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Deuter, one of the true founding artists of the new age music genre, has delivered still another wonderful CD for his fans. Sun Spirit is a joyous and joyful recording, filled with music that is warm and glowing like the sun of its title. It consistently put a smile on my face the more I played it. I had forgotten how nice it was to listen to "pretty" and "happy" music, since I have a tendency to play a lot of melancholic albums. Combining subtle elements of South American music (specifically the music of Ecuador and that region) and traces of other world music along with his own sense of melody and rhythm, Deuter shines on his trademark recorder, his keyboard work (which in many cases sounds like plucked strings, such as harp or guitar), and on his rhythmic textures as well. There is a lightness (as in mood) to the whole album, whether the song is uptempo, such as the opener, "Zauberwad," or the more sedate pieces, like the gentle yet lively title song. Most of the pieces have some kind of rhythm or beat, and in each case it is exceptionally well done. The tabla on "Sunlight Dancing" is delightful along with the various recorders and a haunting synthesizer melody. There isn't a weak cut on Sun Spirit. Every song brings a new and distinct element to the album. "Apres La Pluie" has delicate piano, synth washes and more tabla rhythms which provides an interesting juxtaposition, i.e the romantic soft piano and the more upbeat tabla underneath it. Later in the song, kalimba (African thumb piano) bring even more cheer to the piece. Throughout the entire CD, recording quality is excellent (as it always is for Deuter's work), and the album "plays through" exceptionally well, owing to the artist's ability to weave his "feel" throughout each track. Sun Spirit is, to my ears, a faultless recording. It should appeal to fans of artists like Bruce BecVar, Dean Evenson, and the "warmer" new age music artists out there. Don't expect any darkness here! Sun Spirit is aptly named as playing it will fill your house with light and a deep warm glow. Recommended. review by Bill Binkelman |
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Deuter is one of the masters of true new age music and there's no use arguing about it. He's been around for a long time, making serene beautiful music for relaxation, reflection, and meditation for those of us lucky enough to appreciate his work. He's practically an institution all by himself and he seldom (if ever) fails to deliver the goods. So, reviewing one of his newer CDs (well, it was released in 1998) seems a bit silly. After all, if you like new age music and music for relaxation, you're gonna love this and that's as close to a guarantee as anyone can give you these days. Reiki, Hands of Light is made up of six pieces of new age/ambient music, each cut averaging about ten minutes in length. The instrumentation is piano and synths. The synths are used subtly, with effects such as synth chorus, synth strings, synth flute, plucked strings and similar sounds. Deuter is one of the best in the business at avoiding schmaltz or overkill. This recording is no exception. The music on this disc is like a gentle sun shower - cascading ever so softly, never too harsh or too lush or too full. This is not structured relaxation music, a la Kevin Kendle or Dean Evenson. It's much more floating, hence my calling it new age/ambient. And, while the songs on Reiki, Hands of Light flow naturally into one another, there is enough variation from cut to cut that from a musical standpoint, this is more interesting to listen to than a lot of new age music. At times, I was reminded, from an emotional impact standpoint, of Chuck Wild (Liquid Mind). This CD has that same sense of calm, deep peace via beautiful unhurried melodies. As I stated in the opening paragraph, writing a critique about Deuter seems superfluous. He's been making excellent music for relaxation for so long that I doubt he could produce a bad album if he wanted to. Stating the obvious, this is highly recommended for people seeking a stress-reducing recording with nary a trace of darkness on it. Reiki, Hands of Light is another in a long chain of recordings from a true artist in this field. review by Bill Binkelman |