Higher Octave Music

2CD's of relaxing New Age, Smooth Jazz, Downtempo music.

Inner Journeys: Myth & Legends (2003). With its lush melodies, tribal rhythms and chants and soaring flute driven energy, Cusco has cornered the market on mystical world music since becoming one of Higher Octave Music's mainstays over 15 years ago. They could have sold those two million units based on the engaging, spirit-energizing music alone, but no doubt dedicated listeners have been prompted to brush up on Inca and Aztec civilizations, which fueled this brainchild of German born group leader Michael Holm. This sweeping and provocative new disc blends a multitude of world cultures while delving into the adventure, magic, and mystery of ancient myths and legends…

This California-based guitarist was actually born in Germany. His inspiration and style are similar to that of another German immigrant, Deuter, who co-produced and performed on Govi's debut album Sky High. Like Deuter, Govi spent a number of years living and studying in India, where he added sitar to his vocabulary of acoustic and electric guitars, mandola, and cello.Govi's music gained in popularity in the 1990s, with the expansion of peoples awareness of world music and a renewed passion for flamenco, spawning new age hit albums like Andalusian Nights and Passion and Grace. His music is a gentle, melodious combination of influences from around the world.

Almost overnight, the success of Ottmar Liebert's groundbreaking 1990 debut Nouveau Flamenco catapulted Higher Octave Music into one of the industry's top indie labels and introduced the instrumental world to a fresh, exotic sound unlike any other…

Fans of Strunz & Farah will find pleasing similarities on this release by the spirited duo of Lara And Reyes. Rooted in improvisation, Two Guitars… borrows from traditions that span the globe: rhythms of Africa and South and Central America, chord structures from Spain and Mexico. You'll hear melodic scales that can be traced to the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. This range of tonal colors creates an original repertoire of moving music with insistent rhythms and challenging, exotic harmonic and melodic diversity. Bass and percussion, by Randy Johnson and Eric Casillas respectively provide the fuel, while the guitaristics of the two lead players provide more than ample passion…

Canadian duo Mythos synthesize dance beats, various world musics, and new age sensibilities in a manner akin to an Enigma or Deep Forest. Bob D'Eith (keyboards) and Paul Schmidt (guitar) grew up in Vancouver, both receiving classical training on their respective instruments; the result was their Juno-nominated, Canada-only 1997 debut, Introspection. Mythos then signed with Higher Octave and released their self-titled international debut in 1998. The album's rich classical melodies blend with African tribal rhythms and traditional Oriental Middle Eastern tones to create a sound that is unique, otherworldly, and elegant. With over an hour of music, this self-titled recording includes the best of the previously released album Introspection plus seven new tracks.

Ambient yet groove-oriented, ethereal yet grounded with irresistible dance beats, the music of the Canadian duo Mythos offers a perfectly textured balance between modern electronic sounds and ancient flavors that ring timeless. Blending sounds that are purely human and organic (soaring vocals, piano, and guitar) with foundations and atmospheres strictly from the age of the synthesizer, Bob D'Eith and Paul Schmidt achieved international acclaim with their self-titled 1998 Higher Octave debut, which Chart Magazine called "otherworldly." 2000 recording, the similarly provocative Reality of a Dreamer, shifts focus from the globetrotting tendencies of the first album and to a more Western leaning combination of classical, jazz, and pop influences…