How to Submit Music

Thank you for your interest in getting your music played on Journeyscapes Radio!

We currently accept submissions from recording artists, record labels and music promoters.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

If you would like to submit your music for airplay consideration on our 24/7 streaming station and/or weekly Mixcloud shows, you may do so via the following:

Please familiarize yourself with our station’s format and general atmosphere of our broadcast before submitting your work. Journeyscapes plays a human-curated and varied mix of chillout, ambient and atmospheric world music, spanning electronic and global rhythms to floating space soundscapes, with some lush vocal tracks sprinkled throughout.

Once your music has been previewed to determine if it’s a good fit for the program, hand-picked tracks may be added to our 24/7 streaming station and/or featured at some point on a Mixcloud show.

You may submit single tracks, extended plays or full-length albums. We can also create smooth radio edits of 'long-form' ambient tracks/albums.

Whenever a track plays, the artist name and song title is displayed in our web player (or Mixcloud player if included there).

DIGITAL FORMAT:

Please do not send us streaming-only links since we need the actual files in order to play your music.

We accept digital files in MP3 format at 320 kbps. We can also convert WAV or M4A files although we strongly prefer that you already have your music radio-ready. Please do not send files in AIFF or WMA format. 

Please use a file transfer service when submitting your music.

You're also welcome to provide a redemption code to Bandcamp so that we may download the files from there.

When submitting your files, please make sure all your tracks are properly tagged with the artist and song titles entered in the correct places to help expedite the inclusion process. 

CD FORMAT:

We also welcome physical media via snail mail. If you would like to send us your CD, please inquire via email for the physical mailing address and provide a brief description of what you’re submitting.

For all music submissions please send an email to JourneyscapesRadio@gmail.com

Airplay is totally free – if your music fits and we like it, we'll play it!

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Album Review: Urban Metta, Vol. 2 by Anaamaly

Urban Metta, Vol. 2 is the anticipated second installment in the Urban Metta series by electronic music composer Phil Strickland, who records under the project name of Anaamaly. Comprised of eleven compositions spanning nearly 70 minutes, this album, like its predecessor, was conceived with the intent of inducing blissful states of relaxation, and is likewise well-suited for massage, mediation and yoga practices. Stylistically part ambient and part “new age”, each composition is titled after a positive affirmation that all begin with “I”. Although on its surface this notion may strike some listeners as being a bit too typically “woo-woo”, Phil’s extensive background in the chill-out, downtempo and instrumental hip-hop genres effectively help to keep these compositions firmly anchored in compositional depth and delightfully free of excessive syrup. Filled with churning textures, humming chords and organic/environmental samples throughout, the compositions mostly adhere to similar sound patterns, with each possessing individual nuanced attributes.

“I Am Ready to Forgive” introduces the album with billowing tones, swishing chimes and ethereal synthesizer washes – immediately signaling an immersive experience that defines the rest of the compositions. Following next is “I Am Inspired by Possibility” – one of my favorite pieces on the album. Here an oscillating and slowly-shifting drone underscores a beautifully drifting aquatic synth melody. The ensuing “I Am a Co-Creator” is also a notable highlight; weaving softly melodic bell-tones and the sound of running water into a mesmerizing soundscape, it feels like a rejuvenating bath or spa experience.

Another noteworthy composition is “I Give My Truth” with its heavy fog of synthesizers that seemingly convey a transparent veil of luminously streaming colors. “I Affirm All That is Good” is easily the album’s most mysterious and spacey passage, as well as perhaps my personal favorite of the lot. Comprised of synthesized vocal textures that shift along a hypnotic chord sequence, the piece effectively elicits images of a vast cosmic expanse. “I Have All That I Need (Album Version)” perfectly wraps things up in a blanketing gossamer haze, from which a more overtly shiny keyboard melody beautifully emerges.

