Gratitude By The Haiku Project

 

Gratitude

By

The Haiku Project

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Each day I take a breath I am grateful for all that I have, and all the lessons learned and for the life I lead. Gratitude and being grateful is a huge part of my life, as it seems to also be to The Haiku Project aka Henrik Hytteballe as well, whose latest album is now before us in all its glory and entitled Gratitude.

Hytteballe formed Haiku back in 2006 and with each and every album, perfection is the master stroke that has gone into creating some of the finest contemporary instrumental music of the current age.

This new offering is a continuance of that sublime quality of production and musical genius, just listen to Before Sunrise and you will find its refrains so redolent of the subject matter.

New age music rises a whole new rung of the ladder with this album, and the track Rivendell is one that will lift the soul of the listener to new heights, its careful fluency and delicacy of production is a thing to really enjoy, especially the electric guitar segments which seamlessly gives it a mix of light rock and ambient pleasures.

This ten track album is over flowing with utter beauty and masterful creations, an example of this, is the clever and exciting offering entitled Hummingbirds, one that seems to increase in pace and then slightly falls back to become a crafted percussive moment of quality.

The ending composition just had to be the title track Gratitude, the piano mixed with the almost ethereal backdrop of sound is the perfect anthem styled opus with which to leave a truly beautiful and well performed collection of wonderfully calming compositions.

Gratitude by The Haiku Project is another masterpiece of music to hang in the ever growing gallery of musical art for the artist. Hytteballe is a man who clearly knows his genre well, and relishes creating each and every brushstroke of tone for the listener to enjoy and get the most out of, and as I end this review I now finish by hanging a tag on the release, one that says, this is an absolute must buy at all costs, contemporary instrumental music really doesn’t come any better than this.

Leaving Cygnus By Dan Palladino

Leaving Cygnus

By

Dan Palladino

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have been blessed today with some really good music to listen to and review, this brand new single by Dan Paladino is now added to that list, if you are thinking, I know that name, well you should, as Dan won the award for the Best Ambient Album of 2019 with Pastoral Memory. This offering continues in the mood of brilliance that the artists manifests with ease, and brings to our musical table a wonderfully exciting, yet perfectly balanced, eight plus minute opus of sublime electronic instrumental music.

The delicacy of Leaving Cygnus is so enticing and warming to listen to, there is a beautiful fluency within this offering that is really charming, and all bathed in an ambient sense of positivity too.

Full marks Dan Paladino, you have once more created something truly magical for us all to enjoy.

 

Incantation By Tayu

 

Incantation

By

Tayu

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

For this review we go close to home, far from anything you have ever imagined, and travel to lands musically familiar and brand new, confused? Don’t be, this brand new offering by Tayu (meaning, as of yet unnamed), is that breath of fresh air that breathes new life into the new age music industry I have been a part of for some 20 plus years.

Incantation is one of the most vibrant openers you ever going to wish to find on your musical sojourns and Myriad on vocals sets the scene perfectly, while Mahhrk adds such a flavour to the percussive proceedings with a full flowing guitar. This one reminds me of two personal friends in Nigel Shaw and Carolyn Hillyer, in there days as Riven or perhaps Global with that wonderful pagan styled vibe, it also made me miss the tree frogs from the stream that runs close to my home.

We now move to the offering Gaia, oh as humanity, how we test the patience of our mother, the more expected Spanish guitar drifts across this composition from Mahhrk, while the strings, both Violin and Viola, (Melisa Cox) are in perfect harmonic resonance with the ethereal vocals of Myriad, a track that contains a lush sense of a global energy, with notes of an eastern flavour.

The short form track Prayer moves us ever onwards, Myriad gifting us the floating vocalise to enjoy, before we once more bathe within the musical ocean with the track Breath. Cox on strings creates such a reflective mood, which of course only the Violin and Viola can do, then an almost rock guitar from Mahhrk drifts across our oasis of pleasure, in a style I have not heard since the album War of the Worlds, (Jeff Wayne, Chris Speeding).

