New Age Music World

Archive for June, 2010

David & Steve Gordon are internationally acclaimed 30 year music legends constantly exploring new territories throughout the years in respect to New Age, World, Ambient, Nature, Chill Out and Electronic genres.

While they have shaped the landscape when composing their own diverse music creations, their compilation albums are another key component since they select global musical talents from around the world for Sequoia Record’s playlist lineup found in many relaxation and chill out subgenre categories.

The Gordon Brothers are widely recognized by many since these Award Winning producers, composers, and classically trained instrumentalists had founded the acclaimed Sequoia Records 26 years ago which does make the time consuming search for great music easier.

Their early conception of nature sound creations and early dawn of their Sequoia Records Label has enabled these 2 music innovators to achieve world class recognition while grossing over 1.6 million units in sales worldwide and in the process, helped write the definitions for our primary genre and subgenres in the process.

David and Steve Gordon have been noticed by the film industry too since their original music was commissioned for many film and television scores over the years, charted several times on Billboard and a recent New Age Music Retail survey has listed the team as the fifth overall favorite in our beloved genre which tells you much about their fine achievements, recognition and life work.

Yoga Planet is a new modern alternative style of music designed for yoga, exercising or fitness programs, yet the rejuvenating music is ideal for your next get together with friends or simple relaxation.

The Gordon Brothers composed and performed on Yoga Planet and enlisted three of the top creative producers and engineers in today’s electronic music and give credit to Bobby Cochran, Alex Newman and Noah Alexander for helping bring everything together.

Gliding Azure is the first of ten songs featured on Yoga Planet and a good example of the relaxing yet energizing mood created by their mellow groove atmosphere and is an innovative collection of songs that gives the perfect auditory ambience for many occasions.

Visit the sequoiarecords.com homepage and then visit David & Steve Gordon’s biography page.  Here is where you can sample Yoga Planet and if you are new to The Gordon Brothers here are links to their new releases page & best sellers page.  Read my review on our page dedicated to David & Steve.  Directly below is my review quote about the life work of David & Steve Gordon, and the song video of Gliding Azure from the Yoga Planet album.

David & Steve Gordon are internationally acclaimed music legends admired by their early conception of nature sound creations which helped shape the landscape in New Age, World, Ambient, Nature, Chill Out, and Electronic genres.  The Gordon Brothers are additionally Award Winning producers, composers, and classically trained instrumentalists recognized by their many compilation albums and early founding of their renowned Sequoia Records Label 26 years ago. 

The United Kingdom based MG Music label has much to be proud of these days. The 25 year anniversary for Medwyn Goodall and Clifford White alone is reason to celebrate, yet MG label artists Steve Orchard and Paul Sills also have excellent releases planned this year. You will find the quality artisanship delivered by this close circle of friends is special with each artist retaining their own integral voice which to me makes MG label artists significant.

Steve Orchard is a New Age artist from the United Kingdom quite masterful at producing electronic instrumental music composed with many improvised mood sensations that nicely culminate into a repertoire of lively rhythms blended with a kaleidoscope of colorful melodies. The end result is one singular voice implanting a vivid melody image right beside a natural and reposeful atmosphere.

Raindancer is his current release and first in a trilogy series based in theme on a 3 natural elemental word, with each in series containing the dancer suffix.

Sundancer & Moondancer are future releases and I can already tell you that his spirited dancer series illustrates a rare quality of relaxing yet energetic melodies that readily achieve universal appeal.  Steve’s prior albums Voyages Beyond Midnight, Salt Water Café & The Consequences of Kisses are highly regarded earlier works and certainly worth a listen too.

Steve Orchard is a prolific singer songwriter having composed and performed original music for many years on guitar, mandolin, and harmonica, various skin drums, piano and keyboards. His music was featured on BBC Radio, film scores, local radio jingles, plus Steve was a band member in 100’s of concert venues with other artists and a well recognized soloist in South West & London England during the 1990’s era.

Steve Orchard made a great impression on me with his first in series Raindancer. This admirable collection of beautiful melodies exhibit the standard of excellence and integral voice Steve Orchard so boldly represents, brightly illustrated by his picturesque first release in the alluring Dancer trilogy.

