Instrumental New Age-Chill-Classical Review: Richard Dillon-Terra Incognito-The Space Between Us

Release Date: February 14, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

Before settling in and taking in Terra Incognito-The Space Between Us, I thought about the three albums I had the pleasure of covering last year.  I got to know Richard through Ring Around The Moon, Irish Mist and The Land of Nod Lullabies for the Listless. There is a saying…familiarity breeds contempt, in this that could not be further from the truth. Having a comfort zone before I started made it even easier for me to get into my mindset for listening.

Although I do have that zone with Richard’s music, I certainly never know what to expect from him one album to the next. The only realistic expectation I have is that his music will be a great experience from start to finish.

Terra Incognito is unfamiliar territory, a new path or journey one is experiencing. A similar term, Terra Incognita, is in reference to territories that have not be mapped. To put it in layman’s terms, this is the unknown. Like Captain Kirk and his crew aboard the starship enterprise, we embark upon a journey with wonder and excitement, with no prior knowledge of what will come our way.

Terra Incognito-The Space Between Us is everything that I just discussed. Such diversity presented so well deserves a hearty salute and tip of the cap. Richard manages to record 24 tracks and some redux’s with an energy and grace that comes flowing through the music like a steady running stream. 

The colors are changing all the time on this recording. From track to track you just do not know what is coming next. It is like having Christmas at your own private music shop and Richard is the sole proprietor. The reason this recording is so eclectic is that it takes past recordings and weaves them together to encompass orchestration and licensing going back to 1984 all the way to present day.

It is music for movies, documentaries, commercials, just about anything you can imagine. Instrumental music is much more flexible when it comes to using it for various media purposes. I really appreciated the ground covered musically and the titles range from “In Search of Chocolate” to “Leonardo’s Flying Machine.” There is no connection whatsoever with those two tracks but yet they find a home here in this collection.

Terra Incognito-The Space Between Us unites us as listeners and human beings even though it is unchartered territory, our similarities and the world around us is what makes us one planet and one people. It is like taking a “Light of Peace” to heal us and help us to grow in many ways. The universal healer and language of music once again can be the answer.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 5, 2018

Founder of:

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Tracks:
01. Whalesong (Redux)
02. Green Flash (Redux)
03. The Space Between
04. Dust Devil
05. Ice Dancer (Redux)
06. Color Me
07. In Search of Chocolate
08. Leonardo's Flying Machine
09. Beside Still Waters (Redux)
10. Papillon (Redux)
11. Lead Kindly Night
12. It's All Right (Redux)
13. Cars
14. Voyager
15. Into the Mines
16. He Leadeth Me Beside Still Waters (Redux)
17. A Different Time a Different Place (Redux)
18. Light of Peace (Redux)
19. Goodbye for Now
20. Sea of Forgetfulness
21. Ha Long Bay
22. Missing You
23. January Moon (Redux)
24. I Could Care Less

Singer/Songwriter David Fitzpatrick to Release Studio Album "Parachutes in Hurricanes"

New album due APRIL 27th

Guitarist/Songwriter David Fitzpatrick who has led Milwaukee’s Dave Fitzpatrick Band for decades will release his first major solo work entitled “Parachutes in Hurricanes” on Daystorm Music. Known for his production résumé, musician/engineer/producer Gary Tanin (Jack Spann, Sam Llanas, Roger Powell, Daryl Stuermer) was recruited to collaborate on Fitzpatrick’s solo opus due to arrive April 27th.

Nearly three years in the making, many musicians provided their artistry along with core members of David’s band. Fitzpatrick and Tanin spent countless session hours crafting the melodies and arrangements that resulted in the compositions on the album. “It was an extensive undertaking that could only have been steered by this songwriter’s single-minded passion for perfection,” explains producer Gary Tanin, “It took David's uncompromising excellence, courage, persistence, and dedication to the art form. I'm extremely proud of our achievement.”

