At first thought you’d probably think that a duo LP of Electric Guitar and Violin could either go two ways. Atonal free jazz squawking or soothing new age relaxation. To be truthful this LP falls somewhere in the middle. It has soothing ocean sounds to go with the Seagull moniker but at times also some [...]
This cassette was released in 1987 and is the second PINA release (Butterfly from 1986 was the first) by Jeff Clarkson who is something of a pioneer of New Age Music in New Zealand. Clarkson had previously had a career as a pop musician in New Zealand but since the mid-80s has been following his [...]
Dreamy & relaxing new age soundscapes, heavy on flute & synth. This LP has four long tracks that will take you away to your happy place. Released in 1980 on Avocado Records, beautiful stuff from Santa Monica. Check out a clip of “Morning Meditation” to start your day off right. [Audio clip: view full post [...]
Imagine if you will, Carlos Santana fronting Pink Floyd circa Wish You Were Here, with a dash of Camel and a little Popol Vuh for flavoring. Add some synth and smooth melodic vocal harmonies chanting devotion to Hare Krishna, and you’ve got the sound of Jagad Guru Chris Butler’s “Mantra Electric” double LP. Released in [...]
This 1987 cassette / CD release appears at a glance to be some sort of world fusion atrocity, but the Gurdjieff reference in the title turns out to be a very good thing indeed. It’s a consistently intense album with far more melody and direction than most bowl recordings, which are always pretty to listen [...]
I was listening to this album hardcore at the same time I started reading William Gibson’s Neuromancer. They seemed to compliment each other well, each depicted a world in space so daring and different. Paul Marcano, the mind behind Lightdreams, dedicates the album to the colonization of space and this really sets the tone for [...]
Released on “Palace of Lights” in 1981, Savant was a group lead by Kerry Leimer, the head of the label and someone who still releases electronic/ambient music to this day. The record contains only two tracks, both with a decidedly Eno-vibe (each in their own way). The a-side’s “Stationary Dance” reminds me of something that [...]
Wow, an 80′s library record that doesn’t sound like it belongs in a corporate training video for IBM! Unfortunately these types are few and far between, but thankfully for fans of floating synths and electronics, this one delivers. The first side mainly consists of gamelan jams that (for the most part) do a good job [...]
From around 1982 until about 1991 (dates are unclear) Marcel Dion ran a weekly Electronic/Experimental/Avant-Garde radio show on CJSR (campus/community radio station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) called Departures. It’s always unclear with campus/community radio how large your audience is and so it’s unknown how popular the show was. However, what is clear is that it [...]
Local NorCal save the wilderness benefit comp that ranges from symphonic overtures, and new age, to sensitive singer/songwriter wannabe James Taylor shit. I honestly don’t even know why I picked this up originally based on it’s looks… oh yeah, I think Iasos the “Finger Listener” dude is on it. Anyhow, the real standout track has [...]
Decent new age lp from early 80′s Mill Valley, CA. It’s basically your usual mix of analog synths, flutes, and nature sounds, but it also gets just a tiny bit jazzy at times which is interesting. Some of it veers dangerously near to mystical smooth jazz territory, but much of it is quite cosmic and [...]
Peaceful Solutions are Nashville, Tennessee musicians Kirby Shelstad and Richard Allen. Since making his first bamboo fishing pole back in 1972, Allen has created and sold thousands of handmade instruments. In fact, all the wind instruments used on this album were made by him…the shakuhachi (an ancient Japanese flute), transverse flute, bamboo sax, and bamboos [...]
And I Quote: Welcome to a concert after dark Wannatellya glad to see ya Hope you like the show it was Work to get it all together we have Animals and Lovers we have Afternoons alone in the country Cigarettes & ashtrays and a Clean tuxedo in you closet Whaddaythink you’re here for? Do ya [...]
Here’s one of my favorite new age lp’s. Laura is featured on celtic harp like customized zither, wordless vocals and lyrical song poems. One of those mellow records to sip tea to on a sunday morning and zone out to. One dollar well spent.
When last I spoke of Mr. Stearns, I believe I claimed something to the effect of “he fell off” after making one decent lp. Well, thankfully this claim brought about a reminder that I needed to revisit this, his second lp. While I’m not sure I agree that it “steps all over” Ancient Leaves, I [...]
One of the really great records on the Unity label from Marin County, CA. I guess this stuff is considered “new age”, but it’s super trippy and should appeal to lovers of space rock and Eno style drone stuff. Very entertaining liner notes too. Check out his instructions on “Finger-Listening”… “Finger-Listening Try this: While playing [...]
Living Dreams is a trance-enducing private new-age album by pianist Tom Leibel from Calgary, Alberta circa 1984. The back of the album states, “all music on this album was spontaneously composed and performed by Tom Leibel. We hope this album inspires you to live your dreams in the same way Tom lives his.”
A later 70′s California New Age record that has a much more spacey sound than most. Reminds me a whole lot of the first few Klaus Schulze solo lp’s. Two side-long cosmic drones consisting of layered electronics and hypnotic wordless voices. Stearns’ best record by far. He went on to make a several more in [...]
This is a one-sided guitar drone record from Orange County, 1998. I picked it up from a dollar bin because it was limited to 250 copies and I thought “what the hey.” Listening to this excellent slice of reverb zen, which I can only liken to a redux of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music one [...]
This is a nice and mellow new age harp record, really sublime stuff. From the liner notes: “During the time of the winter solstice, 1976, Joel gathered with a small group for a meditation to invoke, anchor and broadcast the Transmutive Seventh Ray activity of the Violet Flame through the medium of music. This is [...]