Behind the Hills By Bernward Koch

 

Behind the Hills

By

Bernward Koch

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have long been a fan of German born composer Bernward Koch, there is something so very calming and enjoyable about listening to his albums, and over the years I have amassed quite a few, my first being back in 2005 called Walking Through Clouds, that for me would set the tone for the next 21 years of piano magic from the composer, for me personally making Bernward a go to creator of new age piano relaxing music, however we are gracefully back to celebrate another milestone in his illustrious career, by taking an in-depth look at his latest album Behind The Hills.

The opening piece called On and On is a fine example of the entire voyage with a Bernward Koch album, the track itself has such a steady progression and with its multi-instrumental feel, it’s like you actually slow down, the outside world becomes quiet and one can feel totally immersed in the composition with utter ease.

Piano at Night has that gentle refrain that can be found constantly throughout the composers albums over the years, but for me there is also a powerful uplift that could go unnoticed, one that plays harmoniously with the melody in an almost soundtrack like narrative, and would be one of my favourite pieces from the release.

On this next piece I am gifted a song that reminds me of Alice’s journey through the garden of living flowers, this utter gem is entitled Sleeping Flowers. The serenity of this track is amazing in all its somnambulant tenderness. One can feel time passing through the artists gentle piano performance one that reminded me greatly of Mike Roland back in the 80’s and 90’s.

The title track comes up next and of course is called Behind the Hills. This is another moving offering and a fine example of a truly great title header, a sense of discovery and a little mystery are manifested by the piano and flute combination, in classic Bernward Koch style. This is soon followed by the anthem like tones of Beautiful View, light percussive elements and a soothing symphonic vibration can be found here, this is a truly beautiful and lush landscape of music that needs to be appreciated, note the soaring flute here as well. 

We now find our way to the middle point of the release and a brilliant offering called An Old Castle. Note the atmospheric start here; this is utterly transcendent and quite haunting in its collective energy, again this would be another personal favourite of mine, almost Tim Burton in context, with the flute and piano gracefully dancing with each other in a mystical movement perhaps.

This for me is one of Bernward’s deeper releases; however we gain a little respite with the piece called In the Forest, a steady onward progression with elements of the classical and that breath-taking flute can be found here. The construct here ushers forth a return to nature and a deeper sense of being surrounded by the landscape. It functions almost like stepping farther into the album's imaginary world ahead.

Inner Treasure is an interesting offering, the beginning has an almost processional feel to its overall narrative, and then from its hymn like structure manifests into a more tender composition, again little classical styled motifs similar to a pavane can be found here on a charming tale told so beautifully by the artist.

The mood deepens once again with the next track entitled Timeless Memory. As one would indeed expect a reflective offering that creates a safe sanctuary with which to listen from is found. Could this be the most contemplative offering from the album, maybe so? There is also an intriguing Baroque energy here that could hint at a historical narrative, and an element of ambience one now finds in the long form academia pieces these days.

The delicacy of this next offering is palpable and enticing and almost pristine in its performance and called The Linden Tree, which has strong cultural associations with home, village life and memory perhaps, there is indeed a wistful tone here that drifts past like an errant cloud of an early autumn afternoon in October that is a delightful and textured pleasure.

Nordic Hills is our penultimate offering and what a delicious sample it is to enjoy. This is a proud offering with cinematic gestures. The landscape becomes larger and more majestic. More layers and momentum give this track a broader, almost movie styled feel. The natural fluency here mixed with the pristine quality of performance brings forth another marvellous composition for us to all enjoy and bathe within.

The concluding tale is called Windy Weather. This is a timely piece as we are soon to be entering autumn, but the unusual usage of drums on this offering gave the overall narrative more depth, and for some reason reminded me a lot in melodic structure to the works of artists like Kerani. Regardless this was a beautiful way with which to end the album.

Behind the Hills by Bernward Koch is in my view one of his finest works that I have had the pleasure to listen to for ages from the artist, in fact I would go as far to say the entire experience was warm, pastoral, contemplative, cinematic and simply delightful, it is as if Koch is taking us all on a voyage throughout the entire album rather than a manifestation of a tracks by track narrative, which in my view should create a massive chart hit for the album and possibly award worthy to.

Dog Eared Days By James Filkins

 

Dog Eared Days

By

James Filkins

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I still remember fondly my first album from the artist, Cranes in the Moonlight released back in 2023, after a few hit singles before that, and I remember being impressed by its acoustic contents, here just three years later James Filkins has marched on relentless and in my view produced his best work yet on his latest release called Dog Eared Days. This 13 track vast body of acoustic guitar work with added instrumentation is a wondrous step forwards for the musician.

The journey begins with the melodic and memorable A Place In the Sun ft. Stephen Wake, who actually takes the lead on this reflective but upbeat opening offering, and the dualistic symbiosis of both guitars creates a deeply felt energy for the listener to enjoy.

On Gratitude we have a more spacious offering, this one I really liked as it gave the listener room to breathe and wander within its realms, at times it also retained a slight minimalistic feel, but one that floated with the cadence of the day, and is a fine example of really a good acoustic guitar performance.

We can drift into the arms of our next composition called House Cleaning ft Sav Madigan & Katie Larson, this is one of the most beautiful pieces from the release. The violin of Madigan brings to the table a mournful repose whilst the cello of Larson doubly so, this incredible arrangement of three different stringed instruments gifts the listener something truly blissful to swim within.

Cat Head Bay ft. Zak Leger is up next, this is a more light hearted reverie, one that reminds me of another us guitarist in the US called Chris Haugen, back to the track, Leger on the interesting combination of whistle and accordion, adds a special and unique flavour to the overall narrative of the composition, one that manifests a little Celtic feel within the weave of the creation as well.

