Instrumental New Age/Ambient/Meditation Review: NTHNL-Ontogenesis

Release Date: July 12, 2024

Label: ‎Independent

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The album Ontogenesis by NTHNL is different from your typical collection of songs. It's a unique and captivating transformative journey, part of the Tranquility Studies series, precisely volume 3. Each track, known as Music of the Body (specifically), serves as a gateway to a new state of being, setting it apart from other ambient new-age music.

This is a soundtrack to feed the mind, body, and spirit. The music of the body speaks to us all in different ways. If you look at the track listing, it gives you a detailed description of what the body does, can, or will do during this procession of sounds, textures, and light, and, for instance, in the second track, "Nourishing, holding," it begins with the sound of waves. The soothing sound of water, used frequently during meditation recordings, is spiritually connected to all life. To return from whence we came, the beginning can be a cleansing experience.

 

As is usually the case with ambient new-age music, the main instrument is keyboards or synths. This provides a perfect foundation and a springboard to other sounds, computer-generated or natural, that complement that primary base.

 

Another example of a prolific exercise is "processing, detoxifying," which ends with birds chirping. It's a nice touch after all that focus and relaxation. Those two words are essential; you must process them before detoxifying the mind or body, mentally and physically; they all work together seamlessly. However, if we let them, they can put us in the wrong direction and have us self-destruct, thus the detoxification. The body and mind are incredibly complex instruments. We must be the masters of ourselves; our well-being and spirituality are intrinsically connected.

 

The arrangement and duration of the tracks in Ontogenesis are meticulously crafted to guide you into a state of focus and meditation. This paves the way for an altering experience, potentially leading to profound healing and offering a beacon of hope and optimism. Furthermore, the album beckons you to venture into unexplored realms of perception and existence, fostering a deep sense of self-healing.

 

I like the thought and action of "straightening, dispersing," which by no coincidence is the lengthiest track at 5:34. To me, I believe the straightening is the leveling of the body and dispersing your energy to attain that state, which in turn would open the door to absorbing the music and letting it assist you to another state of being. It's kind of like ironing the wrinkles out of some clothing stuffed in a drawer. That is my vision and interpretation alone; it is up to each listener to determine what it means and accomplishes for them. And that is the beauty and simplicity of it all, empowering you to create your own unique experience.

 

If everything were like music, the world would be a utopia, and alas, we know it is not, and that is precisely why we need tools like NTHNL to provide for us on Ontogenesis. Uncomplicated, pleasant, and easily accessible, that is what instrumental meditation is and always should be. If it's like work, it won't work. It has to be a joyous sense you feel and the freeing of all the sounds that relax your entire being to reach a state of consciousness conducive to a complete change of your surroundings and the trail of thoughts that invade your mind disappear. Now, "return to the cloud, thank you."

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder

July 12, 2024

Tracks:

01. welcome procession 3:15

02. nourishing, holding 3:13

03. straightening, dispersing 5:34

04. reaching, striving, praying 3:23

05. processing, detoxifying 3:28

06. assurance, rising 2:46

07. heart 3:09

08. aerating, billowing 4:09

09. transmitting, unraveling, communing 4:29

10. synthesis, memory 3:46

11. return to the cloud, thank you 3:38