Enchanted Forest gave us Mahhrk’s acoustic guitar to revel in; the natural sounds set the scene perfectly, while a little hats off goes to Digidave, for well yes, the didgeridoo arrangements, which made this one for me one of the most fascinatingly different, yet fluent offerings off the album.

Mahhrk and the Spanish guitar may seem familiar to you, and so it should, you have heard him many times on the radio, but I’m not going to spoil that for you, you’re going to have to buy the album and investigate yourselves, however it is both beautiful and soothing, and transports us to a land I know so very well indeed, in fact right up on the sands and beaches of the Shores of Atlantis themselves.

Now this is where it gets a little freaky, as many of you who know me, will also know I broadcast a show called Shores of Atlantis on the radio, and many will also know I live in Cyprus, which is said by many, Plato in the main, to be part of what eons ago would have been known as Atlantis.

Now I have played this piece several times, and each time I do I feel the urge to walk the 10 minutes or so to the shore line and listen to this live whilst bathing in the energies of Atlantis itself. Musically this is utterly sublime a wonderful joint effort, Mahhrk excels and also on Native American flute, now that’s something I didn’t know about him, and with Myriad’s other worldly vocals, manifests the best composition from the album with ease, perfect tempo, creative arrangements, one that builds a splendid vista of the said location and more.

Incantation by Tayu is without doubt the best new age album that’s come across my desk in a long while; its production quality is lush and colourful, whilst each and every performance within this fine collection is absolutely brilliant. It is so nice to hear an album like this again, a classy collection of truly enjoyable songs, that is not afraid of being New Age and proud, this one is easy to recommend.

Karmic Dreams By BlueMonk & Michael Whalen

 

Karmic Dreams

By

BlueMonk & Michael Whalen

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Fresh from his success with his chart topping solo album Sacred Spaces, Michael Whalen has team up with flute master BlueMonk to bring us a sublime new album of utter multi-instrumental fluency entitled Karmic Dreams.

This album has been literally born out of the pandemic that rages across the globe, and Michael Whalen’s infection by the Covid 19 virus was met with an unexpected series of compositions electronically from flute supremo BlueMonk, ones that would gift us eventually one of the most inspiring and spiritual albums I have heard for many years.

This coalescence of genius starts with the vibrant opener The Secret Garden, there can be nothing more important that the opening track of an album, and here on this piece the symbiotic partnership with Michael Whalen’s keyboard mastery, and the skill set of BlueMonk on flute, is felt to the max in a starting offering that is a perfect scene setter.

The Way of the Samurai is our next musical doorway, this amazing composition is one that I could have sat in for an eternity, colourful visions of temples in the forest, mist topped mountains and a lone Samurai in a meditative pose can all be found here, in what would be one of my personal favourite offerings from the album.

The chimes call us into the clearing where we will find the artists performing the next arrangement entitled Cherry Blossoms. The sonic backdrop created by Michael Whalen is mournful, but in a meditative way, and the flute performance by BlueMonk is one of the most superior presentations I have heard for eons with ease.

With great care and respect we now move into the second half of the album, and as we do so we come across a charming musical narrative entitled Moon Scape.  Michael Whalen’s sublime sensitivity and his crafted skill of knowing just what it needed next is so evident here. Layer upon layer of soothing musical tone can be found within this realm, textured keyboards and the distant refrains drift from a mystical flute, all of this creative magic can be found right here.

A percussive wall seems to shift our musical consciousness with the first refrains of this new arrangement called The Trance. The vast and resonating vibrations lift us into a whole new musical dimension. Now this symbiotic partnership is in full flight across a myriad of harmonious avenues. This offering contains that deep sense of character and reverberation that we all desire to find within our music, and as such, a masterful performance can be found here from the duo.

We now find ourselves at the penultimate composition off the album and Boundless Love has the symphonic gestures and flute mastery that will caress your very soul. I have been looking for a track that I can meditate to and deliberate on the workings of my heart centre, and I can now state that thanks to Boundless Love that quest has been successful. This is one of the most emotive and powerfully moving pieces I have heard for a long, long time, and a true stand out song off the release with ease.