We can peak now at Gravity and Intertia, this is an inventive Filkins, slapping the wires and adding pertinent harmonics, something I used to love to do, this stylish solo effort is both exploratory and fun, whilst Dog Eared Days ft. Michael Manring is a bitter sweet melody for me, having been a former dog owner until December of ‘25, but including Manring on Fretless bass to Filkins spacious and loving guitar, I felt quite was cathartic and healing for those of us that have lost a four legged family member.

However one of my favourite’s tracks from the album was the light and sun kissed reverie of Rose and Hummingbird ft. Luis Vilca & Jeff Haynes, which I believe was the last single from the artist as well, the beautiful fingerstyle guitar, with added flute of Luis Vilca, and the delicate percussion of Jeff Haynes manifested both a memorable and a very addictive melodic offering indeed.

One step into the latter half of the album and we will find Purpose, a solo effort from the artist that has a little extra depth and grace, one that shows a great example of both chords, lower string usage and tone, then on Leelanau Lullaby ft. Christina Karakos, Sav Madigan & Katie Larson, we can add the skill set of the viola of Karakos into the weave, so we now have four different stringed instruments building upon each other for one of the most technically brilliant arrangements off the album.

Time for another slice of acoustic magic from Filkins with the creation Joie De Vivre, a charming song written with a lot of tenderness and love, which if my French stands the test of time means joy of living! This is the shortest piece off the release, but one of the sweetest, which allows us to transition to the offering Witch Hazel, a more folk based narrative, with some quite crisp finger picking, and a sensitive overall refrain.

The penultimate creation is entitled Cardinal Serenade ft. Alice Roberts, here the harp of Roberts doesn’t just add an extra layer to the compositional structure of the track, but manifests a lush juxtaposition of tone and timbre light and dark, shadow and sun, in one of the most artistic tracks on the album, and another personal favourite of mine.

We conclude our journey with James with this last arrangement called Arboreal Glen, again that Celtic lilt is added by Aaron Dolan on the whistle in a fine parting gift from the composer, reminding me of the music of Bill Wren and Frank Ralls from back in the day, but regardless a brilliant ending to a sublime release.

Now you have probably heard this before by other writers, but I am far from being disingenuous when I state that Dog Eared Days by James Filkins is the best work thus far by the artist, in fact I am one of the few music writers around, that you know when I say this, I actually mean it, this  album is a real treat to listen to, one could leave it on repeat and simply just enjoy it over and again, this is why I believe that the care and attention to detail that the artist has put into his work on this album will achieve rewards, and I am sure a pretty good chart position for Dog Eared Days by James Filkins as well.

Heart of the Party By David Arkenstone

 

Heart of the Party

By

David Arkenstone

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This is a remarkable work under any guise or reference point, I have known of David Arkenstone and his music for decades and it never ceases to amaze me when he gifts us some of the most emphatic and outstanding film score soundtracks that he comes up with, these are moments of utter genius, that require an amazing ear and an even more stunning mind.

Here on Heart of the Party, which is performed by the Northwest Sinfonia, he gives us a couple of minutes of thematic and cinematic joy, within a fantasy soundtrack, one that suggests a musical change of perspective: rather than danger, combat, or mystery, the music evokes companionship, celebration, warmth, and communal energy, and it is done with such ease and great style.

For this type of soundtrack cue, the goal is generally not to develop a long sonata-like argument. Instead, the music needs to establish an atmosphere quickly, and that is exactly what David has done here with ease. This of course is a track from the album Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Masters Official Soundtrack, it’s a hair raising, inspirational moment of happiness and companionship before or after battle, totally classic and undeniable mastery can be found here.

Symphony Infinitum By Phillip Kanakis

 

Symphony Infinitum

By

Phillip Kanakis

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The soft pastiche of a piano based album with a plethora of added instrumentation came my way today in the guise of Symphony Infinitum by Phillip Kanakis. This wondrous moment of sonic exploration filled the start of my day with hope and cheer, as we wend our way through a personal 30 year journey for the artist, and a work that contains the mastery of The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir as well.

The album itself is a 10 track opus of grandeur, a powerful and moving collection of touching works, like the opening offering entitled Symphony Infinitum Intro. The steady onward procession of this piece is most appealing; it establishes the scale and atmosphere: something expansive, timeless and almost cosmic.

Short form narratives are here as well including the following piece called Epic Journey. This informative musical tale explains the weave of the theme as we possibly begin leaving the familiar, encountering challenges, and pursuing something larger, elements of Philip Glass can be found within the weave of this manifestation. Then onto the thoughtful musical prose of Reflection, the accompanying percussion and drums were particularly effective here, in a track that when meshed with the strings, was a real team effort, and a classy cinematic opus in structure.

Sweet Moments is a soft and tender tonal delight and certainly the most intimate offering thus far. There is a focused shift toward simple experiences that make life meaningful and simple; this is followed though by the powerful and rock styled ethic of Seven Rings, the full flowing choir here was truly inspiring to listen to, and brought chills to the arms and neck, the electric guitar also in its War of the Worlds Style was enticing; this would turn out to be one of my personal favourites from the entire release.

The midway juncture is reached, and with a classical tradition, drawing on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. But rather than simply presenting Beethoven's work, the title "Essence of Moonlight" suggests extracting its emotional core, and in doing so, placing it inside Kanakis's broader cinematic-orchestral universe.

108 Overture is a wonderfully uplifting composition that I personally found quite chilled, and containing an almost drifting narrative. Until I researched I must admit to not knowing this, which the number 108 carries significant symbolic importance’s in several Eastern spiritual traditions. Here the artist manifests something deeply personal, but the tone of the aforementioned creation is anthem like in its energies.

When we reach the more cinematic opus of Infinity we are gifted a real treat, a flowing classical arrangement with piano that reminds me of the works of Michael Hoppe. After the journey, reflection and spiritual symbolism, the music arrives at something much larger than the individual, this is a grand sweeping gesture of a creation that is much appreciated.

