Album Review: Ethereum by Joseph L Young

Joseph L Young is a world-flute master and keyboardist. His fourth album, Ethereum, is comprised of twelve beautiful compositions that showcase his multi-instrumentalist talents and keen ability to tap into the essence of music from various cultures. Among the instruments Joseph plays are Native American flutes, Chinese flutes, South and Central American clay drone flutes, Irish pennywhistle, and even Saxophone on one track. These exotic elements are deftly interwoven among indigenous percussion and atmospheric synthesizers, thereby lending an overall shamanic and trance-inducing quality to several of the compositions.

“Wavelength” opens the album with hazy tones and suspended chords that envelope a subtle flute melody. Serene and warmly-lit from the very first note, this piece brings images to mind of an afternoon sunset casting its beautiful glow over a rocky desert terrain. The title piece, “Ethereum”, follows next with a native-style flute that seems to echo throughout a vast canyon. This hauntingly beautiful and slightly forbidding ambient flute piece is likewise accompanied by droning synths, rainstick sounds and washes of chimes, which seem to evoke a sacred semblance of channelling an ancient wisdom or unveiling of hidden secrets. The comparatively lighter and more gossamer “Shimmers” ensues with Celtic harp and Irish pennywhistle, a delicate piece that conveys a fairytale-like medieval or renaissance flair. Changing scenery once again, “Boundless” begins with a low rumble and slithering sounds that introduce native-style flute and reverberating, slow-paced percussion, as hypnotic vocal intonations are echoed among its cavernous ambient soundscape. It is followed by the notably intriguing “Illumination”, a radiant piece that evokes images of a watery cave illuminated by sunlight pouring through. Here, piano and flute exchange dual melodies among a backdrop of chimes, Udu drums and atmospheric synths. Exuding both Celtic and Chinese overtones, “Free” is another piece particularly worth noting, which features vocals by Lenise Redding who sings a bewitching and mystical melody. Concluding the album is the beautifully nocturnal “Sapphire Moon”, which is guided along by subtle percussion and occasional shooting star effects, as a chorus of flutes seem to gently serenade the moon.

Brushed by colorful hues of various cultures throughout, it’s easy to slip into a deep zone while listening to this album. I’m especially fond of the many echoing effects and intricate textures throughout these beautifully relaxing and soulfully rejuvenating passages. With similarities that could be drawn to works by Scott August and Al Jewer & Andy Mitran, Ethereum is a wholly rewarding excursion into ethno-ambient flute music! ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon and other music retail & streaming platforms. For more information please visit the artist's website.

PGM 104: HAUNTED WORLDS 2

An otherworldly chillscape for all hallows' eve.

ARTIST – TRACK
01. Eamonn Karran – Curse of Glenveagh
02. Mark Dwane – Saucers over Stonehenge
03. Nave Artificial – Vampirical II
04. Marc Enfroy – Dying in Degrees
05. Static Shore – Party Trick
06. David Wright – Transylvanian Lullaby
07. Kylmyys – In the Shadow of the Raven
08. Keith Richie – Someone’s in the House
09. Psicodreamics – Stakes and Garlics
10. David Arkenstone – They Are Coming
11. Threefold – Pentacles

Album Review: Earthlight by Jon Richards

Earthlight is the sixth album from musician and composer Jon Richards. Comprised of eight compositions spanning just over an hour, the album showcases a beautiful array of electric guitar melodies and textures, perfectly interwoven among encompassing synthesizers, electronic rhythms and ethereal voices throughout.

