Posts Tagged ‘Medwyn Goodall’

We hope that you are enjoying the summer – with holidays and lots of sun! Here at .nu we are always looking for warm, sunny music. In the following weeks we will present the finest summer music our genre has to offer. But why not start with the best of the best?

Medwyn Goodall – Earth Goddess (2007)
You know me – I’m usually not a man of few words when it comes to music. But listening to Medwyn Goodall’s Earth Goddess always leaves me speechless. In Medwyn’s massive discography (he is represented on iTunes with more than 100 titles!) there are so many excellent albums. But for me Earth Goddess is special. It has to do with my love for the sunny island theme, and the fact that I feel that it is here new age music is at its very best.

Palms, blue water, white beaches, waves, a hot wind blowing, holidays – all of this gives good, happy feelings that our genre so well communicates through music. And nowhere in the complete new age music discography – from Tony Scott till today – is this more present than in Medwyn Goodall’s Earth Goddess. It is simply a summer new age music tour de force!

The six track long album was released in the early summer of 2007. It starts with the ultra light Amulet. The lush pads, echoed pan flute, the bright sounding piano and – after a tasteful build-up – Medwyn’s masterful el-guitar, are all elements that makes this into an unforgettable start of an unforgettable album.

Simply put; Earth Goddess is one of the best albums in the new age music genre.

BT Fasmer

Sungrass, track no. 2, is as laid-back as the title implies. This is music for a sunny day in the grass. The song has the same ingredients as track 1, but here Medwyn’s el-guitar is perhaps even better – sounding a bit like The Shadows’ classical el-guitar songs.

The next song out, Totem, is a song to worship; close your eyes and the dream island will manifest itself. The song has some of the best build-up I have ever heard – the middle part, at around 4min50sec and later, is just so interesting, so deep without being complex. The flute ending is simply breathtaking; I could listen to it all day.

Simply put; Earth Goddess is one of the best albums in the new age music genre. Its warm sound and pleasant atmosphere makes it to a modern classic, a masterpiece for the future. Do yourself a favor and meet the Earth Goddess!

Sample the album on MGMusic.co.uk. Available on all major digital music outlets.

One of this year’s most anticipated albums, Mewdyn Goodall’s CLAN III – The Lands Beyond, has now been released. You can listen to samples from it here.

The album Clan: A Celtic Journey came out in 1998 and is one of Medwyn’s most popular albums from the 1990s. The sequel, The Scroll, was released in 2000. So it has now been 10 years since we last heard music with that medieval sound that Medwyn does so well. When listening to it you can almost see the warriors and maidens, the horses and the castles. This music is a true treassure chest for anyone who loves fantasy and fairytales.

And that is not all; the album has been made in Medwyn’s new and upgraded studio! The complete Clan Trilogy is available here.

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.

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.

Druid has been one of Medwyn Goodall’s most beloved albums since it was released back in 1990. In many ways it was his breakthrough album too.

Now the follow-up, Druid II, has been released!

You can sample it here.

Nothing less than four exciting titles are due out this fall on MG Music. And if that was not enough, two of new age music’s finest artists have joined Medwyn Goodall’s label! But more on that later. First the upcoming titles:

Druid has been one of Medwyn Goodall’s most beloved albums since it was released back in 1990. In many ways it was his breakthrough album too. Now the follow-up will finally be released! So start preparing, because Druid II is coming!

Aroshanti will release the album ZEN – Searching within Silence. Here is a description of the album provided by the label:

Aroshanti is an artist who improves with huge leaps with ever release. Zen is undoubtedly his best work to date. Already gaining recognition for his performances on Medicine Woman IV, OM 2, Reiki II, Aroshanti has created the perfect CD for meditation, healing and deep relaxation. The music has such a sense of pause and space without ever over doing it. It glides, floats around you effortless providing the perfect ambience.

Olof Hammar is also back this fall by popular demand. The album is entitled Upon a Celtic Shore. It will for sure be Celtic, melodic and full of energy.

And now, lastly, the two new artists on the MG Music label, both US based: Jillian Aversa (Goldin) and Marc Enfroy!

They are without a doubt two of the most talented artists in this genre. We here at .nu choose Jillian’s debut album as the best album released in 2008, and Marc has been incredibly popular on New Age Stars all year long. Marc’s new album will be re-released on the MG Music label. I’m sure they will do really well under Medwyn Goodall’s masterful supervision.

The album OM by Medwyn Goodall and Terry Oldfield (and several other artists) became a new age music classic almost overnight when it was released by MG Music in 2007. Now OM II is out. It is in every respect a worthy follow-up, and it is taking the OM project even further – creating an atmosphere that is perfect for relaxation and meditation. It is a proof that the OM mantra is growing in power when repeated.

The big difference between OM and OM II is that this time around it is not Terry Oldfield that plays the flute, but Aroshanti (Nick Truch). Terry’s flute is in my opinion impossible to replace, but Aroshanti is doing a terrific job – like he also has on previous albums like True Reiki II – Reiki Healing and Clearzone Sound Essence.

