Spirit Voyage Records

Islands develop a sound of their own. Not only the unique rhythms, songs and compositions are unmistakable but also the sound of the woods, of the waves, of the wind and the noises in market halls and in the villages are as unusual as the mentality of the islanders. Islands are self-contained 'small worlds' with their own rules and own character. Okinawa is such a distinguishable island in Japan. The audible travel journal »Uchina« (»Okinawa«) will put you in touch with an enchanted power of a sound, full of magic and traditional culture, maybe unfamiliar for Western people, but worth a voyage of discovery into a wondrous sound world with high sensitivity.

Now one of the most popular jazz players of the past decade, Avishai Cohen takes his artistic approach to its zenith, with "Seven Seas". Featuring nursery rhymes, lullabies and suites in which heroic inspiration and symphonics abound. "Seven Seas" plunges us into a fabulous sound voyage, in which understatement and magnitude play a never-ending game of ping-pong, a trip that easily transposes to the silver screen.

This two-disc set featuring 19 compositions is a wonderful glimpse into the great civilizations past through the eyes of musical pioneer and Grammy Award winning composer, Kitaro. In An Ancient Journey, Kitaro takes his audience on a trek to worlds far away. Listeners embark on a mysterious crusade, witnessing "the texture, life and spirit of the world's ancient people." Traditional Middle Eastern and Chinese instruments in addition to one of his favorite technological advances, the analogue synthesizer, make An Ancient Journey a melodic voyage, which is vintage Kitaro. In addition to his signature arrangements, the recording features a new addition to Kitaro's musician family, Kristin Kanda on flute.

Deuter, whom I consider the prototypical new age music artist, puts his entire palette of musical abilities on display on Koyasan, Reiki Sound Healing, his latest release on New Earth Records. Incorporating a global mixture of instruments, including the Chinese erhu (here played by Yi Xie, all other instruments played by the artist himself), Japanese shakuhachi flute, East Indian tamboura, Tibetan bowls, as well some of his trademarks (recorder, piano, silver and bamboo flute, bells, and his always gorgeous shimmering synthesizer shadings and lush textures), Deuter takes the listener on a serene, mystical voyage through a variety of peaceful soundscapes. ~ newagereporter.com

LODGER (1979) was third in Bowie's Berlin trilogy, his collaboration with legendary producer/experimentalist Brian Eno, which began with HEROES and LOW (both released in 1977). While those dark records were heavy on alien-sounding instrumentals, LODGER had none, and even contained songs that seemed relatively straightforward. Considered inaccessible at the time, LODGER now sounds like a classic, transitional Bowie album, if only for its rich spirit of experimentation. From the Middle Eastern strains of "Yassassin" to the bizarre wordplay of "African Night Flight," LODGER feels like a journey through strange lands.

2013 release from the Japanese New Age pioneer. An homage to Kitaro s lifetime reverence for nature, Final Call is specifically concerned about how we treat our planet. It is Kitaro s assertion that the planet itself is crying out and warning us about potential serious consequences if we don t address these global issues in a timely fashion, thus the album is a voyage of introspection to help discover methods to treat our planet better and put those methods into practice.

Formed at the dawn of the progressive rock era in 1969, Gentle Giant seemed poised for a time in the mid-'70s to break out of its cult-band status, but somehow never made the jump. Somewhat closer in spirit to Yes and King Crimson than to Emerson, Lake & Palmer or the Nice, their unique sound melded hard rock and classical music, with an almost medieval approach to singing. This UK four CD collection from the British Prog Rock band that rounds up all of their Chrysalis albums with bonus tracks including John Peel sessions, 7" mixes, live tracks, 'B' sides and more.

Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Phil Wickham makes passionate, faith-based rock music. Born in San Diego, California, Wickham was raised in a religious household along with his brother and sister. Wickham's parents, both musicians and former members of the band Parable, encouraged his musical interests growing up. In 2003, Wickham toured and released his self-produced debut album, Give You My World. In 2006, he signed with Simple/INO Records and released his sophomore self-titled album. A year later, he returned with Cannons, which was inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and featured the song "Jesus Lord of Heaven."