The title track, “Earthlight”, opens like an approaching dawn, introduced by warm, enveloping synthesizers and gentle guitar plucks. Encroaching drums soon give way to a steady electronic rhythm, as the piece takes on a more cinematic quality full of keyboard layers and soaring electric guitar that collectively impart a feeling of flight. “Falling Star” continues in this mode while introducing cello, as exotic female vocals lend a touch of world to the piece. The leisurely-paced “Daybreak” is one of my favorite compositions, which showcases a gorgeous electric guitar motif along with cello and airy bells. “Satellites” takes things up a notch with more dynamic electronic elements, as the familiar female voice injects a worldlier feel into its spacey arrangement. “Afterglow” is especially dreamlike, in which choral voices and ethereal guitar soar among echoing drums. The aptly-named “Solar Winds” opens with the sound of cosmic winds that eventually morph into a melodic and mesmerizing chill-style arrangement. “Eternity” is initially led by the sound of Dakuk, a gorgeous instrument from Armenia that I’ve long been particularly fond of. Clocking in at nine-and-a-half minutes, it’s the lengthiest track on the album, in which all of the familiar elements mark their presence throughout. “Majestic” signals the end of our stratospheric sojourn, concluding with a mystical female voice that seems to represent Gaia herself transmitting a secret message into the ethers.

Infused with a global spirit and cosmic sensibility, Earthlight seems to behold our earth in all of its glory. I was often reminded of Mike Oldfield’s longtime seminal work, The Songs of Distant Earth, especially with regard to the album’s overall concept, as well as the electric guitar as its lead instrument. Magnificent and moving from beginning to end, Earthlight is easily Jon Richards’ best album to date, as well as one of the most beautifully inspiring recordings I’ve had the pleasure of listening to all year! ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon and other music retail platforms.

Album Review: Alchemy by Crystalline Dream

Alchemy is the third installment of a five-part album series by Crystalline Dream, a musical project conceived and composed by Richard Ross. Incorporating both electronic and indigenous instruments on the album, Alchemy spans styles of ambient, ethno-tribal and electronic-space music variably throughout, as its ten compositions take the listener on an extraordinary journey far-removed from the hustle-and-bustle of daily life.

The album opens with the title track, “Alchemy”, as whistling flutes and ghostly whirling voices are led by echoing electro-tribal drums. Shamanic and ritualistic in nature, the listener is immediately whisked away to an exotic destination – one that I can envision located somewhere deep in the Himalayas. This mood continues into “Pb-Au”, where bubbling synths and buzzing chimes impart a sense of entering a deep cavern encrusted with stalagmites as waters churning below. Electronic sequencing in the style of classic Tangerine Dream takes the foreground on “Enhormonium”, a traveling piece that conveys a notion of traversing the night sky. Kicking things up another notch is “Contrapuntos”, a piece led by a horn-like instrument, which infuses electric guitar and electro-tribal drumming with a bit of psychedelia. The following track, “Aelous”, is quite a stunner and possibly my favorite on the album – once again channeling the spirit of Tangerine Dream (as well as TD protégé Alpha Wave Movement). This classic electronic-space number feels beautifully expansive and majestically nocturnal, with its ethereally melodic chords set upon layers of dreamily rhythmic sequencing. “Musica Universalis” is another particular standout which bears a remarkable similarity to the music of Jonn Serrie. A classic ambient-space piece, it commences with slow-shifting tones and cavernous drones that seem to capture the resplendent mystique of the Aurora Borealis. Ending the album much in the same way it began, the familiar introductory elements return on “Alchemy (Reprise)”. This piece seems to create an impression of venturing through a portal, as if finally having arrived full-circle on our journey to a secret subterranean paradise.

Listening to Alchemy felt like entering another realm, with its otherworldly passages seeming to convey the essence of a culture long past and tapping into its ancient wisdom. In fact, while a couple of tracks on Crystalline Dream’s previous release, Journeyman, inexplicably made me think of the mythical land of Shambhala, such impressions came to mind even more frequently while listening to this album. At times slightly forbidding and consistently trance-inducing, these beautifully sublime compositions seem to have come together quite organically. Immediately becoming my favorite installment thus far in the Crystalline Dream saga, Alchemy is a mesmerizing musical journey simply not to be missed! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit Threshold Studios. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.

