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Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:18:00 +0200 Chris Spheeris Biography
Being raised in the midwestern USA and spending summers in his ancestral homeland of Greece, the the cross-cultural foundation of his expression was in place long before his first melodies were ever written. His earliest musical influences include the strains of classical piano played by his older sister, the Greek folk music sung by his mother and grandmother, and beautifully melodic and deeply mystical chants of the greek orthodox church. Chris sites his earliest musical training as the endless hours he spent listening and memorizing the melodies, harmonies and lyrics of The Beatles. It wasn't until he was 13, spending a year in Greece, that he actually picked up his first guitar. By 14, he was composing songs and at 19 entered the field of music as a professional.
Never one to sit idle for long, immediately following the split, at the age of 25, Spheeris immediately set up a studio, bought his first keyboards, and embarked on his own blend of instrumental music that would help found a new musical genre of new age. Within three years of the inception of his solo career, Chris caught the attention of a sales representative working for columbia records who was swift to send the tape to the head of a&r in new york. Within weeks, Chris Spheeris became one of the first new age instrumentalists to be signed to a major label and his first recording, Desires of the Heart, was welcomed by his new audience of great numbers.
"I feel that the intention to love, to connect and to inspire creates the underlying theme in all of my work. My tendency toward harmony and beauty is implied in this." "Although my music is abstract in nature, and not intended to convey a particular message, I am very aware of the magical and powerful influence that music can have on the listener. For this reason, I carry with me the responsibility of what I communicate to my audience." "Music is a universal language that transcends cultural and individual boundaries and speaks directly to and from the human spirit." "I am an explorer, a pioneer commissioned by the human collective to bring back information from the unknown." "An artist should not be afraid to risk. Risk is the key to great art. When an artist stops taking risks, it's all over." Chris Spheeris DiscographyChris Spheeris
Chris Spheeris and Paul Voudouris
Chris Spheeris and Robert Cory
Chris Spheeris & Anthony Mazzella
Chris Spheeris & George Skaroulis
Buy Chris Spheeris CDDownload Chris Spheeris mp3Official Chris Spheeris Site Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:00:00 +0200 Medwyn Goodall Biography
Amongst his early credits are 'Earth Healer' which was voted leading instrumental album of 1992, and the acclaimed 'Druid' trilogy of 1990. Medwyn's skill was further recognised in 1993-4 with three phenomenally successful music albums 'Medicine Woman', 'Way of the Dolphin' and 'Great Spirit' for which he was awarded gold disc status with each album selling in excess of 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. 'Medicine Woman' has since turned platinum seeling in excess of 450,000. In 1994-6 Medwyn continued to entertain and amaze his fans with best sellers such as 'Nazca', 'Dolphin Quest', and the ever-popular 'Arthurian Series'. now re-released as a special 3 CD pack entitled KING ARTHUR More recently Medwyn captivated his audience with the launch of the 'Clan' series. He was also awarded '1999 Best Album of the Year' award for the groundbreaking album 'Millennium' and a nomination for a prestigious Indie award, for the no1. NAV chart album 'Comet'. Further success came with the no-1 UK album 'Rhythm of the Ancients' and 'Medicine Woman III'. Inspired by nature, ancient mysteries and cultures, his music magically blends many acoustic instruments. Medwyn writes and records his music in his private studio in rural Cornwall. He plays over a dozen instruments and has evolved unique styles of instrumental music, which are highly melodic, deeply expressive and very inspiring. His music connects to your soul and his melodies can haunt you for days. Medwyn is the owner and director of MG Music with his wife Wendy Goodall. Medwyn Goodall Discography
Buy Medwyn Goodall CDDownload Medwyn Goodall mp3Medwyn Goodall Official Site Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:37:00 +0200 Oystein Sevag Biography
The product of five years in the studio, the album slowly crept into Billboard's New Age charts in the Usa, and it landed Sevåg on the Windham Hill label to issue the follow-up, 1993's Link. He returned two years later with Global House, a record reflecting a newfound interest in acoustic sounds and worldbeat textures, including didjeridoo and string quartet; the ambient album Visual, a collaboration with guitarist Lakki Patey, followed in 1996. Signing to the Hearts of Space label, Sevåg resurfaced in 1997 with the acclaimed Bridge, now including the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), winning the Indie Award in USA for the best new age recording of the year. From 1999 to 2005 he lived in Freiburg, South Germany, where he among other things has been working with music therapy together with Maria Sevag and the psychologist Kathartina Martin. In april 2005 Sevåg's new album Caravan was released, 8 years after his previous album Bridge. The new material was introduced on a consert in Oslo in March. In June one of his new compositions in the classical erea - a string trio - had its first performance on Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival on Crete, Greece. In october he had 2 concerts in Norway with his "Global House Band" - followed up by 10 small solo concerts at the Vigeland Mausoleum in Oslo. In the spring 2006 Oystein Sevag moved to Oslo. Oystein Sevag DiscographyAlbums
Buy Oystein Sevag CDDownload Oystein Sevag mp3Official Oystein Sevag Site Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:52:00 +0200 Adiemus ProfileConcept
Instrumentation and performers
The Songs of Sanctuary orchestra consisted of a string section augmented by various ethnic percussion instruments, with occasional further additions such as bells, a recorder and a quena. Mike Ratledge, with whom Jenkins had played in Soft Machine, contributed to the first album as well. Jenkins added brass and woodwind for Cantata Mundi, and continued to add more diverse instruments such as acoustic guitar on later albums. From Songs of Sanctuary to Dances of Time, the London Philharmonic Orchestra was used; Jenkins later formed his own Adiemus Orchestra to perform on The Eternal Knot recordings, returning to the LPO for Vocalise. Musical style
The underlying mood of Adiemus is energetic and uplifting, complemented by pieces with what Jenkins describes as an ecclesiastical mood. Many listeners identify the sound of Adiemus with New Age or Celtic music; indeed The Eternal Knot is an explicitly Celtic-themed album that formed the sound-track for the S4C documentary The Celts. In classical music circles Adiemus has struggled to distance itself from the chill out quasi-genre, but the earlier albums are considered important crossover works nonetheless. Audience
Adiemus Discography
Buy Adiemus CDDownload Adiemus mp3Unofficial Adiemus Fan SiteAdiemus Videos Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:09:00 +0200 Govi Biography
