Archive for the ‘Ethnic’ Category

Albums are often released labeled as “sounding like Enigma and Deep Forest”, but this reviewer finds that these albums rarely are on par with masters such as Michael Cretu and Eric Mouquet (the men behind Enigma/Deep Forest) . Some of these albums are quite good, but hardly more than that. But sometimes it happens that a new star is born, and one artist that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Cretu and Mouquet is Joel Kanning. His brand new album UFO, or Ubiquitous Frequency Oscillation, is a true feast for fans of the above mentioned artists.

An Enigma album is, as you know, all about sound design – which also was the reason for Enigma’s enormous MCMXC A.D- success. The sound design was in the album’s beginning, Sandra’s whispering “turn off the light, Take a deep breath and relax… Start move slowly, very slowly, Let the rhythm be your guiding light” – and then the creative use of Gregorian chants.

The overall sound design is also something one must mention about Joel Kanning’s album. Here too is an intro with some interesting samples (UFO-man talking, saying something like “I am a visitor”), and there is also an Enigma-like ending with a Deep Forest-like selection of ethnical samples.

Here I must stress that UFO is not an Enigma/Deep Forest copy. Not at all. Joel Kanning is, as we shall discuss, taking the sound design of these two artists to a new level. Still, it must be said that Kanning is venturing into a world of sound that these two bands created – and then left! Michael Cretu did never return to Gregorian Chants of 1990 (perhaps because of the sampling controversy), and his last release is somewhat influenced by hip-hop beats (Kanning  did, by the way, create a remix of Enigma’s recent Downtown Silence which received 2nd Place in a competition – and he has also remixed some of Eric Mouquet’s Deep Projects songs).

The soundscape we are talking about here is created by synth pads (I would guess sound banks close to Yamaha VL1 and Roland VI), sharp strings & plucks, a lot of reverb, a tasteful selection of ethnical samples and bass drums and hihats close to club/euro dance (but with a lower BPM). This is the soundscape all Enigma fans love, and it has been imitated by many artists. The true art in Kanning’s UFO is the creative reuse of this soundscape.  

The first song on the albums is called Travellers. It has a nice larger-than-life feel and the Gregorian Chants fit perfectly. Next track out, Ashima, has a more chilled approach. The piano and the strings, yes the whole arrangement, sounds divine. UFO is in all respects a very professional release, and the mastering is nothing but impressive; here is a rare attention to details. The best track on the album is in my opinion One World. It is an example of ethnic fusion, with its soulful samples and beautiful guitar melody. It has the intensity of songs like Why!... and T.N.T. For The Brain from Enigma III.

What makes Joel Kanning different from Enigma and Deep Forest is, apart from the lack of vocals, a less complicated atmosphere. It is simply more chilled, without the mixed emotions of Enigma’s Silent Warrior or Deep Forest’ You will be ready. It is just not that deep, not that enigmatic. But that might be a good thing if you are looking for relaxation music. As a new age music radio host I couldn’t have been happier with this album. All of the songs are interesting and have a nice build up.

UFO is in all respects a very professional release, and the mastering is nothing but impressive; here is a rare attention to details.

Yes, UFO is indeed “sounding like Enigma and Deep Forest”. But it also has an identity of its own. To quote the Enigma III title, Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! (French for “The King is Dead, Long Live the King!”). Except, Cretu and Mouquet are still alive, well and producing music. But they have left this particular soundscape behind – and here Joel Kanning is the new king.

Visit joelkanning.com where you can sample the album and learn more about the artist. Also make sure to watch the below video.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – Tawng

The phrase Music can take you places might sound like cliché, but you will see the truth in it after listening to Paul Heinerman’s brand new album Oases – which is being released today, September 25! This album will take you on an unforgettable musical journey to Ireland, Greece, North America, India, China and Native America. It is hands down ethnic fusion at its very best, played with integrity and force – and, in the process, perfectly blending modernity in all its shades, illustrating the melting pot of East and West.

Oases is Paul Heinerman’s third album on the Prudence label. His fans have been waiting seven years for the follow up to Private Sun (2001). Previously his style has been close to the good ol’ sound of analogue synths (sample the gorgeous Back to the Highlands from Private Sun to see what I mean, he is a keyboardist after all), while this time around he presents a modern, sequenced sound. Oases shows that Heinerman masters both disciplines, which bodes good for future albums from this fine Dutch artist.