Raindancer begins the initial splash of bright colors painted on a fresh musical canvas in a vivid song portrait titled Tribal Fire. The lighter vibrato in soprano vocals make the primary background shades to flute’s breezy hues, nicely accented by snare drum taps and free flowing rhythms. Keeper of the Sacred Trees & Cajon Sun are enhanced pan flute and keyboard melodies attuned to light synthesizer bordering while percussion assists by even handed rhythms in a fine blending of tropical harmonies.

Acoustic guitar then takes a turn holding the primary melody brush in Cajon Moon, primed with a steady synthesizer outline backed by flute and tenor drum. Guitar and pan flute emblazon the impression by a faster tempo in free flowing songs Amazona, Pathway Through The Forest & Festival, with each song inscribing bright reflective patterns by progressive guitar rhythms, flute expressions and percussion cadences that portray a flamboyant resemblance.

Passion Flowers & Where Rivers Meet are compositions with airy Latin & World influences which make easy going songs by light flute notes dreamy ambience and gentle tracing by guitar strums having a soft percussion mix in the first, then tenor drum outlining in the second.

Road to Manaus has a dreamy groove concept by light flute refrains intertwined with deeper keyboard and acoustic guitar that travel along a harmonic pathway together with even symmetry. The orchestra phrasing with strings and resolute percussion smoothly enhance the delightful mood illustration in this song.

Anocondas Caress completes the colorful spectrum and gives one a chance to admire the total picture on this album filled with exotic surroundings. In an exclusive move during composition, this song is captivating using two metrical rhythms.  Flute nurtures the primary melody while guitar draws on half step chord rhythms during a second melody, rising in chord phrasing to elevate the tropical atmosphere.  This beautiful song in proportion to the entire album is a nice exhibition of the integral voice Steve Orchard  boldly represents.  It sets a high standard of excellence for his all inclusive Dancer Trilogy.

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage and sample or purchase Raindancer on his music page.  Learn more about Steve on his biography page.  Read my pages dedicated to Steve Orchard.

Cover design Copyright MG Music courtesy of Medwyn Goodall. Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – wtolenaars.

Pedal steel guitar is a stringed instrument that often receives no respect in relation to New Age music in part because the instrument is often classified in the Country and Hawaiian music scene only, but believe me the ground rules have changed and is primarily due to one man.

Bruce Kaphan from California has taken petal string guitar to a whole new level in New Age music for years, making this instrumental transition not only a surprising one but a dazzling one, giving even music purists a reason to love pedal steel guitar with his earlier release Slider and now Hybrid. The reason behind his new adaptation in an otherwise strict classification was pretty much the colorful sound quality it provides and a love of exploratory music.

What many find interesting is that Bruce Kaphan began his early career as a studio technician, engineer and producer for many highly recognized artists in other genres, where he either played a role with the recording production of their album or performed with artists such as REM, Jewel, The Black Crowes, Thomas Dolby, John Lee Hooker and many others. During his early days in San Francisco he was a member of Indie / Alternative band American Music Club and his music has been featured on film scores and television broadcasts.

Hybrid is an album with 12 original song compositions by Bruce Kaphan who makes it crystal clear right from first track Pohaka La that you are listening to a unique composite of exotic blending with unrivaled clarity freshly harvested from another cross section in the vast field of music and it quickly becomes apparent this new emerging beauty will remain a lasting entity.

Pedal steel guitar just happens to be the prominent instrument in Hybrid and a natural selection too after listening to songs like Gleaming Towers, Legacy, Silenzi & Renewal, which breaks new ground by classifying the instrument as a main entry melody contender versus a mere supporting instrument.

There are songs like the piano enhanced Maya and guitar renditions in Senbazuru & Loops for Larry displayed in a new manner and show the instrument as an appealing choice while clearing a new path during improvisation in light ambience while reproducing a well conceived follow up for his Slider – Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar 2000 release.

In an age where hybrids in all shapes and forms are becoming more relevant daily, Hybrid seems like a true natural contender when placed side by side among more traditional New Age albums and the lighter exploratory metrical patterns of Jazz, Hawaiian and Country in Hybrid are a prized natural attraction that shows well beside other music forms while earning the respect it deserves.

