Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Yellowstone By Mad Dog Friedman

 


Yellowstone

By

Mad Dog Friedman

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Mad Dog Friedman is a musician who adores creating music that literally transports the willing listener to the very location of his desired project, on this brand new release called Yellowstone we have a huge vista of possible explorations on offer, and as it is very unlikely that I will ever travel to this glorious place, I can do so vicariously with the medium of this breath taking beauty of an album.

This huge vista I alluded to in the aforementioned paragraph, is an album of no less than 24 incredible offerings for the listener to enjoy, starting with introductory arrangements like September at the Mouth of Chipmunk Creek, a piece which leads us into the flute based narrative of A Gaggle Of Geese, a thoroughly organic manifestation can be found here.

There are many stand out tracks on this album that deserve a mention, such as Geyser Hill, a locational composition that nature abounds and dances with the flute, this can also be said for most of the tracks here, such as the stunning reveries of Bison Rut, I truly never could imagine the power of a Buffalo until I came face to face with one, then the longer form narrative of On the Shores of Peale Island softly takes the listener by the hand and allows them time in a sanctuary of solitude and introspection.

The listener can traverse through a myriad of other short form creations that set the scene of nature’s beauty in such a picturesque and graphic way, I then landed on the composition Wild Snipes and was rooted by the arrangements mesmeric tones, this in my view was a masterful flute performance by the artist, and the natural sounds just set the scene with such sublime ease.

I remember another flute performer in Deuter creating a track called Wind Through The Trees, whilst neither composition are in anyway similar, they both achieve the perfect end result by creating a song redolent of the subject matter, but Mad Dog dares to go one further in manifesting a track with a raging wind, but one that is perfectly balanced by his commanding flute performance, and that is not an easy thing to do.

My Grandfather used to teach me the difference between a Moorhen and a Coot, but I never thought I would see a musical arrangement about such a lively and fun bird, especially one that is gracefully long form at well over 11 minutes in duration, and encapsulating the energy of the bird perfectly, a composition that indeed concludes the album, with the piece A Fleet Of Coots.

Yellowstone by Mad Dog Friedman is an organic truly natural flute based album that gifts its willing listener a vast project of locational compositions and nature based arrangements to simply bathe ones senses in. This style of work takes a lot of dedication and determination to get the right mood and sound, but Mad Dog achieves this with a soft and gentle approach, as he walks in beauty on this new release Yellowstone.


Monday, February 17, 2025

Keys to Secret Door By Astrid M & Piano Lilium

 


Keys to Secret Door

By

Astrid M & Piano Lilium

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have fond memories of the opening track to this new EP by Keys to Secret Door, it being gifted as a single earlier on last year, as indeed are the many of the other creations upon this release, but the lyrics to that song are something I have embraced recently, and the results from our endeavours were certainly created by being the change we wanted to be and see. The song itself is a classic slice of inspiration that reminds one that we have many choices, so Be the Change and take a chance.

The next composition on this new and fresh compilation of compositions is 1.4.3, another single from last year, a curious title, but a presentation that carries a reflective theme on piano and a song that poses questions, that one can perhaps answer with a little introspection.

The lively refrains of L'ombre et la lumière is upon us next, and I do speak a little French so I think means Light and Shadow for those predominantly English speakers. This is a powerful song that swings along with a passionate piano performance, and perhaps postulates a thought about the constant flux between dark and light, bathed with a little nostalgia.

The penultimate track is entitled Pour Toi (For You) here is in my view one of the most powerful pieces from the release, yet there are several tender touches on the piano, in among the more passion filled moments, and is certainly a song sung well and, perhaps for you!

We conclude the album with the title track called Keys to Secret Door, which in my view is one of the best titles for a piece of music I have heard for some time, and is a more authoritative version of the opening composition and in instrumental mode as well, which brings to a close this commanding project called Keys to Secret Door by Astrid M & Piano Lilium, and in bringing this ep to fruition, have manifested one amazing release filled with both expression and passion to a global audience.

Hold You by Arielle Margalit

 


Hold You

By

Arielle Margalit

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The tender tones of Arielle Margalit in this new single Hold You are something to utterly enjoy, this is a tonal panacea to help us move onto bigger and better things and a stunning new offering that is a gentle ballad of emotive anthem like proportions.

The loving and supportive message contained within is heartfelt and something to embrace in all ways, the vocals of Margalit is like a beacon of hope in an otherwise fearful world. I continually hear singles in this genre released that fail to capture the mood, but here on Hold You the artist snared her audience and never lets them go.

The magic here is created by the slow build and progression, all anthem styled compositions should have this, one that grows slowly, and then becomes totally undeniable, and blossoms into a track that everyone wants to hear at a concert before the artist leaves the stage for the last time.

