New Age Music World

Author Archive

New Age Music is a wonderful medium for any musician to express the more creative aspects of their music apart from what we regularly expect to hear from someone any given day.  This change can be just a slight adjustment from their select style or in many cases, one giant leap while traversing the starry twilights into new zones and uncharted territories.

Julian Ray is a New Age musician from Canada making a more exploratory departure by his current release produced while in the comforts of his home studio suite.  His newest revision in Ambient music with a story to tell is based in theme on the Argonauts of Greek mythology fused into an innovative territorial journey of the cosmos transposed by his just released creation in New Age, Ambient and Experimental music.  

Julian is an independent solo musician from Toronto Canada with a lengthy presence in the music industry and member with the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada ( SOCAN ) and is active in theatre, psychology and philosophy, so perhaps this transition arrives quite naturally.  In addition, he and his wife Katrin are design artists recognized by prestigious awards in Europe and North America during numerous design exhibitions around the world so during their team production strategy Katrin designs the cover arts and other contributing roles which help advance the artist title of Julian Ray Music.

Julian Ray has planned the itinerary for his cosmic explorations on Argonauts of Kosmos as one of true excitement.  While on this expedition into the outer zonal boundaries of electronic music, novel melodic landmarks are created and mysterious territories are revealed to become an experimental project in spatial music ready for your discovery.

Argonauts Of Kosmos is his Cosmic, Ambient, New Age, Experimental release in 2010 and 10 song modification from his more New Age Ambient classified In Flow of Light release earlier this year.  This is also a more categorical illustration away from the Jazz, Easy Listening, Instrumental sounds heard on Wonderful Life & Seashell Stories but for those familiar with his discography know this is just a matter relevant to the creative itinerary he has in store for his listeners at the time. 

In the case of Argonauts of Kosmos it appears considerable effort was made to create interest and kindle the imagination since the musical landscape is a consistent medium to upper tempo atmosphere with prevailing keyboard melodies transmitting the radiant episodes. 

Star Bridge & Milky Way are good examples of the excitement and liveliness since they are so far distant from the lonesome plateaus and solitary note landscapes often heard in some ambient space projects.

Venus : Deep Forest & Stardust have keyboard melodies taken a step further along with the wide range in percussion and clave enhancements of woodblock which increase the interest to the already dreamy atmosphere.  This can also be said about the more ambient song Deep Space Mission.

Orion’s Belt & Argonauts of Kosmos ( Title Song ) are the most experimental given the voice box encounters and lightly drifting notes that divuldge new territories in electronic explorations where the outer boundaries are readily defined for the listener so they may make their own individual excursion by using a little creative imagination of their own. 

More importantly this over an hour long album is aglow in bright ambience and the deeply mysterious moments enhance the bold adventuresome qualities of the music without ever leaving one wanting more or stranded all alone in the twilight zone.

Visit the julianraymusic.com homepage then sample / purchase on his albums page or CDBaby.com page.  Read more on his biography page and then our page dedicated to Julian Ray.

Cover design copyright Julian Ray Music courtesy of Katrin Ray  

NewAgeMusicWorld.Com & NewAgeMusic.nu are proud to announce an interview with Gandalf has now been scheduled and will be presented at our websites in the very near future, giving our website visitors an inside look into the life work of a globally recognized musician living in Vienna Austria.

Gandalf is currently planning his next orchestration event to celebrate his 30 year Anniversary in 2011 and composing this next album to become the centerpiece for the celebratory occasion, plus a live performance in Vienna will accent the milestone achievement of this renowned World artist.

Gandalf’s 30 year anniversary event is highly anticipated by many and also happens to be the very first topic of the interview John Olsen is preparing, which promises to be a lengthy and comprehensive conversation about his lifework and music, giving our visitors an inside preview during the remaining months just prior to Gandalf’s 30 year anniversary in 2011.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         We want to express a special word of thanks to Gandalf for taking time away from his work and allowing us this opportunity and invite everyone to visit the gandalf.at hompage and then his discography page. You can read our pages dedicated to Gandalf and find all of our interviews with top artists by clicking here then our 2010 reviews right here.

Music and Movies are two of the most popular internet search terms used today. These two forms of entertainment by themselves are enough to spark our interest alone yet when audio and visual productions are merged into a movie soundtrack, film score or popular music video, the results achieve an even more exciting sights and sounds experience.

David Mauk from Las Vegas Nevada is a composing performer with plenty of experience in the entertainment business while advancing in popularity from his 12 Months debut released in 2009. His first album created much excitement for many and equally so for David since 12 Months received nomination at ZMR for Best Electronic Album and also earned David a Best New Artist nomination for the year.

Ground Swell is his 2010 release, unique not only by the great mood effect of his classic yet easygoing electronic compositions but some songs were inspired by American realist painter Edward Hopper and Ground Swell is a CD / DVD collector’s edition that beautifully captures the early American century with Cinematic drama and a nice collection by any standard.

The 5 bonus video clips are nicely correlated with his unique brand of classic electronic music and are a beautiful addition to the audio CD since the extra sensory effect of video makes it easy for anyone to visualize his ambient music becoming a modern times movie score.

The National Geographic Society has already realized the dynamic effect of his compositions by integrating as their official music with many exhibits including King Tutankhamun, Golden Age of the Pharaohs, Real Pirates and Cleopatra museum exhibits, in fine music that enhances the experience for all museum visitors.

David Mauk has given everyone 2 excellent reasons to appreciate his music in 2010. The Ground Swell CD alone is a free flowing natural display of bright ambience offered with a harmonious and casual impression, plus the DVD greatly points out the Cinematic enchantment that makes his music special.

Ground Swell is in effect an Ambient, Electronica, New Age album with a total of 14 songs. The 5 song descriptions I will provide from the CD are ones also listed on the bonus DVD, in this all inclusive CD / DVD collection and you will find the 9 additional songs are sequential to the atmosphere and ideals this album in entirety represents.

Dawn in Pennsylvania has a singular piano melody backed by a deeper synthesizer profile that gives depth to the overall bright and casual mood and is effective at producing a story line of realism by a light atmospheric point of view with cymbal taps and percussion enrichments.