I have sadly come to the last track off the album, and it is with a heavy heart that I have to leave this release of outstanding natural beauty; however the good news is, I have one more track to utterly revel in before my departure has to be made, and it is the title header Karmic Dreams.  This fine combination of Michael Whalen and BlueMonk seals the deal with this parting gift, one filled with a sense of happiness of completion, and an awareness that all will be well in the world again.

Karmic Dreams by BlueMonk & Michael Whalen in my view is one of the best albums I have heard across all genres for decades, it has a beautiful sense of balance, a mystical floating perspective, in-depth musical nuances that are simply irresistible, and flute and keyboard performances that will move you to the very core of your being. Karmic Dreams by BlueMonk & Michael Whalen is an album that you must have in your life at all costs; it is the musical panacea that cures all ills.

Traces of Your Past By Claudio Casanueva

 

Traces of Your Past

By

Claudio Casanueva

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is something incredibly transcendent about a Claudio Casanueva composition that always captures the imagination of the listener, and takes them on an exciting journey of ambience through what at times could be described as a journey through many musical dimensions and realms.

That aforementioned statement can once again be made about this brand new single from the artist entitled Traces of Your Past. The synth work is mesmeric and the percussive sounds impressively pertinent. It’s always noteworthy to mention the arrangement style and compositional structures within a Casanueva song, they are vastly superior in quality and at times reminds me of the late but great Isao Tomita.

Traces of Your Past is a compelling and very pertinent musical narrative, it is deep, current and wonderfully performed, and holds the attention of the listener with ease for the full ten minutes plus of the composition, a riveting offering indeed.

16670 By Matthew Mayer

 

16670

By

Matthew Mayer

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

These times in which we live are emotionally powerful ones, change spreads across the face of our world and one must embrace this or fall. Back in the Second World War change brought with it an evil that I hope we never see the like of again, and it is from this time frame, and prisoner 16670 in one Rajmund Maximilian Kolbe, that we have our musical story, one that will without doubt move you to the very core of your existence.

The story of this man’s heroics I would like for you to read about by purchasing the album, but the deed done was far greater in love and generosity that anyone you could wish to name in history and there are few who could make that decision.

Matthew Mayer has produced a heartfelt plea at a time when some global governments are backsliding into the realms of hatred and vilification themselves, we have to be the change that matters, and for be the good that shines brightly for all to see.

Mayer’s narrative is sublime and deeply moving with the extremely powerful opening start on the title track 16670, and then one of my favourite compositions Simple Humanity, its tone and timbre are so reflective and mournful, but one that speaks a million words with each note played.

Matthew Mayer has been long regarded as one of the most sensitive performers of his day, and here on 16670 he utterly excels, listen to pieces like Visions (Dreams 8) a track that literally moved me to tears.

The ambience of Block 11 is only emphasised in its disposition by the sadness and mood that the mind perceives through the song. I say to you, a more powerful album you will not hear, and of course the ending had to be about our hero Kid Rajmund, the delicacy of performance is noteworthy and salutes the sensitivity of the pianist. Mayer also brings the concept to close here, with a little slither of hope in the well of darkness within this final composition.

16670 by Matthew Mayer is the most moving album I have heard this year with ease, the entire album has been researched, created and performed with an open and honest heart, and one of the best performances of this style for literally ages, it is an album that will take you on a journey and allow you a moment to live in the shoes of one far less fortunate, it is a story that should never been forgotten, and by purchasing this release you will have your very own poignant musical reminder that generosity of heart, through unconditional love, is something open to all of us at any time; 16670 by Matthew Mayer starts this beautiful ball rolling once again.

Survivors By Fransoafran

 

Survivors

By

Fransoafran

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

This is one of the most moving slices of instrumental music I have heard for quite some time, and certainly the most poignant. This new single by Fransoafran which features Lena Matienko on piano could well have a duel meaning here, the art work clearly relates to the Australian bush fires and an animal trying to survive the flames, but could this sensitive opus also relate to us, the human animal trying to survive a global pandemic?

