have a continuum of shakti sonic which
should give you a good impression of the resonant
qualities of the recording.
Click Here For Shakti Sonic sample page
Immune System
Shad Diamond, PhD
Diamond Crystal Music, 2006
Click here to go to Diamond Crystal Music
CRYSTALLINE VIBRATIONS TO BOOST HEALTH
I had to get more crystal music from Shad
Diamond, as it is some of the most exquisite angelic
music that i have had the pleasure of coming across in
a long time.
three long form pieces on two discs which create a
dazzling shimmer in the room, each is designed to
stimulate specific aspects of the sapient energic
envelope. the first piece creates balance in the system,
tonifying the acumeridians, improving chi circulation
and aligning systems for a feeling of centeredness.
the second then is like an energy pump to get more chi
into one's body and aligning the auric fields. the third
focuses on the thymus and harmonizes the thymus and
heart, reenhancing the way the organs of the body share
energy.
some of Doctor Diamond's other albums are blissful
and pleasurable states. while this album is gorgeous, i
must tell you that it does have a medicinal feeling to
it not unlike how i've felt after an acupuncture
treatment. the processes that this music invokes in the
body require energy shifts that can feel odd like one
has taken some medicine made of crystalline material.
the states attained are most of deep clarity and focus.
great acquisition for those who collect crystal
music or healing music that is medicinal in effect.
THE MODERN BEATS
Cosmix
Ram Dass & Kriece
Waveform, 2008
BULLSEYE WAVEFORM RELEASE WITH CULTURE HERO
PSYDELICIST RAM DASS
OMG this is a GREAT recording! the spoken word of Ram
Dass over technoambient downtempo grooves in the classic
Waveform mould. one is taken on an incredible journey
of consciousness to consider what an existential
position might even look like. enough of Ram Dass's
Hinduist vibe is here in the form of chants set to
modern grooves to easily cross over to the Asian
Underground category for folks who like world fusion
with the India motif.
Immediate comparisons arise to Terence McKenna's
work with Spacetime Continuum on "Alien Dreamtime,"
but this music is much more varied, fun and journey-
like. It also brings to mind "Dancing With Shiva,"
the collab between Baba Sri Siva and Nataraj, which
focuses on specific sanskrit mantras and builds
songs around them. "Cosmix" is much more western and
accessible to our youth plus has that sort of post-
hippy grooviness that Ram Dass brings to his work.
a great tryp and very inventive music, deft
like Talvin Singh at times, with complex drum sections,
but with a solid club bottom end ready for the
midtempo room at any rave. the stand out song is the
best thing since "Little Fluffy Clouds" by The Orb.
"Thoughts" is about "thousands of thoughts drifting
by like clouds in the sky." awesome.
this album is great fun and danceable, yet has
a philosophical side which is thoughtful without
being overly serious. i'd buy it again.
Downtemple Dub: Waves
Desert Dwellers
White Swan Records, 2006
Downtemple Dub: Flames
Desert Dwellers
White Swan Records, 2006
INTRICATE PROPAGATION FIELDS OF GLOBAL DUB
I picked these up partly because the packaging
was alluring and i liked the song titles. i think i
may have found them because people listening to
Celestial also liked them. anyway, with a name like
"Downtemple Dub," it sounded like something that
should be in my collection, don't you think so?
"Waves" is the better disc, having some righteous
hand drumming and killa dub bass lines. A mix of
cultural influences from all over the globe converge
seemlessly. the prevailing feel is arabic. it was so
amazing that i was a little taken aback when i put
"Flames" on, which i thought by being fire would be
pretty active. it is even MORE laid back in the
pocket with a strong india influence and much more
female vocals. the hand drumming is fresh and
compelling and one of the stand-outs of the album.
it is WAY downtempo, tho.
very pleased with these albums, which have a
clean well-defined production aesthetic and obviously
are well-considered, thughtful efforts. Asian Fusionists
into the Dakini label stuff like Makyo, or Celestial,
Blue Asia and the like should like this well done
electrodub set. perfect for the after hours chill zone.
9-22-08
Shakti Silence
Kip Mazuy
Bliss Music,2004
Click Here For Bliss Music Website
THE ULTIMATE BLISS - NOW AVAILABLE IN HI-FI STEREO
Every Kip Mazuy cd is a sonic delight from beginning
to end. classically-based, with impressionistic piano as
the main instrument(and delightful music-for-airports-like
choral voicings,) his first four albums are the closest
thing to sonic amrita (the divine nectar) that i have ever
heard. the fifth was Ocean Euphoric, which represented a
new plateau by dispensing with traditional instrumentation
and overtly using brainwave technology to induce ecstatic
states. or at least extreme bliss states, which is what i
got out of it, never actually crossing over to ecstasy,
but certainly experiencing some profound blissfulness.
although i just found out about them, Mazuy released
this two cd set some time ago. they are they result of
travels to india and tibet, where Kip apparently studied
the vibrational states of people giving and receiving
SHAKTIPAT. while i will not claim to be an expert on this
phenomenon, let me describe it to you thusly:
most spiritual traditions say that one must
disciple with a guru or master. it is often said that one
cannot adequately attain the stable paradisal state
without the benefit of being taught by someone who already
is stable in the state. just being around someone for a
while allows one to "feel" how THEY feel. "shaktipat,"
and here i am giving a reductive, cursory explanation,
is the transmission by the guru/master to the
disciple/student of the feeling of the Divine. this might
be done by causing one's chi/lifeforce to vibrate at
the right waveform and then transferring this energy
into the other person's energy enveloped. my personal
experience in these matters leads me to believe that the
visual impression of this energy is bright pink fluid
light, like a very high vibration of pink roses. again,
this is not an expert description.
anyway, these recordings are the results of Mazuy's
findings and transposing them into the audible range.
the first disc, Shakti Silence, is completely nonmusical.
it is like so-called "white noise," simply used to
mask unwanted sounds. however, it has a background
brainwave matrix that induces the shaktipat bliss state.
since it is simply a mild whoosh, this backsound can
be used as a vibratory foundation for meditation,
lightwork, bodywork and healing activities. it is truly
"visionary sound art" and outside of the usual context
of music. Mazuy asserts that this can increase the
effectiveness of one's meditation ten-fold and by my
own experience, i'd say that's about right.
the second disc, Shakti Sonic, has the same
masquing sound, but also employs a tamboura drone
instrument and some other sparingly used instrumentation
to create what i must frankly say is the most superior
of any tamboura or sandawa drone meditation recording
that i own. once entrained by the vibratory state, it
was like i was going deeper and deeper into an incredibly
pleasurable meditative state, there seemed to be no
limit to how far into it i could go (and that was when
the recording wasn't even halfway through.) it was like
i was becoming ever more still and my frequency rate
was going through the roof, even though my heart and
breath rates were slow. amazing. afterwards, i felt
completely centered and immediately completed all the
housework tasks i had set for myself that day with no
sense of boredom. it felt great to be alive.
you can experience this for yourself. for free.
simply click the below link to the bliss music website
page that has the sample link. scroll down to the
bright blue letters that say click for audio sample.
i recommend you right click, select "save target as"
and save the one minute sample to your hard drive.
then you can select continuous play on your winamp
or whatever, splice the track by 3 or 4 seconds and
bingo! you have a continuum of shakti sonic which
should give you a good impression of the resonant
qualities of the recording.
Click Here For Shakti Sonic sample page
sound meditators need this disc. people looking
for music that not only induces relaxation, but also
bliss will like it also. while the price is rather
higher than typical cds, one gets what one pays for.
bliss.
also, i have received Mazuy's 2006 3 cd release,
The Calling, which i will review in due time, but may
take a while for me to understand. stay tuned.
Chakra Healing
Dean Evenson & Soundings Ensemble
Soundings Of The Planet, 2008
Click Here To Go To Soundings Of The Planet website
LONGTIME MASTER OF NEW AGE MUSIC CREATES CHAKRA MUSIC
a largely acoustic album, beautifully produced, with
each song keyed to one of the seven major spinal chakras
of the body, plus the last one sounding all chakras at
once.
Evenson is a revered artist in the genre who has shown
a high level of integrity and intelligence in his craft.
extremely intuitive, he was working chakras before he
even knew that that was what he was doing. these are
thoughtful compositions, filled with emotion and healing
intent. the target frequencies for the chakras are spot
on and everything about this album works from the view
of doing energetic work on the human energetic system.
people who don't like "new age music" won't like this
album, because it is sincerely and loyally true to the
genre. and Evenson has been doing this so long that he
has proven time and again that he is not in it for just
the money, but as a complete commitment to his art.
this is evident to anyone who listens to the full length
and breadth of his musical works. the soundings ensemble,
also, are each respectable musical artists deeply
commited to the vision of a world at peace and in love.
very effective energetically and peaceful.
imagine.
Crystal Bowl Meditation
Life In Balance
The Relaxation Company, 2008
CRYSTAL BOWLS, STRINGS & PIANO CREATE
ELEGANT IMPRESSIONISTIC AMBIENT STATE
Actually, i'd been expecting and hoping for a
recording of bowls only, much like "Sounds Of Light"
by Crystal Voices or the old school "Crystal Gong
Meditation" cds by the Shargung-La Monks. but quite
soon, the piano and flute appear and we are in an
atmosphere reminiscent of, and probably influenced by,
Deuter.
which is fine. but this album works for me more
as an ambient album. i'm reminded of the collabs
between Brian Eno and Harold Budd, if there was a
Deuter higher consciousness motif happening.
a repeating melodic figure never seems to emerge,
but also my cogitating mind keeps analyzing the
phrasing, searching for one. this makes it difficult
for me to think of it as a meditation device. it IS,
however, pleasant and very relaxing. the harp sings
and the angelic presences are nearby.
well done. also often done. people who like
Deuter or Sayama should like this. i'm calling it
good backsound for relaxation, bodywork, healing work.
maybe good for tai chi, but too slow for yoga.
MODERN BEATS
Hong Kong Dub Station
Celestial
Drum Music Limited, 2003
Happy Valley
Celestial
Drum Music Limited, 2001
Spirit House
Celestial
Domo Music, 1998
FORMIDABLE POWER IN ASIAN ELECTRODUB
yeah, i know, i'm finding out about Celestial
well into their career which may even be over since
it is mostly cut-out now....i remember the first
album at the radio station where i had a show, but
didn't air it because tracking through it, i found
it to be a little too disco for my tastes.
i won't lie to you: "Spirit House" is pretty much
asian disco influenced by Deep Forest and wanting to
dance with the techno crowd, but still feeling the
allure of disco dance beats.
well, it was their first album, finely produced
and showing their flair and originality, but i'm
actually strongly recommending 2003's "Hong Kong
Dub Station," which is a blend of roots reggae dub
with asian melodic themes which pretty much beats
Blue Asia for danceability and street credibility.
i play this at work and everybody stops to ask
who it is.
"Happy Valley" introduced the dub aspect, and
has very interesting compositions although somewhat
marred by what i consider to be overuse of "found"
sampled voices quipping, quoting and remarking
(which is not unusual in technoambient but should
always be used sparingly, by which i mean not
every song should having speaking voices occuring
every minute.)
"Hong Kong Dub Station" corrects this problem and
subjects the listen to an album brimming over with
cultural ambience and traditional tunes dubbed out
to irie grooves. the bass kicks.
while all three of these albums are good
acquisitions, when listened to in their entirety
it becomes evident that Celestial was evolving and
improving with each release. whether there will be
more albums is unknown, but definitely pick them
up in reverse order.
anyone who loves Blue Asia should check out
Celestial. people who like world fusion like Makyo,
Deep Forest or Gaudi would do well to find a copy
of Hong Kong Dub Station. do it for your roots.
9-17-08
*hey, yo, got cable internet & spent the last few
weeks catching up on sounds. a capsule view follows...*
Mayanian Fire Dance
Brian E. Paulson
Music For The Soul, 2008
Wet Canvas
Brian E. Paulson
Music For The Soul, 2008
A Bumptious Occasion
Brian E. Paulson
Music For The Soul, 2007
Click Here For Music For The Soul website
MULTIGENRE MULTIINSTRUMENTALIST MULTIRECORDIOLIZES
Make no mistake: i'm a HUGE fan of BEP & his diverse
catalogue of VSA magic. i always mention "Mystic Rain" as
as essential Visionary recording that will consistently
yield high Light content for the Lightworker.
Brian has created a number of albums this last year &
i am merely fortunate to sample a selection more or less
based on my personal interests.Succinctly: what we have
here are three albums composed, performed, recorded and
produced by the same individual which all revolve around
common themes of Bliss, Fun & Creativity.
The album i recommend most strongly is "Mayanian Fire
Dance," which is a half hour of fun energy based on a
relentlessy optimistic and abandoned rhythm that could
be compared to his previous release, "Pulse Of Life"
(2003,) but with a good deal of live percussion and
certainly more confident in its changes and permutations.
It is a midtempo trance dance rhythm, with solos on about
a gazillion different instruments and interwoven with all
sorts of novel synths effects. Definitely designed for
the moving listener, yet still with healing, near medita-
tive voice programs. there are Enoesque dissolving metaphors
in the breaks, but the rhythm only fades for eight bars or so.
This fits in well with my Vacation music motif and is
something i would play in transit on vacation.
"Wet Canvas" (2008) is more in the realm of modern
Exotica lounge music. While having more fusion jazz appeal
and sturdy, impressive chops, this album is still pretty
laid back pretty much like Exotica meets smooth jazz.
But here, again, Brian manages to inlay the music with a
Biosonic visionary synth sensibility similar to Iasos'
"Bora Bora 2000," so the cozmic is always right there at
the threshold of the listening experience. quite enjoyable!
The third album in this batch, "A Bumptious Occasion,"
takes BEP's environment wizardry into the realms of World
Beat dance music, where fusion jazz meets african beats
under the aegis of a club music aesthetic similar to
the "World Beat" phenomenon of the 1980's. Due to this
music being uptempo and party-oriented, the performances
are more high powered and difficult. As a person who spent
many a night at local clubs dancing to World Beat, this is
part nostalgia and part danceaholism. After all, i'm
Darv of "Darv's Dancing Deal" way back in the University
radio days. Exuberant fun and mind boggling synth fx.
perfect for the pool party & backyard barbeque.
Interdimensional Music
Iasos
Iasos.com, 2005 (orig. 1975)
Click Here For Iasos.com MUST SEE
FIRST ALBUM BY THE MASTER STILL PROFOUND EXPERIENCE
while relatively short by modern standards, limited
by the quality of available production means and perhaps
showing the naivete of early works, Interdimensional Music
by Iasos has proven itself over decades as one of the
foundational albums of the so-called "New Age" music
category, highly influential in those realms and still
today, but for the lack of clarity of reproduction due to
primitive recording ability, still sounds as modern and
"with it" as any of his works.
Iasos is highly sensitive to angelic frequencies and is
blessed with the ability to render them (although quite
painstakingly and meticulously,) into our audible range.
He also has an interesting affinity for the deities of
the Olympian pantheon which is breathtaking once one
comes to understand it.
I collected this since my old cassette tape never really
did adequately present the music, and am most gratified.
High grade recommendation for aficionadoes of formal
angelic music.
Substrata
Biosphere
Thirsty Ear, 1997
CLASSIC DARK AMBIENT FOR GLORP LOVERS
it took me a while to get to this, but when i saw a
reasonable opportunity, i decided to hear what it was all
about, this BIOSPHERE thing....
....and it is true quality dark ambient reminding me
more than anything of the comfortable swampiness of
Tangerine Dream's "Phaedra" release, but also having a
sensation of perambulation in nether lands somewhat like
"Stalker" by Lustmord and Rich, but certainly warmer with,
i think, deliberate references to Eno's classic, earthy
"On Land."
somber and introspective, but with a beauty understood
only by those who glory in the microecosystems of the
marshland. yes, this album is a direct descendant of
Ambient 3, while still having a rather orchestral feel at
times. definite thumbs up for people enjoying the Rich,
Lustmord, Alio Die recordings.
Polar Sequences
Biosphere & Higher Intelligence Agency
Beyond, 1996
COLLABORATION BETWEEN AMBIENT & TECHNOAMBIENT TEAMS
much like Substrata, but with more angular rhythms as
befits Higher Intelligence Agency's tendencies. the
environmental theme here is regions of the frozen polar
tundras, rather than swamps and marshes, and it works
well. while perhaps not as masterful as Substrata, this
album is still a wonderful excursion to the areas of ice
on this planet. i have heard few recordings get this
environment so well, having to draw comparisons with
the Residents' "Eskimo" album or the very recent Patrick
O'Hearn "Glaciation," which is much more melodic and
studiously "studio" than this album, which is actually
quite intuitive and has layers that only reveal on
repeated listen.
8-29-08
2012: Ascension Harmonics
Jonathan Goldman
Spirit Music, 2008
Click here for Healing Sounds website
AMAZING VOCALS WITH TIBETAN BOWLS & BELLS
GOOD FOR JOURNEYING
i had high hopes for this album, as its' namesake by
Richard Shulman, "Ascension Harmonics," was such a fantastic
entheogenic experience of the Christic & Ascensions energies.
this is something different.
the liner notes tell us that it was recorded quite some
time ago and was used in workshop scenarioes, where it
received some acclamation. even Goldman admits he doesn't
know exactly what it does but that it acts as a kind of
extradimensional portal for journeying.
the first time i listened, i wasn't analyzing or trypping,
but simply being quite blown away by the vocal work. there is
no synthesis on this album, so you start going crazy trying
to figure out how certain effects could be done vocally.
secondly, the multitracking is so dense it is nigh on
impossible to focus on any one vocal track. this is all
framed by an excellent set of Tibetan bowls, which are
either rubbed or faded-in so one doesn't hear the mallet
strikes.
2012: Ascension Harmonics is a 71-minute long form piece
that is basically a mellifluous drone that is continually
morphing with a metallic lustre that produces coronal
shining effects courtesy of the bowls and bells. while
listening the second time, i realized that the overall vibe
of this recording reminded me of a planetary vibe such
as i am familiar with in my NASA/Voyager recordings of
the outer planets and the Primordial Tones by Joachim
Ernst-Berendt.
after some fussing with equipment and recordings,
i estimated that the fundamental pitch was between a
C sharp and a D, but closer to the D. Goldman has made
several recordings at C sharp for the base chakra tone.
i felt though, that the sound was more complex,
reminding me of Berendt's Saturn/Mercury recording which
is near C sharp.
wearing the headphones with the sound up and my
closed eyes facing venetian blinds illuminated by
sunlight from outside, i noticed that this album has a
constant fluttering which shifts and flows, suggesting
a complex interference pattern created by the lack of
a clean dominant wave. indeed, i could not relax back
into a simple wave state as one does with brainwave
music. Instead, i was in a state of constant flux and
kaleidoscopic dream machine visuals. although the
fundamental was around C sharp, the fifth near G sharp
seemed to be mostly involved in the visionary aspect,
as if the throat chakra and third eye were intermixing
and creating a journeyspace between on the 5th plane.
fascinating stuff, very pleasurable and i could
see it as good backsound for massage, ritual and
group lightwork.
Ancient Meditations
Gerald Jay Markoe
Astromusic, 2008
Click here for Astromusic website
CONTINUATION OF DEEP MEDITATION SERIES
Markoe has a signature sound which must be considered
central to the formal "new age" music category. Classically
trained at Juillard and Manhattan School of music, he began
his career composing music influenced largely by Mozart,
but performed with piano and celestial synthesis, Markoe
also developed a fascination with the Pleiades constellation,
which resulted in a number of Pleiadian concept albums.
Initially, i found his music somewhat stilted and what i
considered naive. As time passed, i realized that what i
thought was "stilted" actually was a brainwave effect that
he must have created intuitively, which allows the listener
to achieve a kind of stillness during relatively active
compositions.
What really grabbed my attention was Gerald Jay Markoe's
work in Ancient Brotherhood, a loose knit musical collective
co-founded and supported by Markoe which is more involved
in Native American musical themes and environments from
both the North and South continents. Under the proper
conditions, these albums created FANTASTIC entheogenic
experiences. This caused me to backtrack to his celestial
and angelic albums.
Lately, however, Markoe has been putting out some
superb active meditation discs solidly founded primarily
on musics from Japan and Egypt and influenced to lesser
degrees by concepts from Greece and India. (Also, he
recently created a healing music album featuring classical
synthesis influenced by the traditions of the West and
India.)
Ancient Meditations is a companion album for the Zen
Meditation and Meditation Music of Ancient Egypt albums.
The first half is more on the Japanese side and the
second half is more on the Egyptian side. The music has
synthesis but is primarily created by traditional
instruments (or are they samples? i can't tell.) It is
active music with rhythm, yet can lead into extremely
salutary meditative states. this music would be great
for health spas or to add to the ambiance at a hot tub
or for yoga. i have also found it quite useful as
backsound for reading. anyone who enjoyed the other
two albums will like this one.
Lisbon Concert
Terry Riley
Albion, 1995
SOLO PIANO CONCERT BY MINIMALISM MASTER
STRETCHES CONCEPT OF WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH A PIANO
i didn't know this album existed, but the name
Terry Riley always catches my attention and i have
been slowly building my collection of his works (also,
reissues and first issues are beginning to show up
in the last few years.) Terry's best know works
were created in the late 60s and early 70s. In C,
A Rainbow In Curved Air and my personal favorite,
Shri Camel, all featured permutating minimal
melodies which i have referred to as "musical
mandalas" or "sonic kaleidoscopes.)
this album is live performance on acoustic
piano only, no echo, tape loop or anything like
that. just one man at a piano.
and it is incredibly satisfying to hear someone
who is so encyclopedically versed in the musics of
the world play music that is constant morphing
through a myriad of cultural idioms. Raga, jazz,
blues, various classical styles all seem to fuse
seamlessly into an endless tale of colour and
emotion. a blues theme almost imperceptibly
takes on the shading of north india classical music.
be bop jazz suddenly melts down into impressionistic
classical music similar to Debussy.
you can't help but be stunned how one pair of
hands can do this. incredible.
MODERN BEATS SECTION
Around The World
Senor Coconut
Essay Recordings, 2008
THE BEST COCONUT YET WITH HI-TECH EXOTIC & LOUNGE
it began as almost an off-color joke by well
known Berlin electronic artist Atom Heart, who has
been producing electronic music for decades. he
created an alter-ego, Senor Coconut, who is the
leader of a HOT latin band which plays mambo,
samba, meringue, cha cha, and what have you, the
trick, of course, being that they are all sampled
instruments. the band itself is electronic, but
sounds close to acoustic and live. but not. like
halfway....
the first album was a wild ride with
a bright party like atmosphere, but it didn't
stop there:
the second album reproduced as latin music
classic electronic music by long established electropop
band, Kraftwerk. a lot of pop electronic bands have
built their work on top of factory preset latin
beats. so, to recast their work into actual
latin music is no great leap.
yeah, right. that is, of course, unless you have
some completely insane electronic music maestro
programming the entire band using samples and
throwing in some wild synth effects here and there.
the third album took this even to more crazy
lengths by applying the same treatment to the music
of Tokyo's Kraftwerk, The Yellow Magic Orchestra,
and then recruited the members of YMO to perform
cameos on the album.
all this stuff is high energy party atmosphere
music that is silly and exciting maybe kind of
like Pee Wee Herman or John Leguizamo, but also
breathtakingly impressive to aficiondaoes of
electronica. WOW.
this latest album, Around The World, lessens the
use of samples and brings in an actual crack latin
music band line-up and lets the synthesis sort
of play hide-and-seek around and through it.
and even more than the other albums, it can
get people who don't even really like latin
music tapping their toes and doing the dookie.
with covers like "Sweet Things Are Made Of This,"
by Eurhytmics or "Kiss" by Prince, this disc has
some instantly recognizable tidbits, while still
offering something for the more musically
conversant like "Moscow Discow" originally done
by Telex or "White Horse" by Laid Back. every
new track is utterly different, engaging and
charming.
the finale is a blow away: a stops-out remix
of Les Baxter's "Voodoo Dreams." Baxter was THE
composer sine qua non of Exotica lounge music.
this final song alone opens up new vistas for
the modern Exotica genre.
