Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 18
March 15, 2025
Native Dreams
Just finished listening to "Native Dreams" by David Arkenstone, released by Green Hill Music.
"Fairy Dreams" is one of an ongoing series of original fairy themed music composed by Arkenstone and released by Green Hill Music.
Now interestingly enough, the literary influences that factor into Arkenstone's work include J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, which I suspect factor heavily into his far ranging success as a New Age musician.
He has composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM,[4] as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, Emperor: Battle for Dune, and Space Siege. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned five Grammy nominations for his work: "In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, "Citizen of the World" in 2000, "Atlantis" in 2004, "Fairy Dreams" in 2020, and "Pangaea" in 2022.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Ancient Roads," "As The Sun Falls," "The Moonlit Path," "Night Journey," and "Wind And Stone."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Native-Dreams-...
"Fairy Dreams" is one of an ongoing series of original fairy themed music composed by Arkenstone and released by Green Hill Music.
Now interestingly enough, the literary influences that factor into Arkenstone's work include J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, which I suspect factor heavily into his far ranging success as a New Age musician.
He has composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM,[4] as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, Emperor: Battle for Dune, and Space Siege. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned five Grammy nominations for his work: "In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, "Citizen of the World" in 2000, "Atlantis" in 2004, "Fairy Dreams" in 2020, and "Pangaea" in 2022.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Ancient Roads," "As The Sun Falls," "The Moonlit Path," "Night Journey," and "Wind And Stone."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Native-Dreams-...
Fairy Dreams
Just finished listening to "Fairy Dreams" by David Arkenstone, released by Green Hill Music.
"Fairy Dreams" is one of an ongoing series of original fairy themed music composed by Arkenstone and released by Green Hill Music.
Now interestingly enough, the literary influences that factor into Arkenstone's work include J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, which I suspect factor heavily into his far ranging success as a New Age musician.
He has composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM,[4] as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, Emperor: Battle for Dune, and Space Siege. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned five Grammy nominations for his work: "In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, "Citizen of the World" in 2000, "Atlantis" in 2004, "Fairy Dreams" in 2020, and "Pangaea" in 2022.
It's no surprise that "Fairy Dreams" was nominated for a Grammy. Arkenstone used guitars, keyboards, violins, flutes, and piccolos to create the music for "Fairy Dreams."
My favorite tracks are: "The Dazzleforest Dance," "Starpool," "Tears of the Forest," "Twinklelace Glen," "Nightfall," "The Evening Bells," and "The Magic Circle."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Dreams-D...
"Fairy Dreams" is one of an ongoing series of original fairy themed music composed by Arkenstone and released by Green Hill Music.
Now interestingly enough, the literary influences that factor into Arkenstone's work include J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, which I suspect factor heavily into his far ranging success as a New Age musician.
He has composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM,[4] as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, Emperor: Battle for Dune, and Space Siege. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned five Grammy nominations for his work: "In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, "Citizen of the World" in 2000, "Atlantis" in 2004, "Fairy Dreams" in 2020, and "Pangaea" in 2022.
It's no surprise that "Fairy Dreams" was nominated for a Grammy. Arkenstone used guitars, keyboards, violins, flutes, and piccolos to create the music for "Fairy Dreams."
My favorite tracks are: "The Dazzleforest Dance," "Starpool," "Tears of the Forest," "Twinklelace Glen," "Nightfall," "The Evening Bells," and "The Magic Circle."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Dreams-D...
Bora Bora 2000
Just finished listening to "Bora Bora 2000" by IASOS, released by CD Baby.
Iasos was the "stage name" of the late Joseph Bernardot, a Greek-born American musician and composer who was considered a pioneer of new-age music. In 1975, Iasos released his first album, Inter-Dimensional Music. It was in the same year that his friend and fellow musician Steven Halpern also released his debut, Spectrum Suite. The latter features Iasos playing the electric flute. Both albums are now considered pioneers in the New-age music genre.
Interestingly enough, Iasos is quoted on the back cover notes as describing "Bora Bora 2000" as "Tiki Rock" and it is a bit of break from his "Interdimensional/Space" themed music.
My favorite tracks are: "Soft Beach," "Night Wind," Tahiti Sunset," "Fire Dance," and "Ulura Lagoon."
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Bora-2000-Iaso...
Iasos was the "stage name" of the late Joseph Bernardot, a Greek-born American musician and composer who was considered a pioneer of new-age music. In 1975, Iasos released his first album, Inter-Dimensional Music. It was in the same year that his friend and fellow musician Steven Halpern also released his debut, Spectrum Suite. The latter features Iasos playing the electric flute. Both albums are now considered pioneers in the New-age music genre.