Summertime is like an ode of joyous celebration the summer season always represents, marching right along in attitude by a majestic piano movement. Lower piano octaves maintain the rhythm while upper ranges move up and down the scales in half steps while bell tones ring in the seasonal event.

Chop Suey relies on tenor drum and percussion rhythms as a prelude to keyboard producing the light staccato note melody with a casual feel. During refrains the dynamics are rearranged to a deeper tenor and nicely embolden the song while adding tonal drama.

Queensburo Bridge carries nice rhythmical metrics by strings subtle back and forth sway while light synth notes and key changes introduce sparkling overtones into the melodious theme.

New York Movie is a dreamy song that transports you to a different place and time with strings becoming the prevalent character in the lighter melody. Percussion plays a more indirect role by sharp woodblock notes and when xylophone enters, the soft percussion detailing projects nice sparkling tones in a secondary rhythm.

David Mauk made 12 Months an impressive introduction into New Age music. Ground Swell is another fine classic that makes musical entertainment an even better experience, offering his appealing to the senses experience like the premiere attraction many people are searching for at this very moment.

Visit the davidmauk.com homepage and then sample / purchase on his music page. Learn more about David at his MySpace.com page and then our pages dedicated to David Mauk.

Cover art copyright Kelly Stamblesky – Smith. Picture copyright BigStockPhoto.com – Ondrej Garaj

Bruce Kaphan from California has taken pedal 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 too, giving even music purists a reason to love pedal steel guitar with his earlier release Slider and now Hybrid.  

Bruce Kaphan is easily recognized in the music industry since he began an early career as a studio technician, engineer and producer for many highly recognized artists in other genres and had 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 a vast selection of popular musicians.

The list of popular artists Bruce has encountered as a musician and during his tenure as a recording artist is quite lengthy and will surprise you as it did me when you visit his website.  During the early days while living in San Francisco he was also a member of Indie / Alternative band American Music Club plus his music has been featured on many film scores and television broadcasts.

Hybrid is his current album that I recently wrote a review about here at New Age Music World.  The 12 original compositions show pedal steel guitar as an appealing choice while clearing a new path of creative improvisations in light ambience and emerges as a natural contender in the vast field of music. 

Bruce Kaphan and his music is described below in my review quote, along with the song video of Oregon Fire from the Slider album.  This is a nice selection of Bruce performing on pedal steel guitar behind a backdrop of beautiful photography by Nick O’Kelly.  Visit brucekaphan.com website to sample / purchase his music or visit his CDBaby.com page.  Read his biography page and view his collective discography page.  Read my review of Hybrid on our page dedicated to Bruce Kaphan.  Studio photo copyright Bruce Kaphan courtesy of James Saxon

Bruce Kaphan makes a bold statement on Slider and current Hybrid album which features pedal steel guitar as the primary instrument.  You will find his music is a unique blending of unrivaled beauty freshly harvested from another cross section in the vast field of music.  It quickly becomes apparent this new emerging beauty will remain a lasting entity in the world of music.

Steve Orchard is our interview guest today at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com and we welcome our visitors and Steve’s fans to read the recent interview John Olsen has prepared with this outstanding musician. We invite everyone to learn even more on our pages dedicated to Steve Orchard.

John : Thank You for sharing a moment of your time with us today Steve. B.T. Fasmer and I appreciate this opportunity and I am certain your fans are excited to have this chance to find out more about you too. Steve, would you provide a timeline description of your music studies beginning with your earliest introduction to the present ?

Steve Orchard : Yes, Well I probably go back to piano lessons at 7 years old and then combining guitar lessons at 8. My one fault would be that I have always been an impatient, inquisitive player of various musical instruments always wanting to discover how things worked quickly and then improvise. As my Father would say, “Jack of all trades and master of none”.

I played a pretty mean trumpet in the school band and enjoyed singing in the church choir. My family was very musical. I had an aunt who was a piano teacher. When she regularly visited us, from Birmingham, she would want to hear my progress. She once nearly keeled over when I produced the sheet music for What a Day for a Daydream by The Lovin’ Spoonful ! Outrageous !!!

One side of the family were very properly trained with piano & violin playing and into classical and show tunes, whereas my other granddad was a pub pianist. He ‘vamped’ and ‘boogiewoogied’ his stuff and played harmonica at Christmas parties…. It was hilarious when I think back. It seemed to me that he was more joyous in his approach to music. It’s a belief I still hold today that made me a little rebellious in my approach to making my own music. At an early age I bent a wire coat hanger so I could play harmonica & guitar at the same time, just like Dylan & Donovan. It only resulted in me nearly losing an eye and breaking a tooth. I was the school ‘show-off’ doing plays & pantomimes and guess I fancied a career in something to do with the performing arts. Like most kids I was influenced by the pop of that generation.

I have made so many friends all around the world with the release of Raindancer. It has been a privilege to be able to share my music with so many enthusiastic people. This is what encourages us composers to continue to ‘up our game play’ to continually raise the standard, stretch, and find the best we can be.

Steve Orchard

In my teens I enjoyed the diversity of progressive rock, like Yes & The Moody Blues, also the gentle folksy guitar melodies of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, plus the piano troubadours Billy Joel & Elton John & also, the early electronic sounds of Tomita & Mike Oldfield. I was into that ‘Hippy’ thing and meditated, burnt incense and read a lot of Buddhism…. Took myself a bit too seriously! I was a bit of a ‘geek’ and lived for my music writing little tunes with terrible pretentious lyrics from about 15, spotty, years old.

John : You are a member of the Medwyn Goodall circle of friends as a MG Music label artist. Can you tell us some of your experiences as a member and what it is like to be a MG Label artist ?

Steve Orchard : I first heard Medwyn Goodall’s Druid in the July of 1991, in an art gallery in St. Ives Cornwall. It just blew me away and couldn’t put it in any category that I recognized. It was more than music… It was an awesome soundscape and I just knew that it fit me like a glove. I bought it instantly from the gallery on cassette, to play on my ‘state of the art’ Walkman!! When I returned from my holiday I bought it again from New World, on CD. And so began a long period of buying up anything to do with Medwyn Goodalls music.

