Archive for the ‘General New Age’ Category

Have you ever wondered why people like new age music  - and what artists they like? Well, by doing a simple “I like new age music” search on Google you will get lots of nice replies – like this one:

I like new age music because it tends to be more melody-driven, relaxing, and simpler than classical music. With classical music, I find that I need to be able to devote my attention fully to it while listening to appreciate it. New age I can have playing all day at work in the background. (source)

Now that’s music to my ears!!!

American fans of Enigma must mark the date February 9 on their calendar; this is when Platinum Collection finally will be released in the US. This upcoming event was very visible on NYC Time Square lately, where large commercials told about the February 9 release. It is nice to see that the label is doing an effort for Enigma in a time where their sales are falling.

It is of course a shame that Platinum Collection didn’t get an international release at the same date. European Enigma fans have been enjoying the album since November last year…

The picture is borrowed from the great Enigmamusic Forums. You can sample the album here.

For our German speaking friends – this commercial is currently on Channel 24. The presentation is, well, a bit cheesy.

A “not that popular” part of Mike Oldfield’s creative works, the computer game Music VR (which also includes the Tres Lunas (2002) album music), was recently removed from Mikeoldfield.org – but has now found new life on fan page Tubular.net. They are the new official source for everything Music VR. The game is now free to use – and can be downloaded from this page. According to Wikipedia, Mike Oldfield spent £25 million developing the game.

I have never been a big fan of the game itself – but I enjoy the Tres Lunas soundtrack very much. I think To Be Free is a marvelous song!

Web magazine Ambient Visions  is now up again - with a new link:  http://www.twpt.com/avindex.htm  (it comes and goes a bit at the moment). Great news that it is online again.

The Hungarian singer, Andrea Gerak, has started a fundraising project to aid volunteers helping Haitians, effected by the recent earthquake, and is inviting other musicians to join. A cross-genre compilation download album is being made, with international artists. Top new age music artists such as Ancient Future and Joel Kanning are participating.  

From each album purchase, 100% of the amount paid goes directly to volunteers working on the disaster sites and at the Haitian Embassy in Washington, delivering pain relief to the injured, easing stress for individuals of the population and rescue workers, and are stable points in the chaotic situation.

You’ll find the album here.

Also be sure to see this article on NewAgeMusicWorld about 9 Muses’ Haiti Aid.

It is a well known problem; when two bands have the same name, misunderstandings occur. You might think that your favorite band have just released a new album, while it is some other band with the same name that has released it! That sure is a disappointment.

From new age music the best know example is of course Gandalf – which also is a well-known Finish death-metal band…

Previously, back in the days of physical CDs and real record shops, this was not a big problems since Gandalf the death metal band would be duly filed under “Death Metal” while “our” Gandalf would be in the new age music/adult contemporary/easy listening department. But in the world of mp3 shops, there’s not much filing and indexing. When you make an unspecified search, like most people do, you get all artists with that name. In many digital music outlets, if you search for “Gandalf” you get a sweet mix of both death metal and new age music – often in the same sample playlist.

This is now also the case with Michael Holm and Kristian Schultze’s group Cusco – one of the finest new age music groups ever. When I searched for Cusco recently I was happy to see that a new album, or EP, was available. Wohoo!

But, on second thoughts, wasn’t Hang Loose a strange Cusco title? And My Balls My World was also a somewhat bizarre song name by this group – which usually are more like Ariadne, White Buffalo or The Nine Muses. So I started listening to the EP, just not knowing what to expect. But the first deep synth pad on the title track got me wondering – this just might be the real thing, a new Cusco release! But after some time I realized that this was not my Cusco – this was some other band with the same name!

Hang Loose is a chill out EP released on Firebird records. Here is a presentation of the new Cusco (the EP as released in May last year).

Hang Loose is Mike Smile’s first album in a new era of party tunes. Anyone who knows Mike knows that he is musically diverse. It is not only house and techno… So he developed his newly launched chillout-project where he is under the name of „Cusco“ and makes with his debut on Firebird Rec. named “Hang Loose EP” the first great step! Seven beautiful tracks, don’t miss it. Check out www.myspace.com/firebirdrecords or http://www.myspace.com/djmikesmile 

And yes, don’t get me wrong; Hang loose is great album, with a chilled rhythm, a nice club atmosphere and deep bass. I very much like the second track, the dreamy Peace for the world and the jazz elements on the last track Two Mexicanos.

But it is not Cusco! Or is it?

Sample Hang Loose here – and the “real” Cusco here.

Rocky Fretz has won the Independent Music Award for new age music with the album Path Ahead…And Steps Then Taken. Congratulations!

Sample this awesome album on CDBaby.

Also enjoy the nice video below, which shows Rocky in his right element.

Mike Oldfield fans that use the popular web browser Firefox now can download a free exclusive Tubular Bells skin – which will take your everyday browsing into a Tubular world! I learned about the cool feature from my good friend, the talented new age artist Tubular Tos. Merci!

You can download it here.

The devastating earthquake on Haiti has made people all over the world collect money and do what they can to help in this desperate situation. Also new age music superstar Michael Cretu of Enigma is reaching out a helping hand to the people of Haiti. In cooperation with EMI Germany and the German division of Red Cross, he is doing what he can to create awareness of the earthquake – see the video below.

