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Reviews

Various Artists — Dreams & Shadows
(Spotted Peccary SPM-9103, 2001, CD)

by Paul Hightower, Published 2002-04-01

Dreams & Shadows Cover art

The title on this one pretty much explains it. These nine tracks are the perfect accompaniment for any sort of meditative or relaxation activities. The five artists represented here all slot easily into the cool ambient style that Spotted Peccary is well known for. These selections stress the more deeply ambient side, however, with each evoking sleepy subconscious states and rhythms of the body. The act of deep breathing is the inspirational root of several tracks, including Jon Jenkins’ “Breathing in the Deep” and Mark Rownd’s “Painting Twilight.” Still others, such as Deborah Martin’s “Before Dawn” and David Helpling’s “Loss of Words.” are seated in the unconscious mind, absent even of dreams. A greater awareness seems to be evoked in J. Arif Verner’s “A Luminous Touch” and Helpling’s “All Things End.” Here the use of just a few gentle piano notes and the larger swells of sound seem to depict a rising consciousness, emerging from sleep perhaps. Dreams & Shadows can certainly stand alone for use with activities such as yoga or meditation, though hopefully it will spur interest in these fine artist’s larger bodies of work as well.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 24, 2001 releases

Related artist(s): David Helpling, Jon Jenkins, Deborah Martin, J. Arif Verner, Various Artists, Mark Rownd

 

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