SPIRITUAL HIGH
A Trance-Ambient Experience
(c) (p) 1999 Earthtone Records
15tks/74mins

Wholesome work. Brilliant collection. Delight for the new age music lover. All these is a new Earthtone Records collection named "Spiritual High". Compilers of the collection did their best: here we have not only a collection of perfect compositions by the most various musicians, both recording on the Earthtone Records and on other companies (New Earth Records and White Cloud) plus two works presented personally by two remarkable new age artists Kamal and Karunesh. "Spiritual High" can be distinguished of all new age music collections, which I have heard last time, most of all by its wholeness, where every next composition catches up the mood of the preceding one and where the music "flows" smoothly form one theme to another one. The album created good surrounding, it is melodious and deep.

"Spiritual High" is opened by a very beautiful composition by Kamal "Shakuhachi Tales", in the sounding of which is something cosmic and the electronic decoration does not "load" a listener, but creates light and pleasant background. This composition is followed by "Alibaba" by Karunesh with a bright rhythmical basis and Oriental tunes. The album continues by a composition "Truth About Humans" by an artist having pseudonym Govinda, whose music is a "rumbling" mixture of trance-ambient electronic music with Indian folk. After this the "Cybertribe" joins in (composition "Voices" ). This is a successful project by the New Earth Records, where electronic basis, close to "Enigma" are connected with "buzzing" sounds by the Australian eucalyptus tubes digeridoo.

Then follows a whole series of Earthtone Records artists compositions, beginning with soft with jazz addition theme "Uktena" (American Indians project "Stonecoat"), melodically perfect "Escape To Reality" by Mars Lasar, through dramatically-mystical "History Of The Sandman" of the group "F.R.E.U.D." to rhythmically-singing "Blossoms From India" performed by "Ginkgo Garden" and covering, based on Celtic folklore composition "Enchantment" by group "Alkaemy". In general, "Spiritual High" does not contain weak compositions. Good words can be said about every one of these. But even among these composition one can be really distinguished. This is "Red Rhythm Dragon" from the famous album "Feet In The Soil" by James Asher. What a "rich" drums and a sparky, fiery rhythm! In his music James Asher has united the things, which could seem unconnectible: African drums and Australian digeridoo.

So, I strongly advise you to find and listen to this album. "Spiritual High" is one of those projects, which should be in the collection of every true new age music lover!

Serge Kozlovsky