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VARIOUS ARTISTS Healing Sounds Music Mosaic (2001) use the link above this line to reach this label The
Music Mosaic label is doing something unique. They're licensing music
(tracks) from artists in diverse genres of instrumental music and either
placing them onto themed compilations (like this one) or burning "customized"
CDs for people who select the tracks one at a time from their catalog
(on-line). I have another one of their themed compilations that I'll
be reviewing at a later date. This one, Healing Sounds, is about
what you would gather from the title - a collection of soothing, relaxing
"classic" new age music from an assortment of artists. What
may be surprising, though, is how diverse the music here actually is. While
I am familiar with only three of the artists on this album (Daniel Paul,
Steven Halpern, and Georgia Kelly) most of the music on Healing Sounds
fits the genre classification of new age music perfectly. All of the
songs on the album are well performed and excel at creating an atmosphere
of relaxation. Aquarius (a solo artist) contributes "Return of
the Dolphins" which blends acoustic guitar and lush synths to create
a peaceful pillow of fluid melody. Halpern and Kelly team up (on keyboards
and harp, respectively) for "Dharma Duet" combining his bell-like
tones and her graceful concert harp. "Blue" from synthesizer
player Tarshito (accompanied on flute by Anthony Branagan) is also quite
lovely (accented by the sound of waves on the shore). As
mentioned above, there is diversity here as well. Shastro plays a haunting
clarinet, accompanied by evocative piano from Nadama, on the plaintive
"Zen Garden." The presence of clarinet actually lends a Klezmer-fusion
music feel to the song. Fascinating! That cut is followed by another
clarinet number, this time with multiple clarinets multi-tracked. This
song is "Hillpipes" and is performed by Linsey Pollak - and
yes, again the song has a faint Klezmer sound to it, although the many
layers of clarinet actually sound less so than the previous selection.
Two
cuts on the CD are as much world fusion as they are new age in character.
"Oceania" by Daniel Paul (assisted by Jai Uttal, Raphael,
and Glenno Falkenberg) has a strong East Indian texture, courtesy of
tabla, dotar, and tarang. "Dolphin Babies" by Kallash (accompanied
by Rainbow Baba and Thomas Lemke) mixes didgeridoo, tabla and keyboards
to produce a mysterious, sensually rhythmic and musky blend of Australia
and India. There are some eerie jungle-like sound effects (synthesized
bird calls, I think, and human babies at play near the song's end) that
will prove either grating or provocative, depending on your mind-set.
The cut is not as successful as other songs here, but it's interesting
and not the least bit distracting from the overall mood of the album
either. Whoever
selected these tracks and sequenced them knew what he/she was doing.
Sequencing unfolds nicely, both setting and sustaining a peaceful vibe
throughout yet doing so with enough changes in instrumentation and melodic
texture to maintain listener interest. As an introduction to the "softer"
side of new age music, and one that focuses on lesser known artists
(these artists may, however, be more well-established in the metaphysical
marketplace, but not to those who buy their new age music at Borders
or Best Buy), the album is wonderful. Even I (after hearing hundreds
of new age music albums) was impressed with the music on Healing
Sounds. The overall quality exhibited here bodes well for how seriously
the folks at Music Mosaic take their credo (in the liner notes) "You
will hear multi-cultural musical expressions from diverse countries,
yet the sounds flow together in harmony...like a beautiful mosaic!"
I couldn't have said it better myself! review
by Bill Binkelman Our online shops: New Age Music - International Fusion Music - Didgeridoo Music |