It’s not easy manifesting something this good, but on Hold You, Arielle Margalit does herself proud and produces one of the best vocal arrangements I have heard for quite some time. With all that being said I am more than happy to put my money where my mouth is and bet that a top 10 chart place at least is heading the way of Hold You by Arielle Margalit.

first... listen by Murray Grant

 


first...  listen

By

Murray Grant

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Murray Grant was a new artist to me, but one that by the end of the project I was glad to have engaged with, as I would thoroughly enjoy the tonal selections contained within his album entitled first...  listen, a curious title maybe, but one packed with colours, textures and delightful contemporary instrumental vibrations.

The opening foray called temple started with an electronic intent, but soon morphed into something much more; a light percussive beat would soon take us by the hand into a veritable wonderland of instrumental magic, with the highlight the flute of Dave Weiss as the narrator of the composition.

Murray Grant is a sublime drummer and keyboardist, and has graced the world of contemporary instrumental music with many a fine creations, here on this brand new album he draws with him a team of artists whom will go on to manifest something uniquely brilliant in the album first...  listen, with pieces like the lush vibrancy of water and stone, a track that so reminds me of an old friends work in Al Conti, perhaps from his Blue Rose album.

Time certainly does fly, especially the older you get! Here on tempus fugit, we have that very essence weaved within the textured pathways of the song, this fast paced reverie has a soundtrack element built into its tone and timbre, with a Jethro Tull like flute, powerful percussion from Grant that literally drives one on, and a constant keyboard adding an extra layer into the offering.

I feel that at this juncture it is quite correct to introduce you to the team that joins Grant on this quest of instrumental perfection. We start with Amanda Toh on erhu, the smooth skill sets of Bart Dietvorst on guitars, Dave Olson on bass, and the exceptional Dave Weiss on flutes, with Elena Stern at the cello, Maria Grigoryeva on both violin and viola, and the ever so rhythmic Max Serpentini on djembe, darabuka, and shakers, you have a stunning dream team of artistes joining composer and instrumentalist Murray Grant on this voyage of musical exploration, as west meets east, of which are exemplified on tracks like in that moment, a beautifully layered arrangement indeed.

As we edge inexorably towards the middle section of the album we come across my personal favourite track entitled darkness, note the light rock ethic on guitar, the moody backdrop of sound utilising the keyboards to their very best, kudos to Grant there, this whole piece reminded me of a globally fused slice of prog rock, and I absolutely loved every second of it.

There is always hidden on every album a little gem that you are just glad that you came across and will never forget, awakening was that piece for me, the crisp keyboards, the fluent flute, and that charming plunging bass of Dave Olson created for me a charming musical narrative that I would want to go back to time and time again.

echoes used the bass at its premium, almost as a lead instrument, then utilising a keyboard narrative so very rhythmic and enticing, with an added percussive beat that was simply undeniable and breathtakingly sublime, the east meets west global fusion here was some of the best I have heard for ages, and reminded me in part of the work of fellow instrumentalist Arun Shenoy, in a blissful seven minutes plus of a piece you never wanted to end.

dania gave us a moment to chill too, its gentle and calming refrains allowed us room to stretch out and enjoy the evening sun, whilst listening to a sumptuous multi-instrumental ballad, and then we we’re back on the trail again with the interestingly named shades of grey.  The mixture of keyboards guitar chords and flute here manifested a vista of a track that was both smooth in its production, but also explorative in its overall nature.

The penultimate offering is entitled hellos and goodbyes, there is a drifting cadence here that peaks the interest, the flute and keyboards seem to slowly dance in a symbiotic partnership on this beautiful composition, one that leads us gently into the arms of the concluding musical narrative.

an ending (is not the end), apart from being a clever title is a crafted way with which to conclude a project, it’s a perfectly balanced composition, one that builds, progresses, and offers up some delicate tones, then pulls the listener into a final foray of a globally infused offering.

first...  listen by Murray Grant maybe an album that got complicated by the global pandemic, but the final result was well worth the wait; this is one of the most prime examples of exemplary contemporary instrumental work that I have had the pleasure to listen to in years, and as such, I see no reason why first...  listen by Murray Grant shouldn’t charge up the charts at the very least and maybe even more could be on the horizon for this superb album.


Friday, February 14, 2025

Mangata By Deuter

 



Mångata

By

Deuter

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It is always a total pleasure to write a review for one of your favourite musicians and Deuter is certainly one of them, his legacy has remained with me from as far back as 1971 and the release of the album D, moving forward his work has been an influence on me personally with his sumptuous and delicious recordings called Buddha Nature and Reiki Hands of Light, being a constant on my player for decades still to this day.

Today we celebrate his latest release called Mångata, and I truly believe that this is the New Age legends best album for years, and from it, we see him firmly back on the path to success with this stunning new creation, this 9 track collection of sublime new age creative and artistic compositions.

Pieces like the opening and title track Mångata thrill me, with the signature plunging Deuter tones, the hovering synths, and the dream like keyboards and flute, this is utterly magical, and we get a marvellous nine minutes plus to enjoy as well.