The penultimate offering is entitled For What Words Cannot Say, to me Kanakis is in his element on this offering, a constant piano progression and narration can be found here that is utterly incredibly and thoroughly enjoyable, there is a depth here that is also palpable, as if it is bringing the enormous cosmic ideas back to something deeply human, in its musical cycle.

The concluding arrangement is Hymn to the World, if ever you wanted to go out with something amazingly powerful this would be the very track I would point to, its majesty and grace would finish any movie perfectly.

Symphony Infinitum by Phillip Kanakis is a classy collection of creative choices and compositions, perhaps in summing up it would be wise to think of this album as a whole entity, rather than individual tracks, and that the experience could very well be a cinematic meditation on existence. Regardless this is a stunning release and, and it should do incredibly well in the charts for Symphony Infinitum by Phillip Kanakis.

Ledges Road By Carbe and Durand

 

Ledges Road

By

Carbe and Durand

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Ledges Road belongs to the musical world that Carbé and Durand developed through their work with Incendio, one of my all-time favourite bands from the start of the century and to this day. This track originally comes from their Album Seduction released in 2006 and is a live piece.

The two-guitar interaction is strong in this one with the lead and harmony playing a dualistic theme, a memorable offering is thus created, the lead in fact is the voice of the track and operates a reflective arrangement, akin to returning to an old location from your childhood and the rush of memories that have long since died, come floating past to say hello before they once again float out into the ether and are gone forever.

Liza Carbe and JP Durand are prolific writers, composers and performers, and on this new single perhaps they have manifested one of the most memory tinged and moody pieces of all time, not exactly sad as such, but deeply reflective and time worn.

The careful and fluent performance from both artists is as good as ever, and I am pretty certain that when it comes to chart placements Ledges Road by Carbe and Durand is going to be one very huge hit, it has a certain cadence about it that is undeniable. From the duo of Latin and acoustic guitar mastery Ledges Road will no doubt become one of those pieces that you can just never get out of your head, and will stay in-residence for ages.

Eremitism By Dreamscapist

 

Eremitism

By

Dreamscapist

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There are some subjects that are simply perfect for the realm of ambient music and Eremitism is most certainly one of them. Eremitism is the practice or condition of living in total or partial seclusion as a hermit, usually for religious or spiritual reflection, but also for deep personal reflection, however I would argue and postulate that literally anyone can do this, and further reference the fact that many of us also do this sometimes whilst in a relationship, especially if that relationship is so void of feeling and emotion that one can literally feel the loneliness of a hermit like existence, and that life style can then be extremely attractive to be a part of.

Here Dreamscapist provides us with an entire album based on the subject matter, and in my view encapsulates the very feelings of the aforementioned subject in a stunningly graphic and deeply moving way. The release is just 6 tracks in duration, but all are delicious long form opuses, and each one has the ability to be the watcher, the sentinel of observance, as each offering dissolves into the ebb and flow of life and washes over the senses like a calming early morning misty ocean tide.

The opening creation is a delicious meandering stream of keyboard tonal structures that floats akin to an errant cloud across the sky on an August afternoon in late summer. The Choice Now Chosen is our reference point, our beginning, that wonderful moment when one decides that this is the life style that the mind craves for, silence and simple observation. The calmness of the synths and keyboards, and moreover the consistency of the artists performance here is timeless and deeply cathartic, and something I can truly relate to.

And Now It All Begins is our first step on the road of our journey of Eremitism; this has an even more tender and careful tone to its construct, one can feel the first few moments of a day beginning in the world of the Hermit. Musically and in the context of the arrangement, this is where the erratic, shifting synth layers typically smooth out into the vast, sweeping, cinematic drones that define the heart of the album, The "reluctance" of the mind drops away, and the actual journey into deep isolation and spiritual reflection takes over. The performance here is suspenseful; we’re not taking of a total void of oration and sound, but a stillness of mental perambulations.

However this next piece is the most important off the release, it’s that point when the mind kicks in and begins to question. As humans we are naturally social animals and on The Reluctant Mind we see the first elements of doubt and hesitation begin to manifest. It acts as the thematic turning point of the album, utilizing shifting synth pads to depict the internal friction, hesitation, and mental doubt of entering total isolation.

A Glimmer Of Hope is our next step forward, there is a more meditative energy about this next piece, and garners a similar energy when one has started to get used to a certain change in their lives. The keyboard structures are light and airy and contain slithers of tender hope. The overall narrative for me would be one of a delicate calm settling in and an awareness of an inner peace gently growing. This piece perhaps represents the spiritual breakthrough. It captures the sense of finding peace, light, and clarity within isolation, where one could possibly say we have found comfort in our own circumstance, and found that most hallowed and cherished mythical land of balance and harmony.

There is a point when one feels that sense of comfort, the solitude of the moment can be a great healing journey to discover, this has happened several times to me in my life, once in England when I sat on the side of a hill on the Isle of Wight for many hours, lost in my own thoughts, but feeling the comfort of solitude and oneness, my only regret was that I had to leave and return to an unhappy life. I write this because this piece from Dreamscapist illustrates that mood perfectly; I believe that at that time I was Closer To The Self than I had ever been. This moving creation is an almost dreamlike narrative that allows the world to spin around us without hindrance; we have at last become the observer and that feeling, however fleeting, is one of the most wonderful halcyon moments we might ever touch, indeed perhaps even liberation from suffering. Closer To The Self functions as the actual destination of the journey. It explores the psychological reward of eremitism: strips away external noise to arrive at unfiltered self-awareness and inner peace.