Bruce enlisted numerous artists on this album including, Jake Shimabukuro, Jeffrey Wash, Kent Darnielle, Salar Nader, Matt Brubeck, Real Vocal String Quartet, David Immerglück, John Loose, Paul Olguin and Karl Perazzo and Real Vocal String Quartet that is featured in Okanagan Jubilee.

Visit brucekaphan.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page. Read his biography page and music page.

Picture Copyright Big Stock Photo – nsilcock.

Many musicians are content to remain within a specific genre and are a complete success in their artistic focus. Then there are other notable musicians where a natural progression is realized, developing into a unique artisan style and by their inner convictions, become a virtuoso by what they offer the music world.

Gandalf is an internationally acclaimed composing music producer from Vienna Austria first identified as a New Age, Contemporary Instrumental and World artist. While transitioning over the past 30 years of his career, his progressive directive and persona has helped neutralize the customary social borders in multicultural music for years.

Gates To Secret Realities on the Prudence label is an open manifest of his ambitious return to classic world music. This 1996 album is one of fascination and perhaps a secret gaze into what Gandalf is planning for a future orchestration slated to celebrate his 30 year Anniversary in 2011. This future CD currently being composed is the centerpiece for the occasion, plus a live performance in Vienna will accent his milestone achievement.

It was during continental travels to Europe, North & South America and Asia where Gandalf began to realize the prevailing attitudes and many similarities of every continent greatly unites each of us, verses creates a divisional line between countries. This open border view is much a part of his global World Music ambitions, and perhaps why his style encompasses a unique image while making a valid statement in relation to his cultivated talents and international status.

Gates To Secret Realities featuring 11 songs with over an hour of world class music is an earlier expedition not to be missed. Gandalf is a multi-instrumentalist performing acoustic and electric guitar, charango, piano, keyboards, mellotron, balaphon and many indigenous percussion. Enlisting Emily Burridge from England and Peter Aschenbrenner from Vienna, Emily performs vocals & cello and composed 3 songs while Peter is another fine talent on flutes, soprano saxophone and some backing vocals.

Gandalf’s ensemble makes this album a unique listening experience beginning with 3 songs Dreamcatcher ( Part 1 ) vocals and flute instill a celestial atmosphere before Gandalf steps up to give an astounding rock styled electric guitar anthem. This is in relation to The Power Of Nature & Man’s Promise To Mother Earth performed by the united trio where vocals, flute, keyboard and electric guitar proclaim a powerful majestic atmosphere.

Many songs journey along more moderate terrains regarding style and tempo yet the fascination remains deep and on a grandiose scale. Footprints In Red Sand is relaxing by the flute and keyboard interludes before building momentum with electric guitar that greatly increases depth of the impression.

Majestic Mountain View is an apt title shown by cello, keyboard and flute setting their sights on a light background depth and then again in following windswept song Voice In The Wind, then bells signal the tonal imagery in piano and guitar melody on Along The Milky Way.  Some songs like Ascending On The Eagle’s wings, Dreamcatcher ( Part 2 ) & Floating Down The Silent Stream are ballads elevated by cello flute, keyboards and saxophone that give a cinematic feel by lighter orchestrations portrayed in a lavish way.

The Wheel Of Life is a moving concerto lightly revolving in time, thought and deliberation, swaying in a gentle way by an enchanting flute melody backed by wondrous piano rhythms. Cello is fluently engaged to intensify the atmospheric warmth and progressive movement this song and the album in entirety envisions, perhaps giving us secret insight into the celebratory atmosphere Gandalf has in mind for us in the year 2011.

Visit Gandalf.at to sample his music and read his biography page. Visit the Munsing Germany based bscmusic.com homepage and BSA’s Gandalf music profile to sample / purchase. Picture copyright Big Stock Photo – EcoShot.

Salva Moreno of Psicodreamics is the predominate musician widely recognized in Continental Europe, the U.K. and overseas markets, where his unique form of fantasy and mythology inspired discography easily creates a magical divide apart from many New Age artists.

Valencia Spain is where Salva takes the stage to portray his principal role as master of ceremonies for Psicodreamics, and into the hypnotic realm of the mysterious and unknown, crafting his select style of fantasy inspired music cloaked in an intriguing shroud of mystery every time.