The whole album is a wondrous delight of long to medium term musical manifestations, tracks like the crisp and comforting refrains of Horizon of Light, with its rhythmic pastiche, soft guitar and soothing flutes, whilst tracks like the only short form story on the album called Écho de la Lune at just under two minutes, build a textured vibration for us to all enjoy.

This is an album that takes the musical soul and lifts it high with hands of tenderness and care, while offerings like Mondklang mit Perlen (Moon Sounds With Pearls) truly emphasises that, and its beautiful long form narrative reminds me of another glorious epic from Deuter in the piece Illumination, this track like the aforementioned one for me is the perfect meditational offering that I cannot wait to use personally, its tranquil tapestry of tone is a blissful bed of calm and peace we all so truly need so much right now.

Mångata is an album you won’t skip forward on, it is an album that you will allow yourself time to bathe in its sonic delights, and more than likely get lost in its wonderful reveries, that very thing happened to me on the piece Northern Lights, if ever a track was transcendent this one most certainly is.

Creations like the more flute based Fjallastelpa, this one I found extremely interesting, as it seemed to take me to the frozen lands of Iceland, and as far as I can detect means Mountain Girl, compositionally this reminds me of music that the grand master of New Age once created on his album Sun Spirit, and here is a splendidly uplifting offering indeed.

Deuter’s skill set in creating scenic music is well known, and on compositions like Moonlight Rêverie, the keyboards of the composer manifest a soothing beauty, whilst the penultimate manifestation builds upon a sense of hope, and its string like creation offers up exactly what is stated as the title in the piece Resonance of Silence.

The parting gift is the composition Sunset Gratitude, there is a deepness and quality of sound here that seems to cover the senses like a warm blanket in winter, it’s a piece that exudes gratitude, and is simply the best way with which to conclude the album.

Mångata by Deuter is not just a stunning new album from one of the finest new age music composers of all time; it’s an album that raises the bar for all to follow, it is a release that is beyond the realm of beauty, and its compassionate tones will remain in the heart and mind of each willing listener for an eternity. If ever an album deserved to be top of the charts this one most certainly does.

 Mångata by Deuter is the album that the new age music industry has been waiting years for, and this is not only a good thing for the composer but the entire genre itself, and as such, is without doubt a must have album at all costs.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Amore Simplice By James Michael Stevens

 


Amore Simplice

By

James Michael Stevens

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the pleasure of listening to the piano works of James Michael Stevens for some five years now, and reviewing many of them in the process. The artist is a pianist whose presentations always give a sanctuary of tone to hide one from the stresses of the world, currently this is my life, so for the next few moments of time I am going to allow the tonal delights of Amore Simplice by James Michael Stevens to wash away those fears and concerns.

The opening piece is always the best place to start, and I am proud to say that this melodious composition is in fact the title track entitled of course Amore Simplice, as solo piano goes this anthem styled comforting piece is a sublime layer of blissful pleasure to enjoy.

The curiously entitled Dark Zen is upon us next, a little mysterious motif haunts the corridors of this track, one that has a slight eastern taste to its construction, whilst offerings like the following lush narrative entitled Driftwood Shore are filled with artistic and moving segments of textures and colours.

Then from the previously memory bathed piece we now soar upwards with the composition Fly My Dreams. We all have dreams, but how many of us embrace them wholly, so here is an assuring little number that will allow you to do so.

I have a fondness for the fall and on Mellow Autumn we can come across a veritable truism, for me the time of mists and falling leaves is always mellow, and here James depicts that to perfection.  Whilst on the midway offering called Moment Winter we have a sombre reminder that even the our part of the earth must sleep, regenerate and rest before growing again, the beauty of this performance is so palpable and deeply touching.

Prelude Sentimentalis is track 7 from this 12 track album, and is another classy solo piano reverie that contains narratives of both major and minor refrains within its illustrious content; this gentle creation is almost a lullaby of sorts, whilst following that our senses are given grace thanks to one of my personal favourites from the album called Promenade at Swan Lake, I love watching swans, they are so fluent and beautiful upon the water, and this performance is simply a perfect depiction of their movements.

Solo piano is safe in the hands of performers and composers like James Michael Stevens, whose heart filled manifestations always give one hope, calm and tranquillity, much of that can be said for pieces like Rustica, an offering that is timeworn but still offers up much charm, and Serenade Autumn, whose partnership with track 5 is well made, here is another stunning reminder via the piano of how inspirational this season is.

James pulls a rabbit from his magical musical hat on the penultimate offering called Shimmers in the Night, manifesting a glorious star filled sky of a composition that literally sparkles into life, whilst the entire album can be concluded thanks to the final piece from the release entitled Sunrise Meditation, a clever finish indeed, one that signals the end of the album, but offers up the hope of a brand new day to once again seize and make the most of.