A native of Germany, Govi spent eight years living in India. "My approach comes from the meditative and creative environment I experienced while living in India as well as playing with musicians from many different cultures and backgrounds," he says. It was there that Govi started playing the mandolin, mandola cello, sitar, bouzouki, charango and the 8-string ukulele. While in India, he also established a friendship with prominent German new age artist, Deuter. Their mutual admiration and respect led to Deuter co-producing Govi's debut album Sky High throughout which Deuter can be heard playing flutes and keyboards. Govi became fascinated with the guitar very early in life when he simply walked past one in a store window and decided that was the instrument he wanted to play. In his teens, Govi performed as the lead guitarist in bands that played everything from rock to blues, including early Beatles and Pink Floyd. These experiences led to his first professional gig as a member of a group that played original material and won a national band competition and a recording contract which allowed them to tour throughout Germany. Your Lingering Touch, 7th release from Real Music, represents the spectrum of Govi at his most romantic, while the 6th No Strings Attached is a celebration of Govi at his exuberant best -- on Billboard’s New Age Chart for over a year. Guitar Odyssey was his fifth release for Real Music, another chart favorite, following the highly successful Passion & Grace, Heart of a Gypsy, Sky High and Cuchama. Govi describes his compositions as "the natural and inevitable result of moving deeply into the wellsprings of my creativity. My music is a reflection of my vision of life rather than mere notes on a sheet," he adds. The result is a deeply mystical quality that is both jubilant and pensive, music that ultimately reflects the dimensions of the human spirit in all its complexity and simplicity. Judging from the accolades, fans are being taken to new heights of their own by Govi's uplifting melodies. Currently living in Hawaii, Govi contends that the overwhelming response he has received from listeners worldwide is heartening and keeps him going. © RealMusic.com Govi Discography
Buy Govi CDDownload Govi mp3Official Govi site Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:10:00 +0200 Gandalf Profile
GANDALF plays a great variety of instruments (acoustic and electric guitars, sitar, saz, charango, bouzuki, balaphon, piano, synthesizers & sample-keyboards and various percussion) and blends acoustic with electronic and spheric sounds, weaves folk-elements into symphonic structures, creating his unmistakable unique style that made him become one of todays internationally most successful Austrian musicians. The goal of this multi-sided musician is, to dissolve the boundaries between musical categories and styles and to create a cross-cultural global music. On his journeys through Europe, North and South America and Asia he came in touch with most different cultures and found out, that there are more things that unite than seperate the folks on this planet. Similar to symphonic music from the past, GANDALF´s music tells us stories, describes certain moods and magical moments (in American magazines it has been named "21st CENTURY CLASSICAL MUSIC"). At the beginning of the eighties GANDALF was with his albums JOURNEY TO AN IMAGINARY LAND and VISIONS one of the pioneers of a new musical direction that was hard to categorize. Later on it was described as NEW AGE MUSIC or CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL and nowadays it develops more and more into a NEW WORLD-MUSIC, but no category ever really applied to GANDALF´s music. With his live-band he playes at Electronic-Music-festivals as well as at Rock- and Pop-events where the audiences respond very enthusiastically. On a promotion-tour through the USA he played solo-concerts with just acoustic guitar and piano.
In the meantime GANDALF worked with international artists like the (ex-GENESIS) guitarist STEVE HACKETT (CD GALLERY OF DREAMS 1992), and the Tunesian vocalist and oud-player DHAFER YOUSSEF. He wrote music for theatre and films, his records have been in the charts in exotic countries like KOREA and CHILE and can be found on playlists of radiostations all over the planet. 1995 GANDALF went with his band on a concert-tour through BRAZIL, where he met the british cellist and vocalist EMILY BURRIDGE. Together with her he later produced two albums (GATES TO SECRET REALITIES and BARAKAYA). GANDALF´s concept, to follow honestly his musical visions over the past years has proved to work, his music that is inspired by nature and by the wisdom and myths of various cultures, outlasts short-living trends and, in spite of most rapidly changing fashions in todays music-business, constantly finds its audience. With his compositions the sensitive artist points at other realities behind the colourful scenes of our modern consume-society. His music shall encourage us, to start searching for ourselves and to preserve a small piece of individuality in a completely ruled and designed world. Gandalf Discography
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Download Gandalf mp3Click here or here Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:51:00 +0200 Nicholas Gunn Biography
Nicholas Gunn's formal training was as a student of the Royal School of Music in Rochester, England, Gunn's birthplace. It was there that he studied the flute and learned basic theory and music appreciation. When Gunn moved to Southern California, he began writing, producing and performing his own material from his at-home, state-of-the-art production facility. Nicholas has enjoyed phenomenal success with his albums, which include Afternoon in Sedona, The Sacred Fire, The Music of the Grand Canyon, Crossroads and Passion in My Heart. With The Sacred Fire and The Music of the Grand Canyon both charting top ten with Billboard, flutist/multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Gunn is rapidly becoming a genre icon. Expressing his deep regard for the land, its spirit and the essence of human dignity, Nicholas Gunn reveals himself to have evolved as a true pied piper in the field of contemporary instrumental music. His love of the Southwest lent itself perfectly to The Music of the Grand Canyon, part of Real Music's National Parks Seriesô. The Music of the Grand Canyon captures the extraordinary contrasts and voices within the ancient walls of the Canyon. This is the music of the trees and plants and creatures that orchestrate the living memory of what many feel is our nation's most spectacular national park. It is an odyssey of brilliant musical composition, sound effects (recorded on location) and some spoken word from Nicholas Gunn as well as Razor Saltboy, a member of the Navajo Indian Nation. Nicholas Gunn and Real Music donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of this album to The Grand Canyon Association, a non-profit organization working closely on preservation projects with the National Park Service. Gunn frequently shares the spotlight with notable guest performers. The Sacred Fire title track features cellist, Sachi McHenry, supplemented by a stunning blend of flute and percussion. Casandra Sheard adds striking vocals on the infectious, hard driving "Odessa", an AC radio crossover tune that was spun in various dance clubs. Yanni's touring and studio violinist, Karen Briggs, creates a dramatic flair on "From Heaven to Earth." Playing on "Tale of Two Lovers" and "Painted Desert" is classical acoustic guitarist, Zavier, who also performs on The Music of the Grand Canyon. On the Latin-tinged "Baile Para La Luna", (translated "dance to the moon") Robert Miano's vocals give poignancy to Gunn's original vision of a small South American village tribe living oblivious to the modern world. Gunn says his music is about everything in life that is good. "It is a reflection of where I picture the world to be, of everything in balance."