Psicodreamics creates this unique divide by producing designer mood music using a macabre blueprint with his own hands, all having an abundance of theatrical effects shown in a dramatic way that will leave you breathless.  Fantasynth is his 2009 Witches on the Radiowaves production that acquired a Top 100 rating, in addition to qualifying at ZMR for Best Electronic & Best Cover Art categories.

From our interview together, Salva Moreno readily defined his music as emotional melodies for dreaming and invites the listener to discover mythology through his music.  Indeed there are many opportunities for you to discover Psicodreamics and will find his discography spells out a variety of mythology and fantasy inspired tales of the heart.

Theatre des Vampires is laid out as a psychological thriller, portraying these images in classic form by a fine mixture of New Age, Ambient, Chill Out, Neo Classic and Gothic formats. This is not a rare occurrence for this composing musician who currently has 9 projects specializing in flowing tales of intrigue, all of which are well done.

AzhDark Passion is a project based on a novel by Tanith Lee titled Night’s Master, and although composed years ago, the project is relevant today as it was yesteryear.   In a surreal form of Ambient, New Age, Neo Classical, and Chill Out, with symphonic interludes, the 12 songs offer one a chance to make their own conclusions about his openly mysterious music, performed to the beat of the chilling and adventurous novel by Tanith Lee.  The Ambiethernum album also happens to be Psicodreamics best compilation of Ambient & Space music, and a nice selection too.

Visit the boldly unique psicodreamics.com homepage or go directly to his website store to sample / purchase.  You can also visit Salva at his MySpace.com website Facebook page and CDBaby.com page.   Read our interview together and my reviews of his music on our pages dedicated to Psicodreamics.

The song video Autumn Seduction from the Eternal Angel album was filmed in Benafer Spain and recently compiled by Salva Moreno himself.  Below is the AzhDark Passion album quote from my review titled Musical Magic and the song video of Autumn Seduction.

Psicodreamics beautiful array of mysterious albums make a great contradiction in sound and effect, becoming like a roller coaster ride of sensations, where you are taken close to the thrilling edge, but without the danger of losing your grip and falling into complete darkness.  

 NewAgeMusicWorld.Com is always ready to present musicians who excel in a particular field of music and whether it is solo guitar, piano or compilation albums comprising the New Age genre, we are ready to help point our readers in an appropriate direction.

Ben Woolman is a solo guitarist from Minnesota specializing in finger style performances on steel string guitar who amazes his audiences by an ability to layer cross and counter rhythms in relative fashion to the primary melody which gives the impression of multiple performers at his side.

Performing with multiple artists is not the case at all here, in fact his blending of harmonies and counter rhythms at the solo level are also without the assistance of dubbing, making his individual abilities a much rarer find than many other guitarists in the solo category.

Many Moods is his current release that projects his unique abilities in finger style guitar and this latest is another fine example of his more expansive 10 total albums that Ben Woolman has produced during his lifetime.  In addition, his longtime repertoire while playing guitar encompasses many genre elements like Folk, Blues, Jazz, Neo Classical, Latin, Celtic, and African, fusing many interwoven components that attest to his proficiency at a complicated technique.

Excelling in finger style guitar is precisely what makes the signature style of Ben Woolman quite unique.  In a perfectionist blend of layered counter rhythms, the applause given at the end of any performance goes to Ben Woolman alone and his singular talent for mastering the intricate counter melody technique.

The University of Wisconsin is one of the only colleges in the United States offering a degree in finger style guitar and exactly where Ben studied under a cooperative program with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with honors in Guitar Performance which nicely enhance his natural composing and performance abilities.

Many Moods features 11 songs that offer a nice variation in manner and perception with 8 original compositions that do attain the numerous mood variations this aptly named album suggests.  The 3 remaining songs are renditions of The Police, Blind Blake and James Horner, and the challenging task of incorporating Rock, Jazz, and Cinematic music influences into Solo Guitar is pulled off with ease.

One Afternoon is the first song on the Many Moods album and one nice characterization of his individual style given the Folk with a light hearted feel similar in mood to Contemporary Sadie’s Smile.  Lighter images appear in a more contemplative Me, myself and You and faster paced Up and Back is a nice progressive piece, along with the briskly paced rhythms in Wicked Ascent.