Amore Simplice by James Michael Stevens is another in a very long line of quality solo piano based albums by one of the finest composers of heart felt sincere work in the business today, and is without doubt some of his best work thus far. There is literally something for everybody in this album, moments of tender love, mystery and imagination, wonderment and comforting sanctuaries of sound, and to find that all on one album is a luxury one simply cannot deny themselves.


Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Forgotten Hero By Antonija Pacek

 


Forgotten Hero

By

Antonija Pacek

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It is interesting the term Hero; one can reference heroes of War, of ancient deity’s of a mythological past like Heracles or Achilles, or simply someone in their home town who has achieved much by their good deeds, regardless on this brand new single by Antonija Pacek called Forgotten Hero, the artist and composer manifests a solemn reminder that even the bravest of all may one day also be forgotten.

Pacek has creativity about her piano performances that makes one want to listen deeply; it is very easy for one to get totally drawn in by her compelling musical narratives, the gentle build and progression on this piece is a timely reminder, that piano with an artistic heart still beats out there among the plethora of micro arrangement banality, that seems to be on offer these days.

This new single is like a story, a tale of a long forgotten protagonist; perhaps one that has not swam with the movement of time, but has drifted away in the thoughts of the many, as the world has moved on. The piano presentation by Pacek is among some of the most heartfelt I have heard for years, and as such I say truly that Forgotten Hero by Antonija Pacek deserves to be a huge hit on the charts, and like a true hero, needs to never be forgotten.


Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Indigo By Nitish Kulkarni

 


Indigo

By

Nitish Kulkarni

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the good fortune this year in reviewing albums for artists like Grammy winner Ricky Kej, Devan Ekambaram, and Karsh Kale and whilst all have thrilled me with their musical exploits, I must admit to being thrilled to see the name of Nitish Kulkarni arrive on my desktop, and his latest album Indigo for review, and indeed it is this voyage we must travel today.

It’s been a while since we first musically met; it was back in 2015 and his outstanding album of then entitled Synesthetic. On this latest release Nitish takes us on a breath taking journey of 14 delicious tracks that would grace any chill out album proudly.

This travelogue of a global fusion styled collection starts with short Prologue (Alaap) to help us along on our way, and one that morphs into nothing less than the proud title track itself in Indigo. This is a headline piece that drives the listener onward with a composition filled with a multi-instrumental world styled ethic.

On Let Me Show You we have a decided eastern feel to the arrangement, one that contains the Bansuri of Varad Kalhapurkar and is based upon Raga Bhimpalisi. While the following narrative Without You manifests a fluent Asian melody that even has hints of Chinese folk music contained within, but holds firm to its original conception.

I found this next piece particularly compelling, the track called Identity caressed my senses with a gentle persuasion and a soothing tale to tell, the chimes and lightness of this creation were now firmly in the realm of what could be described as new age, but we absolutely have an album here that crosses boundaries with a simplicity of ease and a wondrous charm whilst doing so, the synths on this track were also a marvellous addition to the classy compositional structure.

As we drift to the middle of the album we come across a charming offering that is the epitome of truly good instrumental work, and this gem is called Hello Winter. This largely piano narrative, with a light percussive slice of musical magic, would be easily classed as quality contemporary instrumental music in today’s business, with an added Bansuri too, and is also based on Raga Bageshri, to add a few eastern notes into the pot of this most textured of pieces.

As we touch the hem of the track Falling we realise that we have made it to the half way juncture of the album, and here we find another piece of Raga inspiration, this time from Charukeshi. This light yet addictive offering builds with precision, and manifests a rhythmic overall musical sense of drama to encapsulate us.

This is one of those albums that is hard to leave alone as each track is so different and interesting, including pieces like Night Eyes (Balama), containing traditional vocals by Vibhuti Kavishwar and also the tender tones of Shreyas Bedekar to add a perfect balance of the offering, this is also a fine example of Kulkarni’s skilful electronic prowess as well.

The scene is set well by the artist on this next colourful piece called Meeting Saraswati, now this is a fascinating subject as we can learn that Saraswati is what can be describe as a pan Indian deity, venerated not only in Hinduism but also in Jainism and Buddhism too, this is a full flowing piece, with a hint of mystery entwined within and one of my personal favourites.

Without doubt this album gifts to us some incredibly beautiful compositions, like the utterly handsome The Flower in the Pages, a gentle keyboard piano narrative lays here, whilst offerings like Digital Age offer a more electronic based reality from a virtual future where man meets machine, and this relationship bears musical fruits that are both exciting and rhythmic.

In the deep waters of the album we have Let Me Show You (Redux), a piece that pushes the aforementioned narrative of track 3 further, however when we arrive at the penultimate offering you will also find one of my personal favourite from the album called Painting the Canvas. Here lays one of the brightest and best tracks that in my view Kulkarni has ever created, and one that uses the beautiful vocal talents of singer Akhila Mamandur, as major meets minor and what is created is musical magic, in one of the most sensual pieces from the album, and furthermore, if the artist was ever thinking of releasing a single from the album, I would point him to this very track to do so.

