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Steffen Basho-Junghans - Waters In Azure  (CD)

(Strange Attractors Audio House - www.strange-attractors.com - SAAH005CD)
[Styles: experimental folk, soundscape, instrumental folk]

Amazing.  Only a year after the release of his wonderful "Inside" album, Basho-Junghans has released yet another gem.  At some points relaxing, at other points stimulating, "Waters In Azure" manages to carry you through a range of feelings and emotions.  If you've heard his "Inside" album, you will know what type of music this is.  Don't be fooled, though, as there is more to this than simply rehashings of "Inside."   Contained within the depths of these movements are a number of advancements and new ideas that Basho-Junghans has pulled off flawlessly.  The first composition, "Waters," is broken into three parts that flow into each other seamlessly.   Part 1 starts off with a quiet, almost apocalyptic, feel, and flows through gasps of intensity and solemnity all the way to Part 3.  The other three pieces on this album, the shortest of which spans over 8 minutes, experiment even more with Basho-Junghans' steel-string acoustic guitar.  Concepts such as a piece played entirely with one finger and a composition influenced by the rain serve only to add to, and not detract from, the musical experience.  "Waters of Azure" is a moving, pulsating adventure.

91%

(Strange Attractors Audio House, PO Box 2827, Olympia, WA 98507 USA)