Under the eagle eye of veteran engineer Ric Probst, Planet Green Productions recorded the entourage at Tanner-Monagle, Inc. Guest musicians included Jack Spann, Jazz Guitar legend Dick Eliot, Dave Schoepke, Michael Koch, Ethan Bender, Saxophonist Luke Lilla, and Dave Fitzpatrick Band members Paul Noeske, Gerry Ochoa, Craig Brog and Tom Buckley.



“Fitzpatrick's vocalizing comes on like Metallica's James Hetfield raised on an aural diet of John Mellencamp and The Smithereens tops off a sound at once reassuringly familiar and yet currently unique.” Jamie Lee Rake - Shepherd Express

A “spiritual restlessness” in a body of work that represents a life’s worth of insight, "Parachutes in Hurricanes" balances joy and darkness expressing down-to-earth emotion packed with heartfelt examinations of love and life that every person can relate to.

The album releases April 27th in digital formats and June 8th in physical formats through Daystorm Music. Available digitally on 04/27 via  iTunes, Amazon or CD Baby.

For information on David Fitzpatrick visit: www.facebook.com/davefitzpatrickband

Contact: Gary Tanin - Daystorm Music, PH: 414-321-9956, daystormusic@garytanin.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

New Age World Review: Darlene Koldenhoven-Chromatones

Release Date: June 1, 2018

Label: TimeArt Recordings

Website

It is a pleasure once again to have the opportunity to cover the musical journeys of Ms. Darlene Koldenhoven. It was nearly a year ago that I was introduced to her fascinating Color Me Home CD.

Now Chromatones has arrived. I figured it would be hard to top the previous release, however after 3 tracks I got the feeling that she has set the bar even higher. The new age and world elements come together in an explosion of sound and bright colors, painting your consciousness into the music effortlessly.

There are a number of important contributors from the New Age community that help to make this a great listen. Steve Shepherd (engineer, mixer, sound effects), Joanne Lazzaro (flute, alto flute, piccolo), Jeff Oster (flugelhorn), Al Jewer (English Horn), Tom Scott (clarinet), Wouter Kellerman (flute, bass flute), and there are many more. This is like having an all-star musical team to back her on this recording. And of course, the shining star of the show, Darlene, who not only composes, produces, arranges and engineers the tracks, she provides piano, keyboards, synths, and the Native drums and shaker.

The first track that really moved me was “Red Savannah.”  Its complexities and textures are like an intricately woven patchwork quilt.  The selection of instruments and the mix of them makes for an outstanding listen from the very first note to the last. 

“Native Bloom” with its earthy tones, rhythms and select instruments like the Native Flute make you feel like you stepped into a time capsule back to the time when our first Americans inhabited the land. It’s a strong yet beautiful reminder of how important these gifted people were and how their influence and heritage shaped our nation. I would advise putting your headphones or earbuds in and sitting back and letting the music form the thoughts and images in your mind’s eye. It is so healing to hear this music and it is presented exceptionally well.

There is so much to offer on Chromatones and I only scratched the surface of what is in store if you get this music (you can pre-order it April 25th). I think Darlene Koldenhoven has hit a high watermark with this recording. As I said about Color Me Home, I think this will be in the running for a Grammy. This is music for the heart, soul, and mind of any listener. 

For my ears, this kind of music and the quality of the production serves many areas in the world of media including soundtracks for nature specials, movies or sound bites for commercials, or for the most important audience, for those looking for solace and healing.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 2, 2018

Founder of:

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Tracks: 
01.Golden Dawn
02. Morning Dew
03. Red Savannah
04. Swans on the Seine
05. Terra
06. Native Bloom
07. Vibrant Worlds
08. Chromatones
09. Prism
10. Painted In Time
11. Waltzing in Planetary Time

Instrumental New Age Chill Review: 7and5-The Lost Voice

Release Date: March 30, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

The name 7and5 (John Nixon) came from the fact that all musical notes can be expressed within an octave on a piano as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. That is the explanation I received from John Nixon over 3 years ago when I covered his album Themes For A Grey Day.

