Michael Stribling has made Paradise Lost into a bold and monumental seventh album, in an enduring lineage of New Age Electronic albums that have made an impact in the genre, winning awards and universal acclaim during his years as an accredited musician recognized for producing outstanding ambient music.  His entire discography like recent The Promise which dealt with life transitions, became a success by winning top honors in ZMR’s Best Electronic Album award in 2009.

His album Songs of Hope and Healing made it to # 1 on the Top 100 on ZMR charts, securing the Electronic Lifestyle Music Award in 2006 and Out of the Darkness, Into the Light, lit up the # 2 spot on the Top 100 in January having 2 nominations for the Lifestyle Music Award in 2007.  Another Day in Paradise is another praiseworthy album while Love, Light, and Water earned nomination for Best Relaxation / Meditation Album in 2008, making every single day even brighter for this independent recording musician with a boldly optimistic outlook toward the challenge of change.

Michael’s transitions over the years include earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, work as a radio announcer, performing in theatre musicals and playing percussion for Johnny Mathis.   Michael’s story gets even better since after becoming a successful Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering professional help to those who needed a hand with their transitions, he himself returned to his earlier love of music and formed Leela ( Divine Play ) Music where he also hosts free online radio programs at Leela Radio.

Paradise Lost  is a terrific new release with 12 symbolic songs defined by 3 movements and while retracing the ancestral life experiences of Native Americans through electronic orchestrations, the perspective I determined ranged from total relaxation to energetic and is quite epic during this recounting of the early Native American experience.

Visit the leela-music.com website to sample or purchase at his CDBaby.com page.  Also visit Michael where he hosts a free online radio program at leela-radio.com website and then our pages dedicated to Michael Stribling.  Below is the review quote I wrote about Michael’s The Promise release and the video from Love, Light and Water album titled River Canyon.

Michael Stribling has clearly made many successful transitions in his musical lifetime, giving him a first hand perspective to help others cope with change.  The positive yes responses shown in his earlier music and in this new release prove his natural composing abilities for bringing hope and inspiration to others.

Michael Stribling has released an album to commemorate the past while honoring every Native American who lived and died protecting their sacred homeland. To me, Michael’s dedication struck a familiar chord concerning our present values and the high price we pay to keep the diverse ethnicities comprising the America of today free.

Paradise Lost is Michael’s seventh in an enduring lineage of New Age Electronic albums making an impact in the genre, winning awards and universal acclaim during his years as an accredited musician producing outstanding ambient music. His electronic discography like recent The Promise which dealt with life transitions is indeed a success and in my role as review publicist, quickly identified his exemplary artistry in the first few measures, so Paradise Lost is not worlds apart from earlier albums, but is clearly a monumental one as those familiar with his music would agree.

Paradise Lost has 12 symbolic songs defined by three movements and while retracing the ancestral life experiences of Native Americans, the perspective I determined from this viewpoint ranged from total relaxation to energetic, so you will find Paradise Lost is not gloomy or somber and I felt more epic in nature. Another point worthy of mention knowing this album recounts the Native American experience, conceptual electronic orchestrations are the expressive medium given during this rendition so a harmonious contrast to more traditional depictions by wood flutes, chanting or bass drums.

Prairie Dawn is first of 5 songs to reveal a distant gaze upon the clear majestic landscape and of people living during this historic period, now emerging with a more ambient view of tribal culture where spacious orchestrations echo the expansive lands of our past.

French horn heralds in Guardian of the Plains, then strings become like strands of wheat gently moving in the breeze while flute sets the melody upward in flight during Forest Heart. Synthesizer projects an airy windswept Eagle Above, River Below, then growing excitement and tempo ensues while racing among the scenic timberlands in Hunting Party.

March of Destiny is first of 3 songs to reference the battle over territorial supremacy and true to song title, a crisp drum cadence is timed in lock step rhythm to a salutary march across the open wilderness. Horns make a melodic call to arms to a swirling crosswind of mystery surrounding the ambient Approaching Storm with blended electric guitar strides. In Vision Quest a drifting cloud of haziness finds origins by long extended atmospheric notes.

Paradise Lost ( Title Song ) is first of the final 4 songs to represent the loss of humanity and prized territories, shown by contrasting synthesizer runs, an elevated prominence boldly reaches an ascending summit while heightening the majestic image this project in entirety symbolizes. Lament for the Land is more tributary by a solemn narrative that is likened to the soulful Hymn for the Fallen.

Return to the Spirit World is a song telling of a higher perspective during Michael’s closing adaptation, and while entering into an ever rising plateau of instrumental ambience, each expansive layer also finds equable ground for every note to build a foundation upon, coinciding with the present unified territories everyone observes today from every corner pointing North and South, East and West.

Visit the leela-music.com website to sample or purchase at his CDBaby.com page or Digstation.com page. Also visit Michael where he hosts a free online radio program at leela-radio.com website and our pages dedicated to Michael Stribling.

Cover art copyright Michael Stribling – Picture copyright Big Stock Photo – ta_samaya.