The other big difference is that OM II has much less melodic structure. There is a lot more improvisation, both in the flute and guitar parts (played by Medwyn Goodall), which is really taking the OM project to new heights. It is the new age music equivalent of a jam session, giving the melody a softer, less constructed feel. For meditation use this is very positive.

The second installment in the OM series is a joint venture between several artists. Medwyn Goodall and Aroshanti are accompanied by other MG Music artists such as Guy Sweens, Runestone, Threefold, Paul Sills, Oshwari, Andrew Kinsella and Simon Lovelock. Yes, it is truly a selection of some of the finest artists around and a statement of MG Music’s quality artist catalogue. They all add their fingerprint to the production.

The tracks on the album are all long, between 5 and 7 minutes, which makes it great for meditation. And I must mention that there is a very good continuity between the tracks, so you might end up thinking about OM II as one track. The rich synth pads are the soundscape’s foundation, while the guitar and flute come and go, sometimes sharing the microphone.

This is the new age music equivalent of a jam session, giving the melody a softer, less constructed feel.

The first few tracks take you into a dream world, as blue as the cover photo and as magical as the OM symbol. My favorite song on the album is Starfield, where Medwyn’s guitar, a distant piano and Aroshanti’s flute intertwine beautifully. And like any quality meditation album it also contains a wake up track, the last one, produced by Guy Sweens. After the slow 11th track it is quite a shower of sound. Here there are some obvious Enigma references with samples and a powerful rhythm too, not very different from his acclaimed India series. A different but effective ending; this song takes you back to mother earth in just about six minutes.

OM II is just as good as the first one. It is simply a great package; inspired artists working together to create the ultimate OM experience.

What more can we, the fans, ask for? That they include a flying carpet?

Sample the album on MG Music.

MG Music has a lot of exciting titles coming up this summer! First out is OM II, the follow-up to the successful collaboration album from 2007. Each artist has submitted a track representing the magical OM, with Medwyn Goodall performing Guitar and Aroshanti on Flutes. This album is expected to be released mid June.

In July Druid II will be out. Druid is one of Medwyn Goodall’s most successful albums from his early career, released in 1990. On Druid II he is joined by Runestone.

And lastly, the much anticipated debut from Steve Orchard, entitled Raindancer. According to the presentation on MGMusic, the album offers soft percussion, guitars and panpipes perfectly depicting the atmosphere of the rain forests.

Some rain and a bit of dancing is also included

It has become a tradition in the world of new age music. Every fifth year or so Medwyn Goodall’s many fans get a new installment in the Medicine Woman series. Since the release of the first album in the series in 1991, it has become one of the most popular in the genre. 450.000 copies of Medicine Woman 1 has been sold so far, and Medicine Woman 2 the gift has been awarded gold disc status. Now the fourth Medicine Woman is ready to do house calls. This time she brings more mystery and magic than ever before. In the center is the ancient Mayan calendar and the enigmatic year of 2012.

Since his debut in 1987, Medwyn Goodall has been one of the leading new age artists. The most striking about his music is his ability to recreate and redefine his style while staying true to the objective: create music that is positive, fresh and uplifting. After more than 80 albums this is still the case: the new Medicine Woman has a lot of powerful magic potions in her bag, ready to heal your stressed-out soul.

In a recent interview with Medwyn Goodall we asked him about the Mayans and the year 2012. He answered: The ultimate conclusion of the Mayans knowledge of time and astrology was their creation of what is known as the Mayan calendar which tells of periods, eons of time each having its influence on humanity. What is immediately noticeable about the calendar is that it stop very precisely on the 21st of December 2012. Read the whole interview here.

Fans will find Medicine Woman 4 to be somewhere between Medicine Woman 3 the rising (2004) and Serve Chilled (2008 ) in sound. The somewhat heavy synth pads of previous Medicine Woman albums are gone, replaced by a lighter, modern synth arrangement. Medwyn uses guitar, flutes and a gentle drum set.

The thing I like best about the Medicine Woman series is the superb sound design. When you put on a new album, you know what it is even though you haven’t heard it before: for the fan it is a musical deja vu. Medwyn uses some of the melodic segments from previous albums while adding plenty of new material. From the first magical sounding synth you know that the medicine woman is here again. On track two you’ll get the first example of the totally renewed sound. The light synth together with the piano is beautiful beyond words.

The Medicine Woman series contain some of Medwyn Goodall’s best tracks, like Temple Journey and Farewell To The Darkness. And fans will be delighted to add track no. four, Solar Waves, to the list. It has an unforgettable melody combined with a light synth arrangement that shows Medwyn’s almost magical abilities to create positive, heartfelt music. This track is one of Medwyn’s finest. It is simply masterful.