My wife Julie & I started to correspond with Medwyn and he graciously autographed all our CD’s. He was very open and quite funny. I’ve kept everything he ever sent me, every doodle and every ditty, including all the Christmas cards ( worth a fortune on Ebay …. only joking ) In our early letters ( this was before emails ) I never told Medwyn that I was a musician, thinking that he may feel I was “chasing my own ambitions”…. unthinkable I know but musicians have been known to do it !!! ha ha ha

I think I broke the news very humbly, without wanting to sound ‘pushy’ and tarnish this rather lovely correspondence that we were enjoying. He invited me to send anything anytime …. WELL !!! Boy, did I send him some rubbish, poor guy. I hadn’t found my NEW AGE feet yet and although I enjoyed this new genre, I couldn’t quite capture it in my own compositions. He was my mentor, DEFINITELY. He guided me, no doubt, to where I am today. After a few stumbles, falls, and many experimental tracks, I sent a track called Lull in The Storm from something I was working on called The Consequences of Kisses album. He invited me to produce a new project for MG Music !!!

You can imagine that this was a dream come true. To be working for the man that I had held in such high esteem for so many years. I soon discovered the family at MG Music is a wonderful bunch and all the other artists swap ideas and tips generally between us. The amazing Paul Sills soon became a great friend & Charmaine, his wife & Meina, his daughter, travelled down to spend an enjoyable weekend with us. We had discussions late into the night and played each other’s new or experimental tracks whilst the rest of the world slept.

I realize how unpretentious and genuine all the MG artists are. Chris Green and I talk on the phone regularly ( very clever & funny guy ) then Simon Lovelock & Clifford White have spent ‘time out’ to critique and give ‘sound’ advice, both brilliant technicians of the art. In the past I have found musicians to be very protective and guarded with their work but not here. The wonderful thing is, we are all so different and diverse yet all the same family, producing a vast mix of choices within the same genre, all under the safe and knowledgeable direction of the man himself, Medwyn Goodall. Be warned budding New Age composers, he will not accept second best on his label.

John : In your own words Steve, how would you best describe your music and what are the main components that uniquely sets your music apart from not only MG label artists, but so many other New Age musicians ?

Steve Orchard : My music almost always originates from a guitar base and is then transcribed onto keyboards. I find the guitar a comfortable friend that I can embrace quietly without any sense of rushing to ‘lay down’ on paper or in the studio. Sometimes I live with a melody for months before it develops into a workable phrase or shape.

I have a terrible bad habit of not documenting tracks I have recorded. I have folders, in my studio, bursting with hastily scribbled chords and lyrics…. Someday I may return to them for inspiration, that’s if I can decipher them, but I hate going back. I prefer to always look forward with my writing. In the making of Raindancer I did a lot of research into the South American rainforest and I story boarded ideas & concepts onto the walls of my studio. Another strict rule I have is I never ever go into the studio unless I am in a happy, contented mood. I like to think that when you listen to a Steve Orchard album that, my positive optimism shines through. Sundancer was almost entirely written in my garden during the summer of 2009. It’s sunnier than a ripe melon !!! As Medwyn says, it has lots of energy & warmth. I think his buzz word for the album was ENERGY !!

John : During the early years in Bristol your music was played on BBC Radio and utilized in music scores for various media programming. In what ways has your music been featured ?

Steve Orchard : It seems like a life time ago now but in the 70′s I was in a very popular duo of the time called Mossy, with musical partner Barry Webb ( he’ll be pleased I mentioned his name. ) We played a residency in the cellar bar, at the notorious Bristol Arts Centre. It was a mixture of folk covers and our own written ‘offerings’. We earned a lot of respect locally and had a loyal following amongst the local artists, musicians & regional TV personalities ( I seem to remember being invited and attending a lot of crazy parties ) We were also good ‘fodder’ for the colleges and festivals. At that time we did 3 half hour shows for BHBS radio which led to a spot on BBC’s Friday Folk Nights. BHBS were still playing the jingle we did for them up until a few years ago ( probably when the tape finally disintegrated ) We had a lot of fun but mutually called it a day in 1980 when we both had growing family’s. We remain great buddies.

Unbelievable now with all this technology, that I sent out my first demos on ‘spool’ tape. Perhaps most ended up in the bin but one hit home and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview/audition. They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it. I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison. In the ’90′s I was asked to do the incidental music for ‘Star Runners’. It was a short promotional sci-fi film directed by Andrew Dymond who, I believe, went on to produce ‘Star Hyke’ which was sold to American TV. I wrote about an hour’s worth of instrumental music but only half of it finally reached the finished movie….. My son Daniel & I had a lot of fun going on an all night shoot for the film, eating Mars Bars and drinking Coca Cola all night to stay awake!! The studio day was also fun where we recorded my work, with the help of a prehistoric sequencer, onto video tape and mini disc ( very nostalgic ) Later, with the advent of Channel 5′s birth I was asked by an agent to go up to their TV studios in London to perform one of my own compositions for a forth coming daytime TV show, which I did….. The day flew by in a blur and all I can remember is the hideous cost of car parking on the Tottenham Court Road…. Scandalous !!!

…….. and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview / audition. They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it. I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison.

Steve Orchard

John : You were a band member earlier in life and in addition, widely recognized as a soloist in South West & London England during the 1990’s. Could you tell us about this time period of events you experienced and I just imagine there are some good stories you could tell everyone ?

Steve Orchard : Blimey… How long have we got ? I worked a lot. Mainly covers for the pubs, clubs, hotels and summer seasons at holiday parks. I also did gigs for Army & Navy bases. If you are into performance then it is an incredible apprenticeship. You learn a lot about audiences. I spent 8 consecutive New Years Eve’s away from my wife & kids entertaining 1000′s of drunken party people. When the nights success relies on only YOU…. that’s quite a responsibility ( oh and the bingo & raffle ) I performed all over the South West with 3 nighters in London gigs sleeping in theatrical digs above a pub (not something I can recommend) It’s like an athlete. You build up muscles. You know when to be funny and when to keep your mouth shut!! ( Did I mention I did stand-up ? Don’t do it if you want to retain your sanity ha ha ha !!! )

I’ve known great musicians who were lousy entertainers and great entertainers who were rubbish musicians. In 2001 I realized that this was not what I wanted to do anymore. I wanted to return to my roots which was writing & recording. It was in my heart and the only way I could ‘look at myself in the mirror’ as a serious musician. Continually gigging, performing other people’s material makes you slightly morose and can leave your creative side sadly lacking. True, I do miss the adrenalin rush of an audience but what I do now feels right for me and hopefully my audience is out there still enjoying my performance.