A more Jazz style orientation can be heard in Salamander Swing and then Blake Says is an upbeat Blues tune that is sure to make you smile.  Mazurka Dance is a World & Latin influenced piece and another bright number that highlights his proficiency at finger style guitar.

The 3 renditions make great listening too, and this entire album is a fine introduction to not only a proficient artist, but a wonderful musician that kindly restructures his challenging handiwork into uncomplicated and relaxing moods on our behalf.

Visit benwoolman.net to sample / purchase or at his CDBaby.com page.  To find out more about Ben and view his full discography and song videos click here.

 Photo Copyright benwoolman.net courtesy of Rebecca Pavlenko.

When you hear New Age Contemporary Instrumental music having great rhythms and a wonderful upbeat atmosphere expertly blended with beautiful electronic melodies, this may be a promising sign you are listening to one of many quality songs produced by Davol!

Davol has just released Good Sign which decisively aligns itself to symbolize my description above and become an encouraging assertion to those in the music world already familiar with his first name artist title they are indeed listening to someone known for producing top quality music.

Successful in many aspects of his life, after obtaining a Ph.D. in 1989 his earlier career as a medical researcher and microbiologist were judiciously shelved in 1996 when he began a commercial venture producing multimedia music. During the same year his debut Mystic Waters became another personal success and made it to # 15 on the Billboard New Age Chart, where it remained a lengthy 25 weeks.

The decision to pursue a full time music career was fantastic news to those who already knew of his premium quality melodies, plus the worldwide usage of his songs involving television, radio, video and numerous multimedia production scores has clearly magnified this proficient artisan to many more.

Good Sign is an album that upon closer examination is rapidly multiplying in popularity and already making waves with his fans since the April 2010 release date. ZMR has set at # 3 for the month of April, so another positive finding for the very latest from Davol.  The 4 additional albums A Day Like No Other, Open Book, Paradox & Nature Of The Beast are all relatives to his current yet each one is a natural variation that evolves into their individual class, each interrelated by a characteristic source of fascinating drama.

Davol has exceeded his artistic intentions with Good Sign and the early reactions granted to Davol’s progressive album does replicate the characteristic source of fascination one will find in his entire discography. Good Sign is symmetrical to Davol’s principal expression of innovative quality music nicely accented with inspiring drama.

Scarborough Days is the first song of 8 tracks that gives you a clear indication of the momentum and direction of this definitive album, along with the resulting positive influences his entire discography symbolizes. This lively song highlights the optimistic upbeat feel and beautiful keyboard synthesizer melodies those who collect his albums know so well and treasure.

Good Sign ( Title Song ) is more moderate by a light ambient feel that will brush a dark cloudy day away for anyone and promptly replace it with a bright sunshiny day full of color simply by the rich interwoven keyboard melody.

Truth 2010 is an electronic Dance / Club influences remix featured during the popular online video now available on this album. A heavier percussion tempo prepares the groove rhythms before exploration into deeper shades of electronic intensity and is very much in time when comparing to his conceptual Truth Video which captures the superficial and unbalanced influences often portrayed in television media.

Nautikos is another favorite by displaying a natural sophistication and contemporary elegance given the positively upbeat keyboard melody blending notes to perfection. This song steadily integrates harmonic spectrums in sound while harboring the glowing standard of inspiration Davol can readily achieve, making this album and his entire music collection an exceptional find for anyone.

Those familiar with his captivating music have another reason to celebrate. Newcomers can experience this sweeping source of fascination for themselves and learn why everyone is so excited about this promising new discovery by Davol.

Find the album Good Sign at DavolMusic.com or music by Davol at CDBaby.com. BigStockPhoto.com – Yakobchuk.

Bryan El is the artist recognized for producing Classical Symphonic New Age music in a highly effective format that makes a grand impression while shedding new light on each and every one of his modern day electronic interpretations. You will find his compositions readily capture your attention right from the first few measures up to the final notes.

Bryan El is our featured interview guest where the topics of Bryan’s 2 albums, Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution, and his stunning song videos are open for discussion. In addition we take a detailed inquiry into what makes Bryan El’s individualistic approach to music so appealing.

