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REVIEWS “© sounds. The mountains, passes and tea M U S | C houses of China and Japan emerge before . ‘i . your mind's eye as you become immersed in Reviewed by Richard Giles the melody. Gorgeous, calming sounds of DEJA-BLUES peace. An album of exceptional music. by Steve Halpern Halpern/Inner Peace Music, USA, 2000 SPACE LULLABIES AND OTHER (60mins) FANTASMAGORE Distributors: Australia— Wild Eagle by Ekova Trading, tel (03) 9568 4004; USA—Inner Six Degrees Records, 2000 (60mins) Peace Music, tel 1800 909 0707 (toll- Distributors: Aust—MRA Entertainment, free, USA/Canada), website www. tel (07) 3849 6020; USA—Six Degrees stevehalpern.com Records, tel (415) 626 6334, website teve Halpern has had a long career com- —_ www.sixdegreesrecords.com; Europe— posing, playing and using music for its Sony Music power in healing and meditation. This he's back—that extraordinary improvisa- release is a reworked combination of tracks tional vocalist, Dierdre DuBois-Haddab. from a number of his great albums, includ- This second release from Ekova, with its ing Spectrum Suite, each capturing moments —_yniquely strange conceptualisations of musi- of sheer musical transformation and tran- cal style, is no less exciting than its prede- scendence. Try Melissa Phillippe's vocals cessor, Heaven's Dust (NEXUS, 7/05). The on "Déja-Blues" and "Moroccan Roll", and music is a cross between Persian, Eastern Paul Horn's silver flute on "Trippin". This and North African, combined with Dierdre's is an album of high moments in musical amazing vocalisations. Very strange, dri- experimentation and sound discovery. ving, impelling music. Ekova is one group stretching the boundaries of contemporary BREATHING RHYTHMS world music towards very new perimeters. by Glen Velez Sounds True, USA, 2000 (55mins) GARDENS OF EDEN Distributors: Aust—Banyan Tree, tel by various artists (08) 8363 4244; USA—Sounds True, tel — Putumayo World Music, 2001 (48mins) 1800 333 9185 (toll-free in North Distributors: Aust—MRA Entertainment, America), website www.soundstrue.com tel (07) 3849 6020; USA—Putumayo he tradition of vocalising rhythmic mate- World Music, tel 1888 788 8629 (toll- rial is well established in many cultures __ free, USA/Can), www.putumayo.com on the planet, such as in India and the nother great collection from Putumayo, Middle East. Glen Velez has created six each group representing an area of the compositions to help listeners attune to the world where the environment is under stress thythmic energy flows of the body. Each from economic pressure, cultural assimila- composition activates a specific zone: voice tion or environmental exploitation. Each activates the upper body; melody, the centre —_ reminds us of what we must preserve, and and heart of the body; and drumming, the captures the life of a culture from one of the lower and physical body. And each piece world's natural paradises. Artists include uses a numerical relationship to reflect an Ana Rita Simonka (Brazil), Guadalupe elemental structure in the music. Enticing Urbina (Costa Rica), Telek (Papua New sounds that produce an euphoric feeling and — Guinea) and Eric Manana (Madagascar). help harmonise body and mind. BUDDHA AND BONSAI - Vol. 3 by Oliver Shanti, Family & Friends Sattva Music, Germany, 2000 (58mins) Distributors: Aust/UK/USA— New World, www.newworldmusic.com; Germany—Sattva Music, tel +49 8028 90680, fax +49 8208 906810 liver Shanti has produced a stream of beautiful musical albums, all with an Eastern theme. This one is from a three- part series titled Buddha and Bonsai. The music is quiet and atmospheric, with a Chinese harmony threading throughout it. The use of the guzheng (long zither) and erhu (Chinese violin) adds depth to the BREATHING RHYTHMS by Glen Velez Sounds True, USA, 2000 (55mins) Distributors: Aust—Banyan Tree, tel (08) 8363 4244; USA—Sounds True, tel 1800 333 9185 (toll-free in North America), website www.soundstrue.com he tradition of vocalising rhythmic mate- rial is well established in many cultures on the planet, such as in India and the Middle East. Glen Velez has created six compositions to help listeners attune to the rhythmic energy flows of the body. Each composition activates a specific zone: voice activates the upper body; melody, the centre and heart of the body; and drumming, the lower and physical body. And each piece uses a numerical relationship to reflect an elemental structure in the music. Enticing sounds that produce an euphoric feeling and help harmonise body and mind. BUDDHA AND BONSAI - Vol. 3 by Oliver Shanti, Family & Friends Sattva Music, Germany, 2000 (58mins) Distributors: Aust/UK/USA— New World, www.newworldmusic.com; Germany—Sattva Music, tel +49 8028 90680, fax +49 8208 906810 liver Shanti has produced a stream of beautiful musical albums, all with an Eastern theme. This one is from a three- part series titled Buddha and Bonsai. The music is quiet and atmospheric, with a Chinese harmony threading throughout it. The use of the guzheng (long zither) and erhu (Chinese violin) adds depth to the JUNE — JULY 2001 NEXUS +79 www.nexusmagazine.com