Having started with the prologue, it of course comes to pass that we end with a short form narrative of the Epilogue, a succinct and concise conclusion to what in my view is an outstanding album.

It is always an excellent sign when you are listening to an album and you never want it to end because you are simply enjoying the journey too much, but this is without doubt the case with Indigo by Nitish Kulkarni. Here is an album that floats between many genres and is not afraid to cross them, but to put them all together in a big old melting pot of brilliance, this album is simply sublime and is in my view one of the best global fusion albums I have heard for many a year, and as such should take the charts by storm.


Monday, February 10, 2025

Music For A New Paradigm By Jacquelyn G. Kleine

 


Music For A New Paradigm

By

Jacquelyn G. Kleine

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

With the globe in chaos, one thing we need on Earth now more than ever is a new fresh start, a better way of looking at our directions and choices, this can be assisted by wondrous works of musical art, such as this new album by Jacquelyn G. Kleine entitled Music For A New Paradigm, this shift in a new awareness has been manifested in tone and timbre perfectly by the artist on her latest album, and it is this voyage we must traverse today.

Music for a New Paradigm is a sublime 8 track work of electric flute and fluent keyboard work in the new age style, the powerful opening foray is a great place to start, the grand scheme of all matters begins with Otherworld, a driving opus of an alternate reality, at this point I would recommend pulling the art work up for this album and gazing at it whilst listening to the release, it is some of the best album art I have seen in recent years.

Offerings like The Golden Light gifts us an opportunity to bathe is all the possibilities of a potential new direction, and perhaps cast a glance across the horizon of a new tomorrow, the slow build and gentle progression here by the artist is some of the most ambient work from her yet.

Tracks like Snowfall give us a hand drum resonance of great quality, whilst the lush tonal delights of The Quest take us on a Middle Eastern journey of sorts and transport us to the very heart of that location; this is a most haunting reverie indeed, and Kleine’s Terry Oldfield like flute drifts across the shimmering sands of musical time.

Novae is one of the longest offerings from the album and very much one that has a sense of movement and progression within its construction, whilst the stunning arrangement of Aurora takes the award for longest track off the album at well over 7 minutes in duration, but is a piece that floats and hovers with a soothing intent, and its narrative is so calming and deeply soothing.

The penultimate creation is the very crafted and charming flute manifestation entitled Magnificent Gaia and indeed she is, whilst the glistening tones of the concluding track Diamonds completes our blissful journey, the keyboard work here is deeply transcendent, and is a composition that manifests a sense of well-being too, and as such is the perfect end of a truly great album.

Music for a New Paradigm by Jacquelyn G. Kleine is in my view the best work by the artist thus far, she has captured the subject matter perfectly with precision styled fluent flute and keyboard performances, this is one of the best albums that I have heard in the new age music genre for years, and as such deserves to be a massive hit on the charts, and maybe even more!


Friday, February 7, 2025

Kind as the Shade By The Bentley Project

 


Kind as the Shade

By

The Bentley Project

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It is very rare that an album is said to be, what I would call the complete package, however with this new release by The Bentley Project called Kind as Shade, we seem to have obtained that, from the album art to the soft mellow tones contained within, everything about this album is loveable and likeable, and is one of those albums that in years to come, will still sail the sea of relevancy, with sails proudly unfurled.

Kind as the Shade is a 9 track album that gives us a delectable journey, one of a time long past, but also, of a time yet to come. It is a remarkable work of art, the opening piece for example entitled Distant Thunder portrays a storm dancing on the horizon, and the instrumental magic of Dana Woolard on cello makes that happen with a gloriously moody performance.

Kind as the Shade is of course our title track, and I must say is one of my personal favourites from the album, pure vocals, a mixture of music of ancient times and new age, this classy composition stands tall among the realms of this genre, to simply prove what can be achieved when a flowing artistic talent is employed.

One can dip their toes deeper into this splendid work of the artists by embracing opuses akin to Dance of the Rose, a track that sways with the motion of a summer breeze and the flute performance by Amado Espinosa was sublime, I have not heard one so good in such a musical context, since the one used by the band Rainbow who utilised the Bavarian string orchestra at the time to do so.

With choice pieces like the soothing musical tale of My Whisper to You and the crisp yet poignant acoustic guitar of Mark Bentley, or the sumptuous performance by Theresa Bentley on both synths and harp on the concluding composition called Kiss Of Stars, we can bring this simply idyllic musical voyage to a conclusion, only to press play and leave on repeat, this trust me, this is one of those few albums you would wish to do that with, it is utter perfection.

Kind as the Shade by The Bentley Project is an outstanding collection of beautiful arrangements; the new age genre has just leaped forward 100% with the creation of a release like this, exquisitely produced and performed, handsomely charming and listenable, and I rarely say this, but I truly believe that I have just listened to one of the best New Age music albums this century has gifted us with ease.


