Higher Octave Music

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…

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.

Annie Hilsberg and Robert Matt, better known as Yulara, achieve their desire to bring people of different cultures together through the power of music on their third release for the Higher Octave label. Future Tribe spotlights the duo's increasingly jazzy, up-tempo direction, with tracks featuring guest artists Afro-pop superstar Angelique Kidjo, smooth jazz guitarist Brian Hughes, and new age legend Cusco. Annie Hilsberg shows tremendous musical growth on 12 songs that beautifully reflect her soprano and alto saxophones, flutes, and vocal talents. Robert Matt's keyboards and programming add several layers of ambient grooves and sampled nature sounds into an organic fusion…

Touring behind icons like Michael Bolton and Mariah Carey has no doubt enhanced guitarist Chris Camozzi's sense of a pop melody, and he shares those expert acoustic and electric chops in a solo spotlight of his own on Windows of My Soul, Higher Octave's latest rock guitarist turned smooth jazz cat release. He's found a fitting home on the label, because his rich tapestry of cool yet just aggressive enough to be invigorating sounds blend the rhythmic charms of Craig Chaquico and the smoky after hours passion of Neal Schon. A tender nylon string reading of The Beatles' "Michelle" complements a snappy repertoire of fiery electricity ("Go Wes Young Man" has an obvious influence) and charming romance along the lines of the seductive "The Dreamers." Program a few of the later cuts in sequence and your soul mate won't complain any time soon. For, like his labelmates, Camozzi's production skills are all about creating moodswings which best fit each tune's lyrical lilt. More often than not, these windows look out optimistically, through the eyes of love.

Though he has shown a mastery and affinity for both electric and acoustic axes, Tommy Emmanuel's Higher Octave debut, Midnight Drive, finds him focusing almost exclusively on warm yet frequently aggressive acoustic melodies, complemented here and there by the raw, plugged-in energy of Robben Ford and Larry Carlton. The overall mix is the kind that smooth jazz lovers find easy to swallow, but offers more bite and adventure than most like-minded releases in the genre. Smooth jazz radio may find an easy mark with a laid-back take of Sting's "Fields of Gold," but Emmanuel's other tracks dig deeper, showing off a stylistic chameleon drawing from the many phases of his career. His soft pop side comes out on power ballads "No More Goodbyes" and "Stay Close to Me," the latter reminding us why guest saxman Warren Hill's biggest hit to date was called "The Passion Theme." Emmanuel's more aggressive blues-rock side (honed no doubt by a few years in the progressive mid-'80s ensemble Dragon) emerges with Carlton's help on "Can't Get Enough." The striking contrast between the pastoral, folksy roads of "Drivetime" and the disc's best track, "Villa de Martin" best reflects the gamut of Emmanuel's approaches.

Barcelona Nights: The Best of Ottmar Liebert, Vol. 1 gathers the nouveau flamenco guitarist's early career highlights, including the title track and "Heart Still/Beating," both from his 1990 debut Nouveau Flamenco, as well as Borrasca's title track and "Dancing Under the Moon."

Songwriter Chris Isaak clearly loves the reverb-laden rockabilly and country of Sun Studios. In particular, he transfers the sweeping melancholy of Roy Orbison's classic Monument singles ("Crying," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "In Dreams") to the more stripped-down, rootsy sound of Sun, resulting in a stylized take on '50s and '60s rock & roll that made him into a star in the early '90s, propelled to a great degree by the hit single "Wicked Game." Isaak began performing after he graduated from college, forming the rockabilly band Silvertone. The group, which featured guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, bassist Rowland Salley, and drummer Kenney Dale Johnson, would become the singer/guitarist's permanent supporting band