Whatever the tale and the truth, Survivors by Fransoafran  is a beautifully performed piece, filled with a charming but caring symphonic gestures, and a piano that takes the narration of the arrangement by the hand, and leads us forever onwards, into a deeply moving and superbly performed composition indeed.

Space Anomaly By Alan Hanslik

 

Space Anomaly

By

Alan Hanslik

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have always been a fan of the genre of space music, this flavour of electronics has always resonated with me and always will, to traverse the great galaxies within music like this is as close as I am ever going to get in my life time, so we are lucky today as we’re about to break orbit with a brand new album of this elk by composer Alan Hanslik entitled Space Anomaly.

Our first gaze into this musical cosmos is the title track and Space Anomaly, allows us to drift away from our star fix to enjoy an inventive and mystery filled opus on synths by the artist, this is indeed a superb scene setter and the longest track off the album at well over nine minutes long.

That sense of movement garnered by the last piece takes us into a new solar system of tone entitled Cosmic Swarm. This is a stylish offering, giving us a crafted performance on keyboards and synths in an almost peppered style, as a myriad of cosmic life forms swarm around our musical ship.

One of the most impressive offerings on the album in my view was this next track entitled Sleeping Giant. One with ease could visualise an old gas giant, a star that has lived for many eons and still struggles on. The deep resonance of the keyboards here, and the aged textures make this a truly magical offering, tinged with a little reflection as well.

Someone once said, and now it’s time for something completely different, and here it is, as this next piece gives us a whole new edge to the coin of what is known as electronic music. Swallowing Stars is a truly clever song; it has that crisp mechanical edge to it that makes it addictive to listen to, the imagination could with ease create a black hole of universal proportions.

The light-hearted and clever composition Planetary Playground is now upon us. There is indeed a playful energy in this stellar nursery of a track, the performance here indeed employs some forward thinking, as it manifests with clarity the birthing ground of stars and worlds through its almost percussive sounding arrangement.

One of my personal favourites off this album would be this next composition entitled Infant Stars. One could say it is a natural extension from the previous opus. I loved the performance here, a nice backdrop of sonic sound bathes and washes over the listener, whilst the infant stars begin to pop into the universe with all the energy and vigour that youth has.

Our journey has taken us to the very dark realm of deep space, and as we move with great care we come across an arrangement entitled Innerspace.  This has a great sense of movement and speed built into the composition, the synth effects were also really exciting too, and Hanslik’s crafted skill at producing such a clever form of art and space is felt here with such clarity.

Our last but one break from warp comes now as we drop out at a new realm, with an old energy entitled Dormant Galaxy. This penultimate offering is pure genius and one that I cannot stop playing, it offers a hovering sense of anticipation, mixed with in an almost spectral like mood, close your eyes and simply drift in this reality of a galaxy that stands on the very edge of time itself.

Before we land our craft we can gaze at the clouds of Cosmic Dust that swirl around us, these particles create a myriad of fractal shards of light as we turn our ship and prepare to land, the representation on this track and its presentation is idyllic, and of course redolent of the subject matter, as well as being a natural and calming way to leave the album.

Space Anomaly by Alan Hanslik is a wonderful work, created by an artist who clearly has a feel for space the universe and everything, his cultured efforts here are blissful to bathe with in. He retains moods created hence by the legends of space music like Serrie, Tomita and Kendle, and steps into his own power by manifesting a different view, a refreshing gaze into the infinite; a truly fine album that is easy to recommend indeed.

Embrace of the Infinite By Eric Chapelle

 

Embrace of the Infinite

By

Eric Chapelle

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Eric Chapelle is certainly on a roll at the moment, his last hit Floating Lakes reached the top spot of the single chart, and I can see no reason why this brand new release Embrace of the Infinite shouldn’t be in among the front runners as well.

