Showing posts with label Ambient Music Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ambient Music Reviews. Show all posts

New Age-Ambient Review and Interview: 2002-Time Traveler

Release Date: June 7, 2024

Label: Galactic Playground Music

Website

As a devoted fan of 2002, I eagerly await each new release, and Time Traveler is no exception. This will be my fifth journey into their captivating world, and I'm already brimming with anticipation. It's a testament to their consistent quality that I can't help but have high expectations, and I'm confident this album will not disappoint.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the Copus family: Pamela, Randy, and Sarah. Their musical prowess is awe-inspiring, from composing to playing all the instruments and producing. Their unique approach to music, doing everything their way, is a testament to their creativity and dedication. They even invite guests to join their musical journey, as they do for this recording: James Song (violin), whose soaring melodies add a touch of classical elegance to “The Morning Breeze,” and Dan Totan (cello), whose rich and resonant tones enhance the emotional depth of “Love of My Life.”

The artwork accompanying Time Traveler is a visual element and a portal to a unique and immersive experience. It's the first thing that grabs your attention; its significance cannot be overstated. The artists have a profound understanding of how each element harmonizes, and by taking the time to connect, listeners can truly delve into the depth and significance of the album.

This music is a journey, as the image of the ship indicates. I always wonder what it would be like to travel back in time to tell myself a few things and then wonder what my life would be like today. This kind of project reminds me of those thoughts and feelings. It's okay to dream and let yourself wander into another level of perception that can be genuinely experiential. In this case, with Time Traveler, you can use this music, which is a new age, characterized by its soothing and atmospheric soundscapes, as a foundation, splintering off into ambient, relaxation, and a sleep aid as the ultimate tool to accomplish that space in time for yourself. The entire recording is expressed that way. All ten tracks offer you a respite from the day.

Along that train of thought, the delicate guitar on "The Essence of a Dream," with its intricate fingerpicking and melodic lines, the flute, which adds a whimsical and ethereal touch, the layers of keyboards, creating a rich and atmospheric backdrop, and the sounds of orchestrations, adding depth and grandeur, all come together to create an elegant and immersive musical experience. These are the tenets of what they do for a listener.

I believe this close-knit family possesses something magical. They are all blessed with talents and willing to share them with our world. We are the fortunate recipients of these blessings, and I am grateful to listen to every song. I remember hearing their music time and again, and always feeling so relieved. My mind is empty, my heart opens, and my spirit experiences a renewal, reminding me of who I am minus the hectic daily activities and a constant stream of thoughts. 

So much thought and tenderness go into these tracks. "Love of My Life" sounds heavenly and straight from the heart of those presenting it. The wordless vocals are that of an angel sent to give you comfort. It simultaneously moved me to a profound sense of sadness (for some reason), a burst of joy, and a deep feeling of gratefulness. That is some powerful medicine. The "love" could be a significant other, a child, a home, a friend, or a place; any of these things could qualify. That is what good music can offer a listener; the options are yours to choose, and the feelings are yours alone to experience and keep.

Time Traveler is a gorgeous group of tracks. Let the gentleness and cooling of "The Morning Breeze" touch your face and soul as you begin your journey of discovery. Like ether and clouds, music surrounds you, and you are the ship's captain, navigating through the ethereal soundscape. Now go ahead and take the helm and sail away… 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Tracks:

01. The Morning Breeze (4:56)

02. Falling Stars (4:20)

03. Seasons Fade (4:08)

04. Love of My Life (4:34)

05. Time Traveler (6:49)

06. The End of the Journey (5:58)

07. Beyond the Veil (5:32)

08. The Essence of a Dream (5:07)

09. Adrift in a Memory (4:32)

10. Where You Are (4:12)




New Age/Ambient Review: Cheryl B. Engelhardt-Luminary

Release Date: February 7, 2020

Label: Independent

Website


The eye-catching cover of Cheryl B. Engelhardt’s album Luminary gives a potential audience an idea of what they may be in for. It is placid, beautiful, and very inviting. What I was to learn rather quickly is that the tracks that encompass this collection are reflective of that spiritual image on the cover artwork.

The two primary instruments used on this ambient new age journey are the piano and Cheryl’s vocals. The music is quite different, in a way that I am not used to hearing in the genre. It is all in a good way though.

The tracks have a fade out and fade in aspect to them and they are interspersed at times with Cheryl’s angelic vocalizations. Most of her vocals are not actual words but an exercise of sounds that are pleasing and as alluring as the music behind them. I hear a classical influence which is what is common throughout presentations in the genre, particularly with instrumentals. While you do get some stretched out instrumentals like “Earthshine,” which are soothing and meditative, they last over six minutes. There is not one track under six minutes on the recording. It all works very well for this type of music due to the changing tides of the movements, sounds, colors, and overall atmospheres that are created.

The time is well spent for those who enjoy this type of music for general relaxation or deep meditation. If you are looking for deep meditation you can start right at the beginning and listen all the way through for one fantastic session of beauty, peace, and realignment of your soul (or chakras dependent on your philosophy and beliefs). I think the soul and chakras are interchangeable, if you take all the chakras you have in one human being with all the elements that make up that individual, they are the very soul within.

Luminary is referred to as “gentle exciting” on the artist Bandcamp page. While I did not relate to the album that way, I did find great value in the essence of the complete presentation of voice, sounds, and music. There are a lot of different things going on and some effects that give it that mystical and spiritual feel through each track. “Mortal Tides” (I added it to my New Age Music Reviews Spotify Playlist) has some interesting effects on Cheryl’s voice and breathing. This can be considered as a release within the song. Breathing certain ways can give the body a chance to completely relax then other things can happen like opening the mind and spirit to the offerings your hearing. I believe that is the true intent of this music.

Luminary
is one of the more unique recordings I have heard this year from the new age genre. I do not like to use that word very often, unique. It says that music is a standalone accomplishment without trying to emulate or take something that works from another artist. I would have to say in all honesty that this is very original work, unlike anything I have heard before. Everyone has their influences and favorite artists but you may be hard-pressed to understand what this lady’s influences are.

The phase music approach is very different, the way it moves in an out of the song and the way Cheryl uses it with the instrumentation, voice, and breath. I can promise you this, you will not hear anything else like Luminary.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

August 3, 2020

Track List:
01. Sister of Eos 06:14
02. Deliquesce 06:04
03. Earthshine 06:05
04. M. aurora 06:17
05. Mortal Tides 06:10
06. Galileo's Rings 06:11
07. Moon Harvest 06:17
08. Ataraxy 06:13
09. Glisten Up 06:14
10. Bioluminescence 06:08