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Inspirational Journeys Volume 1 Reviews Spiritual Oasis Reviews Dolphin Ascension Reviews |
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Review from Prediction Magazine - December 2004 INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEYS This is a supremely profound collaboration between gifted musician Stephen Page and the effective and original meditations written by spiritual retreat host John Bellamy. This double CD set is volume 1 and contains a water meditation and an earth meditation. The first CD comprises the meditations while the second is just the music. The water meditation carried me away quite quickly but I don't remember much about it. The only thing I can report is that I awoke and was surprised (and a little shocked!) to see my pillow and face wet with tears. I hadn't felt particularly sad or emotional during the meditation but it was obviously a very carthatic experience. The benefits the next day were amazing: I had more energy, was far more cheerful and really felt blessed and happy to be in the world and of the world. The earth meditation did not effect me as dramatically but I sense that these meditations work best when you pick which you are drawn to at the time. Essential listening. Click here to
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Review from Massage World Magazine -October 2004 STEPHEN PAGE The second disc is the music alone, which is the long awaited follow up to the popular Dolphin Ascension and will no doubt be the first of many journeys. Stephen's keyboard skills project the spiritualism of his compositions and this makes an ideal background to any complementary therapy treatment. It wasn't bad in the office either to calm down a rather hectic morning, though I suggest you leave the meditation CD until you are back home ! Click here to
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Review from Massage World Magazine - Sept / Oct 2003 STEPHEN PAGE & RICHARD CHURCHYARD Both Stephen and Richard are excellent musicians in their own rights and are very well known for producing music for healing arts. This collaboration has resulted in four tracks of music to relax the body, calm the mind and uplift the soul. The introduction reminded me very much of that of a Chris Rea track from the On The Beach album, which always brings back personal memories of a wonderful, early morning relaxation class on a past retreat visit. Although only released this year, it's popularity has already surpassed Stephen's previous CD Dolphin Ascension (or Dolphin Ascending as I called it in our review !) I love the sound of the sea and the introduction of the Tibetan Chimes, or Tingshaws as they are correctly called. Great for any therapy, yoga or meditation Click here to
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| Review by Bill Binkleman featured on his www.windandwire.com web site STEPHEN PAGE & RICHARD CHURCHYARD Regarding those keyboards, Page dials in the drama on the first track ("Drifting"), once it gets going. The synths virtually stream out of the speakers! Personally, I think this CD plays much better over loudspeakers on low volume than it does on headphones. On headphones, the "wall of sound" is almost overwhelming. Only on the aforementioned "Calm" do things quiet down (it's a shame this is the shortest track on the CD, although it's still over ten minutes in length). On "Calm," the sound is more akin to that of the German artist Nik Tyndall. Lower register synth choral keyboards (almost sounding like Tibetan chanting), percussive effects (including a cricket-like clicking), and wonderfully done lead synth lines blend in a near perfect track. The upper register choral samples on this song are spot on! Churchyard's guitar, which is more consigned to the background here, adds one more element to the subtle majesty of this cut. The other two tracks ("Timeless" and "Harmony") are in the same vein as "Drifting." Each song, by the way, is ushered in with the sounds of water lapping at the beach's shore. "Harmony" is the closing track and it's over twenty minutes long. It starts off slowly with Churchyard's Knopfler-like guitar work going nearly solo against sparse piano and minimal keyboards, but soon enough things progress into a slow tempo rhythmic wall of sound again. There is recognizable continuity throughout the three similar pieces, comprised of some similar melodic refrains and motifs that repeat here and there. In some ways, you could consider this album to be the new age music equivalent of a "long form ambient" recording. Summing up, if I was mixing the album, I might have toned things down a bit. That wall of sound wears me out when I play this on headphones. I think Page and Churchyard have fashioned an interesting concept with Spiritual Oasis; the music itself is well-produced and well-recorded. Expectations are tricky foes and once I got past the notion that I thought this was going to be a "quiet" album, I came to hear it for what it was &endash; four long pieces that slowly unwind in a continuous musical theme. If you enjoy new age music that contains lots of drama but still moves at a relaxed pace, and you also like the sound of electric guitar interspersed with lots of electronic keyboards, Spiritual Oasis deserves your consideration. Click here to
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Review by Simon Kelly which was featured in Spirit and Destiny Magazine, February 2003 STEPHEN PAGE The story that runs through the mainly instrumental tracks is based ona belief that Mother Earth (Gaia) is close to her ascension. However, for Gaia and all that dwell on her to ascend people need to live in harmony. To help, dolphins have travelled from a distant galaxy and made their home on Gaia to teach and prepare for the ascension. This is dreamy, mood music, played on a synthesiser (think Vangelis). The more upbeat numbers, such as the first track, might remind you of Simon May's TV theme tunes like Eldorado or Eastenders! There are echoes of Enigma throughout the album, but it doesn't come across as overproduced. It sounds like Stephen has put this together ina very relaxed atmosphere and, consequently, the songs are very pleasant indeed. In a nutshell Mood music for massaging the soul Click here to