"If it's possible to wear out the grooves of a CD, then I'm sure I'll do it. Sacred Fire is like a wonderful mental journey" - MO, San Diego, CA "Crossroads is absolutely the most beautiful music I have ever heard. The music gives purpose to our soul's journey, very rich and alive. Thank you, Nicholas for sharing your exquisite music" - TS, Englewood, CO Nicholas Gunn Discography
Buy Nicholas Gunn CDDownload Nicholas Gunn mp3Nicholas Gunn Official Site Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:21:00 +0200 Secret Garden Profile
The duo met back in 1994 at the Eurovision Songwriting Contest held that year in Ireland, where both were competing. When they met by chance, they discovered a huge musical connection, and slowly began to work together. Over a period of 9 months from their respective homes, they developed their first album Songs from a Secret Garden. As a result, they were signed to Polygram in Norway, and then represented Norway in the Eurovision contest in ’95. Incidentally, they won—and their careers were launched. Well, their new careers. Both had impressive musical resumés prior to Secret Garden. Fionnuala (pronounced “fi-NOO-la”) Sherry is a well-trained classical violinist and was a 10-year member of the RTE Concert Orchestra in Ireland. She had also done studio violin work for numerous recording artists including Van Morrison, Sinead O’Conner and Clannad. Rolf Lovland was one of Norway’s most successful songwriters, racking up over 60 chart-topping hits for Norwegian and European pop artists. And that’s not a typo—I did say “60.” But being a pop songwriter and a symphony member wasn’t all they dreamed to be in their careers. They both felt a longing toward something different. Though she wasn’t exactly sure what that was, Fionnuala wanted to explore music more expressive of herself. Rolf was writing “secret” music more sophisticated than his pop music, that he had no intention of sharing with anyone but himself. But then they met, and their fates changed, and their new identities were realized. Before NAV first interviewed Secret Garden in 1999, we learned that Lovland was an exchange student in 1972 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and because of his European soccer skills, was recruited to the football team as a kicker. That year, he kicked the longest field goal in state history—a thirty-seven yarder to beat a rival team. When we called some high school statistical gurus in Oklahoma that year, apparently we kicked up some Oklahoman dust. Numerous articles soon after appeared in newspapers about this weird New Age magazine that called about an exchange student who now was apparently “some kinda’ hot shot” in the music world. Old coaches and players from his ’72 squad were found in various parts of the country and were eager to regurgitate exaggerated stories on the glory days and that “quiet” but “good guy” Rolf Lovland. Well, the Oklahoma high school field goal record today is actually 63 yards and it is still unclear as to whether Lovland’s kick was the actual record back then or not, though Lovland was just going by what the yearbook said about his now infamous kick. Just a few minutes before we chatted, I faxed over the Oklahoma news clippings I had found regarding the ruckus we stirred up back then. Needless to day, Lovland was tickled to death reading about old friends and coaches reminiscing about him. Secret Garden Interview
NAV: Hello Fionnuala and Rolf. Lovland: Hello Peter, this is the famous football kicker. Sherry: Gosh we were laughing at those articles. The fact that they are talking about this strange Norwegian guy but nobody can put the two together between Rolf and Secret Garden is what is so funny. We hope that it inspired Forrest Gump (laughs).
NAV: Well, I figured we’d get a laugh out of all this. Anyway, what brings you to the states? I didn’t see you were touring? Sherry: No we’re not touring, but we are here to create awareness for the new album Once In a Red Moon. We wanted to let everyone know we’ve been in isolation for the last two years working on this album, and were now ready to face the world again.
NAV: You haven’t toured in 4 years here, is that right? Does it just take too much out of you to tour the States? Sherry: No, it is really nothing to do with us. We just love to tour and we did tour here in ’99. It is really hard for us to find promoters willing to take us on. We’re an eight-piece band, and it’s big enough to take on the road, but promoters are not in the risk business. We can’t wait to get back touring, and our manager is working on it trying to see what can get set up. We really are hoping and praying that something can be put together. NAV: I know you used to play Border’s stores here a lot. Lovland: We were just talking about that at lunch today. It turned out to be very good for us. We met and connected with our audience there. That is exactly who our audience is. Sherry: We are grateful to them. But Border’s said they are not really interested in doing these kinds of showcases anymore. But we really enjoyed doing it.
NAV: How do you split your time throughout the year? Lovland: Well it depends on what year. Sherry: This last year was one of the first years I spent almost the whole time in Ireland, since we recorded most of the album there—except maybe a few bits and pieces—but that was unusual. Generally, all the creative and pre-working things are done in Norway. And apart from that, I do a little more traveling than Rolf since I’m flying over to Norway a lot to catch up with him.
NAV: You’ve been asked a million times how you met, and I know it was at the Eurovision contest. But we don’t have a contest like that here in the states. Can you tell me what it is exactly? Lovland: It’s been an annual thing since 1955. It’s held in the country of the winner from the year before, so it circulates. Most European countries are in it. There has been some significant acts that have come out of it—like ABBA for example. Sherry: And Celine Dion. Rolf: That’s right. Before she became an American-based artist, she represented Switzerland that year. Lots of others too—Cliff Richard represented the U.K. . . Sherry: I think the only way for someone in America to relate to the size of the contest is that it’s like that football final you have here. NAV: The Superbowl. . . Sherry: Right. About 350 million people on average watch it. So it is just an enormous TV event. Winning it was big for us.