Our translation from German:
Many of you have in the recent days seen the horrific pictures from Haiti. Over 100.000 have died in this tragedy, over 100.000 have become homeless. Diseases are spreading, and there is no medical help available. This nation is now totally dependent on foreign help. I urge you all to give a donation to Haiti via the provided bank account number. Please give, and tell your friends to do the same. Even a small donation will make a big difference.

Source: The Enigma Forum

In 2010 Medwyn Goodall will be celebrating his 25th year as a professional artist. His music has touched millions of listeners, and he has done so much for the new age music genre – especially through his MG Music label. And this anniversary of course needs to be celebrated with a very special “best of” collection. According to MG Music homepage:

There have been a few Best of collections of Medwyn’s work, but none oddly enough had his personal input, and none of them gathered tracks from across the labels he has featured on. For the first time working with New World Music and Oreade Music, Medwyn is creating a very personalised 25th anniversary 2 Disc collection of the very cream of his work from 1985 to 2010.  

And more:

Medwyn Goodall is also building a new studio with many upgrades which will be finished in January. The first album to be recorded in the studio will be the long awaited CLAN III which will be the highlight of the celebrations. The 25th Collection will be released around March and Clan III is expected to be released during Summer.

This year, MG Music also will release new titles by Runestone, Paul Sills, Clifford White, Simon Lovelock and MG’s very own Midori.

See a presentation of the titles here.

… and rest assure, it is NOT another version of Tubular Bells… We got enough of them by now. According to Universal Music, new editions of Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn will be out in April. These albums are, together with Amarok, easily Mike Oldfield’s best. This is great news!

Source: Tubular.net

We recently published our best album of 2009 list.

Also be sure to see Michael Debbage’s best of NA Music list for 2009 on our friends’ page Mainlypiano.

Well, this it is not 1973 and it is not the BBC UK Top 40 Albums Chart either, but Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells is currently no. 1 on UK’s New Age Music chart on iTunes!

That has to mean something … Yes? YES!

See the complete chart here – and see how many no. 1 spots Enya has. But is it her new “best of” album that are on top of 14 NA music charts?

We here at .nu are big fans of legendary new age music reviewer mr.  Bill Binkelman. He is the best reviewer our genre has. Still, when reviewing we cannot always be of the same opinion. That is the case with his recent review of the album Light Returning by Acoustic Ocean on Zonemusicreporter.com.

Mr.  Binkelman writes:

What derails my enjoyment of this album (Light Returning), and undercuts the CD’s potential overall success, is that the “whole” simply doesn’t work. It’s odd, but this is the rare album where the WHOLE is LESS than the sum of the parts (the opposite is usually true). I can’t pinpoint why this is the case, although a large part of this failure must reside with the engineering mix itself. It’s muddy to the point of being indistinct and haphazard.

And more:

Each track is great for the first minute or so, but then each one devolves into a miasma of overlapping sounds that, well, basically get in each other’s way. I have to think the mixing and engineering is at fault here, because the music itself, if one digests it through headphones by isolating it, is not just pretty but VERY pretty.

First I would like to say that I think Light Returning by Acoustic Ocean is not only a good album – but very good album. Not merely as background music, but also for active listening on headphones (I’m listening to it on headphones as I write this). Included are 8 long songs with beautiful melodies, a wonderful carefree atmosphere and lots of nature sounds. It is one of those few albums I will return to again and again, because of its positivity. It’s all happy, like a day at the beach.

What I like the most is the mix. I like the way the piano and harp melodies, the nature sounds and “everything else” just flows naturally. It has its own rhythm, own logic – just like the ocean itself.

Mr.  Binkelman is right about one thing though; the somewhat strange hissing noise in the background – easily heard in the beginning of  the first track. But, in a world where all other albums are digitally processed to perfection, I thought it was a bit refreshing to hear some acoustic hissing.

So please go ahead, listen to the album and tell us what you think.

Is it all darkness – or is the light returning?

Check it out here.

Great news for Terry Oldfield’s many fans; New Earth Records is continuing to release his back catalog. The latest is Reiki Healing Energy, which we previously knew as Cascade.

All of the Terry Oldfield Classic Collection albums are remastered, given a redesign, and sometimes a new title too. With Reiki Healing Energy there are now 12 albums in New Earth’s Terry Oldfield Classic Collection.

You can see them all here – and sample them too

We have posted our top ten album list of 2009. Now it is time to see which song you, our dear listeners, have rated highest in this past year. You have rated songs by either clicking the thumbs  “up/down” in the Live365 player or simply by NOT logging off while a song is playing. 

2009′s top song is taken from an album also released in this year – it is the opening track to Guy Sween’s The Legend of Ganesha album – Worship – where Medwyn Goodall also is a guest artist!

Worship has been on our top list for many months, and was first now in December moved down to second place on the New Age Stars chart – only beaten by Jan Hammer’s classic Crockett’s Theme. Not a bad way to lose the top spot!

Worship is a long track, over 7 minutes long, but almost no listeners have ever turned off the radio stream while this song is playing. It has a very nice Indian atmosphere, with a catchy rhythm and great melody. Medwyn’s guitar sounds simply awesome!

