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member reviews |
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Linger Longer by Laura McMillan |
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- posted by anonymous on 10/4/2012 |
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NEO-CLASSICAL MEETS NEW AGE ON LAURA MCMILLAN CD |
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LAURA MCMILLAN
LINGER LONGER
CD REVIEW
PERHAPSPIANO.COM
On her recording LINGER LONGER, solo pianist Laura McMillan presents a dozen new original compositions representing her thoughts and feelings about life -- from remembering the innocence of childhood to losing someone you love, from cherishing special memories to praying for a better understanding of our world.
McMillan, who has been playing and teaching classical music all her life, blends both traditional classical piano elements and a strong appreciation of Broadway music with modern new age and neo-classical motifs to create her own sound. She often employs tempo changes within a composition which builds excitement and makes the listener wonder what direction she will head next. At times McMillan balances heavy chording with delicate runs, keeping both hands active, developing a variety of moods and passionate feelings with the music.
This is a lovely CD full of music that goes down easy, but also piques the interest just enough. Recommended. |
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Rating: Excellent |
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Sacred Dreams by Tron Syversen |
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- posted by Matt F., music reviewer on 9/12/2012 |
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Sacred Dreams by Tron Syversen; An In-Depth Review |
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In his latest U.S. release, Sacred Dreams, Norwegian producer and recording artist Tron Syversen delivers soothing music for relaxation, meditation and a gateway to sleep.
Following up his success with Peaceful Journey, Syversen presents ten original gently-lulling pieces that are characterized by serene melodies and scintillating instrumentation with a slight classical ambiance. Not only playing the piano and keyboards, Syverson’s production, songwriting, arranging, and mixing talents are evident throughout the album. Essential to this album is the sensually-sweet voice of co-producer Elin Lokken that borders on magical, angelic, and otherworldly; the vocal delivery is primarily wordless hums with varying timbres and tones. Electric and acoustic violins are skillfully provided by Sunniva Bergsane, Ase Haga, and Lise Sorensen. Plaintive acoustic guitars by Glenn Kristiansen, Rolf Kristiansen, and Jorn Takla provide a calming, but engaging result throughout. In addition, Silje Katrine Gotaas plays the cello, and bassist Per Elias Drablos fills in the melodies with pinpoint precision. Additional embellishments on English horn and flute are provided by Henrik Eurenius and Randi Krogvold Lundquist, respectively. Upon hearing the depth of musicianship present in Sacred Dreams, it comes as no surprise that several of these accomplished artists also play for popular new age group, Secret Garden.
The gentle “Lullaby For You” opens the album with a fluid flute and sparkling acoustic guitar strumming. Lokken’s distinctive and universal hums make the song particularly relaxing, which is the primary intention overall. The violins fill in the melody and the acoustic guitar provides a warm presence against the piano backdrop. “Dreamland” begins with spritely piano melodies, droning horns and strings, and Elin’s characteristic humming style, a smooth transition from “Lullaby For You.” The pace picks up with “Cradle Song” bringing livelier acoustic guitar melodies, and the vocals flowing effortlessly with the guitar and flute. The symphonic “In A Silent Place” contains scintillating strings; Lokken hums with a calming and emotive display that is both relaxing and meditative. Here, Syversen utilizes a classical ambiance with a slow tempo and undulating progression that harkens the nuances of Enya. The popular “Moonlight Reflections” (for which there is an accompanying video) opens with acoustic guitar and contemplative piano incorporating the wistful sounds of violin throughout; the effect is akin to medieval European folk music with a touch of classicism and new age. Acoustic guitar takes center stage in “A Quiet Evening” but the violin, humming, and undulating horns complete the relaxing melody. “At The End Of The Day” takes us home to “Lullaby For You” and “Dreamland” with piano, vocals, flute renditions, and soft guitar strums. The mix of violin, guitar, and humming on “Twilight Lullaby” is pure, simple new age gold. The album comes to a close with “All Through The Night” and “Tender Moments” containing equal elements of guitar, piano, strings, and horn with Lokken’s angelic vocal delivery. Notably, the acoustic guitar makes a strong appearance on “Tender Moments,” along with hums that are slightly lower in range than the flute and piano. Moreover, the acoustic guitar strums are almost harp-like in tonal quality, which accentuates the angelic vocal characteristics to a greater extent.
With Sacred Dreams, Syversen successfully produces a stunning album of lullaby brilliance that awakens the child-like spirit in all of us. Overall, the album is well-balanced, which is critical to Syversen’s mission to go beyond entertainment to creating music that truly relaxes and heals. Each piece presents melodies that are sweet and highly tranquil while Lokken’s sporadic humming and wordless vocals provide just the right amount of vocal ornamentation to differentiate each piece. This album is incredibly subtle and perfectly-suited to calm the mind in preparation for creative visioning work, deep relaxation, or blissfully restorative sleep. Highly recommended for meditation, sleep therapy, relaxation and children’s bedtimes. (www.tronmusic.com)
Artist: Tron Syversen
Album: Sacred Dreams: Music For Relaxation and Wellbeing
Label: Global Journey/TK Music Production
Playing time: 57:54.
Website: www.tronmusic.com
Radio: LAZZ Promotions
PR: The B Company |
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Rating: Excellent |
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Mother Nature by Ylric Illians |
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- posted by Consonance.info, ex-NetRadio Relax on 8/30/2012 |
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Like a music of Nature |
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“Mother Nature” is new achievement of sound depths made by Ylric Illians. The album is a unit of nature life and we can see it since the first seconds of it. |
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Rating: Very Good + |
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