Kaleidoscope By Chronotope Project

 

Kaleidoscope

By

Chronotope Project

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s always nice to write about a new artist to me, especially when the music on this incredible album is so endearing and fluent, the contents take me back to the golden hours spent listening to ambient and electronic new age music from the late 90’s and the expressive tones and colours are rich in there melodic texture to capture my imagination once again, as I gaze longingly into the work Kaleidoscope by the Chronotope Project.

The composer Jeffrey Ericson Allen has in my view created here 11 tracks of superior instrumental music that is incredibly fascinating to immerse oneself into. The opening foray for example is called Ariadne’s Thread (remix), and reminds me greatly of an old friend of mine in Phil Thornton in style, this is classic new age music fodder of the crafted kind, as the piano, flute, and soft synth pads manifest a reflective yet gently uplifting tonal narrative.

From a mythologist like me, it is great to see this musical interpretation, Ariadne's thread is a metaphor one might say, originating from Greek mythology, referring to a method of solving complex problems (a "labyrinth") through an orderly step-by-step approach, and originates to the country below mine to the right called Crete.

Now something I also have knowledge of during my journeys through the mid-west and the Native American journeys of mine, Medicine Wheel (remix). A medicine wheel is a sacred symbol and physical structure used by various indigenous cultures in North America to represent the interconnectedness of all life. It serves as a guide for finding balance in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The electronic piano within this track and the smooth synths make this one an absolute favourite of mine, where one might have expected the artist to grow into a more drum based offering, Jeffrey Ericson Allen has done the complete opposite and delivered a slice of ambient electronics that is some of the most atmospheric I have ever heard, mixing that with an ethereal soundscape of background vocalisations in a truly impressive offering indeed.

We now move gently to the offering Enigma, keyboard tones gift us a very easy on the ear offering, but one with a definitive mysterious vibration that swirls around us in the most magical of ways. Subtle harmonic shifts occur and then onto a more almost prog rock styled opus, one that you might find from bands like Emerson Lake and Palmer, with the powerful yet composed percussion.

The airy energies of the track Zikr Dance are now upon us, the floating and uplifting narrative here is beautifully structured. There is an interesting juxtaposition of tone here, one that is hypnotic and meditative, in parts it reminds me of the more up-tempo manifestations created by UK synth legend Kevin Kendle, but it is a track very redolent of a dance like energy, similar to Kevin’s Dance of Electra.

As we head to the centre of the album we come across a composition of mysterious proportions called Erda (Raga of the Earth remix). Here is a wonderfully organic, grounded and ancient offering, and one amazingly breath taking ambient construct, for me this was one of the most artistic endeavours from the album, blending Eastern tonalities with ambient electronics, the result is simply musical mastery.

Spirit Walk is our next musical woodland of pleasure; this is a rhythmically inspired piece. A spirit walk refers to a spiritual, introspective journey, often Native American, and aimed at communicating with spirits, gaining self-awareness, or seeking vision through intense contemplation, sometimes aided by traditional ceremonies, this charming reverie takes that all into context beautifully, and manifests an expansive, introspective mood whilst doing so.

The next piece is one I am glad I don’t have to try and say Geosynchronous (remix). However this floaty and vast composition is a pleasure to listen to, as it offers much space for the listener to roam within its structures. A geosynchronous orbit is an earth-centered rotation; the space styled synth work here is superb and gifts the listener a track that would easily match the current events as we fly back to the moon from the orbit of earth, on a brave new path, this track is so redolent of that subject matter, and beautifully performed.

The curiously titled Dance of the Raven Man is up next, the opening part of the track has a slight hint or an eastern motif, but the Raven caws are clever, and reminded me contextually of one of my wife’s tracks, Chrissie Sheppard and her single Raven Cove, because the vibration of this track manifests a sacred space of music to enjoy as well. This is definitely a darker mythic track, and one that once the percussive element kicks in, reminds me of Phil Thornton’s Healing Circle composition, in its constant onward driving narrative, and its dramatic ritualistic approach.

The deeper darker waters are now located on this album at the moment of reaching this piece called Automatic Writing (remix). This is a layered and textured ambient track, with repeating electronic motifs and a steady flow of ambience throughout the narrative, which flows beautifully into the penultimate track off the album called Longing. To me the beautiful energies of this piece are the orchestral-style pads and slow harmonic movements, very much in the neo classical style, containing emotive nuances and in a cinematic quality styled soundtrack.

Clear Bell Ringing in Empty Sky (remix) is our concluding composition, elements of Deuter can be found here in the natural sounds, chimes and bells, akin to his earlier material, however the piece slowly develops, into a delicious slow tempo that one could easily see being used for exercises like Tai chi. This is a fine track to end the album, and almost Zen-like in its simplicity, the final coda of vocalisations of a choral style sold this piece for me as one of the best off the album and a perfect way with which to conclude the experience.

Kaleidoscope by Chronotope Project I would have to be honest and say is the best album I have had the pleasure to review this year, there isn’t a weak track on it, and the stylish way with which the artist’s conducts his business is sublime. This is what all instrumental music albums should be like, varied fascinating, artistic and compelling, as such I hope this one tops the charts and storms the awards, for the Chronotope Project and Kaleidoscope.