So this radio host says yes, yes, yes!  This is just what we want to give you, our dear listener.

On behalf of  all the New Age Stars listeners; thank you, Guy Sweens, for a simply wonderful track!!!

The album is released on MG Music. You can sample the song here.

Keep listening to New Age Stars – and remember to vote!

In connection with the release Enigma’s ”Best of” and ”Lost Tracks” Album, the group’s official English homepage has received a major facelift and many new features have been added (the official homepage, Enigma.de, has received the same treatment). The most important features are perhaps the media players, which naturally are filled with music and videos from Enigma’s 20 year long history. The selection of music is actually very generous, so here the fan will find both new and old favorites.

Another new feature on Enigmaspace.com is the social aspect. Over the last year, official Enigma pages have been made on MySpace, Youtube and Bebo. On Enigmaspace.com you are also welcome to leave comments, and you can download exclusive graphics made by the designers who have created “the Enigma look” on the band’s covers and videos.

But most interesting is without a doubt the exclusive view into Michael Cretu’s ALCHEMIST studio, or the All In One Computed Mobile Studio. You can read all about it here, and see pictures too!

Kitaro is a major artist indeed, and not only in new age music. He has been Grammy nominated 13 times – included here is the nomination of his latest release, Impressions Of The West Lake.

Kitaro’s label, Domo Records, presents a very special gift box for this holiday season for the most eager Kitaro fan. This CD package, signed by Kitaro, includes 13 albums with booklets from each album (please note that the album does not come with jewel cases).

Albums:
Impressions Of The West Lake
Sacred Journey of Kukai Volume 3
Sacred Journey of Kukai Volume 2
Sacred Journey of Kukai Volume 1
An Ancient Journey
Ancient
Thinking of You (Winner)
Gaia Onbashira
An Enchanted Evening
Mandala
Dream
Kojiki
Light of the Spirit

See here for information – and enjoy the video below.

NewAgeMusic.nu will soon be featuring a review of Skala’s album Tundra. But before the review, I just wanted to show you how the cover looks like the out-Of-Control Russian Rocket that filled the sky over Norway with a similar light yesterday. The cover photographers’ name is Yuichi Takasaka. Read about the incident here.

Check out the homepage of Craig Skala. Picture copyright vg.no

On his homepage Andreas Vollenweider has posted a simply amazing video showing the many talents of  his Deep Breath Orcestra. The video is a live recording of the first public performance of the band done in Switzerland in February of this year. Members of the The Deep Breath Orcestra are Andreas Vollenweider Daniel Küffer und Stefanie Peter.

The video is a true feast for Vollenweider fans and a statement of his musical talent on many instruments – not only the harp. You will also be impressed by the other artists as well.

You’ll find the video here.

I think that some of the most interesting new age music is to be found in the crossing point between ambient and soundscapes, in the vast borderland referred to as space music. This music is without a doubt the most artistic music in our genre, and not even the most serious music critic can label it as “easy listening”. One such album is Harlan Mark Vale’s Eternus Conscientia. It is space music of the most distant form, with never ending soundscapes and lush ambient melodies.

When talking about space music one cannot help thinking about the sound of analogue synths of the 70s and 80s, masterly done by Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis.

This is not such an album. Eternus Conscientia rather has the high pitched glass/ice sound of modern VST synths – which is also nice, but more sterile (but so is space, one can argue). Like Vale’s previous albums, this one is also heavily improvised.

In this setting improvisation is a very nice effect, making it more alive, in a contrast to most sequenced space music albums that have the precision of modern computers.   

The album has six tracks with beautiful, otherworldly sounding names – like Ingressus Counstituo Prodigium and Valens Laetor; unique titles for sure. There are no real melodies here, but plenty of melodic segments that come and go. The key word here is atmosphere. Most of the tracks have a pleasant, warm sound – while other are more icy. My favorite track is Appareo Ex Informis, which has that larger-than-life feel of Vangelis’ music.

The only thing that is missing, is that you don’t get a feel of just how great a pianist and keyboardist mr. Vale is (like you get on his piano albums). But the arrangement is tasteful and professional in all respects. The sound quality is, as expected, very good.

Eternus Conscientia is a must-have album for the space music enthusiast – or anyone who is tired of waiting for space tourism. This is your ticket while here on Earth! Eternus Conscientia is as beautiful as it is vast, and offers almost endless replay possibilities.

Sample the album on Amazon.

The following albums have received nominations for best album in the Grammy New Age Music category.

This is as always a very nice collection of albums. Peter Kater is of course here, he has received 6 Grammy nominations in the last 7 years. And the question is; will Kitaro get his second Grammy (this being his third nomination)? Or will Jim Brickman finally get his Grammy? Henta’s album was the surprise – and we love surprises here at .nu.

Faith
Jim Brickman

Prayer For Compassion
David Darling

Laserium For The Soul
Henta

In A Dream

Peter Kater, Dominic Miller, Kenny Loggins & Jaques Morelenbaum

Impressions Of The West Lake
Kitaro

This is perhaps something more artists should do? The official Ancient Future app for the iPhone or iPod Touch is now available.