NAV: You’ve sold 3 million records in the world. That’s a lot. I presume you must get airplay everywhere in Europe (or maybe the world) but not so much here in the states, unless it is a specialty “New Age” hour. Does America’s “Top 20 mainstream” way of music perplex you as Europeans? Sherry: Well, radio airplay here in the states is very limited for us. We’ve just come from England. And our new song “You Lift Me Up” from the new album is the most requested song on the BBC right now. But here, it’s hard to come in as an overseas act. We’ve got to think a little differently. We need alternative ways to get established in the market because the normal market is unavailable.
NAV: I presume you may get mobbed as superstars in places outside the U.S., no? Sherry: Its kinda’ fun to arrive in China or Korea. And yes, there are TV cameras and press there, and crowds outside the big stadiums in Shanghai waiting for us to perform. So it is very special and fun for us there. Lovland: Someone at lunch today pointed at me and said “That’s the guy who kicked a 37-yard field goal back in ’72.” [laughing]
NAV: You know Rolf, if this music thing doesn’t work out, there is always the NFL here in the States. Lovland: Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.
NAV: Let’s talk about the term “New Age.” I read in a Wall Street Journal article in ’99 that you said (probably lightheartedly) that when you were signed to a New Age label, you had images of pyramids, crystals and people channeling through dolphins. Has your imaged changed of New Age, for better or worse? Lovland: We are labeled so differently and covered so differently in various parts of the world. In Germany, there was this techno group that covered one of our songs, at the exact same time Barbra Streisand covered a song, and our music was also on a television series. Then there are opera and classical versions of our songs, so we’ve given up on being concerned about being labeled. As an artist, you really shouldn’t try to meet anyone’s expectations about what type of music this is. Maybe that is a healthy thing—that we are letting the marketing thing live in a different world. We should be on the other side of things.
NAV: Well, I ask, because depending on the store, I see you in Celtic sections, New Age or International sections. I was just curious how you saw yourselves. Lovland: We just came back from Japan, and very much to our surprise they call it “healing” music. That is strange for us, because we have to defend ‘why our music is healing.’ I didn’t really plan for this to be healing music, but if you say so. . . But I guess it all points at one thing — that there is a spiritual quality in our music. And that is good, because that is what’s important to us. We think that’s where art should be, and we should be able to inspire and to share emotions in our music.
NAV: Did you get your name from Frances Hodgson Burnett book Secret Garden? Sherry: We came up with it actually, because two days before we were supposed to go on stage at the Eurovision contest, we needed a name. The whole year we were working on the material, we kept referring to the music as “secret music.” Rolf had been working on a lot of this music since ’78. He had been writing a lot of pop music for other artists, but this type of music was for himself. So it was his kind of private music. And it was important to us to find a title that had a descriptive quality and an organic sense to it—something that can grow and change.
NAV: When we chatted with you years ago after your first album, you told us you sent DAT tapes back and forth and played over the phone before getting together? What are the logistics now of working on an album? With your success, has that changed? Lovland: We took a lot of time for this album developing the framework for Once In a Red Moon. I do most of the writing when I’m home and I’m alone. Then we get together at an earliest stage as possible. When we feel we’re ready to get into the arranging and developing the ideas, we normally spend a couple of weeks in the studio in Norway and try to get through a few pieces. Sherry: You know we’re only a short plane ride away from working together. But the difference this time—and we still had the same amount of e-mails and phone calls, and me coming over, and then studio time—but this album was different. But in our meetings before this album, we got back into the frame of mind as to how to create something special. We don’t want to turn out another album just for the sake of it. So you have far more opinions flying at you from every corner because everyone else thinks they know what is best in terms of what is right for their market. And that is a difficult and dangerous road to go down. So Rolf and I had to batten-down-the-hatches more so this time, and find the inspiration and rekindle the passion and joy in the music. And it was hard not to use the security blanket of reusing sounds and things we’ve done before. So we allowed ourselves to invite new people in, and doing so challenged the way we hear new sounds. But that is where the really good stuff can come out.
NAV: Rolf, it is said that the Secret Garden sound is a cross between Celtic and Norwegian musics. We know Celtic, but outside of Greig, I think most people would have a hard time describing what a Norwegian sound is. Can you elaborate on it? Lovland: It’s a cross between Grieg and Ah-Ha. [laughs]. You know, it’s very folk orientated. Even Grieg, his pieces are tunes that were handed down the generations and he cultivated these pieces to concert level. To describe it though, it is a little darker and more melancholy than the Celtic thing. We weren’t out on a mission to prove anything, but when we started Secret Garden, we discovered that we had a lot in common through our roots in our respective music.
NAV: Let’s chat more about the new album. There is a lot of guests on this one. Sherry: It wasn’t really planned at all this way. The song “You Raise Me Up” for instance, when we recorded that, was just violin and it was lovely—if I say so myself [laughing]. But we were listening to it, and there was something left unsaid, and you keep going, and then you think we need a choir, then a gospel choir. It just grew and grew and grew. If you said to us a year ago, we were going to have this song with two choirs including a gospel choir, and a female and male singer, we would have laughed at you. It is just allowing our minds to be open enough. NAV: I thought it was a great idea to have your fans send in a C chord for the end of “Elegie.” Did that take a lot of work to prepare? I presume not everyone was on the 440 tuning system.
Lovland: It was actually better than you’d expect. We didn’t try to reach a professional audience on this. We wanted it to be a real human thing for others to participate in the album, and mainly for the energy of it, as opposed to the music side of it. But we were able to use almost every one—all but two or three of them we just couldn’t use, and we used 66 of them—and we received them recorded on mini-discs, CDs, wave files, and DATS, so we just edited them into Pro Tools. But we described to our fans which octave, how long to sustain the chord, etc. The idea wasn’t to make this professional sounding.
NAV: Several of the pieces on Once In a Red Moon were recorded on first takes. Which ones—I’d like to take a closer listen? That’s got to be a little unnerving... Sherry: I’ll tell you exactly—“Belonging.” The violin recording on that one and “Elegie,” and the very opening violin passages of “You Raise Me Up.” It was very scary to me. I usually want 50 or 60 takes. But we discovered that with these first takes, as a soloist you discover that you bring in the listener in a different way. They say that with actors too. You can do a scene 20 times, but there was a spark in the first take that wasn’t on the second one. And we knew with these takes that they could have been more polished, but there was something we heard in the wrong that was just right.
