Abhay Gopaldass Adhikari, a 19-year-old reader from Delhi, reviews two albums from his favourite genre: new age. "Some of the finest music in the market today, love to write about music from the Real Music label," says he

Cousteau's Dream

This is a recent offering from Real Music. It is a tribute to Capt Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a man with vision and drive, a true explorer and lover of life and the undersea world. A portion of the sales from each album goes towards The Cousteau Society which is dedicated to "protecting and preserving the earth and its inhabitants".

The album features a dazzling array of stars representing varied musical
styles. The mood of the tracks varies from the inspirational to the experimental. A perfect example is Circle's Edge, a track from Tim Wheater's new album Incantation. No one but Tim can fuse choral voices with tribal rhythms and Sanskrit slokas and make it all sound as natural and credible.

The album features two tracks by Vangelis, taken from the 1492 soundtrack.
The title track of which is credited to have created a definitive new sound
in the 90'ies!  The compliation also features other great artists including
Yanni, Kitaro, Kenny G, 2002, Kamal, Richard Burmer, Aria, Fredric Delarue
and Michael Hoppe.

The album offers an easy listening, experience. It is recommended for those
who want to try out New Age instrumental for the first time. Cousteau's Dream showcases some of the best musical talents in the world today, and is a must have for any serious collector! A fitting tribute to a man who dedicated his life to reveal the mysteries of the undersea world. 

Johannes Linstead - Kiss The Earth

Avid music fans who want to experience the diverse nature of flamenco
and its amazing adaptability to various musical styles must listen to
Johannes Linstead's new release Kiss The Earth.

Flamenco's existence is credited to the gypsies from the south of Spain.
Over the years this genre has been influenced by a variety of other
musical styles and has gradually branched off into a form known as nouveau flamenco. This is an exploration of various styles keeping flamenco as the base.

There is no artist better than Johannes Linstead to successfully achieve this fusion. The album exhibits his mastery as he skillfully guides you from one track to another, exploring various possibilities and creating fresh sounds.
He owes this innovative spirit to the great cultural diversity he sees in the world, which he says is his main inspiration.

Johannes talks about his influences: "My music is generally inspired by my sojourns to Latin America and the Caribbean; that is where my heart is. I love nature; the ocean, trees, animals... Words can also inspire me, though."

The first track Mezza Luna, relaxed and laidback, sets the pace for the
entire album. The composition is named after an inn. "I was traveling along
the coastline just north of Miami Beach, and I had been trying to find a
title for this song for several months. Suddenly I passed this little inn --
which was named Mezza Luna -- and I knew that was the title I was looking
for. "

Other great tracks include Savannah. Backed by wordless vocals, the track
offers the classic flamenco experience of starlit nights and crackling
bonfires, intimate music as many call it. Road to Marrakesh incorporates a variety of middle-eastern instruments into the melody and gives a unique perspective to Flamenco. Caja de Cerillas, a beautiful track, is full of surprise.  It starts on a sombre note that turns into a steady beat, which suddenly  breaks off into dizzying fretwork, and just as easily returns to a sombre tune.

Sadharasara features some more of the dizzying fretwork. Ritmo de Amor or Rhythm of Love is a sensuous amalgamation of salsa and flamenco. Johannes
deftly captures the spirit of both musical styles to create a melodious
masterpiece. The pulsating rhythm sets your heart racing and gets your foot tapping. Indeed, a perfect finish to a fantastic compilation, which leaves you
longing for the next release from this fine exponent of nouveau world
flamenco.

Abhay Gopaldass Adhikari

Abhay's note: "I have quite a large Real Music collection! If you find the reviews suitable for the site, please publish them and give others a chance to listen to such FINE music :)

Regarding Availability: Can be bought from prominent online music stores such as cdnow.com. Also available off their website realmusic.com.