The concluding narrative is called Hope Rests Here; one can feel a sense of freedom float within the tonal delights of this track. There is a hovering intensity that is charming and illuminating and cathartic. This is the final moment of letting go of the self and becoming part of the cosmos, when separation from a peaceful existence is simply no longer a reality. The tempo and melodic movements slow down to near-immobility, creating an anchor of peace. It gives the listener room to breathe and completely decompress. The skillset of Dreamscapist to manifest such a soothing final manifestation to literally celebrate one of the most ambient albums I have heard since Eno’s Neroli (Thinking Music Part IV) is a remarkable achievement.

Eremitism by Dreamscapist is worth taking a deep dive into, it is an album one can put on repeat and just be with for hours and hours and still enjoy every single nuance of brilliance. In my view one of the seminal and inspiring works of ambient music this century, I rate it that highly, surely if there is any justice in the world, awards and a very high chart placement will surely follow for Eremitism by Dreamscapist.

Soft and Clear By Forrest Smithson

 

Soft and Clear

By

Forrest Smithson

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have been a fan of the work of Forrest Smithson for a very long time now; in fact we can go back to the year of the start of this very radio station One World Music Radio in 2013 for our first musical encounter, and his brilliant Dreamtime release. Over a decade later, it is my privilege to get to listen to and review his latest masterwork entitled Soft and Clear; this would be one of the most illuminating and artistic endeavours I have taken on musically for many a year.

As an electronic and ambient musician myself, I have a real appreciation for this release, I have spent most of Monday morning listening to it play on repeat for hours, what a sublime experience! At the Soft Edge of Awareness is where our journey begins, a tender and delicate start eventually morphs into a voyage of a more electronic nature, after all this is long form creation at its very best, and with the opener being well over 15 minutes long we can enjoy, adjust and embrace, this flowing and fluent manifestation with a calmness of perspective.

The following narrative is called The Cloud Gazer, there is a tender change here that occurs, one can feel the shift into a more ethereal and floating composition. The softness of palette is still there, just raised on a bed of high tonal delight, to emphasises the location of the arrangement and the somewhat moving tones that flow from the artists amazing keyboard and synth structures, one has to have a very keen ear when listening to your own music and every second of this specific piece is perfectly choreographed into a work of art that is to ambient music, what Brian Eno was back in the day with releases akin to the album Thursday Afternoon in ‘85.

The album itself is an amazing 5 track masterpiece of a long form extravaganza with offerings like the At the Clear Center of Perception at the very epicentre of its ambient roots, the early chimes, the pristine and clear synths, the darker edges at around the five minutes of this truly spectacular offering is an example of ambient music at its very best, we can partner that up with the most moving of all tracks from the album entitled Dreamstate. A soft and soothing timbre that floats between the inner dimensions of the mind, and appears every so often to remind the listener of their humble and calming journey, this is a smart composition and easily one that Smithson should be proud of.

The concluding offering is called Designers, it is interesting to note that the album started with the natural sound of water and ends the same way; a delicious long form opus of over 10 minutes manifests a graceful conclusion to the release, the electronic energy is up scaled here, but only in as much as is needed. The vibration created and the repeating motifs take nothing away from the soothing textures that had been thus far brought into the reality by the composer and pull back beautifully, in fact toward the latter part of the piece, the eventual coda is widened and the listener can then explore this musical land, this imaginary bay they find themselves in at the very coda of the composition.

Soft and Clear by Forrest Smithson in my view is the artists best work in this specific style since the release of his album Ooti in 2015. The composure of the artist as he manifests a wonderfully beautiful ambient album, with the fluency and smooth approach of a true master is something to be applauded, for me this is a perfect example of top quality electronic and ambient music and anyone who is into this genre like myself should avail themselves of a copy post haste.

Fugue Volume One by Harvey Summers

 

Fugue Volume One

By

Harvey Summers

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s incredible to think that my musical journey with Harvey Summers is now 22 years old, it started back in the year of 1994 with the album Dream Spinning, two decades later, Harvey and myself now have something in common, we have both created a concept album from trying and testing times for us both. Concept albums are difficult to achieve and based on a personal theme they can be sometimes hard to get over, but here on Fugue Volume One Harvey has gone on to create something that yes is deeply personal, but also incredibly addictive and palpable.

The album is part of a bigger project and Volume One is blessed with 8 fluent solid and magical tracks, now I will set the scene by using a direct quote from the artist and then you can to go on this mystical and magical journey with me and the composer as we gaze in the scrying mirror at this brand new creation. Harvey says “At the centre of Fugue is the Archive of the Lost — an enormous, ancient and rather magical library run by a group of witches, where things that have been forgotten, displaced or perhaps shouldn’t exist at all are preserved”.

Now there is so much more to this amazing album than one might first think, apart from the musical contents we are gifted a story of deep and dark proportions, where there is truly more than meets the eye, so to each and every listener I say delve deep and turn the page, and go then, there are other worlds than these.

Track one is our beginning, the slow and ponderous string start called Fracture, it’s almost like the rifts in the space time continuum are slowly breaking open to allow us to peak behind the veil, the classical motifs are strong here with elements of Phillip Glass meshed into the weave of a brilliant opening, this leads us seamlessly into the realm of the next offering called The Memory Harvest. There is a far deeper aspect to this creation now, one that requires an enquiring mind or perhaps no mind at all, and perhaps that mind has been altered in some aspect, this is a crafted movie styled opus that constantly builds, pulls back and progresses, the crescendos and powerful refrains and percussion manifest a powerful masterpiece of grandeur indeed.

The sounds preceding the musical construct on Coven reminded me of the good old days of new age music and Medwyn Goodall’s Clan albums, the early ones. However, Summers has gone a stage further by building on the foundations of the story and providing a deeply scared offering here indeed, one can feel the depth and mysticism within the very weave world of the piece, the ethereal vocalisations are simple breath-taking especially in contrast with the biting and percussive powered opus, at times this also reminded me in parts of Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds release back in the day in intent and power.

