PGM 338: HYPNOTIC VOYAGE 7

A mind-bending excursion into psychill & space trance.

TIME / ARTIST / TRACK / ALBUM
00:20 / Divine Matrix / Moon Freighter / Sequencer Drift
05:40 / GMO & Dense / Hitchhiker Through Gravity / Hitchhiker Through Gravity
10:30 / Argus / Wait for Me / The Architect of Time
17:54 / Dreaming Cooper / Crystal Cave / Mysterious Places
24:40 / Rising Galaxy / Midnight Sunset / Midnight Sunset
32:30 / Echo Season / Gravity Assist / Solarmetric
40:30 / Cosmic Cadence / Eclipse / Eclipse
46:51 / Joystick / Entanglement / The Landing
50:25 / S1gns Of L1fe / Collective Awakening / The Age of Cymatics

New Release: Future Shock by Michael Whalen

Review by Lissette Cascante

These days it seems nothing shocks us anymore. Still, good surprises are always welcome. Seasoned recording artist Michael Whalen’s newly released album of all original compositions is like opening a box of good and fun surprises.

Michael’s impressive, time-tested, and multi-faceted career in music, and his impactful contribution to the industry as composer, producer, Emmy Award winner, pianist extraordinaire including but not limited to his early new age compositions for labels such as Narada and Windham Hill are extensively and favorably written about in countless outlets and websites of many reviewers and publications. His music and interviews are featured on a wide variety of platforms.

In his latest recording creatively titled Future Shock, perhaps his most ambitious project to date, Michael pushes the boundaries of musical experimentation and challenges us to expand our vision beyond the confines of genre classification taking us into many spherical directions.

Future Shock is an energetic and uplifting wild menagerie of funk, jazz fusion, world, techno, instrumental jazz and nu-jazz with transitional elements of 70’s progressive rock. The album has an edgy, celebratory feel throughout, like a live outdoor festival concert.

For the project’s synergistic style and sound, Michael, who plays all keyboards, synthesizers, and electronic percussion on the album, assembled a fantastic team of incredibly talented and accomplished musicians, such as Bob Magnuson who lends his unique expressions on Saxophones, flute and shehnai, Simon Phillips, with incredible performances on drums and additional percussion, and Tony Levin sharing his outstanding talents on guitar, electric and upright Bases and Chapman Stick. Michael composed, arranged, programmed, and mixed all the tracks on the album.

The album kicks off with a blast as Michael takes the listener on a time-warp through musical styles. Starting the title track, he cleverly weaves a neon tapestry of psychedelic synth sounds and futuristic rhythms against a fluorescent backdrop of explosive drum work and base creating a blend of psychedelia elements reminiscent of the 60’-70’s rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer whose influence Michael credits with inspiration. For me it also recalled the sound of Metro, an early 1990’s jazz-fusion band co-founded by the late great Chuck Loeb, one of my favorite jazz artists who incidentally was also a member of the 80’s group Steps Ahead which Michael mentions in his overview of the album as being an influence in his love of fusion.

The party continues with a funky rhythm in “Hop, Skip and Jump” as Whalen’s “groove-based” synth arrangements, Magnuson’s saxophone versatility and Phillips’ drum intensity masterfully conspire to blur the line between jazz and rock.

You will want to move to the breezy Latin rhythm of “La Hermosa Noche” the album’s third track, a very warm and spicy improvisation with a festive, bohemian feel. I found this cut as well as the fifth track “Memories of You” incredibly beautiful and almost reminiscent of some of The Rippingtons’ Latin-infused songs like “One Summer Night in Brazil.”

“Lights of Home” creates a sense of yearning for the familiar. This beautiful gem seems to emphasize lyrics are not needed as its slow, emotive saxophone-encased ballad and exquisite crystal-clear piano brilliance allow the melody to carry the imagination to its desired destination.