Interview host John Olsen had the opportunity to visit with Bryan El. Today we publish their conversation so that our readers can learn more about the ambitions of this New Age musician many have come to recognized by his remarkable electronic symphonies.

Interview with Bryan El;

John : Thank You for taking time out for our interview Bryan. Recently I wrote album reviews and posted several song videos from Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution because I felt our readers would find your projects are boldly unique from many other forms of electronic music just like B.T. Fasmer and I did. I have read many comments from your fans that support my statement too. It was only logical to ask for an interview so everyone, including your fans could learn more about you.

Let me ask you this first. Many times an artist will say they have another musician’s influence or they “sound like“ another more recognized artist. I personally feel you break new ground with electronic music in many respects and do not “sound like“ another artist. Do you agree and share the same thoughts or do you feel your music closely resembles another artist?

Bryan El : Many people have a habit of comparing the sound of one artist with another. I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”. This can be based on several different songs and styles they have heard throughout their lives and have been unconsciously inspired by them. Of course I have my own sources of inspiration as any artist does but I feel I am still evolving my own “sound” as I keep producing new projects.

I honestly couldn’t say what my music will sound like ten years from now and that’s what makes it so exciting. You will always be able to identify similar instruments being used by different artists like pianos, strings and violins, but what matters to me most is the way an artist mixes these together into something unique…. A melody which expresses an emotion like a story that has never been told before.

John : What exactly sets your music apart from so many others Bryan. Is it because your music is Classical Symphony styled, or could it be your upbeat modern day songs are the reason you rise above the crowd from other electronic composers? What are your thoughts Bryan?

Bryan El : Good question. It’s hard to give your own music a “stamp” of its own kind and I don’t really like to compare my music with other artists in terms of “uniqueness”. Each artist is trying to capture emotions in their own way and the beauty of it is…. there are no rules how to do it. It allows composers to experiment by tweaking their own sounds and combining different styles into one to create something new and original. Eventually it’s up to the listener to determine what sets a specific type of music apart from others.

John : Out of the many genres available for a musician to explore, what led to your decision to embrace New Age and then explore the surreal Classical Symphonic music?

Bryan El : It wasn’t a decision really. It’s not like at some point I decided “hey let’s try the electronic new age category for a change”. I actually experimented with different things never knowing where I’d end up before I started a project. I’m not trying to fit a certain “genre” either. It has never been my intention to compose symphonic electronic music as people may call it. It’s just the global mix of so many different aspects and influences in my life that led me to create this and I am continuously searching to expand my boundaries.

John : Since the artist music of Bryan El consists of you alone, how exactly do you construct your projects to acquire a full orchestra sound, and do you mind telling everyone what equipment you use while recording?

Bryan El : Except from the hardware sounds I get from my Motif 6 synthesizer I am using a mix of VST plugins which I load into my Cubase sequencer. The orchestra sounds like violins & cello’s come from an amazing VST plugin called EastWest’s “Symphonic Orchestra”. The sounds from this VST have been individual-note recorded giving me the freedom to bend the notes to my own will with every detail. The choir vocals come from EastWest’s “Symphonic Choirs” which has a speech utility where you can actually type what the VST plugin should sing in any desired composition. It’s state of the art. Most electronic sounds come from the ReFX Nexus plugin. The Nexus is really awesome. It lets you tweak your own sounds in detail. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Finally the groove is done with Stylus RMX.

John : Would you tell us about your introduction to music starting from your earliest introduction up to present day?

Bryan El : The earliest I can remember is my mother playing these cassettes with very melodic new age/electronic music when I went to bed as a child. I remember it relaxed me so much and some of those tunes are burned in my memory for life because they had such a deep impact on me. I believe some of those tunes were by Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Karunesh and Aeoliah.
It’s no surprise that when I got a little keyboard for my 10th birthday I couldn’t stop playing with it. Then came the Playstation era. Apart from the many cool games it had there was this awesome music program for it called “Music”. It opened my eyes to all possible things that could be done composing music. It was a basic sequencer which allowed you to freely place your own notes and adapt everything to the smallest detail.

