MUSIC REVIEW: MOSAIC

Award-winning composer David Wahler has created a minimalist body of work imbued with peace and tranquility. Having been immersed in music since the age of seven years old, Wahler’s approach to his arrangements displays a true understanding of what music should be: something evocative. He removes all the frills that are displayed in a lot of modern music and simply presents his audience with solid melodies and serene nuances.

Composer David Wahler

            
Nearly a decade ago, David Wahler’s debut album, Antiquus, was released and met with critical acclaim. Now with his latest release of Mosaic, he tactfully melds the two worlds of piano melodies and electronic soundscapes into an album reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. 

The title track of the album showcases that ability perfectly well. What seems like a simple song is so much more when put under the microscope, with every little individual sound coming together as a collective to create something much greater and larger as a whole. Following, “Afterain” comes in with a far more laid-back and relaxing vibe. Birds sing and wind chimes tinker along with some gentle vocalization. This track is less of a song and more so of a mood. It isn’t until “A Promise to Keep” that Wahler comes in with his trademark piano melodies. They aren’t the most complex melodies but they definitely serve their purpose in setting a pleasant atmosphere. Hitting the midway point of the album, “August Cloud” explores more of the same territory utilizing simple piano melodies and subdued electronic nuances to create a sound that transports the listener out of their head and into a different world, high above the clouds.

            
In an unexpected twist, the track “Elysian Dawn” comes in strong with mesmerizing angelic operatic vocals layered on top of a pleasant harp melody. Gentle sounds of the outdoors help to evoke the sensation of being out in a lush garden on a sunny day. “Sakura” is laden with subtle Japanese influences that evoke the memories of a spring bloom. Similar in tone, “Lone Sky Night” and “Fou D’Amour” go heavy on the 80s-influenced synthesizer, giving off a more stylized vibe than some of the other pieces. Ending the album with a question, “Why?” is one of the simplest, most pensive of the tracks. After taking you on a mystical journey, Wahler leaves you pondering.

A true example of modern new age music, Mosaic does a great job at putting the listener at peace. It takes true skill to be able to evoke emotions using a minimalistic approach and David Wahler accomplishes just that. To read more about David, go to his website at www.davidwahler.com and make sure to purchase his latest album, Mosaic, available on most music sites; you'll also want to check out his innovative design-inspired SounDecor playlists on Spotify.

Samantha Garcia

MUSIC REVIEW: They Were Here

           

Producer-percussionist Byron Metcalf and singer-songwriter-author Jennifer Grais have managed to blend their two passions for music and shamanic healing into one hauntingly beautiful collaborative concept album. The artists' shamanic influences are quite apparent in the vibe of this latest work, They Were Here, exploring the plight of America’s wild horses. The energy of the music is both reverent and mournful as they explore the ongoing mistreatment and loss of these magnificent creatures, one of our most unique national treasures.

            

Jennifer Grais: singer-songwriter and author of "Christa's Luck."

This album is less song-oriented than others, rather, it functions more like one complete, flowing work of art. Native American influences run thick in the veins of They Were Here to create the perfect setting for such a tale. Metcalf provides the majority of the instrumentation including frame drums, rattles, udu, ceremonial drums and synthesizer.  His characteristic style of tribal-trance drumming is the energy that fuels this piece, providing the driving force that echoes the sounds of horse hooves galloping with intense gusto. Ron Oates lends a helping hand on keyboard, synthesizers and orchestral arrangements as well. Jennifer Grais’ heart-wrenchingly beautiful vocals soar like an eagle to perfectly accompany the earthiness of the instrumentals.

Byron Metcalf, award-winning musician & shamanic practitioner.

The title track sets the mood for the album as it opens with the sounds of horses galloping as the earth stirs underneath their hooves. Slowly, the ambient music sets in like a looming mist that rises incrementally. The sound of Dashmesh Khalsa on didgeridoo wavers ominously in the background as Grais’ mournful vocalizations take the forefront. Henceforth, the songs get incrementally more intense as the story lingers on until reaching a crescendo in the fourteen-minute “Run.” Fiercely carried by driving beats and Grais’ intense, almost desperate chants, the track sets the scene of wild horses fleeing their native homes. Wrapping up the album, “Song for Solo” feels like an ending to a melancholic story, one that is very personal to Grais. It emanates a sense of mourning for what has been lost, yet incorporates sounds of nature, providing a reminder that life carries on ever still.