This app helps Ancient Future fans keep up with the world fusion music ensemble’s activities while on the go. The rich features and unique content in this app include the ability to sample the latest Ancient Future music, access links to free downloads not available on iTunes, check out the latest Ancient Future videos and photos (including iPhone app exclusives), read blog posts, and get regular bulletin updates including progress reports on the band’s ambitious new fan supported recording project, A.F.A.R. – the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

You can check it out here.

NewAgeMusic.Nu  consistently receives a large number of CDs sent directly from artists, promoters, and producers, delivering a wide range of music to choose from, so we may present the best of what we can find for our readers wide variety of musical tastes.

9  Muses is a recent artist title to send a modern mix for those who like New Age Alternative, with melodic female vocals and a lively rhythmic beat.  While listening to the CD, my foot began to tap, and it occurred to me that a lively Pop influence could be added on the album description too, since mainstream audiences will like the modern day direction this album projects.

Feel to Heal  is the title from  9  Muses and first in their Elements Series, that predicts more releases to follow from the artist, with this first  10  lyrical love songs belonging in the theme of  9  Greek mythological muses, whose purpose if to liberate the listeners artistic creations related to song, literature, and the arts.

Cool Water  is a decorative ornamental song, with percussion and keyboard backing trendy vocals that are displayed as light and pleasant,  along with a faster tempo snare drum and groove based instrumentation, giving a nice arrangement from this first muse.

The Moon Told Me  is much like the first song by the alluring vocals, rhythmic pace, and lighter melody, but the Rock style guitar runs make a noticeable distinction between this first group of songs.

The middle tempo is maintained with  In My Arms,  carrying much of the modern day vocals and keyboard instrumentation patterned with a similar mindset.  There are also some chic percussion enhancements like heard in  The Man That Never Was,  which vocalises lyrical connotations of a lost love and everything that embodies.

Master Mind  starts out with a memorable beginning while posturing in slower, more anticipated vocals  like heard in  Not Love  &  Just to Dance With You.  Bruised Tears  is also among this song formation that changes the collective mood while also sustaining the engaging sensual theme.  The intriguing lyrics behind compelling female vocals are joined with moderate percussion rhythms and synthesizer backgrounds to exhibit more casual surroundings.

The  9  Muses album title song  Feel to Heal  rebounds boldly by a brisk tempo and set in stone  (  Dun  da  Dun  da  Dunt  ) energy driven Groove rhythm,  having a tantalizing pronunciation in keyboard delivery that generates attention right from the start.  Percussion maintains this articulated faster tempo, while the elaborate xylophone runs intermingled with the vocals effectively add an interesting angle, becoming a nice touch to a vogue song having more of a Pop resemblance. 

While this album may not be a classic New Age presentation, there certainly is an audience that will appreciate this Contemporary Vocal blend, and you can rest assured that NewAgeMusic.Nu can easily find music to fit a wide variety of musical tastes.

9  Muses does not have a website at present, so CD Baby.com is the place to sample the  Heal to Feel  album.  Visit CD Baby.com here.

FL Studio is one of the most popular music software available, and version 9 of the program has just been released. This program is used by professionals (like Mike Oldfield) and hobbyists alike. And, lo and behold, new age music’s very own Jillian Aversa (Goldin) is featured in the program’s demo song!

Sample the song below (it is not really new age music but more like electronica), where you also can see how the program looks like.

We here at .nu simply adore Jillian – and her debut album was awarded our “Best new age music album of 2008” price.

It is always interesting when an artist does something new, something quite different and original. The music of The Nexion Project is usually close to the style of Enigma or Mike Oldfield, but the album entitled Far Away is in most respects closer to smooth jazz in style. Or perhaps we should say lounge? But whatever we choose to call the style, the music speaks for itself. It is a downtempo collection of melodic and atmospheric tracks that will take the listener on a magnificent journey far away.

The Nexion Project is run by Hungarian artist Török Zoltán. We have previously reviewed some of his albums (see the reviews here) – and they have all become personal favorites (his Isle of Freedom is on this reviwer’s top 10 album list of all time). Bottom line: The Nexion Project has NewAgeMusic.nu’s seal of approval. It is quality music, pure and simple.

Before we move on, I would like to quote what the artist is saying about this album:

Over the last ten years I was trying to get my own musical style, but several albums has some a characteristic feeling, recognizable motives, harmonies, instrumentation from the performers, composers, bands what I like to listen. The idea of this revise process was born by my 2008 album, ‘Far Away’. Mostly it is a slow, melancholic, “smooth” music, where main instruments are classical guitar, cello and viola, and piano combined with light acoustic drums and other orchestral instruments with minimal electronic sounds. The purpose was to compose natural sounding as far as possible.

Torok Zoltan

This is the very essence of Far Away. I am amazed of the live sound of songs such as The Field (especially the violin part in the end) and Landscape(the sax). It reminds me of Mars Lasar’s more jazzy tracks, which also have a nice live sound (even though it is synth based music). A comparison to Mars Lasar here is actually very in place, since both artists have a solid grasp on the melodic construction. I might be tempted to use the word perfection.

But I must stress that this is not a smooth jazz album. Not at all.  Fans of The Nexion Project will be glad to hear that some of the songs here have the “good old” style that Torok Zoltan mentions above (I am thinking of the songs Daylight and Sidestreet).