Thursday, February 6, 2025

Darkness of My Heart By Russ Jones

 


Darkness of My Heart

By

Russ Jones

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The flute can be such a descriptive instrument, it can make the heart sing and, can make it cry, here on this latest single from Russ Jones the latter emotion is one that we will be diving deep into, with this brand new single entitled Darkness Of My Heart.

The tale of this moving musical voyage, whilst deep and dark, has layers of sadness woven into its weave world of an arrangement, it’s also an addictive track, as when listening, one would find it all too easy to get lost within its realms, and time would pass in an instant, that’s a testament to just how good this song is.

The fullness of this composition is also something to behold, the depth here is not only palpable, but contains a narrative so emotively created it will shift your mental focus to a place of great introspection and meditative awareness, here is a slice of ambient flute, one that bridges the void of tone and texture.

Darkness of My Heart by Russ Jones is a musical slow moving river that has been hidden from sight, and only found by those who need a sanctuary of sound to be in the moment with; this is the theme for any hermit like existence, and most certainly music for a dark night of the soul before any rebirth back into the light, and without doubt is one of the most powerful flute performance I have heard this year with ease.


Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Confession By Marc-André Pépin

 


Confession

By

Marc-André Pépin

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There are times when music can manifest a mood of happiness, perhaps reflection, or even sadness, this is one of the remarkable facets of a musical composition, there is always something for everyone to delve into and find solace or inspiration, here on this brand new single from composer Marc-André Pépin we have an arrangement that offers the listener a vast array of emotive qualities, and this latest creation is called Confession.

In just short of 3 minutes Pépin’s piano narrative builds, progresses, and then seems to change tone, mood and vibrancy, in a clever concoction of reflective nuances, this is a veritable fluent voyage of timbre mood and hope.

The steady repetitive presentation seem to dance from one fascinating juxtaposition of feelings to another, in what for me is a sublime performance on the piano by the artist, and this enquiring narrative moves ever onward, repeating, retrying and presenting the listener with various different musical suggestions, until we reach the conclusion which creates one of the finest codas I have heard for years, just for a second it seems that hope has won the day, but the last tones played may suggest a different outcome is perhaps going to occur.

Confession by Marc-André Pépin is an enthralling ride of solo piano music that is incredibly addictive and compelling, here is a new single that the genre of solo piano will be all the better for, and given that aforementioned statement, it’s also one  that should reach a lofty place in the charts too.


Friday, January 31, 2025

My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition By Michael Whalen

 


My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition

By

Michael Whalen

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Michael Whalen has been on my musical radar now for quite a while, I first came across him as a British radio host back in 2015 and through the medium of his album from that year entitled You Are My Home, my journey through Whalen’s tonal universe thus began, today some 10 years later, the re-release of one of his greatest works is upon us called My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition, a compilation that was strangely released 10 years before I personally came across the artist in 2005.

One must say that this whole album hits the ambient spot with a gentle caress, in only the way a truly good ambient album can. Track one is the most important place to start and called I Have Loved You for a Thousand Lifetimes, on this master work by Whalen you will find two versions of this, both the original and the latest version; both are outstandingly beautiful, and deeply heartfelt.

Upon this catalogue of calm and tranquillity, the listener will find soothing gems that will take them into a paradise like oasis of sound, offerings like Two As One, which float with a similar resonance to the one of the all-time masters of ambient music in Harold Budd. Whilst offerings like Moonglow offer up the same mystical sense of wonder that Kevin Kendle did back in 1995 with his melodic structure called Moonset.

I can completely understand why this has been a massive hit for the artist, there is everything to like and love about its delicious contents, its ambience is literally timeless, akin to the sparkling resonance of tracks like Light. Stars. Love. or the fluent stream of consciousness entitled Dance Of Two Souls.

It can be very easy to get lost within this album, and to be honest in these days of craziness that’s perhaps not a bad thing to have happen, the conciliatory offerings of a piece like the soothing vibrancy of When We Loved is a prime example of a cathartic healing journey of musical sound, leaving the conclusion to the composition entitled Whispers, which will draw to a close our bliss filled harmonious voyage.

These sensitive creative and artistic piano ambiences certainly reverberated perfectly in my personal sonic temple as I hope they will with you to, Whalen has brought to our attention his skill set as an ambient performer and done it in such a way that we will never ever forget this gorgeous gift of timeless music, and thus the release simply deserves to be a chart topping award winning album, and given all the love and respect it most certainly deserves, one can only hope that musical aficionados the world over will seek out and hug closely My Secret Heart 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition by Michael Whalen.