When I listen to this album I am reminded of the entire planet I created in my memory palace, like Harvey, I know that world as well as I do the one I live within now, it is as real to me as this one. One must think what an amazing thing the human mind is, what great potential we have for creation and manifestation and on tracks like The Circle of Accusation, we can explore further, deeper and darker, the album is a perfect soundtrack multi-instrumental release. There is a sense of procession and mystery here that is about to be revealed that is so very fascinating and deeply addictive about this offering.

As we glide into the world below us, we follow the beam and find the very next window of musical opportunity called Furnace of Remorse. I must admit this reminds me of one of my pieces called The Forest of Darkness; there is an ambience here that flows, but on this part of the album, there is almost a hint of a pavane, a classical motif that allows the composition to build, float and move onwards, this is also the shortest piece off the release at just under 5 minutes.

We are now so deep into the woodlands of mysterious consequences that we find a dramatic offering that literally creeps up upon us, and with such great drama and poise, Ravenwitch. Once the offering is established, the percussive drive urges this almost wraithlike energy to swirl around us, probably one of the most emphatic tracks off the album, although I would urge listeners to treat this entire release as a constant musical narrative. The chant like sounds and the electronic vibes give this specific offering a gritty edge that manifests a total dominant physical and powerfully intense arrangement.

Our penultimate crafted slice of genius is Requiem², the softer approach from the very opening is numinous and the ambience contained within this quite amazing long form manifestation is otherworldly. The symbiotic vocalisations and choir create a stunning juxtaposition of musical candour. The soundtrack style is most certainly Lord of the Rings in its epic glory and regal reverberation. For me this is one of the most amazing cinematic offerings I have heard for decades, and on its own is worthy of an award for its content and substance.

The concluding musical narrative is entitled Incantations. There is also an element of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, composed by French composer Paul Dukas in 1897, within this last composition, but this is far darker and it resonates through a multitude of musical dimensional corridors. This is the chaos that all magic comes from, the spiralling power that fills the void of reality as we know it, in between the realms of sanity and back across the twilight zone of tomorrow’s horizon. The spell summoning in the mid-way part of this track is literally impossible to stop listening to. Here the artist does something so masterfully on this final offering, he pauses and allows the remaining piece to slowly build from its natural state, and it’s the coda as you would expect leaves the listener on the razors edge wanting more.

Fugue Volume One by Harvey Summers has to be the artist’s most comprehensive work thus far, he has taken a personal real life occurrence with his health, and from those dark moments manifested something quite incredible, it would be unfair to compare this to any of his previous work, and the listener should listen to it as a complete musical tale of absolute epic proportions, and jump right into the portal of Fugue Volume One by Harvey Summers.

Varosha, Eva’s Story By Steve Sheppard ft. Chrissie Sheppard

 

Varosha, Eva’s Story

By

Steve Sheppard ft. Chrissie Sheppard

Review written by

Andy Rogers

 

Steve Sheppard is a busy man it seems! Not only does he present shows, write reviews (and more) for One World Music Radio he is increasingly becoming known as a musician who is clearly not content to rest on his laurels: Hot on the heels of his highly acclaimed recent album Mansuria, Planet of the Gods (a collaboration with David De Michel released a couple of months ago) he has now found time and inspiration to record and release this remarkable new single, Varosha, Eva’s Story , this time with the very able assistance of his wife, Chrissie Sheppard.

This new single is inspired by, and dedicated to, Eva Voss, a lady they met in Famagusta in the North of Cyprus. She shared her story with them: about the invasion that lead to Cyprus being divided when she was a small child. Amongst other things she told them how she had to leave her home and hide in the trees just to survive, this so moved Steve and Chrissie that upon returning home they wanted to record this single as a thank you and tribute to this brave lady. 

As with his previous release, Steve has taken the opportunity to take his music in another new direction. This latest single is made up of several parts or sections – almost in fact a kind of New-Age tone poem, very descriptive not only in the music and how it is played, but also by the use of some very atmospheric sounds as collated by Chrissie.

Varosha, Eva’s Story starts with the sound of children playing happily in the street while a gentle reflective tune plays on what is possibly a bouzouki or mandolin… Suddenly this bucolic scene is shattered by the sound of gunfire as the music takes a dramatic and disturbing turn. The peace is shattered and the music takes on a much darker edge. It is clear the air is full of tension and fear. Suddenly, the music picks up pace: in my mind I see frightened villagers running for cover and the safety of the trees. Eventually the music starts to resume its previous calm … the children’s voices are heard again but are they really there or is this a memory of how things were before the invasion? At the end, the reflective tune we heard at the start returns to conclude the piece and bring things full circle.

Varosha, Eva’s Story is yet another fine single from Steve Sheppard: a piece of music that shows that there is a lot more to come from Steve as he continues to evolve and grow as a musician.

Life and Death (Reimagined) By Matias Bacoñsky

 

Life and Death (Reimagined)

By

Matias Bacoñsky

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This musical journey of some 10 years with pianist Matias Bacoñsky started back in 2016, but has birthed a period of excellence in music for the artist. He brings us quality compositions, filled with passion and emotion for the willing listener in his unique story telling style, on his latest creation called Life and Death (Reimagined).

Following on from the New World album of ‘25, the artist gives us a 12 track release of passion and power on these reimagined offerings, the first of which is the emotive The Last Goodbye (Reimagined). As I have said many times the artist isn’t just a pianist and a composer, he is a compelling story writer, and this opening offering expands the original piano composition with orchestral arrangements, additional instruments, and a more cinematic sound, this track emphasises that feeling some of us have suffered, one that makes the piece feel less like anger and more like “I don't want this to end, but I know I can't stop it.”

Death of a Dream (Reimagined) is a deeper offering with a familiar melodic line that runs through the entire narrative. When one loses a loved one, it’s an unusual process and far too deep to cover on here, but the silence is palpable and the word death no longer just reflects a human condition, but to all parts of the aforementioned relationship. The repeated rhythm feels almost like something that cannot be escaped, in short the the energy of acceptance sinks in.