Interestingly enough, Iasos is quoted on the back cover notes as describing "Bora Bora 2000" as "Tiki Rock" and it is a bit of break from his "Interdimensional/Space" themed music.
My favorite tracks are: "Soft Beach," "Night Wind," Tahiti Sunset," "Fire Dance," and "Ulura Lagoon."
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Bora-2000-Iaso...
"Requiem - Well of Souls"
Just finished listening to "Requiem - Well of Souls" by Nigel Shaw, released by Seventh Wave Music.
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Requiem" was one of those CDs.
Now people are always surprised to learn that I have a degree in Gothic Literature and I think that's because people equate Gothic with darkness and there are certain Christian elements in Gothic Literature and with me being a Conservative Jew, it seems out of place. Obviously these people have never read Hasidic folk tales that rarely have "happy" endings. Just saying.
So I was intrigued to listen to hear Shaw's take on the traditional Requiem mass since "Requiem - Well of Souls" is Shaw's own personal interpretation of a death mass, which focusses on love and moving towards the light.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Sanctuary," "Eternal," "Spirit of Eden," "Prayer," "Mercy," and "Eagle's Gift."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Requiem" was one of those CDs.
Now people are always surprised to learn that I have a degree in Gothic Literature and I think that's because people equate Gothic with darkness and there are certain Christian elements in Gothic Literature and with me being a Conservative Jew, it seems out of place. Obviously these people have never read Hasidic folk tales that rarely have "happy" endings. Just saying.
So I was intrigued to listen to hear Shaw's take on the traditional Requiem mass since "Requiem - Well of Souls" is Shaw's own personal interpretation of a death mass, which focusses on love and moving towards the light.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Sanctuary," "Eternal," "Spirit of Eden," "Prayer," "Mercy," and "Eagle's Gift."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
Nocturnes
Just finished listening to "Nocturnes" by Nigel Shaw, released by Seventh Wave Music.
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Nocturnes" was one of those CDs.
"Nocturnes" are traditionally pieces of music that evoke the night. In this exquisite album of gentle instrumental compositions, Nigel has created a journey through the quiet stillness and empty silence of the night, from the arrival of twilight to the first edges of the dawn. Each piece of music weaves into the next as together they describe the tender ebb and flow of darkness across the waiting earth. With "Nocturnes," Shaw is attempting to replicate in music the intense experience of the nights on Dartmoor’s high open hills, where the skies are black and the stars are many.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Silence And The Moon," "Starfall," "Midnight Song," "Evensong," "This Dark Realm," and "The Summoning Light."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Nocturnes" was one of those CDs.
"Nocturnes" are traditionally pieces of music that evoke the night. In this exquisite album of gentle instrumental compositions, Nigel has created a journey through the quiet stillness and empty silence of the night, from the arrival of twilight to the first edges of the dawn. Each piece of music weaves into the next as together they describe the tender ebb and flow of darkness across the waiting earth. With "Nocturnes," Shaw is attempting to replicate in music the intense experience of the nights on Dartmoor’s high open hills, where the skies are black and the stars are many.
My favorite tracks on this CD are: "Silence And The Moon," "Starfall," "Midnight Song," "Evensong," "This Dark Realm," and "The Summoning Light."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
Dartmoor ROUNDHOUSE
Just finished listening to "Darmoor Symphony" by Nigel Shaw.
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Dartmoor Symphony" was one of those CDs.
The second in the trilogy of albums celebrating the Dartmoor landscape. Ancient and delicately beautiful flute songs recorded in our ceremonial roundhouse with wooden flutes carved from the wood of thirteen trees native to these islands. Shaw spent a year creating this album from the carving of the 20 flutes made for these recordings from indigenous Dartmoor woods, to the recording sessions themselves which took place around the roundhouse fire, mostly during the night. Each flute, and the source tree contained within it, sang with a unique voice harboured deep within the grain of the wood. Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and their friends also build a roundhouse for the album using ancient techniques.
Each track is titled after each of the indigenous trees in Dartmoor.
My favorite tracks are: "Scots Pine," "Willow," "Birch," "Alder," "Beech," "Oak," and "Rowan."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Dartmoor Symphony" was one of those CDs.
The second in the trilogy of albums celebrating the Dartmoor landscape. Ancient and delicately beautiful flute songs recorded in our ceremonial roundhouse with wooden flutes carved from the wood of thirteen trees native to these islands. Shaw spent a year creating this album from the carving of the 20 flutes made for these recordings from indigenous Dartmoor woods, to the recording sessions themselves which took place around the roundhouse fire, mostly during the night. Each flute, and the source tree contained within it, sang with a unique voice harboured deep within the grain of the wood. Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and their friends also build a roundhouse for the album using ancient techniques.
Each track is titled after each of the indigenous trees in Dartmoor.