As always in the Medicine Woman series the South American influences are many and welcome. I think they give Medwyn’s music both warmth and identity. When you play the album it runs like one track, with only a very short break between the tracks. In this way you get long session with the Medicine Woman. Not bad for a mere £ 9.99. It offers, like the rest of the series, almost endless replay possibilities.

Prophecy 2012 has the good old Medicine Woman atmosphere, pure and simple. This sound should have been patented, put on a bottle and sold to a big pharmaceutical company, since it is truly a healing experience. But I guess that the Medicine Woman is more about herbs and spells, than pills and bills.

Sample the album here.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto, JaleEvsen

NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Medwyn Goodall about his highly popular Medicine Woman series. The fourth album entitled Medicine Woman IV: Prophecy 2012 has just been released. The interview is done by BT Fasmer.

BT Fasmer: The Medicine Woman series contains some of your most popular and beloved songs, like Temple Journey, Invocation (all parts) and Farewell To The Darkness. When you recorded the first Medicine Woman in 1991, it was the beginning of something entirely new in your discography. To quote the cover: Rhythmic, celebratory, nurturing. Today these are the words many fans would use to describe your music. Please tell us what the Medicine Woman series has meant for you as an artist.

Medwyn Goodall: During my career I’ve developed some personal favorite themes and styles that I enjoy returning to and Medicine Woman is one of those themes. It is a sound that is very me, very natural to me and is like an old friend. Whilst I might try out different ideas and do different projects, fans know that at some point I will always return for a period of taking these theme another step. It’s become a trademark of my career that every 5 years or so Medicine Woman will be re-born.

BT: The Medicine Woman series is inspired by the ancient Mayan culture, and this is even more apparent in the latest installment: Medicine Woman IV: Prophecy 2012. Tell us about your interest for the ancient Mayan culture, and the enigmatic year of 2012.

Medwyn: I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t interested in myths, legends, mysteries and native cultures, and the Mayans stand out as being one of the most unusual civilizations there have been. The Mayans were amazing astrologers and keepers of time, so much so and so accurate were they that today’s scientists are still debating theories on how the Mayans had such knowledge. The ultimate conclusion of the Mayans knowledge of time and astrology was their creation of what is known as the Mayan calendar which tells of periods, eons of time each having its influence on humanity.

What is immediately noticeable about the calendar is that it stop very precisely on the 21st of December 2012. It does not predict a doom and gloom end of the world scenario, but more mysteriously hints and foretells of much upheaval as we pass from a period of difficulty in to a time of re-birth and enlightenment. What is truly interesting is that many other cultures all have similar predictions for the same time and date. 2012 to many ancient civilizations seems to indicate a massive change and that is what the CD is referring to. To sit up and take notice and look into the details for oneself.

BT: This series is one of the most successful in new age music history. Are you nervous about making a sequel?

Medwyn: I was very nervous when I made Medicine Woman II and a little less so with CLAN II – the Scroll, because they were the first time I had written a definite sequel. I am not nervous these days, I thoroughly enjoyed making Medicine Woman IV and was perfectly relaxed and content whilst making it, which show I think. It sounds as if I was confident and relaxed.

BT: The Medicine Woman series albums have been accompanied by some wonderful cover art by American artist Lisa Iris. I guess it is right to say that she too has given life and identity to the Medicine Woman?

Medwyn: Yes Lisa is a very good friend of mine and she added her own flare giving Medicine Woman a visual style and identity. With Medicine Woman II and Medicine Woman III we very much collaborated on ideas for the cover so that I could echo them in the tracks, making the albums that much more integrated. However Lisa couldn’t join me for the 4th new album and so I designed the cover myself.

BT: The Medicine Woman was the first of several magical women in your discography. Like Priestess: Return To Atlantis, Moon Goddess and Earth Goddess. The celebration of the Feminine is central in your music. Do you see yourself making more Medicine Woman albums in the near future, or will the other powerful women mentioned here get their sequels first? A new Earth Goddess album perhaps?

Medwyn: I do plan to sequel The Sorcerers Daughter next year with Rune Caster. The Sorcerer’s Daughter was always planned to be a mini series or trilogy and I have settled on it being a trilogy, as it has a linked story. I’ll return to Medicine Woman every few years for as long as fans want me to and if I feel I have something fresh to say on the subject. I don’t feel as though it’s over yet so there could be a 5th in the years to come.

BT: You also run the MG Music label. Still you find the time to be an artist yourself. Can you do both at the same time, or do you take time off from the label to create music?

Medwyn: It’s impossible to do both at once. I choose periods where the label doesn’t need me personally too much to escape into the studio. It was harder in the earlier years of the label and my music suffered a bit as a result of the clash. Since the Sorcerer’s Daughter, 2006, I can find the time to focus on just being an artist and I feel as though I have really found myself again as an artist, having gone through the transition to owning a label.

BT: Thank you Medwyn for the interview, and good luck with your new projects! 2009 is looking out to be a great year for the MG Music label.

Sample the new Medicine Woman album here.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com, Craetista