"Around The World" has instant appeal for
Brazilian dance halls no doubt, and should appeal
to modern day Exotica lounge music fans and
high-energy fun-seekers like people who would
listen to B-52s (although, of course, it is not
rock but latin beats with rock energy. i'm saying
if you can't dig this wildcrazy music then, like,
you don't know what fun music is.
The Rough Guide to Bhangra Dance
Various Artists
World Music Network, 2006
GREAT COMPILATION OF INDIA'S FUSION FOLK MUSIC
i wanted to know more about Bhangra, so i
picked this up. man, just about every song is
wonderful and the few lesser songs are still
quite good and display positive aspects of this
burgeoning subgenre. after listening, i realized
that the only actual Bhangra music album i owned
was Dhol Foundation, although obviously the
influences can be heard throughout many artists
like Jai Uttal, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Karsh Kale,
Midival Punditz and many more.
i am inspired to pick up the companion album
Rough Guide to Bhangra. while using synthesis,
these musics are much more live and acoustic,
but i would think people who enjoy the above
artists or artists like Makyo or other Dakini
label artists would get into this. educational too.
Sirius Sounds
Children Of The Bong
Planet Dog Records, 1995
SIRIUSLY BRILLIANT EARLY ELECTRODUB ALBUM
while recorded in the mid 90s, this album
still seems fresh and is utterly enjoyable for
people who like the Shpongle paradigm. largely
instrumental with little spoken word, this is
electric neon dayglo midtempo techno with
dub undertones. while having the complexity and
angularity of Bluetech, this music also is
whimsical and playful like Higher Intelligence
Agency. fully florid with intense light
vibrations, Sirius Sounds leaves you feeling
like you are on acid i kid you not.
it is apparently the only album they did
and so is hard to find, i think. but it definitely
is right up there with the best of electrodub
(its' roots sensibilities are perhaps even
more earthen because it is from mid90s.) the
"Underwater Dub" is truly liquidic.
one of the most fun and inspired electro
discs i've heard in a while. what happend to
these guys?
Traffic
ABC
Blatant Touring, Ltd., 2008
ONCE THEY WERE GOLD, ONCE THEY WERE PLATINUM
STILL GOOD
when i had a radio show of visionary music,
i would often play a pop song as an outro to
the next show, sort of a tune to return to
normal life. sometimes i'd use an ABC tune about
love, or Todd Rundgren or some other artists
known for writing songs about transcendental
themes in the midst of their popmaking. that is
what ABC is doing in this column.
hey! it's a good album too! a new line up of
great musicians playing in a Roxy Music inspired
mode somewhere between the vulnerable introspection
of Skyscraping and the grandiose gesture of
Beauty Stab. while not breaking any new ground
musically, these are tight, well-crafted songs
with some wisdom and humor, that are set to get
you dancing in the 80s style. i like this one
better than the last one, 1997's Skyscraping,
which wasn't quite as multilayered.
ABC has always delivered intelligent lyrics
and well-considered tunesmithing. Even this
album has a wise tune: "Lose Yourself."
I consider this probably the most successful
ABC effort since "How To Be A Zillionaire" and
if you liked them in the heyday, this would be
a great nostalgia factor with hours of listening
pleasure to be had.
8-16-08
Regeneration
Shad Diamond, PhD
Diamond Crystal Music, 2008
Shambhala Healing Energy and Chakra Balancing
Shad Diamond, PhD
Diamond Crystal Music, 2006
Click here to go to Diamond Crystal Music
MUSIC TO GET A HEALING CODE UPGRADE BY
whoa....
i was so impressed with the discs by Doctor Diamond that i
reviewed on 8-3 that i had to expand my investigation further
with the acquisition of additional sonic data formats: this time
the two general healing discs. "Regeneration" because it is new
this year and purported to be a mix of healing code upgrades, and
the "Shambhala" disc to complement my contingent of Visionary
Sounds dedicated to the fabled extradimensional locale.
stunned. "stunned" would be the world to describe my initial
listens to this material. whereas all the Diamond Crystal Music
that i had heard up to the point in time of my review 13 days ago
rather comfortably fit with my comparisons to Iasos as highly
advanced angelic music, i will have to admit that these two discs
and in particular the newer one blasted me so far out of my
preconceived notion that i am now scrambling for better similes
and metaphors to get my head around what is going on here....
these musics have spiral gyroscopics like Michael Hammer, and
some of the synthchording is suggestive of Hammeresque Ascension
environments, but the holoarchic 3D qualities of the proprietary
crystalline encodings provide a fusion drive through dense
configurations of psydelispace.
"Regeneration" is an intense download of Superquantum information
that seems to awaken one at a cellular level. This may be the most
fully realized "crystal music" that i currently own. Even if
the listener becomes transic (as happened to me the first time,)
this music is SO dynamic and energizing that it feels like one
is being filled up with some sort of cosmic fizzylifting drink.
This is state-of-the-art 2008 cosmic synthesis. it is what i
imagined crystalline music would sound like before i ever began
pursuing it in earnest. This album would be on my BEST OF 2008
list if i actually made one. awesome. breaks new ground - - just
for sheer crystalline beauty - - in angelic music.
"Shambhala" is a half-hour chakra balancing piece repeated
twice on the disc. i remember on the second listen thinking that
it was rather like Weave's "Ten Minute Chakra" with the addition
of a Superquantuum Tone matrix. but better, because this piece
does more than simply present the correct tones, it then follows
a procedure for HARMONIZING the tones together with is utterly
fascinating to observe as it happens AND FEELS GREAT. this utterly
knocked me out on first listen. on second listen, i was feeling
that i was being communicated with telepathically by beings with
healing intention at a great distance, and they actualy did
some pretty impressive work on my chronic misalignment. part of
this was a process by which defective codes were dissolved, so
to speak, and more accurate, nondegraded codes were spliced in
somehow. if that makes sense... anyway, these were changes that
remained in place long after the recording was over. we'll see...
The Infinity Project
Raja Ram, Simon Posford and Graham Wood
Avatar Records, 2004 (originally Blue Room, 1995)
RARE MELLOWIZED SHPONGLE-LIKE COSMIC JOURNEY WITH ALIENS
this albums begins like so many Shpongle releases with
the heavy implications of the beginning phases of a high
dose DMT tryp. there is in fact a journey out to the
furthest reaches of inner space for a face-to-face with
the Light itself.
however
this album is also crawling with ETs. particularly
in the second half, we encounter at least 3 or 4 star faring
vessels and their inhabitants. we are also introduced by
geometric fusion to all sorts of peculiar innerdimensional
data somehow specific to alien understanding of the Divine.
it is all quite strange, overwhelming and dramatic, and
yet playful, sensuous and awe-inspiring. very downtempo, tho.
almost like Heavenly Music Corporation.
if you like Shpongle, you will want this. it is hard to
find and can be pricey. so look around. a 74 minute
mind-f*ck that will keep you intrigued to the very end.
which is rather strange and abrupt....
Talking Stick
Medicine Drum
Cyber Octave, 1999
OUT-OF-PRINT TECHNO-TRANCE WONDER
Cyber Octave has had some great and some definite fizzler
discs. this one is great if you like the cybershamanic
trance dance style. lots of authentic drumming, homage to
numerous shamanic traditions, a wide pallette of production
technique and an overall soft sound recommend this album to
be picked up by the Dakini label some day....
while definitely a techno album, Medicine Drum has more
in common with Professor Trance or Brainscapes than anything
else. so if it weren't for the fact that it has a solidly
techno spine, if we went by FEEL, then it is pretty much a
trance dance album like the aforementioned artists.
this album is all about spiritual awakening and common
heritage. the shamanic sensibility i would put in the
vicinity of electrodub wonders like Phuture Primitive,
Don Peyote or Androcell. good party music, good for
dance meditation. i give it a solid thumbs up. good for
shaking out the cobwebs in the morning.
i've seen this on the web for fairly high prices, but
looking around a bit should prove worthwhile. i got mine
for under ten dollars delivered.
8-10-08
Lucid
Dream Jungle
Third Ear Music, 2007
ELECTROSHAMANISM DREAMBOAT FLOWS UPRIVER TO GODDESS-SOURCE
i encountered this release whilst perusing Steve Roach's
website which, among other things, is a fairly good source
for learning about new neoshamanist recordings. Dream Jungle
is a project most prominently featuring Dwight Loop, who has
a number of Visionary releases, and the voice of Taressa Bell,
whose sensuous vocals, chants and whisperings permeate the
album with an amazonian goddess energy.
the album starts out with a snake charmer horn in the
style of Jon Hassell and buffed out afrocaribbean handdrumming.
all the synthesis implies jungle and it is a confusion of
all the jungles in the world: india, africa, south america,
southeast asia -- it seems to place me in an amalgam jungle.
a dream jungle. all the songs feature slow technoambient
beats, chants of the native americas, and glorpy organismic
soundcurrents. one can almost sense the vines growing on
the wall of the livingroom.
while this album has a very modern waydowntempo techno-
tribal sensibility, i can see why Steve Roach likes it and
promotes it. it IS influenced by modern shamanic musical
ideas and at time does morph into state-of-the-art dark
ambient. at times, the sound seems to be the cyberization of
the sound promulgated by Roach, Reyes and Saiz in their
groundbreaking Suspended Memories works. but even when dark
in the middle of the night, Dream Jungle stills crackles
with electrical psychedelic energy.
i would have like this album if it was all instrumental.
i do enjoy female vocals and here we have a very talented
AND obviously shamanisically experienced singer. like the
recent Lumin with Irina Mikhailova, Taressa Bell infuses
the album with undeniable goddess presence. while i enjoy
such impassioned singing, it is fair for me to point out
that stylized female voicings occur throughout, they are
highly impressionistic and involve chanting and intoning.
people looking for a DMT-like journey into the jungle
of imagination will enjoy this release.
8-03-08
SHAD DIAMOND'S SONIC GEM CACHE
Click here to go to Diamond Crystal Music
i first discovered Shad Diamond and his Superquantum Healing
Music whilst searching through the enormous used record
collection of Logos bookstore in downtown Santa Cruz back in
1997. i discovered a pristine copy of his recently released,
"Crystal Dreams," cd (1996.) it immediately became a regular
feature of my fm radio broadcasts and i soon found a new
copy of an earlier recording (1995,) "Inside The Crystal."
each disc has two half-hour recordings of crystal music. they
immediately became mainstays of my angelic shows and were
often the centerpieces of any crystal music sets i performed.
Shad Diamond's compositions are super-charged, high
intensity angelic music whose only possible real peer would
be Iasos. Using a proprietary method of recording sonic
analogues of the vibrations of resonating crystals which he
has trademarked as "Superquantum Tones," Shad creates a music
both sacred and scientific. The synthesis involved evokes
spaces of evanescent Light on par with the best work of Iasos,
yet one would never mistake it as such, because he has his
own unique pallette of effects. One of the most interesting
of these is his use of pitch bend to create the impression
of travelling vast distances upward or downward, an effect
that is simply AWESOME when experienced entheogenically.
Also prominent is the use of what sounds to be tuned
crystal chimes.
Whereas much of Iasos' music seems to be placed in the
innerdimensional realms of the Greek Olympians, Shad takes
us to realms which seem to be inhabited by living crystalline
agencies or energy-presences capable of downloading extremely
compact, densely ramified streams of incandescent geometrical
living information which does appear from my view to be
directly transferred from the central matrix of the Akashic
field. this should not be surprising, since crystals and gems
are geometrically ordered structures based on universal
principles.
For years, i tried to find out more about the artist and
his techniques. The phone number and PO box on the releases
didn't work. internet searches bore no fruit. no new releases
were forthcoming. this happens in my game, folks. sometimes
somebody releases one or two wonderful recordings, which show
great promise for future endeavors, and then *poof!* the
artist just DISAPPEARS, leaving the befuddled Visionary
Music aficionado to simply sigh in gratitude for what small
portion of magnificence was obtained, or to perform recondite
maneuvers in the hopes of somehow finding out whatever did
happen to that person. such it was with Shad Diamond. even
upon moving to Maui in 2003 and having my own internet rig,
i could find nothing else about Shad Diamond and gave up on
the search as i began developing my now-epic exploration of
PsyAmbient and ElectroDub.
About a month ago, i started worrying that my two Shad
Diamond discs might someday malfunction and i would not be
able to enjoy superquantum vibes anymore. i know that in
this day and age, we all assume that you can just rip a copy
of a cd and burn a new one. this assumption has cost me,
big time. i have found that discs which have certain
proprietary encodings can be unstable and the very act of
trying to copy them renders them useless. i wasn't willing
to take this chance with Shad's music & in fact he mentions
that copies degrade the superquantum signal (a warning which
i have ignored on other occasions and have ended up
destroying discs worth up to $75.) Visionary Sound Arts is
not a game or recreational pass-time. often, we are dealing
with state of the art encoding processes and nascent
technology which has only just been created and is still to
be perfected. so i went to Amazon, where i found independent
dealers selling new copies at very reasonable prices and
purchased one of each. it had not occurred to me to search
for shad at this time.
Well, a week ago i got those new discs and it DID occur
to me to google shad diamond and see what happens (part of
the joke here is that when one does that, my visionary
sound arts interface comes up as one of the few links.)
lo and behold, here he has a website and many recordings
that i have never heard mention of on the web. needless to
say, i selected what seemed to be the most logical discs
for my purposes (they are $26 each, which i now consider a
mid-range price for cutting edge Visionary music.) they
arrived yesterday and i am writing this after a single
listen to both.
Crystal Heart
Shad Diamond, PhD
Diamond Crystal Music
2006
Timeless Golden Light
Shad Diamond, PhD
Diamond Crystal Music
2006
"Crystal Heart" is the third release in the Mystical
Journey Series, which was preceded by the two previously
mentions releases, "Inside The Crystal" and "Crystal Dreams."
While its' sound and harmonic movements are much in identity
to the previous recordings - - being profoundly gorgeous
spiritualized synthesis at times stately and almost exhibit-
oriented like a museum, then at other times surprisingly
animated, breathtakingly wild like river rapids - -
"Crystal Heart" has a central focus on the heart chakra
energies and the musical composition shows a maturity that
one would anticipate from a ten-year hiatus. The four
half-hour pieces on the first two discs each seem to me to be
a certain "take" on a particular crystal's energies (although
nowhere is this overtly stated and only one piece, "Obsidian
Rain," actually mentions a gem in the title. Each of these
pieces seems to be an idiosyncratic hike through an
innerdimensional crystalline realm. i use the word "hike"
because that is rather what it feels like: definite changes
in locale, as if one was exploring in the woods (or here in
Maui, in tropical jungle.)
This third installment, "Crystal Heart," seems more like
a chakra tune-up in which the journey taken is along the
contours of one's own heart energy system. The nature
wildness of the first two is more subdued here, with more of
an emphasis on the celestial/radiational aspects of Heart.
Throughout the first piece there is the use of a meadow and
creek nature environment with birdsong. The artist is
definitely aware of using pitch to stimulate chakra areas
of the body, but does so in a gentle way which is not
alarming. Much of this first piece, entitled "Heart of Hearts,"
involves a call-and-response motif between synthwinds and
synthstrings and passages of meditative harp. The superquantum
tones, as far as i can tell from these early listens, are
not particularly "musical" and manifest as buzzes, hums,
clicks and other manifestations which definitely have pitch
but are not necessarily melodic components. they occur
within the nature sounds or embedded within the synthwashes.
the melodies are clearly based in classical music. the
second half of the piece becomes celestial and rises up
into ethereal spaces of cosmic beauty.
The second piece, "Spiraling Essence," brings us into a
luminous realm where enormous draughts of gaseous Light
move in spirals like angel wings. This turns into a
rather active, sequencer driven electronica sweet which
somehow engages one's intellect with the heart process.
the final ten minutes appears to be primarily for
consolidating the gains achieved, grounding the heart
reality, so to speak.
this disc is encouraged for those who collect heart
chakra music. or lovers of angelic music. in fact, the
trilogy as a whole is a compelling work of modern synthesis.
The second album here under review, "Timeless Golden Light,"
is something i've been looking for for a VERY long time:
a sonic representation of the Ketheric Gold. Unlike the
other albums, this is a continuum piece which creates an
hour-long environment of golden light. there are definite
and enjoyable, yet subtle changes over time in melodic
structure, but the overall vibe is constant. in this way,
it is EASILY comparable to Iasos' renowned "Angelic Music,"
release and to my mind is every bit as much of an INSTANT
CLASSIC: divine nectar in sound form. but it is also
valuable as a Light experience. in this regard, i compare
it to Marcey's "Anthem To Soul," which is the best device
i know of for generating Ketheric White Light. or to
Aeoliah's "Light At Mount Fuji," which i have used to
great success for encountering the Ketheric Violet or
Amethyst Light. up to this point, i knew of a few musics
to go for the gold: "Harmonic Clouds" on the Calendula
album by John Beaulieu has proven useful but somewhat
limited by the musical scale it uses; "Golden Bowls" by
Karma Moffet reveals gold, but it is hard to achieve
the higher frequency regions and Iasos' "Liquid Crystal
Love" has gold but in co-mixture with other gem-like
colors. Ultimately, i found myself useing the little-known
"Music For Personal Relaxation" on the somewhat obscure
release, "Meditation Made Simple" (CMH Records, 1997,)
as the closest analog i could find to the true gold.
The great thing about "Timeless Golden Light," is its
accuracy and consistency in helping the experiencer
connect with the Divine Gold. to give this my highest
rating as a bonafide work of High Visionary Art hardly
does it justice. it is beyond my skill to describe it
adequately and thus do i seek lame comparisons. albums
like this are what brought me into Visionary Sound Arts.
and this particular album epitomizes VSA's core values:
the fusion of science and the sacred, the use of sound
to heal and remember who we are; the advocacy of
regaining our spiritual-shamanic legacy and recasting
it in modern terms so that all can understand.
if you love Visionary Sound Arts, it is absolutely
necessary that you experience "Timeless Golden Light."
7-22-08
Landmass
Steve Roach
Soundquest Music, 2008
Click Here For Steve Roach Website
LIVE CONCERT MIX FROM THE MASTER FINDS US
WANDERJAHRING THE SURREAL TERRAIN OF THE UNKNOWN
Performed live on the Star's End radio program, this
recording, according to me, rather takes the sequencing
ideas explored on his 2006 release, "Proof Positive," and
softens the edges, making them emotionallly warmer and
more reverent, much like his awesome mixes in 2003's
"Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces." Much of it is also
outback pastorals descended from the classic "Dreamtime
Return" australian aboriginal period Steve went through
in the late 80s.
this is soft, sincere true Ambient music, with rhythm
and then with flow, throughout. it seems suggestive of
evening and early night moods, not dark like midnight
nor murky like late night, but certainly not a daytime
mix either. while energized, the mood is also at times
contemplative and at other times searching or yearning.
the cover immediately reminded me of Patrick O'Hearn's
recent, "Glaciation," disc which features more arctic
environments. in my mind, there does seem to be a
connection of sorts between these albums. "Landmass"
covers a terrain which is more desert and allluvial
plain.
this album is one of my favorite dark ambient
releases of this year so far.
ADDENDUM: 8/10/08 - - i've come to appreciate this
disc far more than my review would indicate. the original
attraction i had to Steve Roach was the soft quiet ambient
beauty he created with "Structures From Silence" which
complexified with "Quiet Music" and then was shamanized
in "Dreamtime Return." this album has the soft light of
these earlier releases. love it.
Balkan Beat Box
Balkan Beat Box
JDUB records, 2005
Nu*Med
Balkan Beat Box
JDUB records, 2007
BBB EXPEDITIONARY BAND FOR EMERGING GYPSY PUNK GENRE
i've been searching for some eastern european
electrodub lately. to a degree, "Ketri" by Lumin has
an aspect of this thanks to the vocal work of Irina
Mikhailova, but the music is still more Arabic than
European. there is of course Marta Sebasteyn from days
gone by and Deep Forest's remix of her work, "Boheme,"
but all that is rather old now and i wanted something
in the electrodub vein. well, recently i discovered
this group and another which i have not yet heard,
Gogol Bordello.
this band features an ex-member of Gogol Bordello,
who grew up playing Jewish klezmer music with horns.
he met the other BBB founder in Brooklyn and they
proceeded to create their own version of what is
coming to be called "Gypsy Punk." BBB has a klezmer
sound grafted onto pretty devious hiphop drum
programming. the melodic themes are eastern european
and mediterranean, although it does seem that some
mexican mariachi is mixing into it at times.
this is celebratory, vivacious music which sounds
quite modern, has the Beats for street cred and can
only be described as what one might hear if a gypsy
caravan band, a klezmer wedding band, a mariachi
band and the Art Of Noise all dropped acid together.
from beginning to end, it is zany fun, filled with
amazing surf guitar, tasty horn sections and a manic
vibe that can turn any room into a party even if
nobody is there.
while BBB approaches Senor Coconut or DjMeDjYou
for sheer wackiness, the level of musicianship here is
quite high and the stylish hiphop beats sweltering in
jamaican reggae dub processing effects guarantee that
this is far more accessible to listeners unfamiliar
with electrofusion styles.
the self-titled album has much more of the klezmer
sound and dense horn charts, whereas the second disc,
"Nu*Med," is a more refined sound with a wider
mediterranean sound incorporating even some Spanish
motifs. both albums are passionate and inflammatory,
perfect dance music for parties where world fusion
is permitted and everybody is drunk on ouzo, tequila
or manischevitz.
7-12-08
Booster
Tangerine Dream
Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra, 2008
DOUBLE CD OF SYNTHESIS ASSISTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
TD has been around, in one form or another, for a
long, long time. This time out, it is basically Edgar
Froese solo, except for two pieces which comprise the
piece, "Metaphor," apparently composed and performed by
Thorsten Quaeschning, who i know little about, but it
would seem from my internet searches has done a bit with
TD previously by way of flute solos for 2005's rerecord of
"Phaedra" and extensive contributions to 2007's "Madcap's
Flaming Duty," including keyboards, drums, guitar, recorder,
mixing and mastering.
having fallen in love with electronic and Visionary musics
as a child, i, of course, came into contact with Tangerine
Dream at an early age. our relationship has gone through
phases as i fell in and out of love with TD, depending on
what was going on. while some love Stratosphear and Phaedra,
i gravitate more towards Rubycon and Force Majeure. i can
listen to Exit or Le Parc, but they seem harsh and i prefer
Thief, Sorcerer and Tangram. i have to confess to pretty
much tuning out later TD and the 90s, with Edgar's son in
on it pretty much went past me unnoticed except for some
of the Dream Mixes, which could be interesting at times and
the Seven Letters From Tibet, which should interest chakra
music aficionadoes.
This new double CD, "Booster," is just like taking a
tab when the original dose first begins to wear off, in
order to go to the next level. This is like "Exit," if it
was done correctly so that it was always pleasant to
body and ear, produce with a lush, big & bold mix, and
actually grooved. Highly palatable from beginning to end
for those who like Berlin school electronic music, TD
stays true to its original sensibilities throughout, while
taking advantage of modern tech and aesthetics to give
the music a presence of grandeur which in previously discs
it may have only attained intermittently.
New re-recordings of "Logos" and "Tangram Chin" are
also delightful not only for clean sound but also the
refreshing new interpretations of TD standards. Love it.
The first disc is brimming over with midtempo, near
danceable grooves that are still solid electronica and
completely true to the vibe that is Tangerine Dream. The
second disc is more dreamy and impressionistic. I love
that the whole thing is tasty, never wandering off into
strange weirdness or ponderous mumblings: it is all very
high def and staunchly underpins the fundamental
aesthetics which make Tangerine Dream the on-going force
to be reckoned with.
When i was listening to this recording, i kept
thinking "ah!: Edgar is showing some influences from
Steve Roach." and then thought how poignant this was,
that things should come full circle, since Steve began
his career as a TD minion of sorts. and then this strong
wish that they would collaborate. it would be like what
the Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix sessions would have
been like if Jimi had stayed with us. ah, well, time
will tell.
anybody who has ever enjoyed the bold sequencers and
kaleidoscopic drumming of previous Tangerine Dream albums
should find this quite enjoyable and refreshing. i
imagine it looks fantastic under the appropriate conditions.
