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Koan - Talking Stones (Otium net-label, 2005)
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
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762
Posted : Apr 21, 2005 11:36
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[intro]
Once upon a time in Galaxy far far away... when the trees were big and trance music in our country only was trying to find its way to hearts of thousands and thousands amateurs which it has nowaday... There were two compilations from Horns & Hoofs Entertaiment: V.A. - Eleventure (2002) and V.A. - The Dissidents (2003). On both of them there were a project named Vacuum Stalkers. It contains of two guys - Daniel Roeth and Vladimir Sedov. Besides "vacuum stalking" they are both formers of the project Koan and the disc of this project is reviewing now. It will be useful to know that V.A. - The Dissidents also contain track of this project - Koan - Warm Evening In Munich (Roeth's 89th Silicon Dream Mix). In my eyes one of the best tracks on the whole compilation (it was chill-out track).
[Lyrics #1]
Koan in zen is the task that teacher give to his disciple in the learning process. It helps him to reach new level of recognizing zen. Usually it is such a puzzle which cannot be solved. It is nonsense at a glance. The idea about this test is to find right answer which can be find only in enlightment cause the puzzle itself closely connected with enlightment position of a person. Usual example of Koan: When two hands strike each other there is a sound. What sound can produce one hand clapping?
[otium]
Disc of Koan - Talking Stones is internet release of the Moscow net-label otium. Such a thing as internet release become popular all around the world and I would say that it is remarkable breakthrough in attempt to free from commercial sound. Cause there is no reason (both for musician and for publisher) to pay much attention to commercial side of the whole thing. Talking Stones is the fifth release of otium. Earlier there wer released such projects (in general it is ambient and lounge music) as Zvuki Belovodiya (ex-Makumashi), ColdcAt, avec.berre, Songraphie. Lets wish all the best to net-label otium! It will be great to see more releases from it.
[Lyrics #2]
I would like to define the style of Koan's new release as chill-out but there is another name for it on the web-site of otium - www.otium.ru. There is more particular for this style - etnic lounge. All the music is full of Asian influences but also it has pretty nice syntetic sounds and combination is rather interesting and fresh.
[tracklist]
Kolibri
Underwater Moonlight
Back To The Silent Lagoon
Hotei
Ambrosia
Immortal Dwarfs Spirits
Flight On AirSnake
Green Crane
Lonely Wolf
Lights Of Arctica (Metanoya reprise)
Kolibri
Here we have sorta intro - short track Kolibri is easy introduce to us the music that we will expirience from the whole disc. From a morning fog of tropics somewhere on Sumathra or somthing coming the voice of muezzin rounded with birds voices
Underwater Moonlight
From this (with a help of oriental flute and string fingering) we are taken to another environment - water. Fxs and crisp beatline made me imagine sandy estuary at the border of sea and tropical forest. From time to time there is a surf sound that bring ocean's echoes...
Back To The Silent Lagoon
It continues with water-theme... Amazing flute and synthetic sounds. The same forest but filled with colours of the sunny day.
Hotei
Hotei one of the seven lucky gods of Japan. God of Contentment and Happiness. This track starts new theme on a disc. More dynamic almost dancing with something like twisted-fxs but in the same etnic way. One of the best tracks on the whole disc... From god music brings us to the food of gods
Ambrosia
Ambrosia. With such a trackname the music itself turnes to more pathetic more solid. Hard beat and booming melody and far gongs... they are die down after first part of a track... Then after period of ambient sound theme bringed back to our ears. More pathetic more volume...
Immortal Dwarfs Spirits
Very atmospheric and very epic track. It has true connection with its name. You are in the world of shadows of spirits ancient creatures that will stay there forever.
Flight On AirSnake
In the begining of the track there are some bells that rings gantly and touching. All in the melody and surroundings is about new element - air. There is amazing synth that represents air itself and all the melody built with it and sounds very good.
Green Crane
Continuing with air-theme here we have more materially-minded way of seeing the air. Its about crane that moving on the marches. All around there is a life and it is part of that infinite life process. Glory and happy. And sun is close to the dusk...
