Inside...Musical Starstreams

Welcome to our monthly column where we share impressions and uniquely evocative (meaning it will hopefully "touch you" in a special way) recordings worth seeking out and sampling. Here's three more noteworthy titles receiving attention on our radio program.

The refreshing thing about too little of the music that crosses our desks every day at Musical Starstreams is that it is unusual and different. And one of our slogans on the program is "Where the unusual is enjoyable." That's precisely why the Voices album fits in. You'll find it on our playlists because it's different — in a good way. At first glance it would appear to be just another Native American flute album. But on closer listen, WindWalker, who is Anchorage, Alaska's Tim Crawford, takes that important extra step by offering some understated and welcome synth and electronic elements to his recordings that are unusual with most similar albums. Schooled by perhaps the master of the genre, R. Carlos Nakai, you will hear a welcome similarity with the music of WindWalker. But again, be prepared for some haunting, otherworldly electronics as well. Although Crawford doesn't completely nail the mix on every track, there are enough good things to warrant a listen and justify adding this CD to your music collection, especially if you enjoy "echoey" Native American flute work.

As our program gains more international listeners on the internet (www.starstreams.com), we are attracting a greater number of artists from around the planet who are sending us their albums for possible airplay. One such performer is Carlos Salcedo who resides in Estepona, Spain and records under the name "Usul." He bills his Samadhi album as "Ancestral New Age" but if we were writing descriptive terms, we would call it "Meditative Sitar and Flute." To be sure, there is a distinct East Indian flavor of sitar and drones on the album and "Samadhi," the nearly twelve minute epic title track, promises to be a long-time favorite on the program. Though at times some of the other tracks are a bit too syrupy for our taste mostly because of the flutes, the album nonetheless has its more than worthwhile bright moments like the before-mentioned title track, the alluring "Govinda" and the too short "Rudra." Which reminds us to also note that in a perfect world we would have preferred a few more tracks, especially if they matched the quality of the ones already mentioned.

Groove Unlimited is a Netherlands based label that has been quietly building a rather impressive catalog of contemporary electronic music releases, mostly from Europe. States of Mind is the debut release from the Dutch trio Mind Projects: Roland Guyt, Paul Bliekendaal and Marcel Guyt. States of Mind began life as a multimedia undertaking first performed in the Netherlands in January of 1998. The night consisted of electronic music intertwined with moving, almost neo-psychedelic, images. As a listener and watcher, you would have been experiencing the dream world of a young woman, played by Gerlinde Vliegenthart. As she sleeps, she goes through various states of mind. They progress and move through numerous emotional dream states. The album, heard on its own, is reminiscent of early, more mellow Tangerine Dream. Sometimes it can be ponderous but there are equal amounts of brilliance. For example, the third track, "Desperation," compares favorably to the best work of the genre and is the perfect soundtrack as our young woman enters a not so pleasant state of mind. Depression and desperation are expressed in this piece with heavy sequences. The concept is intriguing and the execution is interesting as well.

Please always remember that ultimately what constitutes "good" music involves the personal taste of each of us. If we direct you to an album that you didn't know existed and you end up enjoying it, then we both feel a sense of accomplishment. As always, your input is welcome. Feel free to write.

FOREST is the producer and host of the nationally syndicated weekly radio program, MUSICAL STARSTREAMS, heard locally every Sunday night from 10pm to midnight on WNUA, 95.5fm and worldwide on the internet. He can be reached at PO Box 1409, Mill Valley, CA 94942. E-mail:forest@starstreams.com, or listen on the web at:http://www.starstreams.com. Musicians or labels wishing to send material for review or airplay are advised that because of the huge volume already received, only compact disc releases will be considered.

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