An excellent follow-up to volume one, listening to Urban Metta, Vol. 2 feels like entering the idyllic repose of a tranquil Zen Garden. Serving as the perfect soundscape for eliciting a calmer, quieter state of being, listeners who enjoyed Anaamaly’s first album are sure to find this one to be equally rewarding! ~Candice Michelle

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

Album Review: Deep Space Blue by Jim Ottaway

Deep Space Blue is the latest album from Jim Ottaway, an electronic music composer based in Gold Coast, Australia. Having released several albums in the ambient, space and electronica genres, Deep Space Blue is a classic ambient-space recording much in the style of Jim’s early 2016 album, Southern Cross, with the two albums being separated by a late 2016 release of dynamic electronic music called Timeless e-Motion. By the time that album was released, I sensed that Jim was well on his way to achieving much greater recognition among the electronic-space music scene and my instincts were proven right; he has since received notable airplay in the U.S. on terrestrial radio programs such as Star’s End, Echoes and Hearts of Space. On Deep Space Blue (which is comprised of six compositions spanning an hour in total), Jim crafts and shapes his illustrious cosmic soundscapes using a plethora of top-notch electronic musical equipment to achieve a highly dimensional and realistic-seeming sonic experience.

Opening the album is the nebulous “Astral Voices” – a drifty and subtly melodic composition characterized by shimmering soundwaves and ethereal vocal intonations. “In Search of the Lost Star” follows next – a contemplative and immersive piece comprised of undulating textures and a free-floating semblance that seemingly carries the listener throughout space in slow-motion. Spanning at over eleven minutes, “39.5 Light Years (Trappist -1)” effectively conveys a notion of traversing unfathomable distances across the cosmos – its underlying rhythmic current highlighting synthesized vocal tones and creaking sound effects evoking the cold vastness of space. Imbued with a touch of Kevin Braheny’s classic Galaxies album, “Stars of Ice” is the perfect piece for winter stargazing – its glistening icicles and foreboding drones seemingly conjuring images of an ice palace located somewhere in the abode of an alien world. The title track, “Deep Space Blue”, is a comparatively more digitally dynamic piece that conveys a feeling of interstellar space-travel and zipping through wormholes. Concluding the album is the nearly 16 ½ minute long “Interplanetary Panspermia” – a darkly retro-futuristic piece of resonating deep space signals and spooky sci-fi effects that effectively convey an extraterrestrial presence.

A mesmerizing cosmic voyage from beginning to end, Deep Space Blue is definitive ambient-space music that plays out like the perfect soundtrack to a sci-fi movie or astronomy documentary. Certain to appeal to listeners who enjoy the many classic space music works by artists such as Jonn Serrie and Kevin Braheny, this fantastic album marks another “stellar” win for Jim Ottaway! ~Candice Michelle

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

Album Review: Ovum by Chronotope Project

Review by Candice Michelle

Chronotope Project is the recording alias of Oregonian ambient/electronic music composer and cellist Jeffrey Ericson Allen. His seventh recording, titled Ovum, is likewise his third release on the prestigious Spotted Peccary Music label, following his excellent Passages and Dawn Treader albums. Comprised of seven compositions spanning fifty-one minutes of organic-electronic bliss, Allen creates deeply immersive, lushly ambient soundscapes that juxtapose synthetic tones and textures with natural instruments such as cello, flute and Irish whistle. Most notably, as with Chronotope Project’s previous albums, the Haken Continuum Fingerboard is frequently featured as a solo instrument where it often takes precedence as a key signature element. Conveyed by visually captivating artwork intended to represent a primordial state of being, each composition audibly illustrates a subtle emergence from either an earthly seed or cosmic source, which gradually unfolds into a continuously evolving and metamorphosing journey.