NAV: Rolf, you were a very successful pop song writer. Do you have a different “Secret Garden” songwriting face you wear, or is Secret Garden music the kind of music you’re writing these days? Lovland: I know that if I hadn’t had my career writing pop songs in Europe, I wouldn’t have had this music today. I grew out of that. I needed to have music that was secret in my heart. I didn’t have a need though to express this music publicly. I wrote them for very pure reasons. So this is how I write music. I don’t have a need to write any other music than this. It’s straight from my soul.
NAV: Are you going to make us wait 3 years again for a studio album? Lovland: You know, maybe. I don’t think it is a point of making as much as you can. It has to be important enough. This one took two years. One year of writing, one year of producing it. And I think that is the place where we want to be. Unless a project or something came up—like a film score—I don’t know.
NAV: Have you been asked to do a film score? Lovland: Well, yes and no. The beginning of this album came from an invitation to write music for a film. It was based on a script here in the states and it was very good, and we were very inspired by it, and three or four of the songs from the new album were meant to be as part of that score, but the film never materialized, so we decided to go ahead with the music as an independent album. But that is one of our dreams, if the right story came along. We’d love to do that. Secret Garden DiscographyAlbums:
Buy Secret Garden CDDownload Secret Garden mp3Official Secret Garden site Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:18:00 +0200 Mythos Profile
Bob D'Eith (piano) and Paul Schmidt (guitar) collectively wrote, produced, and performed on the albums with the help of various session performers. The centerpiece of the Mythos sound rests on the beautiful acoustic guitar and piano, which are accented by haunting and powerful vocals. Tastes of different cultures are combined to achieve an ancient yet timeless ring. Mythos has recently returned with their new album entitled "Eternity", a 16 track collection that combines the timeless and ethereal qualities with expanded influences including jazz, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, and British electronic flavors. Although traditionally wordless, their most recent work features the lyrical vocals of acclaimed session singer Tania Hancheroff and Canadian Music Award winner John Bottomley. Mythos DiscographyAlbums:
Buy Mythos CDDownload Mythos mp3Official Mythos Site Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:46:00 +0200 Vangelis Biography
Vangelis has a unique sound that is the result of his orchestral approach to electronics. His music could be considered symphonic electronica, because he often uses the unique sounds and capabilities of synthesizers in an orchestral way. His playing brings the electronic sounds to life by putting dynamics and expression into them. Vangelis showed his natural talent at an early age. By the age of four, he was playing and making up his own music. His parents exposed him to traditional music training, but he had little interest in this, preferring to follow his own inspiration. This lack of interest in traditional classical music infuses his work. While his playing is often quite virtuosic, he music does not explore the complex structures and development of classical music, instead focusing on creating new approaches to orchestration. As a young man, Vangelis was in several rock bands. His band Formynx was popular because it was one of Greece's first rock bands. With Demis Roussos and Loukas Sideras, Vangelis formed a progressive rock band, Aphrodite's Child. They released several acclaimed albums, and had several number one singles in Europe. Their most significant release was the controversial double album 666. This was the first music that provides a taste of Vangelis' later output. In the early seventies, Vangelis recorded several soundtracks for the French director Frederic Rossif. He also released his first solo ablum, the progressive rock Earth. Earth continued some of the ideas that Vangelis explored on 666, such as chant-like vocals, serious lyrical themes, and a more orchestral rock feel. In 1974, Vangelis moved to London. He signed with RCA and build Nemo Studios, a large recording studio with 24-track capabilities. This is where Vangelis created his unique sound, and some of his most important work. His work at Nemo included Heaven and Hell, Albedo 0.39, Spiral and Opera Sauvage. In the eighties, Vangelis developed a more mature symphonic electronica style. He recorded many solo albums, including See You Later, Mask, and Direct. His best known work from this time, though, is his soundtrack work. In 1981, he scored Chariots of Fire, for which he won an Oscar. His score for Blade Runner was a crucial element of the movie's appeal. He contributed a tragic, minimal score to the movie Missing. His recording Antartica captures the music of a movie by the same name. He also contributed scores to The Bounty and other movies. In the nineties through this day, his recorded output has slowed somewhat from his peak. Some of the recordings from this era include The City, Voices and 1492: The Conquest of Paradise. Vangelis has colloborated with a large number of artists. Since the 1970's he has worked with Jon Anderson of Yes. Their recordings together include Short Stories and Friends of Mr. Cairo. His recordings with Irene Papas, including 1986's Rhapsodies, are beautiful, dramatic, and expressive. Other important collaborators include Demis Roussos and Montserrat Caballe. Vangelis is still active, though not as prolific as in the seventies and eighties. He's worked on several stage productions recently, and on a set of pieces linked to NASA's Mission to Mars, Mythodea. Vangelis DiscographySolo albums:
Buy Vangelis CDDownload Vangelis mp3 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:03:00 +0100 Kitaro Biography
Kitaro was born on February 4, 1953 in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. His parents were shintoistic farmers. Kitaro taught himself how to play guitar, inspired by the R&B musician Otis Redding. He says of teaching himself, "I never had education in music, I just learned to trust my ears and my feelings." He gives credit for his creations to a power beyond himself. "This music is not from my mind," he said. "It is from heaven, going through my body and out my fingers through composing. Sometimes I wonder. I never practice. I don't read or write music, but my fingers move. I wonder 'Whose song is this?' I write my songs, but they are not my songs." While attending Toyohashi Commercial High School, he organized the "Albatross" band with his friends. At that time, they performed in parties and clubs. "In high school, I was in an amateur band. I started out playing the guitar but then changed to the keyboards. Before one of our gigs, the drummer was injured. I had no experience at all on the drums, but I had to learn it because I was the leader of the band, and we had to do the gig. My drumming was not very good, but we got through the show in one piece. Later, the bassist had injuries, so I had to learn how to play the bass. [These accidents are] the main reasons why I can play all these instruments; I had a crash course in how to play them. It was a hard time for me, but a very good experience. It created the base knowledge of all the instruments I use and need to create my current brand of music. After graduating, I really wanted to be in the music business, so I moved to Tokyo and started looking for bands to play with. I basically did it for the experience and to get a feel of all the clubs that were available in Tokyo and Yokohama. At that time I played keyboards, and then I discovered the synthesizer. This was a revelation. First of all, the instructions for the thing were in English so I couldn't read them. I was trying to make sounds but couldn't! I tried for a whole day, but no sound ever came out because I didn't know how to program it or set it up. Finally, the first sound I got off this thing was a wind-like sound, but I was so elated that I actually made some noise, it didn't matter. I turned one of the knobs slowly to make more wind-like noises. Then I decided to buy another synthesizer to form a different type of sound. I just loved the analog sound that it made compared to today's digital sound. Now, my equipment and synthesizers are all analog. But technically, digital is much easier to use for editing and other stuff." His parents were first opposed to the idea of their son having a musical career. They had other plans for him and in an attempt to get him to see their way, made arrangements for him to take a job at a local company. However he left home without telling them before. He supported himself by taking on several part time jobs such as cooking and civil service work while composing songs at night. In the early '70s he changed completely to keyboards. He joined the band "Far East Family Band" and toured with them around the world. In Europe he met the German synthesizer musician and former Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulze. Schulze produced two albums for the band and gave Kitaro some tips for the use of synthesizers. In 1976 he left the band and travelled through Asia (China, Laos, Thailand, India). Solo career