Album Review: Chakra Noir by Al Gromer Khan

Al Gromer Khan is a German-born author, sitar player and award-winning composer who’s released a number of albums over the years, which span ambient, electronica and world fusion styles of music. Released on the Rasa Music label, Chakra Noir is essentially an ambient recording comprised of twelve compositions, which incorporate both Indian sitar and exotic percussion, as these elements are woven among intriguing electronic textures to create an overall freeform soundscape of understated elegance.

“A Simple World with Flowers” opens with muted and swathing percussion, as gentle sitar notes float among a metamorphosing and minimal soundscape of earthily warm layers, breezy “ahhs” and subtle textures. Setting the mood for the rest of the album, the compositions possess a characteristically ‘low-fi’ nature, which lend themselves to understated melodies of gently evolving aural patterns. Continuing in this mode is “Degrees of Tenderness”, as it moves into drier territory with its twangy sitar, whistling effects and swishing beat that seem to collectively imbue the piece with a desert-like atmosphere. “Shedding Light” follows next with its muted rhythms, spacious notes and gently repeating guitar loop amidst beguiling suspended chords. One of my favorite pieces on the album, it perfectly exemplifies the often haunting and versatile backdrops that easily lend themselves to any number of visual and environmental interpretations. The title track, “Chakra Noir”, is another strong highlight that includes both sitar and female vocal snippets over a clicking, muffled beat. Here, delicate sparkling timbres provide a hazy ethereal quality to a composition that seems to move throughout the dimly-lit halls of some mysterious chamber. “Rose of All My Days” is another enchanting piece defined by shadowy tonal mists and an understated rhythm, which eventually concludes with gentle and dreamy sitar.

Perhaps what makes Chakra Noir most curiously appealing is the album’s oddly-timed melodic and rhythmic signatures. Al Gromer Khan seems to have taken a rather improvisational approach in crafting these compositions, generally forgoing overtly predictable melodies in favor of more fluid and subtle sound structures. Vaporous tones evolve into variably ambiguous forms throughout their echoing passages, which can perhaps be best likened to that of watching passing clouds as they morph with continuity into variously familiar shapes. Especially well-suited for late-night listening, Chakra Noir is an alluring and innovative album that will likely find most appeal among fans of ambient and minimal music as well as experimental world fusion! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes and other music retailer & streaming platforms.

Album Review: White Sun II by White Sun

White Sun II is the sophomore album from world fusion artist White Sun, who fuse both modern and indigenous instruments with transcendental sung lyrics. Comprised of eleven compositions, the album was produced and mixed by Adam Berry who also plays guitar, keyboard and bass. Additionally, Adam is the co-writer of the songs along with Gurujas, who provides lead vocals as well as plays harmonium. Also joining the lineup is Harijiwan on Gong, Mamadou Diabate on Kora, Abbiman Kaushal on Tabla, and Gabe Witcher on Fiddle. A gospel choir lends their voices to a couple of compositions.

From the opening piece, “Gobinday Mukunday”, an atmosphere is conveyed of being inside a sacred shrine or temple, which sets the overall mood for the rest of the album. Indian tabla drums underscore the composition along with the classical touch of a fiddle, and a West African stringed instrument called a Kora. One gets the sense that something ancient and powerful is being invoked here, as Gurujas sings phonetically beautiful lyrics in a foreign tongue – her iridescent voice echoing throughout the halls of a vast and open space. Moving into the equality enthralling, “Ajai Alai”, Gurujas’ vocals are surrounded by an opulent arrangement of contemporary and exotic instruments that create a harmonious bliss. Her voice soars softly like a translucent arc of light towards the end of the piece, as if to draw one’s attention skyward in some kind of reverence. “Chattra Chakkra Varti” is another particular highlight in which a mesmerizing enmeshment of electric guitar and kora are enhanced by Gurujas’ meditative voice. Likewise stunning is “Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur” – another soul-enriching piece led by an enveloping arrangement of vocals, percussion and mellifluous strings. Another personal favorite is “Akal Instrumental”, in which improvised elements emit a beautiful auditorium effect. Free of rhythm or vocals, the guitar and kora take center stage, as one might easily imagine the sights and scents of temple décor, incense and candlelight. This piece is followed by the equally mesmerizing, “Akal”, where Gurujas’ mantra-like intonations are surrounded by additional layered and harmonized vocals. Concluding the album is “Ik Ardas Wahe Guru” – a gently uplifting and celebratory piece that additionally features a gospel choir.