Big Thumbs Up! glad i acquired it!
7-08-08
Archangel Miracle
Patrick Bernard
Devi Music, 2008
PARAGON OF SPIRIT MUSIC UNVEILS HEART OF THE CHRISTOS
This new release by one of the high Adepts of modern
mystical music is more sweet vibrations to heal one's
soul. Continuing to work with co-producer Robert Lafond
in one of Visionary Music's most beneficent collaboration
alchemies, Patrick this time works within the western
classical music mode and sings in Hebrew and Latin to
bring us a judeochristian anthem to the sun, the son of
the sun. perhaps the most profound work of strictly
Christian Visionary music i've encountered since the
Ascension Harmonics by Richard Shulman, this album uses
angelic calls and mantra meditations on fundamental
chants like alleluia and adonai to produce a wonderful
journey of encounters with the major Christic powers.
this album is fully devotional and celebratory,
featuring numerous heavenly paradise episodes as only
Patrick can compose. he also brings harp to the fore
on this record, revealing himself as an accomplished
harpist along with his other great talents.
this is a truly beautiful and energy healing album
that i can recommend to all lovers of Spirit and to
people with a particular affinity to the Christ traditions.
the album comes at an interesting time for me, as i am
studying the kabbalistic lore of the son of man and
of the son/messiah in Judaism.
Visions
Clearlight
Clearlight Music, 2000 (originally released vinyl, 1978)
HIGH QUALITY COSMIC PROGRESSIVE ROCK & ELECTRONICA
i had no idea that it was possible to get this disc on
CD and have been rationing vinyl listens for decades. it
was an automatic no-brainer acquisition when i discovered
it was available
this is a CLASSIC 70s progressive rock album by Cyrille
Verdeaux and crew, who made a number of impressive releases
in the 70s before Verdeaux went solo and then began another
project, Clearlight Symphony. this is one of those rare discs
which stand in the company of only a few other inspired
recordings which, if listened to under the appropriate
conditions, can transport one into the upper realms of
the Aquarian/Atlantean paradises. perhaps the only disc quite
like it is Steve Hillage's (with Miquette Giraudy) awesome
release, "Green." i think it can also compare quite well
with some of the greatest 70s releases by Yes. perhaps not in
terms of music virtuosity, but certainly in terms of casting
a compelling vision of higher dimensional experience.
what i really love about this album in particular is
the "Full Moon Raga," which is an actual raga which transmutes
electronically into a full fledged cosmic space jam of
infinite proportions (and back again.) this one is guaranteed
to send the listener to the heart of the spiral crystalline
DNA rainbow pyramid tantra Love matrix. Several other songs
feature spiralling piano and synths and are quite beautiful
and enthralling on repeated listen.
the bonus here is that appended to the relatively short
six composition album, which runs a little over 37 minutes,
there are seven additional pieces, which add another half
of an hour, sound more modern and are comparable to Jean
Michel Jarre's work on Oxygene and Equinoxe. in fact, they
are the best thing in that vein that i've heard since those
two albums themselves. almost like "lost tracks." excellent!
from the original release, there are two songs sung in
French and the vocals have a little too much echo on them.
no liner notes explain what the lyrics mean. but besides
these couple of songs which are a little ponderous, this
album is filled with shining moments of cosmic synthesis
and surging galactic space rock.
6-26-08
De-Stress
Jonathan Goldman
Spirit Music, 2007
THIRD RELEASE IN CELESTIAL REIKI SERIES W/ LARAAJI
i took my time acquiring this one basically because of
the title and not knowing that Laraaji is on it. their
original collab, "Celestial Reiki," exists in a rarefied
atmosphere inhabited by few celestial music releases;
"Rainbow Dome Musick" by Steve Hillage and Miquette
Giraudy comes to mind and perhaps "Sea Of Bliss" by Don
Slepian. the subsequent recordings are more polished,
since Celestial Reiki consisted of extemporaneous
recordings and a bit more planning and arranging has gone
into later works. Celestial Reiki 2 introduced sound
healer and vocalist, Sarah Bernson, who participates in
this later release, De-Stress.
Overall, i enjoy the vibe of this one a bit more than
CR2. it seems more gentle and personal. Laraaji is in
marvelous form. Naturally, Jonathan Goldman brings the
sparkle of personal genius that pulls the whole thing
together.
I found this recording to consist of three 20-30
minute pieces which systematically touch upon specific
somatic resonances resulting in one of the most automatically
relaxing discs i own. which is a few....
lots of overtone singing and ethereal zither on
this one. furthermore, as is mentioned in the liner notes,
there does seem to be a palpable feeling of the INTENT TO
HEAL on the part of the performers coming off of this
recording. reminds me of other music that have soft
healing vibes that are difficult to ascertain precisely
HOW they arrived, recording-wise, to that vibe...
Music For A Busy Head, Absolute Ambient, Volume 1
Matt Coldrick
Green Nuns Music 2000/2001
CHAKRA SUITE SYNTHESIS TRYPPY RIDE FOR THE INTREPID
there seems to be a network of artists who were involved
with what came to be Ishq. Coldrick is a collaborant
with Matt Hillier; they created Absolute Ambient 2.
this disc starts at the crown chakra and move down-
ward to the base. the tuning is quite precise and i
suspect that heightened states of consciousness were
involved in tuning them in. the music itself is pure
ambient electronica: no modern beats really, but explorational
synth tryps to the dub store.
i think of this stuff as Paradisal music, a subgenre of
celestial, but filled with wild waves of flora, grottoes and
hidden ponds and some very interesting beneficent nature
spirits.
the music conveys a higher octave atmosphere of
blissful sweetness that plays across one's nervous system.
but this is music that is all about the pleasure states it
invokes in one's organism rather than any intellectual
pleasures of imagining the artistic performance. one
disappears in this music as one fades into daydream.
all pulse rates are below that of the average heart
rate, so this one WILL slow you down....
Rhythm of Ambiance
Robert Anthony Aviles
CirclesOfLife.com, 2002
HOUR OF PURE AMBIANCE FEATURING JAS-WAVE FREQUENCIES
hey, i don't know what JAS-waves are and i tried to look
it up on the internet and couldn't find much on them, but
i can DEFINITELY feel something that actually seems to
strengthen my body in this 61 minute long single track,
which features 12 "movements" which are rather textural
passages.
sculpted nature with a radiant background bursting
through it. the cosmic heart nestled in the bosom of
forest and woods. astral wavefields of deep sentience.
this is awesome awesome blissful protoambiance with
lots of beautiful water and nature sounds and brainwave
matrices. it doesn't knock me out, but seems to sustain
me in a mid-alpha state. reading, even in this tropical
heat, is sustainable for the entire disc. wow!
now THIS is Paradise!
this disc is part of the Rhythm Of Life series and
the booklet describes the others. i might be interested
in the piece which is an amalgam of world musics, but
i think i might have just gotten lucky and got the best
one here!
REALLY like this album for just feeling nourished
and alert. i have to admit, my opinion might be a little
biased because i only had to pay five bucks for it.
Between Worlds
Don Peyote & Naasko
Monroe Products, 2005
HEMISYNC LOW THETA SHAMANISTIC DIDGERIDOO DREAMTIME
i recently reviewed Don Peyote's electrodub album which
just came out. this album is not like it. it is closer
to Steve Roach's dreamtime recordings and features great
outback nature sounds, competent didging and understated
but impressive and effective synthesis.
this music will tend to put the listener in a pretty
typical shamanistic trance. it is mystical, evocative with a
wide range of truly beautiful location recordings. i found
myself easily slipping into cartoonland...and that was just
chilling out after work!
as time goes on, i'm finding more Monroe brainwave
recordings that i really like. this one would be a fantastic
tryp. my deep meditations on it have been quite satisfying.
the applied brainwave matrix seems to be a natural part
of the recording, much like i remember when admiring the
work done on Amoraea Dreamseed's "Touching Grace."
while perhaps a little pricey for a domestic release,
i still recommend this to the dedicated psychonaut and to
brainwave aficionadoes in general. the only caveat would
be to mention that this is a single 52 minute track in
which numerous passages flow by. one will not be able to
jump around in the recording to one's favorite sections
by means of the typical remote or cd player.
other than that, love it and encourage dreamtime
explorers to consider experiencing it.
Bellydance Overdrive
Turbo Tabla
Mondo Melodia, 2004
SUPERB MODERN MIXES OF ARABIC AND TURKISH TRADITIONALS
the hand drumming on this album is off the hook! very
exciting drummer, Karim Nagi, who produced, arranged and
performed this intense collection of traditionals from
Turkey through Egypt grafted onto modern hiphop, house
and techno dance beats.
this is a loud, powerful tribal sound that makes one
want to rip off their clothes and dance naked under the
desert stars, quaffing opium-laced wine from a camel gut
skein. the beats are ineluctable and vortex the listener
into their inner mandalas of glorious pulsating complexity.
perfect for professional bellydancing also, i would imagine.
i've been sort of exploring in this area of electrodub,
going back as far as Transglobal Underground at least, and
recently i've mentioned Oojami, Intergalactic Caravan and
various straight up bellydance collections on labels like
Laserlight. this is on the same label as Intergalactic
Caravan and is tons better i think...
BECAUSE while this is traditional music GRAFTED ONTO
modern beats (in contrast to DJ Cheb i Sabbah, who sort of
molds beats to support traditional music,) the FEEL of the
music still has the natural traditional vibe. it still feels
pretty acoustic.
but man! we are talking THROBBING beats here that move
us involuntarily almost. the level of Passion in making this
music happen is PALPABLE. if you like Arabic music, this is
a great dance party recording. intense, not dainty or flowery.
earthy.
Musica Yoruba
National Folklore Ensemble of Cuba
Bembe Records, 1996
TRADITIONAL SANTERIA CHANTS AND RHYTHMS FOR THE ORISHAS,
THE SEVEN AFRICAN POWERS
as a student of mantra - the use of words to effect consciousness -
and also as a divinationist who studied the African Ifa
divinatory oracle at length, i have at times acquired
music which specifically uses the traditional drum patterns
for the Cuban Santeria or Haitian Voudun. while most contained
the drumming, the recording and my body's reaction to the
tuning of the drums were unfavorable.
this album is BEAUTIFULLY recorded and has a fine ensemble
chorus singing traditionals dedicated to each of the Orishas,
the 7 African Powers of the Yoruba and other African tribes who
were syncretized with catholic saints so that slaves in the
caribbean could still worship the old ways under the stern
glare of the church.
african music reminiscent of a time that has all but
faded away. it is a series of magical incantations for calling
forth these mighty cosmic powers. my two experiences with it
thus far were profound and i felt altered in an almost
psychedelic way. the air in the room seemed to be acting
peculiarly too, but let's not get carried away.
i recommend this to individuals interested in mantra and
the power of voice, or those looking to experience the
drum rhythms of the deities. its overall vibrational vibe sort
of reminds me of the classic disc of sufi singing, "Ocean Of
Remembrance" by Oruj Givenc. but, like i said, this is
afrocaribbean music so it helps to like african folk music, etc.
6-02-09
First Source
Wingmakers
Wingmakers LLC, 1998-2000
MULTIMEDIA NEOMYTHOLOGY EXTRAVAGANZA
It costs as much as a CD, plays an hour of music like a CD,
the jewel box and packaging make it seem like it is just a CD,
but First Source is far from the ordinary commercially
available disc. If you slip this into your computer, you will
discover almost a thousand pages of written material regarding
or found in an alleged New Mexico underground site where
extraterrestrial alien artifacts have been recovered, a large
array of digital photos of evocative paintings said to have been
in the site and an additional half hour of music.
As far as I can tell, the music is the work of DJ Free,
who is the main mind behind the original act named Soulfood.
Frees early work was along the lines originated by pioneered
by Deep Forest and Enigma, but his sound was distinct from
them and actually more accessible, more attuned to the
airwave categories, New Age or Soft Jazz. Soulfood has
actually charted in these categories.
To be fair, though his music is fully informed by and
easily fits into these categories, Free has been pretty
diverse and collaborative
in the various Soulfood releases. As a technoambient DJ,
I was most attracted to his rock and hiphop based music
in the 90s, particularly the 2-CD set, Breathe, which
did for Native American music what the self-titled
Deep Forest debut album of 1992 did for African Pygmy music.
Of the many Soulfood albums that I have collected, I can
also recommend without hesitation the collaboration
with Inlakesh, Entering Dreamtime, which remains one of
my most repeatedly listened to didgeridoo albums.
When the first Wingmakers album, Chambers 11-17,
came out it had much of the charm of early Soulfood, while
incorporating even jazzier elements and modern sounds. All
of the albums Ive mentioned received a lot of airplay from me.
As time went on, Soulfood became much more of a New Age music
thing and I moved into more explorational territory. But I
always kept my ears open for anything good. I dont think I was
even aware of the release of this album at the millenium and
the past few years I saw various Wingmakers discs out there,
but I was into other things as is evident from the years of
this column. I liked Breathe and Chambers 11-17 so much and
had mixed feelings regarding so much of the rest of the canon
that I was sort of on hold. During one of my more euphoric
disc buying sprees, I decided to pick this disc up just to see
if there was an interesting direction to follow.
Well, there is! People who enjoyed the first Wingmakers
album would like this one perhaps even more. While still being
activating and a high positivity atmosphere, the production
makes this experience even softer, more gentle. The drums are
quite African and hiphop, but also classic downtempo, which
would make this a good massage disc if one like a modern beat
going at the time. As usual, the production is very clean and
the performances range from adequate to impressive. Perhaps
the highlight is Frees visionary narrative style of composing
as if for daydreams or shrooming. It is like listening to a
musical story. Its an interesting amalgam: various cultural
musical influences weaving around a Native American theme,
some catchy modern beats and a warm emotional content.
While not being too demanding for the listener in terms
of trying to comprehend technical ability or compositional
complexity, First Source, still ends up being great backsound
for conversation, communion or casual wanderjahring. This music
is beautiful and feels fantastic, but may not fulfill the
intellectual need for complexity or virtuosity.
Still: its a very pleasant ride and all the additional
art that can be accessed via computer makes it even better,
like buying an easy to read book with cool pictures and a
soundtrack for the imagination.
Dharpa: Songs From The Dreamtime
Will Seachnasaigh
Lyrichord, 1999/2006
EXCELLENT COLLECTION OF TRADITIONAL DIDJ MUSIC
This artist released a wonderful disc of didgeridoo music
for The Relaxation Company entitled, Dreamings, which Ive
just had so many great experiences with it would require an
entire article to do it justice. It is perhaps my favorite
didg album, even though I dont listen to it as much as others.
This is probably because it is tryp-encoded into my neurology? :))
This one is much more austere. The overdubbing is kept
very simple and the elements of the sound field are quite
discrete, separate. Each of the ten tracks is based on a
traditional Australian Aboriginal song and the extensive
liner notes help the listener get a view into the soul of
this fascinating indigenous music.
Anyone who loves the music of the Dreamtime would
enjoy this album. I should just indicate here that this
is an ancient folk music and, although quite well done,
it will probably not appeal to listeners who want modern
beats or sheets of synthesis.
5-25-08
Ketri
Lumin
Dakini, 2008
INFINITE GODDESS POWER IN THE TURBA CONCENTRIQUE
The Dakini label has a trademark sound of which the
exemplary is probably Makyo. Like Waveform, this is a vibe
particular to the label, but Dakini also emphasizes very
skillful drum programming and hand drumming particularly
in the Arabic and Indian realms. Ketri fulfills these
particulars in every way, with drumming influenced by
the legendary Talvin Singh.
The music itself seems to be largely of Arabic
influence, perhaps Algeria and Turkey...i'm not yet an
expert....but i also see in the liner notes influences
from eastern europe like Russia, Bulgaria, & Macedonia.
it is done quite competently, on a level with
Toires, and the various percussive effects are quite
possibly the shining star of the instrumentation on this
album. programmers and drummers Jef Stott and Michael
Emenau deliver a dense, complex drumming environment with
solid bass lines adapted to this multicultural fusion
music.
The presiding vibe of the album is woven by long-time
Visionary Sounds writer and vocalist Irina Mikhailova, who
i consider a caliber of singer on the level of Natacha Atlas
from Transglobal Underground, Jaya Lakshmi of One At Last,
or, dare i say it, trailblazing vocalists like Marta
Sebasteyn or even Sheila Chandra. a number of the pieces are
her adaptations of traditional melodies.
A lively recording of a relatively rare cultural hybrid:
arabic with eastern european, set in a modern technoambient
context. Another inspiring, groovy release from Dakini!
Just about every song has multi-tracked female vocals, so be
ready for a heroic dose of goddess power.
5-4-08
and then the clouds
Grey Area
Waveform, 2005
COMPILATION FROM AUSTRALIAN TECHNOAMBIENT PROJECT
REBIRTH OF CYBER ZEN SOUND ENGINE IN WAVEFORM VIBE
KINDA
a series of intelligent electronic downtempo grooves
and electrodub roots, these selected tracks sequence
together quite nicely and, yes, there is something rosey-grey
and zeta*reticulan about it all. in sound and positivity,
*and then the clouds* is a fitting addition to the Waveform
roster. this music can fade into the background as a groovy
kinda space-age vibe, but offers various startling surprises
on repeated listen.
Some of the songs diverge into strange science fiction
atmospheres which make me wonder if perhaps Grey Area may be
exploring certain sectors of the Spectrasonics core previously
navigated by Cyber Zen Sound Engine. if so, it is a quite
remarkable upgrade, since i always found CZSE somewhat
disturbing and even somatically unpleasant at times, whereas
Grey Area totally has that constant pleasurable expansive
vibe which is the trademark sound of Waveform. and the level
of craft involved here is an order of magnitude higher than
similar technoambient artists like Zero One, Magic Sound Fabric
or Pitch Black. and i could be alone in this, but i prefer the
overall vibe of Grey Area to that of, say, Sounds From The
Ground. but it would be premature to consider this on the
level of the Aleph Zero artists or most of the Twisted records
artists. but it is definitely impressive and opens up on
repeated listen.
each piece is like an independent science fiction short
story: as i said, a single continuous groove for 3-8 minutes,
with the serendipitous and constant morphing typical
of much techno, as if every 4 bars an attentional shift is
required. this however does keep things interesting and isn't
done idly, but seems to follow a certain occult narrative
logic. mostly.
played at low levels, i could imagine how this music would
have a real Ambient appeal: it is very gaseous and spacey, with
luxurious waves of beauty and sparkling energy burst here and
there. no doubt, this would be a beautiful ride for tryppers
who enjoy dub bass environments. i've used it for hiking,
reading and kicking back, so far.
as a deejay, i would definitely be useing multiple cuts
from this disc in my science fiction or UFO sets. i would expect
to visit the ET spaceships or a visit from the Zeta's if i
tried to tryp on this. :))
Ghosts I - IV
Nine Inch Nails
Halo Twenty Six, 2008
INSTRUMENTAL NIN DISC COMBINES AMBIENT AND INDUSTRIAL
this double CD contains nearly two hours of
single groove songs which range in length from 2-3 minute
snippets to more developed 4-5 minute pieces. much of it is
quite noisy and painful in the way that only Trent Reznor
and crew seem to know how to do. i say this in respect for
their prowess as much as in warning to the typical Visionary
listener that for every minute of Satie-inspired acoustic
piano, Jean Michel Jarre sequencing or Philip Glass-like
orchestral meanderings, there is a minute of chaos inspired
by Eno, Fripp, Bowie, and the entire history of Modern
Industrial Music.
not really being an Industrial purist or authority of
any great scope, i can say that much of this recording could
appeal to people who like Aphex Twin. the overall vibe also
brings to my mind Brian Eno's "Shuvtov Assembly." but Ghosts
I-IV has the full advantage of modern recording technology to
have a cleaner, fiercer sound than these other rock and
industrial artists.
while claimed to have been created in 2 months of furious
activity, i'm willing to bet that these were grooves on some
groovebox or whatnot somewhere that had been abandoned for
release because they either didn't connect with other grooves
to make for commercially constructed songs or simply didn't
initially suggest further development. typically, a recording
artist would trash these to make room for more memory. a friend
of mine, when i was saying this, called them "leftovers," and
well, yeah that's kinda true, but the leftovers that would be
trashed don't undergoe this secondary development where they
are resequenced and additional synthwork is added, not to
mention the incredible amount of electric guitar which actually
is what reanimates these "ghosts." i can see, given the
"leftovers" to provide an initial basis, how 2 hours of
music could be done in 2 months. (obviously, some of these
tracks could have been worked from the ground up at the same
time.)
this can be seen as a radical, rebellious gesture. upon
gaining contractual freedom, the artist shouts FUCK YOU!
ALL MY MUSIC IS GOOD!! i could actually see Trent Reznor doing
this. in this way, Ghosts could be seen as a kind of concept
album: the concept being that those commercial leftovers can
also be viable noncommercial MUSIC. so, in a way, this is like
giving the industry the finger. it reminds me of Lou Reed's
Metal Machine Music, where (in order to fulfill his contract,)
Reed recorded two vinyl albums worth of feedback created by
setting up numerous PA systems with microphones up on a
sound stage and then turning the volume up so high that the
systems began to feedback, then simply walking around and
turning the various speakers to alter the interference
patterns. so you end up with two albums of oddly permutating
feedback noise. GHOSTS however is anything but static.
the length of the songs and the radical shifts in dynamics
at seque keep you on your toes.
being a fully instrumental album, also allows one to
daydream floridly. to my amusement, the sticker on the wrapper
when i received this release said "Music For Daydreams." now
it isn't really that relaxing and dreamy -- it has enough
energy to sort of snap one out of it -- but i did have an
experience where i was lulled into a trance with it. might
have been the Hawaiian heat, though....
while definitely not for the faint-hearted or the listener
who doesn't like Industrial or noise-for-noise's-sake, Ghosts
is an adventurous, multi-faceted work with strong appeal for
the Eno/Fripp/Bowie camp, Industrial fans who can appreciate
it's ties to classical as a genre and weirdoes like me who'll
listen to anything.
4-27-08
Visions Of Surya
Jake Stephenson & Matt Hillier
Virtual, 2008
Click Here For Virtual Website
ASTRAL VISITS FROM THE SOUL OF THE SUN
i don't know if i have this all straight, but i'll try.
Matt Hillier is a member of Ishq, the amazing psyambient project
whose classic, "Orchid," is available from Dakini Records.
Hillier collaborates with Matt Coldrick, who i think is also
a member of Ishq but not present on this recording. i assume
that Virtual is Hillier's label. This is Virtual's third release
so far as i know: the first being "Magic Square of the Sun" by
Ishq, and then "Infinite Garden" by Elve (who i assume is a
Hillier alter ego.) The soul formerly known as Jake Stephenson
apparently collaborated with these guys, but passed on some time
ago.
so, this one is from out of the vaults, but sounds totally
contemporary and comes closest in mood and vision to the first
Ishq CD (which i guess is the precedent which Virtual will be
measured by for some time to come.)
the first thing that hit me was the ASTRAL quality of this
music. while being the most pure of synthesis, almost like sonic
nectar, and creating Edenic spaces comparable to Heavenly Music
Corporation, there is a vibe coming off this recording that
reminds me of my astral projections -- that silvery sweet feeling
of the spirit planes. it was obvious in my journeying on this
music that it would produce paradisal bliss and even intense
ecstasies under the right conditions. i definitely felt like i
was going to slip out of my body at one point.
another interesting item of note: how coincidental IS it
to have David Parsons' "Surya" and "Visions Of Surya" released
at nearly the same time? as Surya means Solar, or perhaps the
soul of the sun, one would think that there would be a fair
amount of brilliant radiation occuring on an album about it.
well, this album has it in spades, diamonds, hearts and clovers.
and i don't mean lucky charms. on several occasions, both in
the heart chakra and at the crown, we dive into glorious
whorls of silvery gold Light surrounded by blossoming flora
and serpentine vines. Parsons could take a lesson here about
letting the sun shine in!
while retaining an audio identity with the other Virtual
releases, "Visions Of Surya" incorporates some of the lusciousness
that made Ishq's "Orchid" so fantastic. This makes it probably
my favorite Virtual release. that being said, let me say this:
Virtual has some of the greatest electronic work being done by the
artists emerging from the modern Techno scene. like Kraftwerk,
there are catchy beats and melodies at times, but the emphasis
is on the organic rather than the mechanical; like Tangerine
Dream, there is immersion in humid ecosystems, but these aren't
murky swamps at midnight, but marshes teeming with a wild
variety of lifeforms flashing all the colors of the rainbow;
like Kim Cascone of Heavenly Music Corporation, there is
Paradise, but this is unrelenting spiritual nectar with no
assays into numerology, deep sea diving or systems theory.
an incredible joy for the true aficionado of pure
electronic synthesis and for tryppers seeking the next heaven.
do visit the website and see what is there!
Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations
Muruga Booker with Olatunji & Sikiru Adepoju
OMS Productions, 1995
INCREDIBLE HOUR OF INTUITIVE INTERPLAY BY DRUM SHAMANS
I picked this album up because i was actually present at
the studio when it was being recorded, fairly well
extemporaneously, by my friendly acquaintance Muruga (who i
met through Shaw) and the legendary Olatunji, who i had the
good fortune to see at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, a few
times, before his passing. one morning, Shaw asked if i
wanted to go out to Menlo Park and witness Muruga record his
album. not having anything else to do, i agreed and was
stoked later to find that Olatunji and Sikiru would be there.
i guess i was expecting a large entourage, a buffet table,
or whatever press conference, i don't know. as it turned out,
it was only the engineers, the musicians and a few close
friends...and Shaw and me (well, Shaw and the Murug are close
and Shaw and i were close, etc.) anyway, it was such an
intimate setting i almost felt a little out of place not
really knowing anybody but Muruga and Shaw.
anyway, after a short warm-up, Olatunji was like "let's
just start recording, we know what to do." what followed was
a profoundly mystical recording session where i was in a
drumming trance for easily six hours or more. they kept
changing drums and patterns, taking short breaks listening
to what was recorded, then going back in for hours. i know
it says it in the liner notes, but it is true that at the
end of the night, we'd been there for i don't know ten hours,
we all knew that something really amazing had happened.
and then i never got the CD for 18 years because it took
them a year to get it out and i don't remember a copy ever
appearing at the radio station and i didn't even know the
name of the album, etc, etc. and then i forgot about the
CD and would just remember this one fantastic experience i'd
had. so a few weeks ago, i was wondering what of Muruga's
work was available on the net on CD. He has some truly
amazing stuff out there and i strongly urge anyone who is
interested in trance drumming and shamanistic mind states
to acquire "Journey Of The Drums" by Muruga and Prem Das,
which is an authentic trance pattern from the Huichol
tradition which Prem Das relates with great precision.
anyway, when i saw the title, "Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations,"
i knew that was my long lost album because i remembered
when, after a very long jam, Olatunji said, "that's
riddem vibrations," and Muruga agreed, "yeah, cosmic
rhythm vibrations."
i don't know how to adequately describe the work of
three great drummers jamming extemporaneously. it is a
shifting kaleidoscope constantly rejuxtapositioning beats
and patterns. while fundamentally African in sound and
effect, there are patterns from all over the world
whizzing in and out. the synthesis and voice which was
added at later sessions is minimal and only supports
the drumming which was done in this one mind-blowing
session for the most part.
a great listen for drumming aficionadoes who want to
hear what happens when you get some world class artists
together and let them set the rules, or go no rules.
4-03-08
Surya
David Parsons
Celestial Harmonies, 2008
YET ANOTHER IMPECCABLE PARSONS RECORDING
This artist is one of the Masters of Visionary Music.
By his own admission, his work is more like sonic painting
then it is formal music. His chosen milieu is Tibetan
Mysticism and every recording is saturated with samples
from the Himalayan regions that he personally recorded.
Much of the synthesis is performed on top of the line
Kurzweil equipment along with other state of the art gear.
His recent work has more expanded the Vision he has
cast than pushed the boundaries into new areas. His 2004
release, "Vajra," appeared on the rave-oriented Groove
Unlimited label and had a slightly more modern sound
appropriate for chill rooms at raves; because of this, it
had an intensity and energizing effect comparable to
his completely excellent "Dorje Ling" on Fortuna in 1992.
both of these discs create deeply challenging and rewarding
tryp experiences. Parsons' previous album, 2005's "Inner
Places" on Celestial Harmonies could almost be a companion
album to Surya, although i must say that i found it perhaps
a little too ghostly and ashen for my tastes, making it
more appropriate for simple meditation than for trypping.
This new release, "Surya," is much more radiant and
of penultimate grandeur. The title word itself means "solar,"
and indeed the inner places of the various Lokas from the
previous album are illuminated and made luscious in this
one. The title piece opens the album with a seventeen and a
half minute meditation on radiance that lets you know in
the first 3 minutes that this is going to be a great
adventure. While i much appreciate the work that David
Parsons has done with Tibetan mantra and with exploring
sheer spiritual power of transformation, it is albums like
Surya -- i'm thinking of Yatra, Himalaya and, to a lesser
extent, Parikrama -- that are more exploratory of meditation
states that attract me the most. The languid pace and deep
ineluctable tranciness that are part of his signature sound
create highly informative and nourishing meditation states
that i believe are superior even to highly scientific
brainwave recordings aiming for the same window frequencies.
This is definitely dark ambient. Most of the recordings
seem to be of the *dead of night* variety: the deep darkness
where we suddenly encounter high contrast shining. Parsons
utilizes samples of many of the loud instruments from the
Tibetan orchestra, but on this album for the most part, they
have been manipulated to be pretty mellow: not dramatic like
his more active releases. There is a lot of incense wafting
through these recordings also, as well as various indigenous
bird calls that hit the listener right *there* in the third
eye.
I should note here that, except for some recorded natural
environment on one track, the album is entirely electronic,
with all patches custom-made by the artist.
my favorite Parsons release since 1999's Shaman. if you
have affinity for things Tibetan and the style of Buddhist
meditation from Tibet, this could well be a great find for
you.
Funplex
The B-52s
Astralwerks, 2008
JUST RELEASED FIRST IN 16 YEARS -- PURE FUN; HOT GROOVES
This release deserves a new category to be created
for it. I would propose "Technowave." While the sound is
updated to our millenial dance music values, the vibe and
quirky mix of science fiction with mid20thC kitsch -- stun
guns, cell phones, lava lamps and pink flamingoes -- can
only herald the return of one of our greatest treasures from
the "New Wave" of the 80s. Easily one of their best albums
ever, FUNPLEX revs out the gate with a blast straight up the
start to whirl us helplessly through the totally zany, fun
loving and overwhelmingly appealing spaced-out cosmic dream
universe that is the exploding creativity of a band true to
its roots while still as far in the future from our here and
now as their first *perfect* release album in 1979. The new
sound does have the Techno synth edge, but is firmly rooted
in the new wave rock genre.
Now, i am not the B-52s fan who just loves it all and
insists that it is consistently awesome. While i thought the
first two albums, "The B-52s" and "Wild Planet" were just
amazingly fun albums that i still listen to a lot to this
day, i wasn't so stoked with the third album produced by
David Byrne of Talking Heads, "Mesopotamia," which i felt
was a bit too earnest (admittedly, it did grow on me and i
acquired it on CD a couple of years ago.) I thought the
next album, "Whammy," was very disappointing, but it almost
had to be because drummer and brother of Cindy Wilson, Ricky,
died and i also suspected perhaps some cocaine problems in
the band so that it almost seemed like a contractual
obligation fulfillment album: pretty staid drum programming
and a predictability not associated with them before or
since then. 1986's "Bouncing Off The Satellites" i thought
was the best thing since the first two and it fit in perfectly
with me & my crew's "Martini Summer" of 1987. This album is
when the cosmic aspects of B-52s really began to kick in and
showed them having recovered from the loss of Ricky. Then in
1989, they released the immensely popular "Cosmic Thing,"
which was produced with a more stripped-down commercial sound
and yielded several huge hits like "Love Shack," and
"Channel Z," yet even though i couldn't begrudge them the
renewed popularity, media attention and of course $dollars$, it
still seemed like it was taking effort and too serious. I
also felt that it was a step towards normalizing their music,
which should never be done under any circumstances!!!!!
That's why i liked 1992's "Good Stuff" scads more than "Cosmic
Thing," even though Cindy had left the band. Even though the
songs were perhaps a bit familiar, the !FUN! which is their
hallmark was in there. There were no hits and things sort of
went quiet with i guess only the "Hallucinating Pluto" single
which was released independent of any album.
Then life kind of sucked for 16 years until today when
my package arrived and i put "Funplex" in my player, cranked
up the headphones to maximum levels and got blasted into an
impossible Universe filled with erotic kicks and kinky giggles.
Everything about this album screams BEST ONE SINCE THE FIRST
TWO!! Keith Strickland seems to be the guiding musical Light
and has really SciFied the sound with Electro synthesis which,
for a rock album, stands quite successfully with acts usually
considered more adept at it like Kraftwerk and Heaven 17. In
fact, i bet when William Orbit hears this album, he'll REALLY
realize he needs to update his scene. The great thing is:
The B-52s always WERE this wild synth vibe so it feels natural.
Perhaps the most immediately impressive thing is the guitars:
they are FAT! They keep this album solidly Rock. Simply glorious,
with great hooks and tasty runs. While the girls' singing is
always great, no matter what album, they just really NAIL it
here. Makes your heart swell to hear them together again.
And Fred is THE MAN. there is only one and he is simply a
consummate performer of distinction. you hear his voice and
you know it is him and that means you KNOW it is going to be
FUN because FUN follows Fred around like a puppy on acid.
If you ever listened to a B-52s album with joy or have
fond party memories piquantly enhanced by their music, i have
to say that exposure to this album will wash the last miserable
16 years away instantly like a bad dream, at least for a few
hours. you will get high off the positivity and perfect party
power. having just listened to it twice in succession, i think
i'll have to wrap this review up and get back to listening to
it again.
Tribute
Steve Hackett
Casino, 2007
GENESIS GUITAR VIRTUOSO RELEASES SOLO CLASSICAL GUITAR DISC
i'm a big fan of the work of Steve Hackett. though his
career has been uneven, his millenial recordings as a fully
matured craftsman have been incredibly rewarding for me
personally and really just HUGE in terms of the current
future of prog. this is NOT a progressive rock album however.
this is purely solo acoustic nylon string guitar
renditions of Steve's most cherished classical compositions
by Bach, Byrd, Barrios and Granados (with a few Hackett
originals.) there are moments of profound beauty.
growing up, i was quite taken by the solo classical
guitar performances of Julian Bream and longed for a similar
album by Hackett.
this is it.
if you like his style or like solo classical guitar, buy it.
Expanding Horizon
Alio Die & Matthias Grassow
Relapse, 2002
FLYING ON BIRDWINGS THROUGH SKIES OF DEEP DREAMING
a wonderful dreamy experience of a 2-CD set! surpassing my
modest expectations by leaps and bounds, this is another bonafide
masterstroke by Alio Die in collaboration. i've let this carry me
off into sleep many times and can testify that it conveys that
heavenly beauty of one's sweetest dreams and flows through my
body so fluidly it is like drifting through a river of nectar
to lands of pure pleasure and iridescent imagination.
i have read a review complaining of monotony in this album.
and it is true that you basically get two full CDs of dreams
and sleep. but i would reply that this is an album which is more
about how it feels somatically and emotionally than how it
appeals intellectually. it is truly one to get lost in.
love this album and recommend it to true lovers of dark
ambient. don't pay huge bucks for it. you can find it at
release records website for like fifteen dollars. i would pay
double that, having now heard it, but i've seen it for sky high
prices that are totally unnecessary.
Hotel Istanbul
Blue Asia
KICP, 2002
TURKISH WORLD FUSION ALBUM FULL OF SENSUAL SURPRISES
this disc brings my Blue Asia collection up to date and what a
fantastic journey it has been! contrary to my expectation of
harsh percussion and bleating vocals, this is a quite lush
lounge album built around sambas and other latin rhythms which
have been fused to Arabic music. one song has a pretty wild
Sergio Mendes reference! i found myself pretty much being
*WOWED* time and again, utterly taken off guard and surprised
by how lovely and disarmingly endearing the melodies and
production are to me.
while the Latin influence is much more pronounced in this
release than the hiphop influence (more than made up for in
the treatment of select songs on the hiphop compilation
Hotel Rechampur that i recently reviewed,) Hotel Istanbul still
is saturated with Turkish influences in melody, guest musicians,
location recordings and the mojo which makes Blue Asia one of
the world's TOP global fusion projects (according to me.)
a bit pricey as albums go (doubt you can get it delivered
for less than thirty dollars,) i must say that Blue Asia is
one of those artistic endeavors that i have no problem laying
out the cash for. now if there was only a way to see a live
performance....
3-08-08
Flight Of The Urubus
Entheogenic
Universal SymBiosis, 2008
FLIGHT OF FANCY PHAZESHIFTING SOARS INTO PSYDELICSPACE
very pleased to inform you that the new Entheogenic is out
and it rocks! there was some chitchat on the net about
a new sound for this duo of psyberwizards, but i think
what has happened is that Helmut Glavar and Piers Oak-Rhind
have forged a new musical relationship that is the result
of the world travelling that they have done recently and
a reassessment of their own work to date. i can confidently
say that this album will silence all criticism that
Entheogenic has fallen off from the top of the game. this
album proves it. they are better than the recent Twisted
releases. their shamanic authenticity is only matched at
this point (to my mind) by the Waveform artist, Phuture
Primitive.
the previous release, Golden Cup, was experimental in
some ways and also the result of their being away from each
other for a pretty long time while separately visiting
spiritually powerful locations world-wide. on top of this,
the album before that, Dialogue Of The Speakers, consisted
largely of remixes in which other artists expanded some
Entheogenic ideas and Glavar and Oak-Rhind needed time to
digest all the wonderful ideas that had spun out from their
music on that album. the album *before that* was Spontaneous
Illumination, which is a near-perfect electrodub disc. all
these things combined resulted ultimately in Golden Cup
being perceived as a less successful release (as so many
transitional albums.) and after a while, my assessment was
that Golden Cup primarily had the disadvantage of the
artists being apart for so long.
On this current album, Flight Of The Urubus, the amount
of time and care spent on it shows brilliantly. Our heroic
duosages have created a work that can be proudly placed
next to DOTS and Spontanteous Illumination. The signature
Entheogenic sound has never been crisper, funkier or more
flamboyant. They've incorporated acoustic guitar in homage to
Shpongle (well, i say that, but obviously spicy latin guitar
is prevalent in south american ayahuasca regions,) plus some
tasty electric guitar work of their own device. Astutely
recognizing how FAR OUT !! the piano work by Shulman was on
the remix album, they've incorporated that idea and made it
their own and IT WORKS REALLY WELL. the synthesis on this disc
is inspired and passionate. there are moments when the
stereo field gets so densely deep with psychoelectronic
patterning and the overall mix is so gorgeously sensual that
the resulting thrills that course through one's body are
nearly erotic! it's almost like you have your own satchel of
spice from the sandworms of Arrakis!
All this technical stuff aside, the tunes are just plain
FUN! most would get the most laggard amongst us out of the
seat onto the dance floor. the vibe is strong emotional
positivity. at the same time, as on other albums, each song
is like its own Ayahuasca tryp, zinging us through fantastic
realms of innerspace filled with scintillating swathes of
multicolored light and wild jungles of floral complexity.
this is the most FUN i've had listening to psyambient
electrodub in a long time!!
ADDENDUM 4-03-08: another Entheogenic album that got
stuck in my walkman! OMG dudes it just gets better and
better! love hearing it every time!
Les Yeux Fermes & Lifespan
Terry Riley
Elision Fields, 2007
WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO FIND A RILEY REISSUE!
Terry Riley is perhaps the late 20thC minimalist classical
composer sine qua non. Most of this albums are swirling
kaleidoscopes of intricately interweaving organs,
harpsichords and synths. he has come as close as ANY artist
that i know of to creating *sonic mandalas.* his music
is intensely meditative while still being quite activating,
intellectually interesting and somatically pleasing.
the contents herein are two soundtracks for films made
in the early 1970s. the first is composed of two 18 and a
half minute long form pieces, the first of which, "Journey
from the Death of a Friend," is perhaps the brightest and
most accessible of his work after the classic "Rainbow In
Curved Air." the second one, "Happy Ending," is endlessly
tape looped in the frippertronic fashioning of what i
surmise is accordian. the next handful of songs are rather
like little candies that one gobbles down each in a few
minutes, savoring the flavours and wondering with awe at
their differences and uniqueness. i can't say i've ever
hear a two minute or six minute piece by Riley, and it is
quite an enjoyable sense of discovery. he gives himself
greater range in displaying his impressive virtuosity on
the keyboard. these shorter pieces are vignette-like:
one is bach-like organ, the next has tabla percussion,
then something that sounds like an outtake from Shri Camel,
and so on to the last piece, Delay, which sounds to be
live organ with extended delay on it and turns out to
be a solo fest for the adventurous ear.
the production is rather spare, as one would expect
for film music, but i think the minimal nature of the
pieces is rather well suited to small studio sound. the
upshot is: if you like Terry Riley, you will certainly
be glad this release has been brought back into the world.
Hotel Rechampur
Blue Asia
King Record, 2002
HIPHOP REMIX ALBUM AN EXCITING MULTICULTURAL RIDE!!
Starting with riffs that almost sound like Talking
Heads in their big band area, this album plunges headlong
into an insanely creative melange of music and musicians
from around the globe playing in their local cultural
idiom into a remix that seamlessly drops in kicking hiphop
beats that transcends the mixmasterly visions of the likes
of Deep Forest or DJ Cheb i Sabbah, to a new level of
exotic sound that i have no name for. It's hiphop exotica.
It's exotica where hiphop has become the vehicle and means,
rather than the point. perhaps like Chebiji's idea of
*DJ science,* where the music retains it's cultural roots
and feel, yet is internationalized by those modern beats.
the songs are from various of Blue Asia's "Hotel"
albums and are instantly recognized as the songs that they
are, but also are endowed with urbane vigour by the
modern production, mixing and BEATS.
i would think that anyone interested in world fusion
and cultural crosspollination would be stunned by this
exuberant display of creativity and peace through music.
Devotion
Cheb i Sabbah
6 Degrees, 2008
A REVERENT RETURN TO INDIA - CLASSIC CHEBIJI
the first mother india album, Shri Durga, was quite
intense, powerful with the strength of the divine feminine.
the second album, Krishna Lila, was supremely GENTLE and
nurturing, an energy i rather thought of as Radha, Krishna's
feminine side. this album's aspect is loving devotion, and
it permeates the recording like a fine incense.
if anything, the actual *DJ Science* going on here is
more impressive than previously, providing deep grooves
and foundations of vibration more intricate than the previous
albums. i read previously where reviewers thought that his
mixing touch was lighter and less present. what i hear is
that his production instincts are far more ALIGNED with the
music and so his choice are much more natural to bringing
out the beauty of the compositions.
these are long trance dancing grooves some of which
have enough tempo to be on the dance floor. if you do not
know this artist's previous work, most of it is spiritual
music from India, performed by locals, and he mixes in
sessionwork from musicians he knows to modernize it with
dance'n'dub beats. the longest piece is the ten minute,
"Haun Vaari Haun Varaney," which is an extremely well
executed dub adventure which must set a mile-stone for
trancedubreggae somewhere.
overall, i'm giving this high marks and considering
it his best effort since "Shri Durga." the entire captures
a peaceful, devotional vibe that is welcome in my home
anytime.
The Music Of Stars
Morris Pert
North By Northwest Productions, 2007
available from Buckyball
Click here for Buckyball
STRANGE VIBRATIONS FROM BEYOND THE GALACTIC RIM
i picked this release up just on my knowledge of Pert
as a great percussionist who played for Brand X for a
while. i thought i'd be getting....well, i don't know
what i thought i'd be getting but i thought it would
be hand percussion based.
this is EXTREMELY *spacey* music that yes DOES have
percussion, but also a fair amount of leisurely keyboard,
high pitched synth twirlies, plucked piano strings with
plenty of delay and pretty much a total lack of
identifiable rhythm. space between notes is actually a
player in this gambit, so the whole thing seems to be
only partially existent.
as interpretations of deep space go, this one is
quite interesting, particularly since it DOESN'T rely
on endlessly droning synths to imply vast distances
but rather silence with gradual increases and decreases
in volume. the whole thing is light as a feather. on
occasion i am reminded of Jonn Serrie. well, Jonn Serrie
WITHOUT the endless sheets of morphing sound. but the
reverence of pure space is present here as it is in
Serrie's work.
it is also enjoyable to experience space not as a
dark foreboding place but a place which is at times
peaceful, at times has activity and at time is luminous.
endlessly fascinating how Pert sort of wanders around to
different habitats and introduces to the space faring
pixies therein.
love it, but for people who enjoy very minimal,
gentle, yet experimental in tone and color, music.
2-16-08
Skylon
Ott
Twisted, 2008
ELECTRODUB FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE TRULY TWISTED
From the opening acid drone to the shower of sparks
at the end, Ott takes us on an inspired sonic journey
through state-of-the-art synthpsychedelia. Clearly
surpassing last year's Posford/Vaughan release (sorry,
guys,) this entirely worthy offering from the workaholic
of all technotwiddlers features exciting deep bass grooves
surrounded by innovative sound designs carefully sculpted
for maximum itations. In this realm, there is the
Hallucination "In Dub" album (mixed by Ott,) Ott's own
quite impressive "Blumenkraft" release and possibly the
release by Slackbaba, "The Beat Goes Om." suffice it to
say: this is electronic dub at its' finest.
interspersed between these fine depth grooves is
wave after wave of perfectly executed space music, which
always dovetails back into the bass with a grace and
assuredness that must make for fine trypsurfing.
while all lovers of modern Electro will find the
artistry and obvious care in the making of this recording
a treat for the ears and mind, the reggae emphasis of
"Skylon" focuses its appeal upon the tastes of those who
enjoy the emergence of reggae and dub in the techno
regions of music. a guaranteed tryp worth baking!
Caverns Of Time
Evan Bartholomew
Somnia, 2007
A DELIGHTFULLY TASTY SERVING OF DARK AMBIANCE
Hovering somewhere between the intricate detailing
of nightsounds like Oophoi and the mystical, emotional
warmth of Klaus Wiese, Evan Bartholomew has created an
engaging, gratifying disc of dream-like continuums which
are the perfect day's end to a life in paradise.
beginning with profound depths of gratitude and
devotion -- dense layers of meditative synth with
simple intonation of vowels, this disc takes the listener
on a voyage through inner realms of hypnogogic Vision.
judging just from the titles of these ten minute plus
pieces, it is a descent through the inner levels of the
Unconscious, during which personal identity and memory
are shorn away as we dive deeper into the Timeless,
where we are reborn in radiance only to fade at the
onset of awakening.
while having the mideastern mystical resonance of
Al Gromer Khan, Wiese or Oophoi, Bartholomew has also
a grandeur perhaps comparable to venerable synthwizard
Michael Stearns. this darkness is energized and luminous.
purely ambient: no beats & even the sequenced patterns
are wrapped in gauzy luxoriousness. this disc is pure
pleasure for lovers of night music.
Fracture
Arc (Ian Boddy & Mark Shreeve)
DIN, 2007
ROBERT RICH'S "BESTIARY" HAS STARTED A GENRE
ORGANISMIC DARK AMBIENT HAS CLAWS, BEAKS & FEATHERS
ok: this one has drum patterns, creeping/crawling
bass lines and melodic lines. Shreeve's great synth
programming is a perfect vehicle for Boddy just coming
off his recent "lithosphere" collab with Rich. the
result is new strange mutations in music prefigured by
works like "Bestiary" or the Vir Unis & Steve Roach
collab, "Blood Music." the melodic work is clearly
decended from Tangerine Dream and stays accessible
enough for one to imagine tracks from this disc making
it onto the syndicated space music programs like
Hearts Of Space or Musical Starstreams.
a good deal of this album, while maintaining the
beats, is classically influenced much like TD was. the
energy level is relatively high, making it acceptable
for creative work and reading rather than relaxing
and zoning out. a challenging listen for the adventurous
who have TD or classical affinities but also enjoy
the angular animal gait and sequenced riffings of
Robert Rich's recent works.
the final near-23-minute long piece, "Rapture," is
a swirling dark ambient concoction of elegance, mystery
and unknowing. no percussion or even rhythm here, just
a slow, sombre twirling through the realms of dream.
after ten minutes, this resolves into a wonderful
JeanMichelJarre-like sequencer pattern that rounds out
this wonderfully percolated evening of night patterns.