He struck a worldwide distribution arrangement with Geffen Records in 1986; in 1987 he collaborated with different musicians, e.g. with Micky Hart (Grateful Dead) and Jon Anderson (Yes) and his record sales soared to 10 million worldwide. He was then nominated twice for a Grammy and his soundtrack (for the movie "Heaven & Earth") won a 1994 award for best original score. His biggest musical success was the Grammy Award 2001 for his album Thinking of You. Personal lifeKitaro is very modest. "Nature inspires me. I am only a messenger", he said. "To me, some songs are like clouds, some are like water". Since 1983 his reverence for nature leads Kitaro to annually give thanks to Mother Nature in a special "concert" on Mount Fuji or near his house in Colorado. On the day of the full moon of August he beats on the Taiko drum from dusk to dawn. Frequently his hands become bloodied, but he continues to pound. From 1983 till 1990 he was married with his first wife Yuki Taoka. Yuki is a daughter of Kazuo Taoka, godfather of Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest Yakuza syndicate. Kitaro and Yuki have a son, Ryunosuke, who lives in Japan. They separated because Kitaro worked most time in the United States while she lived and worked in Japan. In the middle of the 1990s Kitaro married Keiko Matsubara, a musician who played on several of his albums. With her and her son Kitaro lived in Ward, Colorado on a 180 acre (730,000 m2) spread and composed in his 2500 square foot (230 m2) home studio "Mochi House" (it is large enough to hold a 70 piece orchestra). Kitaro and Keiko recently relocated to Occidental, California. Other worksHe has also worked with Virtuoso Guitarist Marty Friedman, formerly of Megadeth, on the "Scenes" album, which had a significal impact on the forthcoming Kitaro's "Mandala" release. Kitaro is also known as a composer of the soundtrack for Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth" film. Kitaro Discography
Buy Kitaro CDDownload Kitaro mp3 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:30:00 +0100 Karunesh Profile
It was during five years that Karunesh lived in an ashram in Germany that he had the opportunity to learn from and play together with musicians from cultures around the world. Music was a vital part of the mystical experience being pursued and where Karunesh (Sanskrit for "compassion") says he developed the ability to weave different styles and feelings together into a living symbiosis - a symbiosis carried by his own very unique and personal "melodies from the heart." Karunesh was born in 1956 in Cologne, Germany. Although he had been drawn to music as a child and played in bands as a teen, he chose to study graphic design as a career. After attaining his degree, the path did not feel right for him and as sometimes happens to prompt us of a critical need for a change in direction, Karunesh was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. For two weeks, he was suspended between life and death, and this experience sparked the beginning of his spiritual path. In 1979 he made his first journey to India and began to follow his heart. His music has strong Asian and Indian influences prevalent throughout, with liberal use of Indian instruments (like the sitar for example). In 1984 Karunesh released his first album "Sounds of the Heart Karunesh has lived in Maui, Hawaii, since 1992, bathed in the healing warmth and fragrances of the tropics. From this island's feminine embrace, he creates music that holds a beautiful, sacred and healing resonance for those who listen. It was over breakfast one morning in Maui that company president Terence Yallop, with his background of Taoist philosophy and t'ai chi, and Karunesh, musician, sat down to talk about their hopes and dreams. From this meeting their creative collaboration was formed and Zen Breakfast conceived. Nirvana Cafe (c) RealMusic.com Karunesh Discography
Buy Karunesh CDDownload Karunesh mp3Official Karunesh Site Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:42:00 +0100 Amethystium Profile
Somewhere past the home of Enigma, along the road to Paul Schwartz and around the corner from Delerium is the house that Oystein Ramfjord built and it is called Amethystium. His structure is a lofty edifice teeming with tier upon tier of haunting vocals, memorable sound vignettes and atmospheric fairytales. His road to success is now chronicled in the album Emblem These fifteen pieces are from his first three albums, Odonata Ethereal (Odonata) exemplifies the wind swept movements, haunting piano and the serene atmosphere that Amethystium creates song after song. It conveys the amazing feeling of discovery and the reward of peace that is attained when we accept our surroundings. Arcus (Evermind) is perhaps another way of traveling full circle on the path of life. The song contains beautiful ephemeral vocals for us and comfortable sound memories for Ramfjord. The haunting voice is perchance an echo from the past and the moderate tempo and melody are the footsteps of the present that return to familiar places. Autumn Interlude (Aphelion) has its title taken from a Steven Hewitt poem. The song contains a wraithlike mix of male chant background, celestial female voice and a dulcet melody that is very soothing. The piano is something Ronan Hardiman might play in exaltation of the season. Featuring the muted sound of Shakuhachi flute, Odyssey (Odonata) is the journey you take across rippling blue oceans, over dusty, sun drenched plains and perhaps even between mountain-covered continents. From the east to the west the passage is fraught with the excitement of discovery. Each new land brings gifts of knowledge, invention and newfound peace. In Elvensong (Aphelion) you can actually hear the wings of the dragonfly as he flitters from reed to reed dappling the water’s surface like a single raindrop. On the fly he is ever the explorer, the discoverer and the predator. In the music our winged warrior guide takes us to the land of the elves. It is a magical place where the pursuit of peace and learning are paramount to the existence of a legendary society. This is an excellent piano, bass and cello combination that flies on gossamer wings and lands like cloud mist. It is one of the best of the album and a definitive example of Amethystium’s work. Oystein Ramfjord started this project in his teens and received immediate success not only in Norway , but world wide. It didn’t take long for him to have a following of fans that hold their collective breaths between each new release and are wholly contented with the offerings. I must say that I enjoyed the sonic landscapes tremendously. All the elements, the voices, male and female, the bass rhythms, the flowing melodies and the overall theme was soothing and satisfying. Now I’ll have to go chase down all his albums. But it will be worth it. (c) NewAgeReporter.com Amethystium Discography
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If you have owned a television or a radio in the past 15 years in any of more than 40 countries around the world, you have probably heard the music of Chris Spheeris. In addition to having been a staple in the new age and smooth jazz radio formats, the music of Chris Spheeris has surfaced in the olympics, in soap operas, world skating championships, commercials and behind countless documentaries. In his unassuming, yet profound way, Chris Spheeris continues to provide inspiration, joy, and beauty to the hearts of millions.
