Welcome to our monthly column where we share some uniquely evocative recordings that will hopefully touch you in a special way. Here's our Top Twenty Albums of 1998 as heard on our internationally syndicated radio program, Musical Starstreams. Caveat: The nature of radio airplay is to concentrate on one or two important focus tracks. Therefore, not all these albums are necessarily "good" throughout, though most are. As always, buyer beware.
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Home (Home Grown Mix) • Plasma (Freshwater Mix) • Love Dub (Drum Mix)•
Jah Weybridge • Hypnotized • Pulse Dub • Umbelievers•
Witch Doctor • Baba, We Love Dub So1. Various Artists - EARTHJUICE - (Waveform 88103 )
Freshly squeezed electromagnetic dub. Drink deeply. Crucial tracks from the UK's and Germany's most noteworthy dubmasters. Also named a Top Ten album of the year at Amazon.com.
2. Chris Zippel - GENUINE NU AMBIENT GROOVES -(Ninety Six Sounds 1CZ110)
Germany's Chris Zippel gets funky again with phatasmagoric sounds designed to get your body moving. Mission accomplished. Great production and depth.
3. Open Canvas - NOMADIC IMPRESSIONS - (Waveform 88101)
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Into The Great Valley • Haj (Sacred Journey) • Dark Sun•
Ancient Shadows • Citadels & Minarets • Nile (Lifewaters)•
Muezzin Meditation • Full Moon Dervish • White DunesAncient cross-cultural journeys from Florida's Greg Kyryluk who also records under the name Alpha Wave Movement. A soothing yet invigorating helping of Middle Eastern spices and flavors. You can almost smell the patchouli.
4. Richard Bone - THE SPECTRAL SHIPS - (Hypnos 1808)
New England's Richard Bone probes the deep vastness of electronic minimalism. You'll find yourself floating along, cloud-like, on a consistent mix of soothing, cascading synth washes. Nine original compositions that rival the best of early Eno or Budd.
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Waken • Trust • Mind Over Mind • Nothing To Fight About•
Hell Is Cooling Off • Seek Not Outside Yourself • On The Threshold•
I Like That5. Zero One - ZERO ONE - (Waveform 88104)
Music as intellectual stimulation from Northern California synthmaster Kevin Dooley. Calculated adventures in electronica. Mesmerizing, logical panoramas that will have you thinking again in no time. Great for the car - cerebral driving music. Don't miss your exit!
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Shadow Magnet • Tempest • Forest Veil•
Comforter, The • Unfolding, The6. Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke - DUALITY - (4AD 9-46851)
Australia's Dead Can Dance vocalist teams again with keyboardist and percussionist Bourke. Sensual, exotic, worldly rhythms. Think belly dancing but kewler.
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NightSong • Fairy Ring • In The Hollows Of Trees•
Fly Away • Darkness7. Singh Kaur & Gary Stadler - FAIRY NIGHTSONGS - (Sequoia X103)
Late vocalist Singh Kaur's voice is clear and pure. Gary Stadler adds the right mix of soothing electronics. A magical journey of Gaelic/English vocals in the spirit of Loreena McKennitt and Enya. Takes you deep into the mystical world of the fairy night.
8. Soulfood - BREATHE - (Rykodisc 10394)
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Creation • Breathe • Chameleon • Wisdom • WayobA double disc project from DJ Free - Minneapolis music master Gordy Schaeffer. Combines indigenous vocal chants and western musical elements. Harmonious rhythms for celebration, dance and ceremony. A breath of fresh air.
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9. Pacini & Pacini - MEMORY - (Nueve de Copas 21)
Brazilian father and son team offer romantic persuasions and idyllic mood music. Intriguing piano, electronics and guitar with just a taste of sax. Is there is a musical past which continues to be present in all of us? Hauntingly familiar and richly rewarding.
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Eastern Girl • River Of Souls • Tantra•
Songs For The Mountain • August Moon10. Waterbone - TIBET - (World Disc 2283)
Ancient, organic voicings from the shadows of the Himalayas, mixed and blended with contemporary electronic grooves. Crystal Monk chants and jubilant Nepali and Tibetan choruses take us there. A first rate production from Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendall Jones.