The pace heats up again as “Poly Jam” transports us back to the “trippy” side of things with its seemingly, disparate elements of sound, synthesizers, and deep-toned bass. Heavy drums drive the piece as a mystifying, sultry saxophone introduced at the end brings a sort of down-tempo calm to the finale.

Other positive mood-enhancers on the album are “Miracle Mile” with its lively tropical, smooth jazz vibes, and “Morning Song” with its cheerful tune creates a bright place of contentment, while “Wanderlust” is enjoyably fast-paced and dynamic, with elaborate chord progressions and full of fantastic busy rhythms that will have you toe-tapping in no time.

Beautiful saxophone and piano come together in the album’s last song “Your Eyes, Your Touch, Your Kiss” breathing romance and desire into its powerfully seductive, sexy, and hypnotic melody. It features repetitive notes throughout sprinkled with spicy saxophone segments, while a sublimely played, multi-layered bluesy piano builds climactic impetus then politely allows the sax to lead us softly to our reverie’s end with a feeling of sweet surrender.

Future Shock is like a time-warp of musical styles and sound; a surefire way to uplift your day no matter what may be happening around you.

If you are new to Michael’s music, I would like to recommend you go to his website where you can find more information on his background, recordings, and projects.

~Lissette Cascante for Journeyscapes Radio

Future Shock is also available at Amazon, iTunes and more.

PGM 270: Close Encounters 3

Another ambient/electronic sci-fi set inspired by unidentified aerial phenomena!

Artist Name / Track Title / Album Title
Ancient Astronaut / Ancient Astronauts Part 1 / Through the Tunnel of Love
K. Markov / Close Encounter / Visitors
Alien Mutation / Dubula Technoid / Chill Out Trance, Vol. 2
Thaneco / Little Greys / Alien Species
Eguana / UFO / Destiny
Shinpal / Twisted Sensation / Momentary Disappeared Memory
Side Liner & Aviron / That Friday (Space Ambient Mix) / That Friday [single]
Martin Stürtzer / Pleiades / Far Beyond the Stars
Mark Dwane / Light Years / Future Tense

PGM 269: Outer Limits 2

Another surreal mix of ambient electronica & psychedelic chill! 

Artist Name / Track Title / Album Title
Tangerine Dream / Firetongues (The Break Freak Mix) / The Dream Mixes
Isophene / Colours Explode / Reverbatory
Dream Twice / Sobor / Enta
Dr. Psychedelic / Force of Light / Chill Out Trance Vol. 2
Global Communication / 5 23 (Maiden Voyage) / 76:14
Germind / The Light of Conductors / Not Darkness
Eguana / Orbital Station / Destiny
One Arc Degree / A Pillow in the Darkness / The Glow Beneath
Hollan Holmes / Enduro / The Spirits of Starlight
Ancient Astronaut / Purple Mist / Through the Tunnel of Love

Album Overview: Aeon by Dlaivison

Aeon is the sophomore full-length release by Brazilian-based electronic music composer Dlaivison, and follow-up to his impressive 2016 debut album, Sign of Us. Continuing in a similar mode to that recording while further expanding upon his style, Dlaivison once again creates a fascinating sound collage of space-techno panoramas that convey an interstellar fantasy adventure. Comprised of ten compositions spanning approximately 52 minutes, Aeon is overall characterized by cinematically futuristic and symphonic synth arrangements that are variably underscored by alternating processional and pulsar rhythms. Wondrously whimsical with a high-energy vibe, the music herein often brings images to mind of venturing through a cosmic funhouse full of neon lights, as it touches upon stylistic elements of Robert Miles, Cosmic Baby and Jean-Michel Jarre along the way. Playing out like a musical transmission from one distant civilization to another, Aeon seemingly navigates new space frontiers while retaining a constant atmosphere of euphoria and optimism that’s sure to enthrallingly engage the senses! ~Candice Michelle

This album is available at Amazon, iTunes and other music retail & streaming platforms.