Every musician in our genre has produced some outstanding music this year,and we have enjoyed writing reviews about many of these musicians at NewAgeMusicWorld.Com & NewAgeMusic.nu this past year.

In fact, some were recognized in our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009.

There is no denying that every musician has made a significant contribution to our beloved genre and in our minds, has already become a winner.  We enjoy writing about these deserving individuals and look forward to writing even more  about our featured musicians in the days ahead.  B.T. Fasmer and I would like to congratulate everyone !

The qualifying artists we feature, along with their websites can be found by clicking on the ZMR news links provided in each review or interview.

Visit zonemusicreporter.com to see the complete  Category Awards List  and then be sure to read our NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009  right here  or in the above Music News tab above.

Expect New Age Music World to bring you even more about the musicians we feature here.  Below are the individuals we have been writing about who received top honors at ZMR for 2009.

                                                                          Fiona Joy Hawkins 

                                                                          Blue Dream Album

                *Album of the Year *Best Contemporary Instrumental *Best Contemporary Instrumental / Piano

David Wahler                                 Michael Brant DeMaria                        Michael Brant Demaria

Antiquus Album                            Ocean Album                                         Siyotanka Album

*Best New Artist                           *Best Ambient  & *Best Relaxation     *Best Native American

Michael Stribling                                Bruce Michell                                     9  Muses

The Promise Album                           New Earth Goddess Album               Feel to Heal Album

*Best Electronic                                  *Best Neo Classical                          *Best Chill / Groove

Again we invite our readers to visit each individual artist website by our links provided within every review.  You can find their individual reviews by scrolling down our main pages or by clicking on their names in the right hand module to visit their dedicated page here at New Age Music World.

The ZMR award winning musicians I have written about this year at NewAgeMusicWorld.Com & NewAgeMusic.nu are shown above.  Every artist has a home here so we will be posting more about them in the future.

Visit leela-music.com to read about Michael, then read my review of The Promise titled Promising Transitions in Music. 

Michael Stribling is an award winning New Age music composer who readily embraces change having already made many positive adjustments in his lifetime.

The newest album release entitled The Promise smoothly arrives at the next stage of his long career in music with a look and feel that confirms and conveys an admirable composite of electronic and ambient music.

His transitions include earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, work as a radio announcer, performing in theatre musicals and playing percussion for Johnny Mathis just for starters.

Michael Stribling’s story gets even better since after becoming a successful Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering help to those who needed a hand with their transitions, he returned to his love of music and formed Leela (Divine Play) Music.

Michael Stribling’s return to music is beyond more than just promising since Michael’s first album release Songs of Hope and Healing made it to #1 on the Top 100 in the Zone Music Reporter charts, securing the Electronic Lifestyle Music Award in 2006 and  Out of the Darkness, Into the Light, lit up the #2 spot on the Top 100 in January having 2 nominations for the Zone Music Reporter Lifestyle Music Award in  2007. Another Day in Paradise  is indeed praiseworthy, while Love, Light, and Water, earned ZMR nomination for Best Relaxation/Meditation Album in 2008, making each day even brighter for this independent recording artist with an optimistic outlook toward the challenge of change.

Michael Stribling has clearly made many successful transitions in his musical lifetime, giving him a first hand perspective to help others cope with change. The positive yes responses shown in his earlier music and in this brand new release only proves his natural composing abilities for bringing hope and inspiration to others.

The Promise  is Michael Stribling’s newest album to deliver 14 original songs like his newest composition in musical ambiance is an autobiography of his attitude, comprehension, and inner thoughts drawn from daily observations, then transcribed into beautiful music.

Beginning with Bright New Day a crisp new perspective is announced by abundant keyboard activity that vividly lights the occasion while percussion distinctively beats beside a synthesizer full of energy,  creating much animation by the opening number to forecast what lies beyond in future melodies. Daily Living  likewise moves right along in style and tempo by the upper register bell tones that counteract with middle range melody like the positive vibes given in  Angular Reasoning  and the uplifting theme projected during All In Good Time. 

Like many songs in his earlier projects, The Promise album does take timely breaks into the deeper hues of contemplation and reflection.

Forgotten Dreams  exemplifies this apparent yin and yang transition to a more down to earth reasoning with a single oboe tone melody bordered by a mesmerizing and hazy background, touching on a bit of sadness which is after all, a valid part of the total human experience. 

Love’s Anticipation brings a realistic and happier yes response by the lighter melody along side piano passages, much like the easy going natural feel presented in  Distant Shores. 

Title song The Promise begins with a quiet moment of solitude in a melancholy horn tone wrapped in sadness, but this moment gently advances forward in a creative moment of divine intervention nicely provided by the artist.

Changing the piece by one moving sweep in music composition, this percussion backed melody gently makes a beautiful transformation  from an already graceful song into a lovely song of splendor, very much like a caterpillar cocoon would change into a butterfly, keeping the promise of inner peace and harmony everyone discovers in the final stages during each of life’s transitions.

Visit leela-music.com here and then sample at CDBaby.com here.