CD Descriptions

Feet in the Soil /Asher
Category: Percussion
James Asher, a well-known keyboardist in the ambient/new age music field, has always had a first love for the drums. On FEET IN THE SOIL Asher provides listeners with rhythms of infectious, hypnotic and tribal quality joined by didgeridoos, voices, djembe, darabuk, flute, cello, guitars, percussion and more. The two tracks that form the bookends of this album were inspired by Pemulwuy, an Aborigine, whose name means "earth." The tracks in between are an uplifting celebration on danceable energies centered in the earth. Kick off your shoes and get your feet into the soil!
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Helpers, Guides & Allies /Metcalf 
Category: Percussion  
For over 40,000 years shamanic societies throughout the world have used various musical strategies to achieve altered states of consciousness. These states, which are believed to be essential components to most of their sacred rituals and ceremonies, offer infinite varieties of inner landscapes which the shaman must navigate in order to retrieve insight and wisdom, and bring healing to the community. Drums and percussion, played in a continuous, driving manner are the basic instruments used for these purposes. With this in mind, Helpers, Guides & Allies...was inspired by Byron's passionate interest and involvement in the healing potential of non-ordinary (altered states) of consciousness.
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Jiva Mukti /Shakti 
Category: Sacred / Chant
The always surprising Bruce BecVar - last year's flamenco guitar master - is this year's arranger, composer and performer, with the sweet-voiced Nada Shakti, of lyrical Indian and Tibetan mantras and chants. Expect a sacred, holy sound but don't expect a restricted and perfunctory performance. BecVar's backup provides strong, rhythms and melodies that create a seamless mood. The melodies are performed on a rich assortment of instruments, including the 28-string shakti harp, a BecVar original. A very strong piece of work, especially for those building a World Music collection.
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Kirtan! The art & practice of ecstatic chant   /Jai Uttal  
Category: Sacred / Chant
If you were to discuss chief innovators in the realm of Eastern and Western fusion, no doubt Jai Uttal's name would be one of the first to be mentioned. Peppering his chants with elements of various other cultures, his diverse compositions have helped to close the gap between the disparate musical cultures of America and Asia. With KIRTAN!, Uttal uses his music to teach listeners the fundamentals of the kirtan, a call-and-response style Sanskrit prayer to the divine. Disc 1 features songs that shed light onto the history of devotional chanting. These feature clear enunciation of the vowels/syllables for ease of learning. Disc 2 features Uttal singing only the base chants. This is a great album for finding healing and enlightenment through music.
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The Lama's Chants /Lama Gyurme / Rykiel 
Category: Tibetan
Originally released almost a decade ago, THE LAMA'S CHANT is a landmark recording that blends the serene, humble singing of Lama Gyurme with ambient synthesizer backdrops by Jean-Philippe Rykiel. Although creating a tasteful blending of Eastern and Western cultures is always a balancing act, THE LAMA'S CHANT is a wonderful example of how moving the results can sound when done correctly. Lama Gyurme's voice is in the medium ranges and has a melodic quality to it, which makes listening to him very hypnotic. The synthesizer work of Rykiel is very non-obtrusive, swirling in the backdrop and acting to enhance Lama Gyurme's voice rather than exist as a separate entity. Included are two discs - the first offers songs for awakening and enlightenment (the original LAMA'S CHANT CD) and the second presents a series of cuts that were performed live at concerts during the late 90's.
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Music for Yoga and Other Joys  /Uttal / Leinbach  
Category: Music for Relaxation
Iconic new age fusion artist Jai Uttal and drummer/songwriter/mixmaster Ben Leinbach pair up for what is Uttal's first album specifically dedicated towards the practice of yoga. Although it may have been conceived to enhance your asanas, this album really would work well with any sort of relaxing activity - be it meditation or simply reading a book. The sonic environment is Asian-tinged featuring instruments like the dotar and slide tambora (which are played in such a way that they resemble Western guitars/string instruments) along with percussion and bamboo flute playing. The album's central attraction is the kirtan singing of Uttal, whose recognizable voice is filled with rapturous energy and joyful spirituality.
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Nomad /Nomad 
Category: Australian
The Aboriginal didgeridoo is at the center of this tribal tour-de-force from Nomad. Adapting it to a variety of sounds including that of natural ambience, synthesized mood and influences from other indigenous cultures, NOMAD is a cross-cultural celebration of the wonder and diversity of our globe's tribal peoples. Highlights include "Gathering," and upbeat African-flavored track that includes the vocal prowess of Senegalese singer Mor Thiam, "Wildlife" which showcases Nomad's virtuosity as a didg player and "Follow the Sun," one of two tracks featuring the extensive talents of Native American favorite Robert Mirabal.
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Planet Drum /Hart 
Category: Percussion
Grateful Dead musician Mickey Hart has made his lifelong dream come true with PLANET DRUM. He has gathered together some of the world's greatest drummers to make a recording based entirely on percussion. PLANET DRUM, the voice of Hart's book of the same name, represents a musical atlas of world beat. Join Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji and Flora Purim on this powerful and passionate musical journey performed with aged and modern instruments.