Check this link to find the album: https://tr.ee/-p9Neuf8Kx

Why not check out these links on YouTube for these two tracks:

"I Have Loved You for a Thousand Lifetimes": https://youtu.be/WdsqL1kEe4E


Thursday, January 30, 2025

Hearing Visions by Orchestra Indigo

 



Hearing Visions

By

Orchestra Indigo

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I have had the upmost pleasure listening to the works of Rick Randlett, AKA Orchestra Indigo for some 3 years now, and each time the experience gets more enjoyable, and as a listener, one gets more invested in his creations. This has been the case of the last 3 years, and today it gives me great gratification to take you on another symphonic journey of great colour with the artist, through the medium of his latest album Hearing Visions.

The entire album is inspired by the artist’s mother, who experienced vivid aural hallucinations in the decade before her dementia diagnosis, now whilst I have had no experience of this as such, both my father and mother before they passed had some very bizarre and somewhat fascinating hallucinations before they finally moved on.

The album in its entirety hits at the very soul level of humanity, and Randlett’s stunning ability to manifest a quality emotive album is unmatched in this genre, as he is seen tackling the trying and hard times of life, and from it, painting sonic pictures of great candour and tenderness. This 13 track voyage starts with the melodious but rising track Emergence, and floats within the realms of transcendent opuses akin to Hearing Visions, a blissful harmonic convergence that is deeply questioning and explorative in tone.

Randlet’s use of keyboards on offerings like Reverie or even the short form narrative of the piece Chimera #1, paints a mystical picture of unknown origins, in the case of the latter subject matter, a Chimera is from the Greek hybrid creature from mythology; here the artist manifests a hovering sense of wonderment through his performance.

The Philadelphia born musician is a class act, the artistic endeavours he gifts us in the middle section of the album is both deeply moving and descriptive, like the anticipative tones of tracks like Through the Portal, to the more tonal sanctuaries of tracks like A Hidden Glen, a fine example of changing the energy to a safe musical haven of timbre.

Randlett is an artist that truthfully feels every segment of his musical creations; one can fully embrace that aforementioned statement when listening to offerings like Looking Inward and its drifting narrative, or perhaps the more upbeat account of the track Eidolon, this in itself is a fascinating description of the ancient Greek, as in our culture an Eidolon can be described as a spirit image from one who has passed or who is in fact still alive, regardless this gentle piano with synth composition is utterly beautiful.

One of the most mournful manifestations from the album was this following musical prose entitled In the Shadows. The soft pastiche and mellow keyboard structures build from the floor up, a whole dimension of an outer worldly peace, which literally leaves the listener with a lump in the throat and a tear in the corner of each eye.

Just to give you a writer’s perspective on an album that is this good, I have only just saved my work in case of outages, as I was so engrossed in this project I had until now forgotten to do so, so onward we go, and towards a piece we touched on early called Chimera #2, the Yin to track 4’s Yang, and following that entrancing tale furthermore into the arms of the deep waters of the release.

If music were hope, then I would point to this offering as a fine example of it, and called A Distant Glimmer. The beautifully created slow build and tempered progression on this manifestation here is literally transcendent, and is a composition that has a tapestry of tone that is very palpable and utterly calming.

Arriving at the penultimate track off the album is a wonderful thing to do, and here we are, and listing to the beauty of the piece Euphoria. The artist has birthed something here that is ethereal and magical, a composition filled with a glorious sense of love and light, a piece that allows us to drift into the ever loving arms of our concluding arrangement.

This final gift from the musician is a natural progression of the previous piece Euphoria and called Culmination, the creation builds wonderfully from its satisfying vibrations; Randlett certainly has left the most tranquil slice of optimism till last, with some classic new age styled keyboard structures and uplifting patterns, and is with ease this is a stunningly crafted way with which to leave the album.

Hearing Visions by Orchestra Indigo is a heartfelt new release from the artist and is one that should be embraced by all fans of truly emotive and inspiring instrumental music; it is an album of simply delicious shades and influences, taking the listener on a journey through sadness, confusion, beauty and anticipatory optimism, and is one of the finest examples of quality emotive new age music to arrive in this genre for simply ages.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Undines By J. Raúl Andreo

 


The Undines

By

J. Raúl Andreo

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I think this is only the second time I have ever heard of a track portraying musically the water elementals of the Undines, in our ancient Greek mythology, water is thought to be a female sign or element, and this quite flourishing new single from the pianist is a picture perfect representation of them.

The Undines by J. Raúl Andreo is a fine example of an up tempo and artistic solo piano creation, one that is beautifully played and performed by Andreo, so much so that one could easily imagine the splendid painting of two Undines in a pond by French artist Antoine Calbet in all their natural beauty.

This waltz styled opus is a lush and colourful composition, one played with a relish by the pianist, who seems to be literally flourishing with many textures and colours as his tapestry of tone unfurls flamboyantly for each and every one of us to enjoy.

I must say this solo piano pleasure was a delight for me, the genre is vast with many performers, but this is a composition that stands out from the crowd as one of the most fluent and imaginative I have heard for quite some time, which of course means, a big hit could well be on the way for J. Raúl Andreo with The Undines.