John : Recently I wrote a review for Raindancer and have made plans to review Sundancer & Moondancer when released. Could you tell us more about your Dancer Trilogy and what each individual album illustrates ?

Steve Orchard : Yes, they are companions to each other. I hope my listener/audience hear Raindancer and think, ” Wow! I liked that I’d like to taste some more of that.” Raindancer is very jungle/tribal with some twists and turns in its rhythm’s. I had this picture in my mind of cutting ones way through dense foliage to find a clearing populated by remote civilizations ( does that sound crazy ? ) The indigenous animals and fauna were all playing a part in my composing. Raindancer is where I discovered my New Age capabilities. With the generous direction of Medwyn, I am proud of this album. Sundancer, as I mentioned is all about energy. Islands in the sun and deep tropical seas yet cooling sounds in the midday heat. Rhythms play a big part of this album also and will make people want to move and children dance. My youngest son David is a gifted illustrator having produced many published children’s books has preliminarily designed both, Sundancer & Moondancer album covers. Obviously this is still to be confirmed but his work on all my other albums can be seen on my website.

Moondancer …. Is still under wraps. Suffice to say, this is the cool of the evening. The Moon is out in a cloudless night and a billion stars lead us to imagine what life could lay beyond them. This album is entirely recorded on my new studio and at this date still has to be completed but I have some ‘can’t quite keep still’ ideas in my head. I would just say, “Watch This Space!”

John : There is a lot of great instrumentation on the Raindancer album. In addition to acoustic guitar what are the instruments you play, and recently you told me about an upgrade to your project studio, so could you tell everyone the story behind this recent upgrade ?

Steve Orchard : Raindancer is a completely ‘live’ album. By that I mean that it is layered onto a hard disc in the same way as working with analogue ‘tape’. That’s not to say it suffers from any sound quality but I felt I needed to embrace a tiny bit more technology going forward. My main keyboard friends are my trusty Korg Triton & Roland Sonic Cell, with expansion boards, plus some other concoctions!!! Anyways on with a story…

By now Medwyn and his lovely wife Wendy had become my good friends. He invited me down to his home in Helston, in Cornwall, for a visit and to look at his studio with perhaps, an insight into the more sophisticated way he works. WOW !!! I only say that because a lot of your fellow members and readers of this site will be saying WOW !!! He was considering completely re-building his studio and giving me the opportunity to ‘adopt’ & ‘adapt’ his studio. This is ‘THE STUDIO’ which is responsible for selling over 4 million albums. It was January and the worst winter the UK had seen in 30 years. I was doubtful whether I would be able to make the journey as heavy snow had fallen over most of the South West. I travelled the day before our meeting and the journey was a little ‘hairy’ ( that’s a British expression for OMG !! …. another icey patch!!! ) I just had to go and meet this man face to face. He had a reputation for being ‘very private’ and not conceding to personal visits to their beautiful Cornish home.

I have to say, that information could not be more wrong. From the outset he was warm and friendly, and we spent the long day in his studio exchanging much humor and banter. I felt relaxed in his company immediately. To be sat elbow-to-elbow in the studio with him was an unforgettable experience. Such ease of understated talent was remarkable ( no, not me, him…. only joking ). Wendy arrived home from there very busy offices and warehouse in Helston and they were gracious enough to take me out for a memorable meal that evening. Suffice to say, I returned the following day with the ‘HEART’ of Medwyn’s studio and since then have amalgamated it into my own studio I think, really successfully ( you will need to wait for the completion of Moondancer to make that appraisal ) I personally can’t wait… It’s going to be special !!

John : On behalf of our visitors and your fans we Thank You again Steve. Before we go is there anything you would like to bring up or tell your fans ?

Steve Orchard : I have made so many friends all around the world with the release of Raindancer. It has been a privilege to be able to share my music at last, with so many enthusiastic people. This is what encourages us composers to continue to ‘up our game play’ to continually raise the standard, stretch, and find the best we can be. In the spirit of all MG Music Artists I will always try to answer all emails and help other budding musicians in their quest. Everything is possible. It has been a long journey but I still feel opportunities lay ahead of me. So many friends & family ( my closest love & confidant Julie, my wife of 31 years…. She’ll be pleased I mentioned her name again! ) have supported me over the years even when I may have floundered…. A good friend once told me, ” The thing with you Orchard, is that you are PERSISTANT ” Oh Yes!”…. & keep smiling !

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage right here. Sample his album at his music page and learn more about Steve on his biography page. Visit his MG Music profile page to sample / purchase then learn more about every MG label artist at the mgmusic.ltd.uk website. Here is where you will find our pages dedicated to Steve Orchard.

Sundancer & Moondancer covers by David Orchard. Raindancer cover by Medwyn Goodall. Picture copyright Steve Orchard.

NewAgeMusicWorld.Com is a music blog dedicated to the outstanding musicians defining the music world today. 

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Your Friend In Music, John P. Olsen

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Davol is a popular New Age musician from Colorado whose expertly blended Contemporary Electronic melodies are a dramatic wonder to behold.  His entire music collection and current Good Sign album ultimately proclaim a positive and upbeat influence you will find inspirational.

Good Sign is his April 2010 release which decisively aligns itself to symbolize another exceptional album 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 recognized for producing top quality music.

Davol is a success in many aspects of his life and 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, plus the worldwide usage of his songs involving television, radio, video and numerous multimedia production scores has clearly magnified this proficient artisan on an international level.

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 own individual class, each one interrelated by a characteristic source of fascinating drama to proclaim the positive and upbeat influence you will find inspirational.

Truth 2010 is an electronic Dance / Club influences remix featured during the popular online video now available on the Good Sign album. A heavier percussion tempo prepares the groove rhythms before exploration into deeper shades of electronic intensity and is well combined in timing when compared to his conceptual Truth Video that makes a valid point while capturing the superficial and unbalanced influences portrayed in television media.