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Rain of Blessing/ Lama Guyrme 
Category: Tibetan
a cross-cultural fusion album that unites the devotional chant of Tibetan monk Lama Gyurme with the contemporary synthesizer/instrumental arrangements of French composer Jean-Philippe Rykiel. Themes of healing and inter-cultural peace abound on the album, and the use of the Western oriented keyboard backdrops is designed to give the album an "accessible" quality. For the most part, Rykiel's arrangements are unobtrusive, providing quiet, euphoric undercurrents on the tracks. Gyurme's vocals are the clear highlight of the recording - his voice is low and gutteral, yet soft and silky. It doesn't take long for the listeners to find themselves mesmerized by his clear vocal tones. This is a great album for anyone who enjoys traditional Tibetan chanting with a contemporary flair.
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Shaman's Breath/ Prof. Trance 
Category: World Beat
A surreal landscape of beats and samples that attempts to bridge the gap between the rhythms of the ancients and modern electronica, SHAMAN'S BREATH is an interesting album ideal for anyone looking to get in touch with their inner shaman. Tribal cultures from across the globe are represented here in full organic splendor, from the Aborigines with their droning didgeridoos to the healing rituals of indigenous African peoples to the earth-centric rites of the Native Americans. The samples are well mixed up in a flurry of heart-pumping beats and synthesized techno textures, with tempos that seem to gradually increase over the course of the album. By the time you hit the album's midpoint, you'll find yourself lost in the whirling bliss of trance dance, hypnotized by the driving beats and intoxicated by the ecstasy of the experience.
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Trance / Bennett 
Category: World Beat
represents a new style of music which explores techno, trance, dance and world beat in a powerfully-produced, lavish setting. Composer Brian Scott Bennett brought together 90 musicians from around the world in this first class recording. His goal - to present ancient musical forms and original melodies in a new cultural context, blending western and folk instruments such as the didgeree do, hurdy gurdy and zurna to create floor-stomping, emotional arrangements. Bennett traveled the globe in order to capture real performances of the best folk artists alive today, including vocalists Udokotela Shange Namajaha from Africa, Sanna Kurki-Suonio from Finland and Azam Ali from India. Master Swedish nyckleharpa player, Olov Johansson, a Swedish national treasure who's performed with the Kronos quartet, also appeared.
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Transcendence /Tulku 
Category: World Beat
TRANCENDENCE, released under producer Jim Wilson's alias Tulku (a Tibetan term meaning new body, old soul) is a potpourri of cultural influences whose origins range from Asia to the Americas. Beginning on a lush note with the Buddha in the tropics, Tahitian choir-led "Life Force (Kupuri)," Tulku's entrancing world fusion takes aim. What follows is a variety of harmonic endeavors that blend traditional percussion-based rhythms with electronic samples and Indian instrumentation. Special guests include Jai Uttal on vocals, dotar and percussion, Geoffery Gordon also on percussion (including congas and dumbek) and an ensemble of additional performers on guitar, flute, tabla and other sampled sounds from around the world.
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Tribal Sutras /Tya 
Category: International
Inspired by the Aboriginal people of Australia, TRIBAL SUTRAS explores the culture's appreciation for life and feelings of oneness with the world around them. Tya (a.k.a. Martin Scherl) takes listeners on a soulful journey across continents with a blend of Hawaiian and Indian melodies, Bulgarian voices and Aboriginal chants. The listener's travels start with the powerful "Baiame," whose danceable grooves and organic vocal harmonies are sure to uplift.
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Winds of Warning /Plack 
Category: Australian
a collection of songs that give thanks to Mother Nature, the wisdom of Aboriginal culture and the Australian landscape. Collectively, these songs are a votive offering for the hope that we may reconnect ourselves with Mother Nature, and see all cultures as important and equal. Winds of Warning contains a variety of sounds including that of natural ambience, synthesized mood and influences from other indigenous cultures with the Aboriginal didgeridoo is at the center.
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Warning from the Elders / Byron Metcalf 
Category: Trance
In this latest solo project, Byron expands his sonic explorations of the shamanic path of soul-based and heart-centered living that is the foundation of his work. Inspired and driven by his increasing frustration related to our current global and planetary challenges, A Warning From The Elders invites the listener to whole-heartedly embrace the urgency facing the planet, while also birthing the dormant seeds of hope and vision that lie within each of us. In essence, Byron’s CD is a healing prayer for a radical global awakening. Motivated by a deep and purposeful commitment to make his “voice” fully heard, A Warning From The Elders is the first project where Byron has used his overtone singing to create harmonic drones and soundscapes. With this potent emphasis on the raw, organic sounds of wood, skin, metal, clay, stone, and the human voice, Byron’s masterful production results in a delicious blend of fierce percussion, heart-opening textural voices and overtone singing – a bold sonic expression of power, purpose, presence and compassion for the Earth – the Mother of us all.
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