Rarely a new release contains a song that’s already a modern classic – but this is the case with Oases! Paul Heinerman released the single Chimengu almost two years ago (much like the early release of Enigma’s Hello and Welcome from A Posteriori), and the song has been played extensively on web radio stations ever since – and the response has been unanimously positive. With this song fans got an early glimpse into what now has become Oases.

The album contains 11 tracks, all between 4 and 5,30 minutes. It starts with the song Porta Mundes, which is as beautiful as it is eerie; the pads sound both divine and foreboding while the rhythm is almost too slow to imitate a healthy heartbeat. The female, angelic voice synth enhances the effect; it is a slow, yet very dramatic opening. The Indian (?) samples fit in perfectly.

And speaking of samples; ethnic fusion is nothing without samples (the most famous examples are of course Deep Forest’s massive hit Sweet Lullaby and Enigma’s MCMXC a.D.). On the cover of Oases Heinerman tells us the names of the sample collections used, which I find to be something all artists should do – as long as they themselves have not been in the field (or studio) and recorded the samples. But another thing I have to mention about the samples is the mixing of Western (Gregorian) and Eastern (Indian and Chinese) samples. Someone might object to this, but I find it to be an interesting and quite different cultural mix.

Oases is perfectly blending modernity in all its shades, illustrating the melting pot of East and West.

The track Homines Regnum is another winner. The strings sound like Vangelis, and the Gregorian AND Indian samples are just right for this soundscape. The rhythm is catchy and the mixing is nothing but masterful. Again; this is ethnic fusion at its best.

The musical voyage continues to Africa (track 4), China (track 5), Japan (track 6) and all the way up to India (track 7). The three last tracks, Across the Ocean, Indian Sunrise and Oasis, are without samples, and more like Heinerman’s previous two albums – with nice keyboard leads and bright piano melodies. Old fans will feel right at home! Still, after 10 simply incredible tracks, Heinerman does not deliver a disappointing title & ending track. The sax on Oasis reminds me of the sax on Mike Oldfield’s Misty (from Tr3s Lunas). It is a meditative and dreamy song that makes a perfect ending to the album.

All in all Oases is a fantastic album. It is a true find, like an oasis in a desert. Believe me; your dehydrated soul will be refreshed. My hope now is that it will not be 7 years till next time a Heinerman album is released. That would be a desert walk with no oases in sight.

Go to PaulHeinerman.com for samples.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – Moritz

Peter Buffett has just re-launched his Spirit: The Seventh Fire website to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the production, which is a Native American-inspired theatrical show with live music, video and an all-Native American cast of performers.

The Seventh Fire tells the story of one man’s journey of reconnecting with his heritage.

After first being aired as a successful PBS Pledge Special, the show embarked on a nationwide tour in 1999. 10 years later, Peter is in talks to revive the production overseas in China. The new website features a background on the production, photos, video from the show, behind the scenes footage, and much more. Check it out here.

Be also sure to check out Peter Buffett’s Ning forum, where you can sample fresh tracks from the upcoming album and interact with other fans and even Peter Buffett himself. The next meeting with him will be Tuesday, August 4th at 8pm EST. Fans can log onto www.peterbuffett.com/ning to request an invitation to join the community in order to participate in the event and discover what Peter’s next big announcement will be.

By the way, selected songs from Spirit: The Seventh Fire have been among the most popular on New Age Stars radio for several months now.

Picture taken from spirit7thfire.com.

The page Planetradiocity.com has an interview with Indian classical instrumentalist Abhijit Pohankar. His most recent release, Piya Bavari, is a bit like Enigma meets the East, or fusion, according to the artist himself. Abhijit Pohankar has released over 20 albums, and has made music for movies. He says:

Piya Bavari started a new genre called Raga Lounge (new-age Indian music). I released it last year and because of Piya Bavari, I have been called the new face of new age music.

And more:

No one else has come up with albums that have a touch of classical music and fusion sounds. I have also worked in Bollywood, on the movie Boom.

Read the whole interview here.

Below is an example of Abhijit Pohankar’s work, which I am sure new age music fans will enjoy.

And while we are talking about new age and India, be sure to check out Shankar Dhanasekaran’s post on New Age Music Circle entitled State of new age music in India.

