Re: Jplay Crack 19 Delarue Mountain Art
Beatris Ninh
I am always amazed at how much good music is out there justwaiting to be discovered. Mario Konrad's CD Spirit Cave arrived a couple ofweeks ago and it has been in and out of my CD player ever since. I get quite abit of music here at AV and I try to give most of it at least a cursory playthrough to get an initial impression. Quite often this will end up being theonly play through for some releases that I receive as it just doesn't strike aresponsive chord with my own music sensibilities. That is not saying that it isnecessarily bad music it is just that I am not the one to write a review of itbecause I wouldn't have anything good to say about it.Spirit Cavewent through that first listen and hooked me right away. A combination ofatmospherics and tribal rhythms featuring hand played drums and percussionelements is just a perfect combination on this CD.
Frederic Delarue is establishing himself as one of the foremostcomposers of so-called new age music, and is one of a few whose CDs arealways interesting, soothing, and compelling. Delarues albums havebasic themes, and previous releases have been about the magic ofdolphins, classical composers coming to play with Delarue, spiritualvoyages, etc. The common threads are consistently superior music, anuplifting spirit, and the statement that the music was created withguidance of Delarues angels and beings of light. (It is well worth avisit to www.fredericdelarue.com to read his amazing biography.). Thesubtitle of this latest release, Dream Your Life, Live Your Dreams,sums up the thematic material, and there is a dreamy, graceful qualityfrom start to finish. Delarue writes in the liner notes: I invite youto reflect on the events of your life and surrender them to peace &love and bring forgiveness to yourself and anyone involved. Can acollection of eleven original pieces of music accomplish all of that?When it comes to Delarue, I think its possible. None of the tracks aresolo piano, but they are all piano-based with keyboard orchestrations.It is interesting to note that in the liner notes, the track titles areformatted in such a way that they create a short, evocative poem.
The opening track, I Feel, conveys the deep sense of spiritualcontentment and connectedness that come too rarely in our rushed andover-scheduled lives. Listening to it, I can feel my breathing slow andgo deeper, and the sense of urgency that has been plaguing me of latestarts to melt away. Beneath the Footprints of My Sole has thefeeling of gently floating in vast open space that Delarue does sowell. The effortless flowing broken chords on the piano are hypnotic asthe more ambient background coaxes you to a dreamy state of mind.Passionate as well as soothing, this is an exceptionally beautifulpiece. Caress My Spirit begins with ambient voices that reverberatein a large space - perhaps a cathedral or even a castle. About a thirdof the way through, the piano enters with a much lighter melody. Thepiece melts into With Tender Passion, with its floating vocals andair of mysterious calm, supplemented with flute and subtle keyboardeffects to gorgeous effect. Beyond Eternity lightens the mood quite abit with a warm and graceful waltz. I Remember incorporates thesimple melody of the Pachelbel Canon with strings and piano. It isntan exact rendering of the piece, but certainly suggests it. The Powerof Silence becomes much more thoughtful and reflective - almostdreamlike, with shimmering strings and a quietly pensive piano. I AmFree closes the album with a bittersweet and passionate waltz thattugs at the heartstrings. What a lovely ending for another great albumfrom Frederic Delarue! That I now want to get out his previous CDs andlisten to them again says a lot.
Reflection and Frederic Delarues other CDs can be purchased at www.fredericdelarue.com and amazon.com. Highly recommended!
Another recent self-released album by Dan Pound is Everflow. It's got a similar style to Solar Nexusin terms of instrumentation and the shamanistic feel but is lessintense hallucinogenic-lite is perhaps one way of describing it! Thecommissioned covert art for this release doesn't provide an answer tothe mystery of the music, so this is a CD that can't be judged by itscover.
In the first track Taking Flight we encounter Dan's typicalmusic elements of rippling sequences, didgeridoo, shamanistic voices,electronics, flutes, singing bowls etc. The conglomeration of thesesounds results in an kaleidoscopic effect that verges on the primeval.Just this aspect of Dan's work would be enough to make his workinteresting, but it's also enjoyable - and even mesmeric in places.