Lonely Wolf
And when the sun is down beyond the horizon... new creature is on the trails. Lone wolf crossing endless fields. Very toching melody ends the whole beautiful and happy day which we spend in this place somewhere in paradise.
Lights Of Arctica (Metanoya reprise)
And the last track is very different from the rest of the disc. Here you wont find anything that was in other pieces of this creation. It is all about anti paradise of Silent Lagoon. Gloome dark atmosphere of beat-less ambient here to bring the sad and unhappy feelings in your mood.
[Overall]
When I was student in the University there was a cafe nearby where I spend time of my lessons  . There were trip-hop, downtempo and lounge... When I played this CD it reminds me those times of happiness and idleness.
Those of you who played PC-game Civilization actually remember the amazing soundtrack of it. This CD will surely refresh your memories of it especially if you played for Chinese, Indians Japans or even Zulu.
All tracks on the disc are compiled to listen in the order they are on the disc... but anyway here my
[Favorite tracks]
Hotei
Ambrosia
Lonely Wolf
  Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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Andrey
Inactive User
Started Topics :
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1221
Posted : Apr 21, 2005 16:01
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Surprise, it's Rubi )))))))))))
Great review man, you're the best (in Russia at least ) 10/10
Sea>Israel>Ben-Gurion>Tel-Aviv>Ramat-Goa>Marom Neve
is this pure reality could we be led?
25500 NIS for 1 hour DJ set
30500 NIS for 45-50 minutes of Live~ |
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
762
Posted : Apr 21, 2005 16:10
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thanks a lot, man I think that my part is very small one - I'm only listen to it and write down the review... Thanks good musicians who inspired me - doesn't metter if they are russians or not. Anyway thanks for the good words.
Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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klaxer
Koan / Vacuum Stalkers
Started Topics :
11
Posts :
380
Posted : Apr 22, 2005 15:10
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klaxer
Koan / Vacuum Stalkers
Started Topics :
11
Posts :
380
Posted : Apr 22, 2005 15:48
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p.s.
ATTENTION! Please don't delete this file from YouSendIt server after download!
Thanks! |
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furthur
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
45
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1383
Posted : Apr 22, 2005 17:24
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Downloaded. Listening right now. Sounds nice.
One thing I don;t understand is this concept of a net label. How do they exist as I don't see any way to pay on the site. And is it possible to get a physical disc if I want to?
Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire.
www.ganesha.ca |
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
762
Posted : Apr 24, 2005 05:35
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One thing I don;t understand is this concept of a net label. How do they exist as I don't see any way to pay on the site.
You don't need to pay for this release. It is stuff that musicians "supports" label with. In the way of making money it is interesting only as promotion. And offcourse as music release...
Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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Voice of All
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
762
Posted : May 31, 2005 01:45
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as far as I know otium has English version of site now... so you can download this disc from there... it is free and I think you are welcome
It is funny that I knew it from isratrance topic here: http://forum.isratrance.com/viewtopic.php/topic/62849/forum/57
Spiritual guides are to practice and serve in ways that cultivate awareness, empathy, and wisdom. |
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SOB
Started Topics :
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15
Posted : Jun 26, 2005 02:57
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Quote:
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On 2005-04-22 17:24, furthur wrote:
Downloaded. Listening right now. Sounds nice.
One thing I don;t understand is this concept of a net label. How do they exist as I don't see any way to pay on the site. And is it possible to get a physical disc if I want to?
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First of all our aim is to bring good music to good people freely. Because we think that money contains something unfriendly. It's more like "i sell - you buy". We don't sell music
But sometimes we'll release a cd - but only for self-enjoyment, if you know what i mean 
Best regards,
Otium Team
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Pasha
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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260
Posted : Jun 30, 2005 18:19
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Koan is a very very good project.
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Alex Boshke
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
59
Posts :
613
Posted : Jul 5, 2005 13:22
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Koan are doing it perfectly, highly recommended, very talented artists!!! |
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furthur
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
45
Posts :
1383
Posted : Oct 30, 2005 05:39
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original stuff
still enjoying very much
thx
Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire.
www.ganesha.ca |
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