Nexus - 0504 - New Times Magazine-pages

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= REVIEWS EMER KENNY (self-titled) AUDIO Producer: Jeffrey Lesser for Triloka . A Records, USA, 1998 (51mins) Reviewed by Richard Giles Distributors: Australia—Mercury/ THE MUSIC OF ISLAM (compilation) PolyGram, ph (02) 9207 0500; USA— Producers: David Parsons for Celestial Triloka/Mercury, ph (310) 996 7200. Harmonies, Arizona, USA, 1997 (79mins) first release from a new Irish singer who Distributors: Australia—Festival, ph (02) blends traditional Celtic with a more 9660 4022; USA—Celestial Harmonies, contemporary style. Her voice is often very ph (520) 326 4400, fax (520) 326 3333; ethereal and floating in style and at times US orders, Hear's Music, 1800 501 3472. haunting in its impact. Producer Jeffrey Or of the misfortunes of the long history _ Lesser has worked with the likes of The of stereotyping and conflict between Chieftains and Sinead O'Connor. On Islam and the West is that it has fostered Kenny's album he combines pipes, violins, ignorance of one another's great music and harp (Emer is also a classical harpist), flute culture, but David and Kay Parsons, work- and guitars with contemporary keyboards to ing in cooperation with Celestial Harmonies _ Produce remarkably eclectic arrangements of the US, have laboured for 10 years to pro- of both the visionary and the ancient in Trish duce this amazing collection. There are 15 music. A new talent from Eire is abroad! albums in the set, covering the entire Islamic belt from Morocco to Indonesia, where one- CAFE PARADISO fifth of the world's people live. This compi- _ by Steve Erquiaga lation CD has representative tracks from 10 Producers: Dawn Atkinson and Steve countries as a sampler. A must-have collec- _ Erquiaga for Imaginary Road Records, tion, lovingly put together. USA, 1997 (60mins) Distributors: Australia/NZUK ASSA— STORMBIRD PolyGram Records. by Matthew Doyle and Tony Lewis lo hear a skilled guitarist play is such a Producers: Tony Lewis for One World treat. There are so many albums of Music, Australia, 1998 (56mins) acoustic guitar being released today and it's Distributors: Australia—One World great to find one of such exemplary quality Music, ph (07) 3367 0788; UK—New as Café Paradiso. Steve Erquiaga specialis- World Music, ph 0198 678 1682. es in contemporary arrangements of the clas- ustralian Aboriginal didgeridoo has sics and he's done a superb job with these. been resonating around the planet and is _ He includes Bach's "Arioso" and "Prelude in the new ‘in' ethnic instrument, like the djem- C Minor", Rachmaninov's "Sérénade", and be. Matthew Doyle has recorded three pre- his arrangements of themes from Cinema vious albums of didgeridoo music and has Paradiso. His work has appeared in a num- been involved with didge and dance for over _ ber of film soundtracks, including The Firm 15 years as well as with various music and and Forrest Gump. Smooth and mellow dance projects around the world. For music from a master of the guitar. Stormbird, he's joined with percussionist/ composer Tony Lewis and put together an CHAKRADANCER album of raw, traditional-style didge, by Brainscapes backed by Tony's international mix of per- Producer: Alain Eskinasi for Cyber cussion, whistle, flute, congas and cymbals. | Octave, Malibu, USA, 1997 (59mins) Distributors: Australia—MRA Entertainment, ph (07) 3849 6020; USA— Higher Octave Music, fax (310) 589 1525. Bainscares is a project of music meta- physician Alain Eskinasi. Experiment- ing in new ground in musical composition, this album is one of Eskinasi's series using therapeutic music techniques based on the Chinese elements, chakra toning, sound imaging, meditation and trance dance. The techniques are designed to stimulate (not relax) the seven chakras and open up the body's energy centres for creative work and enjoyment. Using seven crystal bowls arranged in the traditional chakra set, he mixes his sound landscapes with ethnic per- cussion. The result is remarkable. AUDIO Reviewed by Richard Giles THE MUSIC OF ISLAM (compilation) Producers: David Parsons for Celestial Harmonies, Arizona, USA, 1997 (79mins) Distributors: Australia—Festival, ph (02) 9660 4022; USA—Celestial Harmonies, ph (520) 326 4400, fax (520) 326 3333: US orders, Hear's Music, 1800 501 3472. On of the misfortunes of the long history of stereotyping and conflict between Islam and the West is that it has fostered ignorance of one another's great music and culture, but David and Kay Parsons, work- ing in cooperation with Celestial Harmonies of the US, have laboured for 10 years to pro- duce this amazing collection. There are 15 albums in the set, covering the entire Islamic belt from Morocco to Indonesia, where one- fifth of the world's people live. This compi- lation CD has representative tracks from 10 countries as a sampler. A must-have collec- tion, lovingly put together. STORMBIRD by Matthew Doyle and Tony Lewis Producers: Tony Lewis for One World Music, Australia, 1998 (56mins) Distributors: Australia—One World Music, ph (07) 3367 0788; UK—New World Music, ph 0198 678 1682. ustralian Aboriginal didgeridoo has been resonating around the planet and is the new ‘in' ethnic instrument, like the djem- be. Matthew Doyle has recorded three pre- vious albums of didgeridoo music and has been involved with didge and dance for over 15 years as well as with various music and dance projects around the world. For Stormbird, he's joined with percussionist/ composer Tony Lewis and put together an album of raw, traditional-style didge, backed by Tony's international mix of per- cussion, whistle, flute, congas and cymbals. JUNE - JULY 1998 NEXUS - 81