A Brave New World By Steve Sheppard ft. David De Michele

 

A Brave New World

By

Steve Sheppard ft. David De Michele

Written by

Andy Rogers

When it comes to music Steve Sheppard is a man with feet firmly on both sides of the fence: he is of course the co-owner of One World Music Radio (along with his wife Chrissie) with many years’ experience as a radio presenter and as an internationally renowned writer & reviewer of all kinds of music. Lately he is becoming increasingly well-known as a maker of remarkable music.

Steve has been playing and releasing his own music for many years; early releases were primarily guitar with the addition of a subtle keyboard here and there. Of late Steve’s music has matured superbly with some wonderful keyboard work both on his own releases and also when accompanying his wife Chrissie’s flute orientated releases. This new release, A Brave New World, is a musical collaboration between Steve and David De Michele and is a giant musical leap forward, taking Steve’s music to new dimensions.   

Steve describes the track as being “cinematic” and that is certainly how it feels to me. Starting with a slightly menacing opening orchestral sequence in the key of A minor, it isn’t long before strings and woodwind take up the next section of the single with a tune in a major key giving a very positive feel. A running harp-sounding motif comes next to lead us further into the work as we move to the middle section of the piece. The orchestration here is superb, a beautiful use of strings with a flute that hovers above it all as a piano plays a short, quiet repeated figure to great effect. The music comes to an emotional climax before the piece ends as it began, back in the key of A minor as the strings take us to the coda at the end of the piece.    

A Brave New World is easily the best yet from Steve Sheppard. The input and assistance he has had from David De Michele has clearly inspired Steve to reach new musical heights. This single is going to fly and deserves to do very well. If cinematic / neo-classical / new age is your music of choice, then this superb single is one you should not miss! 

Standing Near Infinity By Michael Whalen

 

Standing Near Infinity

By

Michael Whalen

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The prolific Michael Whalen is back with another new album, but this time it is in his guise as a fine electronic musician; you will doubtless remember the outstanding Imaginary Trains album released back in 2022 our last voyage into the world of EM for the artist album wise, and this new release is a reminder to all that within the heart of this superb artist beats the emotional vibrations of a synth and keyboard wizard, on his latest release Standing Near Infinity.

This 10 track album starts off in the same way as you might expect a 1980’s James Brown song might begin in its very early inception, the funk is strong in this one, which soon morphs into a fast, fluent and upbeat composition called In The Open Air. Here is a TV theme waiting to happen, but what a breath taking start!

Whalen’s expertise in music is off the scale, which is of course is what you would expect from a two-time Emmy Award winner whose career spans more than four decades. The following narrative entitled Love, Unspoken is a prime example of his prowess as an electronic music artist, the pastiche of tones notes and pads in this dramatic, and it has to be said quite moving opus is sublime.

However my personal favourite from the album would be the following composition called Out Of Body, this crossing genres offering ticked all the boxes, mixing startlingly good keyboard work with a rhythmic percussive element, perhaps even structured as a contemplative ambient journey of sorts, this incredibly brilliant composition was an utter delight, from EM to chill out and beyond, and reminded me in style of the British electronic music artist Geigertek and his track Leaving The Garden. One also has to applaud Michael for creating a sublime piece of music that is near on eight minutes long in these days of micro arrangements of mere seconds, this is so gratefully received.

As One is our next port of tonal delight; this is denser harmonically, with richer synth layers and stronger melodic anchors, the overall feel builds into an almost progressive rock narrative, but pulls back into a rhythmic tapestry of repeating electronic motifs, and clever keyboard melodies.

So to my favourite part of the album, the does what it says on the can segment, as Whalen brings us to the doorway marked Standing Near Infinity the title track. The glorious keyboard chords in this are literally scene setting and deep, long reverberant soundscapes can be heard as the piece builds dramatically but not overwhelmingly at all, its onwards steady progression would mark this as another one of my personal favourites from the release.

The curiously entitled The Sky Opens Its Eyes starts at a rapid pace, guitar sounds pick up the tempo and the keyboards and vocalisations even further, literally like the sun is rising on a new glorious day. This arrangement and its layers could almost be an anthem for better days ahead. Whilst on tracks like Soft Geometry we have a horse of a different musical colour, creating a hypnotic opening foray and building into something quite profound and moving during its middle phase, and with ease establishes a feeling of spaciousness and wonder, with elements of a Vangelis Blade Runner mood in its textures.

The Space Between Hours is a tapestry of insights and timeless motifs that highlights how sensitive Whalen is to a really good creative style, the almost talking synth is so mournful yet inspiring, and the percussive build and progression reminds me of the works of UK Electronic musician Andy Pickford.

