aquarius: a sign of the times

* 13171 NGAIO GAMELAN - DAVID PARSONS

David Parsons has what some people might consider a dream job. For several years, he and his wife have traveled the world recording world music, presenting it to those of us who have not had the opportunity to experience the music live and in person in far-flung places like Indonesia, Armenia, Cambodia, Morocco and Turkey. Ngaio Gamelan is the result of a fantasy he had about putting together a group that let musicians from these various cultures play together. Through the magic of sampling, they can. And that is how he created this album, playing percussion, woodwinds and gamelan to flesh out the compositions. It's a visionary work that blends duduk, drums, vocals, gamelan, gongs, flutes, percussion, violin, samplers and synthesizers together in a sound collage that draws the listener in and enchants with an engagingly smooth, hypnotic blend of rhythms and melodies that flow together in dreamy fusions of sweet, yet surprising twists and turns, relaxing, yet stimulating.

* 18043 QUIET MUSIC (COMPLETE EDITION) (2 CD) - STEVE ROACH

Of course, when we speak of world music explorers, one of the names that comes to mind is American composer/producer/performer Steve Roach. His 2–CD set, Quiet Music, was recently reissued in its full length with new material. Back in the mid–80s, the ambient pioneer [became] known for combining new technologies like synthesizers with ancient technologies, like hand drums and digeridoos to create music for the healing arts, meditation and bodywork. In the years since, it has been widely used in meditation groups, birthings and hospice programs. Exceptionally smooth and subtle with deep sonic textures, this is a landmark work from one of our true geniuses. Roach's work over the past 20 years or so helped create the whole field of ambient music, and he still experiments and produces new work at an amazing rate. He lives in the southwestern desert and finds constant inspiration from the sounds of life and imagination, & is one of the few people in this genre to do live concerts worldwide. Perhaps one day he will play here. Meanwhile, check out Quiet Music.

* 13176 CRESCENT MOON - OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK

Omar Faruk Tekbilek is an outstanding Turkish/Egyptian musician who plays ney flute, lute, synthesizer, hand drums and accordion among other instruments. Crescent Moon features his arrangements of classical songs [and] Turkish, Arabic and Armenian folk songs which form a trance inducing blend of both the mystical Sufi and belly dancing traditions of the region. This timeless ethnic music is at the root of some of the best contemporary instrumental and world music explorations. For example, you can find Tekbilek on recordings with Steve Roach (who also plays on this CD), Vas and Michael Askill. From the swirling string and flute figures to the driving pulse of the dumbecks, you can begin to believe in magic carpet rides.

October 1999

* 19911 THE SEPHARDIC EXPERIENCE (4 CD BOXED SET) - THE RENAISSANCE PLAYERS, WINSOME EVANS - DIRECTOR

A four CD set entitled The Sephardic Experience, produced by Winsome Evans, features the performance of the Renaissance Players who are using this medium to preserve the rich oral history in music of the Spanish–Jewish songs and dance tunes, which are part of a disappearing culture. You don't have to be Sephardic to like these recordings. If you like Renaissance or Middle Eastern music, you will find this set quite appealing. Belly dancers, balladeers, romantics and humorists can all find delightful material captured here.

  • Dan Liss
January 1999

* 13165 THE SOUND INSIDE: MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Another remarkable album is The Sound Inside: Music and Architecture, a compilation of recordings by John Schaefer, which celebrates the relationship between great places and great sounds. It seems that the great temples, historic buildings and cathedrals of the world inspired great new music after their construction, and they still do, centuries later. Listen closely as the sounds of voices and acoustic instruments reverberate off the walls of The Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Lindisfarne Chapel, The Sydney Opera House, Great Suleyman Mosque, Temple of Heaven, Thoronet Abbey and the Great Pyramid of Giza, to name just some featured here. The world is alive with magic, created by the voice harmonizing with the living, breathing, stone of these great works.

November 1998

* 13174 ANKH: THE SOUND OF ANCIENT EGYPT - MICHAEL ATHERTON

Ankh: The Sound of Ancient Egypt was composed and produced to go with a museum exhibition by multi–instrumentalist and musicologist Michael Atherton. Imagination and conjecture are necessary in a project like this, since no written notation survives, and examining artifacts and pictures will only reveal part of the answer. Voices, stringed instruments, flutes and frame drums impart an etheric atmosphere....a ticket to that bold and beautiful place that still enchants us.

October 1998

* 18055 DREAMTIME RETURN (TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION) (2 CD) - STEVE ROACH

One of the godfathers of electronic ambient composition is Steve Roach, whose double CD, Dreamtime Return, can easily launch you into an astral journey. Accompanied by didjeridu master David Hudson and Robert Rich on percussion, there is no way you can listen to this and stay grounded. Originally conceived as a soundtrack for a documentary on the Aboriginal people of Australia, the jacket includes fabulous color photos of ancient rock paintings to set the stage for your journey. Explore the universe where people communicated freely with the Creator, their ancestors and all other beings as if it were the most natural thing in the world. If you think low long–distance rates are amazing, try having interspecies and intergalactic conversations using music, astral projection and telepathy instead of a phone.

June 1998

* 15028 CROSS-HATCH: DIDJERIDU+PERCUSSION - ALAN DARGIN AND MICHAEL ATHERTON

If you are one of the growing legions of fans of the didjeridu, or if you're just curious to check out some new sounds, Cross-Hatch by Alan Dargin (didjeridu) and Michael Atherton (percussion) will envelop you in sonic waves that exceed any preconceived notions about what to expect from these instruments. During the last several years, I've heard many recordings that employ these incredible primal instruments, and these performers are clearly among the best. The techniques of these two masters activate the senses and open portals for astral travel. They are joined on some cuts by guest artists who provide synths and additional percussion, and all of it enhances the pathways opened by the didjeridu. Incredible.

May 1998

* 13160 WATER SPIRITS - HONOKA

* 13136 THE MUSIC OF BALI, VOLUME ONE: JEGOG - SWARA CIPTA PRIYANTI

For a Zen experience, check out Water Spirits by Honoka. The musicians extract long graceful notes from the shakuhachi and koto to evoke the sights, sounds and textures of water. Two of the four tracks incorporate synthesizers into the composition, and it complements the acoustic instruments well. A great album for deep contemplation. Another taste of world music that opens up rapidly to the trance state is The Music of Bali, Volume One. The gentle yet insistent percussive sounds of bamboo marimbas and a high pitched flute engages the senses almost immediately. The mysterious quality of the sound first leads the listener to wonder what the instruments are, then that sense if inquiry gives way to the sheer sense of listening pleasure.

April 1998

* 15033 GUNYAL - DAVID HUDSON WITH GUEST ARTIST STEVE ROACH

* 15029 THE ART OF THE DIDJERIDU: SELECTED PIECES 1987-1997 - DAVID HUDSON

Another indigenous wind instrument from another continent, the didjeridu, is presented by Aboriginal master musician David Hudson on two recent albums, Gunyal and The Art of the Didjeridu, both produced by space music maestro Steve Roach. Hudson is an acknowledged genius at getting a multitude of sounds out of a primal instrument that was thought to have a limited range of possibilities. Like Nakai in this country, Hudson has expanded the world's appreciation of this profoundly simple, yet magical tool for healing and invoking altered states. This is one of the portals to the dreamtime. The Art of the Didjeridu features selected cuts from Hudson's 10 year career; Gunyal is recent work. Either will put you into the zone.

  • Dan Liss