Contemporary New Age Instrumental Review and Interview: Shambhu-Lotus Dream (Ambient Electric, Acoustic Folk, Classical Piano)

                                    

Release Date:  September 26, 2025

Label: Acoustic Shine

Website

Lotus Dream will be Shambhu’s tenth proper album. Clearly, this is an individual who has carved a path of spirituality, and the music mirrors that.

 

I have covered five of his releases dating back to 2016, so my connection to him and his music has been forged and continues to this day.

 

“Shall We” marks the acoustical journey with the guitar’s simplistic sound filling the air. While it is simplistic in the sense that it is one instrument unaccompanied, the melodicism is quite beautiful and flows like a river of sound through you—an excellent beginning to your journey.

 

“Awakened Dreams” has a nice rhythm. You can hear the fingers squeaking as they move on the strings. I always loved hearing that sound in acoustic pieces. It makes you feel that the person playing is in the same room; it’s so real and defined. The picking is exceptional, and the sound of the guitar resonated beautifully. It ends suddenly, which is disappointing because it’s so good!

 

“Ananya” transitions into a completely different sound and atmosphere, lasting nearly 5 minutes. There is now the sound of keys added, along with several other guitar sounds. It is spacey and ambient; however, it is well-textured with all the layers of sound nicely placed. Some good leads on the guitar come through, which I appreciated. I really liked the change from the previous tracks, and it was unexpected, which makes it more interesting; you tend to pay more attention to a significant change like that in the flow of music and concept (if there is one). I find more anticipation for what could come next in a track like this. It is excellent!

 

“Resilience” (Shambhu & Leo Steinriede) is an electric guitar duo. This is a return to just guitars alone, accompanied by a very subtle synth in the background, like a white cloud floating across a blue sky; its beauty and grace are something to take in and enjoy. Some nice leads are interspersed along the way. The guitars are speaking to each other. I heard some blues influence in there, too, which was interesting.

 

“Majestic Mountain” at 5:28 continues on the same path as "Ananya." The acoustic ambiance featuring guitars and piano, with some wordless vocals, creates a relaxing and meditative atmosphere. It’s a pleasing composition, with several elements merging to create a sheer musical poetry of sound and light, inviting you to relax and unwind.

 

“Lotus Dream,” the title track, is always so important to an album. It starts with a piano instead of a guitar, another change. The guitar responds quickly to the piano keys. They play off of each other nicely, speaking each other’s language in sync. This is a gorgeous piece, well done in reflecting the title’s meaning. Melodic and sweet, it takes you away to another place.

 

“Blue Mantra” begins with some rhythm guitar and poignant leads right away. This is reflective music, like a mirror of your soul as you are listening. The soft synth in the background serves as a layer for the silky strings of the acoustic to slide across, as if leading you down another road you had yet to discover. Beautifully simplistic yet impactful and memorable.

 

“Prana Tides” continues the steady flow of serenity in the music. I think what impressed me the most was the melodies and strong sense of rhythm in all this music. However complex or simple the composition may be, that remains true, and it does here once again. The tempo has a definite purpose, and it beckons to you to “slow” down and take notice of this. And I did. How could you not recognize the way this is presented, and the pace and texture of it really spoke to me.

 

“Visions” closes the curtain on your musical journey of relaxation and meditation. I felt a hint of sadness as the song began, yet I realized it could also be a new beginning for me after hearing all this wonderful, healing music. It has a longing quality to it, with slide guitar sounds that occasionally emerge (again, some blues influence is evident). Very different from all the rest of the tracks, but each one is entirely distinct from the last, and that is what makes this an outstanding release.

 

Lotus Dream elevates Shambhu to an exceptional new level of musical proficiency. This was a very eclectic listen and will be appreciated by a large cross-section of listeners who enjoy instrumental music.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder

August 31, 2025

Tracks:

1. Shall We (2:42)

2. Awakened Dreams (3:00)

3. Ananya (4:46)

4. Resilience - Shambhu & Leo Steinriede (3:17)

5. Majestic Mountain (5:30)

6. Lotus Dream (3:19)

7. Blue Mantra (3:42)

8. Prana Tides (3:36)

9. Visions (4:13)