It opens with a delicate piano piece, an ambient overture. “The struggle of the magicians, part three”. Credited to composer Thomas De Hartmann and mystic cum guru Gurdjieff (1866 – 1949), this is a lovely neo-classical piece that seduces with a gently pastoral beauty suggesting the magicians aren’t straining too hard.
Next is a wispy harp piece by Gail Laughton, then a short interlude of muted gongs.
Now in creeps a slightly unsettling keyboard track called “Witch’s will” by occultist-musician Wilburn Burchette followed by windsong and flute.
Such variety, and all on side one of this three record set of early New Age music. Compiled by the dedicated folk at Light In The Attic, this collection of private releases and ambient experiments covers the period 1950 to 1990; little of it saw commercial release other than self-produced cassettes.
Some of the artists are known: Iasos, Steven Halpern, Michael Stearns. Others produced their music at home and sold the tapes through alternative bookshops and spiritual healing centres (whatever they are).
And that’s the thing about both this style of music and this particular release. It comes from a place of innocence, of search for connection with self and the universe, a place far distant from commercial imperatives and record company marketing.
A patina of other worldly sincerity lays gently across these sides. Take “Seraphic Borealis” by Joel Andrews. The informative (if slightly earnest) liner notes tell us how Mr Andrews taped the piece “in 1977 at Seabird Studios in Edgewater, Florida. A group of friends sat in a circle around the harpist during the session”. Later, he visited an Egyptian temple at Luxor as part of his quest to balance yin and yang. The music, Andrews assures us, “promotes Ascension on all levels of being”. I think we can all relate to that.
Side two concludes with a drifting piano/synth wash overlaid with echoing chant. “Om Mani Padme Hum” is the title of Constance Demby’s piece. Was it written for Anakin Skywalker’s wife, I wonder? And can I hum along? Perplexing questions, yet it is easy to listen to; a beguiling combination of electronica with human voice mixed far back. Fans of Popol Vuh will love this one.
“Sound created the universe,” Ms Demby asserts, “it wasn’t a word. Sound created atoms; sound and light are the original manifesting principles for worlds.”
It’s the (new) age-old tension: entrancing music versus the absolute bollocks spouted by some of the musicians.
In an effort to accommodate as many different artists as possible, Light In The Attic have chosen to edit down some of the long pieces, offering variety but eliciting frustration along the way. I would have liked more of Don Slepian’s “Awakening”, for instance, with its synthesiser drones and sequenced flute-like trills. Same with the Laraaji track, “Unicorns in paradise”. No dulcimer here, just shimmering layers of phased synth veering towards the discordant. Really interesting; I wanted more.
Michael Stearns is perhaps the most widely known and successful of the artists represented on I Am The Centre. Album curator Douglas McGowan interviewed sometime Stearns collaborator Gary David for the liner notes (Why? Didn’t Michael want to talk?). Anyway, despite attempts to define music in words being a bit like trying to shovel smoke, Mr David takes a brave stab at defining New Age music and its intent:
I see new age music as an attempt to create musical emotions based on the bodily feelings of contentment and joy. It was an image of what people at the time considered to be ‘spiritual’ and was aimed at inducing ‘right brained’ washes of unfocused sensing in which the boundaries of ‘self’ were loosened. It did this using repetition, modes, ambitious rhythms, etc, using both electronic and acoustic instruments. But it was overwhelmed by a culture moving towards excitement, and not contentment. The lack of dramatic tension and resolution in the music kept it from ever triggering interest in a wider public.
Certainly there is little drama in this collection, but there is variety and interest despite some of the later pieces being much more the tinkly-boing style associated with most commercial new age music (neither Larkin nor Judith Tripp’s contributions did much for me).
Unhooking from the habitual (physical and mental), unlocking the constrained (emotional, muscular); these are worthwhile goals for Homo sapiens generally, and seem particularly relevant in whatever age we are now in.
Finally, a word about the cover art. These paintings are the work of Gilbert Williams who is known as a “visionary artist”. His website tells us that he “draws great inspiration from celestial realms, which are portrayed in (his) mystical paintings that bring to our imaginations magical worlds that, until now, have only existed in our purest of dreams”. Although I’m not sure I’ve ever had a pure dream, the works present a kind of soft-focus fantasy; eschewing Conan the Barbarian machismo in favour of Rainbow Fairy dreamscapes. Pleasant—intriguing even—yet I think I prefer Roger Dean or Mati Klarwein.
In summary, I Am The Centre is a beautifully produced three record set (or double CD) of music that really does evoke another plane of existence; one where tension melts like dawn mist and gentle waves wash away troubles.
I guess that is a destination we could all benefit from visiting more often.
vinylconnection.com.au 
I’m always find different format lengths interesting (here the 3 LP vs. 2 CD) – I wonder if it would flow as nicely in the CD format.