Beyond Even
Robert Fripp & Brian Eno
Opal, 2007
DE RIGEUR AMBIENT ACCIDENTALIST DUO SERVE UP
STEAMY SONIC DIMSUM TRAY OF LOST ARCHIVES
this is a compilation of various grooves and soundscapes
from 1992-2006, none of which i've heard compiled else-
where. there are no continuum pieces here, but most are
relatively short grooves reminiscent of Eno's "Nerve Net"
more than anything else. the ambient pieces are short,
reminding me of Music For Films outtakes somewhat. the
frippertronic loops are pretty intense distortoguitar
lines. yes, this is the "weird" fripp&eno, not the
understated space synthesis of classics like "The
Equatorial Stars," but slinky beats with stuff on them.
what kind of stuff? dude....
in an interview, Eno once said that one of the things
that he really liked about Robert Fripp was that "he seems
to save all of his really WEIRD sounds for me...*smile*"
while the Fripp&Eno method of controlled insanity has
become more *stream-lined* and *high-gloss* these days,
there is still some fun and interesting juxtaposition to
be found. definitely sounds for seasoned ears, tho, and
since i've been listening to Eno and the rest of it for
thirty-five years, i guess it fits right in.
as long as you occasionally do a properly ambient disc,
guys, ok?
Rubycon
Tangerine Dream
Virgin, 1975/1988
OLD SCHOOL ELECTRONIC BETTER WHEN PRISTINE DIGITAL
Regular readers of this column know that i've been
on a number of backtrack motifs lately, including the
work of Tangerine Dream and long-time TDer, Edgar Froese.
I'm actually not the biggest fan of the early TD.
Stratosfear does nothing for me emotionally. Phaedra
was rather dark and murky, with little dynamics.
Although Rubycon does have some murky mud water
moments, it also contains some beautiful passages which
i think rightly added to Tangerine Dream's reputation as
THE electronic project. in retrospect, with the spectacle
of the 90s Froese/Froese TD clearly in view, i find this
album to have sufficient interest to include it as perhaps
my last TD acquisition. i'm enjoying this much more than
i did originally on the vinyl and i think the pristine
sound of a digital rendering makes all this difference.
just so you know my TD orientation: Force Majeure
and Froese's "Epsilon In Malaysian Pale" are what i am
all about. the recent TD disc, "Seven Letters From Tibet"
is an interesting chakra music release. the first release
in the "Dream Mixes" series is worthwhile bordering on fun.
i also own Sorcerer, Thief and Froese's "Aqua," which
i enjoy for idiosyncratic reasons.
a time-tested classic release for lovers of popular
electronic music and a prototypical ambient recording.
a pivotal moment in the history of TD and electro.
Garden Of Delight
Paul Avgerinos
Real Music, 2007
BASS SCIENTIST'S HIGH GLOSS MIDEAST MAGIC
Classically-trained bassist and visionary musician
extraordinaire Paul Avgerinos rather joins the trend &
produces a sparkling new age music release of middle
eastern themes which seems most suited for tantric
lovemaking. Joined by brilliant and knowledgeable flute
and baglama player, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and long-time
synthmaestro Kevin Braheny, Avgerinos takes us on a
sensual magic carpet ride through mesopotamia.
Each of his albums seem to carry grand ethnic themes.
i particularly enjoy his work on the Greek Gnosis with
albums like "Muse Of The Round Sky" and the recent and
FABULOUS "Gnosis," but he has also done credible work
with Mayan themes in the disc "Maya," electroclassical
albums like "Sky of Grace" and the gorgeous release,
"Word's Touch."
while i must again emphasize that this is rightly
music in the "new age" category, i find Avgerinos' work
to be extremely well-produced, the compositions are
masterful and well-considered, and the music feeds one's
soul, not just the ears. without comparing the two, i
can honestly say that Avgerinos has his own trademark
bass environment in the way that Patrick O'Hearn does.
if anything, Paul creates music that is more passionate
and energized. while his albums may not be consistently
excellent, each is a fully realized and valid vision of
a mystical way of being inside oneself. although Muse,
Gnosis and Word's Touch remain my favorites, this album
is definitely elible for the tantra section and if i
could get her up here alone with me, this would be a
great backsound for the occasion. that being said, this
is not simply background music, for it is also well
laden with intriguing musicianship.
Mother Of The Buddhas
Kirby Shelstad
Love Circle Music, 2003
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CHANT AND ROCK LIES PARADISE
i don't know why i waited on this one so long.
Shelstad's amazing 1998 album, "Dwachen-Land Of Bliss,"
was so fantastic you would think darv would snatch this
one up immediately. perhaps i didn't because i was sort
of maxing out on the tibetan/sanskrit chantfest selection.
i've got a lot of it. but Kirby Shelstad somehow manages
to go beyond chant to something nearly accessible as
rock music. the only other project in this direction is
the one album as of yet "Mantrica." true: Patrick Bernard
and Jai Uttal (amongst others) are famous for blending
rock and chant or intoning, but somehow what Shelstad
does feels completely natural and not like a hybrid.
this album brings in the energy of the feminine divine
as Tara so beautifully and clearly that one feels like
a healing has occured every time it is played. while based
in Buddhistic tradition, this album is clearly brimming
over with the energy of the Goddess. soft yet powerful.
highly recommended for those studying the mantric
effects of the spoken word upon consciousness, but also
excellent for people who enjoy Goddess music and for
those generally interested in tibetan or sanskrit chant.
1-26-08
Arc Of Passion
Steve Roach
Projekt, 2008
AWESOME SONIC DESCRIPTION OF THE ENERGIES
AT GRACE CATHEDRAL!
i was at Grace Cathedral once and feel that Steve is
really on to something, to capturing a feeling that is there.
this 2 CD set contains some of the finest sheets of
transparency that he has ever recorded, pretty much conquering
new areas beyond Giles Reaves' "Sea Of Glass." much of
Steve's exploration of the realms of Light has used incandescence
and its gas-like evenness to illuminate the space. not here.
this is sheer shimmering transclucence arching off the medium
as if a Venosa painting had come to life.
other pieces feature the mandala-like sequencer structures
Roach has been exploring recently on albums like "Proof Positive."
there are three major longform pieces, each captivating and
convincing. some might say this kind of stuff has been recorded
before. the operative word is "kind," since there is something
about THIS recording that is emotionally very honest and even
healing. and the level of production is so hyperreal one
feels like a dimensional portal actually IS opening!
the entire feeling of the album is intensely sacred and
achingly beautiful. Roach's personal humility and gratitude is
unmistakably present throughout. work like this reminds me of
my great fortune to be alive at a time when humans can
attain to art like this. i felt awestruck more than once.
this one will take tryppers to the level of full blown
psychedelia, where the background becomes pitch black and the
colors are beyond neon dayglow into the full prismatic. i pretty
much go over the falls and up the rabbit hole on this one
WITHOUT any chemical assistance. be forewarned: this music
is beyond intense. i can't even think of a suitable word.
what words do surfers use for the biggest, most challenging
waves? gnarly? no, come on man, i mean a word that doesn't
sound like it has manly hair on it.
sublime. transcendent. deeply affecting.
another fabulous release by the shamanic sound master.
Alchemy Of Happiness
Al Gromer Khan & Klaus Wiese
Tea Time Music, 2006
FORTUITOUS MEETING OF MYSTICAL MINDS
HOW this disc got past me, i don't know! it appears to be
out there for forty bucks and must have been a very limited
pressing. it is an hour long meditative environment perhaps
related to Khan's "Almond Blossom Day" and, thence, to Eno's
illustrious "Thursday Afternoon." like these other two
recordings, "Alchemy of Happiness" is a completely blissful
immersive environment that i could only compare to drinking
a fine wine laced with hash oil and opium whilst lounging
in a jacuzzi filled with rose water and burning nag champa or
sandalwood incense drifting in the air. this would be the
meditation where one succeeds in drawing the amrita, the
heavenly nectar, from the center of one's head and suddenly
fulfilling one's destiny with the heady aroma,the enstasy of
Total Presence.
a luscious gaseous background intertwined by Khan's
delicate and ultrasensitive sitar work and gentle acoustic
piano notes dropping like drops of crystalline water. the
entirety is supported by airy voice work and understated
yet ecstatic synthesis.
one often wonders what miracles would occur if two
Ultimate mystical music masters like Al Gromer Khan and Klaus
Wiese -- each of whom has produced an impressive body of
meditative and spiritual musics -- were to collaborate to
produce something Divine.
the short answer is: they fit together just like one
thought they would! aficionadoes of either artist are
well-advised to obtain this recording forthwith.
Carbon Core
Lustmord
Happy Pencil, 2004
NOBODY KNOWS THE VOIDNESS OF VOID LIKE LUSTMORD
intrepid explorers of the outer realms of space need
this one. Brian Lustmord is a fascinating dark ambient
artist who perhaps sets the far perimeter for DARK in the
genre. while perhaps more widely known for the amazing
collaboration with Robert Rich, "Stalker," which is
devastatingly murky and densely primordial, Lustmord
can only be seen as perhaps the prime exponent of DARK
SPACE exploration. his ground-breaking album, "Heresy,"
was composed of recordings of rocks and other thrown
objects into mine shafts, abysmal crevasses and
other actual deep subterranean spaces. my favorite,
"Where The Dark Stars Hang" is a sort of travelogue
through intergalactic space with visitations with various
different stars, molecular clouds, plasma storms and
the like.
"Carbon Core" is much like this last mentioned disc,
but perhaps even more well-produced and inventive. like
being on a hike with someone you can't keep up with,
Lustmord takes us to intense underground locations rife
with geologic activity, impossible forms of volcanic
life and seismic shifting that will make the neighbors
think that the house is falling down. it seems like
lava is pouring into the room.
what a great album! a more musical "heresy."
sterling production and a tasty, challenging listen!
in the realm of the imagination, there are no limits!
people who want some light pop, the de rigeur
hip hop beats or whatever some kind of rock reference
will have their ass KICKED by this album. it's that
good and that off-the-wall.
a magnificent artistic achievement, but for special
tastes and the nonclaustrophobic.
Lithosphere
Robert Rich & Ian Boddy
DiN, 2005
ACTIVE DARK AMBIENT FOR INQUIRING MINDS
i have to admit there is egg on my face because when
i reviewed this disc some time ago, a factory error put a
Tesuo Inoue "Yolo" disc in my Lithosphere case and i frankly
DIDN'T NOTICE and reviewed the Inoue as the Rich/Boddy work.
i did mention in the "Yolo" review that i found it curious
that the two albums sounded so alike, but i still didn't
make the connection until months later when i couldn't find
my Lithosphere disc and then, after going berserk through my
collection, realizing that i had TWO Inoue "Yolo" albums.
so here i am finally hearing the disc SOME TIME later!
it's quite delectable.
unlike the frozen wastelands of the first Rich/Boddy
collaboration, "Outpost," this album is quite taken with
the ungainly strides and serpentine slitheriness of Rich's
odd and exciting release, "Bestiary," a collection of
fabulous sonic critters which somehow connects in my mind
with the equally strange and amorphous "Beauty In The Beast"
by Wendy Carlos. if anything, this album is more listenable
than "Bestiary," simply because it takes more advantage of
angular sequencer riffs reminiscent of Rich's work from
"Gaudi" and "Propagation."
my assumption is that Boddy, perhaps more the master of
stygian darkness than even Rich, is providing perhaps the
more void-like and oceanic reverse soundscapes and some of
the churning chaos mind bubbles that keeps the work brewing
with organismic possibilities from one moment to the next.
i sense that he also is reverently applying passages of
Shining radiance on occasion which suddenly leave the animal
body behind for shimmering pools of Light nestled within
the Heart. perhaps the creature sleeps momentarily....
this is an album for active listening. it requires one's
attention. it will interrupt the wine tasting party. it is not
about to let you float off into la-la land for long. while
perhaps good in places for shamanic trance dancing, there is
no thumping dance beat. there's no "band." you are basically
scrabbling through subterranean and aquatic environs with
creatures of the most unlikely appearance. while there is no
danger that they will eat you, there IS a danger that you
might become one of them....permanently....
this is not necessarily a BAD thing.
great dark ambient for those who like it on the organismic
side!
1-09-08
Watercolors
Opium
Practicing Nature, 2007
THE BEST DARK AMBIENT RELEASE OF 2007 (THAT I HEARD)
i became interested in Opium after hearing his collab
with Alio Die. i think this came out in November 07, so it
was just fortuitous that i found it when thinking about
exploring Opium a bit more.
this is great beautiful classically Ambient work that
will absolutely appeal to Alio Die or Robert Rich fans.
it is night time forest environments, extremely
gorgeous, playful and with deep emotional warmth.
the album begins with deep staticky risings from the
primordial goo reminiscent of Tetsuo Inoue or Ian Boddy,
but produced in a comfortable Richian mode. the judicious
use of raw noise, however, introduces more abstract space
within the medium than typical of Glorp artists. it seems
to keep calling one back to the chemical basis of all this
biological activity.
this leads us into inhabited wetlands and the marshes
therein. interesting holographic processings of avian calls
and cries. deep marsh, various gaseous aromas rising from
the surface. trance ensues as we begin to descend the
molecular levels INTO the wetlands. water flowing, and heat...
this eventually leads to a campfire and the natural
attraction to, yet fear of, bright radiance by the life in
the forest....this leads to a totally internal vision of
supreme biological Light....
the final 18 minute piece, "the layer down," is rather
like an homage to the Eno's vision in "On Land." it is
produced in that style, with inventive rhythmic underpinnings
and tasty interplays of sound that pull me back to it again
and again. while quite modern in its use of disjunction and
schism in texture, this long form piece floats comfortably
between land and space like a rubik's cube figuring itself
out.
definitely encourages me to seek out more Opium.
truly fantastic 53:35 minutes of detailed naturphilia.
Astral Sounds
Mark Beshara
2007
Astral Sounds Website click here
A TRUE SONIC TRYP INTO BLISSFUL PLEASURE
Originally released some time ago in the 1970s,
this recording clocking in at a mere 24:27 has stood the
test of time and become the ONLY recording certified gold
by the RIAA that has NO human voices or instruments. it is
computerized sounds designed to stimulate the pleasure
areas of the brain.
Perhaps as long as 15 years ago, during one of my bouts
of extolling the virtues of Visionary music to a perfect
stranger, said stranger asked me if i had ever heard "Astral
Sounds." well, i never had, didn't like the name and sort of
felt this person was simply trying to one-up me, so my ego
defense rather dismissed the idea and i did not follow up
on the lead.
Big mistake. Although rather short, somewhat expensive
(i got mine at cdbaby.com for $20) and certainly experimental
sounding, this incredible little disc packs a profound wallop
of somatic pleasure and (for me) pain relief.
the sounds on this disc are hard to describe. the only
disc i can compare them to is one that you, dear reader, are
probably not familiar with: "The Lost Teachings of Atlantis"
by The Children of the Law of One. whereas that disc begins
with what sounds like an old 16mm movie projector like the
ones we watched movies in school on when i was young and
then sails off into swirling ketamine mushroomlands, this
disc "Astral Sounds" starts with around 7 minutes of what
sounds like a ticking alarm clock which sudden blossoms into
a gushing fountain of sounds featuring drones, gaseous
liquids, creaking violin-like textures and penetrating bell-
like sounds which set off chain reactions through one's
body. this thing knocked me out the first few times to the
point i couldn't really recall what it sounded like.
it's not unfair to compare this to the works of Boris
Mourashkin for being very physically affective while perhaps
a bit disturbing to one's usual artistic aesthetics. but it
definitely delivers the claimed pleasure response and even
some mild visual hallucinations.
i'm pleasantly surprised and even somewhat taken aback.
not expecting such a unique and challenging experience. this
is not backsound. if you play it for casual company, they
will ask you to take it off.
12-19-07
Diving In
Kirk J. Krauss
2007
JUST RELEASED ELECTRONIC CD BY CLASSICAL IMPRESARIO
a quite fascinating alpha wave meditational
device firmly underpinned by an exquisite classical
sensibility, "Diving In," features three suites
which seem to be different takes on awakened mind
states. the overall effect of the album tends to be
a centering of one's energy and focus with mood
elevation and mental clarity.
one of my favorite things about much of this
album is that it stays fairly high register, the
first two long tracks rarely descending below the
heart, with lots of clarifying effects in the third
eye. "Cosmic Arabesque" and "Montezuma" are both
wonderful higher chakra stimulations. in both of
these songs, a short repeating figure or the simple
continuous tapping of a piano key is used as an
entrainment principle. it may be repeated to
redundancy, but in doing so, one is drawn into the
state and the surrounding tonic stimuations seem
to key in to actual brain or cranial structures.
to some degree, i'm reminded of how certain of the
work of Bach has definite cranial effects.
the last piece, "Kataward Spiral," is the
most complex with more bass end reaching down to
the lower chakras. it begins with intricate
classical melodies which slowly morph into
arabic themes. the last half of this piece then
sails off into the sky with a graceful solo
piano interlude. being much less ethereal then
the previous tracks and much more percussive,
this track brings one back to earth to then
soar above it in sunshine and lil puffy clouds.
as the music fades, one is left with a feeling
of grandeur and thankfulness.
a wonderful psychoacoustic album i'd be
glad to air on the radio!
11-24-07
Peace & Quiet (double cd)
Japetus
japetus.com 2003
Deep Space
Japetus
japetus.com 2002
BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, I JUST FOUND OUT
SERENE ASCENSION MUSIC SUPREME
IT'S ALWAYS a gas to find an artist with an immense catalogue
which one knew absolutely NOTHING about! he's also from
Byron Bay, Australia, a continent well represented with
native didgeridoo music in my library, but not so much in
the modern electric Visionary realm.
this is new age aquarian space music much akin to Michael
Hammer, Constance Demby or Mercury Max. i daresay that Kitaro
is an influence.
Peace & Quiet is a 2cd compilation of Japetus' personal
selection as some of the best of his 20 years worth of albums.
the first disc is more active and flowing with somewhat
familiar new age melody lines but in Japetus' own style rather
like Raphael. this disc i think brings out his similarities
to ascension artists like Aeoliah: well-contructed melodies and
arrangements which are deliberately nonchallenging, but rather
lulling and focusing simultaneously.
the second disc attracts me more, since rhythm and melody
are not as produced and these longer piece are quieter and
more still. i do love a choice drone continuum. these have some
resemblance to Marcey Hamm, another Australian, in her early
work and thus, in my mind, to Jacotte Chollet from France, for
being dreamy healing fugues.
the other Japetus disc i picked up at the same time, DEEP
SPACE, turned out to be a really great find! two half-hour
pieces, "Starlite" and "Celestial Ocean," are a great analogue
synthesis ride through various sectors of cosmic space, much
like Hammer but also a bit more electronic, reminding me of
little-known electrowizard Erroll Spector. fabulous stuff!
(half of Starlite is featured on the disc "Quiet.") DEEP SPACE
is a quite delicious release that i would proudly play either
half hour piece in its entirety in a radio set.
while the album, "Peace," may not be everybody's cup of
tea, for it is quiet new age and Japetus considers it new age
music and one must enjoy the soft piano and synthstrings and
all of what makes light classical ascension music, both other
albums are great synthdiscs. DEEP SPACE would appeal to people
who like Dr. Jeffrey S. Thompson, Michael Hammer or even
Jonn Serrie.
Glaciation
Patrick O'Hearn
PatrickOhearn.com 2007
ANOTHER BRILLIANT OUTSTANDING RELEASE FROM BASSIST NONPAREIL
Patrick's albums are always so elegant, so thoughtful and
filled with humility, it's an incredible joy to hear them on
first listen. you have to forgive him the typical short length
of the disc for the amazingly compacted beauty within.
This particular release describes austere polar scenes of
ice, wind, borealises and mirror-like water. the production is
again fantastically transparent, maintaining a simplicity that
revels in the momentary glimpse of perfection. most of the pieces
are rather short, yet each is quite poetic and detailed in its
vision. the shimmering guitars are perhaps even more spectacular
than Patrick's classic album, "So Flows The Current," and if
you liked that one, you will CERTAINLY like this one.
Quite stunning and satisfying. exactly what one would
expect after the greatness of the previous three releases.
Horiztontal
Moodswings
Water Music, 2003
FORMER PRETENDER'S DRUMMER CREATES EXCELLENT TECHNOAMBIENT DISC!
there is something very blue about this disc and i'm very
blue in the aura so of course i like this album. it's soft,
intuitive, dreamy, watery, yet has scintillation, shiny sparkles
and pedal guitar that melts into the distance. at times there
are beats, but never like a DRUM SET banging away somewhere.
afternoon country meadow nap music, like.
there are swirling sequencers reminding me of Suzanne Ciani,
morphpercussion reminding me of Riuichi Sakamoto and yes, deep
grooves like what the Pretender might be in full psychedelic
experience. bluesy feel here, country touch there. sort of like
what Roger Eno, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno were doing together
at one time. there is also an India mood that fades in and out
with processed karnatic violin.
this is way kicked back music for napping, zoning, chilling
and otherwise takin' it easy for the working people out there.
people who like Ishq or Robert Rich will enjoy this. maybe even
Tangerine Dream or Jean Michel Jarre fans could like it.
i definitely do.
High Rising
Sounds From The Ground
Waveform, 2006
URBAN SOUNDS FROM FOUNDATIONAL WAVEFORM ARTIST
This is their 4th album, i think. we had the other ones at
the radio station and it was a little to reggaefied for me at
the time (i know electrodub is based on reggae beats played
at rock speeds, not unlike ska, but this is a rather recent
interest of mine.) anyway, this is the first SFTG i have
purchased, as i was curious how they might perform in a less
roots reggae milieu.
it is indeed interesting. reminding me a lot of the collab
between Biosphere and Higher Intelligence Agency, and having
the modular simplicity of many Waveform artists like Zero One.
these are laidback hiphop beats just a little too slow to cut
it at work in the morning, with kraftwerkian synthesis cut to
millenial specifications built on top. must be a great acid
tryp. there's lots of emotional space and slow transitions to
help ya ease into it.
yes, definitely high tech designer music much like Bluetech,
A Positive Life and the artists mentioned above. done in a
downtempo style. if you are like me and like it Electro; if
you smile when other people say "wow, that music is really
robot;" then this is a thing of beauty to be obtained
immediately.
Jazzy Chill Out
Sacred Spirit Volume 8
The Brave
Higher Octave, 2003
COOL JAZZY HIPHOP MESSAGE LIBERATION FROM BONDAGE
i wanted to start the column today with this one, but
decided to stick with my usual pattern of putting the louder
modern beats later unless it is stunningly great.
this is by the same person going by the moniker THE BRAVE
who did the original Sacred Spirits album based on native
american music and then switched to blues oriented music
focused on american slavery of africans.
this album and its companion that i have not heard "Bluesy
Chill Out" translate this music into downtempo jazz hiphop
with lots of impressive live performance and dubbed in vocals
from great moments in roots blues. the whole thing is narrated
by a piano which weaves in and out as if from some bar
in the french quarter. the whole thing has the smooth, pleasant
feel of the typical Higher Octave album, but this makes it
up with great musicianship and an underlying theme of the
desire for freedom.
anybody who likes Little Axe will appreciate this, and i
frankly think it is a wonderful downtempo ride that is satisfying
and positive vibe. i guess i come to this with my own angle of
enjoying artists like Deep Forest or Makoto Kubota who honor
their love of a musical tradition by interpreting it into their
idiom.
