New Age Music Review: Peter Calandra-First Light

Release Date: 09/21/2015

Label: Indie

Website

Pete Calandra’s fifth studio release First Light takes the human condition, the beauty of nature and our inner spirit as sentient beings and turns it into instrumental perfection. The official release date is two days prior to the beginning of the Fall Equinox on September 23^rd. I believe there is a connection there based on the type of music this is and the subject matter that evolves around it. Calandara uses various layers of keyboards then adds cello, oboe, violin and more to make it an orchestrated pathway to the heavens.

The instrumentation and soft voices that gather together for each composition are smooth and relaxing journeys. I felt as if this music could have a twofold purpose. My first impression was for the pure enjoyment of the listening experience and then secondly and perhaps more profoundly, as a meditative guide to awaken your inner most self. This would bring with it good thoughts and positive energy, the kind of energy that heals and makes the heart smile.

I believe the new age genre holds many gifts for the listener to discover, if of course your mind, body and spirit are an open book. 

The title track “First Light” is very fitting to the atmosphere and meaning of the recording and most obviously to the CD cover. The track is one of the outstanding compositions on the album and was featured on our RateThe Tracks site as well. This is a gorgeously picturesque track that grabbed my attention immediately and made the light of a new day a reality. That is what good music is supposed to do, particularly instrumental music of this ilk. It really should paint a picture in your mind’s eye and it most certainly does in this case.

“Valley of Two Lakes” connects you to nature…Mother Earth, which equals synchronicity of the soul with the planet in my mindset. It starts off very inviting and gentle with a blend of keyboards then changes and gives a path to a walk in a Japanese garden with plants, sounds and smells of nature putting you into a trance. I thought of my visits to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco many years ago while absorbing all the sounds into my consciousness.

I can see how this artist has been in demand to create soundtracks for other media outlets besides the general listening public. His multitude of talents and innate perception of what needs to be heard and the entire creative process is a truly a gift.

More beauty and the meaning of life will abound once again with “Circle The Time.” What is the relevance of time after all? Did not humans create that measure of life? We are specks of dust in a vast universe and the importance of it belongs to each individual but is there not a circle, a continuity of life itself that spins around on this earth? The track made me think of all this and ushered in the rest of the album with a stunning grace and beauty that was most appreciated by these ears.

First Light is a musical flight of color and sound that is passionate and wondrous. It will delight the auditory senses and give your surroundings a different meaning while listening. Once again as always, this is up to each individual listener. I can only relate to what the music does for me and how it communicates to me personally and hopefully other listeners will have the same rewarding experience. It was a nice feeling to have throughout the run of this album and I would recommend putting it on after a tough day at the office.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: First Light, Valley of Two Lakes, Circle The Time

Tracks:
 01. Open Your Heart
02. Night City
03. First Light
04. Sunset Sky
05. Valley of Two Lakes
06. Keep The Faith
07. The Dream
08. Inner Secrets
09. Circle The Time
10. Flames of Love
11. Morning Star
12. Sunrise Over New York City (2015)
13. The Poet
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

August 24, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Instrumental/Classical New Age Review: Karen Marie Garrett-It’s About Love

Genre: Instrumental/Classical New Age

Release Date: July 4, 2015

Label: Waterstreet Records & Publishing, Inc.

Website

Karen Marie Garrett is a nimble fingered pianist that combines elements of new age and classical to formulate beautiful solo instrumentals.

It’s About Love, her third studio release, is a 5 track recording that puts many things into focus.  So what is Love? Simply put it is a timeless word that encapsulates many feelings and emotions. It can have several meanings dependent on who you are and what your own personal interpretation is.

Ms. Garrett has a gift of interpreting that powerful word through her music. The five tracks that encompass this EP is a spiritual experience that many people will treasure. Her talent is apparent from the very beginning and it is consistent throughout this recording. While 5 tracks may not seem like much in this day and age of CDs coming out with 16-20 tracks it certainly makes a strong impression in the allotted time. For these ears that is the most important aspect of any listening experience. It is quality above quantity any day for my tastes and certainly I would not be the alone in that mindset.

It may be difficult for some folks to fathom how one takes piano music and makes it all sound like love. If you let yourself absorb the sounds it feels as natural as any other normal daily activity.  I am one that has an affinity to instrumental music so it is always a normal way of listening but even so if it was not, I believe I would be able to assimilate this music into love.

Karen Marie Garrett has created something beautiful and awe inspiring with It’s About Love and I would highly recommend you listen and let it work for you. This is no frills music that affords a listener both simplicity and elegance through sound. It will quickly relax you and make you feel renewed once you have opened the doorway to your heart. 