This is a slice of neo-classical magic that is both compelling and very addictive to listen to, it has some fascinating elements worked into the weave of the arrangement, the classical influences are exciting and one can also touch the energy of a little Phillip Glass in the mix as well.

Chapelle is a master musician, and the sheer dedication and craft that must have gone into making such a great new single must be applauded, it offers fresh territory for the listener to wander within, and a picturesque galaxy of tone to simply drift on the sands of time with, which makes Embrace of the Infinite so very easy to recommend.

Watching Horses By Alstad

 

Watching Horses

By

Alstad

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Horses are indeed both graceful and beautifully free creatures, and if one listens intently to this extremely gentle musical narrative; you can picture that aforementioned statement in your mind’s eye with ease.

The soothing melody on this new single by Alstad is like the horse, graceful in its presentation, and Watching Horses is one of those compositions that you could leave on repeat for hours and never get bored with it.

The performance by the artist on this new single will not only capture your imagination, but will embrace your spirit as well in a serene and moving embrace within music, this is solo piano at its gentle best.

Little Flower By Rick Sparks

 

Little Flower

By

Rick Sparks

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

When the name Rick Sparks is mentioned, your heart lifts up and a sense of utter bliss starts to sweep across your mind’s eye, as you are pretty much guaranteed a tranquil soothing musical experience each and every time, and that doesn’t change with the release of this brand new single entitled Little Flower.

The tone and flavours on this latest offering are so kindly and loving; one floats with Spark’s keyboards, as if on a boat drifting slowly down the stream, and lingering in a transcendent gleam.

Sparks has once more created something so warm and tender here that makes this single so completely undeniably beautiful and blissful, this is relaxing music at its very best.

The Two Towers By Claudio Casanueva

 

The Two Towers

By

Claudio Casanueva

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The works of Claudio Casanueva are well known for being lush expansive arrangements of simply idyllic ambient electronic music. On The Two Towers, the latest single by the artist, nothing has changed as Casanueva brings us something almost film score in standard; one could easily see this being used in a movie segment, its vast steady onward procession of a repeating ambient motif is totally encapsulating, one can almost hear the words of English poet Robert Browning as he wrote "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came"

I have always admired the quality of Casanueva’s work and this talent and skill is on full show once more, while listening to it the mind conjures up images of an ever onward trek towards the tower, perhaps through a far reaching and barren wasteland of a desert, the hovering anticipation on synths and keyboards is simply blissful, and should be absolutely adored by the legions of the artists fans and lovers of good music everywhere.

This Too Shall Pass By Unleashed Dreams

 

This Too Shall Pass

By

Unleashed Dreams

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I must admit to have a lot of emotional content wrapped up in this song, Unleashed Dreams have now released this as a single, but before that it appeared on our radio stations charity album A New Beginning, and I am so grateful for that.

Lindsey Gaye Walker features on vocals, and partnered with the quite amazing Sean Paddision as Unleashed Dreams they have created something that is deeply moving and strongly emotive, especially given the current pandemic we are all struggling to deal with.

The orchestration within this piece is stunning and Walkers vocals sublimely angelic with slight Celtic motifs; there is one slight issue I have with this track … it brings me to tears each time I listen to it, more out of hope than anything else, as they sing This Too Shall Pass, and of course it will. This single is simply and utterly beautiful with each note played.

Forest Whispers By Dyan Garris ft Sherry Finzer

 

Forest Whispers

By

Dyan Garris ft Sherry Finzer

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I am always on the lookout for amazing slices of ambient music and I can honestly say I am eternally grateful to have found Forest Whispers, the latest single by Dyan Garris, and featuring the amazingly talented Sherry Finzer.

Dyan Garris and this marvellous melodic construct is utterly natural and multi-instrumental in nature, whether it piano or keyboards, her talents as a creator of tranquil ambient music are so beautifully created, and when you add one of the best flautists on the planet in Finzer into the mix, you have a single that will remain in your musical mind for a life time and beyond.

Forest Whispers by Dyan Garris ft Sherry Finzer has to be tipped for a top 5 place at least in the charts and for those of you like me, listeners that like to find incredible meditative music to be at peace with, then Forest Whispers has to be added to your music library as soon as possible, if not quicker.