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11. Enchanted Forest - ENCHANTED FOREST - (World Disc M58D)
Similar in vein to the Tibet album above, except this time the voicings are more ethereal and laid back. Musical influences from the Pacific Rim, Europe, Africa, India and Native America, richly flavored with the exotic sounds of nature and contemporary instrumentation.
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1/1 • 1/2 • 2/1 • 2/212. Bang On A Can - MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS - (Point Music 314536847)
The Eno minimal masterpiece redone song for song, and except for classical releases, how often is that ever done? Could this be the first ever contemporary "cover" album? It may be a "re-do" but it's a great one.
13. Various Artists - THE THIRD BARRAMUNDI SAMPLER - (Logic 79591-59507)
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Call And See - Storm • Industrial Dream - Triple Moon • Karraveth - Space Cat•
Spirits Awaken, The - Sonic Animation • Across The Hemisphere - Joey Beltram•
Nimbus 13 - Mellow Mellow • S-Ray - Alcove • Ice Ritual, The - Nemesis•
Silent Stations Pt 1 - Project JPO • Quiet Light - CavestarFinally found its way into our library in 1998 and was worth the wait. A double CD containing some noteworthy modern day electronica. Not everything clicks here, but when it does, it's generously rewarding. Check out the twenty-two minute "Galactic Rebirth" from Australia's Cydonia.
14. Dogon - THE SIRIUS EXPEDITIONS - (New Dog 32058)
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Pah • Dungsick • Round Buddha Factory, The•
Fat Old Sun • Joven Flaca LunaSan Francisco's Paul Godwin and Miguel Noya once again test and stretch the boundaries of the Musical Starstreams repertoire. A plentiful mix of samples and electronics that are sometimes decidedly "out there." Fortunately, there's plenty of time they also come back to reality.
15. Frank Van Bogaert - COLOURS - (Ace 98.001)
Belgium's Van Bogaert's names each track after a hue of color, from the opening "Amber" to the closing "Black." More sampled indigenous tribal voicings coupled with synth soundtracks. Sometimes dancey, sometimes more introspective, with the vocal bits added as spice elements rather than as the main focus. Something for everyone's taste and color of choice.
16. Various Artists - ASANA - (Douglas Music ADC7)
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Devabandha • Om Namah Shiva • Mantra • Hear No EvilThere's something about Makyo's opening eastern Indian flavored yet dancey fifteen and a half minute epic "Devabandha" that helps pull this Bill Laswell production together. Over and over, like a mantra, it draws you in.
17. Windwalker - VOICES - (Windwalker 01072)
Native American flute music with just enough added elements to keep it interesting. Alaska's Tim "Windwalker" Crawford, who has studied with masters like R. Carlos Nakai, offers intriguing soundtracks that accompany the familiar but distinctive sound of the Native American flute.
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Awakening • Radha Kunda • Sunflower • Mirror Of The Mind • Changes18. Wai Lana & Siddha - YOGA SOUND- (Gold Moon Productions GMP111)
An epic production from world renowned yoga teacher Wai Lana. A massively produced soundtrack album that can be both intense as well as pleasant. Mesmerizing vocalized chants and instrumentation that create a full bodied, multi-layered sound that rivals epic rock soundtracks - yet somehow remains Yoga Sound.
19. Prefade Listening - WAY BACK HOME - (Different Drummer DDCD5)
Germany's Prefade Listening cover a decidedly mellow side of contemporary dub. Cool and inviting. A strong candidate for sleeper album of the year. Find it!
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From The Spring • Into A World Of Wonder • Flow•
Night Drifting Through Black Canyon • Cross Over20. Jon Jenkins - FLOW - (Spotted Peccary D0402)
Ancient, tribal spacemusic in the flavor of work from Steve Roach, Robert Rich and Vidna Obmana, but at times conveys more energy. Meanders down the path of spacey synthesizers and minimal but deep percussion elements. An impressive and hypnotic debut release.
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 e-mail us at our address below with your comments or questions.
Forest is the producer and host of the internationally syndicated weekly radio program, MUSICAL STARSTREAMS, heard locally every Sunday night from 10pm to midnight on WNUA, FM95.5 and worldwide on the internet. He can be contacted at forest@starstreams.com. Listen to MUSICAL STARSTREAMS right now on the web at: www.starstreams.com.