We now move onto the offering Contemplation (Reimagined). Strangely enough is actually a darker; the symphonic majesty is very pronounced here as well in a very fluent and moving opus. Then it came to me, I began to understand that this makes the track quieter psychologically, even if the music itself can still carry considerable darkness.

One of my favourites is up next and called Never Lose Hope (Reimagined), the lighter progressive notes here actually do portray hope, and that mindfulness of life still keeps moving forward, still keeps going on. This is a beautifully organic offering, one that grows like hope, the faster tempo but softer touch is beautifully performed by the artist, and that makes it emotionally different from the first three tracks, creating a fascinating symbiosis of emotional texture.

My Nightmare (Reimagined) reminds me of my time trying to deal with grief, the guilt and regret, and wishing things had been different, those moments of bad communication that could have had made things so different, but the same result is still here. This almost classical narrative from the artist is deep and dark, and is moody, and the question he is perhaps postulating through his performance may well be, that it is much more human to feel, hope isn't the absence of darkness, It's the decision not to surrender to the darkness.

At the midway track we find a slightly lighter refrain called Believe (Reimagined). The energy of hope combines with a new sparkle in the desire to once again move forward and not stagnate in woe, this is a lush uplifting performance from the artist that is incredibly empowering, the ethereal vocals support the piece beautifully and it is as if you are finally saying. “I don't know that everything will be fine, but I choose not to stop believing.”

So into the second half of the album we go with a more spacious opus called Into the Light (Reimagined), there is a latent urgency in this piece that is deeply exciting, it is as if the performance is excited about the new change ahead, the piano of the composer is once again fluent and smooth. The earlier piano-centred material represents the inner person. The larger orchestral world can represent the world opening up around them as the emotional space gets larger; the progression of the piano in this work is sublime.

The level and depth of this next moving offering is felt at its optimum level and entitled Stay With Me (Reimagined). There is a sense of desperation and frailness in this composition, one that slowly gains strength and confidence during the arrangement, but the composer makes an interesting juxtaposition of light and shade here that is incredibly moving. There's a subtle vulnerability in saying “stay with me.” And that’s what makes this very track so palpable.

Painful Memories (Reimagined) is a similar theme as the last track, where enough time hasn’t passed enough for letting go is concerned, one can still be haunted by memory, no matter how distorted, because now those memories have had the luxury of hindsight. Earlier, the character desperately wanted to move into the light, now they've discovered something, you don't leave the darkness completely behind, you take parts of it with you.

The deeper weave of the album is reached and the darkened alleyways of reflection are upon us as a demand is made on the piece Remember Me (Reimagined). The symbiosis and arrangement of piano and orchestration is strong and fluent in the compositional structure. Indeed there is a slight unrealistic moment of hope here. The orchestral segment can suggest the continuity of that memory, perhaps something larger that survives beyond the immediate moment, yet the coda tells the absolute truth in its quietness and delicate conclusion.

The penultimate piece is called Without You (Reimagined), once more the struggle for sanity continues, a new beginning has started regardless of memory and reflection, a time without the other person this time around, there is a dramatic phrasing here that manifests an urgency of embracing the future and the reluctance to fully let go, that expansion can be understood as making the emptiness itself feel larger, the piano represents the person experiencing the absence, the surrounding orchestral space can represent the world continuing around them, it’s a very human struggle indeed from one of the most emotive offerings from the release.

The most dynamic piece from the album is the concluding tale called This Is Not the End (Reimagined). Again the sheer depth of this piece is vast, deep and dark, but as the piano weaves its tale certain energies of defiance can be found hiding in the dark shadows of the mind. At the beginning, the protagonist is defined by what they've lost, by the end they're defined by what they've learned from the loss, again a powerful juxtaposition of emotions.

Life and Death (Reimagined) by Matias Bacoñsky is a roundup of a tale of loss and the struggle to overcome grief, the key to this as I have found in my life comes to one word and one word only, time. Here the composer draws 12 narratives and creates a rolling and deeply personal reflective story, one that many of us have had to struggle with from time to time in our lives. Here Matias tackles a difficult subject for us all, and succeeds in pulling off a cathartic journey with Life and Death (Reimagined) by Matias Bacoñsky.

Painting in the Dark By RH Fox

 

Painting in the Dark

By

RH Fox

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This is a strange experience for me as Robert is a friend of mine who I once met here in Cyprus many years back and have literally seen him emerging stage by stage as a musician of eager talent, to an artist of great skill, apart from that he is a very nice person and he deserves all the plaudits he is most certainly going to get from the release of his brand new debut album Painting In The Dark, under his chosen name R.H. Fox.

If I tell you, that the album is utterly supported by both the legendary David Lanz and his wife Kristin Amarie, you will then understand the kudos it already gets. The opening piece is a fine example of the brilliance that is about to unfold and called Follow the Creek featuring Charlie Bisharat. There is a beautiful nostalgia here, one that the piano of Fox emphasises so well, it establishes the harmonic environment and keeps the piece moving, whilst the Bisharat violin floats above the piano with long, lyrical phrases.

Reflections of Yesterday is one of my favourite offerings from the album; its wistful quality is almost dreamlike in its tonal delights, the melodic structure is also fascinating, creating a juxtaposition of light and shade, while the darker harmonic material suggests memory, regret, or distance, as the brighter segments feels like the present moment briefly illuminating that memory, this is a very attractive offering indeed and very well arranged.

The Mystic features the vocal talents of Kristin Amarie early on; here Fox manifests a real masterpiece of great skill and instrumental magic and features Nicolas Ntimas on Greek bouzouki. This track also released as a single is a fine example of globally infused music. It isn't simply new-age piano with some ethnic instruments added. The Mediterranean instruments fundamentally alter the harmonic and rhythmic atmosphere, thus a true masterpiece is created.

