Sonic Calm 2 by Alexander Sussman

 

Sonic Calm 2

By

Alexander Sussman

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Following on from the success of the Sonic Calm 1, comes the follow up Sonic Calm 2 and calm is something I need right now! I must say that listening to this wonderful release created a well of tranquillity I could willingly fall into, Alexander Sussman has done himself proud with this release as this constant wave of classy new age music returns to the airwave in force.

The entire album could be described as a meditators Elysian Fields this is a place where I could rest and enjoy eternity listening to such beauty as this, the opening track proves my point entirely and is called Hymn, the slowness of the tone and timbre is utterly delightful, and reminds me of Chuck Wild who many will know over the decades as Liquid Mind.

The etymology of this next word Hygge, which is Norwegian and Danish in origin, a word in English we would know it as cosy, and here in my country of Cyprus we describe this happy warm feeling as Anetos, regardless it is one of the most layered and textured pieces from the release, the careful progression of keyboards and synths is utterly pleasurable and soothing.

Twilight is a beautiful time of day, it is the betwixt and between the tick and toc of the clock, it is the subtle moment of change that many completely miss, and here on that track we have a very sensitive keyboard based construction, one that lifts and salutes the day passed, and bows with grace to the eventual night that follows.

The pristine quality of this next piece is a halcyon touch of a timeless reverie, the key structures are more pronounced, the back synths float on a bed of cheer filled memories, whilst a dream like narrative is constantly contained within the composition, this is yet another moment of musical bliss to literally bathe within and called, Nocturne.

The next track was one of my personal favourites and reminded slightly of one of my own pieces called Walking on the Edge of Occam's Razor minus the singing bowl. Reverie of course is a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream perhaps, and here Sussman delivers the perfect musical narrative, a drifting tonal soundscape can be found here, and one of the most ambient musical constructs from the release.

The almost galactic vibrations of this next piece fascinated me and called Hypnagogia. There was a vastness about this track that I adored, Hypnagogia comes from the Greek Hypnos meaning sleep, and agōgos meaning conductor, and is the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep, and here Sussman achieves this goal beautifully, manifesting a mesmeric composition that at times reminded me of UK Synth master Kevin Kendle in arrangement.

Now for something that I personally have been doing rather a lot of work on recently, a track called Introspection. Looking within one’s self can be a very valuable tool in life, the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes is a vital step to wellbeing, and to better critical thinking skills. Once more full marks goes to the artist for creating and expansive offering that explores and roams free, creating possibilities and alternate postulations wherever it goes, on one of the most tender tracks from the album.

Our penultimate offering is now upon us and called Retreat, I personally found this particular track deeply emotional, the word itself has a few meanings, but by listening to the tones and timbre within this piece I choose to withdraw to a quiet or secluded place, and if I had this specific piece with me, my search for a musical sanctuary would indeed be complete.

So for the conclusion, its title track time and Sonic Calm is out last musical cloud of choice, the sheer smoothness of this track leaves me in no doubt that I have probably listened to one of the best New Age music albums of the year thus far. Here the mood is pulled back even further; the energy is utterly peace filled and tranquil, what a blissful way with which to leave an outstanding album.

Sonic Calm 2 by Alexander Sussman is one of those albums you could leave on repeat all day long and be glad you did so, its meditative qualities are sublime, its serenity manifested is filled with wisdom and self-belief, and are like the words inscribed on the Oracle Of Delphi “Know Thyself” Never have I loved an album so much as Sonic Calm 2 by Alexander Sussman, here lays the magical tones of a timeless reverie that will be membered as long as the sunrises and sets exist, this quite simply is outstanding, and is most certainly an award worthy album.