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Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
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Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher — Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster)
(Spotted Peccary SPM-9052, 2004/2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-10-22

Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster) Cover art

One may not remember, but on its original release around twenty years ago, Tibet received glowing praise in its original review in the printed edition of Exposé #30. I went back and gave the original a fresh listen before approaching this twentieth anniversary remaster, and engineer Todd Boston, with the aid of mastering tools that weren’t available at the time (Dolby Amos Immersive Space) and a fresh remix, has made the original recording significantly better in the clarity department — every sound has been meticulously reconstructed and presented with a fresh vision. The genesis of the project by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher (Madhavi Devi) was one of discovery: Travel to Nepal and Tibet to find inspiration in the land far above the clouds, with an audio recorder in hand, and compose music that as accurately as possible reflects that experience. The eight pieces at hand are the result, with both credited with electronics and samples. Gallagher also plays Camac electric harp, acoustic grand harp, and ethnic hand percussion; Martin is credited with tibetan bowls, cymbals, drums and bells, ceremonial conch shells, Taos drums, hand percussion, and sound environs. Guests include Howard Givens, who offers electronics and ambient guitar textures on a couple tracks, David Helpling playing djembe on one cut, Mark Rownd with Taos drums on one piece, and Mark Hunton playing flute on the closing track, “Procession,” as well as live on-location sound recordings of Sherpas, nuns, monks, and other ephemera. With the opening cut, “Palace,” the scene is set with synths, powerful and delicate percussives and seemingly angelic voices from on high; midway through the piece a pulsating cadence pulls everything forward and eventually brings the listener back to a world of shimmering spatial beauty. “Glacier” is a stark and beautiful piece that conjures up solitude and loneliness. The bells that ring in “Morning in Tibet” are a vital link in connecting the music at hand to a place and time, while “Essence” offers a floating ambient backdrop to dreamlike waves of scintillating beauty. Perhaps the most noteworthy track is the closer, “Procession,” where many of the field recordings come to life, working within the mostly textural backing track, to bring the listener ever closer to the experience of being there.

Filed under: Reissues, 2024 releases, 2004 recordings

Related artist(s): David Helpling, Deborah Martin, Howard Givens, Cheryl Gallagher (Madhavi Devi), Mark Rownd

More info
http://ambientelectronic.bandcamp.com/album/tibet-20th-anniversary-remaster

 

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