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL


Tracks: 
1. Abbie Marie
2. It’s About Love
3. Deschutes River Sunrise
4. Another Time
5. Mothers Prayer

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

August 18, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

Video/Track Feature: Celestial Temple-Rasamayi and Paradiso

"Celestial Temple" is the focus track of the latest installment from Rasamayi and Paradiso. It is exactly what it claims to be. The title is very descriptive and when you hear the music or view the video the effect and purpose is transcendental.

The end result is achieved through the sounds and music that this duo create. Using unconventional instruments such as the Didgeridoo certainly presents a challenge, however they make it sound so natural and flowing with their presentation.

I highly recommend listening and viewing the video to get the full meaning and effect of this music. Welcome to the temple of the soul through Celestial Resonance.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 4.5/5 Stars
 

Jazz World Fusion Review: Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann-Beyond Borders

Genre: Jazz World Fusion

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Label: UMP Records

Website

Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann have released a jazz world fusion album that reminded me of why I fell in love with jazz back in the early eighties listening to Al DiMeola, Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clark. Those artists showed me the way and invited me to explore a complex genre of music that offers a journey that never ends. 

With Beyond Borders, one of many releases that this duo has brought to the masses over the years, they have reestablished their place in the world of music. Several songs on Beyond Borders are tributes to jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Beatle George Harrison.

I do not use the term world lightly; if you look at the fascinating and expressive cover it says it all for these artists. To me, the cover conveys that we are one people on this vast globe and music can unite us. So, let’s try to make our own music as a sentient race and make this a better place to live. This of course leaves the door open to your own personal interpretation and that is the beauty of such a stunning work of art as portrayed on the cover of this CD and all the music that it contains. As quoted from the artist page “Beyond Borders is considered their “Magnum Opus” featuring a collection of songs composed over a 40-year span of creative output, dedicated to the belief that music has the power to uplift the human spirit and be a catalyst for change in the world.” I think that puts it all into a proper perspective.

The term jazz world fusion comes into perfect focus with the opening track “Ciao Bella” (which was featured on Rate The Tracks). In Italian it translates to "Hi/Bye Beautiful," and what a hello it is. The first time I heard the sitar in popular music was back in the 60s when George Harrison introduced it into The Beatles music. I cannot say it is an instrument that fascinates me like some others however in this particular case I was amazed how beautiful and appropriate it sounded in “Shanti Om,” the dedication to Harrison and Shankar. It is one of the best tracks on the recording. The myriad of instruments employed throughout this project make it one of the more eclectic listens of the year.

There is something to take into account regarding the flow and energy in life, it is crucial to the balance of the body, mind and spirit. With that in mind I realized after a few listens to this captivating album that this brought this concept to the forefront of my consciousness.

“White Cloud Black Thunder” is another prolific change during the course of this album. It is a reminder of from whence we came and encourages us to honor our Native American brothers and sisters that gave us so much while receiving so little during the development of our great nation. It serves as a rain dance of life with tribal beats and chants accompanied by music that will mesmerize you.

For this listener Beyond Borders was like a guide to syncing my soul with my surroundings and finding more appreciation for the beauty of the human spirit and how Mother Nature can be one with us. The key is that we honor her rather than interfere with that delicate balance and synchronicity that is necessary for a spiritual partnership, one that has always been there. All of that and more can be discovered in the music, it invites you and cajoles you into a perfect blend of sound and textures that bring you to another place that is pure and feels right. In essence everything about this release reaches Beyond Borders, in fact any lines in the sand or self-imposed restrictions melt away, they all disappear after one listen. Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann have created a masterpiece of jazz world fusion that will surely receive high praise for quite some time.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Ciao Bella, Shanti Om, White Cloud Black Thunder

Tracks:
01. Ciao Bella
02. Fear Not Fear
03. Unidad Anthem
04. Unidad
05. Wherever You Are
06. Shanti Om
07. White Cloud Black Thunder
08. There's Always Hope
09. Love Letters (The Story of Abelard & Heloise)
10. Fun in the Sun
11. Unidad Epilogue

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

August 6, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age/Meditation Review: Paradiso & Rasamayi-Celestial Resonance

Genre: New Age/Meditation

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Label: 5th Element

Website

New Age music artists Paradiso and Rasamayi have devoted their musical careers to developing sound for the purpose of energy enhancement and healing. Their newest album Celestial Resonance does just that. Using world music, sounds of nature and a multitude of instruments, their sound weaves into a seamless blend to spur the listener’s relaxation.