I am usually not a big fan of remixes, but for Deep Forest’s Sweet Lullaby I am ready to make an exception. On this album, released in 2007, you will find nothing less than 16 remixes of Sweet Lullaby. The original track is ethnic fusion as its very best, with voice samples from the Pygmies of the central African rain forest.

The remixes are quite varied in style, from ambient to rich, deep synths. Some of them may be too much trance or electronica for some tastes, but it gives variation to the album. And variation is the key when the same song is repeated 16 times. The DJs behind the remixes are Paul Kwitek, Jeff Belfi, Tim Davison and Elektroheadz, among others. And they are all long, from 4 to 9 minutes in length.

I absolutely love track number two, Roman Rai’s remix. It is a perfect arrangement of the synth lines we know from the original song, adding new material here and there. It could easily been on Deep Forest’s World Mix (1994), which, by the way, was released with two remixes of the song. So remixes of this song is nothing new. Also the Leron & Yves Eaux chill mix is great, with an interesting reverb effect of the well known voice samples.

This collection is a must have for any Deep Forest fan, or for anyone who wants the biggest pack of sweet lullabies available. It will for sure give you lots of sweet dreams. 

You can sample the album here.

I urge you all to check out the fan remixes of Eric Mouquet’s Deep Project. The songs that have been remixed are Amazonia and Africa Brasil. In my opinion this is some of the freshest new age music ever released; the ethnic elements, Eric’s melodies and Flavio Dell’Isola’s vocal is simply an irresistible combination. And the remixes are also incredible!

The Legend of Ganesha marks the conclusion of Guy Sweens’s highly popular India trilogy. Yet again Sweens take the listener on a dream journey under the baking Indian sun, with exotic instruments and chilled beats as the main ingredients. As usual Sweens uses lots of voice samples, creating a mix that is both ethnic and international. Old fans will find that this is a successful end of the series, but it will for sure give Sweens lot of new fans as well.    

On The Legend of Ganesha Sweens is accompanied by two other new age stars, Medwyn Goodall and  Stefan Petersilge (better known as Sangit Om). Goodall participates with guitar (and other instruments) on track 1, 4 and 6, while Sangit Om’s flute is heard on track 3. But it is definitely Sweens that is in the driving seat, and the sound that made the previous two India albums so great is still here, powerful and fresh.

 The Legend of Ganesha is the story of the Hindu God with the elephant head. The mythological  aspects is also seen in the titles, like Embodiment of Good Luck, Worship and Remover of Obstacles. It is important to stress that if you are looking for an authentic Indian album, this is not the one for you. This is international new age, created for a mainly western audience. But as far as international new age goes, this is as good as it gets. Indeed, Sweens music may be closer to the idea of India than most real Indian albums. That is new age music in a nutshell.

The album starts with a laid back tune, Worship, which features Medwyn Goodall’s wonderful guitar (if you like it you must make sure to check out his recent Origins album). Fans of the series will feel at home: Sweens’ focus on sound design is nothing but masterful. As usual, I might add. Track two, Embodiment of Good Luck, contains all the spicy ingredients of the previous albums: the sharp sound of the sitar, the heavy synth pads and the slow rhythm.

My favorite track on the album is Skanda. From the moment you put it on, the sitar melody hits you. The fast repetitions is wonderful, and the way Goodall adds new elements with his guitar make it into a truly magnificent piece. The synth sitar later in the song is also great.

The Legend of Ganesha is the end of the India series, but hopefully not the end of Guy Sweens’ career. It is relaxing and beautiful at the same time. If he should decide to make another installment in the Indian series in the future, we would not mention to anyone that he originally said that it would only be a trilogy. After all, Ganesha had four arms!  

The Legend of Ganesha is published by MG Music. You can sample it here.

The title of Paul Heinerman’s new album is Oases. It is a musical journey through the oases of the world. On the album you’ll get to visit Ireland, Greece, North America, India, China and Native America. Oases will soon be released, and at your right is an exclusive view of the cover. 

If you are a Radio Mystic listener you probably already have heard one of the songs on the album, the incredibly popular Chimengu. It is dreamy song with an interesting beat and a nice use of vocal samples. It is already a hit, with over a year of playtime on Radio Mystic.