My favorite tracks are: "Scots Pine," "Willow," "Birch," "Alder," "Beech," "Oak," and "Rowan."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
March 11, 2025
Dartmoor Journey
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Dartmoor Symphony" was one of those CDs.
This album, the third in the Dartmoor Trilogy, offers a rare opportunity to hear Nigel’s music performed within a live orchestral context. This was his first experience of working with an orchestra and embracing the task of preparing written music, although he has never composed using music score throughout his career. The first recording sessions were held at our farm; the combination of low ceilings and energetic string players encouraged the move to a beautifully vaulted yoga studio for the rest of the sessions.
"Dartmoor Journey" consists of two CDs - Journey and The Source.
Journey is a musical experience created from a blend of natural sounds with gently voiced handcrafted flutes, brightly clear rosewood recorders, deeply resonant Slovakian fujara and gracefully melodic traditional whistles
The Source is spun together from the natural sound recordings made by Nigel over a period of 15 years. Moving from windswept high moorland to rich wooded valleys, this album follows the River Dart from its source to the outer edge of the Dartmoor hills. The calls of buzzard, skylark and heron are interlaced with the sounds of streams, rivers and waterfalls, all layered like a composition of musical instruments.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
This album, the third in the Dartmoor Trilogy, offers a rare opportunity to hear Nigel’s music performed within a live orchestral context. This was his first experience of working with an orchestra and embracing the task of preparing written music, although he has never composed using music score throughout his career. The first recording sessions were held at our farm; the combination of low ceilings and energetic string players encouraged the move to a beautifully vaulted yoga studio for the rest of the sessions.
"Dartmoor Journey" consists of two CDs - Journey and The Source.
Journey is a musical experience created from a blend of natural sounds with gently voiced handcrafted flutes, brightly clear rosewood recorders, deeply resonant Slovakian fujara and gracefully melodic traditional whistles
The Source is spun together from the natural sound recordings made by Nigel over a period of 15 years. Moving from windswept high moorland to rich wooded valleys, this album follows the River Dart from its source to the outer edge of the Dartmoor hills. The calls of buzzard, skylark and heron are interlaced with the sounds of streams, rivers and waterfalls, all layered like a composition of musical instruments.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
Dartmoor Symphony
Just finished listening to "Darmoor Symphony" by Nigel Shaw.
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Dartmoor Symphony" was one of those CDs.
This album, the third in the Dartmoor Trilogy, offers a rare opportunity to hear Nigel’s music performed within a live orchestral context. This was his first experience of working with an orchestra and embracing the task of preparing written music, although he has never composed using music score throughout his career. The first recording sessions were held at our farm; the combination of low ceilings and energetic string players encouraged the move to a beautifully vaulted yoga studio for the rest of the sessions.
Dartmoor Symphony is a soul-filled expression of the extraordinary beauty and power of these ancient hills, drawn from many years of intimate connection with the moors and a constantly evolving journey into how the voices of nature can be expressed through traditional, classical and indigenous instruments. Echoing some of the themes and melodies from the previous albums in the trilogy, Nigel has developed the music into a richly textured symphonic composition that describes the landscape and our human relationship to it. A sense of journeying, yearning, returning, and belonging are central to the feeling of this work as it travels through the Overture and four movements of Stone, Wood, Water and Sky.
For this project Nigel handcrafted a unique set of Dartmoor yew wood flutes, which are woven constantly through the music. Each movement also includes instruments made from the raw materials and elements of the land, including granite grinding rocks, wooden bells, water bowls and air chimes. Also featured are traditional whistles, small pipes, fujara, overtone flutes, piano, harp, celeste and other percussion. Vocal parts are sung by Carolyn Hillyer.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
I discovered Nigel Shaw, Carolyn Hillyer, and Seventh Wave Music over 20 years ago when Seventh Wave Music came up in an internet search for new age music. I listened to some samples and ordered a few albums. Fast forward to about a month ago when I purchased additional CDs from Nigel Shaw, and "Dartmoor Symphony" was one of those CDs.
This album, the third in the Dartmoor Trilogy, offers a rare opportunity to hear Nigel’s music performed within a live orchestral context. This was his first experience of working with an orchestra and embracing the task of preparing written music, although he has never composed using music score throughout his career. The first recording sessions were held at our farm; the combination of low ceilings and energetic string players encouraged the move to a beautifully vaulted yoga studio for the rest of the sessions.
Dartmoor Symphony is a soul-filled expression of the extraordinary beauty and power of these ancient hills, drawn from many years of intimate connection with the moors and a constantly evolving journey into how the voices of nature can be expressed through traditional, classical and indigenous instruments. Echoing some of the themes and melodies from the previous albums in the trilogy, Nigel has developed the music into a richly textured symphonic composition that describes the landscape and our human relationship to it. A sense of journeying, yearning, returning, and belonging are central to the feeling of this work as it travels through the Overture and four movements of Stone, Wood, Water and Sky.