“Love’s Repose” was like being in a cathedral. Open and airy, but filled with much thought and emotion, this song is truly beautiful. Ambient music paves the way for breathless female vocals and the buzzing texture of world music sounds. This is the world as defined by a celestial being. Not just one religion, but many. We are all people. A pebble dropped into the ocean of the living. Deep and wide. Poignant and full of longing. With expert artistry, this piece reaches out to the dormant parts in all of us that fall into human traps of disregard for others suffering and instead teaches us to instead reach for joy. The sound of water cleanses us whole and leads us to a new beginning.

“The Growing Light” brings bells and the promise of newness. A heavenly awakening with the crispness of early morning and the wet kiss of dew in the pale sunlight. Chimes whisper on the breeze, tinkling their delight at the hum of voices just out of range. The ambient occurrence of a presence watching with benevolent joy. We are awakening to what we will become. Joy. Love. Bright and shiny with newness and positive thoughts. Each gong of the bell proclaims a rebirth and a promise of a brighter path ahead.

“Infinite Resonance” is water and essence of the sea. The tides come and go and with it the circle of life. Fluid world music joins the ocean sounds and they are both joined by chanting vocalizations that reminded me of angels singing to the dawn. A woodwind instrument calls out the morning’s majesty as the holy light of the infinite shines down upon us all. The music swirls in a sometimes brooding resonance that speaks to the patterns of life. You must know dark to recognize the light. To live through the trials to see the victories. To love and be loved. For this is life. This is awakening.

This album is a tapestry of world music, New Age and nature sounds all wrapped up in a neat little package. It incorporates vocals and instruments of all kinds paired with ambient sounds. Each track presents a story. A path to peace and healing. Some with a buzzing resonance and others without. Those were my favorite. This album is a good choice if you want something to get you away from the world for a little while. So grab yourself some green tea and settle in for a relaxing listen. You may find yourself hitting the play button again on this one.  

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Love’s Repose, The Growing Light, Infinite Resonance

Tracks:
01. Genesis
02. Childlike Faith
03. Love's Repose
04. Across the Threshold
05. The Journey Through
06. Celestial Temple
07. Liberation
08. The Growing Light
09. Spirit Embodied
10. Light Ascendant
11. Infinite Resonance

Dana Wright, Sr. Staff Writer

August 1, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Review

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New Age Instrumental/Neo Classical Review: Kerani-Equilibrium

Release Date: May 18, 2015

Label: Indie

Website

Kerani was influenced and inspired by some of my favorite artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Electric Light Orchestra and Mike Oldfield. It came as no surprise that I immediately identified with her music. 

Equilibrium is dedicated to women and their role in this world and how the artist wants to see a fundamental change, a balance shift or equilibrium transfer to equality between men and women. Turning back the clock to the way things were when the human race began is going to be quite a task but there is hope. Perhaps if we all get on the same frequency with the help of music like Kerani creates we once again can unite so all human beings walk on equal ground.

Kerani played piano and synthesizers on the recording, handled all the female vocal parts, and also arranged, orchestrated and produced. Artist such as this have my admiration and respect and they always have. Then when a work of art is created...something that touches your soul, then it all becomes special.

The elemental force that inspires the creation of this music is a thing of beauty and then translated and discovered within each track. The title track which was featured on our Rate The Tracks site is a fine way to open the curtain to this wondrous music. There is new age, classical and world all mixed together on this strong release. 

“O, Aeterne Deus” is a medieval chant by Hildegard Von Bingen. I found this track to be quite beautiful and moving. It is most definitely a slice of heaven on earth and serves the purpose of the original intent to heal.

There is so much about this recording to enjoy. I do not think it is a prerequisite to be a fan of new age music to find something to integrate into your life with this music. I did not hear one track that I did not absolutely love. This music transforms me, it’s magical, and all of my worries and stress just evaporate like a drop of water in the hot sun. 

“Ladys Grace” is significant because of the title however the music is elegant and moving and it envelops you in its movement and spirituality. All of the right instruments are utilized to make this one of the most outstanding tracks on the album. 

I think the goal was reached on this project and the message Kerani is delivering will be received. This is a lovely representation of new age and classical music that should not be missed.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Equilibrium, O, Aeterne Deus, Ladys Grace

Tracks: 
1. Equilibrium
2. Fragrant Mountain
3. Anchoress
4. Bouddica, Heart On Fire
5. Hypatia's Universe
6. O, Aeterne Deus
7. Lady's Grace
8. Avane
9. The Wyse Wytch

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

July 30, 2015

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

New Age Video: Erik Scott - Weightless