Far Away is in all respects a great album; it offers something new to the project, while staying true to the original artistic expression. We all want to go far away sometimes, and this album might be your ticket.

Sample the album on CDBaby.

Enigma: The Platinum Collection is now released in Europe. It is a three disc “Best of” collection, with one disc with hits, one with favorite remixes and one with so called “Lost tracks” – or demo tapes if you will. American Enigma fans sadly have to wait until January 26, 2010. Such a delay should really be a thing of the past, but hey, that’s still the nature of major label music…

Both the selection of hits and remixes are, needless to say, great. There are some true classics among the remixes, like Sadness Part I – Violent US Mix – which truly takes the original song’s Gregorian chants samples to a new dimension. Another favorite of mine is the last one, Dreaming of Andromeda – Jean F. Cochois Remix. There are interestingly enough no Seven Lives remixes on this disc (even though there was a very good remix competition recently – but it must be said that the “Lost track” 10 is a Je T’aime Till My Dying Day remix).

So what is there to say about The lost tracks? As a Michael Cretu fan for over 20 years – and a fan of all his most recent material too – I was surprised to learn that he, the perfectionist, was to release a demo collection. It is very much out of character. But, when listening to it, I think that it gives a nice view into his studio, showing the master at work.

The lost tracks is a collection of selected demos that probably were created for Seven Lives – but didn’t make the cut. The disc does not have an overall sound design (with an intro and ending), like his “normal” albums. The songs does not have names, only numbers. I especially like track 2, which has that enigmatic melancholy that we know so well from the past. Track nine also has a nice feel. Track four could have been included in a “normal” Enigma album, it is that good.

The lost tracks would have been a much better release if there was older “lost tracks” too – like demos from the first three-four Enigma albums. This one is very close to the “synth VST” sound. But it is not like it is meant as a complete album.

It is what it is; a collection of songs that was left over when Seven Lives was mixed.  Not a top Enigma release, true, but still a welcome gift to any Enigma fan since the first disc is a superb “best of” collection.

Sample it on Amazon.de.

The Very Best Of Enya is now out in most places (December 1 is the release date in some regions). There are three versions available;

The standard CD album The Very Best Of Enya containig 18 tracks spanning her 20 year career including Orinoco Flow, Caribbean Blue, Anywhere Is as well as a previously unreleased version of Aniron as featured in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Rings. Available on all major digital music outlets and record stores throughout the world.

The Deluxe CD/DVD edition with 22 tracks plus a collection of 13 videos and rare interview footage on DVD – among them the Making Of Caribbean Blue and Making Of Only Time. Available in record stores throughout the world.

The Very Best Of – the Limited Edition Boxset Collector’s Edition (see picture). Within this exclusive boxset – only available in the uk from www.enyastore.co.uk – you will find the deluxe CD/DVD featuring 22 tracks plus a DVD collection of 13 videos and rare interview footage, and a 12″ Picture Disc vinyl of landmark single Orinoco Flow complimented by a 24 page exclusive 12″ hard-back book containing hand written lyrics, linear notes, a detailed blog and photos, PLUS the 22 track deluxe album delivered as high quality MP3s. Note the £ 74.99 pricetag and the fact that there is only 1000 copies available.

So yes, this is a great day for all Enya fans! A Best Of album is not like a new album, that’s true – and there is really nothing new here – still it gives a new perspective on Enya’s best and most beloved songs.

To celebrate both the upcoming album and the 20 year anniversary, Engima’s official homepage – Enigmaspace.com – will receive a major update. But already now you can get a small sneak peek of the design, and watch the awesome official video trailer that features clips from Enigma’s finest music videos.

Or, to quote the page; the world of Enigma evolves.

Andru Donalds, lead singer in Enigma, has posted a 10 minute long sample of the upcoming “Lost Tracks” album – which is disc three on the new Enigma “Best of” album.

You can sample it on Facebook. Scroll down to the music player on the left (the first track is the “lost” ones).

Source: Enigmamusic.com Forum

One of the most successful new age music albums of the early 1990’s was Medwyn Goodall’s Druid. It was in many ways his breakthrough album, proving what the albums In the stillness of a moment (1988) and Kindred Spirits (1988) were just indicating; here was an artist for the future! And the rest is, as they say, history. Now Medwyn Goodall together with Runestone (the Chris Green and Robert Fenner duo) have released Druid II. Here Medwyn Goodall’s many fans have a lot to look forward to, especially the return of the very popular Nine Maidens – the original being one of the finest new age music tracks ever.

Druid was, by the way, the first part of a trilogy where the other two albums were Merlin  and Excalibur – also classics of this artist’s early career. Previously this year Medwyn Goodall returned to his Medicine Woman series, releasing the 4^th installment entitled Medicine Woman IV – The 2012 Prophecy.

I like the way Medwyn Goodall creates sequels; he takes the original sound and redefines it, adding new and different colors and harmonies. It is very fan friendly. The Druid update, to call it that, is a musical déjà vu for the longtime fan; here are our beloved melodies mixes with new ones, all in a new and fresh setting. Especially the last track, the 12 minute long Nine Maidens Chronicles Part 4, is a feast for Druid fans.

