Review Summary: "When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find peace of mind is waiting there..."
Music, since its invention, has been an essential aspect of human society. An orchestration of different instruments creating a union of sounds that together coalesce into a harmonious delight for our senses. No matter the occasion, music just seems to enliven the atmosphere. If it's a celebration, we tend to play music with a jubilant sound; perhaps loud and rambunctious. Or if the setting is much more melancholic, we'll play music that reflects that gloomy environment. Music induces an almost hypnotic effect, it has this undeniable ability to influence our mind. No matter what emotion is being evoked from a song, if the music interests us enough, it possesses us to feel that same emotion.
One of the earliest traditions in human society is the usage of music in religious ceremonies, a stimulating element that helped everyone ascend into a spiritual state of mind- and that is the purpose of this album. Raga is a particular class of traditional Indian music. An ethereal sound meant to nourish the flowering of the cosmic seed that lies within our conscious mind. Each note serving to vitalize its blossoming into a meditative state of absolute tranquility. Though sharing similar aesthetics, each song has a different mood, and thus each providing a unique journey.
"Earth" begins with a prayer, a call to the spirits of a heavenly realm to guide this meditation to enlightenment. Though the orchestrations for the music follow traditional Indian styles and instruments, they also contain subtle studio touches to induce a trancing psychedelic realm. The musical orchestrations often exhibit an exquisite coalescence of sitar and flute melodies that provide the primary harmonic framework of the music. In the background lies a tapestry of hazy ambience, induced by a prominent synthesis of tambura dissonance, and tubular bells.
"Air" is one of the more atmospheric piece, a venture through the cosmic dimensions of echoed delay and droning feedback.
"Fire" is another piece that deviates from the typical style of the album. It is essentially comprised almost entirely by eruptive percussive waves and subtle ambient textures.
Brooklyn Raga Association have composed a truly remarkable album, one that entices the listener with its exquisite musicianship and hypnotic allure. This is not just a mere collection of songs, it's an experience that takes you away into a spiritual world to simply get lost in. Its music exudes an atmosphere of ecstasy with every note, that cleanses you from all the strenuous burdens of the material world, while guiding you into a different realm, one that is your own. To regress deep into your mind through meditation and discovering the ethereal sensation of inner peace.
