Vox+dei

"La Biblia" is the second and most popular album of Argentine rock band Vox Dei, originally issued in 1971 as a double vinyl LP by Disc Jockey, a small local company that boasted the slogan "the young label". This is a conceptual album (also deemed a rock opera) where the biblical theme is developed, from Genesis (Génesis) to Revelation (Apocalipsis), with inspired songwriting, and a mixture of blues rock and hard rock a la Led Zeppelin with beautiful acoustic sequences, also including some jam band excursions (Las guerras), and poems penned by guitarist Ricardo Soulé, often inspired by the book itself. In spite of its technical defects and dated sound, "La Biblia" is yet an excellent rock album, and the quality of the music contained is above average, making up an imperfect, pretentious, little masterpiece.

Argentinean group Vox Dei started playing by the end of the 1960s. After signing up to independent label Mandioca, the band released "Azucar Amarga" and "Presente" in 1969; a year later, they issued the album Caliente. Vox Dei's conceptual album La Biblia, released in 1971, consolidated the band as one of the major local rock numbers. When Juan Carlos Godoy decided to leave the act, Ignacio Smilari joined in. Soon after Jeremias, Pies De Plomo came out, Vox Dei participated in a movie called Rock Hasta Que Se Ponga El Sol. In 1974, guitarist Carlos Michelini replaced Ricardo Soulé. The group disbanded after a live performance at Buenos Aires' Obras Sanitarias in 1981, returning in 1988 to make a new record called Tengo Razones Para Seguir.

1997 completely replayed version of this heavy prog masterpiece; the first concept album of Rock in Spanish, at least on these shores. Featuring the original line up, guests and orchestral arrangements, it also includes two previously unreleased tracks from a never issued future album. Musically the band turned hard-psycho, with chirping driven guitars et al. "Genesis", "Las Guerras", "Profecнas" and especially "Libros Sapienciales" turned into Vox Dei standards.

Vox Archangeli combines original Gregorian chants from early medieval times with modern electronic sounds. The inspiration comes from a wide range of musical influences, from classical and folk music, through to pop and rock. In recent years Vox Archangeli have gained attention both internationally and in their native Sweden. Besides having had all their three full length releases placed in the official Swedish album charts, they have performed several times on Swedish television, at numerous festivals as well as prestigious awards shows.
Vox Archangeli’s big Sanctus project is based upon the three archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - each holding the theme for one full length album…

Hans Leo Hassler is considered one of the most significant personalities among Late Renaissance composers in the German-speaking world. A striking number of his works have been published as printed editions early on, for instance in 1590, when he only was aged 24, the Canzonette a quatro voci in Nuremberg and one year later in Augsburg the Cantiones sacrae, where among others the motets Dixit Maria and Beata es virgo Maria as well as the Magnificat octavi toni have first been released. In his Missa octo vocum, the mass for eight-part double choir, Hassler follows the sequence of the Catholic mass with its six parts that comprise its ordinary: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. The Ensemble Vox Archangeli is directed by bassist Manuel Schuen, who is also performing on the Sieber-organ at St Michael’s Church in Vienna.

Alexander Campkin is renowned as a leading young choral composer who has been commissioned by some of the most prestigious musical organisations in Britain. True Light reveals the energy and majestic sound world that he commands, as well as qualities of reflective intimacy. His Missa Brevis was inspired by seeing a beam of sunlight pierce a cloud of moving incense, the resultant music being built around a sustained pitch, ebbing and flowing. In The First Kiss, he sets two poignant and daring Epigrams by the Greek philosopher Strato.

Vox is an Ann Arbor, MI-based early music ensemble that is performing a cappella Renaissance choral works in a part of the world where just recently they were hard to hear in person. Josquin and the Lost Generation is their debut recording. The disc contains an attractive and interesting program that does a fine job introducing audiences to the live stylistic issues of the early sixteenth century.