There are also four other beautiful tracks here, where the listener can sense the Runestone influence. It is welcome, since it creates more variation in sound. The song The Circle Cast has a very nice buildup, with lots of interesting instruments and intertwining melodies – and awesome rain & storm samples as well.

I will not say that anything is missing here – it is just different from the original Druid album. One thing is of course the awesome analogue synth sound of the original album. That 80-90s muffled synth sound gave this album a detached, otherworldly feel. It is hard to recreate something like this with a DAW/sequencer (if that is a goal at all, creating music with a lower sound quality). Another thing is the lack of vocals (the male voice saying: come dance with us/under high heavens/pray with us/under high heavens – on the original).

Medwyn Goodall and Runestone have delivered a very welcome update of Druid, and in the process given new actuality to one of the finest releases in new age music. The new album does not replace the old one, but that was not likely the plan either.

Sample the album here.

Amazon.de has posted samples to all tracks on the upcoming three disc “Best of” and “Lost Tracks” album. Be among the first to sample this release here.

Below is the cover. I think it looks nice – same style as last year’s Seven Lives cover.

A very informative and heartfelt discussion is right now taking place on Enigmamusic.com.

It is so nice to see real fans discuss, even though not all are happy about the new “lost” tracks. That is life I guess…

Please Note: NEW RELEASEDATE (until further notice): November 27.

One of this year’s most interesting releases is now out on CD: Modern Meditations to the Rock Classics. You can sample it here. The album contains, as the title implies, meditative versions of Rock Classics. It is supposed to be “meditation music for the rock ‘n’ roll generation,” according to a press release.

It remains to be seen how this album is received by the rock ‘n’ roll crowd. In a blog post with the title What will they think of next Sandra Sperounes writes:

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I certainly can’t meditate to this stuff. Yikes! The company behind the series, CMH Label Group, isn’t shy about trying to capitalize on the ongoing yoga craze.

 ”While yoga, Pilates, and meditation have all entered the mainstream, the music has not. The Modern Meditations series aims to introduce an alternative to traditional new age fare to the growing modern rock audience,” reads the news release.

CMH is also the company responsible for the Rockabye Baby! and Pickin’ On series.

But I kinda like what I hear. Though I don’t find this to be meditation material. It is more like well produced background music; it instantly creates an atmosphere – and, if you listen carefully, you will recognize the original song. It is a modern version of Pan Pipe Moods, with the same passion but without the pan pipes.

This reviewer, in this setting, will not say thankfully without pan pipes. Pan pipes are great too.

The collection Modern Meditations the modern classics will be released in a few days’ time.

The iconic Tubular Bells-cover will be released on a first class stamp by UK’s Royal Mail. It is a part of a series featuring classic album covers. The stamp will be released on January 7th 2010.

You can see the stamp art here. Source: Tubular.net

Just in time for Christmas shopping, world’s most prominent new age artists release their “best of” albums. Enigma is first out. On 20th of November Virgin/EMI Music releases the three disc collection entitled The Greatest Hits. One disc is for the hits, one is filled with remixes and one is called The Lost Ones. Michael Cretu explains what’s “lost”:

Everything starts with trial and error. Sometimes it’s a sound, then a melody, a harmony or a mood. The Lost Ones are my way of instrumental drafts developed from a boiling cauldron full of unordered, naive und carefree musical ideas.

And on November 23rd it is Enya’s turn. The album “The very best of Enya” will be released on Warner music. The album will include titles from all the Warner albums with favorite songs chosen by Enya, Nicky and Roma Ryan. A special edition will contain DVD and documentary footage. This collection will not contain any new tracks though – but the Lord of the Rings song Aniron has not been on an Enya album before.

So yes, we are all getting early Christmas presents here! I am naturally most eager for the Enigma album, since it contains new material. I am also a big fan of the previous Enigma remix album (The LSD collection from 2001). A new Enya “best of” is always welcome too, since it gives new perspectives on selected songs – and Enya’s impressive discography too.

According to one definition art is “the creation of beautiful or significant things”. A new age music album that is both beautiful and significant is Transmission by Suzanne Doucet and Christian Buehner. The album was recorded in 1983, and stands as a cornerstone in the new age music discography. It is a true masterpiece that sounds just as powerful today as it did back in the golden new age music era of the early 80s.

When it comes to meditative music, more is usually less. Transmission has a minimalistic approach that is very soothing to the ears. The Jupiter 8 synth, which we have heard used by artists such as Jan Hammer and Tangerine Dream (and many more), creates a quite spacey soundscape. The synth has an amazing analogue sound bank, and it is being used to perfection on Transmission.

Transmission is one of two projects by the Doucet/Buehner duo (the first being the wonderful Transformation, which I will write another review about). Transmission was recorded at the Daylight Studio in Munich in 1983 – the 4 week production started on Good Friday, hence the name of the album’s first track. Good Friday is without a doubt one of the finest songs in new age music. What makes it stand above the crowd is the unique atmosphere. I have trouble describing it, you just have to experience it for yourself - but the magic seems to be in the combination of female and male vocals, the gently flowing rhythm, the ultra sharp Jupiter sounds and elements from other genres; the vocals makes me think of the 1960s for some reason. And wow, the guitars! Notice how the songs fades away gently – sounding truly divine.