While I certainly enjoyed White Sun’s debut album, I am completely captivated by the breathtaking melodies, vocals and instrumental arrangements on this follow-up release. A sincere conveyance of depth, richness and soulfulness is present here, while effectively avoiding common clichés and nuances. The compositions’ detectable influences of Indian, African and middle-eastern music – combined with western vocals singing non-English lyrics – seem to culminate in a listening experience that feels inherently universal and transcultural. Outstanding from start to finish, White Sun II easily sits among this year’s best world fusion albums!

Available at Amazon and other music retail & streaming platforms.

Album Review: Beneath A Darkening Sky by David Arkenstone

Recorded by candlelight during the winter season, Beneath a Darkening Sky is multi-instrumentalist and award-winning composer David Arkenstone’s boldest foray yet into dark neoclassical and haunting ambient terrain. Comprised of seven tracks spanning just under an hour, the compositions vary from seven to nine minutes in length. Composed, performed and produced by David Arkenstone on electronic instruments and synthesizers, as well as old-world instruments, he is joined throughout by Luanne Homzy on violin and viola, along with Susan Craig Winsberg on flute and Irish pennywhistle.

“The Fog” opens with earthy drones and hazy choral intonations as the piece gradually unfolds throughout. Anticipatory and foreboding while perhaps hinting that one is making their way through the fog of a dark forest, a pulsing bassline and tribal percussion soon follow along with the medieval sound of a harpsichord. The composition's shadowy mood continues on “The Deep Desolation”, where deep metallic echoes resonant like that of old church bells. These enchanting elements are soon accompanied by what sounds like a cross between Gregorian chant and a male opera voice, interlaced with shimmering and suspended oscillating strings. Next is the “The Storm”, which picks up more dramatically, imparting an ominous feeling that someone or something is on the arrival, as windy gusts and crashing metallic tones mimic lightning and thunder. Beautifully chaotic and disorienting, powerful drums seem to signal a heavy downpour, conveying the sights and sounds of twisting and winding tree branches among the blackening mists. “The Moonless Midnight” alludes to the phase of the new moon, when the night sky is the darkest. This composition conveys a dungeon atmosphere, as low drones and vocal intonations reverberate throughout its ghostly halls. A humming rhythm with the accompanying sound of a hang drum follow; one perhaps feels like they’re making their way through a secret tunnel beneath a medieval castle – torch in hand and all – while possibly trying to decipher cryptic writings on the wall. A cold winter’s eve is conveyed on “The Ice Forest”, a piece that feels distinctly Celtic with its added textures of wind and string instruments. Appropriately dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien, “They Are Coming” boasts a cinematic soundscape of dark fantasy where mythical creatures populate a cavernous underworld. Opening with more windy gusts, “The Wind From the North” is the album’s final chapter. Swelling strings and minimal percussion lend themselves to the composition’s encapsulating suspense, until the eerie sound of a church organ signals its conclusion amidst swirling chilly timbres.

Magnificent and outstanding from beginning to end, Beneath a Darkening Sky is one of the most phenomenal albums I’ve heard all year, and easily sits among David’s finest works ever. He has incorporated many elements from both his Ambient.World and Music Inspired by Middle Earth albums – both of which are two of my personal favorites – while imbuing this latest masterpiece with an even darker, bolder sound. An undisputed genius at creating highly visually-stimulating and soulfully transportive concept works, Beneath a Darkening Sky is a must-have album for any Arkenstone fan, as well as those who love darker ambient, neoclassical and fantasy film music! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon and other retail & streaming platforms.

