Nexus - 0223 - New Times Magazine-pages

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REVIEWS ] THIS ISLAND EARTH AU DIO | wMaknine i Produced by Mark Nine for Underworld OF DREAMS AND DISCOVERIES Records, California, USA by Tony O'Connor Price: USD$10 (cass.), USD$12 (CD) + Produced by Studio Horizon Productions USD$4.00 o/s p&h (45mins) Pty Ltd (1994), Nambour, Qld, Australia Available: Underworld Records, 6312 Price: AUD$18.95 (cass.), AUD$25.95 Hollywood Blvd, #145, Hollywood, CA . (CD) (SOmins) 90028, USA; phone +1 (213) 462 5453, fax Available; Steve Parish Publishing, PO Box = +1 (213) 466 1035. 2160, Fortitude Valley Qid 4006, Australia; Perhaps one way to describe this album phone (07) 254 1914, fax (07) 358 4612. would be as an innovative, acid-rocky, lazy- The latest album from Tony O'Connor repre- _ hazy, psychedelic collection of reminders of sents a very personal journey of rediscovery the ‘sixties thrown into late ‘nineties-to-come for him. It's a musical interpretation of Tony's _futurism. I've managed to listen to it several exploration into the changes, dreams and con- _ times now and the music really grows on one. frontations that have shaped his life. These Mark's top tracks include a wonderful sooth- “musical emotions” as he calls them, opened ing cover of the Moody Blues' "Tuesday doors for Tony. He shares his interpretations Afternoon" and a beautifully layered version of with us in the hope that we, too, will be the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows". Up inspired by the joy of constant self-discovery. with them is his magical "Lifting the Clouds Of Dreams and Discoveries is a collection of over Venus". soul-stirring reflections on youth, on sharing Mark describes himself as being from the moments and dreams, on broken dreams, hope _ ‘sixties generation that was promised an unlim- of friendship and glimpses into hidden worlds. _ited, bright future—but all he ended up with Tony O'Connor weaves his web with haunting was a crummy t-shirt! acoustic guitar, gently soaring piano and He's reefed the album with a few recorded orchestral arrangements, airy pan flute notes historical quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr, and the occasional pluck on the old harp Jimmy Swaggart and others. strings. A non-linear array of new (and yet old) This musical voyage is designed to let the lis- | €xperimental music, with some references to tener drift into inner, intimate worlds where the CIA, Jonestown and mind control thrown time stands still. An absorbing yet very relax- _ in. , ing album. Worth hearing. OF DREAMS AND DISCOVERIES by Tony O'Connor Produced by Studio Horizon Productions Pty Ltd (1994), Nambour, Qld, Australia Price: AUD$18.95 (cass.), AUD$25.95 (CD) (SOmins) Available: Steve Parish Publishing, PO Box 2160, Fortitude Valley Qid 4006, Australia; phone (07) 254 1914, fax (07) 358 4612. The latest album from Tony O'Connor repre- sents a very personal journey of rediscovery for him. It's a musical interpretation of Tony's exploration into the changes, dreams and con- frontations that have shaped his life. These “musical emotions” as he calls them, opened doors for Tony. He shares his interpretations with us in the hope that we, too, will be inspired by the joy of constant self-discovery. Of Dreams and Discoveries is a collection of soul-stirring reflections on youth, on sharing moments and dreams, on broken dreams, hope of friendship and glimpses into hidden worlds. Tony O'Connor weaves his web with haunting acoustic guitar, gently soaring piano and orchestral arrangements, airy pan flute notes and the occasional pluck on the old harp strings. This musical voyage is designed to let the lis- tener drift into inner, intimate worlds where time stands still. An absorbing yet very relax- ing album. DRUM SONGS by John Orlando Produced by John Orlando (1994) for Culmination Music, Colorado, USA Price: US$9.98 (cass.), US$14.98 (CD) + USD$5.00 o/s p&h (43mins) Available: Culmination Music, 6154 S. Meadowbrook Drive, Morrison CO 80465, USA; phone/fax +1 (303) 697 1150. A preference for natural sounds has led musi- cian John Orlando to record this album using all drums and percussion instruments indige- nous to many lands. He has done so without the use of drum machines which he maintains are destroying the natural response of the human ear to percussion. We have come, he says, "to expect that per- fect, regimented sound” and become condi- tioned to respond to its beat. He suggests it's our right to know what is entering our bodies and all music with artificial ‘ingredients’ ought to be labelled appropriately. This album, Drum Song, combines natural sounds with exotic and native instruments to produce a percussion sound easy on the ear and thythmically satisfying to drum enthusiast and ordinary music fan alike. A friendly, energis- ing music experience. THE DREAM OF THE CURRAWONG by William Bowden Produced by Alex Svencis for Terra Australis Records (1994), Chippendale, NSW, Australia Price: AUD$19.95 (cass), AUD$29.95 (CD) + p&h (60mins) Available: GLD Music, 79-81 Buckland Street, Chippendale, NSW 2008, Australia; phone (02) 310 1866, fax (02) 319 0097; and selected music stores. A pleasant, ambient recording capturing the feel of the Australian landscape’s timelessness. Combined birdsong and water sounds add to the atmosphere of floating tones that capture places of secrets in the bush. Among the tracks that impress are "Dawn Becomes Day", a re-creation of the beginning of a forest morning with the awakening of day- light and warmth in the trees, and "The Dream of the Currawong" which holds the magic of this black bird encapsulated in the rippling wave of a synthesiser. Others include “Light Rain at Stoney Creek” and “Lady of the Lake" which carry their softly haunting strains through the listeners’ mind. Recommended for sharing the quiet of a peaceful evening. 78 ¢ NEXUS DECEMBER 1994 - JANUARY 1995