With They Were Here, Byron Metcalf manages to create a concept piece using ambient music. Utilizing his creative ways with music, he manages to create a soundscape that brings awareness to mother earth.  This album is available on Amazon and iTunes. For more information, and to experience the music, visit www.byronmetcalf.com.

-Samantha Garcia, BEING

COACHELLA Kicks Off SoCal Music Festivals

By Brooklyn Henderson 

This past weekend kicked off festival season at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. As a six-time attendee of the festival I can say this was one of my favorite weekends thus far. I am proud to say that there were many female performers this year and many were my favorites including Beyoncé, SZA, Cardi B, Hayley Kiyoko, Khali Uchis, and Jorja Smith. Other stand out performances from Eminem, Vince Staples, Børns, and Portugal, the Man also made for an incredible weekend. If you can make it to the second weekend of Coachella, I would not miss any of these artists. If you weren’t able to attend Coachella, there is a whole season of great music coming from now into fall, here they are listed below.

Coachella – Indio – 4/13-4/15 & 4/20-4/22

Kicking off the list is the world-famous Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival. Famous for its eclectic mix of performers and huge art installations that double as lounge areas. This Festival is 3 days long and has two weekends.  Lineup includes: The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Eminem, Portugal the Man and so many more.  (coachella.com)

StageCoach – Indio - 4/27-4/29

Right after Coachella in the very same location is StageCoach, a country music fan's heaven. This is another three-day camp out festival with the biggest stars in country music. Lineup includes: Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line.  (stagecoachfestival.com)

Desert Hearts – Warner Springs – 4/27-4/30

One of the smaller festivals on the list is Desert Hearts, held in Warner Springs. Even though it isn't as well known it is for the dedicated fans of underground electronic music who have established a great community. Lineup includes: Damian Lazarus, Acid Mondays, Egyptian Lover.  (deserthearts.us)

West Coast Weekender – San Diego – 5/3-5/6

This four-day event in San Diego is described as a boutique music festival and conference. Not only is there poolside live music but also pop up shops and yoga & dance workshops throughout the weekend. It is also one of the only festivals that is 21+. If you're ready for an adult weekend of dancing, art, and culture this is the place for you. Lineup includes: Hyenah, King Britt, Doc Martin. (westcoastweekender.net)

Shakti Fest – Bhaktifest Joshua Tree – 5/10-5/14

Shakti is a yoga, sacred music, meditation, and personal growth festival. This nonprofit supports charities from all over the world and accepts donations to put on the festival and then support the less fortunate. Lineup includes: Shantaya & The Radiant Soul Band, Larisa Stow, MC Yogi. Bhaktifest starts September 12th, lineup TBA. (shaktifest.bhaktifest.com)

Joshua Tree Festival – Joshua Tree- 5/17-5/20

Following the open and free nature vibe of Joshua Tree this festival is focused on the funk, dance, and world music genres. 

Lineup includes: The Desert Rhythm Project, War & Pierce, Adam Freeland.  (joshuatreemusicfestival.com)

Lightning in a Bottle – Bradley – 5/24-5/28

This four-day festival might have the most to offer. To prove that point here is a simple list: music, yoga, talks & discussions, cultural offerings, food and wellness classes, live painting, creative workshops, art installations, performance art, dance classes, meditation, soapbox derby, 5k run, sit-down dinners, kid zone, and teen scene for families attending. Lineup includes: Anderson. Paak, Tokimonsta, Modeselektor,

(lightninginabottle.org)  

Arroyo Seco Weekend - Pasadena – 6/23-6/24

Some of the biggest indie and rock acts come together with local LA restaurants to get music and food enthusiasts together in the iconic rose bowl. Lineup includes: Neil Young, Jack White, Kamasi Washington, Kings of Leon, Alanis Morissette. (arroyosecoweekend.com)

FYF Fest – Los Angeles – 7/21-7/22

Two-day festival in the heart of LA, another one of Goldenvoice’s perfect weekends. Rain or shine, all ages and all genres. Lineup includes: Janet Jackson, Florence + The Machine, The X, St. Vincent, Future. (fyffest.com)

Hard Summer – Fontana - 8/4-8/5

Finishes off the summer with a bang. It is sure to be huge and the lineup isn't even out yet! Lineup includes: TBA.  (hardfest.com)

The Energy Playground at Coachella.

