MILLENNIUM SAMPLER
(c) 1999 by Soundless Music Publishing
(p) 1999 New Earth records
12tks/73mins

Often, when one listens to collection albums by the best musicians, he gets an "illegible" impression: selection of compositions from strong solo albums looks pale and "eroded", and the music just "passes" by the perception. To my big joy, I need to say that all the said above does not belong to this sampler.

This collection contains musical works for all taste! And they are selected very professionally. To be completely exact, I can say that in the album ale collected 24 compositions from 12 various albums (for the most part - rather new ones), released by the New Earth Records company (2 compositions from every album).

So, by what music has surprised us the New Earth Records this time? I will very briefly tell you about some works, presented in the CD. I was just amazed having heard compositions "Mahal" and "Door of the Minbar" by Al Gromer Khan from his album "Kamasutra Experience". This music is so strong and energetic, it contains such an endless internal space, that it "beats" to the very center of existence and fills us with energy! Very beautiful and cordial are compositions "Java Shiva Shankara" and "Gayatri Mantra" from the album "Namaste - Magical Healing Mantras". They are so light, they are beyond grief and suffering. This is a pure communication, not stirred up by anything. Melodical and inspired are the compositions "Mystic Moon of Avalon" and "Skye Boat Song" by Frank O'Connor from his album "Mystic Moon of Avalon". And the album begins from the compositions "Red Rhythm Dragon" and "Return to Egypt", which presents us the album by James Asher "Feet in the Soil". This is a very earthly music. James Asher has used African drums and instruments of Australian aboriginal people - digeridoo, which are long tubes of a hollow eaten by termites bamboo. This instrument produces a rather peculiar "buzzing" sound. This sound was in our planet very long time ago...

In general, this album contains many remarkable names. Among these are Deuter, Kamal, James Bobchak and many other splendid musicians.

It's a pity though, that because of time restrictions the compositions were included in the "Millennium Sampler" not in complete variant. Well, let us hope that the New Earth Records will release, for instance, a complete variant of this collection on a double CD set.

Listen to the "Millennium Sampler". This album corresponds completely to its high title. As long as there are such studios as the New Earth Records, our planet has a good chance to be the place where the Human Spirit will blossom!

Serge Kozlovsky