Visit davolmusic.com to sample / purchase and at his music page or CDBaby.com page.  You can learn the true facts about Davol on his website biography page.  Here are the provided links to his MySpace page and our page dedicated to Davol.  Shown below is my recent album quote from my review titled Finding the Good Sign in Davol  and his Truth Song Video.

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

While water is one natural element necessary to sustain life, music is one non essential we can certainly live without but then again, fluid and tranquil music can be a calming neutralizer to a more harmonious life, especially when one is caught in a hurricane of stormy life challenges.

Eric Chapelle is a composing pianist from Austin Texas whose original music scores conceivably calm the waters in several ways.  Born in France, Eric is also an avid photographer who has lived in several countries around the world and his piano music retains the essential element for relaxing music by the calm buoyancy in sound that finds neutral ground with the pounding waves heard in some music today.

 Across The Water is his Contemporary Instrumental 2010 release that impart 16 songs in ambient expression and creative imagination.  Eric has performed his original compositions in concerts across the U.S. for over a decade, plus movie soundtracks in television, film, and commercials have been the scores that yielded wider recognition in addition to the 2 albums to his credit.  Our Time was his 1998 album admired by many and had justifiably earned Eric a place alongside more esteemed pianists after his opening debut.

Eric Chapelle’s contributions in The Heart Aid Project has inspired me to tell you more about the story behind his dedicated efforts in a tribute CD in memorandum of the fateful World Trade Center events on 9 / 11.  In addition to Eric who conceived and produced the project, he and review publicist Kathy Parsons had corresponded with 16 additional well respected pianists and everyone compiled the tribute CD without royalties.

Simply put, their time and virtuous work on this 9 / 11 remembrance album is to be commended, in addition their efforts have also reaffirmed my current knowledge that the 17 contributors response is very much representative of the caliber of people who comprise the New Age genre today.

Across The Water is another fine illustration of the resourcefulness put into every composition.  Julia Cory is a cellist from Texas joining Eric on songs Every Wish & Soft Landing then guitarist John Inmon & cellist Dawn Biega offer their contributing instrumentals on Across The Water ( Title Track )  Their level of performance and musical drama they offer expressively impart gentle movement into the picture and is well suited to the principal ideals this album represents.  

This album retains yet one more harmonious notation since some of the 16 songs on Across The Water were recorded at the 150 acre Norton Island Retreat residency program created by the Easter Frontier Educational Foundation in Maine.  Eric has characterized the island as an inspiring destination of solitude where writers and musicians like him can compose in peaceful moments of relaxing clarity.

Norton Island is one song where the natural environment of the retreat is evenly transferred then shown like a scenic picture of captured images.  The comparatively timed piano solos, casual in ambient recollections like heard in Tide Pool wonderfully convey an impression of calm by the fluid detailing in chord phrasing and lighter melodies that offer subtle reflections using even handed moderation, much attune to Wild Iris in the mellow point of view it brings.

Remembrance is another beautiful song that carries a wonderful Cinematic overtone with every measure, and although the song on the surface is light the well placed notes engrave a deep feel of melancholy, in nicely placed emotional content I found quite moving.  Contrasting soprano chorals evenly trace the piano melody while outlining lower octaves then model into more dramatic posturing and boldly crescendo as if gentle waves were moving across the shoreline.

While Across The Water from Eric Chapelle is not essential to daily living, his inspired by nature album is a solid collection of calming ambience that provides a wealth of relaxing harmony for the listener, smoothing out the rough edges of today while remaining anchored in a state of readiness for the next enduring wave of life challenges that are sure to arise.

Visit the hamsamusic.com website and then purchase on his music page or at CDBaby.com to sample / purchase.  Read more about Eric at his biography page.  The Heart Aid Project CD is currently offered through the Spring Hill Music website.

Photo copyright Hamsa Music courtesy of Eric Chapelle

Davol is our interview guest at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com and knowing the positive nature of his music, we hope to create a little excitement of our own today. Davol is a widely popular musician easily recognized by his Electronic Contemporary Instrumental melodies that readily elevate the mood sensation and their highly melodic rhythms in turn offer an inspiring upbeat atmosphere.

Davol’s music eloquently brings a positive and energetic influence to the forefront of New Age music and today we hope to encourage every visitor to learn more about him. Review publicists B.T. Fasmer and interview host John P. Olsen have published earlier reviews of his current album Good Sign and we invite you to read these reviews on our pages dedicated to Davol.

John : Thank You for sharing your time with us Davol. Your April 2010 release Good Sign is an excellent album and another fine release of the 6 albums total you have produced since your decision to pursue music as a new career in 1989.

Good Sign is successfully making waves with your large fan base and ZMR charts presently have listed at # 2 for May. This is great news naturally, but I personally believe much more recognition may be in store for Good Sign. What are your thoughts on the direction this album is heading and do you set out to win awards and earn top recognition ?

Davol : Although I always try to keep my music at a high standard, I was pleasantly stunned to see how this album has taken off! This is the first time I’ve worked with the renowned promoter Ed Bonk, and it’s been quite rewarding. Every aspect of a creative project is educational, including the promotional side. As for awards, we’ll see what is possible … maybe you could help me out with a Grammy nomination ? !

John : Hey, B.T. and I will see what we can do …. Lol ! What you said about Ed Bonk is true. We consider Ed a good friend and hear the exact sediments from his clients all the time. Everyone speaks pretty highly of Ed Bonk ( Lazz Promotions )

Your scholastic training in jazz, classical piano and harpsichord were early prerequisites in your move toward the more modern music influences you produce today. Would you provide our visitors an outline of your studies and music history ?

Davol : When I was quite young I started with the trumpet. But the monophonic nature of it frustrated me, so I became interested in piano at the age of 12. I studied classical piano a bit, and harpsichord a little in college. I’m actually now studying jazz piano with a local jazz master. It’s challenging and fun. I’m probably his most remedial student, still learning the basics! In a sense, I kind of feel like my compositional work exists very separately (in my brain and heart) from my previous musical training. Obviously there is some kind of relationship and influence, but I really feel like the electronic music I write is more influenced by my love of pop music.

