Music Review: Healing Music Volume 2

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Valerie Romanoff has succeeded in delivering the ultimate two-disk relaxation album. Comprised of seventeen tracks, Healing Music Volume 2 is a two-hour serenade rife with delicate textures and brilliant guitar work. Most clocking in over five minutes each, these songs are designed to keep the listener in a peaceful mindset from beginning to end. The free-flowing nature of this music promotes a sense of openness and clarity and promote an uplifted state of mind.

Having studied music since childhood, Romanoff has always been driven to create atmospheres with her extensive knowledge of different instruments and genres. She categorizes her work into a spectrum that she likes to call “STILL, CHILL, THRILL,” all of which she uses to determine what kind of "life" or vibe each track will take on. She describes “STILL” as music for times of reflection and relaxation, while “CHILL” encourages active thought, and “THRILL” ignites energy during energetic peak times.

Staying within the realms of STILL and CHILL, disk one of Healing Music Volume 2 features eight of Romanoff's full-length compositions. “Pink Skies Over Still Water” showcase Stevin McNamara’s beautiful sitar playing as well as Tom Rossi’s ethereal flute. Paired with Romanoff’s guitar work, this trifecta comes together to create a piece with plenty of space, atmosphere and overflowing joy that continues on into “Pink Skies Over Waves.” Further down the list, “Om Shanti Shalom” has more of a groove than most of the other songs do. It is carried by solid percussion and her guitar playing layered on top of some ambient synthesizer work.

Disk two offers nine tracks which are radio edits of the songs on disk one, providing a compact version of the compositions from the previous disk. Concluding the second part of the collection is the bonus track “Prelude Went Beyond.” A celebration of love, it includes Tom Rossi once again on the kora as well as McNamara on sitar. Loaded with layers of strings and a variety of ornamental flourishes, the listener is left with a warm glow of motivation and positivity.

With this second album -- and a variety of notable singles including one with beloved yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch -- Valerie Romanoff emerges as an exciting new voice to follow in the arena of World and New Age music. Her lively social feeds, especially Instagram, offers a daily dose of positivity and good energy.

For more information on Romanoff and a list of her upcoming talks and live performances, visit www.valerieromanoffmusic.com. Healing Music Volume 2 is now available anywhere music is sold or streamed, as well as on her Bandcamp page.

- Samantha Garcia

Music Review: AONKI

AONKI by Anaya Music

Capping an extraordinary year for her epic 2016 album Eternity with a ZMR nomination for Best Neo-Classical Album, world-renowned Brazilian composer/producer Anaya reflected on her inspiration and creative process. She said, “I make music to fulfill a collective yearning shared by humanity for harmony, unity and balance. The magic of music and the profound feelings of love are a divine instrument of perfection to give re-birth to our soul. Music is the sound of Light. Our best instrument is the universal harmony of being.” 

Over the course of her career - which includes her earlier works Eternity, Fifth Essence, Devotion (2014), and Aligned in the Universe (2013) - her music has captured the soothing, energizing and transcendent essence of the music of her native country, while forging a dynamic synthesis of orchestral new age, electronic and melodic trance influences and textures. 2017 included even more award recognition from the Global Music Awards for her composition of the song "Dharma."  

Anaya Music of Brazil releases new album, AONKI

Anaya’s latest collection, the mysteriously titled Aonki: Gateway of Love, is a powerful, sweeping work that marks her second virtual collaboration and real-time recording in cyberspace between the artist’s label AnayaMusic in Brazil at Studio 1234, a live symphony orchestra in Prague (featuring members of the Czech Philharmonic) and Orchestra.Net in Los Angeles. When she’s composing, Anaya retires from this world and enters a realm of music vibration; yet when production begins, she draws on her background as a Digital Information Specialist analyzes the most effective sounds to best convey her spiritual concepts. 

Reflective of its title, Aonki is the name of the Gateway of Love and it came to Anaya in meditation as the driving force and guiding light for the journey of the recording. As a whole, it reflects her belief that 2018 is a gateway year for overcoming differences and going to the Divine aspect of life, both individually and collectively. With its wild melody and fresh rhythmic twists and turns, the opening track reflects her optimism, tempered with the reality of step-by-step progress that such ambitious goals demand. “Laman Song” opens with a fast-paced film score like energy, then gives way to a gentle flute reflection before several competing musical paths emerge and dial down to a soulful keyboard-induced hypnosis with subtle orchestral harmonies.

“Breath,” which features musicians from OrchestraNet, weaves its profound magic like a gentle classical piece, with the stark melody of a lone violin crying out amidst the ambiance, as if for justice. The violin departs and the spacey ambiance dominates leading into a meditative state, as the solo voices of several other instruments (including a horn) pick up the mission. This leads us to the “Gate,” which begins with a sweeping orchestra and booming percussion before easing into more mystical, less linear realms. There is a moment of shift towards the end where the orchestra rises up more tunefully and, with a burst of sunlit percussion, shares hope for a brighter day. But first, of course, there are some dramatic steps to be taken, as per the dark chords beneath the soaring intentions at the start of the brief interlude “Over the Clouds.”

