Release Date: January 12, 2023
Label: Spotted Peccary
Music
illustrations, each inspired by Holmes's travels to different
locales of deep personal significance. It should be an exciting journey with
that kind of inspiration behind the music.
Using variable hardware and software, Hollan creates the
soundscapes in his mind and then moves them to music.
"Order Out Of Chaos" starts this incredible journey of
sound. Right from the start, the track builds into crescendos of electronic grace
and power. I found that combination colorful and refreshing. Its pure energy,
set to musical emotion and movements, engaged me from start to finish.
"Temples Of Stone" conjures many images before the
music starts: the pyramids, Stonehenge, Machu Pichu, all of that comes to mind,
and the absolute wonder and possibilities of it so many thousands of years ago.
The music starts, and those images become more apparent as the music enhances
your sensory perception. The music is anticipatory, imaginative, and filled
with the power of the past. The layers of sound merge to transport you, and as
you near the end, the sounds mellow and start to fade away like you are in a
dream state.
"Bristlecone" is ambient and delightfully airy and
light. Picture a perfect white cloud moving slowly across the sky, and you are
lying on it along for the ride. As the sounds increase in intensity, so does
your ride as you pass over mountain ranges, bodies of water, and lush fields of
grass and vegetation. It is music to create your own story with, and you go
with whatever comes to mind first and get lost in the music. Beauty and
elegance are all wrapped up nicely in one track.
"Drawn To An Intangible Energy" is thought-provoking
as you listen. Are you drawn to what the music and energy of the sounds
created? Is it intangible, as the title suggests? Only you, the listener, can
decide what is doing for you or where it just took you. The energy that is
intangible to me is something esoteric or spiritual; you hear it, recognize it,
acknowledge it, yet where does it come from? The music is so engaging that you
cannot help but think about being prompted by the track's title and exploring
your thoughts. Music with so many layers and colors splattered on the canvas of
your mind serves a purpose.
All of those tracks are examples of the imagery and consciousness music can create for a listener willing to hear everything happening in the music. When you are on the fifth track, you wonder what will be different; you will find it is quite a change from the previous track. And this happens consistently throughout. Those first four tracks hit home for me and implanted me into the experience so that I could enjoy the following tracks. The initial impact is significant when listening to a recording, and to have to continue in such a profound way with four consecutive tracks is impressive.
Some folks find instrumental music for use with the background
or just daydreaming. The opposite is true for recordings like this; they engage
my brain and thought process. For my listening pleasure, this is prolific and
meaningful. It excites and ignites my senses and has me thinking of what the
track titles mean and what the artist is trying to project to me. In a sense,
the artist's story becomes my own, which is an attractive transformation as far
as I am concerned.
It would be easy to make an album with very similar formats and
sounds with this genre of electronic and ambient styles and lose a listener
rather quickly. That never happened on the eleven tracks offered on Sacred Places. As it
turns out, they are as varied as all the places the artist visited, which was
the stimulus for this recording.
Fans of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, etc.- yes, that is me-
will love this recording. It is intimate, beautiful, diverse, and, most of all,
so creative and ambitious. Sacred
Places will be a regular listening experience for people who
appreciate this music. On the other hand, for those who love it, you will be
very pleased.
Hollan Holmes has created an electronic ambient classic with Sacred Places.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder
January 25, 2024
Tracks:
01. Order Out Of Chaos 6:06
02. Temples Of Stone 7:20
03. Bristlecone 5:19
04. Drawn To An Intangible Energy 6:37
05. An Elevated Life 5:53
06. Hallowed Ground 5:02
07. Walking Among Kings 7:11
08. The Divine Connection 6:39
09. Primal Instinct 7:56
10. A Light Unto The World 7:10
11. Sacred Places 6:06