John : You have a PH.D and had begun an already successful career as a medical researcher and microbiologist until 1996 when you then chose to begin a commercial venture producing multimedia music. What were the timeline of events that led to your decision to pursue music as a new career and was this career move an easy choice for you to make at the time Davol ?

Davol : Oh gosh no, it wasn’t easy. I had worked so hard to become a medical researcher and get my doctorate, but I was also very burned out. I was doing music professionally WHILE I was finishing my PhD in microbiology and continued doing both simultaneously over the years. The problem was that to be a really good scientist, one must be very focused. In other words, you work in the laboratory in the daytime, and you’re expected to read journals and write papers in the evening. I wanted only to write music in the evening! So there was sort of a mutual incompatibility with the two careers. When I left science, I felt that I had learned a great deal and had published significant work. That was satisfying. I actually did return to science in the last 5 years, sort of in a roundabout way; I was a public health educator for a Hepatitis C non-profit organization. I was giving educational talks about HepC, mostly to ex-convicts who were on parole. It was a very unusual and educational experience.

John : I read at your website that many of your albums are designed with a theme in mind based on events during the time period. What themes are behind Mystic Waters & A Day Like No Other ?

Davol : Mystic Waters was released in 1989, a time when “fantasy” albums were all the rage. So, it was conjured up with that genre in mind. There was a sense of peace and tranquility, a sense of fluid movement, like water.

A Day Like No Other marked a pretty big change in my life, sort of a reinvention, as I hadn’t released an album for 7 years (since Open Book). I wasn’t sure that I would do any more albums, frankly. I was burned out and was now producing on my own label. Also, ADLNO was the first album I ever wrote and produced without any co-producer. In other words, I had to finally trust myself, in a very singular sense, and believe in what I was doing! Also, ADLNO was the first album I wrote in a completely software-based studio environment, so the toolset and sound palette was utterly different from the past. It moved me more into a guitar-based sound that I find very appealing for the pop-style in which I write. So, the ADLNO album represented everything “fresh” and “new” to me, hence the name.

John : Nice reinvention Davol since A Day Like No Other happens to be one of my favorite albums ! There were some particular circumstances happening during the production of Good Sign. What was going on at the time and how did you maintain the Davol can do attitude ?

Davol : Yes, some challenging things … a couple of close loved ones struggling at the end of their lives and passing on, I had to move my mother into a retirement home, find a home for her dog, empty her house and sell it, etc, and a 14-story high-rise was built directly across the street from my home. That meant 1.5 years of incessant noise, my street closed off every day, etc. It was overwhelming. Oh, and I almost forgot, the interior of my house flooded, TWICE.

Due to the construction, I ended up working on the Good Sign album in the evenings. I would start work after dinner and finish at 2:00 am. It was a very unhealthy lifestyle for about a year, but hey, I got it done!! I think the album truly was my catharsis, so the focus was JOY, OPTIMISM, and POSITIVITY!

John : After listening to several prior radio interviews at your website and it’s pretty easy to recognize you are a positive and upbeat person as you were saying and just like your music reflects. Is it your intent to instill a positive influence into all of your music and just how exactly do you transfer a positive personality trait into musical notes ?

Davol : I guess I have always tried to keep a positive outlook in life. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the tedious minutiae of the day-to-day, but important to never lose sight of the fantastic gifts we all have.

Certainly I try to convey that optimism in my music, but hopefully without being cliché or trite. That can be a fine line, I know. It probably sounds like a really old fogey thing to say, but I’m so glad that I was young when I was! Fashion ads were largely about people with smiles on their faces when I was young. Nowadays, so much of the advertising looks like a bunch of mean, unhappy people wearing sunglasses and deadpan looks – so much pretense and attitude. I like the concept of “hope”, so I would never make a good Buddhist

I think there is also often a slight tinge of melancholy in the music I write. Sort of a mix of bright optimism blended with a small amount of “reality/regrets/disappointment/loss”. I prefer that 90:10 mix. I can certainly appreciate very dark music, it’s just simply not my forte to write in that genre, so I typically don’t.

John : Yes, I love the dramatic notations you infuse into your work. Has today’s technology made a big impact in regards to the way you have composed music in the past, and what electronic equipment do you use ?

Davol : Yes, definitely. I work on a Mac, using the sequencing host Logic Studio. My soundset includes instruments from every major software synth manufacturer. I’m particularly fond of MusicLab’s RealGuitar product. It’s the BEST for acoustic guitar strums that layer so beautifully with my synth textures. It gives everything a wonderful energy and feel. Using a software-synth studio has advantages and disadvantages, but I’ve chosen to simplify my life by not using any hardware instruments anymore. I could never turn back now.

John : Good Sign features a song called Truth 2010. This is the first time you have made the Truth song available on CD and is the remix of your conceptual Truth Video that created a dramatic reaction among many people and considered political in nature. How and why did you produce the Truth Video, and what where the political and competition events occurring during production ?

Davol : That was a creative vanity project that appealed to me at the time. And I had never done a video and wanted to learn how to create and edit video. Needless to say, THAT took a great deal of time, but was fun. That was back in 2007 and there was so much political discontent in the US, that I wanted to take a few steps backward and comment on the fact that so much of our “reality” is based on media stories that, for all we know, may have very little to do with the truth. If the past is any judge, everything should be suspect. But we pick and choose, deciding that story “x” is reasonable and we believe it, but story “y” is crazy and we reject it. We do this in history and have created a revisionist history that is written into textbooks. If we know that about history, why don’t we view current events reporting with the same skepticism? So, to return to your question, my focus wasn’t so much on the current politics of the time, but taking a glimpse at the last 100 years or so of US history, in particular.

John : Do you plan to release more CD albums and song videos in addition to the current ones featured on YouTube, and I ask this half joking Davol, but do you consider yourself a political activist in a sense after the Truth Video ?