As we drift into the loving arms of our penultimate offering we are gifted a track from the artist entitled The Inner Flame, the opening harmonies here building in a more new age style of media, the base and foundation of the track is soon found, and a soft onward progression on keyboards is brought to our attention in an almost Eno/Harold Budd moment of sublime magic, after that the heights this amazing piece takes us is to a cinematic level in a sublime Coda.

The concluding tale told is called Driftwood, Whalen’s final pieces are musically something to behold, and this track won’t let you down this time either. There is also a quite clever shift from the heavier inception, to a much more modern and rhythmic onward melody, once more mixing the electronic fluency and the floating keyboard narratives together beautifully, for a splendid final chapter of the album.

Standing Near Infinity by Michael Whalen is the third part of a musical voyage that started from Sacred Spaces, to Imaginary Trains and to here, on the edge of infinity. This is a stunningly well produced and performed release, but one that also needs to note the entire album is incredibly open and easy to listen to for any fan of truly good, expressive and melodious electronic music, so how dare I say anything else than this has to be another number one chart hit on the horizon for Standing Near Infinity by Michael Whalen.

String Dreams By Dieter Spears

 

String Dreams

By

Dieter Spears

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

In the growing world of instrumental music there are many artists like myself, who are crossing genres and being truly inventive with their compositions and arrangements, this can be said for Wayfarer Music Group owner and artist Dieter Spears, his brand new album is a veritable scrapbook of his adventures and journeys around the US as a photographer.

The thematic breakdown begins from the very first piece called Across the Plains; this exploratory track is a shining example of truly good instrumental music utilising guitar, percussion, and synths and a palpable bass, making for a perfect starting composition to this fine journey of sight and sound.

The entire album is a cornucopia of musical delights, like the following narrative entitled Timezone Lounges; I have been in a few of these myself over the years, there is something full flowing and fluent about the progression on this piece, which offers an almost Berlin style electronic backdrop to a largely guitar driven creation.

In The Shadow of Castleton fascinated me, the opening segment reminded me of the mood that opens Shine on Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd and would be one of my personal favourites from the album, the build here is deep and mood field, the intent here is on mood, pacing, and emotional atmospherics.

Then comes my favourite track from the entire album called Back Porch Morning Coffee, and the somewhat mournful guitar reminded me of Scottish progressive rock artist Ali Ferguson. The use of pause here combined with the interesting hovering synths brought an easy on the ears, yet deeply reflective composition to drift within, this is one I could easily leave on repeat or indeed have a coffee to in the early haze of a summer’s morning in June.

Desert Sunset Shimmer creates a musical tale for right now for me, as the temps rise in the middle of a summer’s day in the Mediterranean, one can see that heat shimmer dancing along the horizon of time and tide. The electronic mastery and percussive elements here add to Spears guitar, so let’s give a mention to drummer Gary LeGere who features heavily on this amazing powerful release.

Nestled just over the half way marker is the track Lullaby Breeze, and is the most ambient offering from the album, an arrangement that is almost meditative and hypnotic in its content, the deep resonating bass is beautifully juxtaposed with the lighter electric guitar of Spears.

Riding The Dragon is our next musical location, here we find a far more upbeat tale told by Spears, the keyboards in this piece manifests a trickledown effect, whilst the bass drives the engine room with the percussion on this powerful forward thinking narrative of instrumental genius.

We now move into the deeper waters of the album with the following voyage of plenty as we arrive at the piece entitled, Mahone Bay Memories feat. Stephen Davis. This is a memorable piece and an almost hovering narrative which strangely reminded me of one of my pieces called Sea Salter Marsh with the similar guitar sound, in this instance provided by the aforementioned Stephen Davis.

When Trees Became Mountains is our penultimate offering from this 10 track release, this would turn out to be another favourite of mine, the pacing of the guitar sounds and lead on this piece were incredibly moving and almost took me back to a sound and style I used to hear in the ‘90s, again that hovering synth work can be found here, one that brings such mood and colourful textures.

So we reach the final and concluding narrative from the album and it is called Chasing Dusk, the energy here is on the hurry up, and reminded me of UK artists like Andy Pickford and Michael Shipway at times. This flying last creation if more rock based, and its tempo somewhat suggests the title of the track is hurriedly being achieved, once again, this is a fine example of someone choosing the right track to end the album with, in a stylish and powerful coda.

String Dreams by Dieter Spears is a clever play on words, and indeed a clever album; I have always had a lot of respect for Dieter, I should have, my first album takes me back to 2012 and called Le Carnavale Du Macabre. Here on String Dreams we have an exploratory tale of a voyage of an artistic endeavour taken, and each and every track on the release has that fresh energy of excitement built into its full flowing narrative, one can see with ease that Dieter Spears is going to have a big hit on his hands with String Dreams, and he certainly deserves to achieve that too.