On Passage of Time we have a horse of a total different colour, the more melodic and soothing side of the artist is explored, a more melancholic taste is explored too. The piano is particularly important here because it can represent the clock-like continuity of time without literally sounding like a clock, the violin seems to dance around the clock and in doing so a tempting pastiche of harmonic bliss is created.

That all important part of the album is up next the title header as we reach Painting in the Dark, note the defined usage of electronic instrumentation in this offering, one may find it strange, but it works well and manifests an intriguing composition. This is a fine representation of the meaning behind the artist’s love of photography and music, so think of all the textures here as colours being added.

Visions Never Seen is one of the pretty tracks from the album; however one can tell the influences and one can perhaps enjoy imagining something that exists internally before it can be seen externally. An interesting aside here, especially with what is to come, but through the album I could feel and sense Beatles energy, a Beatles flavour, particularly in the melodic sensibility. Singable, rounded melodic phrases rather than purely ambient motifs, a melody that feels simple on the surface but harmonically richer underneath, there are unexpected melodic turns that give the phrase a slightly wistful, bittersweet quality, the sense that the melody could almost be sung as a pop song, even though the track is instrumental, well done Mr Fox.

Crane Dance is up next and in the deeper weave of the song, this is a truly beautiful composition, one can feel the force of Lanz, it is strong in this one! A lyrical, immediately accessible piano melody rather than an abstract ambient theme can be found here, the time signatures and structured performance is utterly incredible and emulates the creature’s movement perfectly, where perhaps one can find a sense of sentimentality without becoming overtly dramatic, a very classy piece.

Here is that aforementioned moment I was eluding to earlier, Free as a Bird, the song itself was written in 1977 by John Lennon who wrote and recorded the original home demo, several years after The Beatles had broken up. Here RH Fox produces a wonderfully lyrical version of a fantastic song for us all to enjoy, the piano allows the emotional material to settle rather than insisting on a big final statement.

The concluding narrative is entitled Seabirds' Lament and is the perfect parting gift for us all; there is a wonderfully illuminated sense of reflection deep in the weave of this glorious arrangement. Fox leans into loss, solitude, and the passing of something beautiful, perhaps Fox creates the sensation of watching something disappear into the distance, in an amazing finishing arrangement for the album.

Painting in the Dark by RH Fox is that album that might well make a difference in the genre, it’s like a diamond, and it has many facets and shines gloriously in tone and timbre. Fox should be proud of this and remember for ever, there has been a lot of time care and energy put into this great album and it thoroughly deserves all the love it gets, I’m predicting a very high chart placement and a bright future ahead for Painting in the Dark by RH Fox.

Treasures of Light By Jim Ottaway

 

Treasures of Light

By

Jim Ottaway

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the pleasure of being a fan of Jim Ottaway and his electronic music for some 20 years now, my first release gained was the album Aurora back in 2006, and over the years he has released one quality album after another, and today he is back again with another brand new offering called Treasures of Light, which emphatically illustrates his prowess as an electronic musican of great quality.

The opening offering from this 12 track album is called Tomorrow Never Comes, the speed that it offers is incredibly exciting and with ease a great choice to open the album, and indeed it reminds me in style very much of early Vangelis from ‘77, and an the album Spiral. That is followed by the fluency of this proud offering called Fragments of Fate (2026 Mix). Almost regal in stature, hovering keyboards offer a processional approach, with subtle electronic wizardry mixed in the weave of the composition to add extra flavour, in perhaps a David Wright styled opus of pomp and circumstance.

There is a sea change on the next offering though that is equally as interesting on the track called That Lonely Place. A steady key press can be found and around it a flourishing keyboard pattern, along with some deft percussion, the overall narrative reminds me greatly of the iconic, Carpenters, Assault on Precinct 13 theme music.

The album is a fine example of Ottaway’s electronic prowess, revolving from cinematic theme towards a more niche style of Berlin School, and then a plethora of tracks in the middle of both of those. The vibrant tapestry of A Promised Reality with its ‘80’s feel being one of them, and onto beautiful textures of a more spacious musical environment on pieces like Climbing Rainbows, one of my personal favourites from the album, the softness of sound and soothing nature of the melody of this track is utterly breath taking. We then have another mix changed at the mid-way marker with the offering Exponential Progression (2026 Mix). Jim has done a very good job of cleaning the entire piece up to crystal clarity on this one.

Dreams and Visions, contains a beautifully layered consistency, pertinent percussion and a steady onward progression that is very appealing. It creates a vast open landscape of sound with no immediate rhythm or beat and slowly transposing to soft, organic-sounding electronic melodies which gently rise over the background noise of the track, a very inventive offering indeed.

The more keyboard led nuance of the following narrative is even more interesting and called Dreaming of Infinity. Sparkling, high-register synth frequencies drift over the top of the mix, whilst a rhythmic pastiche of a modern percussive beat underpins the entire composition brilliantly, perhaps Ottaway is shifting the sonic perspective to the vast, cold, and beautiful scale of the outer universe, regardless this is a fine and fluent composition.

Our next offering is entitled Strange Paradox, a piece that holds a deeper texture and a natural electronic vibe to enjoy, another Carpenter styled opus that reminded me of the Escape From New York theme, but at an increased tempo and with relevant percussion. The song layers mysterious, shifting melodic notes over warm analogue synthesizer pads to evoke a curious and questioning mood.

The musical narrative that is upon us next is the evocative title track itself Treasures of Light, I hear elements of Glenn Main in the weave of this arrangement, and in doing so Ottaway builds a grand, orchestral electronic wall of sound, one that has one of the best melodic structures of the entire album, he then delivers a bright, uplifting, and symphonic electronic experience of great quality and timbre.

