A big cousin to the Dream Traveller album. A blend of world music instruments, minimal music, and subtle electronics, each track revealing a new sound vista.
A magical journey of patterns, time, seasons,
seeing and hearinf Earth's magic cycles and patterns. This album started for me with patterns. Hypnotic, repeated, evolving patterns, sometimes described as minimal music. They made me think of the patterns we see in nature, from the lines of a leaf, to the pattern of a forest. In crystals and mountains.
They also reminded me of the cycles of the seasons, and of time - how it passes, how we divide it up, and how it can feel suspended in quiet moments.
And the pattern rhythms made me think of traveling, and watching the world pass by as you move.
I included many world instruments to keep the textures changing.
I hope you enjoy the journey, and enjoy noticing the magic patterns that are all around us.
CC
PS - I made another minimal music patterns album with Memory Wire called “Dervish House” that you may enjoy.
review
CHRIS CONWAY's Earth Magic Traveller is a world music journey of sorts. Inspired by patterns and the way they shape what is sometimes termed minimal music, the patterns of the natural world and the cycles of the seasons also factor in what is a compelling collection of mood music from the prolific, multi-talented Conway.
Mo Coulson contributes Celtic harp on 'Across The Winter Ocean Of Night'.
www.chrisconway.org
RnR Magazine July/Aug 2022
trivia
The rain, wind, and thunder sounds was recorded on the roof of my studio loft with microphones pointed out of the windows. The children were on a recording I made on the street of my old house.
album sampler video
unboxing video
Track By Track
1. Spring Morning Ascending
That feeling in the air. The magic of a spring morning. Setting out on a path that winds its way up a mountain. New vistas open up as you climb. You can see the summit getting closer, and suddenly you are there, looking down at the countryside stretching out to the far horizon.
2. Celtic Mirage In The Clouds
Light rain. Clouds make ever changing patterns in the sky. A tiny clearing and the sun almost breaks through. Slowly an image seems to form, like a rainbow tinged cloud, but forming into the shape of a clover leaf. The clouds shift again and the mirage fades away.
CC - tin & low Irish whistles, bodhran, temple bells, chimes, keyboards, effects, rain field recording.
3. Summer Afternoon Breeze Reverie
A warm hazy day with the sounds and scents of summer. A light breeze makes the leaves in the trees gently rustle. A leaf becomes detached and you watch it moving in the wind, as you mind wanders like the leaf.
CC - piano, sampled bass, zither, low Irish whistle, theremin, voice, effects, wind field recording.
4. Chanting The Storm
There are those who chant. They chant for peace, for memories. Their voices grow. They chant for the storm. Thunder breaks. The storm cleanses the world and brings inner peace - to those who chant.
CC - overtone singing, keyboards, singing bowl, bells, chimes, children & thunder field recordings.
5. Twilight Organic Dervish
Twilight is a special time to be alone with one’s thoughts. This interlude is a homage to the master of repeated patterns in music, Terry Riley.
CC - electric organ., effects.
6. Autumn Evening Heartstrings
Those long autumn evenings. A journey nears the end. Change is in the air. And thoughts turn to loved ones who you wish were on this journey with you. There are 57 strings on this track - heartstrings.
CC - 2 acoustic 9 string guitars, electric 9 string guitar, nylon string guitar, 2 zithers, sampled bass.
7. Across The Winter Ocean Of Night
Winter has its own beauty, as does the night. Both are like the ocean. With calms and strong waves to sail though. One can feel at the mercy of it, but it recedes as daylight and the shore come in to view. And the spring, and the morning magic can begin again.
CC- theremin, electric 9 string guitar, kantele, electric piano, low Irish whistle, chimes, effects, ocean field recording.