Snow Dance By Antonija Pacek

 

Snow Dance

By

Antonija Pacek

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It seems somewhat nice to write about a winter themed track in the beginning of yet another hot summer here in Cyprus, so it’s a bonus to get this opportunity. The fluent piano of Antonija Pacek has been on my radar for a couple of years now starting in fact back in ‘24 with Goodbye Heike, and now we are gifted a really moving new single called Snow Dance.

Antonija Pacek has that touch that is very rare to find, as soon as she touches the piano magic is made, it is as if the keys and the stars all align at the same time, in a glorious melting pot of piano magic. Her style is emotive and deeply thoughtful, this is the style of piano that I particularly like to listen to, something with thought and heart and thankfully over two and a half minutes long!

Snow Dance is a flowing piano composition; it’s a moving ballad of tone and timbre and has a wonderful construction, so much so that within the piece one could easily imagine a chorus and a vocal segment that could be written for it. The pace is soft, but full flowing and the narration of the musical composition is a heartfelt and imploring narrative.

One can sense a hit in the making here for the artist, and I am sure that this is a timeless reverie that will be loved and adored by not only the artists fans, but from the legions of instrumental piano followers across the world, who will be all too happy to add Snow Dance by Antonija Pacek to their playlist of choice.

On the Up By Doug Wyatt

 

On the Up

By

Doug Wyatt

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Jazz music is all the better for the latest single from Doug Wyatt called On the Up, this follows hot on the heels of his brilliant album release called Days of Gypsy Nights, as the jazz pianist is once again in full flow on this quite pacey composition, and it’s electrifying tonal delights are a pleasure to float within.

Doug’s impressive talents on piano are added to by the multi-instrumental nature of the track, with sax, bass and drums, all added into this lush mix of a piano-driven, jazz fused opus. One has to applaud Michael Rosen on tenor saxophone for what in my view is a transcendent performance throughout.

The song created before the world went totally crazy, in the new year of 2025 and is an extremely clever jazz narrative, posing a crafted juxtaposition whilst the title suggests a more optimistic emotional direction that life could take, there is an underpinned tale of concern and anxious moments ahead, regardless this brand new single is a story well told by the artist and performed sublimely.

For me Wyatt has produced the perfect jazz lexicon here, it is a veritable glossary of moods and musical integrity, with top notch performance also from Marcello Pellitteri drums and Joseph Lepore on double bass. This is the perfect jazz single fitting into the psyche with ease of the jazz and instrumental music fan, and should be a big hit within the charts it sits within, full marks indeed to Doug Wyatt and On the Up.

Nyumba By Carlos Garo & Miriam Stockley

 

Nyumba

By

Carlos Garo & Miriam Stockley

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

“Nyumba” means home in Swahili, and this new single from Carlos Garo & Miriam Stockley brings two forces of musical nature together to bring us something literally spectacular. It’s been a while since I have heard the voice of Miriam Stockley Adiemus and AO Music being but a part of her massive career. I remember Carlos Garo from last year with his Mystical Origin album, and his stunning and wondrous ability to be a fluent multi-instrumentalist of great quality, now add in an African choir from Nigeria and magic will be created.

The powerful and textured opening is like the sun rising on a brand new summer’s day, the combination of the choir, the percussive elements add a somewhat emboldened opening to this ultra-creative composition, on what is an utterly vast oasis of a sun kissed arrangement.

This single is just short of 4 minutes in duration, but covers so much in the time allotted, and the composition itself is akin to a four part structure of truly majestically crafted music, one that is powerful, influential, atmospheric and intense at times, all of this and more can be found on one of the best produced singles I have heard this year with ease, I must also give a quick mention to Indian bansuri flautist Srini who also appears on the single.

Nyumba by Carlos Garo & Miriam Stockley is perhaps a reminder to us all that our home, our Gaia is scared, perhaps one that is our own scared space of balance and inner power, and for me this has to be the most compelling piece of work I have listened to this year with ease.

Eventide By Rick Sparks

 

Eventide

By

Rick Sparks

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The music of Rick Sparks has been a source of constant relaxation and great beauty over the years I have been musically invested into it, it started way back in 2014 and an album called Endless, and since that time the artist has penned some utterly transcendent releases, here today some 12 years on from that release, we dive in deep with his latest album called simply Eventide.

There is literally nothing to dislike about the instrumental music of Rick Sparks, the artist at least gives us solid 5 to even six minute compositions to fall in love with, which thankfully bucks the trend of the 90 second creation nonsense. The title track Eventide for example would be one of my personal favourites from the album, some superb keyboard and synth pad work bringing us the listener something so redolent of the subject matter.