Inspired by our distant ancestors, the opening piece, “Olduvia Dreams”, effectively transports the listener to remote islands in the Pacific or Indian ocean. Guided along by churning textures and ethno-tribal percussion, the composition eventually blossoms into a luxuriantly flowing arrangement of sensual earthly delight. Exuding the essence of a tropical rainforest, Gamelan-like timbres, ethereal tones and fluttering flutes further paint a surreal and primeval paradise. Deeply meditative and supremely mesmerizing, the title track, “Ovum”, slowly unfurls into an all-encompassing environment permeated by haunting glissando throughout, as the piece effectively evokes subtle shapes and colors that seemingly morph into suspended liquid formations. Illustrating the transitional process of metamorphosis, “Mariposa” (Spanish for ‘butterfly’) ensues with soaring glissando and a drifty bassline amid lightly rhythmic Berlin-School sequencing. The particularly spellbinding, “Primordial”, seemingly evokes a biotic alien world of primeval oceanic lifeforms and nocturnal bioluminescence. In an ode to scientific discovery, “Starry Messenger” perfectly concludes the album with an encircling illuminated environment comprised of iridescent bell-timbres in tandem with prolonged arcs of cello and flute. An indescribably beautiful piece that perceptively alters one's state of mind, it seemingly leaves the listener with a feeling of elevated awareness and conscious expansion.

Destined to become one of this year’s favorite albums, Ovum is easily Chronotope Project’s most impressively cutting-edge work to date. Although distinct unto itself, stylistic and atmospheric parallels to artists such as Ishq and Robert Rich as well as the album Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno can be drawn. Feeling simultaneously rooted to earth yet linked with the cosmos, Ovum is certainly not to be missed, undoubtedly earning Jeffrey Ericson Allen a spot at the round table of ambient music’s finest!

~Candice Michelle for Journeyscapes Radio


 

Ovum is available at Spotted Peccary Music, Bandcamp and Amazon.

PGM 120: HEART MUSINGS 3

A chillout/ambient mix to celebrate the month of love.

No. ARTIST – TRACK
01. Jean Mare – Cosmic Voices (Mystic Love Mix)
02. Schiller – Let Me Love You (ft. Kim Sanders)
03. Enigma – Smell of Desire
04. Blank & Jones – Desire (ambient mix)
05. Amethyste – My Acadian Heart
06. David Whaler – Bhakti Heart
07. Bliss – Kissing
08. Byron Metcalf – The Awakened Heart
09. Dyan Garris – Mystic Kiss
10. Peter Kater – Venus in Pisces

Album Review: Mystic by Al Conti

Al Conti is a Grammy-nominated recording artist whose latest album, Mystic, casts a seductive veil of enchantment upon a culturally rich and beautiful landscape. Beautifully packaged with artwork that visually captures the essence of the music just perfectly, the album’s nine outstanding compositions are likewise each accompanied by short stories that serve to further give the listener glimpses into the past. Conti wrote, arranged and performed the compositions, while two tracks (“Pilgrimage” and “Devotion”) were loosely based on traditional music that he arranged and adapted. Composed within a style that could perhaps be described as new age world fusion, the album draws most notably from Mediterranean, Near-Eastern, Persian and Indian cultural influences. A talented team of guest musicians throughout includes Grammy award-winning artist Ricky Kej, who serves as associate producer as well as lends additional programming, keyboards and harmonium. Vanil Veigas likewise provides additional programming, keyboards and santoor. Also joining the lineup is Jeff Pearce on electric guitar, Charlee Brooks on vocals, Pamela Copus (of 2002) on harp, Karthik K. on tabla, Butto on flute, and Jenevieve D’Silva on ghatam, cajon and assorted percussion.