Album Review: Southern Cross by Jim Ottaway

Southern Cross is the follow-up to electronic music composer Jim Ottaway’s highly energetic Invisible Vortex album. Named for a distinctive constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, Southern Cross is Jim’s first intrinsically ambient-space album since Liquid Moon, which was originally released in Australia in 2011, and later internationally in 2014. Comprised of six tracks spanning seventy minutes total, the album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jim, as well as lovingly dedicated to the memory of his mother Madge who passed away in 2015.

“Alpha Crucis” opens the album with a rumbling vibration, followed by expansive chords and a rainstick-type sound, which frequently returns throughout the compositions. Imparting an immediate sense of deep space exploration, it’s fourteen minutes and twenty seconds of pure atmospheric bliss. Alluringly arcane, this mood is carried into “Beta Crucis”, where swirling chimes mimic a galaxy filled with twinkling stars. Moving into the darkest piece, “Gamma Crucis”, linear time seems to dissolve and physical distance is no longer a barrier to the furthest reaches of space. This especially noteworthy piece is permeated by a wonderfully eerie creepiness that’s filled with the sounds of deep drones, ghostly voices, alien signals and glowing pulsars. More traces of light shine through the vast darkness on “Delta Crucis”, as if drifting among a meteor shower – before giving way to “Epsilon Crucis”, the album’s warmest, most ethereal composition. Closing out the album is the phenomenal “Southern Cross (Timeless Motion)”, with its rhythmic pulse beaming like a quasar amidst swirling chimes and a melodious drone, before dissipating into a sea of stardust.

Sitting at the meeting point of both pure ambient and classic space music, Southern Cross is easily Jim’s most groundbreaking album to date. I frequently had to remind myself that the many otherworldly sounds herein were actually coming from a recording studio and not some distant location of the galaxy, thanks to the impressive array of state-of-the-art recording equipment and software detailed in the liner notes. An especially rewarding headphone experience, Southern Cross is a must-have album for both fans of ambient-space music and astronomy enthusiasts! ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon, Bandcamp and other music retailers. For more information, please visit the artist's website. 

Album Review: Interstellar Love by Darren Rogers

Darren Rogers’ album Interstellar Love is based upon a theme of two soulmates in search of one another as they behold the celestial night sky. Consisting of seven compositions spanning fifty-two minutes, the album explores the hidden depths and desires of the heart – and how it potentially relates to a greater cosmic design.

The title track opens the album and is just over ten minutes long. Cosmic winds and unintelligible muffled voices allude to a petitioning of the heavens, as if being carried into outer-space. Deeply immersive tones and swirling timbres further lend themselves to the piece’s defined sense of mystery. “Wavering” follows next and opens with a Duduk – an ancient woodwind flute indigenous to Armenia. A sensual yet somewhat forlorn melody is carried by the instrument, as it mesmerizingly enhances the expansive, spacey ambience of the composition. “Passion”, the album’s middle piece, is possibly my favorite – perfectly exemplifying how the depths of one’s own heart can seem as unknown and limitless as the universe itself. Like signals of extrasolar communication being transmitted throughout space, they eventually give way to faintly pounding drums as if emanating from a cosmic heartbeat, before gently leading out to the sound of a distant siren’s call. Also noteworthy is “The Love Inside”, with its shimmering celestial tones that glide upon a peculiar muffled distortion, perhaps to mimic that of a radio signal attempting to come through. “Looking to the Stars” closes out the album, characterized by softly rising tones and slowly rotating effects. As if to conclude with a question rather than an answer – will these two destined souls ever find one another in this lifetime?

A classic ambient-space album with a passionate theme, Interstellar Love beckons the listener to simply close their eyes and envision the reality of their heart’s truest desires. Darren has captured a mood that will likely appeal to anyone who especially enjoys Jonn Serrie’s more romance-tinged space music. A uniquely impressive album, Interstellar Love is permeated by a beautiful darkness that’s wrapped in a dream of idyllic love. ~Candice Michelle



Available at Amazon and Bandcamp.