We enter the heart of Aonki on “Because of You,” a dream-like reflection that taps into romance and hope with the orchestra caressing a lone violin, then opens up towards an exciting showcase for Bernardo Bittencourt’s plucky lute. It plays a tense duet with the violin before emerging with a stark but resolute solo. Light and courage have won over the troubling obstacles. The dark chamber music clouds come back briefly, but the line is cast towards a brighter day. Like an homage to classical movements, the title centerpiece of the album comes in a two-part suite, “Aonki Mov 1” and “Aonki Mov II.” The first track is pure symphonic light, an intensely beautiful movement towards peace and harmony, with brief moments of individual horn cries. The second movement features high toned violins atop darker, atonal edges. There is more drama, less harmony, more rhythmic shift and dynamics in search of the elusive but attainable beauty. This piece features the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and featured solos by violinists Ivan Quintana and Fabianne Gotelipe, viola player Daniel Marques and cellist Priscilla Jota.

The last third of Aonki launches with “Extase II,” infused with a wash of spacey synthesizers and trippy percussion textures that help connect us with higher mystical sources. The ecstasy of this outreach includes an immersion into deeper “waters,” with hopeful chimes and flute notes rising above the deep atmospheres. “Just For You” is a purely orchestral piece, full of highs and lows, stops and starts – but underscored with a rich sense of melody and harmony which indicate that the end of the journey will bring light and love. This gives way to the final piece, another all-orchestral mood piece that bathes the listener in a rich ambiance full of love and the brightness of eternity.

The Aonki CD arrives in a brightly-colored digipak, with romantic artwork evoking thoughts of the Girl from Ipanema. Love is surely the mood here. As her liner notes say, “Anaya’s musical invitation to experience the Gateway of Love stirs the soul with passionate melodies of timeless inspiration to awaken our heart’s song.” Aonki marks yet another powerful milestone on Anaya’s journey of creating innovative, life-changing, heart transforming and consciousness shifting cosmic new age music. Her remarkable artistry is always full of a type of musical and harmonic magic that can be appreciated on a purely visceral, emotional level and in spiritual ways that no words can adequately capture.

Visit www.anayamusic.com for more music and updates; AONKI is available for presale before Valentine's Day on Amazon and iTunes.

 – Jonathan Widran for BEING

 

Music Review: In the Company of Clouds

         

         

          Erik Scott is certainly no stranger to the music world. Throughout his career, he has played with such names as Alice Cooper, Flo & Eddie, Pops Staples and many more. This rocker, multi-instrumentalist and composer has opted for a radically different, laid-back sound in recent years. Though mostly known for his performance on bass, Scott takes his expertise up a notch and shows his chops on keyboards, drums, mandolin, percussion programs and even incorporates some of his own vocals. Adding to the depth of In the Company of Clouds are Jeff Pearce on guitar, John Pirruccello on steel guitar, and Chris Cameron on piano.

         Inspired by King Arthur, the tracks on this album are meant to set a mood and tell a story. “Nine Lives” begins the tale in a powerfully soulful manner with the vocal talents of Sandy Griffith, Larry Batiste and Brian Dyer crooning along with the twanging of the steel guitar and earthly percussion. There is complexity within the simplicity of this track as the layers come together like a finely woven cloth warmly leading the listener into the album. Following is the trance-like “Seven Veils.” The progression of this track leads the listener into a short spiritual journey. It starts off with just some delayed percussion and works up the energy into a mystically hypnotic experience.

         In an unexpected twist, the track “Waves” brings in a little 80s sensibility with the wavering steel guitar. Much like the ebb and flow of waves, this track swells and breaks until finally dissolving into calm sea foam. The subtleties of this track marvelously paint a picture without saying a single word.  Furthermore, “Open Door” allows Chris Cameron to showcase his piano skills. The piano is beautifully laced in with an array of atmospheric sounds that lead the hopeful and soothing tone of this beautiful track. 

Erik has said that music mirrors the mood of the musician playing it, so one can only image the uplifted state of mind he was in when he wrote it. It brings to mind a sense of peace, light, and healing. Granted Erik Scott is a cancer survivor, it is apparent that this song is a way for him to pass on the torch of hope to anyone who may need it.

         Reaching the number one spot on the ZMR Airply Chart, Erik Scott proves that he can gracefully apply his rock and roll sensibilities to the New Age genre. His compositions are technically sound, subtly complex and never pretentious, proving there is nothing Erik Scott can’t do. In the Company of Clouds is a wonderful contribution to the world of New Age music; it was recently chosen by programmers as Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental album at the ZMR Awards 2017.

          Erik Scott's album is available through his website, CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, and most streaming sites.

            -Samantha Garcia, BEING