So, you probably got the hint that 7and5 is a keyboard player. Well, now you know if you didn’t. So, one day after its release I am listening to The Lost Voice. Now I remember why I enjoyed his music so much.

I got one step “Closer to Heaven,” with the atmospheric and intriguing opening track. I think we all get closer to the heavens when we let the music do all the work. For 7and5 it has been a musical evolution since the beginning when his first release In A Moments Time came out in 2006.  

7and5 is a clever composer and musician. It is not always the easiest thing taking highly technical music and giving it rhythm and purpose. That is exactly what he does on The Lost Voice. The cover is very interesting and thought-provoking, which is yet another aspect of artistry that I appreciate. Some artist will tell that there is no meaning to the cover on the CD and say “I thought it was a cool picture.” I do not think that is the case here. 

What you see is a pure white phone on what appears to be on the white sand of a beach. The main message here is the cord connecting the phone has no end to it. There is a voice, it is connected but for now, it is just lost. Perhaps the music will elevate the voice’s purpose so it finds its way home? Are the cords end at the beginning of the water's edge or at the skyline? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the answer is that we are all connected to Mother Nature and the significance of the cord leads back to the ocean from whence all life came from. Are we a lost human race looking for our way home?

Ok, that is a lot of thought about one picture, I know. That is positive proof that images can be powerful and when you combine images and sound you can find your way home. You find your “Presence” is necessary to receive the messages inside the music. That makes sense to me because I let the music envelop me, which allows relaxation and complete freedom of thought and expression. That is what the listening “experience” is for me. It is different for everyone.

I know one thing for sure, The Lost Voice is a very good album. Once again, this kind of music reminded of some of my favorite ambient and atmospheric bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. The elements of simplicity with the piano combined with the synths and computer-generated sounds is like the meeting of the best of both worlds. It takes vision and intelligence to stand alone and create music like this. It all flows together from one track to the next like our brain synapses growing with each thought. The more you use it the stronger and more useful it becomes.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

March 31, 2018

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Tracks:
01. Closer to Heaven
02. Life at Once
03. Father
04. Mi Deh Yah
05. Glistening
06. Blue Flame
07. Open Up
08. Presence
09. Winter Frost
10. Heart to Heart
11. Man Plans, God Laughs
12. Distant Memory
13. Wavecrest
14. Epilogue

New Album By French Composer Alan Simon "BIG BANG" Featuring Members of Supertramp and Saga - Now Available!

BIG BANG! An Experiment! Event!

In collaboration with NASA and its amazing sound bank from the universe, the French composer and creator of Excalibur: The Celtic Rock Opera, Alan Simon, now offers an original album of 14 great elegant tracks: “BIG BANG”.

120 musicians participated in this musical odyssey that invites the listener back to the origins of the universe and to the destiny of planet Earth. On average, 200 active tracks per title were required for its production by Alan Simon & Marco Canepa. Folk, rock, jazz and world musicians contributed to this effort.

Among the exceptional guests: The legendary SUPERTRAMP saxophonist John Helliwell provides all the solos, the singer of the legendary Canadian group SAGA Michael Sadler for the single “Fools”, the famous Celtic harpist singer ALAN STIVELL on the title “Solarius” and finally the Golden voice of Labyrinth: Roberto Tiranti.

Moreover the album “BIG BANG” is now the soundtrack of the city of space in Toulouse (in France). An event concert is being planned for 2019 in this theme park of the universe. Meanwhile, the album is now available worldwide via Cherry Red Records.

The CD is embellished with a booklet including original photos supplied by NASA and quotes from the visionary explorers of the universe.

Big Bang is an exceptional musical experience to be shared!

To purchase: 
Amazon http://geni.us/BigBang
iTunes http://geni.us/BigBangDig

Alan Simon's official website: http://www.alansimononline.com/eng.html ;

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com