Thursday, January 23, 2025

Our Child By Cliff Sarde

 


Our Child

By

Cliff Sarde

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is something deeply warming about this brand new single from Cliff Sarde entitled Our Child, its soothing musical narrative blissfully kisses the day with a wonderfully lyrical repose. Time seems to stand still whilst listening to this slice of multi instrumental magic, and that’s what most of us need these days.

This new single is a panacea to cure all woes and deeper senses of sadness, as its symphonic and instrumental flavours literally wash over the heart and mind, like the birth of a brand new spring morning in early April.

One can enjoy the delicacy of the piece with great ease; a full foray of multi-instrumentation with a string based backdrop eases the senses into a certain familiarity, in the same way that a really good television theme does, like the show Cheers perhaps.

With regard to this gentle heart-warming new offering from the artist, I am sure than fans of classy contemporary instrumental music will absolutely adore Our Child by Cliff Sarde, and within weeks we should see its inevitable clime up the singles chart to glory.


Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Six Waves By Thierry David

 


Six Waves

By

Thierry David

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The mood of today was sullen; the clouds had ganged up upon the sun and banished him from the sky, whilst all around the leaden skies hovered like some darkening shroud of a dystopic landscape, so I stopped gazing at the rain and pressed play on my media player and listened to Six Waves by Thierry David, an artist that over the years I have listened to him, has taken me to some thrillingly ambient locations, and on this wet Wednesday morning I can now escape to another, within his latest release entitled, Six Waves.

The opening track of this six piece album is entitled Causality, and here we start our voyage together, a journey of ambient electronic bliss that drifts on through soft synth pads, superior keyboard creations, and ambient textures that even Eno would have been proud of.

This is a fluent release; one that could take us from the very depths of our oceans to deep space and beyond, my personal favourite exploration of sonic sound was track two entitled Into the Wave Axis. This reminded me greatly of Mountains by Kevin Kendle, here is a track that illustrated for me just what a good composer David is; the hovering shimmering aspects of tone here were somnambulant in their musical progression, one could easily use this as a meditative construction, and find themselves slowly moving towards a greater peace.

There is so much here to enjoy, one of my pleasures is listening to other electronic musicians, and becoming inspired to produce more flowing and inspiring music myself, here on offerings like Elliptical Tales, we have such a track, again its meditative qualities are beautiful, the soft organic structures and keyboard synth motifs are so deeply beautiful, that whilst listening one could easily get lost within its stunning musical cosmos, and never want to come back.

A second long form musical narrative is now upon us and called Ultrasonic Vibes, this arrangement is a totally different dimension of tone and timbre, the more electronic energies can be felt here, but still that sense of security through comforting sounds can be found. The steady onwards progression on keyboards kicks the whole composition up a notch, in the same way that Geigertek used to do in his days with the AD music label.

Submarine Whispers is our penultimate creation, and the artist once more manifests something new with this arrangement, as a sense of mystery, imagination and apprehension, this can be felt within the confines of this most illustrious offering. The slow procession and the more obscure deeper tones truly give us a feeling of depth and darkness as we drift along our way.

The concluding musical narrative is entitled The Sixth Wave, this final exploration of resonance creates sense of movement, its delightful ambient expression gives us echoes of vast soundscapes for us to roam in freely within and enjoy. This is without a shadow of a doubt, a most inspirational ending to an album of this elk that I have come across in years.

Six Waves by Thierry David in my view is one of the finest electronic ambient instrumental works I have heard this decade, each offering is memorable, effortless and eloquent, and is a charming ride of superior quality within this huge genre. I have albums from the artist dating back to 2012, but I have to state that in my view, this is the best work by the musician thus far, and I am absolutely sure that fans of followers of this genre are going to agree with me, as it surges up the charts.


Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Aquamarine By Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian

 


Aquamarine

By

Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

The luxurious tones of this brand new single by the well-known new age music partnership of Al Jewer & Andy Mitran is deeply palpable and also containing the lush energies of the supreme cellist Hans Christian, Aquamarine is sure to be a winner, but there is something quite moving in this latest release that frees the emotions to leave a sanctuary of peace, calm and serenity for the listener.

The combination of these three instrumentalists recently gave us Sapphire, another stunning reverie, so it is good to see this theme of musical interpretations of crystals continue and flourish, in a meditative and soothing way.

The gentleness of the opening is delightfully pleasing, utilising soft piano and flute to ease us into an incredible musical experience, the introduction of Christian adds a whole new layer to the composition, and his cello delivers a touch of classical toning to the overall structure of the arrangement, even the marimba played by Mitran has a calming touch to it.

Jewer’s comforting performance on flute is wonderfully lulling, and without doubt this is one of those singles you could leave on repeat and never get tired of, as such, this textured tapestry of tone and timbre will doubtlessly become a much desired moment of listening time from fans and followers alike, and a very big chart position must also be glistening on the horizon for Aquamarine by Al Jewer & Andy Mitran ft Hans Christian.