Walkin Target
Ashtech
Interchill, 2007
GIVING ROOTS REGGAE THE SHPONGLE TREATMENT!
this album should turn your head around a little bit.
just a little. Ashtech brings in Gaudi for this project in
which they take original reggae pieces and produce them in
a roots way except for all the UFOsynthesis technology
dubbing it all the way intergalactically beyond any place
even George Clinton was able to get to.
now when anybody asks me "do you have any reggae?" i
can say "O YAH, i got SOME REGGAE!." this is a definite
must-hear for fans of Transglobal Underground and should
be great for confusticating traditionalists who think roots
shouldn't be invaded by hypertransdimensional synthesis.
10-29-07
The Regions Between
Alpha Wave Movement
Harmonic Resonance, 2006
TASTY COLLECTION OF FORGOTTEN ELECTRONIC MEMORIES
While ostensibly clearing out the attic of old tracks,
Greg Kyrluk has actually brought together a very palatable
palette of aromatic textures fondly laying homage to his
venerable electronica roots. Some Tangerine Dream here,
Kitaro there, even Ozric Tentacles!
People fond of traditional ELECTRONICA via Berlin and
Tokyo will find this a savory treat. While this is out from the
the archives, with perhaps even a slightly detuned guitar here
and other slight marred phraseologies there, this still remains
a totally enjoyable release and i recommend it to AWM aficionadoes
and those looking for REAL electronica in this slapdash world
of technoerotonica.
The Last Days of Gravity
Younger Brother
Twisted, 2007
NEW RELEASE FROM SHPONGLE MASTER!
if you are a Shpongle fan, look no further. This is a collab
between Simon Posford (Hallucinogen AND the better half of
Shpongle) and Benji Vaughan (aka Prometheus.) It's their second
joint effort.
a relatively mellow effort, the production is a lot softer
and more emotionally available than their respective music
projects. there are songs with lyrics and singing. to be sure,
there are still some jagged electro-edges mixed in here and there
for the sheer drama of it all, but on the whole a very satisfying
release, curing my Shpongle jones well up. (and there does seem to
be a sort of influence by The Cure mixing into the melodic lines
here and there.)
now if you haven't heard this kind of music, i don't know if
i can explain it well, but it's very intense. it's an electro mix
of club and dub but as if they brought in the loony tunes cartoon
characters to be in the band and then went down a rabbit hole to
set up the bandstand in wonderland. everything is bent and twisted
and melting and exploding and giggling. and you can dance to it.
Endless Rhythms of the Beatless Heart
Shulman
Alpha Zero, 2007
RAISING THE BAR ON ELECTRODUB PRODUCTION!!
all the other composer/producers in this genre are going to
have to bow down to this album. it is brimming over with a whole
textbook of strange and wonderful things one can make happen in an
automated recording studio. Yaniv Shulman and Omri Hamraz, who i
believe are based in Tel Aviv, have laid a slab of plastic on the
mixmaster baseboard that is completely stunning in the adept use
of electronics at a level that will have to make Posford even
gasp, PLUS they have engaged a large array of other musicians,
including highly skilled players of traditional acoustic instruments
to create a wild and exciting melange of musics from India, Greece
and Arab lands with jazz and the "revolutionary hi tech sounds"
of their electronic dance music oeuvre which i fondly refer to as
ELECTRODUB.
this is awesome stuff and the first half of the album is highly
energizing while the second more contemplative. anyway, it goes
without saying that this is a strong contender for best electrodub
release of the year!!
Elderberry Shiftglass
Loop Guru
Elsewhen Records, 2006
-SUCCESSFUL UPDATE OF CLASSIC 60s PSYCHEDELIC ROCK INTO
CONTEMPORARY IDIOM
yes, i do have a few albums in my collection that could be
considered contemporary attempts to recast psychedelic rock in a modern
form. actually, XTC's wonderful releases under the pseudonym "Dukes
of Stratosphear" turned out to be pretty cool and listenable in the
long term, but still quite derivative in their emulation of Beatles,
Yardbirds and so on. The Future Sound of London tried their hand at
it with "The Isness," but it fell rather flat, ending up sounding
like an Alan Parsons album without the Alan Parsons songwriting.
this album actually does seem to transcend its influences to
create something strikingly reminiscent of 60s psychedelic pop, but
without fawning homage to old stereotypes. the liberal use of hip hop
beats coupled with moments of amazing candy glazed ambiance, plus
the fact that there are 20 tracks, so one is constantly being
morphed out of one wonderland into a completely different lala land,
give this album an immediacy and refreshing distractedness that
result in something very charming, very hip and easily listenable.
there is beaming mood of positivity that is infectious and
the overall energy is good backsound for activities like housework,
exercise or goofing around. a lighthearted and playful album perhaps
too fooling around for serious people or people who like angry
political music. but it really makes me want to dress up paisley.
10-23-07
Waves Of Light
Jonathan Goldman
Spirit Music, 2007
PERFECT AMBIENT RECORDING WITH HEALING POTENTIALS
Every once in a while, an album comes along that
reminds one of what the original attraction that drew us
into this refined space of Visionary Sound Arts was all
about. This is a 72 minute long-form continuum composed
of the slowly perumtating soundings of 9 custom made
tuning forks. It is a delicate, rarefied atmosphere that
one can only compare to such illustrious recordings as
Brian Eno's "Discreet Music," or perhaps Michael Stearns'
"Jewel." all 3 of these recordings adhere to the basic
commitment of Eno's meaning of "Ambient" when he proposed
it as a formal music category in the liner notes of
Ambient 1: Music For Airports. these recordings "tint"
the environment in which they are sounded with a subtle
mood or sensation. there is no melody, but simply the
waxing and waning of pure tone or simple voicing. these
recordings produce a very relaxed, contemplative space
which facilitates inner peace.
Where "Waves Of Light" differs is that these tones are
produced by tuning forks which are struck and then faded
in and allowed to naturally fade out. On occasion, a single
strike is allowed to sound which gives an interesting
twinkle here and there. these 9 Holy Harmony tuning forks
were specially cut for Goldman according to the Sacred
Healing Code frequencies suggested by authors Dr. Joseph Puleo
and Dr. Leonard Horowitz in their book "Healing Codes of
the Bible" and in private conversation with Goldman. These
frequencies, which some claim to be the Solfeggio tones of
the original Creation. the tones are said to have healing power.
I bought a copy of the aforementioned book when it was
published back in the 90's. i found it to be a bit of a
ramble, with unsubstantiated claims (i'm just remembering my
impression of it.) after a rather extensive gloss of the
text (which means i didn't read it word for word, but for
information,) i felt that the only interesting thing in it
for me was the actual claimed frequencies. at that time, i
didn't own a tone generator and, so, couldn't produce these
tones myself. my research ended there & sold the book off.
well: stoked. Goldman has done a wonderful job here &
i can state that i experienced distinct healing shifts that
started at about 6 minutes in and RECURRED every 5 minutes!
by the end of my first listen, i felt much more aligned in
my anatomy and the next day there was definite improvement in
my particular malady!
if you liked Discreet Music, buy this. if you are looking
for a nonrhythmic, nonmelodic healing meditation device, this
one provides an elegantly simple yet highly focusing environ.
PURE, TRUE AMBIENT WORTHY OF THE SUMMIT OF THE GENRE.
Drum Beats of the Pacific, volume 2
Hula Records International, 2002
BEST RECORDING OF POLYNESIAN DRUMMING I'VE HEARD
while this costs like twenty dollars for half an hour,
this highly activating album has a strong warrior energy,
a *joie de vie* that will get your blood pumping and make
you want to take a couple of dancing laps around the bonfire.
as exciting as the RealWorld album of the Drummers of Burundi,
this features excellent examples of the drumming of the
various islands in the Pacific. great production values and
a relentless surge of positivity and courageousness make this
a tasty acquisition: a definite must for the Exotica collector,
high priority for drum shamans and basically great for anybody
who wants to shift the part into high gear! bloody fabulous!
(according to the producer, this disc is a refinement of
volume one, which has been discontinued and i couldn't find it
anywhere.)
10-16-07
Ange de Guerison (Angel of Healing)
Patrick Bernard (Bernhardt)
Devi Communications, 2007
ANGELIC MUSIC MASTER CONTINUES FINE WORK WITH LAFOND
I have already openly stated in this column that i
will follow Patrick in any musical direction that he
chooses to explore. This is because his music has played
an integral role in my own spiritual development and the
widening of my awareness. his early, quintessentially
classic works were followed by an adventurous period in
which PB engaged numerous spiritual forces and revealed
a common reality which they all share.
several albums ago, he renewed his creative partnership
with Robert Lafond, who helped him with his first two,
near perfect, angelic albums. this is their third effort
in near as many years. as usual, their is a synergy between
their talents that is most gratifying to enjoy!
this new album, titled in english, "Angel Of Healing,"
appears on the cover to have 12 songs each describing an
angel of a certain value like peace, happiness or love, or
archetypal objects like the sky and the earth. listening to
it, however, we find that the entire album is a meandering
suite of interlocked repeating themes which rather play up
certain aspects of the different themes as one would look
at the different aspects of a well-crafted jewel. the overall
feeling is loving and angelic. while the music is dynamic in
the sense of ebbing, flowing and swelling, it is also very
stable in conveying a gentle healing sensation through which
the language seems to mantrically convey different healing
agencies.
the entire piece is sung in PB's native language of
French, which while not having exactly the reputation of, say,
sanskrit, tibetan or hebrew, for spiritual mantric effects, i
would daresay is one of the world's most beautiful languages
to hear or speak. PB has another all french album which is the
most personal of them all and perhaps not one of his most
successful. this latest release however, actually seems to
focus on using some very beautiful words from french which
on repeated listening DO have mantric effects that are
noticeable for being pleasant and relaxing.
i'm no savant when it comes to translating french, though
i did have a few years of it in grade school, but if i read
correctly, Patrick attributes the music in this album to a
direct influence from the Archangel Gabriel and his minions,
which makes sense since typically Gabriel is regarded as the
angel of Love and water/emotion.
whoever the influence, this is a great album for healing
meditation (as i just got through using it for) and for
backsound for the healing arts.
Heaven and Earth
Char-El
Char-El, 2000
Worlds Without End
Char-El
Char-El, 1996
TWO OVERLOOKED, BUT SUPERB, ANGELIC RELEASES
I picked up Worlds Without End many years ago
and immediately fell in love with it, but couldn't
find his other work. then, i saw we had Heaven and
Earth at KKUP when i was deejaying there, but i didn't
see any way of acquiring it through my regular sources.
even now, it seems the only way to get these basically
out-of-print discs is through Backroads Music and even
then what happens is Char-El burns some high quality
CDR's for you.
But the music is some incredible, highly electronic
angelic music comparable to the soundheavens of Canadian
Andrew Forrest, but even more brightly electronic, some-
where between Jean Michel Jarre and Iasos. it is fantastic
stuff ideal for supercharging the energy-body and the
imagination.
Heaven and Earth is a 2-CD set. The first Heaven disc
is brightly electronic like Worlds Without End. The second
disc, Earth, has an actual band with bass and drumming
which owes something to Tangerine Dream, but is clearly
played from the heart with very talented musicians.
people who love Iasos are going to need these wonderful
albums. i just hope Lloyd at Backroads doesn't mind getting
orders for this difficult to acquire artist. tell him Darv
sent ya.
Supernatural
Saafi Brothers
ZYX Music, 2007
ACE ELECTRODUB OUTFIT RELEASE THEIR BEST YET
these guys put together a unique blend of riddims
and synthesis that is hard to describe, but delicious
to behold. obviously oweing a bit to reggae, but
entirely electronic, these are spicy mellifluous
grooves perfect for the beach, pool or kegger.
imminently sociable vibes with sensually blissful
chill zones, this stuff induces a free-floating
hedonistic well-being that intimates a sense of fun
and play that's hard to beat or even aspire to. these
guys give you what others are trying for but end up
being too relaxing to be social or too activating
to be mellowizing. the Saafi Brothers hit the perfect
balance!
Max.Chillroom
Various Artists
Newland Music, 2007
LLOYD BARDE OF BACKROADS PRODUCES A BEJEWELLED COLLECTION
featuring top-notch electrodub impresarioes like
Bluetech, Sounds From The Ground, Zero One and Shakatura,
this disc serves up a swirling smorgasbord of sonic
delicacies that easily puts it on par with similar
compilations in Dakini's Sky Dancing or Ultimae's
Farenheit Project series. get this: the last piece is
a Shulman cut remixed by Ishq! that's how cool this gets!
these are all previously unreleased hi-midtempo cuts
that are actually danceable or at least groovable. they
are not ambient pieces and in fact quite sparklingly
electronic in feel and timbre. most have quite inventive
solid bass spines and unpredictable curvatures that can
be quite tasty.
for those of you who didn't get a word of what i just
said: the music on this disc is contemporary electronic
reggaedub stylings produced by some of the premier
knobtwiddlers and synthwizards in the game. every cut is
choice and suitable for airplay or the chill room.
while this acquisition was a toss-on in my order from
Lloyd (at his suggestion,) it has got to be one of my
happiest toss ons ever! people into the Waveform label's
sound, or who just like contemporary designer music, this
one has not a fizzler on it.
ozOne
zerO One
Waveform, 2007
SOLID RELEASE FROM MODULAR ELECTRO DESIGN MUSIC PRO
Of the three technoambient discs i'm review in this
update, this one is the most electronic in the Kraftwerkian
sense. the beats are mid to downtempo, so this is music to
get kicked back by. also like Kraftwerk, Zero One doesn't
clutter the audio field with a superabundance of percussion
effects. there are fewer sound objects (albeit most with
heavy effects that make them seem like a lot - Kraftwerk
does the same thing.) at times, only two patterns (with their
effects) play off each other while the max is typically
4 or 5. at a slower tempo and with less going on, the music
has more emotional space (and hypothetical space, where your
brain would simply assume the implied unending fractal.)
this is odd, because the expressed emotions, while moving
in geometric electrogrooves like Higher Intelligence Agency,
another Waveform transmission, are somewhat edgy.
To wit: we start out with a couple of poppier electro
tunes which are about robots (us) that need to be fixed.
they are downstream in the flow from the big hit, "Fluffy
Little Clouds," by the Orb, but definitely in the more
technorobot music i've been recently exploring by artists
like The Pleiadians or Prometheus, but as i said quite
downtempo probably slower than Bluetech. kind of like
Kraftwerk speeds. the third piece introduces some Arabic
vocal stylings, which is kind of trendy now i guess, but
then suddenly Zero One hits you with a number of serious
technoambient SPACE pieces, almost like after Kraftwerk
built the soundUFO, Klaus Schulze kicked them out and
started driving it. after several impressive star drives,
things get a little Arabic again and then the album ends
with a longer, more anxious, piece titled "Future" and
the odd "OK," which features a very young child saying,
"i'm okay."
all releases/transmissions from Waveform tend to have
a positive vibe that is almost seductive. people who have
enjoyed previous Zero One efforts will not be disappointed
with this one. people who like the euro electro sound and
also the contemporary production values is receives would
probably like ozOne better than Saafi Bros. or Max.Chillroom,
as they are both much more in the world fusion realms and
dense with percussion and various effects like zingers,
curliques and twizzlers. this album DOES have some quite
inventive electric effects and the solid production one
comes to expect from Waveform.
perfect music for doing homework, having intellectual
conversations, or lieing on persian rugs whilst wrapped
around a bong.
9-22-07
Green Planet: Vietnam
"Chimbay, l'oiseau s'envole"
Composition & Direction, Oliver Renoir
Milan Records, 2001
Green Planet: India
"Le miroir des cinq rivieres"
Milan Records, 2001
SHIMMERING PARADISAL SOUND TRYPS
two discs of an apparent "Green Planet" series, of
which i am also anticipating the acquisition of "Green
Planet: Nepal." it would appear that this is a project
in which each disc has recordings influenced by a certain
cultural area, played with authentic instruments of the
area, with very intriguing local nature and town
recordings, yet produced for a certain music industry
market (in this case, it seems to me to be "new age"
production in the Tokyo style.) perhaps i was attracted on
the superficial speculation that Green Planet might have
any similarities whatsoever with Blue Asia, which i adore.
well, yes, in that the acoustic performances are impressive,
the compositions are thoughtful and at least avoid insipidness,
and both recordings are very somatically pleasant and would
definitely take one to a tryptaminic paradise under the right
conditions ;)
although staying pretty strictly close to the classical forms
and not innovating fusionbeats or jazz stylings, there is a
sense of freshness and sincerity which i think makes these
recordings stand out a bit from the usual new age fare. in fact,
i am enjoying these increasingly more on repeated listenings!
that being said, i should adjure that emotionally these could
be a bit maudlin for some, since not much is going on here except
luxuriating in lush paradisal beauty, but for those of us who
are preoccupied with free-floating hedonism, there is definitely
plenty of sensual pleasure to be enjoyed in these recordings.
Scriabin Symphonies (Complete)
The Philadelphia Orchestra, conductor: Riccardo Muti
Brilliant Classics, 1991
COLOR MUSIC OR ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONISM?
Russian classical composer Alexandar Scriabin, a
millenial composer at the beginning of the 20thC, was
obsessed with composing music that would describe and
attempt to induce mystical states. he also was an early
color music theorist. known for being musically extravagant
exuberant and extraordinary, the shocking dynamism and
florid tonality of his work made him a visionary of future
sci-fi film music in a way. i pretty much only like the
impressionists of classical music like chopin and of course
particularly debussy. while i rather like Mozart's more
romantic compositions, i adamandtly confess to rather NOT
liking Beethoven or Bach. so there are my credentials.
i know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what i am talking about when
it comes to classical music.
still, i find Scriabin fascinating just for the sheer
braggadaccio and overweening ambition of trying to describe
mystical states. this reasonably price 3-CD set features
the 3 Symphonies (the third being titled, "The Divine Poem,"
and requiring multiple listens, it is so amazing) and also
his well known "Poem Of Ecstasy" and "Prometheus: The Poem
Of Fire."
this is very dramatic, enthralling stuff that somewhat
demands one's attention. if one then listens to, say, John
Williams' Star Wars classical music, one thinks "man, somebody
was doing this BETTER decades and decades previous to our
modern sci-fi classical. wow." this is mysti-fi classical!
it is fair to call this abstract impressionism.
it's that marvelous.
Drumming
Steve Reich
Deutsche Grammaphon, 2003 (orig. 1974)
CLASSIC MINIMALIST EPIC RESTORED TO LENGTH & DYNAMICS
I remember back in the late 70s, when the appearance
of *sine qua non* albums like Brian Eno's "Music For
Airports" and Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians"
seemed to indicate a watershed moment for the musical
genre now named Ambient. right in the flush of the
"new wave" in rock, we find this whole other sensibility,
in some cases finding artists releasing albums in both
fields. funny how 3 decades can pass right by to the
contemporary scene which is much more scientific and,
hence, calculating to a degree.
and, indeed, true to form, this is a lengthy,
exacting piece on 2 CDs at around 50 minutes each. there
are 4 sections each about 25 minutes long. each of these
has its own internal logic or "hue," if you will. i
remember hearing this album for the first time on scratchy
vinyl that my high school friend who liked experimental
music had acquired. the first section is played on small
tuned bongos. it is the distillation of the journey that
Reich had just made through Africa learning drumming. the
bongos are just small enough to be more percussive than
resonant, which sounds unfamiliar and almost annoying at
first. one becomes lost in the permutating patterns of
various rhythms played on top of each other.
the next three sections move in a similar fashion,
exploring the permutations of drum patterns through a
series of instruments: marimbas with voice, glockenspiel
with piccolo, and in the final section all intruments
together. these sections have a shimmering beauty quite
similar to Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians" and i'm sure
anybody who thinks that album is fabulous would enjoy this
one and probably listen to it more than a few times.
that being said, this IS a long and involved PROCESS
MUSIC which moves slowly yet inexorably to its logical
conclusions. it is a low-alpha headspace which i had no
trouble using as backsound for reading (well, until the
last 15 minutes which are pretty intricate and give one
pause....) it is a trance inducing musical PROCESS in
which room is not given for improvisation, but each player
can modify inflection a little for cohesiveness. these
slight adjustments have an improvisational feel to them.
a music of subtle flavors and strange changing hues in
which the vibe is an extended pleasant drone which results
in a comforting emotional muddle which is sociable, yet
also somehow very private. like an extended group conver-
sation with new friends! not for everyone, but certainly
an important achievement in 20thC minimalist classical
music and part of the first stirrings of Ambient in
artists like Reich, Eno, or Terry Riley.
this 2003 release also restores the recording to its
full length and original dynamics. bravo!
9-16-07
Chakra Healing Energies
Alberto Grollo
Oreade, 2006
EXQUISITE ELECTROACOUSTIC WHIRLWIND THRU CHAKRAS
As an avid collector of chakra music, i am always on the
look-out for an artistic endeavor created by someone totally
unknown to me. it is always interesting to hear each artist's
"take" on the energies of the traditional 7 chakras of the
spinal column. as is obvious from this column, i have a
natural predilection towards music that is dynamic,
adventurous and passionate. for me, this is the difference
between banal "new age" pabulum and esoteric visionary
music. for example, Deuter isn't new age crap: his sound IS
HIS sound. the hundreds of artists who have lifelessly
copied his sound like a neolithic person makes a stone tool
identical to the tool they are copying are, by and large, crap.
"new age" music gets a bad reputation by playing it safe and
trying to just be pleasant, happy music with no guts and no
soul.
then one finds a disc like this. distinctly Aquarian in
tone but with disarmingly charming melodies and a flair for
counterpoint that gives it a deserved comparison to the
recent "Gnosis" by Paul Avgerinos. like that album, this is
brimming over with crystalline contrapuntal guitar work and
sensual synthesis. the lower chakras are grounded with clever
percussion work and the whole album seems to flow seamlessly
upwards.
and the energetic affects in the resonant chakra areas
of the body are quite pronounced and pleasurable, blissful even.
i can tell that experiencing this music entheogenically would
result in a rainbow crystal bliss experience. all around
impressive: compositionally, energetically, emotionally
and with thoughtful musicianship.
this album supports my current working thesis that Oreade
is now a label name that can be trusted to develop quality
artists in the Aquarian and Ascension genres of Visionary
Music.
Healing Energy
Gerald Jay Markoe
Astromusic, 2007
SOMEHOW THE MIRACLE HEALING ENERGY GOT INTO THE MIX
Markoe is quite a phenomenon in Visionary music. His
on-going "new age music" advertising campaign must be making
him quite wealthy since his classically-based music inspired
by the Pleiades is a long-time commercial best seller in the
industry, as are also his specifically "Angelic" recordings.
the production deliberately makes them sound categorically
"new age" and Markoe's style of playing is quite stately,
nearly stilted at times. when first encountering his work
20 years ago, i immediately wrote it off as new age pabulum.
well, a few entheogenic experiences of his work altered
that opinion dramatically. i still am studying his music trying
to understand how he does it, how he creates unique energetic
states. in recent years, Markoe's work has expanded into more
shamanistic motifs with a number of native american music
influenced releases which are superb. even more recently, he
has released fantastic albums which create culture-specific
meditative headspaces often using traditional tunings. in
this regard, he has so far covered japanese zen, ancient
egypt, celtic druidism, and the vedantic headspaces of india.
this new album is a full-circle return to his classical
roots, featuring the music of telemann, schubert, bach and
yogananda, as well as two original compositions. while not
specifically christian, it does seem to have the classical
Ascension kind of vibe.
what is interesting here is that a holy person in Brazil
named John of God has overlaid this recording with his
healing energies. i have other recordings which claim to do
this sort of thing. now, i know that we are a part of the
supposedly smarter and enlightened modern West, so if one
asserts that some kind of spiritual energy was recorded
on a CD, it must sound sort of kooky. what i CAN tell you
is that i was experiencing intense healing feelings from
this recording and was knocked out flat the first listen.
during that trance, i heard a voice make a brief statement.
regardless of what one might think of this claim, i
do find this to be an enjoyable Markoe release that fans of
his classical work will certainly enjoy. i think it would
be great backsound for healing work where classical is
appropriate.
