Contemporary Instrumental Review: Andrew Colyer-Mists of Time

Release Date: November 20, 2020

Label: Inner Nova Music

Website

It is a good feeling when you have a relationship with an artist and their music. It feels like the same thing to me, they fit together quite nicely from my perspective. My feelings, emotions, thoughts, and spirituality are all tied into the music I listen to. I think many people find relief and joy in music and have their own special relationship with it as I mentioned.

Andrew Colyer’s music is familiar to me, I covered his 2018 releases Christmas Time-Piano Improvisations and his progressive rock band Circuline on a Circulive::Majestik DVD/CD set. Now two years later he is back off a tour with Robert Berry, busy in the studio creating more keyboard magic on the upcoming Mists of Time.

There are 12 creative and entertaining tracks on the recording, ranging from contemporary classical with hints of new age to ambient soundscapes with many interesting textures and sounds.

“Strings of the Ocean” comes to mind right away with the sound of waves rolling in at the end of the track. And the interesting and sometimes spooky “Rain Notes: Forest.”  The tides of the music changes color and atmospheres from track to track, always keeping you interested and focused in on all the sounds.

“A Thoughtful Moment” takes on the title literally as the music becomes more serious, defined, and fixed on a tasteful classical foundation. This is a place Andrew can go to show his audience how precise and on point he can be if he so chooses. It is a step away from any ambient atmospheres or sound effects.

“Ghosts of Aberfan” befits its title, filled with beauty, mystery, and moving in the shadows of the past as all ghosts do whether imagined within one’s mind or something caught out of the corner of your eye. Andrew tells the story with the keys giving the subject matter life and it sounds like it is stepping right into your room to say hello. If you happened to be wondering…The Aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in Wales on 21 October 1966. This may give the track a lot more meaning and better understanding of how the music flows. It is the longest track on the album clocking in at 8:28. That is Andrew’s pinnacle of creativity and to do it prog rock style in regards to length was perfect with all the different moods and parts that tell the entire story from start to finish.

As with many releases this year with instrumental works, you are seeing song titles with references to space and the outer reaches that are beyond our earth-bound comprehension. You have “In Alex’s Orbit” and “Moons of Jupiter.”  To end the album with “Serenity” was purposeful, it is something we all desperately are in need of in 2020 at times.

Andrew Colyer has released a jewel with Mists of Time. He makes it easy to get caught up in the music on offer and time then becomes irrelevant, just a mist passing through and one that you most assuredly with return to then relive. For my ears that is just perfect.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder
October 20, 2020

Track List:
01. Rain Notes: Storm
02. Oliver’s Journey
03. In Alex’s Orbit
04. Climb
05. Strings of the Ocean
06. One Thing (Remastered 2020)
07. Rain Notes: Forest
08. A Thoughtful Moment
09. Ghosts of Aberfan
10. Moons of Jupiter
11. Overcoming
12. Serenity