Album Review: Ambient Highways by Keith Richie

Review by Candice Michelle

Few things are as delightful as when a truly remarkable ambient-electronic album crosses my path, and listening to Keith Richie’s Ambient Highways is about as sublime as it gets. Visually interpreted by what just may be the coolest album artwork I’ve seen in a while, Ambient Highways takes the listener on a fascinating voyage from start to finish. Although not derivative, notable comparisons can be drawn to Tangerine Dream, Christopher Franke, John Carpenter, Vangelis and Carbon Based Lifeforms, all of whom Keith cites as musical influences.

Like laser and neon lights flickering and racing across the dark, "Neutrino” opens the album with bubbling sequencers, lush chords, intricately layered textures, and sparse piano sounds. Driven by pensive emotion, this melodically dynamic piece is nonetheless definitively ambient. The mood continues into “V Feeling”, a piece that begins with harp-like strings, followed by vintage and modern instruments, some of which move to the forefront while others remain in the background. Next is the breathtaking “Xenogeneis”, which beautifully unfolds like a spiraling galaxy. This piece in particular exemplifies the album’s overall lonesome, observational quality of being one small person in not just a big world – but a limitless, unknown universe – a sensation that is conveyed throughout. Although it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite, “Weeping Angels” is especially noteworthy; its title possibly referring to the “Dr. Who” series. However, unlike the Weeping Angels of the popular science-fiction television show, there is nothing terrifying about this piece – although haunting it certainly is! Beginning with a windy drone that gives way to emotionally-stirring chord progressions and a melody reminiscent of a cosmic lullaby, the composition feels like an arrival of sorts. The slightly faster-paced “Keeping the Dream Alive” concludes the album, characterized by gurgling angelic voices and alternating sequencers. An optimistic feeling of moving towards a new destination is conveyed, like catching the first glimpse of early-morning sunlight.

Nestled perfectly in-between sequencer-based electronic and atmospheric space music, Ambient Highways is an exemplary display of just how alive and emotionally-riveting electronic music can be. Although possessing a pronounced cinematic quality throughout, the compositions never become overwrought, instead maintaining a contemplative ambience and ever-present melancholy. An amazing headphone experience that transpires like a personal sojourn of self-reflection and external wonder, Ambient Highways has quickly become a personal favorite of mine. This album is an absolute must-have for fans of ambient, classic electronic, modern electronica and soundtrack music!

~Candice Michelle for Journeyscapes 

For more information please visit the artist's website. Ambient Highways is also available at Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes and more.

Album Review: Invisible Vortex by Jim Ottaway

Jim Ottaway is an electronic music composer from Australia, whose album Invisible Vortex was created using an impressive array of electronic music gear and equipment, including several different keyboards and synthesizers. Dedicated in part to the memory of Tangerine Dream founder, Edgar Froese (1944-2015), notable influences of musical styles spanning several decades are evident, in particular, 80s-era European electronic music, 90s-era trance-techno, modern electronica, chill-out and a touch of progressive rock.

The highly energetic “Come Dance with Me” opens the album with a trance-techno dance-floor beat, digital bleeps and scratchy sounds, as the listener embarks on an interstellar voyage through space and time. “Alien Cries” follows next, which is characterized by a pronounced bassline and an electronic rock rhythm. Finally giving way to what is perhaps the album’s pinnacle, is a track called “Takin’ the Time”. Featuring Rick Fenn of the 70s-era British rock group 10cc on guitar, this incredible piece evokes the wonders of the universe, with its intergalactic, otherworldly tone, which is conveyed by swirling chimes, voice-like effects, and a potent driving rhythm. Right from the opening sequencers on “Just Another Dream”, which is a lighter trance-techno track, I could detect the nod to Tangerine Dream; perhaps not surprising, since the piece is a glowing tribute to the band’s soundtracks for "Risky Business", "Thief" and "Sorcerer". “Call for Peace" is another favorite, a slower piece led by a pronounced staccato down-beat and alternating hazy, distorted effects. A bonus ‘Chill Out Mix’ of the same tune closes out the album, clocking in at a full eleven minutes and twenty seconds. This slower-paced alternate version is equably carried along by a muffled breakbeat, until it eventually drifts away into oblivion.