Though it sounds like flow is not an issue here!
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream…”
LikeLiked by 3 people
it is shining!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I Am The Centre is a beautifully produced three record set (or double CD) of music that really does evoke another plane of existence; one where tension melts like dawn mist and gentle waves wash away troubles.”
Except when it is going “tinkly-boing,” presumably!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Correct. The tinkly-boing stuff makes me want to scream, a response generally not in line with peace and harmony.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen, brother. Amen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But having said that, I really do like this comp, especially the fist two LPs.
LikeLike
It’s still a win!
LikeLiked by 1 person
While I don’t reckon this would be my thing, there’s no denying that this is really splendid item. Looks really nice, it’s an interesting project, and it’s a Light in the Attic release… who, as far as I’m aware, put a great deal of love and attention into their releases.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To be sure, it’s not everyone’s cuppa herbal tea, but as you say, lovely package.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always get half torn between loving this sort of stuff and it making me want to go out and smash shit up whilst listening to something very antisocial indeed. Light in the Attic are a quality outfit though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get that. Mostly–almost exclusively–I listen to this style of music late at night, when smashing shit can upset the neighbours (and co-residents).
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Turn off your mind, relax and float down ” CB wants to do that badly.
(Good idea for posts Bruce. Will await next inspiration. By the way, the K-Tel 20 Hits cover you feature on the heading, I just grabbed the 25 Hits a while ago. There’s actually some good tunes on it).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you mentioned a VA comp shaped like a jukebox, CB, so I rushed off to the shelves and did that photo. Glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was not lost on old CB.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Light in the Attic has a record store in Seattle or Portland I’ve visited, I think the former. They are well trusted (love labels like that…4AD for a time when I was younger, possibly Cherry Red Records too?). This is the time of year for me, for new age…last year my friend Loren got me into Steven Halpern, others of similar ilk I’m listening to now on my Spotify radio, that kind of takes the thinking out of it for me. Though likely profanity on your site (Spotify!). Hope it’s not too hot for you there mate. Hoping for snow here in Colmar, France today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like that phrase, taking the thinking out of it – a good description of New Age music. Steven Halpern is well know in these parts and is represented in this box too.
Been to both of those West Coast cities, and enjoyed my visits even though Light in the Attic was not even a glint in its progenitors eyes back then. Bought a US pressing of Midnight Oil in Portland. For $2.
Been plenty of snow in the UK, so maybe your chances are good.
(Hoping for some WP reading time very soon)
LikeLike
You’ve treated this with some reverence (except for a clause or two where you sounded like you were channeling Jeremy Clarkson; not a criticism in itself).
The occultish feel to some of Wayne Shorter’s work appeals to me, as does much of Alice Coltrane’s spiritual work, but I doubt if ‘I am at the centre’ is much like these or the other Coltrane or Pharaoh Sanders. Perhaps I should just let the universe determine if I listen to it or not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a gentle tributary of music, New Age. Fine to paddle up for a bit of r&r but not to inhabit for long lest you end up diluted yourself; cf those ‘spiritual’ jazz artists you mention.
LikeLike
[…] * Gilbert Williams did the artwork for I Am The Centre, the 3 LP Light In The Attic compilation reviewed here. […]
LikeLike
My new age experimentation was limited to Windham Hill samplers in the mid-80s, much of which was textbook tinky-boing. While the toe-dip into suburban Gaia-worship music was brief, it was long enough for one Michael Hedges (yes, that one) and one George Winston (yes, that one) to infiltrate their way into my permanent holdings and into my heart.
This does look like a beautiful package. I can’t embiggen the jpgs enough to see for sure, but I’d like to imagine that the angel atop the tower atop the cloud-covered peak in the one inner illustration is buck naked! ‘Cause that would be some Luxor temple level synergy!
(Note: While in Egypt, I visited Luxor and its major temples – Luxor and Karnak – three times, which is NOT an even number and which I now realize is probably a factor in how off my yin and yang have been of late…)
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is some wonderful music on Windham Hill and also on the more synth orientated Private Music label. I’m very fond, for instance, of Liz Story’s piano work. Hedges is jolly good too. And if you ever see the very first Shadowfax album, grab it.
I’ll tackle another Light In The Attic 3 LP collection soon. Though there are no signs of any nudies on mountains it is nevertheless a great electronic trip and quite suitable as a quiet entry point.
Sorry to hear about the yinyangxiety.
Way back, near the beginning, I wrote about Paul Horn Inside the Great Pyramid. I fear that’s as close as I’ll ever get to Luxor, sadly. Let my mild envy of your visits soothe the troubled chakras. If not, try George Winston.
LikeLike