“Mystic” opens the album with the solemn toll of a church bell followed by the reverent intonations of The Oxford Court Monk Choir. A stunningly beautiful introduction, it reminds me somewhat of the opening piece, “The Mystic’s Dream”, from Lorenna McKennitt’s The Mask and Mirror album. Jeff Pearce lends subtle brushes of electric guitar, as the soaring wordless vocals of Charlee Brooks join the monk choir – their voices collectively echoing among the halls of what feels like a vast cathedral hidden in the mountainous mists somewhere. An earthy and sensual rhythm comprised of both Indian and electronic percussion ensues, as the piece is carried along by a gypsy-like melody led by an arrangement of flute and other exotic instruments. “Trance” follows next and is one of my favorite pieces on the album, bringing to mind that of a night caravan trekking across the desert, as brushes of chimes remind me of twinkling stars spread across the sky. This piece is likewise supported by an earthy, sultry rhythm accentuated by Indian tabla drums, and showcases an exquisitely exotic melody comprised of santoor and harmonium. The more contemplative sixth track, “Contemplation”, is another favorite of mine which incorporates a distinctly Celtic flavor, blending ancient western and eastern musical influences to perfection. Showcasing Pamela Copus on harp, she leads the lovely composition with a lulling melody among a luxurious arrangement of instruments that include tabla, santoor and electric guitars. Another personal favorite is the seventh track, “Ritual”, which is dominated by an encompassing rhythm, as it seemingly paints a picture of festive lights and ecstatic dances by the Mediterranean seashore. Wrapping up this magical, mystical journey is the soulfully shining yet soothingly serene “Anima Aeterna”, which concludes with Charlee Brooks singing among of sea of both exotic and orchestral instruments.

Sensually imbued with a haunting mystique, Mystic could easily serve as the perfect soundtrack to an Arabian Nights tale. For comparison’s sake, those who are especially fond of more world-flavored works by Chris Spheeris, David Arkenstone and Loreena McKennitt are almost certain to relish this album as well. The music herein is earthy yet fiery, making the album a perfect companion for sacred dance and ritual. While listening to these breathtaking compositions, images frequently came to mind of temple dances, candlelit chambers and travelling nomads in the desert. A luxuriant weaving of cultures veiled in mystery, ecstasy and sensuality, Mystic is exemplary of new age world fusion at its finest! ~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: Timeless e-Motion by Jim Ottaway

Jim Ottaway is an Australia-based electronic music composer with an impressive catalog of recordings that range from ambient-space to chill-out electronica. While his latest album, Timeless e-Motion, combines stylistic characteristics of both, it’s also a bit different from anything Jim has previously recorded. Namely, he employs greater elements of classic electronic space music in the vein of Tangerine Dream and Jean-Michel Jarre, all while infusing his compositions with a wholly up-to-date and modern feel via his vast arsenal of electronic music equipment and gear. Comprised of thirteen tracks spanning sixty-five minuets, the album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jim between the years of 2013 and 2016.

“Sequence of Life” opens with a dynamic and rhythmic arrangement of sequencers and pulsing effects. A fantastic introduction, it conveys a feeling of moving through space and time. Following next is the hauntingly beautiful “Timeless e-Motion”, which gently paces along on a dreamily floating, liquid-like current. Easily my favorite piece on the album, hazy tones, scattering chimes and vocal-like washes are carried along by a hypnotic bassline and rhythmic pulse, which gradually evolves into a subtle chill beat. Digital bleeps and signals echo throughout, as if emanating from somewhere deep in the galaxy. At just over eight minutes in length, this piece could easily drift on forever, perhaps while one endlessly tries to solve the infinite mysteries of our vast and largely unknowable universe. Varying between the more dynamic, travelling pace of the first track and the floating ambience of the title track, the compositions always seem to move in a linear, forward motion. Each employs a varied degree of digital sequencing, synthesized vocals, spacey signals and pulsating electronic rhythms. The seventh track, “Behind Close Eyes”, is another especially notable and mesmerizing piece, which effectively brings to mind that of being in virtual reality or dreamlike simulation. Despite these distinctive sci-fi motifs, the compositions herein convey human warmth and a conscious presence throughout, as if musically illustrating a narrative of the cosmos and how it relates to life here on earth. Another favorite is the twelfth track, “Cosmic Shift”, a classic ambient-space number characterized by ethereal chords, sparkling chimes and a wondrous sense of mystery, as one can easily imagine numerous constellations of twinkling stars against a stark midnight sky. Aptly concluding the album is “Timeless e-Motion (radio edit)”, which clocks in at just over five minutes, lending itself as a sort of reprise of the title track to wrap-up this fantastical cosmic journey.