One
Mark Ciaburri
Woodstock Multimedia, 2003
WONDERFUL MEDITATION DRONE RECORDING BY MAUI ARTIST
67 minutes of blissful acoustic interweavings around
a tamboura drone. this music AUTOMATICALLY creates a space
of peace and comfort perfect for moving or still meditation,
bodywork and healing work.
with the wondrous guitar of Bruce Becvar throughout,
support by percussionist extraordinaire Daniel Paul on
tamboura and tabla, and a number of talented acoustic
musicians, Ciaburri, on keyboards and percussion, leads us
through the fields of bliss on the fifth dimensional
transition area. there are so many harmonic opportunities
within this music that we dematerialize and waft through
unending seas of golden power. awesome.
fans of Becvar and particularly his "Magic Of Healing
Music" set will love this, as will fans of Patrick Bernard's
instrumental work. Dean Evenson fans can dig it too.
for me, this music has the ketheric golden power of
the Oneness. the warm liquidic/gaseous shimmering evanescent
yet metallic gold philosophical that One encounters every
now again in the high regions where the amethyst ray and
the Light Divine comingle.
8-25-07
Trancetrip 3D (DVD)
James Lawrence
Headtoys, 2007
Click Here for Trancetrip.com
TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC TAKES ON NEW MEANING!!
The original Trancetrip VHS is long out of print. i'd
been waiting patiently for it to be offered for sale, but
it was consistently unavailable. i'd just found the listing
on-line and had never seen it nor knew anyone who had
(except for the rare review listing on-line.) with all of
these wild DVDs i've been acquiring lately, i thought it
was rather de rigeur to have some 3D in the collection &
Trancetrip seemed to be in the direction i was interested
in exploring. after a couple of years of lookings, i saw
that James Lawrence had released digital video and that
was much more to my liking! Ordered it immediately.
For full 3D effect, one must wear one of the two
pairs of apparently typical cardboard 3D glasses included
in the DVD case. i say "apparently" because these lenses
actually have two DIFFERENT stereoscopic principles at
work: one is the ChromaDepth effect, which creates
different depths from the listener according to color;
the other is a color refraction process identical to
the lens processes in the glasses included with AV3X,
which Chris Oliver has dubbed "Kaleidovision" and
which creates multiple copies of the tv screen, so that
it appears to be surrounded by screens duplicating its
picture. The wild thing is: the farther you move from
the actual tv screen, the more kaleidoscopic the
designs become! The actual 3D effect is done with
planes of color -- red, green, blue -- which appear to
be at different distances from the viewer.
I found that without the glasses, the picture is
still very aesthetically pleasing but more of a
background effect than something one would sit and
watch. one thing i like is the extremely bright neon
dayglo glows such as one gets on very high entheogenic
levels. the picture are someone archetypical mandalas
and patterns that are familiar and pleasingly so in that
way, which are also highly detailed and when one puts
the glasses on they create a stunning living breathing
tryptych very reminiscent of the moving walls of
electronic cartoons one gets deep in the psilocybin
trance. in fact, Trancetrip DVD looks more like high
level mandalic fusion Light trypping than any other video
in my collection. what is also fascinating here is that
as one approaches the tv screen, you get more and more
intricate detail on the actual screen, but as you move
away from the screen, the multiples of the screen increase
in number until it is like a wall of screens in front
of you! these create huge patterns of energys some of
which seem organic, others are obviously cybernetic
and then again others seem totally mystical and angelic.
The music is also totally air-worthy electronic music
that must owe something to Klaus Schulze, but is millenial
in sound, feel and production. while each being a sort of
sonic rotating engine in the Schulzian manner, there is a
lot of emotional movement and intellectual interest as
each moves through time. there is also a variety in mood
from song to song. as far as DVD original soundtrax go,
this is one of my favorites and one i could listen to
without the video portion. in fact, i did on numerous
occasions, just because what was happening on audio was
so interesting i needed to cut the video feed, which is
quite intense, to give the audio my full attention. by cut
the video feed, i mean "close my eyes."
This video and the music are very bright and electronic
and therefore perfect for the ambient room at a Rave or
for exploring the codes of the DNA sequence entheogenically
at home. This is intense stuff and will not appeal to
people who don't like bright light and the incessant rave
pulse (this is not techno dance music but electronic music
in the modern electro mode.) on my first viewing i was
tranced out, basically asleep, for about 10-15 minutes
DURING the video.
Two hearty thumbs up and a snap of the suspenders to
Trancetrip 3D. i look forward to collecting all of the
widescreen Trancetrip series when it is released in
December. definitely looks like the electric colors and
the scrolling tryptychs of high psychedelia. show it
to mom!
Spotworks
Scott Draves
Spotworks.Com 2004
CYBERNETIC FRACTALLIZATION OF HAND-DRAWN MICROORGANISMS
SYNTHESIZES NEW SPECIES OF VISUAL ART
Ernst Haeckel was a German born biologist and naturalist
(1834-1919) whose live was so extraordinary i suggest you
pop by the Wikipedia listing for a moment:
Click Here For Haeckel Wikipedia listing
Among other things, he specialized in the study of single
celled marine life forms called Radiolarians. He drew a
series of plates featuring these and other marine life
forms in a favorite book of mine, "Art Forms In Nature"
(New York: Dover, 1974.) this link goes to a page
that displays many of the the plates:
Click For Pictures
Anyway, after looking at all of these amazing strangely
beautiful LIVING forms that were drawn by hand by a man
looking into a microscope at the millenium into the 20thC,
one begins to realize that there is a beauty in Life at
once easy to recognize and appreciate while still completely
Alien to the Human. i mean, living Faberge eggs, indeed....
Well, Draves scanned these images and took them into
cyberfusion. the images are replicated, spiralled, multiplied,
torqued, recursified and metasynthesized into a roiling
brew of burbling strangeness. it is quite exotic and different
from any other headcandy video i own. for more than one reason.
there is history of science in this. there is the flabbergasting
reality that these are representations of life forms that
actually exist. there is the whirling stonedness of it all.
and i mean SERIOUS whirling. one effect used a lot in
this video is the liquid clockwise whirl. it does create
a kind of dizziness. when one looks away from the tv screen,
the brain is still compensation for the whirl with a
COUNTERclockwise whirl in the visual field of its own. so
the center of your vision is turning no matter where you
look. i'm sure many a rave deejay has had great fun watching
people on psychedelics in the room watching the movie for
a while and then suddenly lurching around or falling down
as they turn to leave. i must confess at being somewhat
annoyed with this effect at times. it is much like how
the room keeps spinning after one stops spinning around.
but all in all, a worthwhile work of art especially if one
knows that what they are seeing are actually life forms!
the music has more gravitas then most of my reviewed
DVDs. i'm going to call it heavy electrodub in the style
of Bill Laswell (who i think does play in some of this
music.) it is definitely music of the underground urban
rave culture, so it is hip and shamanistic. there is no
churchy sanctimoniousness on this album, but rather the
world fusion dub irie ites. i'm down. the videos are also
presented as dub mixes, so there is a sensibility here
of getting the vibe in the mix. yes, i'd say this is
downtown gritty urban warehouse shamanistics on the sound.
SO: this is an intellectually stimulating, ground-
breaking WORK OF ART. it is not trying to put you in a
meditative state. well, maybe a trance state. it isn't
trying to be highest grade CGI insanity. SPOTWORKS seems
to be a sort of fable attempting to open the viewer's
mind about the awesome mystery and nature of Life. it is
done in a style that would be appropriate to urban rave
culture. if you check out some of the plates on the link
that was provided above, it will become evident how
amazing they would be all fractallized.
The Light Body
John S. Banks & J.J. Hurtak
Academy For Future Sciences, 2004
CREATOR OF ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS VIDEO & AUTHOR OF
THE KEYS OF ENOCH TEAM UP FOR ANGELIC YANG DOWNLOAD
Having just put together the separate DVD page,
i discovered that i never reviewed this disc which deserves
notice and high time i did.
Banks with his dream-like CGI magic is guided by the
voice of Hurtak on a planet-wide tryp to the centers of
ancient spiritual power in Egypt, India, Tibet, the Andes
and the Yucatan. it's a 30-min video that makes a lot of
allusions to innerdimensionals and space-faring beings
without actually coming out and saying it. There are 4
different soundtracks: they all have the same music but
a different lecture. one thing that would have made this
a better disc is if one track was music only because some
of the music is actually pretty decent Mount Shasta style
new age cosmic rock.
i played this for my mother when she was visiting.
she fell asleep after 5mins and woke up 5mins before it
was over. i remember that happening to me at my first
angelic evocation. perhaps it is a way we have of
processing information coming to us on channels we don't
admit to ourselves. i could see playing the video portion
with music from another source and the video could actually
stimulate interesting conversations because there is so
much footage of sacred places around the world.
because it is John Banks, the whole production has a
dreamy, ethereal sense of narrative movement and transition.
i'm sure people who enjoy Banks' other works would like
the video portion of this DVD. people interested in the
Keys of Enoch and J. J. Hurtak's work in general, as i am,
will find what he is talking about interesting. i said he
was lecturing, but actually it is more like prophesying.
there is definitely an angelic vibe that comes of the
whole production and that is what i would expect in
visionary gnosis. can't say i really understand the whole
Hurtak thing, but there does seem to be a Lightworker
energy involved.
8-20-07
Overtones - Voice & Tambura
Michael Vetter
Germany: Wergo Schallplatten, 1983, 1984
Out-Of-Print
LONG OUT OF PRINT MASTERPIECE BY VETERAN OVERTONE SINGER
When considering the prime exponents of modern overtone
chant and singing, most aficionadoes of this subgenre might
immediately think of David Hykes and his Harmonic Choir.
surely, Hykes is the prime exponent of overtone chant,
particularly when we discuss influences. Many of us will
also think of Jonathan Goldman, the world's major sound
healing recording artist non pareil. while certainly
skilled at overtone and subharmonic chant, Goldman's
emphasis is primarily the use of sound to induce Divine
or therapeutic states and not focused on the subtleties
of producing melodic content with overtones *per se.*
In this regard, Vetter, a long-established world
class chanter, may be the earliest overtone singer of
international repute. and while he hasn't released as many
works as Hykes or Goldman, the few i have been able to
acquire are absolutely fantastic and ranks with Hyke's
best. I first discovered Vetter's work through a fortuitous
acquisition of "Ancient Voices" by Michael Vetter & The
Overtone Choir (Amiata, 1992,) the only work by the Overtone
Choir that i know of yet still perhaps the easiest of
Vetter's works to obtain. while comparable to Hykes and
his choir, "Ancient Voices" has a certain "i don't know
what" which makes it distinct and, to my mind, more
mystical and mysterious. Hykes tends to work within the
rubric of the established Abrahamic traditions and
generates spiritual atmospheres endemic to them. Vetter's
work seems more astral and shamanistic. i recently was
able to obtain a copy of his "Nocturne" (Amiata, 1993,)
which is solo work and much darker music, as the name of
course implies. it is four pieces which alternate solo
voice (in a subharmonic style but more Latin and Greek
than Tibetan or Japanese, although Vetter was himself
very involved with Japanese buddhism and the influence
is in the tracks) singing over tamboura with tracks
that are solo RECORDER. we're talking 10 minutes of
recorder in each of the two tracks. i can honestly say
that Vetter's performance on this woodwind changed my
mind about the range of expression occasioned by the
recorder. these woodwind performances are based on the
melodies he invented while using the instrument to put
his daughter to sleep. the first time i listened to it,
it was late and the recorder knocked me out into delta
lalaland. i actually tried to stay awake, but it put
me down. "Ancient Voices" i would call de rigeur for
serious collectors, while "Nocturne" is more for those
seriously interested in use of voice.
The current disc reviewed here, "Overtones," took me
years to catch up with. It is an absolute stunner. Much
like "Nocturne," it is solo voice over tamboura, but
this is mostly Vetter's vocal chords maintaining a drone
with the tamboura, while he manipulates the overtone
sequence into various melodies. it is simply amazing, the
most dexterous solo performance of pure overtone i have
ever heard. and when his vocal chords begin to carry a
melody and the overtones are harmonizing with it: holy
cow!! anybody willing to accept overtone singing as
singing worth listening to will just be stunned by what
he amply demonstrates is possible.
I very favorably compare this to Shiela Chandra's
"A Bone Crone Drone." this album is basically the male
counterpart to that album. a tryp involving both discs
would very likely be a life-changing proposition.
While hard to find, this is an extremely worthwhile
recording of solo overtone work that for me trumps most
of Hykes albums for sheer spiritual information.
High priority item for overtone singing specialists.
8-19-07
In The Om Zone
Steven Halpern
Open Channel, 2007
Click For Inner Peace dot Com
SOLID CONTRIBUTION TO OM MUSIC BY ONE OF
THE OLD SCHOOL NEW AGE MUSIC MASTERS
if i may be so bold: steven halpern is to new
age music what brian eno is to ambient music. while there
are clearly more quintessential new age artists who entered
the oeuvre earlier than Halpern -- Deuter and Iasos --
Halpern pretty much presented himself as new age music and
his early releases are successes at the level of pure
theory. "Spectrum Suite," a new age classic in anybody's
book, is a wonderful early manifesto of western chakra
music. the follow-up album, "Zodiac Suite," is worth
mentioning as a book-end album for Spectrum Suite. they
both have the tradmark Halpern electric piano with various
tinklings around it. like early Eno, there are some
harmonic problems that date these as early explorations in
electronic sound healing. i still own them on vinyl.
that was my first new age acquisition, given to me by my
mother the year it came out on vinyl. i didn't really like
it at the time. well, how was it going to compete with
Genesis, Yes and Gentle Giant? anyway, my point being that
Halpern has been there in the back of my mind with new age
music ever since i was aware of it. i own some not a lot of
Halpern. i enjoy his albums of spiritual essence. much of
the earlier material seemed more about comfort and secure
feelings. i highly recommend his dynamic angelic music
release, In The Key Of Healing (part of the Healing Music
series from The Relaxation Company, 1996.) perfect
ketamine audio representation. I also own "Gifts of the
Angels" (Open Channel, 1994) which is a compilation from
various of his enormous canon and decent angelic vibes too.
Also, "Music For Sound Healing" (Open Channel, 1999) which
has Georgia Kelly on harp and has some good healing music
moments.
OK: THE NEW ALBUM. this is actually quite good OM music
for yoga, bodywork or contemplation. perhaps there are
better albums for straight, formal meditation on the OM,
but this one has rhythm, singing and even riffs off of
the old Lennon/McCartney "Tommorrow Never Knows." the
production reminds me Jonathan Goldman's sound, which is
fine by me and the actual basic OMing matrix on the cd
feels great and is interesting. the five minute meditations
are puncuated by half minute sections of tibetan singing
bowls or japanese temple bowls. the second half of the
album gets increasingly grooved out. the last two cuts
are "Om Nama Shivaya" rather than the OM the rest of the
album has done. another 9:20 of strict ambient OM would
have been better. by grooved out, i mean the addition of
a substantial amount of hand drumming, rattles and the
like, not drum machine.
8-09-07
Tropical Meditation
Mark Ciaburri
Real Music, 2007
Click Here To Read Webpage On This Album
A HAWAIIAN AMBIENT MEDITATION DISC!!
Composer Mark Ciaburri had a vision here
in Maui in which he experienced the melody that
the birds were all singing to and how the wind
and waves and everything sort of sighed along
with the natural melody. i've had similar
experiences and in fact have been at the beach
near my house here i Kihei where i listened to
the ocean waves until i got the tonal pitch &
then intoned OM at that pitch. soon, birds
gathered round and began to sing with me.
anyway, Ciaburri set out to try to catch
this experience in music. it's really well done
and i think pretty well catches the hawaiian
tropical thing better than most recordings
supposedly about it. most somewhere fall prey
to harmony motifs that evoke the caribbean,
asia, or india. a few reveal tahitian or
maori influences, which is ok because it is
still oceania, but i've been hoping for something
that can be hawaiian without the caribbean
reggae thing or the country slide guitar thing.
Ciaburri's music, of course, is not without
influences nonHawaiian, and does reflect a
sensibility shared by other locals like Oceanic
Tantra (Raphael & Kutira,) Anugama or
Daniel Paul. it is a beautiful mauian vibe that
is easy to get when here and can be heard in all
of their music. Ciaburri does a beautiful job
of capturing this in performances by Bruce
Becvar, Daniel Paul & Priod on Sarod and Berimbau
which are aesthetically outstanding and meditative
simultaneously. he also invites a native hawaiian,
Charles Ka'upu to chant/sing in the hawaiian language.
this results in a totally magical and pleasurable
experience.
an intensely spiritual maui hawaiian vibe.
Immersion 3
Steve Roach
Projekt, 2007
Click Here To Go To Steve's Website
UNDYING SAGA OF LONGFORM AMBIANCE
three disc set in a tasteful large sized
fold-out digipak. each disc has a single continuum
of music over 73 minutes in duration. these are
wall of synthsound environments similar to those
on his acclaimed "Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces"
set, but even more sedate. the first piece, "First
Light," does in fact GLOW. it shimmers divine essence
much like the aforementioned MCSS set. the next 2
pieces -- "Sleep Chamber" and "Still" -- are cyber-
shamanic dreamtime sleep pieces that are closer to
the classic enoesque environments roach explored
in his second spatial period.
very quieting and sedating vibrations here.
as the third installment in the Immersion series,
this set takes the immersive headspace into more
reverent climes. people who have heard the previous
discs in the series should have a good idea what
to expect. his website was offering a good price
when i got this one.
savory but for serious lovers of quiet
non-narrative ambiance.
Fever Dreams - part three
Steve Roach
Timeroom Editions, 2007
TAKING THE ELECTRO EROTIC PULSE CURRENT TO THE
MOONSHROUDED BORDERLAND OF METASENSE
this latest edition of the series which began
with some very cool pieces featuring Patrick
O'Hearn on Bass updates the series into the
more modern sound that has been developing for
some time perhaps beginning with On This Planet
and the collabs with Vir Unis, to continue
with Light Fantastic and Core, on to the recent
Proof Positive. ok: this is very dense and
intense like Core, but SLOWER; drifting into
high delta/low theta spaces. very primordial
ooze and glurpy.
2 discs. the first is 8 cyberelectro slither
pieces. an 18minute piece, an 11 and a 10,
then quite a few in the 6 to 8 min range and
one under 5min, so it is a changing environment
that is quite intense and cybershamanic. by that,
i mean it is more a fusion of electrooganism than
the primal shamanism with many acoustic features
that are a Roachian trademark. these are time-
transforming soundworks that definitely distort
one's perception of temporal passage. anybody
who liked Core would like this i think.
the second disc is a 73 minute longform piece
that i'll have to call dark ambient and is
relatable to Steve's previous releases, Slow Heat
or Possible Planet, but i found this latest piece
intellectually interesting throughout and with a
narrative underpinning that i found quite thought
provoking, mainly dealing with ideas of genetic
mutation and bioradiation transforming structures.
or so it seemed to me.
Fever Dreams 3 is an altogether impressive
electronic rendering, quite surpassing its
predecessor in quality as a single release (altho
there is just something GREAT and endearing about
the collab between Roach and O'Hearn at the
beginning of the first in the series; one can only
wonder what a collab over in Patrick's idion would
sound like!) these are intriguing theta-range
electroacoustic darkambient sounds suitable for
lounging or deep listening. i tried to play it
before opening at work, but it was really too slow
for any socializing except for what goes on around
the coffee table. that being said, this is quality
work for aficionadoes who like it glurpy, primal
and organismic.
Healing Massage
Llewellyn & Robin Butterfield
New World Music, 2000
CLASSICAL SOLO PIANO OVER RELAXING SYNTHSTRINGS
i bought this because there ARE a couple of Llewellyn
discs are think are solid - including his excellent
Reiki Gold (Paradise Music, 2005) which i find to be
one of the best angelic albums in the last 5 years.
this disc is in the Mind, Body Soul series of
recordings offered by New World Music (which one has
to be careful selecting from because there is rather
a lot of bland new agey music in their catalogue.)
Llewellyn had another release in this series in a
collab with Ann Clinton titled, Crystals, which was
borderline newagey at times but had some very
tryppy crystalline moments that forced my hand to
include it in my crystal music with the likes of
Shad Diamond, selected quartz crystal bowl recordings
i own and the Crystals release from Healing Therapy
Music. by the way, these "collaborations" Llewellyn
has with Robin and Ann appear to be that he does the
music and they write the booklet, make suggestions
regarding the music and help clarify the presentation
of the material. i don't think it is actual musical
interaction.
well, this disc falls in that "bland new agey"
category, unfortunately. it is solo classical piano
over comfy synthstrings and intentionally low interest.
the melodies are familiar and the whole thing rather
geared towards feelgood soundgood. each piece flows
smoothly out of the ending of the previous piece, so
this is a great continuous backsound for actual
massage work. and perhaps the unchallenging nature
of the melodies works in its favor as backsound.
getting a massage to this might actually be kind
of cool....
Ocean Waves
Doctor Jeffrey S. Thompson
The Relaxation Company, 2007
HI TECH OCEAN WAVES WITH DELTA SLEEP MATRIX UNDERNEATH
you get exactly that. now, i collect ocean recordings
so i like to think i know good ocean from mediocre ocean.
it is not the quality of the recording as much as the WAY
the waves are breaking. this is very tasty stuff! with
the delta matrix, this carries me solid into sleep
everytime and not having music but my love my ocean & me
is nice. no synthesis or whatnot, just waves. good sleep
disc, great surf.
Intergalactic Bellydance
Galactic Caravan
Ark 21, 2004
Click Here To Go To Bellydance Superstars
O YEAH, SOUPED UP BELLYDANCE WORLD FUSION!
very arabic in sound with quality singing.
very bassy and great additional hand drumming.
in the realm of Transglobal Underground or
Oojami more than, say, Makyo or Chebiji. sexy
slinky riffs great for the boudoir or the Dance.
medium tempo magic, mostly, with sampled oud here
and didgeridoo there. the feel is more ethnic
than techno. in fact, it is not technofied like
Oojami at all, very fusion and earthy.
a cool remix of a Steve Stevens (former wildman
guitarist for Billy Idol) song is also included.
quite pleased to have this in the arabic belly-
dance section. goes well with Natacha Atlas.
Quick Mentions:
Holy Harmony
Jonathan Goldman with Sarah Benson
Spirit Music, 2002
TUNING FORKS CUT TO THE HEALING CODES OF THE BIBLE
with accompany choral harmonies enchanting
the name Yod Heh Shin Vav Heh. "an ancient name
of the Christ."
definitely impressive recording of tuning forks
(which i love listening to and there isn't enough
of it out there.) Goldman is possibly the foremost
healing chant recording artist out there and his
output of the last five years is AMAZING. not to
mention of his entire career! while perhaps for
more particular tastes -- these "healing codes
of the bible" come from a book of the same name
which i owned at one time and found somewhat
incoheret, but it DID have these codes, yes?, &
so one wonders.... -- well Goldman went to the
trouble of tracking down the entire series of
pitches and cutting tuning forks to them and
it is an exotic tuning that people unfamiliar
with odd tunings or microtonality might be taken
aback by. but the vibe is good, reminding me of
John Beaulieu's Calendula which features regular
intervals but also some pythagorean tunings.
on top of this is the chorus and people who
have difficulty with the jehovah, yeheshuah,
yeshua, iesua or jesus energies will not be too
suited to this experience. i find it enjoyable
and can say that i felt some intense healing
shifts about 50-60minutes into the 72minute
continuum on initial listen. there is certainly
a Christic feeling inherent in this recording.
suitable for sound healing purposes, especially
with people who are comfortable with Christic
energies. deep sound explorers will also find the
information contained in the tones of interest.
Timewind
Klaus Schulze
Revisited Records, 2006
originally released 1975
MILLENIAL RE-RELEASE OF CLASSIC INCLUDES OVER
AN HOUR OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL
If you are looking for classic electronic
music which absolutely helped define the genre
and set the bar for stellar work, you need to
check out Klaus Schulze. While i usually say one
should get the compilation 2CD set, "The Essential,"
Timewind is probably one of his most popular
releases, here remastered into a scintillating
gem of production AND now able to run its complete
time without having to flip the vinyl over!
sweet.
this is a VERY BOLD electronic sound, rotating
sequencers that make my neighbors jump when i've
got it on HEADPHONES, so be aware: this is strong
medicine.
