Ambient New Age Review: Paul Avgerinos-Beloved

Release Date: February 14, 2025

Label: Round Sky Music

Website

Timed just right for the day of love for sweethearts worldwide, Paul Avgerinos releases Beloved, an album of eleven new-age ambient instrumentals. Paul produces the album and plays vocals, cello, guitars, bass, and keyboards.

 

"Love Flows" is a standout track featuring the unique collaboration with Kevin Braheny Fortune on EWI electronic wind instrument, alto clarinet, and alto flute. The soothing sounds immediately disarm you, offering a cloud of relief and spirituality that will help you release any stress or negative feelings. This track is a testament to the power of music to connect and heal, and the collaboration with Kevin adds an exciting element to the album.

 

"Beloved" is the title track and first single from the album. It starts with gentle keyboard notes and a soft synth layer. That thread continues during the track, and its soft touch feels like love. The touch of a loved one and a look of reassurance that you are indeed loved and in a safe place where you will want to remain. The music spoke to me that way, and those feelings emerged. This one is for lovers and dreamers alike.

 

"Softness," featuring Kevin with his alto clarinet, is a healing song. The title perfectly encapsulates the feeling present from the start of this recording. The synth and piano blend seamlessly, creating an ambient layer that feels like a journey into a realm of consciousness. This music is designed to heal, and it does so beautifully.

 

"Enchantment" starts with Juliet Lyons' angelic vocals. One tool used is the echo swell guitar, a key component in creating the ethereal layer you hear. It's a dreamy, spacey sound that can mesmerize a listener. With the wordless vocals fading into the background at times, the instrumentation can sound stronger. The elements of voice and music are perfect partners and indeed enchanting.

 

"Radiant Paradise" is a beautiful name for a song, and living up to that expectation and experience must have been an enjoyable process for the artist. The musical layers reverberate in your soul. I could feel the frequencies and tones going through me, creating an inner peace. That is a paradise I could use more often; however, without the help of lovely ambient instrumental music like this, it is not as easy to attain; in fact, it is difficult (speaking for myself, of course). The best thing about this track is that it is one of the longest at 7:34. A perfect tool for meditation. The most noteworthy features are seven tracks of Paul playing cello, like a cello choir.

 

"Luminous" makes you think of the inner light in all of us or the heavenly higher power you may believe in that gives you strength and guidance. Another thought that came to mind was the luminosity of our vast universe's stars, planets, and galaxies. This music easily guides you to another place where those thoughts and feelings instantly come to you. The keyboard is purposeful, immediate, and at a slow pace for centering yourself. Stardust we are…

 

"Lucid Dreaming" is a gift, mainly if you receive a necessary message from another plain of existence. They say that dreams are the window to the soul, and I believe that to be true. I have had many lucid dreams and a few in which I was out of body looking down at myself. The whirling synth sounds create a map of a dream state to follow. The only requirement is to listen and let the sounds and layers take you there.

 

"Sacred Space" could have dual meanings: a sacred space only to you or the space surrounding our planet and beyond. Sacred is holy and a significant word; it's spiritual and heartfelt. By now, you trust that this music will match the title somehow, although, in the end, the interpretation is yours alone. It always works out for me, and I find a synchronicity with the track title and music and see and feel the correlation between the two. The wind machine, again, is a key component here, drawing you in as you absorb all the layers of sound and colors into you, and your entire body relaxes. It's like a musical spa day for the senses.

 

"Flow in Oneness" begins with water flowing. This is the sound I use for my meditation and relaxation with massaging goggles on my temples. Water is from whence all life came and will eventually return. That sound continues throughout the track, creating an atmosphere of wholeness and oneness with nature, which is beneficial. Nature is an intrinsic part of humanity whether we choose to recognize it or not. It is the longest track, 8:19, and this track alone in a loop (dependent on how long you want to meditate or relax) will fulfill your needs for that state of mind, body, and soul. The consistency of the synth and water is a superb combination of auditory bliss.

 

"Blissful Presence" features Kevin going solo for the last time on the album. His contributions are noteworthy, giving the tracks an added element of grace and exquisiteness. His alto flute is beautifully played and stunning. It creates a vibe of intimacy and spirituality that most listeners seeking this instrumental music will appreciate.

 

"A Love Supreme" had me think of John Coltrane. Being one of the most famous tunes and albums he ever recorded, it's an immediate thought if you are familiar with his work and a jazz fan. This is not the same thing. The atmospheric sounds are entrancing, sounding like something you may hear on a soundtrack to a movie about space travel. The emptiness of space is not there; it is filled with the tones, sounds, frequencies, and instruments that fill your heart and soul with peace for which you will be grateful. Every track on this album gives you that feeling. The synth builds on each layer, and that whooshing sound like it's taking you away to another place is the final piece that works so well.

 

Paul Avgerinos' Beloved is not just an ambient new-age compilation but a meditative journey that offers moments of rest and reflection. It provides a space to center yourself and find a relaxation that renews and refreshes. The absence of distracting words in the music allows for a deeper connection with the audience, fostering a sense of calm and centeredness.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Reviews Founder

February 14, 2025


Tracks:

01. Love Flows 5:52

02. Beloved 4:30

03. Softness 5:52

04. Enchantment 4:49

05. Radiant Paradise 7:34

06. Luminous 5:07

07. Lucid Dreaming 6:24

08. Sacred Space 5:47

09. Flow in Oneness 8:19

10. Blissful Presence 6:19

11. A Love Supreme 7:10



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