Every Time You Breathe By Dyan Garris ft Juliet Lyons

 

Every Time You Breathe

By

Dyan Garris ft Juliet Lyons

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Dyan Garris has really embraced the single revolution in the new age music genre, and what a better time to create a beautiful collaboration than in the middle of a chaos that surrounds us all. The connection between Garris and all time flute supremo Sherry Finzer and vocalist Juliet Lyons is what the world needs right now, a sweet and soothing musical narrative and a full flowing and fluent composition, one that brings utter peace and serenity to the soul.

The natural state of bliss brought on by this charming arrangement needs to be applauded, there is a wonderful sense of tranquillity here, and this symbiosis of Garris on piano, Finzer on flute and the vocalisations of Lyons is a truly addictive offering, one that will bring some much needed peace into your respective worlds right now.

Encounter: Medicine Songs from Ma By Prem Vidu

 

Encounter: Medicine Songs from Ma

By

Prem Vidu

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have now listened to this album several times and I can say this is one of the finest works of its kind I have heard since Mitten and Premal released Blown Away back in the early part of this century. I have longed to find something that good again, and now that lays before me in all its melodic glory.

Prem Vidu mixes spirituality with beautiful new age vibes, and draws an utter winner at the albums conclusion. The starting offering could easily be a single, the impassioned tones and imploring vocals of the artist get us underway with a perfect opening offering entitled Holy Divine Mother.

The strings sections on this next offering are sublime, the vocals and lyrical content are superior and offer much freedom.  May I Have the Strength is a song that will enrich your soul. It is also good to hear an old friend of One World Music Radio in Vito Gregoli on this album and specifically this track as well; the ending words for me are the strength we all seek……so just let go.

Up next is a vibrant, yet smooth arrangement entitled Cancel the Show, a song with poignant words within the lyrical content, especially for this day and age. There was something truly deep about this offering that will move you within; the musicianship is of course spot on, yet another track that will continue to take the listener on a musical journey of enlightenment.

At the mid-way juncture we come across a transcendent offering entitled Oh Your Glory. This anthem like opus starts with a gentle Sitar, which allows us to completely float with the vocals of Prem Vidu. There is much to explore within this piece on a musical level too, with lush performances on bass by Gregoli, and pertinent percussion by the headline artist, pay careful attention to the extremely sweet mixture of major and minor chords in the latter half of this track, utterly sublime indeed, and this midway arrangement sets us up beautifully for the final half of the album.

As we step with divine love into the second half of the release, we come across a truly powerful offering entitled Mighty Presence. This one took me to another place entirely, as it reminded me of the power and divinity of an old friend of mine in Russell Stone, of the band The Gathering. The build progression and quite beautiful musicianship made this one of my personal favourites off the album.

As we drift on the ebb and flow of a musical tide, we come across the calm waters of one of the most beautiful pieces of the album entitled Floating. This composition is a fine example of total symbiosis between pianist (Gregoli) and vocalist (Prem Vidu). The passionate voice of the artist is bathed in such a beautiful resonance, one that creates a song that combined with the piano, manifests something quite special indeed.

The penultimate offering off the release is called Your Love Heals Me, this one really raised the rhythm’s for me, the energy that this composition gave off was truly inspiring, the chord changes again from minor to major created something emotive, but the percussive explosion and the organ brought such an amazing essence to the arrangement, a tip of the hat for the perfect slice of electric guitar in this quality offering, just one of many clever nuances to be deeply valued.

Time to arrive at the last portal of the album and you won’t find a better way to leave than this next track entitled Everything That is Here. Infused with a little Jazz, a new age/pop ethic and a world vibe, this song has literally everything within its construction, but holds it beautifully and ends the album with sublime creativity, in an uplifting energy.