Of course when I listen back to some of the tunes I made on it, I find the sound is quite poor compared to professional sound studio’s but it was a great start for me. When I was about 16 I got hooked on this cool midi sequencer called “Fruityloops” and made some dance tunes with it which I played at my friends parties. The Fruityloops was a next generation for me and much more sophisticated, far better sounds and effects. I was mostly inspired by dance-trance artists like Tiësto, Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren at the time and I learned a great deal by listening to their sounds, but it wasn’t until I got my Motif 6 synthesizer along with Cubase SX that I started to do some serious composing. I was 20 years old and could finally do what I always dreamed of and make it sound exactly the way I wanted it to. It was only a matter of time I discovered the internet would become a great tool of sharing my music with the world and I was surprised by the amount of positive feedback. I never taught I’d ever get the chance to release my own CD…. let alone two of them :p

It’s a dream come true thanks to AMAdea. The thing people never seem to understand is that I never actually attended any music school or learned how to read notes. When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live. It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side. I think this proves that anybody can make music if you are determined enough to express your emotions. I’ve never believed anybody should learn a specific set of guidelines and rules when it comes to music, I am autodidact and teach myself by learning from the music world around me.

John : Since you are one of the many great AMAdea Records Label artists, have you compiled any projects with other AMAdea Records label artists?

Bryan El : Indeed there are many great artists distributed by AMAdea but I haven’t had the pleasure to work with any of them yet. Who knows what the future brings, but for now I’m concentrating on a third solo album.

John : Many of your fans have said the song Solaris is among their favorites out of the many great songs you have produced. Is Solaris your favorite also and what do you believe is the reason this song is so popular among your fans?

Bryan El : Each composer has his own favorite baby and this one’s mine. Solaris is selected for airplay on several internet radio stations around the world. I’ve also produced a trance remix of it which has become quite popular on YouTube. The exposure may have caused the tune to become such a hit among my fans.

””When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live. It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side.  Bryan El

John : Your YouTube music videos are some of the best songs combined with visual effects I have seen, and many would agree with me that they are well conceived. Is constructing a song video and getting everything to correspond exactly the way you want it complicated technically?

Bryan El : The most complicated thing is to come up with an idea for the video. Once you have that it’s not that hard to assemble the video itself. I’m a music composer and not a movie designer so I had to come up with the solution of using existing footage to present my own music with. I have hundreds of DVD’s and have enough footage about anything you can think of so then I just listen to my song while I imagine what the emotion is showing me. Then I search for fitting footage to the music.

For example…. on my Solaris remix I used small parts of footage from a Tiësto concert dvd and pasted the parts together, muted the original sound, placed my own remix on top and adjusted the footage speed to match my own remix. Eventually it looks as if DJ Tiësto is playing my remix on one of his concerts. All you need is a good video editing program like PowerDirector and you can start editing. Of course none of my video’s are for sale as the images come from existing copyrighted material, but because the amount of footage used is so small it can legally be used under the term “fair use” on YouTube.

John : Could you tell us what do you have going at present, where you are at in composing, and what can we expect to hear from you in the future?

Bryan El : I am planning a third album as you know and many ideas have been roughly recorded. Be patient though…. It will take me at least a few years to get this new album ready. I can’t tell everyone much about it yet but all I can say to the fans is… it will be worth the wait!

John : I am certain it will be highly anticipated, and many like myself look forward to your next release. I just wanted to thank you again Bryan. Expect me to write even more about you in the future here at our NewAgeMusicWorld.Com & NewAgeMusic.nu websites. Your music along with the song videos you produce display your talents in a profound way. B.T. Fasmer and I wish you continued success!

Bryan El : Thank you John & B.T. Fasmer! You guys are great and it’s an honor to be on your websites. I also want to thank my fans for their support (it pays for my studio :D) and thanks to AMAdea for distributing and promoting my music and for really caring about their artists!

You may visit Bryan’s new website at bryanel.com right here and visit his CDBaby.com page. Learn more at his profile page and then discover the many fine AMAdea label artists at the Bulgarian based AMAdeaRecords.com homepage. The bryanel.com website is also a great place to sample his music and read the latest news about Bryan El.

*AMAdea Records has just announced the grand opening of their independent music store outlet. You may read about the news here then visit their new amadeastore.com website to read about the specials and vast selection of popular music encompassing every genre they are now offering their worldwide visitors. Interview photos are courtesy bryanel.com.