Jim Ottaway’s previous album, Southern Cross, was one of my favorite recordings of 2016 and this one is surely destined to become another. In fact, Timeless e-Motion may very well be the best output from this amazingly talented artist thus far, unquestionably solidifying Jim’s place as a distinctive and innovative electronic music composer. Fusing ambient, modern electronica and classic space music, I can detect several decades of musical influences here, as Jim masterfully carves out his own sound and style that he has both developed and gradually improved on over the years. Lending itself to an emotive sci-fi quality, the music of Timeless e-Motion conveys a mesmerizing notion of having entered some futuristic parallel dream-world that’s dominated by themes of hyperspace, wormholes and time-travel. Likewise permeated by an ever-present and intangible mystery throughout, this album is both an interstellar and inner voyage that’s absolutely not to be missed! ~Candice Michelle

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

Album Review: The Recognition by Art Patience

Having life-long experience playing the harmonica, Arizona-based musician Art Patience originally hails from a background in blues music. His debut album released on Heart Dance Records, titled The Recognition, not only offers something quite different from anything he’s recorded before, it’s also one of the most uniquely enchanting recordings I’ve heard in recent memory. Comprised of nine beautifully spellbinding compositions, Art imparts a soulful sultriness via his harmonica-playing among dreamily ambient soundscapes, which have been crafted by producer John Herrera, who also arranged, mixed and mastered the album. Art likewise plays acoustic guitar on several pieces, while guitarist Darin Mahoney also lends his talents on two compositions, including the fourth track, “Flight of the Butterfly”, and the seventh track, “Safe Journeys”. Upon first glance, the harmonica might seem like a rather unusual instrument to combine with ambient music, but this rare musical synthesis clearly works to perfection here.

“Compassion” opens the album with subtle acoustic guitar, as Art’s haunting and reverberating harmonica glides upon an enveloping soundscape of synthesizers that highlight many spacious notes and expansive chords. Seemingly lonesome sounding, I have always found the harmonica to be an instrument of solitude, and that essence certainly comes through on every one of these lovely compositions. The next track, “The Wishing Well”, is one of my favorite pieces on the album, initially beginning with the tranquil sound of the ocean’s tides rolling in and out with lone harmonica in the distance. A droning and resonating atmosphere enters the space, and I’m reminded of being on a beach as a darkening sky encroaches. A billowing, muffled rhythm soon follows at a gently parching pace, seemingly transforming the scenery into an overcast afternoon, in what feels like a confluence of nature’s power and serenity. Likewise, several other compositions feature audio-visually stirring environmental and nature sounds, including that of thunderstorms, running water and birds in the wild, as well as many ethereal textures and chimes sprinkled throughout the musical landscapes. These elements are especially exemplified on the aptly titled sixth track, “Spirit of the Woods”, which is comprised exclusively of lush environmental sounds and improvised harmonica intonations. Seemingly evocative of nature’s purest elements, it’s easy to imagine a man alone with nature in search of peace and solitude. Perfectly concluding the album is the gorgeous title track, “The Recognition”, a characteristically more spacey and nocturnal-sounding ambient piece that additionally features deeply hued and reverberating piano notes, as Art’s harmonica seemingly echoes throughout a vast terrain beneath a star-studded sky.

The Recognition is easily one of the most uniquely intriguing albums I’ve heard recently, boasting beautifully surreal soundscapes full of warmth, depth and mystery. Like an aesthetically alluring contrast of sorts, its compelling fusion of harmonica – an instrument that brings to mind the more arid regions of the mid and southwestern United States – in tandem with the dreamily liquid ambience throughout, felt perpetually evocative of a tranquil oasis in the dry desert. An outstanding work in its entirety, The Recognition will surely appeal to a wide range of listeners, although particularly those with a taste for gently understated though melodic ambient music! ~Candice Michelle

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

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.

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.