Under the influences of Joni Mitchell, early Genesis, Cat Stevens, The Talking Heads, his beloved cousin Jimmie Spheeris and other visionaries of the era, Spheeris along with his best friend at the time, Paul Voudouris, entertained and inspired restaurant, coffee house, symphony, and college audiences with a blend of all original music and lyrics that was highly progressive and original. After six years, hundreds of performances, and four recordings, Chris and Paul went their separate ways.
Over the next 15 years, through his recordings Pathways to Surrender (1988), Enchantment (1991), Culture (1993), Desires (1994), Europa (1995), Mystic Traveller (1996), Eros (1997), Dancing with the Muse (1999), and The Best of Chris Spheeris (2000), Spheeris developed a signature style of cross-cultural, romantic instrumental music. His geographic and spiritual odysseys have imbued his music with a quality that is at once, intimate, exotic, passionate and universal. His 17 recordings have found more than one million homes and the 50 documentary films that he has scored have been broadcast globally. Enchantment, his 1991 collaboration with long-time creative partner Paul Voudouris, moved the spanish public in platinum numbers and is considered a new age classic. In 1995, Chris received a gold record in Greece when cypriot singer Constantina recorded one of his compositions. Regarding this achievement, Chris states, "it was an honor to be in a place to give something back to the rich greek culture that has given so much inspiration to my life and my music." In 1997, with co-producer Robert Cory, Spheeris scored the 13-part award winning series Mystic Lands, directed by Chip Duncan and narrated by acclaimed actor Edward James Olmos. In 2000, Chris entered the world of rap when legendary rapper Raekwon used 3 Spheeris compositions on his Immobilarity record. Also in 2000, Spheeris provided the music for a series of short-form victories by world-class russian skater Irina Slutskaya. In 2001, Chris produced two new recordings, Brio a guitar-oriented collaboration with stellar guitarist Anthony Mazzella, and Adagio, a solo-piano recording with Greek-American George Skaroulis interpreting Spheeris compositions. In November of 2001, Spheeris was awarded "Musician of the Year" by the Elios Society, for his artistic and cultural contributions.
In his own quiet and dedicated fashion, Chris Spheeris continues to mature as an innovative and prolific composer and instrumentalist, touching the lives of millions in ways that are not always recognized by the media. Living currently in the high desert of Arizona, Chris Spheeris remains a consummate traveler, both creatively and geographically, and a student of world cultures. Spiritual by nature, he sums his perspective up in the following way: "I experience divinity in everything and particularly in the process of creating . My medium is invisible. Working in this medium has taught me faith in the intangibles. Every day I do my work, I have an intimate exchange with God."
Medwyn is a legend in the world of music with over two million album sales to his credit. He has gained an international reputation for composing and recording quite stunning music. He is regarded as being amongst the finest multi-instrumentalist in the music industry. Amongst his credits are "Earth Healer" which was voted leading instrumental album of 1992 and the acclaimed "Druid" trilogy. His reputation was further recognised with three phenomenally successful music albums, "Way of the Dolphin" and "Great Spirit" for which he was awarded Gold Disc status with each album selling in excess of 100,000; and "Medicine Woman" which was awarded Gold, Platinum and a coveted 'Best Album Ever' award in 2002 for selling in excess of 300,000.
Oslo, Norway in 1957, beginning piano lessons at age five. As a teen he played bass in a rock band but returned to his classical roots in time to study piano, flute and composition at a private Music Conservatory in Oslo; by the 1980s, however, Sevåg had become fascinated by the possibilities offered by the development of the synthesizer, and he plunged into electronic music with his self-released 1989 debut LP Close Your Eyes and See.
Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring harmonised vocal melody against an orchestral background. There are no lyrics as such, instead the vocalists sing syllables and 'words' invented by Jenkins. However, rather than creating musical interest from patterns of phonemes as in scat singing, the language of Adiemus is carefully stylised so as not to distract the listener's attention from the pitch and timbre of the voice—for example, as in African languages, syllables ending in consonants are rare. The core concept of Adiemus is that the voice should be allowed to function as nothing more than an instrument, a post-modern approach that has become something of a trend in recent choral writing, for example Vangelis's score for the film 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992). The word Adiemus itself resembles a Latin word meaning 'We will draw near', though incorrectly formed; Jenkins claims to have been unaware of this.
The session singer Miriam Stockley performed the vocal parts on the first four albums. Additional vocals were provided by Mary Carewe on all but Dances of Time, which saw the introduction of the Finnish Adiemus Singers (who would later reappear on Vocalise). Extra vocals and the chorus effects were created by overdubbing multitracked recordings of the singers (in some cases up to forty times) and varying the speed of the tape. Stockley was described by Jenkins as central to the Adiemus project due to her range and intonation, however for reasons that remain unclear she was not re-engaged for Vocalise.