Transmission is a true masterpiece that sounds just as powerful today as it did back in the golden new age music era of the early 1980s.

Track two, Shiva’s Dance, is a quite fast song. It reminds me of Brian Eno’s In Dark Trees from his masterwork Another Green World (1975), but with a more meditative atmosphere. Shiva’s is, by the way, also dancing on the wonderful cover artwork. The song Moonlight continues where Good Friday left off. It has a romantic feel with just a touch of melancholy. The Jupiter strings are marvelous (at least to analogue synth fans).

The last track, the over 12 minute long Transmission, is a like an album in itself. It is a voyage in sound that is just not to be missed; The sound effects, with dripping water and echo, is like walking into a mystical cave. It is a gentle song, perfect for meditation and relaxation.

Transmission is a true new age music classic. It is one of those few albums that I always return to – and it lifts my spirit up every time. It makes me wonder too; who ever said that new age music was one-dimensional and uninspired? They surely never got this transission…

Transmission is beautiful and significant. It is art.

The new remastered version is available on CDBaby and all other major digital music outlets.

One of the great things with the new digital distribution channel is that artists and labels can publish big, exclusive collections (which can contain both music and videos) ready for instant download – sometimes for a cheaper price. In the past big collections was for the most eager fans only.

One such digital collection is Kitaro Digital Box Set which is now out from Domo Music Group. Here you get 40 songs at 320kbps MP3 and 1 live video too (“Koi” from Kojiki: A Story of Concert DVD). It is a massive 4 disc collection (files delivered in zip compressed folder), which contains songs from Kitaro’s long and productive career.

At the moment it is only available from Domo Music Group.

Spirit Touch is the third solo album from Joseph Akins, which continues his heartfelt piano artistry with eleven fresh tracks: ten new originals and one modern arrangement of on old classic.

Joseph Akins’ performance on a Steinway D grand is featured throughout this album with intimate piano solos for several tracks – on others the listeners can enjoy accompaniment from cello and percussion. It is very spiritual indeed!

All tracks were recorded at Middle Tennessee State University recording studios. Both Joseph Akins and the engineer, Bill Crabtree, are professors in the Department of Recording Industry in the College of Mass Communication at MTSU. The world-class facilities of these studios can be heard throughout the high quality sound.

Sample Spirit Touch and learn more about this fascination artist on josephakins.com – also be sure to read how he comments each track. Here is for the 1,001 Nights track:

1,001 Nights – Influenced by artists such as Kitaro, I wanted to compose a track based on this Middle-Eastern sounding scale: G-Ab-B-C-D-Eb-F. I also had fun scraping my fingernails across the piano strings (the single strum that sounds similar to an autoharp).

Since NewAgeMusic.nu readership extends around the world and Halloween is practically an international tradition celebrated by a wide variety of customs, we wanted to offer a holiday oriented YouTube video release from Salva Moreno of Psicodreamics.  This video just shows the album art, but has a lengthy sampling of audio excerpts from  Theatre des Vampire.

Living in Valencia Spain, Salva’s fantasy and mythological inspired music offers some intriguing desiger music throughout the entire year and his  Theatre des Vampires album has the thrill and chill musical effects to keep you in suspense during the Halloween holiday.  Naturally, we wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween.

Click here to find our Interview and Review Pages dedicated to Salva Moreno, then click here to visit his modern day fantasy and mythological website of psicodreamics.com

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – Solarseven

In preparation for the release of The Very Best of Enya November 23rd Enya.com has been redesigned. The white And Winter Came look has been replaced by a blood red/black design, which matches the “best of” cover artwork.

The futuristic Trains and Winter Rains video has received a very prominent placement on the new page. You can also choose from a wide selection of other Enya videos as well.

Each music genre has its own set of atmospheres that artists more or less adhere to. Even in experimental genres like psychedelic, post-punk or soul-jazz, artists rarely create something that has a totally different atmosphere. They create music with different expressions, but the underlying atmosphere stays the same. This is also the case with new age. Here we usually have an ethereal and meditative atmosphere that is both loved and hated for its simplicity.  

But there is a hidden world of sound here too, that is being presented to us by the band Transcend with Time (TwT). It has the atmosphere of progressive rock and the sound of new age. Now TwT has released a new album entitled A Haunting Presence. Read on, and get to hear about a hidden world of sound!

Transcend with Time is a one-man band by Mark Mendieta from Brownsville, Texas. His previous projects all have thoughtful names, which beautifully show the duality between light and darkness in his music: A Voice of Calmness (2006). Reflections of the Soul (2007) and Through Memory’s Perception (2008). Mark Mendieta also has a progressive rock project called Subject to Thoughts, which is also highly recommended by this reviewer.

The brand new TwT-album, A Haunting Presence, opens with a song that is called Hourglass Falls. It is a perfect introduction to TwT’s music; it is as beautiful as it is eerie, as complicated as it is simple. When listening to it is like stepping into a scary old house, filled with things that belongs in children’s nightmares – stuff that aren’t really scary, but still give you a foreboding feeling. Hourglass Falls is a new hit from TwT. It is Halloween music you can play all year round.