Jim Ottaway has done a stellar job of connecting the past with the future on Invisible Vortex, by combining the sensibilities of both vintage and modern electronic music. The compositions herein explore the limitless bounds of space and time, sending the listener soaring above the stratosphere and cruising into the cosmos. The highly outgoing, dynamic and active nature of this album makes for a thoroughly rewarding sonic adventure, which will certainly appeal to electronic music enthusiasts who enjoy aural concepts exploring science fiction and retro-futuristic worlds. ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon, Bandcamp and other music retailers. For more information, please visit the artist's website.

Album Review: Dark Sky Island by Enya

Following a seven year hiatus since her 2008 album, And Winter Came, Enya returns with the long-waited, Dark Sky Island, which is named after the island of Sark in the English channel where the absence of light pollution allows for naked-eye astronomy. As if to pick up where she left off twenty years prior, I can honestly say this is easily the best album the beloved Irish singer has put forth since The Memory of Trees. In fact, it’s a rather stunning return to the formulaic sounds and concepts of her most seminal works, Watermark and Shepherd Moons, yet it’s also freshly modern and musically evolved. The many shades of mystique are back, conveying a perfect balance of light and shadow, as are the lush orchestrations, enveloping, cathedral-like atmospheres, and Enya’s ever-captivating multi-layered vocals, each having been recorded separately and then stacked upon another to mimic a choir of hundreds.



Powerful, energetic songs with marching rhythms and soaring choirs like those on the “The Humming” and “Even in the Shadows”, contrast with more tender, melancholy pieces like “I Could Never Say Goodbye” and “Dark Sky Island”. Themes of lost love often revisit the album, conveyed by poetically beautiful lyrics that are wrapped in enchantment and innocent wonder. Favorite songs include “So I Could Find My Way Home,” a piece dedicated to producer Nicky Ryan’s late mother. Reverent and hymn-like, this deeply touching song could tug at the heartstrings of even the least sentimental listener. The more buoyant and sparkly, “Sancta Maria”, is another particular favorite that is led by a harpsichord and heavenly choir. Also equally notable is the distinctly Celtic-flavored “The Loxian Gates", which Enya sings in Loxian - an elvish-like language and alphabet created by lyricist Roma Ryan. Majestic and magical sounding, it brings to mind images of scenic Ireland, its pastoral lands and ancient castles. “Pale Grass Blue” is one of three bonus tracks included on the deluxe version of the album and makes getting this edition worth it alone. A moderately-paced tune that is highly reminiscent of Enya’s classic hit, “Caribbean Blue”, it features one of the most lovely, haunting melodies on the album, which seems to convey the passing of time, changing seasons and colorful leaves dancing in the wind.



There is simply little doubt that Enya is the gold standard when it comes to ethereal perfection, and although I felt her later efforts overall lacked the magic of her earlier works, I am pleased to say that Dark Sky Island is undoubtedly classic Enya in every sense. While immersed in these spellbinding compositions, I was reminded at every twist and turn why I originally fell in love with her music once upon a time. ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon and iTunes. 

Review: Urban Metta by Anaamaly

Urban Metta, Vol. 1 is the debut album by Anaamaly (pronounced “uh-nom-uh-lee), the alias of electronic music composer Phil Strickland. Featuring eleven tracks that are titled after different affirmations, it is a deeply relaxing electronic album with many organic elements. Peaceful, subtle melodies drift in and out over a bed of droning bass lines, washes of synths, and many unidentifiable or muted sounds throughout that seem to mimic nature. A notable feature of the compositions is its balanced incorporation of lower musical tones, which lends to an overall more grounded feel, whereas a lot of new age or ‘spa’ music is largely dominated by higher musical tones that can often result in an overly saccharine sound. This pleasing quality may be due to Phil Strickland’s musical background in chillout, downtempo and instrumental hip-hop.