Though there has been considerable evolution over the course of the project, the musical language of Adiemus draws heavily on classical and world music. Jenkins follows conventions of tonality up to a point—his harmony is derived from gospel and African music, decorated with functional dissonances such as suspensions and with greater freedom of movement between loosely related key areas. The percussion section, when used prominently, typically gives the pieces an upbeat, tribal-like rhythm.
Songs of Sanctuary was a huge commercial success, topping classical album charts. It is considered by critics to be the quintessential album, on which Jenkins' vision succeeds to the greatest extent with the fewest resources. Though none of its successors has achieved the same critical acclaim, Adiemus acquired a cult following and maintained a place in mainstream consciousness through its use in TV commercials, in particular the track Adiemus in a Delta Air Lines commercial (for which the project began), and Cantilena from Cantata Mundi in a recent Cheltenham & Gloucester commercial. The Adiemus track was used at the beginning and end of James Brandon's magic show "Imagine" which played at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas in the late 1990s, and is currently used as the soundtrack behind the Kubla Khan pillar show at the end of the big room cave tour in Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. Additionally, Adiemus was used in the trailer to Invisible Children's documentary movie. It is also used in the New South Wales Tourism TV commercials (Australia). The Adiemus track was also used as an unofficial soundtrack to the Italian tv program Stargate, a weekly La7 and former TMC documentary on archaeology and mystical topics. In South Korea, Adiemus was used to showcase the world phone service of SK Telecom in 2004.
Every so often, a musician emerges who is quite unlike any that have come before; a musician that reflects not an imitation of styles and tones, but who embodies the entire spectrum of styles in such a unique way that "categorizing" is impossible. Guitarist Govi (go' vee) is one of those artists.
GANDALF can be called a "PAINTER OF MUSICAL LANDSCAPES", he is a composer, musician and producer of meanwhile numerous album releases. His name originated from J.R.R.TOLKIEN´s cult-epic "THE LORD OF THE RINGS".
1990 the self-taught musician composed and arranged a complete orchestral piece (SYMPHONIC LANDSCAPES) which was performed live as part of the Vienna Music Summer - festival with the ORCHESTER DER VEREINIGTEN BÜHNEN WIEN (conducted by Caspar Richter) at the WIENER KONZERTHAUS.
Once in a while a rare talent emerges in the competitive arena of contemporary instrumental music. Real Music recording artist Nicholas Gunn has planted himself firmly in the forefront of remarkable talent.
Fionnuala Sherry and Rolf Lovland make a striking couple. She is a petite Irish beauty and classically trained violinist whose flowing golden locks dance while tearing up her violin like Paganini. He is a soft-spoken and clean-cut handsome Norwegian keyboardist and composer, with a sharp sense of humor and a light Nordic accent to his perfect English. Though she resides in Dublin and he in Oslo, they look straight out of a glamorous Hollywood movie. Together they make up Secret Garden, one of today’s most interesting and captivating musical success stories. Their four studio albums and Best of compilation have sold an impressive 3 million copies worldwide, and their music takes listeners on magical musical adventures to the mysterious parts of Norway and Ireland that most of us have only dreamed about. Their success lies in their lyrical songs and passionate instrumental arrangements that blend zesty doses of traditional Irish and Norwegian sounds with classical styles.
And that is where we began our interview—with Ms. Sherry and Mr. Lovland, who sat at Universal Music’s office in New York City, doing press for their latest and possibly best album to date, Once In a Red Moon.
Mythos has been described as ambient yet groove oriented, ethereal yet grounded, and otherworldly. The Canadian duo first achieved international acclaim with their self-titled 1998 Higher Octave Music/Virgin Records debut, combining electronic sounds with an eclectic range of ancient and modern flavors. The album quickly reached No. 18 on the Billboard New Age albums chart, and the duo's second release "The Reality Of A Dreamer" reached No. 6 on the same chart. Victoria's Secret used the music of Mythos for their Cannes 2000 fashion show, and many film and television shows have used the music of Mythos to enhance their visuals. Mythos songs have also been featured on several compilation CDs such as Warner Music's "Escapes II", the Due South compilation CD, and a special charity CD "Love Conquers All" featuring Canadian artists in support of the September 11th fund.
Vangelis has been one of the most acclaimed electronic musicians of all time. He has recorded a great variety of music over the last thirty years, won the academy award for musical score, composed hit songs, and written the scores for several ballets. Vangelis is best known for his music that was featured in the television show Cosmos, and his scores to movies. His scores include Chariots of Fire, The Bounty, and Blade Runner. His music is very melodic, drawing on the melodies of folk music, especially the Greek music of his homeland.
Kitaro is a new age composer and multi-instrumentalist. His real name is Masanori Takahashi. Pseudonym "Kitaro" was given by his friends because of a Japanese television cartoon character named Kitaro.
Back in Japan Kitaro started his solo career in 1977. The first two albums Ten Kai and From the Full Moon Story became cult favorites of fans of the nascent New Age movement. He performed his first symphonic concert at the 'Small Hall' of the Kosei Nemkin Kaikan in Shinjuku, Toyko. During this concert Kitaro used a synthesizer to recreate the sounds of 40 different instruments, a world's first. But it was his famous soundtrack for the NHK series "Silk Road" which brought him the international attention.
Upon hearing the sacred qualities in 
, it comes as no surprise that Karunesh's natural talent for musical expression was initially nurtured in a spiritual environment. The music of 
," an album that quickly became a classic in the new age genre. More albums followed. With 450,000 albums sold to date, Karunesh has become established as one of the best-known artists in the genre.
, Karunesh's second album for Real Music and another tasty sonic treat, released in 2002. Both albums have achieved positions on Billboard's New Age Chart.
Amethystium is a pioneer of so called ethereal music - relatively new subgenre of new age music. Started at mp3.com in 2000 this project became widely popular among new age music fans.
. Ramfjord is a musical wizard whose style would be at ease inside a Tolkien novel, a Middle Eastern oasis or on a journey to Jostedalsbreen, Norway's longest glacier. If anything the music of Amethystium gives credence to a new world of imagination.
, 
, and 
, (the Dragonfly Trilogy), a series of recordings that has garnered him a plethora of New Age fans world wide. Just follow the dragonfly...