1. Into the Deep - LISTEN
2. The Lost City Part 1 - LISTEN
3. Lights of Atlantis - LISTEN
4. Hidden Treasures - LISTEN
5. The Great Crystal - LISTEN
6. Mermaids of Atlantis - LISTEN
7. The Lost City Part 2- LISTEN
Total Running Time 49:03
*Review*
Put the two best electronic keyboard new age music artists together
on a project and you should expect nothing short of brilliance.
Thankfully, brilliant is exactly the word to describe Journey to
Atlantis from Kevin Kendle and Llewellyn. Despite favorably reviewing
many of their previous solo efforts, I was still unprepared for
the results contained herein. This is an amazing release, from the
luminous artwork that accompanies the album (by an artist cited
only as “Clare”) to the assorted flowing electronic
melodies which perfectly capture the sensation of coursing through
the underwater world searching for the fabled lost continent, filled
with feelings of awe and wonder. While it’s only April, it’s
not a stretch to imagine this may be the best new age music album
released in 2007.
After the brief prologue of “Into the Deep,” the listener
is carried away on undulating washes, plucked strings, and echoed
piano on “The Lost City, Part 1.” If you are a frequent
listener to the works of either Kendle or Llewellyn, you may be
able to detect which of the two is the composer of an individual
track. In this case, it’s Kendle. His characteristic warmth
and smooth melodicism are present in abundance, yet there is also
something new at work, a sensation of fluidity that is unmistakable.
“Lights of Atlantis” opens amidst massed arpeggio
strings and muted timpani, suggesting a feeling of wonder and majesty.
Burbbling synths and broad swathes of retro analogue keyboards (relatively
new elements for Kendle, previously heard on his “Deep Skies”
series) impart an “underwater/spacemusic” vibe to the
proceedings. “Hidden Treasures” (the first composition
credited to Llewellyn) softens things considerably, emphasizing
soothing synth pads, twinkling tones, and a gentle sensation of
being at peace (very characteristic of this artist’s many
excellent recordings), with the addition of lilting flute and echoed
piano. At eleven-plus minutes in length, it’s the longest
selection on the CD and as a result, evolves and morphs gradually
through several more dramatic, yet still subdued, stages. Plucked
harp sounds and softly whooshing keyboards once again evoke the
watery depths, while occasional lush synth strings impart a near
cinematic feel to the music. “The Great Crystal” represents
a true symbiosis of the two musicians’ motifs: Llewellyn’s
flowing peaceful melodies and new age flourishes with Kendle’s
more spacious sound-sculpting and overt use of retro electronics.
Trademark sampled woodwinds and strings (last heard on Kendle’s
superlative CD, Winter) convey an unexpected degree of beautiful
somberness. The lovely Llewellyn-penned “Mermaids of Atlantis”
introduces that artist’s frequent collaborator (and life partner)
Juliana on guest wordless “mermadic” vocals and, as
I have often written, her voice is the equal of any other woman
in new age music today. Set against an assortment of mystical sounding
keyboards, her singing is Siren-like, drawing the listener closer
and making one fall under the spell of the enchanted undersea kingdom’s
allure. “The Lost City Part 2” closes out the CD on
a powerful note, slowly building from a subdued beginning of male
chorals and sustained synth washes, adding in twinkling and shimmering
textures, and culminating in an exhilarating outpouring of layers
of melodies that harkens back to “Part 1” of the song
from the album’s beginning.
Kevin Kendle and Llewellyn have put it all on the table with Journey
to Atlantis - and then some. Electronic-keyboard new age music simply
doesn’t get any better, period. Journey to Atlantis both thrills
and soothes; it’s a wondrous sonic voyage to an imaginary
(or was it?) land far beneath the water’s surface. Do I need
to state how highly I recommend this recording?
Bill
Binkelman
New Age Reporter
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