For this project Nigel handcrafted a unique set of Dartmoor yew wood flutes, which are woven constantly through the music. Each movement also includes instruments made from the raw materials and elements of the land, including granite grinding rocks, wooden bells, water bowls and air chimes. Also featured are traditional whistles, small pipes, fujara, overtone flutes, piano, harp, celeste and other percussion. Vocal parts are sung by Carolyn Hillyer.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/pr...
Elevation
Just finished watching "Elevation" released by Vertical.
Hollywood does love to copy successful movies/formulas, and "Elevation" follows the formula first put forth in "A Quiet Place" - alien creatures have wiped out a majority of humanity, and the remaining humans are trying to survive while destroying the aliens.
The basic plot of "Elevation" is that about three years before the events of the film, mysterious apex predators called Reapers emerged from sinkholes underground and exterminated humanity, with 95% killed in the first month. Survivors live in pocketed communities 8,000 feet ) or more above sea level — elevations that the creatures do not venture into.
Lost Gulch Refuge in Front Range, Colorado, is home to Will, a single father, and his son Hunter, who has a lung disease. Will is haunted by his wife Tara's death at the hands of Reapers during an expedition with Nina, a scientist, to discover the Reapers' weaknesses. After months of isolation, Hunter grows frustrated as neighboring communities conserve electricity by turning off radios and using flags to communicate. Will realizes he is running low on oxygen filters for Hunter. Despite Nina's warnings against going to Boulder for more filters, Will persuades her to join him to reach her former lab and find a way to kill the Reapers.
"Elevation" is a competent movie which excels at streamlined story telling mixed with practical and CGI effects, and there is a set up for at least one sequel movie, which may or may not get made, because several mysteries are left unsolved.
Not Great. Not Bad.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Elevation-Blu-...
Hollywood does love to copy successful movies/formulas, and "Elevation" follows the formula first put forth in "A Quiet Place" - alien creatures have wiped out a majority of humanity, and the remaining humans are trying to survive while destroying the aliens.
The basic plot of "Elevation" is that about three years before the events of the film, mysterious apex predators called Reapers emerged from sinkholes underground and exterminated humanity, with 95% killed in the first month. Survivors live in pocketed communities 8,000 feet ) or more above sea level — elevations that the creatures do not venture into.
Lost Gulch Refuge in Front Range, Colorado, is home to Will, a single father, and his son Hunter, who has a lung disease. Will is haunted by his wife Tara's death at the hands of Reapers during an expedition with Nina, a scientist, to discover the Reapers' weaknesses. After months of isolation, Hunter grows frustrated as neighboring communities conserve electricity by turning off radios and using flags to communicate. Will realizes he is running low on oxygen filters for Hunter. Despite Nina's warnings against going to Boulder for more filters, Will persuades her to join him to reach her former lab and find a way to kill the Reapers.
"Elevation" is a competent movie which excels at streamlined story telling mixed with practical and CGI effects, and there is a set up for at least one sequel movie, which may or may not get made, because several mysteries are left unsolved.
Not Great. Not Bad.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Elevation-Blu-...
March 9, 2025
Tiny T. Rex And The Impossible Hug
Just finished reading "Tiny T. Rex And The Impossible Hug" by Jonathan Stutzmann, and illustrated by Jay Fleck, published by Chronicle Books.
What's not to love about dinosaurs, and I do love to refer to Selma Franz and Zack Newsome as T-Rexs with short arms.
"Tiny T. rex and the Impossible Hug," authored by Stutzman and illustrated by Fleck, is an engaging story of a tiny T. rex dinosaur who confronts obstacles and overcomes physical limitations to help his friend Pointy who needs cheering up. Tiny T. rex realizes that his diminutive stature and short arms will complicate his efforts to give big Pointy a comforting hug, so he begins an adventure with other animal friends to learn to solve the problem. He eventually learns that no matter what size or shape you are, you can always comfort your friend with a hug.
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-T-Rex-Imp...
What's not to love about dinosaurs, and I do love to refer to Selma Franz and Zack Newsome as T-Rexs with short arms.
"Tiny T. rex and the Impossible Hug," authored by Stutzman and illustrated by Fleck, is an engaging story of a tiny T. rex dinosaur who confronts obstacles and overcomes physical limitations to help his friend Pointy who needs cheering up. Tiny T. rex realizes that his diminutive stature and short arms will complicate his efforts to give big Pointy a comforting hug, so he begins an adventure with other animal friends to learn to solve the problem. He eventually learns that no matter what size or shape you are, you can always comfort your friend with a hug.
Strongly Recommended!
Five Stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-T-Rex-Imp...