We have received an exclusive listen to two other tracks of the upcoming album: Porta Mundes and Hominus Regnum (nice enigmatic names, don’t you think?). Porta Mundes is a quite dark and slow song, but is at the same time beautiful in an eerie way: like looking into an abyss of flames. A powerfull song indeed. In Hominus Regnum there is a mix of Gregorian chants and Indian (?) samples. Some might say that you shouldn’t mix the sound of East and West in this way, but I think it creates a truly unique atmosphere.

Oases is an exciting new chapter in Paul Heinerman’s discography. This time it is all about ethnic fusion and powerful rhythms. I almost can’t wait for the complete album to be released.

Check out Paulheinerman.com for more information.

Both in art and in media there is a steady focus on social and cultural differences. It is for some reason more important to describe what makes us different from each other than what makes us similar. The album Kindred by Kevin Wood is a reaction to this. Wood’s message is that we all have a lot in common, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion. With this as inspiration, I guess Kevin Wood had to create something truly beautiful. And yes, he did.

Kindred is Kevin Wood’s third album. Fans of his previous albums, Scenic Listening (2002) and Sacred (2005) will feel at home. This time around there are less Gregorian chants, but a more ethnic approach. Wood has his very own style. He uses rich synth pads, a beat box like drum and additional layers of piano, strings and vocals. It is in my opinion exquisite sound design. It’s on the brink of perfection. Perhaps it is just me – but I think Wood’s synth and drum arrangement reminds of the intro to Bruce Springsteen’s classic Streets of Philadelphia. It is beautiful music with a hint of melancholy.

The first five seconds of the album are very interesting. It is like the artistic technique “in medias res” in a novel; after reading two lines you are in a middle of the story. On Kindred the high-pitched female vocal and the deep synth pads on Adoration create a sudden and intense soundscape. After 10 seconds or so your ears will adjust to it. In a genre where most artists use three to five minutes to build up to a song’s theme, it is refreshing to find an artists who doesn’t waste time. It is a good effect. You only have to listen to it for a few seconds and you know what to expect. Other songs, like The Eternal Return, have a longer build up.

The next song, Strength in Numbers, starts with an ethnic male vocal, followed by an electronic cello solo – and then another male vocal is heard. The theme, played with piano, is very melodic. I enjoy the way the different voices “talk” together, almost creating a conversation in the song. This is especially notable on the third track, Mother’s Love. Here a child is saying something, half singing and half sobbing. Then a female vocal (presumably the “mother”) is answering in a calming way, perhaps saying that everything will be ok. It is not unlike a lullaby. The female vocal is also on the next track, The Eternal Return. I think that these ethnic voices illustrate that all humans share the same need for love and comfort. Music is the universal language, and you can understand it by just listening. It is hard to say if the people of the Amazon would enjoy Kindred – but one thing is sure; since it communicates feelings of love and comfort, it may have universal appeal (at least for everyone used to synth music).

The deep flute on the intro to the song Honoring Tradition, played by Virgie Ravenhawk, is simply fantastic. It is like music from a distant past. Again the use of samples and voices are first rate, and the mix of cello, piano, flute and a guitarlike instrument is as good as it gets.

The best song on the album is Many Voices One Spirit. The piano melody is so lush and beautiful – you”ll want to hit the repeat button after just one listen. The sampled choir sings “kyrie” (but without “eleison”), and then an ethnic vocal is heard. Later on the song there a few Gregorian chants as well. The combination of musical elements is like a melting pot of East and West, past and present; it is Wood”s way of saying that we are all kindred spirits. The meditation version of the song, track 10, is as expected a little longer and slower. And yet again the low-key rhythm fits in perfectly. The two last tracks, Atonement and Reunion, are two dreamy tracks – a nice way to end the album. There is also a bonus track, In Search of Kindred Spirits, from Sacred. And I guess that there is a reason for this; it has much of the same sound, or vibe if you will.

I must mention the phenomenal cover artwork by Claudia Wennberg / oledesign.com. It is the second best photo installment for a new age release I have ever seen (best being the Tubular Bells cover, no surprise there). The hands in the middle almost trying to catch the sun, with the world map and the meditating person at the lake – plus the mountains and the setting sun. It is such a powerful illustration of Wood”s music.

Kindred is simply put an album that all fans of new age music will enjoy. It is relaxing, uplifting and somewhat different. Wood”s uses drums and samples in an original way. And most importantly; it is heartfelt and real.

The kinship of humankind is something we all must cherish.