Think of Dark Side Of The Moon Meets India…..Liquid Dreams
Liquid Dreams is the collaboration of a female dj and a western classical musician, who both travel back and forth between the hemispheres, and it might be one of the few albums that successfully fuses Indian vibes with western music. India is a continent which developed for thousands of years independently from the West. Part of the eternal fascination of India is that it has been devoted for thousands of years to meditation and introspection and that the depth of its music that comes from this space is unparalleled anywhere in the world. The live instruments are scored against a background of electronica, and include the bamboo flute, tabla, voice, violin and piano, and are all performed by first rate, passionate musicians. One single note of the magnificent flute can be like a soul massage that causes goose bumps in you. This album seduces the listener into a sacred space. It is a one hour journey uninterrupted till the last second, which takes you through its realms and leaves you in a peaceful state of lucid awareness. Think of Dark Side Of The Moon Meets India.
Sita_Ram Dub – evokes the spirit of Indian mantras while a counterpointing dub rhythm adds a vibe of non-seriousness to the otherwise sacred atmosphere. This dubby sitar groove mixes perfectly with a beautiful flute, sounds of ocean waves drift in and out of the track, and you find yourself on a magic carpet to the east.
On The Edge – has bright, light jazzy grooves and more western elements thanks to the violin that brings in long phrases that are playful and tender with soft melodies. Hidden behind clouds of echoes you can feel again an Indian voice, haunting and powerfully evocative.
Genesis For Nina – features the bamboo flute, an instrument that comes closest to the human voice in its expressiveness. There is a cool guitar riff, reminiscent of the 80s which grabs your attention and keeps you interested. The piece in itself is a journey from melancholy to ecstasy. The pulse of the bass unifies the contrasting emotions and makes it also one of the more groovier tracks.
Nartak – is a light and upbeat jazzy groove filled with sunny melodies which combine the classical instruments of violin and piano with a funky tabla. The middle part of the tracks evokes a darker spirit as a contrast.
What? – Here, the positive, playful and light sounds of the indian flute teases the listener to smile and dance. This track can lean a bit on the cheesier side towards the end, maybe a little bit too much jazz!.
Dulgar – is a original composition by Omar Faruk that has been remixed. It sounds more arabic than Indian and is the most upbeat track on the whole album, and it would not be surprising to find this track on a few Buddha Bar style compilations in the next months, as its very global and very catchy.
Liquid – is an epic, symphonic, psychedelic piece that’s quite unique with its deep, sensual and hypnotic power. The flute evokes an otherworldly space that is enhanced by trippy electronic sparkles. It sounds like the acoustic equivalent of a slow motion movie. The synergy of western and eastern elements has succeeded to be expressed beautifully in this track, and it feels like a classical masterpiece of electronica.
Desert Angel – is the last track on the album and here Komala’s voice creates a serene space that evolves on a sparse background. This track moves through many stages beginning with sad whispering overtones and evolving into happy warm vibrations supported by uplifting pads and a bright melodious violin.
There is a bonus video of visuals from Lightmotiv, which seems to be a bubble-inspired colour projection. This is not computer graphics, rather a simple organic experience of liquids reacting and dancing together, with the track Desert Angel as the background score. Its chilled, and colourful, and lets be honest it is for free, so its all good!
This album is a different kind of music experience, the album is nonstop, and seems to have been made as a whole…the
tracks flow wonderfully with ease into each other, interspersed with atmospheric directions with sounds like waterfalls, oceans, warm desert winds, liquid drops, and even a steam train thundering through!
Overall verdict on this cd is it is a sweet idea to give as much as possible on this release, 1 hr music, 1 film, 2 stickers, 2 postcards, and no plastic cd packaging….I say well done Masti Music for pulling out all the stops on this release, and in a market full of cheap, poorly produced music in cheap poorly manufactured packaging this is a breath of fresh air…. I hope it inspires some of the big labels in India to not be so cheap with us the music listener!
GateLessGate Magazine 