Davol : No more politics! Read my lips! I really want to focus on what I do best, simply write music. And that is where my heart and head truly reside. So, no more detours or distractions from the music. Videos take so much time, that I don’t care to be involved in that either, although others are certainly welcome to consider such a project using my music – I’m open to that. Albums are definitely my focus for the future. As for CDs, well, they will soon be obsolete

John : It has been a pleasure to meet you Davol. B.T. Fasmer and I will keep our visitors informed on the latest news about you so let’s keep in touch. Before we go today, is there anything you would like to tell your fans or bring up that we haven’t talked about ?

Davol : I came so close to abandoning my music career before the A Day Like No Other album, that I just want to thank everyone over the years who has emailed me or left a comment on my Guestbook page. It is truly those supportive words, stories of moments in people’s lives where my music touched their hearts that have kept me creating. I thank you all, and hope to keep providing music that will intrigue and touch listeners in a meaningful way.

John and B.T. Fasmer, thank you so much for supporting independent artists and this opportunity to share with fans.

We encourage our visitors to learn more about Davol and the place to find him is his davolmusic.com website homepage. Read his biography page and go to his music page to purchase / sample or at CDBaby.com page. Then read our reviews of Good Sign here at our pages and at our NewAgeMusic.nu pages dedicated to Davol.

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 3 natural elemental first words, 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. His 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 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 new release in the alluring Dancer trilogy.

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.

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 enhancements assist 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 quite captivating using two metrical rhythms where flute nurtures the primary melody while guitar draws on half step chord rhythms during a concurrent secondary melody, rising in chord phrasing to nicely elevate the tropical atmosphere.

This beautiful song in proportion to the entire album is a precise exhibition of the integral voice Steve Orchard so boldly represents and in addition, sets the standard of excellence for his all inclusive Dancer Trilogy.

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage right here. Sample Raindancer on his music page and learn more about Steve on his biography page. Visit his MG Music profile page to sample / purchase then learn more about every Medwyn Goodall label artist at the mgmusic.ltd.uk website.

Cover design and layout copyright MG Music courtesy of Medwyn Goodall.  Big Stock Photo copyright - 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 this 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 beauty harvested from another cross section in the vast field of music and quickly becomes apparent this new emerging beauty will remain a lasting entity. 

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

Pedal steel guitar happens to be the prominent instrument in Hybrid and a natural selection 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.

In an age where hybrids in all shapes and forms are becoming more relevant daily, the new Hybrid album by Bruce Kaphan becomes a natural contender when placed side by side among traditional New Age albums.

The lighter exploratory metrical patterns of Jazz, Hawaiian & 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 & discography page.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – 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 artesian style and by their inner convictions, become a virtuoso by what they offer the music world.

Gandalf is an internationally acclaimed composing musician and 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 A Secret Reality 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 A Secret Reality 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 percussions. 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.

This ensemble in unison has made the album a unique listening experience and beginning with 3 songs Dreamcatcher ( Part 1 ) vocals and flute instill a celestial atmosphere while Gandalf steps up to give an astounding Rock styled electric guitar anthem. This is much 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 proclaims a powerful majestic atmosphere and is most memorable by any standard.

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 find out more on his biography page. Visit the Munsing Germany based bscmusic.com homepage and then his BSA Music profile page to sample / purchase his music.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – 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 forms 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 his 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 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.

Visit davolmusic.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page. You can also find out more about Davol at his biography page and MySpace.com page.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto.com – Yakobchuk

Bryan El is the artist title 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 to a detailed look into what makes Bryan’s individualistic approach to music so appealing.

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

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, so 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 : Help me determine what exactly sets your music apart from so many others Bryan. Is it because your music is Classical Symphony styled, or could it be that your upbeat modern day compositions are the reason you seem to rise above the crowd from many 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 your artist title 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 such detail. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Finally the groove is done with Stylus RMX.

I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”.

Bryan El

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 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, and what can we expect ?

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 NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com websites. Your music along with the videos you produce displays 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 ) 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. You can also visit his MySpace.com page & 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.

Julian Ray is a Toronto Canada based musician I have had the pleasure of meeting right when Canada was hosting the XXI Olympic Winter Games.  His freestyle New Age Ambient and Meditative discography meets and exceeds our gold standard for providing our readers defining music and I will soon be writing more about him.

Julian Ray’s presence in the music industry is lengthy in duration and he is a current member with the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada ( SOCAN ) and an independent solo artist who produces all of his music in his project studio suite. 

His current releases are Seashell Stories, Saga, Wonderful Life  & In Flow of Light release that I had published a review about recently on our main pages.  Always looking ahead, 2 ready for release are Argonauts of Kosmos & Garden of Mysterious Souls.  Starry Tale, Evolution & Path To The Moon are future projects with song samples available at his julianraymusic.com website.

Julian’s educational background and interests are well centered in music, psychology, theater, philosophy, and art, plus he is a design artist along with wife Katrin Ray, who plays an important role by album art design and her assistance with helping advance Julian’s musical career to the next level.  In addition their design work together as a couple has been greatly recognized by prestigious awards in Europe and North America during numerous design exhibitions around the world.

In Flow of Light is his current release with a lighter form of easy listening ambient music affable for at home or on the go relaxation with keyboard and percussion effects that nicely reinforce the trademark easy to recognize discography of Julian Ray.

Silence is one song from In Flow of Light that gives a measurable indication of Julian’s characteristic approach since this particular song has more of an atmospheric casual feel that makes traveling or relaxing at home even more enjoyable.

Visit julianraymusic.com right here and read his biography page.  Be sure to take a look at his current albums page his future projects page then our page dedicated to Julian.  The album quote from my review titled New Age Music Canadian Style, and the atmospheric song video Silence are shown below to give you an example of Julian Ray’s individual freestyle approach to music that indeed makes the winner’s circle.

 Julian’s current album In Flow Of Light has a casual ambience while hosting the 10 uplifting song melodies in a relaxing format, great for travel or winding down right at home.  His prior releases Saga, Wonderful Life & Seashell Stories maintain this relaxing and uplifting concept, with all having a noticeable individualistic feel that indirectly tells you it was produced by Julian Ray. 

David Nevue is a composing Solo Pianist where some comparisons have been made to other pianists in the solo category for years. Those truly familiar with David accept the fact his personalized Neo Classical melodies shed new light on Spiritual piano music while instilling a deeper meaning apart from many by their innermost reverence.