Encounter: Medicine Songs from Ma is a wonderfully empowering album, Prem Vidu brings us the only truth in the universe, music bathed in layers of unconditional love, caressed by a tender spirituality. This is devotional music at its very best; its upbeat and modern ethic brings us eager listeners, one of the finest albums released this year with ease, and one that I am more than happy to recommend. Nods of appreciation must also go to Girish (Tabla), Candice Calms (Viola), Gershone Hendelberg (organ & clav) Max Ribner (flugelhorn & trumpet) and of course the multi-talented David Vito Gregoli, all who make up the band that is fronted by one of the most honest and talented individuals around in this genre, Prem Vidu, this is music to set you free, and a musical companion that will never leave your side.

La Chica Bonita By Victor Samalot

 

La Chica Bonita

By

Victor Samalot

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is always something magical when the guitar of Victor Samalot plays, here on this brand new single entitled La Chica Bonita, we are gifted a luscious slice of summer in music.

The mix of both electric and acoustic guitars offers us something redolent of the great Santana in style and composition, and indeed Samalot is so smooth!

A mention must also be given to Bobbi Holt who features on Bass Guitar and also Efrain Hernandez on Drums.

This vibrant new offering is just what is needed in the world right now, and I can see it being a huge success on both the charts and radio, and I wouldn’t mind betting around the pools and balconies of many a summer retreat too, full marks, Victor has done it again.

Deep Heart's Core By Eamonn Karran

Deep Heart's Core

By

Eamonn Karran

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Over the last 8 years I have watched, listened, and been delightfully pleased with the exceptional growth of artist Eamonn Karran, from A New World, to this latest offering Deep Heart's Core, each and every release has sparkling gems of musical magic contained within.

This eight track collection of sublime songs manifests moments of pure bliss like the emotional reflections of Carrauntoohil, or the vibrant Celtic dance of the most powerful track on the album with Fair City.

This is without doubt Celtic music with a twenty first century twist. Harmonic convergences can also be found in abundance, as on the piece High King of Cashel, a track that is blessed not only with a fine performance on piano, but with some quite haunting angelic vocalisations as well.

Albums produced and created by Karran are a journey unto themselves; you only have to listen to moments of wonderment like March on Tara Hill, (a personal favourite of mine) to feel the grass beneath your feet, or perhaps the scent of salt in the air on the track Spike Island;, wherever Karran paints musically, you are literally transported there.

The haunting The Walls is our memory packed and emotive penultimate offering, while the artist finishes with a flourish with the last song off the release entitled Wings over Glenveagh.

Deep Heart's Core by Eamonn Karran is a real contender for album of the year; here is a musician, a pianist, and keyboard supremo, who literally pours his heart and soul into each new work, the result is musical beauty, and is an album that contains compositions that are so beautifully produced and performed, it will be enough to move you to tears of joy and feelings of bliss whilst listening.

 

Beyond the Sunrise By Carl Borden

 

Beyond the Sunrise

By

Carl Borden

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is always time for a little Carl Borden in your life, the textured pads and the soft synths of this master musician are the sublime tools that the artist uses to create such redolent compositions, and here on his latest offering entitled Beyond the Sunrise we have a veritable wonderland of classy arrangements to ease you through the stresses and strains of the day.

This album is perfect for the now, and Beyond the Sunrise represents for me opportunities for change, and perhaps a chance to begin again. Listen to the clarity of the opening piece At First Light, a track so empowering it lifts the soul and kisses the heart.

The deep resonance of the title track is truly something to marvel at, Beyond the Sunrise is a tapestry of ambient electronic genius that radiates energy so pure and beautiful with its stunning performance and presentation.

Here is an album that is restorative and soothing; you only have to listen to moments of ambient genius like the galactic Drifting Stars, or the emotive qualities of pieces like Jamila's Song, or perhaps the pristine textures of the penultimate offering off the album entitled The Road Home, a more serene composition you are unlikely to find.

Beyond the Sunrise is another faultless release in the catalogue of artist Carl Borden; it is an album that is cathartic and therapeutic, a release that touches the emotions and hugs the heart, and a must buy for all those that adore to be truly moved by the music they listen to.