Schulze is a leading exponent in electronic
music and aficionadoes are expected to have at
least one of his albums. so get with the program.
7-17-07
+ i've been remiss these last five weeks....
a vacation & illness, death and some mortality
issues...here's what i've been audioscanning +
Dai Ko Myo
Akshara Weave
Etherean, 2007
4TH OF REIKI SERIES CONTINUES UPWARD GRADIENT
Weave is really on to something.
Each of the albums in this series is a sonic
representation of a Reiki energy, its name, and
its visual symbol. Each album is over an hour
long continuum of a synth-based drone in a certain
key around which, over the course of time, overtone
singing and chant use phonemes derived from Reiki
tradition intertwine with soft beats, chimes, bells and
other effects, all of which fade in and out slowly
creating a dreamy, drifting atmosphere.
This particular disc is keyed to the heart
chakra with a languid theta rhythm which is extremely
pleasant and relaxing but i'm struggling to maintain
the focus to write this review. anyway, if it's heart
chakra, i'm usually in!
And what a wonderful way in this is too! crystal
clear production and skillful programming of the synth
voices make this manna for the flesh. feels great!
i went back over his other albums and made a
comparison in my mind between this series of music
and the CLASSIC healing music set, "The Magic Of
Healing Music" by Bruce Becvar and Brian Becvar from
an idea by Deepak Chopra. it features three cd's -- Vata,
Kapha and Pitta -- which sonically represents the
three doshas of ayurvedic philosophy. i think it not
unfair to make this comparison even though the two
projects are quite unique in their own ways. the
reason being that the differences between albums
in their respective series HAVE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
THE TWO SERIES. this is quite fascinating for a sonic
explorer to notice how the energies created have
similarities and subtle differences.
i'm collecting Akshara Weave's Reiki series because
they are GREAT sound meditations. i feel that each
album is more impressive and skillful than the previous
release. now seeing them in contrast has really
helped me understand what he was doing in the first
two. healers and those who are looking for quality
heart-oriented recordings will love this.
Angel Love 2
Aeoliah
Oreade, 2005
WORTHY OF BEING SEQUEL TO THE CLASSIC LOVE DISC
i've been on an Aeoliah backtrack these last
few reports. this is probably the last one in
this current motif.
clearly, i have a great love of angelic music.
this is mainly because in years gone by my most
profound ecstatic blissful joyous enraptured awed
moments occurred with it playing. think of it this
way: angels are not simply nonphysical embodied
spirits or dream phantasies; one way of thinking
about them is as emotional states that YOU are
capable of experiencing. our more noble feelings
like thankfulness, humility, generosity, care,
sincerity and so forth we could also call
beneficent or angelic emotional states. among
other things that they most certainly are!
angelic music describes these feelings and
evokes them in the listener, amongst other things.
the greatest angelic music does this in a curious
peculiar way that defies immediate analysis but
actually has to be hung out with for a while in
order to understand better if not completely.
each composer brings a sensibility and consistency
in output which is unique.
Aeoliah is a seasoned master of these arts.
his music is firmly based in the classical tradition
and therefore i consider him to be in the Ascension
tradition on a collegial footing with greats like
Iasos, Michael Hammer and Constance Demby. this
album is the work of a seasoned master. whatever
reservations i've had about certain Aeoliah discs,
and he has A LOT of them, i can only laud this
present work as a treasure that would have to share
the shelf, even if there were no other Aeoliah
albums, in any serious angelic aficionado's
collection.
let me say this & by no means putting this
album down: it is very classical as most Aeoliah
is, it will not appeal to anyone who has contempt
for "new age" music, it will not appeal to anyone
who is suspicious of music "trying to manipulate"
them into a good mood, but for anyone looking to
quaff a carafe of the nectar of bliss, check it out.
The Light Beyond
Jeff Pearce
Hypnos, 2001
To The Shores Of Heaven
Jeff Pearce
Hypnos, 1999
GUITARS ONLY SOUND MATRIX OF SOFT LIGHT
i collected these two older albums because they
are solid classic ambient in the glassine eno
realms created only with effected guitar and no
not like fripp but more like keyboardist harold
budd if he played guitar and tried to sound like
david sylvian from classic down to earth but
incandescent mists and slowing turning crystals.
very good stuff for reading, writing, conversing
or contemplating vistas of awareness.
both albums have lots of light of varying
intensities and never really get DARK like one
would expect a Hypnos recording to finally do.
brighter even than Numina. sometimes it is almost
like Iasos' "Angelic Music" or something....
an easy comparison of these works would be to
Steve Roach's "Structures From Silence" or perhaps
John Foxx's "Cathedral Oceans" but this is way
mellow and unchallenging. that's why i like it.
Purifying Fire
Lustmord
Soleilmoon, 2000
THE DARKEST OF THE DARK WITH AN ALBUM OF DARK FIRE
if someone asked me to name an essential dark
ambient album, i would immediately answer the collab
between Robert Rich and Lustmord, "Stalker." it
doesn't get darker than that. it can get more
terrifying like scary buddhist demon mara stuff like,
o i don't know, O Yuki Conjugate, You ARe The Illusion,
Klaus Schulze's Babylon and of course David Parson's
more harrowing buddhist nightmares or
more deep space like, as with Lustmord's amazing
"Where The Dark Stars Hang." His best known work
was "Heresy," where he found mine shafts, deep
caves and subterranean grottoes and rolled boulders
into them and other strange stuff.
This album is intergalactic space much like
Where The Dark Stars Hang, but there's all kinds of
recorded FIRE everywhere that makes no sense but
must be flabbergasting under the appropriate
conditions ;) I like it, but you really have to like
it deep dark and a touch scary. but if you are
exhausted from avoiding the Void, some Lustmord
therapy might be just the ticket!
Corridor Of Mirrors
Prometheus
Twisted, 2007
2ND OUTING FOR TECHNO WIZARD AMBITIOUS UPGRADE
our only rock consideration in this outing is
from the label that brought us Shpongle, Ott,
Younger Brother and Hallucinogen.
Prometheus is Benjie Vaughan, who seems to have
a thing for robots becoming living organisms. His
first album, Robot-O-Chan, was a bit more linear
than this recording, and seemed to portray the
vexation and confusion of robots awakening to
self-awareness. This new release sees the artist's
abilities and concepts becoming more intricate
and i imagine that he, like me, has spent a lot
of time getting Shpongled. his game has risen to
the level. this disc is therefor a quantum jump
from the previous, but still with that computer
will you stop it? edge from Robot-O-Chan with
shades of Kraftwerk and android-sf. yes, kids,
this IS science fiction music. yes, most of it
is hard techno, designed to get the ultraneon
lights streaming behind your retinaes and the
bioluminescent electric helix slithering through
your hypthalamus like some sort of dayglo
tryptamine trance.
and the robots HAVE invaded the dance floor!
this album will be great for anyone seeking
their next Shpongle moment likewise psyambients
and electrodubbers will appreciate this.
6-09-07
Atlas Dei
Daniel Colvin, visuals
Robert Rich, sound
Atlas Dei Website click here
VISUAL POETRY!! LYRICAL SIGHT&SOUND ODYSSEY!!
What sets this amazing DVD apart from the
other Visionary videos i've reviewed in this
column is its fusion of thought-provoking images
of the enigmas of cosmos, evolution and sapiens.
Set to new surround mixes of the darker and
geometric sides of VSA Master, Robert Rich,
this disc causes one's tv screen to burst forth
with a relentless kaleidoscope of motion paintings
in which the canvas is constantly being morphed
into new related ideas. There does seem to be
a narrative movement of sorts from the primordial
origins of the cosmos, through the development
of ever-more complex systems to the emergence
of sapiens, the self-reflective organism, and its
impending self-awareness. This is like watching
an ANIMATED PAINTING, as the artist adds layer upon
layer of forms upon each other. By the end of this
93 minute journey, my brain was frothing over
with ideas and questions about our existence.
While only a few of the musical pieces here
are new material, exclusive to the Atlas Dei
video and its CD soundtrack, and a large amount
of it is from his recent, "Electric Ladder," CD,
the edits are tasteful, the remixes bring many
pieces into much sharper definition, much of
the new stuff harkens back to Rich's more
geometrical period, which i love. the entire
soundtrack flows smoothly with beautiful
transitions and it definitely feels like Colvin
painstakingly timed the video movement with the
music. no small amount of thoughtful consideration
went into the making of this very enjoyable
piece of art.
I would even go so far to say that much of
the video is very complimentary to Rich's music
to the point that it seems one can finally see
it without having to be in trance or trypping.
As an additional bonus, the commentary track
which can be selected for play with the video
features a very imaginative and entertaining
conversation between Colvin and Rich as they
view the finished movie in the studio as the
machine is crunching the final mix. Cutting edge
thinking on aesthetics and creativity!
This video was done solitarily by Colvin,
at home, using state-of-the-art Macintosh
computerized video equipment. As such, we get
an early view on the next generation of CGI
that will be available publicly. It is AWESOME!!
Some shots have as many as a HUNDRED different
layers. if you ever saw the film of Picasso
painting a painting in time lapse photography,
so we see how he covers over previously painted
areas to the point that the entire painting
changes its look several times before he
stops and says "this is it." you can imagine
what we have here, but in very sharp computer
images. another way to say it is this is like
if one of Dali's paintings became animated,
except not with the confusion and mania of Dali,
but with a sensitive mind that is well versed
in symbolism and archetypal theory, and also
has nearly a quarter century of working with
imagery. the kind of mind that would find
kinship with an artist like Robert Rich.
my highest recommendation to people who
like intelligent dark ambient or to visionaries
seeking inspiration.
Touching Grace
Amoraea Dreamseed
Monroe Products, 2006
ANGELIC DIDGERIDOO BRAINWAVE SYNCHRONIZATION!!
Dreamseed has been releasing these great recordings
that somehow bridge the Koure of Turtle Island's
Dreamtime with the VedoAbrahamic's Angelic Realms.
it is very cool.
The first release, in collaboration with River
Freedom, titled "Didgeridoo Dreamtime," is continually
my favorite didg album. just off hand, i'd say it is
because it has an emotional warmth that i can only
compare to Sheila Chandra's "A Bone Crone Drone."
it is quite tribal and follows the course of a
perfect summer day from sunrise through to the dead
of night. the second release, "Future Memories,"
took this Dreamtime Tribalism and opened up its
energies with synthesis that has to be considered to
be classic Angelic in harmony with master composers
like Iasos, Raphael, Hammer and Aeoliah.
This new album, formerly released without the
underlying brainwave entrainment matrix (courtesy of
the Monroe Institute,) and titled, "Antahkarana,"
continues the upward spiral in Dreamseed's musical
growth by combining the Dreamtime-Angelic mix with
bonafide Hemi-Sync patterns developed by the leading
institute studying out-of-body-experience and
inner planes navigation. and it works beautifully.
these matrixes are capable of syncronizing the
two hemispheres of one's brain when using headphones.
they are much more compatible with the music on
this recording than what they did on the recording
i reviewed two weeks ago (tho i'm not complaining
as the resultant effect was still very interesting.)
it works perfectly here. the matrixes are introduced
and tuned in such a way that it feels natural.
the music is inspired. there are moments of
beauty and awesome power. the use of voice is magical.
the feeling throughout is peaceful, reverent and
healing. much of the percussion is hand held, played
with great sensitivity to the mood being described.
then the brainwaves kick in and you go right to Vibe.
ADDENDUM: after five more weeks of listen to this
severak tunes a week, i can honestly say that it stands
as one of my best acquisitions of 2007 to this point.
the recording really has levels to reveal on repeated
listen! i've achieved some very positive headspaces
on this recording and now think of it as one of the
inner core group of recordings of "spiritual essence."
if i was ever to do a full dedicated ritual, angelic
evocation or "psychic seance" ever again, this recording
would be in the opening line-up of vibrational
matrices. 7-17-07
Voodoo II
Robert Drasnin
Dionysius Records, 2007
47 YEARS LATER: THE ULTIMATE EXOTICA SEQUEL!!
I just went through a pretty long and
involved rediscovery of Exotica -- composers like
Les Baxter, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman --
and did happen upon the first "Voodoo" album,1960,
which is possibly the quintessential Exotica
release, even though Drasnin pretty much tossed
it off and it nearly was lost to posterity but
for a vinyl-to-digital transfer by Dionysius
Records in the mid-90s. and a fine job they did.
This new album has everything one could
ask for in a millenial Exotica release. While
being more complex, that is: having more depth
in instrumentaion and placement in the sound
field, Voodoo 2 remains absolutely true to the
aesthetics of the genre, meticulously charted
and performed and retains the emotional warmth
and beauty of the initial release. BRAVO! and
the bolero exotique was the cherry on top.
after going through my Exotica Intensive
over the last year, this seems the perfect
capper: a new release just as i've collected
the stuff i liked! someone owning no Exotica
and just wanting credible background could
buy the 2 Voodoo's and call it a day. nearly.
The Very Best Of The Far East
Various Artists
Demon Music Group, 2004
2 HOURS 20 MINUTES OF AMAZING FAR EAST FUSION!!
My Visionary travels through the inner planes
of Exotica led me to the Millenial works of
Makoto Kubota and his group, Blue Asia, detailed
elsewhere on this site. I've become very interested
in global fusion being performed by artists from
the far east. Blue Asia has a single track on this
release, from their album in collaboration with
Vietnamese artists. But this entire set also
includes downtempo fusion and technoambience
from artists with homelands in Indonesia, Japan
and Okinawa, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Taiwan
and Malaysia. The entire thing is at or near
Kubota levels in terms of high gloss production
and skillful musical performances.
A lot of the production has an aesthetic sense
comparable to the classic asian pop jazz group,
Hiroshima, who did quite well commercial back in
the late 80s and early 90s. This is to say that
there is the sugary crystalline clarity of asian
pop which borders on our western concept of
"easy listening." but i would staunchly defend
this music against that appelation. maybe i'd lose.
but this music holds my interest, holds surprises
and unique little jewels-in-the-desert, plus
each successive track is out of a cultural milieu
distinctly different from its neighbor tracks.
diverse and engaging; if not consistently
excellent, mostly so.
two discs: the first titled, "Sunrise," and
composed of more rhythmical and rocking cuts;
the second titled, "Sunset," and more folky and
ambient (no, not folky like country-western (except
maybe the obvious country influence in Okinawan
music,) but folky like the country they come
from.)
this double-cd can be found for around fifteen
dollars.
Realms Of Grace
Aeoliah
Oreade, 2005
COME AND GET YOUR LOVE!
RECENT RELEASE BY ANGELIC GREATNESS FILLS HEARTS
This disc features 2 half hour continuums of
heavenly atmospheres which induce deep relaxation,
feelings of contentment and gratefulness, and can
facilitate healing episodes. my first two listens
were near ecstatic by the 23rd minute!
These are quiet, rippling, incandescent mist
environments that drift us through the bright world
with moments of discovery and tenderness.
Intellectually, they would probably just sound
like droning gas, because they are very subtle, not
meant to be played loudly and are more about how
the energy state FEELS than about producing fleeting
tricks to appease the restless mind. this is music
to sink into and disappear within. some of his
best continuums since the wonderful meditative
"Light At Mount Fuji" release.
Thermal Transfer
Vir Unis & Saul Stokes
Hypnos, 2002
FIVE YEARS OLD BUT VIR UNIS FANS WERE STOKED
This came into the radio station just around
the time i was moving to Maui, so i didn't get much
time with it and never acquired it as i win in and
out of storage and the Vir Unis thing really started
after i got set up in the Islands.
but MAN i was MISSING OUT. this is a very active
percussion driven electronic album on par with
Unis' works with Steve Roach or James Johnson.
totally interesting bass lines and atmospheres.
and a good energy pump for concentration or activity.
not meditative but busy beehive. it almost seems
like molecular, cellular and insectoid behavior
is being explored simultaneously.
this is pretty high energy stuff. almost like
the label, Hypnos, renowned for deep dark Void
ambience, considered this for its sublabel, Binary,
which specialized in bright, energically brash
electronica, but decided they wanted it on the
main label. it's that good.
seriously, this is in the Eno Weirdness realms
and you might want to have an interest in organismic
music and the intersection of machine and organism.
i think it is brilliant stuff.
Red Sector A Speeds Up Alio Die
Son-Dha
Relapse Records, 2001
IF YOU WAIT LONG ENOUGH, ALL BIZARRE THINGS WILL HAPPEN
In an unusual departure, Steven Musso (darkambient
composer "Alio Die")known for liquidic organismic
music and awesome collaborations with other artists
of the first water, joined Andrea Belluci
(AKA "Son-Dha") in this perplexing cross-pollination.
Son-Dha appears to be doing the drum programming of
beats in the industrial and dark techno realms,
while providing drone fundamentals. From there, it
is anybody's guess who is doing what. a delicious
melange of odd creatures which could never possibly
exist. the album is generally positive in feel --
happy, playful -- there are some aggresive drum
patterns at times that give it an edge at times.
This album has industrial rock beats with
some hand drumming on what sounds like clay drums.
It is dreamy mid-tempo, but definitely bass lines
come and go and the snare snaps ya once in a while.
the other side is Alio Die, doing his ambience
and melding in collaboration. i guess it is like
the Robert Rich and Alio Die collab, "Fissures,"
if there was a modern rock thing happening. or
there might be a fair comparison with Omicron only
this stuff is much richer.
when i played it at work, the young anarchist
rock guy thought it was cool. hey our tastes do
intersect outside of rap and jazz! cool! actually,
he likes Makyo too.
5-25-07
Radiance
Aeoliah
Monroe Products, 2006
I'VE IMAGINED THIS POSSIBLE ALBUM BEFORE:
AEOLIAH'S ANGELIC MUSIC WITH A BRAINWAVE
ENTRAINMENT MATRIX OVERLAYING IT
The mix works great and i'm actually
rather excited about the prospects of getting
more technically accurate with these concepts.
since the matrix was overlayed onto the music,
not recorded within it at the original sessions,
the two work together by approximation more
than total coherence, but it still works! i
can only imagine what if the Doctor (Jeffrey S.
Thompson) built the brainwaves into the music
as he has been doing lately. wow.
the music on this album is at least in part
borrowed from previously released stuff, but it
is a pleasurable mix and there is enough new
material (to me) to keep it interesting. o man,
my relationship with Aeoliah goes all the way
back to the early 80s at the university FM
station in santa cruz. he has a ton of music,
much of it EXTREMELY sweet. i was always attracted
to his earlier efforts and i still like "Inner
Sanctum" best (maybe because it sounds most like
Iasos,) but "Majesty" is excellent also, and
the zen meditations disc, "Light At Mount Fuji,"
is a quintessential meditation recording i
would strongly recommend to anyone seeking an
angelic/zen meditation device.
This album, "Radiance," has the benefit of
being a collaboration with The Monroe Institute,
one of the premier organizations promoting
out-of-body-experience and increased intelligence.
Their hemi-sync process is world renowned for
reliably inducing mindstates that facilitate
cognition and psychic ability.
i played his most popular album, "Angel Love,"
on the radio so many times i never owned my own
copy. recently, i bought one and was amazed by
how FINE the headspaces it brought me to were. this
has started an Aeoliah motif for me. i am also
about to listen to his 2005 album, "Realms Of
Grace," which is 2 half hour pieces (i usually
enjoy long form angelic music more than shorter
pieces because the energy has time to really build
up a particular aromatic essence. i see also he
has a 2007 release, "Divinaura," which i may pick
up if i like this next listen, though it appears
to be shorter, more pop-oriented work, but is
getting solid reviews.
Ascension
Jacotte Chollet
MultidimensionalMusic, 2007
DIVE DEEP WITHIN THE UNCONSCIOUS AND INFUSE
YOURSELF WITH THE SUPERNAL LIGHT
An amazing soul journey to the subquantum
reality
Click here to see full review
Morph The Cat
Donald Fagen
Reprise/WEA, 2006
BEST RELEASE SINCE GAUCHO
If you had played me this entire album
without telling me who it was, i would have
guessed Steely Dan before Donald Fagen. It would
seem that there is an utter lack of Walter
Becker in this release, but you could never
tell from the songwriting, guitar work, or the
vocal or horn charts. This is hands down the
best solo work of Fagen.
i've been an avid listener to Steely Dan and
the Fagen and Becker solo work since The Royal
Scam in 1975 forced me to admit that they were
on to something. Not that i didn't know who
they were of course. Because, in the early 70s,
nobody listening to popular rock music was
going to evade Reeling In The Years, Do It
Again or Rikki Don't Lose That Number (i know i
skipped Boddhisattva, but it wasn't as much of
a smash as these others.) Aja and Gaucho were
near perfect albums, in my opinion. suddenly, it
was all over! wah!!
then they return at the millennium with a good
album, albeit somewhat studious ("studiofied,")
and then a more energetic live sounding follow
up album. er, there was some packaged live disc
in there i basically ignored. now this....
hey! it's great! darvy likes it! the production
work, particularly the depth of the recording field,
is the most articulated since Gaucho. the vocal
harmonies more glorious than the other recent discs.
and lyrical topics are timely: suburban decadence
during war, airport boarding searches, and could it
be the hurricane katrina bridge crossing incident?
the "not in my neighborhood" thing?
yes, we have the de rigeur paeans to women and
references to drug use, and the sardonic, jaded
world-weariness that the mere sound of Fagen's
voice evokes is evident and thoughtfully worked
out. another well-crafted effort from a musical
artist whose fine aesthetic sense and compositional
ability always produce an intriguing listening
experience.
Sacred Massage
Soulfood
Soulfood.com, 2004
GOOD BACKSOUND FOR TANTRA & LOVEMAKING
I really loved the first Soulfood album. I
still think it is right up there with other
great worldpop releases like the first Deep
Forest or Professor Trance & The Energizer.
The "Breathe" 2-CD set is fabulous. I also
like DJ Free's first Wingmakers album,
"Chambers 11-17." Checking my collection, i
see that i have SEVEN other Soulfood albums.
wow, i'm a maniac....
this album is relaxing but also activating,
so NOT for stillness. the music is romantic
--- lots of saxophone and you know what THAT
means --- and given a warm intimate production
mix typical for popular new age recordings
trying to crossover to light jazz. while there
is the bluesy sensuality typified by slow
sax, this music incorporates a significant
world music sensibility (as Soulfood always
has done.)
anyway, if i ever find occasion to be
snuggling in bed affectionately with a woman,
this could be very decent backsound. so i'm
recommending it for that, heterosexual
cuddling, rather than massage or meditation.
well, tantric sexual massage, ok.
(ADDENDUM: in case you don't know what
lots of saxophone means: it means sex. and
you know what that means...)
5-16-07
Inspiration
Jacotte Chollet
MultiDimensional Music, 2007
THE FIRST OF EXCELLENT 2CD SET OF PURE GENIUS
Amazing Ascension electronica setting new
pace for 21st Century. If the classic Jean
Michel Jarre Equinoxe/Oxygene music became
angelic music with a quantuum twist, THIS is
what it would sound like!
Click here for latest MultiDimensional Music review
Dai Ko Myo
Weave
Etherean, 2007
FOURTH VOLUME IN PRESTIGIOUS REIKI CYCLE
While people familiar with this series of
Reiki music might feel that it is just more of
the same in a different key (and they are partially
right,) i feel that each successive disc has shown
increasing skill in the medium and frankly this
one is a huge step forward. but perhaps this is
because we're finally using the medicine that
really gets at my particular ailment.
In the liner notes, it is suggested that the
first Reiki energy conducts primarily to the
physical body, while the second is to the
emotional,the third to the mental and this
fourth one to the spiritual body. as a part of
this healing work, the presiding theta wave is
encoded to an octave of the heart chakra and
you know i'm all about that!
While the first two albums in this series
seemed to be energetically similar, the third
one seemed clearer with a better used of
overtone chant. this fourth release in my
opinion shows an even better skill in this
regard and the production is crystal clear.
while my body has always responded positively
to this recordings, i'