It is true that in addition to his individual concert appearances David who resides with his family in Oregon, has often shared the stage with comparable great talents like David Lanz, Wayne Gratz, Suzanne Ciani, Peter Kater, and a multitude of solo performers, so perhaps a reason some comparisons of his work are made.

Another reason could be the way up in the clouds airplay since his music is heard on over 220 radio, satellite and internet programs worldwide. Overcome is a prior album named Best Instrumental Piano Album of 2005 in the Lifestyle Music Awards and Adoration, which also features traditional hymn arrangements reached # 1 on ZMR charts in May 2008, highlighting the integral popularity of his music.

In relation to his music career David also authored the book How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet and founded the educational Music Biz Academy website that helps independent musicians market then advance their individual music careers. David also founded the free internet based Whisperings : Solo Piano Radio program having nearly a million listeners each month.

Coinciding like an open ministry of personal faith, Revelation : Solo Piano for Prayer & Worship is an offertory album of 19 intimate peaceful songs of beauty within, given the honored hymns of worship that persons with or without their own personal inner beliefs will enjoy.

Revelation : Solo Piano for Prayer & Worship contains 5 new hymn arrangements, 4 original songs and improvisations on 10 modern worship classics and is David’s eleventh release with a rededicated focus on melodic piano music offering a deep spiritual structure.

Revelation is much like past albums by original content and inclusion of new compositions on age old song hymns from centuries past where church attendees from many religious faiths will recognize in the first few measures.

David Nevue has a limited degree of formal music studies so recites much of his songs from memory, but believe me this is not apparent when you witness the beautiful music granted to this devout Christian man also identified by a skillful aptitude in his composing abilities and creative spirit while performing his personalized music.

You will discover that David offers his hymns like an open book with a nice variety of thought and feel on each song he performs. Softly and Tenderly is shown in a like reverence by an emotion filled call during the gentle yet moving piano melody that is more than worthy of this ages old hymn.

Blessed Assurance is an onward moving testament by the lively melody set in a moderately faster tempo that reveals the resolute nature of his work.

Holy, Holy, Holy is a lighter piano improvisation validating the positive hallmarks of the holy trinity and Amazing Love ( You Are My King ) is a more introspective song of tribute and another positive affirmation for the melodies of honor he steadfastly produces.

David’s version of this Contemporary Christian music hymn is serene by an inner reflection that stands apart from most modern versions and at the same time, celebrates his faithful commitment to Solo Piano music exalting a beautiful reverence overfilled with joyful praise.

Visit davidnevue.com to sample / purchase and learn more about his inspirational music. Then visit David’s CDBaby.com page and his MySpace page. To listen to Whisperings Radio go to solopianoradio.com right here.

David & Steve Gordon are internationally acclaimed 30 year music legends pushing the musical boundaries yet again by 2 releases in 2010.  The time consuming search for finding great music just got a little easier and I plan to bring you more about the band of brothers who founded the Sequoia Records Label.

The Gordon Brothers are easily recognized by many since these Award Winning producers, composers, and classically trained instrumentalists also founded the acclaimed Sequoia Records 26 years ago and will find they are a reliable and trusted source for great music. 

Knowing their defining contributions to our genre and after my recent introduction to David and Steve, I look forward to telling you about their new releases since they consistently shape the landscape of New Age, World, Ambient, Nature, Chill Out and Electronic music in many respects.

New Age explorers of music by their early conception of nature sound creations and early dawn of their Sequoia Records Label, these 2 music innovators have attained world class recognition, grossed over 1.6 million units in sales worldwide and in the process, and even helped write the definitions for our primary genre and subgenres.

 David and Steve Gordon have been recognized 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 about their fine achievements, recognition and life work.

Gratitude is their latest contribution in the Relaxation and Meditation series highlighting Native American flute with enhancing keyboard imagery that when integrated as a whole creates a natural feel with the pairing and becomes conducive to a revitalizing atmosphere.

Gratitude has a calming sensation which briefly takes you back to their innovative days of nature sound ambience first heard in primordial album Misty Forest Morning if you listen close enough.  On their current however a more prominent Native American Flute interchange becomes extended when partnered with drawn out electronic enhancements, nurturing depth while maximizing the level of richness in tonal balance. 

The electronics blended with woodwind passages impart moments of peace and solitude in a relaxing sanctuary of refined ambience.  While sharing equal time and thought on this album, the Native American flute passages at times, becomes the calming voice from the past that shares a respective dialogue with modern day electronic ambience.      

Buddha – Lounge 7 is the second release and a compilation of Chill Out Electronica tracks from around the world, and a great choice for those pursuing exceptional Chill Out music that also happens to be widely popular these days.

This Sequoia Records album enlists an extensive array of 9 hand selected global talents sporting their individual interpretations of Electronic Chill Out, Groove and Lounge, with David and Steve taking a role on 3 originals of the 12 songs which presents over an hour of first class music.

Buddha Nova, Secret Lotus & Cobalt Transport are the 3 songs from David and Steve, and it is always a challenge to pick just one favorite, but lively percussion enhanced Buddha Nova with a light tonal keyboard melody did make an impression on me. 

The progressive feel of Secret Lotus and mesmerizing percussion enhanced Cobalt Transport are first class too and you will find my favorite pick is simply a matter of personal taste. 

This compilation album in entirety features Achillea, Tya, Jens Gad Presents, Artemisia, Paul Heinerman, Helene Horlyck, Jaya Lakshmi, Lodestone Resonator, and Opera to Relax.

Buddha – Lounge 7 is just one in the edition series in an even more expansive 16 Chill Out / Groove compilation albums from the production and mixing team of DJ brothers who showcase an abundance of global music talents you will recognize in addition to their individual album arrangements, making your search for fine music so much easier.

Visit the sequoiarecords.com homepage and then visit David & Steve Gordon’s biography page.  Here is their Meditation, Relaxation and World collection page and where you can sample Gratitude.  Here is their Chill Out Electronica collection page and where you can sample the latest Buddha – Lounge 7.  If you are new to The Gordon Brothers here is a link to their best sellers page.

Photo Copyright Sequoia Records