For pure enjoyment my favourite piece has to be Hand in Hand.Melodic and subdued clattering begins the piece and is joined by asimple melodic rhythm on what I think is acoustic guitar. The rhythmthen picks up with bass and percussion while half voice-half fluteyrefrains add an air of mystery. It's up to the listener to decide whohe's walking hand-in-hand with.
Rhythm is a strong element throughout the album, yet somepieces are mainly based on atmospherics. This is most apparent inRemembering the Dream where fat airy drones undulate across thesoundscape like waves of subconscious thought while a slow tribalrhythm fills out the backdrop. Snippets of half-discerned effectscontinually intrude in the distance and throaty didgeridoo and flutesadd more obvious sonic interest.
Along with the electronics there's an earthy, organic quality that permeates Everflowmaking it shamanistic music for the 21st century. For anyone lookingfor something different than run of the mill new age or world musicthis is an album well worth checking out.
Eden is a very impressive debut by K. Ryan Brown. Will Ackermanagreed to produce the recording at his Imaginary Road Studios based ona rough demo, and started working with Ryan at the ripe old age of 16.Unlike many of Ackermans recent piano productions, Ryans is all soloacoustic piano. The overall tone of the album is quietly somber, butthe music is full of deep emotional intensity and has a maturity thatbelies Ryans young age. The pieces are a bit abstract and more ambientthan melodic, but his expressive playing communicates beautifully. Itis very possible that Ryan Brown will become an important voice incontemporary piano - he is certainly off to a promising start!
The title track begins the album. This piece has a real sparkle aboutit that suggests a sense of wonder and beauty. My favorite track isStonebridge, a piece where Ryan often uses the damper pedal to createthe feeling of vast space. Too much pedal can drive me up the wall, buthe has used it to great effect here. The dark mood of the piece feelslike a soliloquy to me, full of passion and introspection. HiddenRooms has a sense of mystery and a feeling of seeking something justout of view. TiI Then is a gentle farewell to a loved one, a littlebit shy and bittersweet. Where the Ocean Meets the Earth conveys themajesty of the ocean as its waves flow over the shoreline or crashagainst the cliffs. The sparkle of light dancing on the water and therhythm of the ebb and flow of the waves are very effectively portrayed.Lovers Quarrel is very dark and turbulent - almost Russian in itsintensity. The title Dancing Turtles evokes an interesting andamusing image, and the piece has a slow pace that is kind of heavy andsomewhat ungraceful - very enjoyable! On Comes the Night is anotherbeauty with an unhurried tempo. As the piece progresses, it feels likelooking up at a vast night sky as the darkness descends, watching thestars becoming brighter and more intense and listening to the quiet.The pace becomes even slower at the end and just trails off, perhapssuggesting sleep - another really great piece!
K. Ryan Brown should be able to make a real impact on the music world -especially with someone with Will Ackermans clout in his corner. Besure to check out what this young man has to say via the piano! Edencan be purchased and samples are available at www.kryanbrown.com and cdbaby.com.
Composer Robert Straub is the man behind the name Arrocata and his latest album In the Distanceis inspired by, and evocative of, the Sonoran desert. By combiningelectronic, acoustic, and what are either environmental or fauxenvironmental sound effects, he's created a low key atmospheric work.For most of us who are unfamiliar with the Sonoran desert the linernotes helpfully contain some brief background on each of the tracks.
Whereas some ambient albums feel like they're taking you on a journey, listening to In the Distanceis more like staying in one place while soaking up the atmosphere andsurroundings in detail. I've not encountered many albums that mix foundsounds and subtle music in such an integral way; the nearest work withany similarity I can think of is OTI's Recollection.
First up is Superstitions which refers to the superstition mountainsthat contain rock spires and canyons. Washes like insectile hummingbreeze in and out of the soundfield while a lone drum beat is heardevery few seconds adding a hint of a tribal aura. Meanwhile sounds oflife constantly tweet and twitter in the background.
A sense of mystery pervades the album, as though the Earth'ssecrets are providing brief glimpses to the edges of human perception.Musically the peak is found on The Dutchman which begins with asnaking of drones possessing a suggestion of frisson, spooky washes,and occasional searing electronics that shatter the calm. A slowtinkling rhythm then kicks in to soon be joined by drum and basseffects. Several kinds of washes, some vocally tinged, whoosh to andfro adding to the somewhat hypnotic but also disquieting feeling.
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