Reviews
Inspirational and Passionate
The majestic sounding
music of Earth is both cinematic and worldly in its presentation. Cinematic
because of the walls of sound that wash over the listener to fill her with
invigorating energy like Fire, and worldly because of the occasional touches
of simplicity, such as Forest, with its choral voice and bird chirps. A cacophony
of noises, musical notes, chords, voices and electronic sounds opens the album
and then segues into the Living Earth regal and ambient melody in which we
seem to travel from country to country, from land to sea, from earth to sky.
Follow this with the haunting sounds of a shakuhachi on virtual Wind and then
deep into Oceano.
Inspirational and passionate, Earth endeavors to connect our souls and spirits
to the spirit of our Motherworld, there to receive "knowledge, wisdom
and spiritual enlightenment".
In his spare time, Robin searches for places of beauty and comfort where he
can receive that inspiration and infuse it into his musical compositions.
Take an opportunity to receive it yourself. --New Age Music Reviews by Michael
Woodhead in The Minstrel's
Harp
Subtitled “Sonic Journeys to Faraway Places,” independent musician Robin Barber’s 60-minute aural journey equally embraces the light and darkness of our multi-dimensional planet.
Rumbles that shake the speakers, cataclysmic musical statements, towering vistas, glorious emanations of spirit, fertile valleys, and peaceful landscapes alternately inhabit Barber’s sonic universe. It’s a vast and sometimes dangerous place, one that to these ears seems more truthful and less pretentious than some of the discs from Vangelis, Kitaro, and others of their ilk.
Barber, who currently resides in San Diego, was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Describing himself as a “true musical polyglot,” he plays organ, piano, hammer dulcimer, koto, recorder, and synthesizer. He also holds advanced degrees in science and has worked professionally as a geologist, biologist, and environmental consultant. Most important, in a time of mass denial, he seems willing to embrace the vastness and mystery of life on our fragile planet.
Barber’s space ship
navigates over and through seven dimensions: “Living Earth,” “The
Wind,” “Oceano,” “Fire,” “Sea of Grass,”
“Forest,” and “Mountain Pass.” The journey is remarkably
three-dimensional, with undeniable visceral and emotional impact. Indeed,
if parts of this disc were used to support shamanic journeying, it would be
quite a trip.
--Jason Victor Serinus
Earth, The Soundtrack
to a movie Deep Within
Robin Barber's powerful blend of ecclectic influences and transpersonal landscapes
opens up a sense for all that surrounds us, and all that awaits us. This Album
took me into a deep rich journey, where the visual landscape simply revealed
itself as I gave myself fully to Mr. Barber's powerful tunes. This is certainly
the work of a bright musical influence just about to be discovered. I recommend
Earth and eagerly wait to see what is in store. Mr Barber trully promises
to be a new and powefully inspiring influence in the music of the new millenium.
--Review on Amazon.com by Dan Zapata, March 31, 2004
After listening to "Earth" four times I've come to the conclusion that it's an absolute masterpiece!
It also gets better with each listen. Because you use a lot of great chord progressions and have some good music structure, it is light years ahead of most new age music out there. There is also a prominent cohesiveness present. Last but not least, the sounds used on here are great as is the mixing and mastering. "Living Earth" opens with an interesting sound and later you do a good job of weaving the ambient and melodic elements together. "The Wind" is delightful with the haunting melody swirling around...or shall I say, blowing. The piano toward the end of the piece sounds very well placed in the mix. My favorite tune on here is the exciting, "Fire". Great drums and percussion on this one and fascinating chord progressions...and the synth patches are excellent. "Sea of Grass" is kind of pastoral and would sound very good played on the organ. To answer your question on one of your e-mails, Bach is my favorite organ composer followed by Flor Peters...but the French school is very nice...and this tune has that great Romantic French sound. Suffice it to say it is a beautiful piece. "Mountain Pass" seems to be a summary of the styles included on this CD with a strong Far Eastern influence. The initial brass blasts near the beginning are interesting. I also enjoyed when the ostinato koto came in later in this tune. All in all this is a great CD! --John Pedersen, March 31, 2004 (JOHN PEDERSEN'S MUSICAL ADVENTURES!, www.whiteowlmusic.com)
Recently, Robin Barber released his new CD, Earth, Sonic Journeys to Faraway Places. Listening to it, I realized there was something special about this music. It contained sounds from the environment overlaid with harmonious chords, which created an evocative atmospheric feel to the overall sound. But there was more. There is distinct structure and development in Barber’s musical compositions. This is not run-of-the-mill new age music, which all too often takes a musical phrase and keeps repeating it ad infinitum.
As is stated on the CD jacket, this music is “infused with musical traditions as diverse as Celtic, Southeast Asian, Classical, and Middle Eastern.” Strands of melody from these traditions are woven into the texture of Barber’s work. At times these strands provide subtle underpinning for a piece. At other times, these melodies appear as fully developed musical compositions in a more classical understanding.
This collection of music is well worth listening to. One can hear Barber’s classical training as an organist and composer, which he received during his schooling at Queen of the Holy Rosary School of Music, in Fremont, CA. It is the foundation upon which Barber’s music is built, and ultimately, the key to the success of this recording. Some of the tracks are quiet and subtle, while others are powerful and bold. This CD can be listened to as background music, or can be experienced as a meditation on the Earth’s texture and fullness, all the while occupying your full attention throughout the entire CD.
I look forward
to hearing more good work from Barber in the future.
--Wayne Henderson, wayne2865@yahoo.com