The ingredients in TwT’s music is a mix of piano, analogue sounding synths and drums. Note that the foremost beauty is not in the arrangement, but the atmosphere. Therefore it is too easy dismiss TwT as “synth music” (which I have seen other reviewers do in the past) – but this is not the case at all. Just beneath the sequenced synth are layers of heartfelt musical poetry.

The title song is, as implied, haunting, but in a good way. The songs flows away, like a dark undercurrent, taking you on a 7min18sec long journey.

But there are brighter segments here as well, like the song In Loving Memory, which includes a wonderful vocal by Brandon Strader. It is 11 minute long, and the atmosphere rises and falls naturally, like if it was not a song but a stage play about the loving memories of a now lost family member. One of my favorite songs on the album is A Silent Lullaby. It is like an early Tangerine Dream-song, with its analogue synths, flutes and sharp strings. It is an ambient jewel; very meditative, and filled TwT’s usual mix of melancholy and joy. Another song I would like to mention is the faster Beneath. It could have been the sound track to an action movie.

On A Haunting Presence Mark Mendieta takes everything that is great about new age and adds, what he calls, “a twist of Dark Progressive”. It creates a totally different atmosphere, unlike anything else you are likely to find in this part of the forest. TwT is not easy listening, and that is also the case with the new release. But if you give is some time, you will for sure be amazed of the richness in sound.

After all, a haunting presence is not something you are likely to notice right away. The new chapter in TwT’s history is a very rewarding listen.

You can sample and buy the album on Melodic revolution. Also be sure to check out TwT’s page on MySpace.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – Dip2000

While 2008 was a year when the biggest names in new age music – Enya, Enigma and Mike Oldfield – all released new and fresh material – 2009 has turned out to be a “best of” year. It began with Mike Oldfield releasing yet another Tubular Bells-version. In November both Enya and Enigma will too release new “best of” albums. Below on our page you can read about the new Enya compilation, while we here give you information about the upcoming “best of” album by Enigma. According to Enigmamusic.com:

One month before the 20th anniversary, “The Platinum Collection” of ENIGMA is a look back on one of the most successful musical projects of the last years. With over 50 million records sold worldwide, more than 100 platinum and gold awards and over 50 #1 chart positions, mastermind Michael Cretu is eclipsing twenty years of a musical journey with a 3 CD-Box Set release.

While the new Enya album contains no new tracks, Enigma gives us one remix CD and an additional CD called “The Lost Ones” which delivers a never before allowed insight into the creative sound laboratory of ENIGMA. “Everything starts with trial and error.” Michael Cretu explains. “Sometimes it’s a sound, then a melody, a harmony or a mood. The “Lost Ones” are my way of instrumental drafts developed from a boiling cauldron full of unordered, naive und carefree musical ideas.” It will be released on November 20th.

See the track listing here.

It is with joy we bring you the track listing of upcoming title The very best of Enya – which is to be released on November 24th! Sadly there are no new “bonus” tracks composed for the collection, but it contains the Lord of the Rings song Aníron, which has not been on an Enya release before. The tracks have been selected by Enya and her good friends Nicky and Roma Ryan.

A special edition DVD and a documentary regarding the album will also be available at the same time.

CD version:

1. Orinoco Flow
2. Aniron
3. Storms in Africa
4. Caribbean Blue
5. Book of Days
6. The Celts
7. Only Time
8. Wild Child
9. Water Shows The Hidden Heart
10. Anywhere Is
11. Cursum Perficio
12. Amarantine
13. Aldebaran
14. Trains and Winter Rains
15. Watermark
16. Boadicea
17. A Day Without Rain
18. May It Be

CD/DVD version:

1. Trains and Winter Rains
2. My My Time Flies
3. Stars and Midnight Blue
4. Amarantine
5. Sumiregusa
6. The River Sings
7. If I Could Be Where You Are
8. Wild Child
9. Only Time
10. Drifting
11. Flora’s Secret
12. Fallen Embers
13. One By One
14. Pax Deorum
15. Athair ar Neamh
16. Anywhere Is
17. Orinoco Flow
18. Watermark
19. Boadicea
20. May It Be
21. Caribbean Blue
22. Aniron

Source: Enya.com

Usually we don’t comment digital music outlets, but for our dear partner Mog.com (where our articles also are published) we today make an exception.

According to Wired.com:

The social music network MOG, one of Wired.com’s ten hottest music sites last year, has signed deals with all four major labels and indie aggregators to launch an unlimited on-demand streaming service that will cost $5 per month starting Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

You can read the whole article here.

At Wired you can also read about the obstacles for making a free, ad-based music service in the US. In Europe people can enjoy Spotify.com (contact me if you want an invite) which is free to use, but in US you apparently must pay at least 5 bucks.

In this age of advanced digital audio workstations (DAWs), where the artists have access to every instrument and sound imaginable, it is actually quite refreshing to come across an artist that focuses solely on the classical possibilities of “general midi” sounding instruments. Marc Béziat second album is entitled Consolation. It contains 11 songs in an original neo-baroque style that fans of analogue synths must make sure to check out.

Most of the songs are short (the longest being 3min58sec). Consolation is in many ways like classical music, with melodic segments which effectively communicate feelings – and then are replaced by the next segment; each song fill the audio canvas with pictures that are as beautiful as they are interesting.

Sample the album on CDBaby – and also check out Marc Béziat’s homepage.