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Review by Bill Binkleman which is featured on his Wind and Wire Site STEPHEN PAGE There is no point in belaboring this criticism except to add (as I have in the past) this simple piece of advice to both Stephen and others: let the music itself illustrate the drama some/most of the time. Using four or five different percussion instruments/samples of drum programs can detract from (rather than add to) an otherwise excellent sweeping keyboard line. That said, lots of the tracks on Dolphin Ascension are memorable and enjoyable, including the opening title cut with its midtempo cadence and sense of celebration. "Seascape" is also lovely, merging the sounds of waves with twinkling bells, sweeping strings, and a delicate synth refrain. Here, the drums are relatively muted and, while still more pronounced than I would choose, are a nice complement to the fluid melody lines. The bridge introduces a melodica-like keyboard that is both unique and fun to listen to as well. "Through the Nebula" (both parts "1" and "2") are the two tracks where Page pushes over into spacemusic territory - and does a particularly nice job of it, flirting with deep and lush serene washes, hushed choruses, soaring strings and spacy synth textures. These tracks are reminiscent of Geodesium, Mark Dwane, and other melodic planetarium/spacemusic composers. They are my favorite pieces on the album. New age music fans who enjoy the more uptempo offerings from Kevin Kendle (who, coincidentally, mastered Dolphin Ascension, thereby helping it sound excellent from a technical standpoint), Llewellyn, Anthony Baskey, and similar artists should find a lot to like here, such as the pretty "Dolphin Prayer," or the dramatic anthemic "A New Hope"(which flirts with a little jazz through some nice piano riffing in the middle). The closing track "Forgiven" ends the CD in energetic and passionate fashion - myriad percussion, synth strings, various bells and chimes, wood flutes, and male/female choirs combine to produce a track that is both fluid and also dramatic. Graphics and overall presentation are way above average, in fact rivaling or bettering many label efforts (far exceeding most self-released or indie efforts). And, as I stated above, the music itself on the CD is, at times, excellent. With the application of a little discretion in the use of percussion and drum programming, Dolphin Ascension would have earned a high recommendation from me. As it stands, I still recommend it to new age music fans because, from a melodic standpoint (and engineering as well, for that matter), it's a very good recording. Spacemusic fans probably would find it too "warm" except for the two tracks noted earlier, but those two "Through the Nebula" tracks are sure-fire winners! All in all, a solid (and creative) first effort from Stephen Page. review by Bill Binkelman Click here to
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Review by Serge Kozlovsky which was featured on Serge's site STEPHEN PAGE
In bright glittering of a daylight Serge Kozlovsky P.S. Stephen Page's web site address is http://www.stephenpagemusic.co.uk P.S. Translated by Tatyana L. Permyakova Click here to
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Review from the "Pagan Dawn" publication reviewed by Kerry Gold STEPHEN PAGE
It is largely instrumental beginning with the title track "Dolphin Ascension" which manages to neatly side step the usual "new-age stable" kind of music so often found today. Track 2 "Seascape", has a gently rhythm that I find particularly relaxing. Track 3, "Mother and Calf", follows on almost seamlessly and track 4, "Through the Nebula", is the most evocative, leading the listener into the more "balancing" tracks 5 and 6 "Dolphin Prayer" and "A New Hope". Track 7, "Praying for more Time", is again evocative and echoes "Through the Nebula" in many respects. Track 8," Though the Nebula 2", although slower than the previous track, again continues this evocative theme, culminating in track 9, "Dolphin Prayer (reprise)" which is essentially a spoken declamation in praise of the dolphin spiritual archetype. Although I am not usually comfortable with the sung or spoken word in music which accompanies my mediations, this track was short enough not to impinge and in fact blended in very well with the tracks either side of it. The final track, Forgiven, rounded everything off and brings the listener to a gentle sense of completion. My only complaint - which is very minor - is that some of the track titles did not seem to fit the feelings which the music inspired. The story behind the album is the need for change in order for Gaia and all that live on her to "ascend" - not sure what to or why - but the call for harmony as inspired by the dolphins is the message that runs through the whole album. Some track notes are provided as a mediational aide but again, I was unable to click with them. However, Stephen Page has managed to link into the dolphin archetype and this suggests a shamanic experience somewhere along the way which this album, for me, manages to bring across extremely well. There is a sense of wanting to share the experience, and if you forget that actual track title and just "go with the flow" (very apt) this album would make a great addition to your music library and I would certainly recommend it as an excellent gift for all your piscean friends. A "must buy" for all the pisceans out there. The artwork is excellent and front cover of two dolphins leaping from the water against the backdrop of a huge moon in a starry night sky complements the music very well. I suspect we will hear more of Stephen Page in the future, and if New World Music snap him up, he will be a great addition to their repertoire, just as long as Stephen's music is not compromised in the process. Click here to
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