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Bart Hawkins — Entering the Axis Mundi
(Spotted Peccary no#, 2023, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2023-02-26

Entering the Axis Mundi Cover art

Axis Mundi is the Latin term for the axis of rotation of the earth, between the celestial poles. So how does one enter it? Used in this way, Axis Mundi refers to a mythological concept representing the relationship between higher and lower realms, or the connection between earth and heaven, or entering an inner earth via the earth’s navel. In the case of Bart Hawkins’ latest release, Entering the Axis Mundi, the listener only needs to set free the imagination and use the track titles as a guide. The album represents a change underway with many recent Spotted Peccary releases that are being made available only via download or streaming instead of compact disc, though releasing it this way always allows the possibility of a CD release in the future should the demand for it grow (or any other future format that can accommodate the 72 minutes of music herein). Hawkins has an excellent track record with his two previous SPM releases, and I can imagine that any listener who enjoyed his previous, Visions of Eden from 2021, would find this one thoroughly spirited and delightful. The melodies are colorful but understated, sometimes built over dark shimmering undercurrents that offer a sense of motion, all created with many layers of modular synthesizer. The effect is at once dreamy and fantastic, with a sense of glistening beauty and effortless wonder. Track titles like “Race to Cosmos Redshift 7 Galaxy,” “To Ride a Pterodactyl,” “River Boat to Atlantis,” “The Secret of 33.3,” and the title track (to name but a few) are at once very descriptive and characteristic of Hawkins’ mysterious electronic journey, where a listener can simply close the eyes and bathe in the starlight, in the glistening magical beauty of this voyage to inner earth.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Bart Hawkins

More info
http://bart-hawkins.bandcamp.com/album/entering-the-axis-mundi

 

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