Liquid Bloom 'Re:Gen: Deep Ambient Remixes' Review

Artist:

Liquid Bloom

Title:

Re:Gen Deep Ambient Remixes

Label:

Desert Trax

Released:

1^st May

The overall ambience and tribal chants places Liquid Bloom as one of my favourite on the Desert Trax roster. So 3 years after the original Re:Generations release, comes this album of re-mixes. Too long some might say, personally I’m happy to have the opportunity to listen and relay my thoughts.

The producers brought in have have done exactly what it says on the tin. You won’t get more relaxed than when you encounter the whispering vocals that float across the deep ambient synths and drones, on the Eternell Ambient mix of ‘Ensenme’, mesmerising like those seductive sirens of the Greek fables. Even the Temple Step Project’s re-mix of ‘Resonant Migration’ which features the Australian shamanic powerhouse Deya Dova on vocals, is stripped back, laid back with her tribal chants just carrying the music into the ether.

If you are seeking out deep ambient music, that is blended with eastern instrumentation (and the faintest touch of psy) as an aid for a healthy body and mind, or simply looking to kick back and relax, then this album ticks all the boxes as a perfect accompaniment.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links

www.liquidbloom.com

soundcloud.com/liquidbloom

Liquid Bloom, Porangui & Spice Trader 'Ayé Yewo' Review

Artist: Liquid Bloom, Porangui & Spice Trader

Title: Ayé Yewo

Label: Desert Trax

Released: 22^nd November

Liquid Bloom is a project formed by Amani Friend (Desert Dwellers) which places focus on inner growth through ancient and spiritual soundscapes, whether paired with meditation, yoga, bodywork, dance or artistic creation.

This single incorporates vocals and instrumentation from Porangui, with additional instrumentation and production from Spice Trader to form a blend of African music and deep house. Which is paired alongside an ethereal mix from neo-western producer Tone Ranger.

The single shuffles along nicely with an acoustic loop, vocal chants and tribal rhythms before adopting an afro-beat feel with the added horns. It slows down a tad and employs delay before the vocal verses takes hold. Whilst the Tone Ranger version initially seems to accentuate the drums overall it’s a smoother mellower take on the original piece.

Reviewed by Woodzee

https://liquidbloom.bandcamp.com/

Various Artists 'Vajra Mind: Meditative Soundscapes' Review

Artist: Various

Title: Vajra Mind:

Meditative Soundscapes

Label: Desert Trax

Released: 3^rd June

Compiled and mixed by Amani (one half of the Desert Dwellers) this release exhibits the ambient side of the Desert Dwellers, Liquid Bloom, Variant Field, Rara Avis, Bluetech and Shamans Dream. Collated from the Desert Trax catalog from 2001 to 2015 and featuring some exclusive tracks and remixes aimed specifically at relaxation and artistic creativity over a 2 hour duration.

As soon as you press play you will discover that Amani dives deep fusing atmospheric synths, field recordings, flutes and Arabic instruments with some choice selections from the Desert Dwellers mystical arsenal spanning the first half an hour. At this point the artist selection is interuptted with a collaboration by Bluetech and Shaman's Dream. However, unless your concentrating on the tracklist you would never notice as the piece maintains a perfect harmony and doesn't interupt the flow.

The rest of the album flows in a similar vein with subtle changes of atmospherics, tanpuras and sound fx where the occasional loop, didgeridoo or snake charmers flute awakens you from a dream like slumber to set you adrift again. It's very easy to lose track of where you are on this journey, even if you're already familiar with a number of the tracks and there's an ever present danger of falling asleep. Personally, I like this direction it's more of a return to the original Desert Dwellers vibe and there's definitely a time and place for this in my life. Amani without a doubt achieves the calm to help unwind after a stressful day.

Reviewed by Woodzee.

Links

http://desertdwellers.org/

https://soundcloud.com/desertdwellers/vajra-mind-meditative-soundscapes-compiled-by-amani

Liquid Bloom 'Heart of the Shamans: Ceremonial Medicine Songs' Review

Artist: 

Liquid Bloom

Title: 

Heart of the Shamans: 

Ceremonial Medicine Songs

Label: White Swan Records

Released: 27^th Jan 2015

Liquid bloom is a side project of Amani Friend (of the Desert Dwellers) with a focus on trance music, trance music that is in the traditional sense rather than the dance genre of the modern day. Drawing inspiration from indigenous ceremonial dances of New Mexico’s deserts and pueblos, and sacred traditional ayahuasca invocations from Amazonian rainforest cultures.

The album’s liner notes offer guidance for participatory, immersive listening. A succession of mudras – traditional hand gestures from India believed to provide physical points of reference and increase energy flow throughout the body – are also suggested to enhance the participant’s experience, each specific to one of the album’s six major compositions.

The release begins in a dark and moody manner with 'Ceremony of the Heart' balanced with flutes, ethereal vocals, chants and field recordings of nature and the piece gradually becomes more soothing the further you progress. In contrast 'Cosmic Soul Lotus' focuses more on the vocal aspect which I can only compare to a wonderful mish-mash of Jose Padilla and Azam Ali.

Once again 'Healing Fire Breath' contains ethereal and alluring vocals but comes across more as a song than a ceremonial chant layered over slow tribal rhythms, didge and flutes. The spoken words on 'Temple of the Goddess' are once again reminiscent to Jose Padilla's 'Navigator' album layered over ethereal vocals, chimes and field recordings of nature.

The spoken word of 'Ecstatic Grounding' switches to male vocal as an introduction to the feminine main body of the piece while the back ground music combines the sounds of India and Arabic percussion. While 'Sacred Blessing' is more soothing, the percussion is dropped for chimes and field recordings of nature and the feminine and masculine vocals overlap. While the 'Relaxation Tape' like spoken words are vaguely reminiscent.

As an added bonus there's also two tracks re-mixed by Medicina 'Jaguar Dreaming' and 'Roots of the Earth' which although are more dance orientated they're far from hectic more akin to Lumin's 'Ketri' album.

On my first listen I guess I wasn't in the right mood but re-visting a few weeks later the experience was completely different. Having previously heard Ixchel Prrisma vocals for a Desert Dwellers e.p. only one of the tracks grabbed me. But alongside Sarah West, Robert Mirabel and Rara Avis these collective vocals come to the forefront and really shine on this release.

Review by Woodzee.

Links

http://www.whiteswanrecords.com/index.php/artists/liquid-bloom

http://desertdwellers.org/liquidbloom/