FLOW Schedules Tour for May 2018

One of the most exciting new acts on the music scene, FLOW, announced The Arrival Tour, a series of live performances in select cities, including a kick-off at The New Orleans Jazz Museum on May 10, 2018 at 8 pm.  

FLOW creates music that feels somewhat nostalgic, yet fresh and energized. The ensemble is comprised of four innovative, critically-acclaimed and highly-awarded independent artists: legendary GRAMMY®-winning guitarist Will Ackerman, pianist/singer Fiona Joy, acoustic guitarist Lawrence Blatt and trumpet and flugelhorn player Jeff Oster. The group debuted live to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie’s Weill Hall last October and is slated to perform May 10, 2018 at The New Orleans Jazz Museum, and at the 14th Annual Zone Music (ZMR) Awards at Roussel Hall in New Orleans on May 12th, before commencing on their West Coast dates including Seattle, Novato, CA and Los Angeles’ famed GRAMMY® Museum.  

Simultaneously, the group is nominated for two key Zone Music Reporter Awards (“Album of the Year” and “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album”) and two International Music Awards (IMAs) including “Best New Age Album” and “Best New Age Song” for their self-titled track “Flow.”  This is must hear music for lovers of guitar, piano, flugelhorn and that sweet California sound made famous by Ackerman at Windham Hill not too long ago.

See more at https://www.flowthegroup.com/thearrivaltour/

POETRY: They Were Here

Guest Poet: Vivek Kumar

Wild Horse Photos by James Anaquad Kleinert 

The following poem was written in honor of the album "They Were Here" by Byron Metcalf and Jennifer Grais:

"They were here:

Spirited, racing with the winds;

Talking to the gods

Artists photo by Richard Blum

With the rhythm of their hooves

And neighing in constant awareness of their

Majesty over the earth they ruled.

They danced with every step

And refused to be overawed

By any distance, any steppe, any tempest.

Gentle but untamed;

Powerful but non-violent.

Let's call them:

They will hear; they were here."

Regarding his inspiration, the poet shared, "I listen to this album daily and it is so uplifting--today, I felt like writing and this is what came out."

The Album: They Were Here 

Vivek Kumar is an India-based poet who often writes poems inspired by music. He maintains a blog https://www.2indya.com.

Hear the Mustang-inspired music that touched Vivek's heart halfway around the world in India at Bandcamp.

LIVE EVENT: Sleep Concert with Robert Rich

One of the best night's sleep in my entire life was had in a hammock at Burning Man after exploring the Playa all night. I fell into it wrapped in my vegan fur, with a huge dome of twinkle lights overhead and ambient music all around me, and slept like Thumbelina in her peapod.  Ever since then, I've been championing the intensely under-utilized power of music and sound for sleep and restoration.  So, imagine my delight when I read that The Bay Area’s sprawling music and arts festival Noise Pop will feature a "sleep concert."

Amplify reports:  “This year we are very excited about several alternative programming elements,” said Ludwig. “The crown jewel is we’re doing a sleep concert with Robert Rich which is this very strange experience. It starts at midnight and the intention is for people to fall asleep in a room and to have ambient music wash over them for eight hours.”

The overnight gig on Feb. 23 fits about 140 people in the Gray Area theater as the “godfather of sleep concerts” Robert Rich in collaboration with Flow Kana plays ambient music. Attendees are encouraged to bring yoga mats, sleeping bags, and pillows to make themselves comfortable until morning.

“In actuality, it is not a great night sleep,” Ludwig explained. “The idea is to have the music invade people’s peripheral space and that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to great sleeping conditions. But it does create an incredibly unique experience.” Ludwig added, “It’s right on the money in terms of what the Bay Area likes.”

Even though Rich is from the Bay Area, this will be his first sleep concert for local audiences since the 1980s.

Music wash, soundbath, sonic cleansing...call it what you will, I'm just thrilled it is happening for this generation of festival goers.  Read the full story about this hipster sleepover at Amplify.  And get a good night's sleep before you go.