Then there is such beauty to be found on the pristine arrangement called The Presence of Love, this in parts reminded me of a combination of David Sun and Mike Rowland from back in the day, whilst his last single Mykonos still resonates deep with in my heart, its soothing narrative is a relaxing moment of great colour, whilst compositions like Sea Wind still haunt my mind in the best possible way with its very gentle onward progression.

Eventide by Rick Sparks is a 10 track album packed with textures and tapestries of tender tones and vibrant colours. We indeed find another lush offering at the half way juncture with the creation A Time to Heal, this piece has such a delicate and tender touch to its manifestation, one could not help but be enchanted by the string section and the slowness of progression here.

I have yet to go to Spain, but it is on my radar, until then I choose to travel vicariously with Rick as he performs the piece Barcelona Nights, a piece that builds slowly, but from a place of wonderment and depth of timbre, one of the finest compositions from the album for its creative interplay between and the keyboard notes and synths.

Dream Rain holds the listeners attention and manifests a sense of anticipation and expectation, this is a clever explorative composition that seems to hover around us, whilst the piece Every Hope happens to contain the title of the longest track off the album at over 6 and a half minutes long, a slow tempo and a careful movement highlighted by some very pleasurable vocalisations and synth work.

The album is a master work of texture and consistency, and is a fine example of musical uniformity, pieces like Give to the Winds Your Fears is a beautiful paradigm of such a soothing chronicle of tonal delights in its pristine and almost lullaby nature. Whilst the concluding tale to be told is entitled A Quiet Heart, here Sparks is the is the invigilator, as he brings together a multiplicity of sounds, pads and keyboard structures, to gift us one of the most prolific pieces from the album to end with.

Eventide by Rick Sparks in my view is probably one of the best albums the artist has released thus far, many who really know me, know I never say those words as a throw away. The tempo and heartfelt intent with this release is so plain to see and feel, it is a collection of 10 pieces that are designed to leave the listener utterly in a state of bliss and peace at its conclusion, which is why this album is going to be a huge chart hit, and is certainly award worthy for Eventide by Rick Sparks.

Caribbean Sunset By Jennifer DeFrayne

 

Caribbean Sunset

By

Jennifer DeFrayne

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Pianist Jennifer De Frayne is back with another new single from her forthcoming album Soul Love, this tasty musical morsel is entitled Caribbean Sunset, a colourful pastiche of musical energies that highlights the locational narrative of the composition. Its’ also fairly topical for me as I will be heading out that way this coming January, and I will indeed be enjoying something of a plethora of the subject matter of this song.

A rhythmic creation can be found here, one incredibly redolent of the subject matter and packed with supporting musicians who in their own right are legends in the new age music industry. This is a heart-warming piece, I would recommend pulling up the art worked and listening to the track whilst doing so.

Jennifer has produced some superb singles lately with You and I and Finding You also coming, like this one, from the forthcoming album Soul Love.  This new single has that touch that creates a warm sense of peace and tranquillity, De Frayne’s piano is the chief narrator and fluently brings this deeply attractive offering together, whilst manifesting a cornucopia of multi-instrumentation. This is a guaranteed hit and a piece that will calm and ease the listener into a state of peaceful bliss, and called Caribbean Sunset by Jennifer DeFrayne.

Sunset at Shaw's Cove By Janice Lacy

 

Sunset at Shaw's Cove

By

Janice Lacy

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Following up from her pervious single Beside You,  Janice Lacy is back with another new manifestation, this time the textures and the colours of this rainbow of music drift across the listeners palate in such a beautifully way, so much so, that one can’t but help be entranced by this new single entitled Sunset At Shaw’s Cove.

Lacy includes the twin towers of brilliance in this lush composition, with Jill Haley on English horn and Eugene Friesen on cello, two maestros in their own right, and here on this new creation by Janice they lift the arrangement into what could easily be a film score standard of a creation.

Locational compositional creations are just my bag of joy, as I create music myself from the inspirations I see as I travel my country of Cyprus and the world at large. Here Lacy turns artist and literally paints with her piano, whilst the horn and cello assist in this lexicon of magical tonal colours.

The listener would do well to note the soft and steady tempo, this gentle performance allows each and every one that will have the good sense to purchase this single, a few moments in time to just sit and be in a location of their choosing that brings them as much joy as this one does for the artist.

This is a top quality performance by all concerned, and of course produced by Tom Eaton and the legend that is Will Ackerman. This is why I have no doubt that Sunset at Shaw's Cove by Janice Lacy won’t just be a big hit for the artist, but a piece of timeless music that will ease the woes and sufferings from each and every one who listens to its graceful cathartic vibrations.