Conveyed throughout the album is a feeling of being submerged in a watery abode, as rays of light peer through obscurity. Lots of subtle, intricate textures move about in a relatively compact space, as opposed to an expanse or open terrain, and the compositions seem to explore inner rather than outer worlds. Favorite tracks include “I Walk Through Fire”, with its slow transitions of contrasting crystalline textures and distorted effects; the lighter, more gossamer “I Embrace All Wisdom”; and “I Love Unconditionally”, with its sparse, gurgled melody and voice-like effects throughout. The closing track, “I Am Healed on All Levels”, is appropriately, also the brightest piece, as if the listener is rising to the surface while being imbued with a sense of hope and lightness.

Although Urban Metta, Vol 1 is certainly recommended for relaxation and spa therapies, it boasts enough aural intricacies to serve as an equally rewarding listening experience on headphones. I look forward to hearing other outputs from this diverse musical composer, including what will presumably be a second installment of the Urban Metta experience. ~Candice Michelle

Available from Bandcamp, Amazon and other music retailer & streaming platforms.

Album Review: Celtic Fairy Lullaby by 2002

Celtic Fairy Lullaby is the follow-up to 2002’s landmark album Trail of Dreams, and once again showcases the angelic voice of Sarah Copus (daughter of 2002 husband and wife team Randy and Pamela Copus). While many listeners could easily mistake this for Enya, 2002 have their own signature sound, although similarities to the Irish singer are probably more pronounced than ever given the Celtic bent of this album, with lyrics sung in Gaelic, Welsh and English. Pure magnificent beauty seems to be the primary objective of 2002’s music, for every track on the album sparkles and shines. A pristine arrangement of both electronic and acoustic instruments is present here, with Randy on keyboards, piano, bass and guitar, and Pamela on flute and harp. Sarah provides both lead and back-up vocals as well as additional harp.

The old Irish lullaby “Seoithín Seo Hó / Gartan Mother’s Lullaby” opens the album like the soundtrack to a fairytale, with chorale washes, sweeping chimes and a cinematic quality that defines much of the music throughout. The overall sound is at once light and sweet yet richly majestic. “Cariad”, meaning “darling” in Welsh, is a beautiful ballad as well as perhaps my favorite song on the album. Led by gentle harp and vocals that are complimented by exquisite harmonizing, the piece conveys a hazy, mysterious quality. Two instrumental tracks are present on the album, of which include “Éamonn an Chnoic”, a piece based on a Robin Hood type figure of Irish history, along with the soothingly tranquil “My Singing Bird”. The album perfectly concludes with a traditional Irish song sung on May Day titled “Thugamar Féin an Samhradh Linn”, albeit presented in 2002’s signature style, of course.


Celtic Fairy Lullaby just might be 2002’s most impressive accomplishment to date. While even the most ethereal of Celtic music tends to retain a certain folksy, earthy quality, 2002 essentially stays in their airier element while lulling its listeners into a magical, dreamlike world of beauty and innocence. ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon and other retail & streaming platforms. For more information please visit the artist's website.

PGM 067: HEART MUSINGS 2

A special Valentine’s Day mix inspired by love, longing & the mystery of fate.

No. ARTIST – TRACK
01. Chris Wonderful – I Love You
02. Jonn Serrie – Lovers in Motion
03. Bliss – Highlander's Heart
04. Jean Mare – Good Girl's Heart
05. Paul Avgerinos – In Your Arms
06. Moodswings ft. Julee Cruise – Seems to Remind Me (of Love)
07. Psicodreamics – Ritual of Love
08. Vangelis – Losing Sleep (Still, My Heart)
09. Laurent Voulzy – The Captain of Her Heart
10. Monica Ramos – Amor Perdido (Lost Love)
11. John Williams – Confluence
12. Elise Lebec – Heart Song avec Cello (ft. David Darling)