The penultimate offering takes us back to Vangelis, one of my favourite albums of his was China, and the opening of this piece reminded me of that album. The main body picks an ever onward tonal narrative that almost reminds me in part of UK EM artist Geigertek, and in fact is the real concluding musical tale of the album and a smart one that is fresh and incredibly exciting and called Radiance of Truth.

We have a bonus track that actually ends the album it is Ancient Rainforest (Radio Edit) [Bonus Track]. The track opens with rich, organic synthesizers and the more orchestrated sound of Ottaway can be found on this last official track off the release.

Treasures of Light by Jim Ottaway is another in the long line of high end quality instrumental electronic music albums from the artist. The album's overarching concept captures the beauty of light breaking through darkness, moving from cosmic universal scales down to the organic textures of the Earth. I have always been a lover of the quality of light, and this album serves as a reminder that beauty can be found everywhere, and fans of electronic instrumental music should find a safe haven within the musical walls of Treasures of Light by Jim Ottaway.

A Grand Memoir By Darlene Koldenhoven

 

A Grand Memoir

By

Darlene Koldenhoven

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

As a European I have been a fan of Darlene’s since around 2006 and an album called Infinite Voice, and as she may remember, I fell totally in love with a track called Atmospheres from her release Tranquil Times, for me it gave me a wonderful insight into her adaptability and skill set. Some 20 years on I now gaze from a literary standpoint myself, and as a musician, and also a music writer, and I get to sonically swim in the release that emphasises the artists life history, the twists and turns of outrageous fortune, the wins and losses, and the beauty of her latest release A Grand Memoir, which is coupled by her book Put Down You Dress And Sing.

Darlene and I have many similarities in our growing years, the extremely strict religious upbringing, the almost shunning of anything creative in our lives, and the willingness of complicity from our parents to hold us by pain and suffering to those ideas of control and manipulation as mentioned in the book. The opening piece on the album I found quite highly artistic and emotional, and whilst there is a certain irony in that, Love and Devotion is one of my favourite tracks from the release, it’s powerful and full of self-expression, an out pouring of emotive tones that increases during the manifestation and concludes so beautifully with a flourish.

However this next piece I found deeply fascinating, almost meditative, a true trip around the scales and a highly floating narrative can be found on the composition called Impressions. There is a beautifully textured reflective and atmospheric tonal vibration that one can find in this piece that is so very soothing. One might assume that a collection of memories rather than a single narrative is being explored here.

The more I listen to this album the more I float back in time myself; Lilac Tears is a great soundtrack with which to do that with. Here lies a tender and melancholy centrepiece, there is a great sadness about this offering than at first meets the eye and my research tells me the artist associates this piece with the father's funeral, for those of you who have never lived in an extremely critical religious household, you should read Darlene’s book and explore the relationship she had with her father, this piece of music says it all, and is one of 10 fine pieces, which are musical companions to a real life story.

Wright's Romanza is next upon us, it is the shortest composition from the album at 3:32, but its contents are absolutely charming and transcendent. The tonal structures of this almost soaring and meditative creation are utterly beautiful; one can float within this piece for hours and simply get lost in an intimate romantic interlude moment, one you would never wish to end.

Our mid-way composition is another wonderfully fluent and meditative opus called Caprice. There is a playful, unconventional energy here that makes this composition very palpable and enjoyable; the roaming piano takes is on a varied journey of ambient hues, textures and atmospheric nuances, and the track has a different harmonic colour from a straightforward major-minor approach.

There are many moving moments in Darlene’s book Put Down Your Dress and Sing, from the many years that roll by, from the relationships gained and learned from, those fun moments of a halcyon time, that will only ever happen once in a life time, but will never be forgotten. For me this next piece takes me to that corner of the universe and is called Jacaranda Joy. The structure is bright, celebratory and lifting in its narrative, and after the more introspective Caprice, this provides a noticeable emotional brightening for the listener.

Le Petit Carrousel is next, which is interesting as my dear friend David Lanz has released a Carousel composition himself, this is more of a whimsical, animated movement type of a manifestation, and most certainly a piece that brings childhood, movement, nostalgia, and playfulness into the album concept.

Deeper in the weave of the album we find Winter In Vienna, this has a creative tonal change to represent the darker months of the year, and does it incredibly well. Koldenhoven on piano is spectacular at getting her message over, how fortunate she stuck to her guns and continued being creative on the piano, and against all odds too as she alludes to in her book Put Down Your Dress and Sing, which is a must read.

Gentle Song does exactly what it says on the can, it creates a wonderfully ambient and meditative moment for the listener to bathe in. As expected this piece is a quiet emotional release, but one that is comforting to listen to, like a warm blanket on a January evening, one can feel almost like a moment of rest and acceptance has been found at the coda.

The final gift from Darlene is called Flying With Kites, there is a beautiful lilt to this that makes it sound almost commercial, and one piece that the melody would work very well as a TV theme. Reference wise this is associated with the church-camp solo at age 8, and more information of this emotional time for the artist can be found in her book that accompanies the album Put Down Your Dress and Sing. Also one must note what a clever juxtaposition of an arrangement this is, as the imagery suggests changes from looking backward to looking upward and outward.

Now I have said it a few times this year, but everyone knows when I say it , it actually means it’s true, not just a platitude gifted as a throw away comment, but in my view A Grand Memoir by Darlene Koldenhoven is without doubt the best work of the artist thus far. Its expression and emotive nuances are by far the most creative and moving music the artist and composer has explored. Let’s not forget Darlene Koldenhoven has a written and audio companion with this work of musical genius called Put Down Your Dress and Sing, and everyone should read it, it’s a journey of a life that has been hard won, a celebration of persistence and creativity against all odds, and many successes, and the reason it is such a very good read is because Darlene keeps it real, no sugar coating, absolutely authentic and should be applauded for it.