By Keith Walsh
Ambient music has grown from a niche genre in the 1970s to a staple played as background music in hotels, coffee bars and airports. The high tech flavor of these tunes lends itself to these venues, and certainly there’s a benefit to our built environments from thoughtful sounds with good vibes.
The new album The Great Love from Evening Ocean is a digitally created ambient soundtrack composed, performed and mixed by Robert Shahidi, who has released two previous albums starting in 2007, from New Jersey. The Great Love was mastered by Zino Mikorey in Berlin, adding depth to this digital release.
From first song, ‘Believe In Good Things,’ a calmness is cultivated. There may be little in the way of melodic movement but that would only distract from the ethereal quality of the sounds. With slowly evolving pads reminiscent of Brian Eno and percolating arpeggios that echo synthpop -but without the exuberance of ego — this music satisfies. Each tune, ranging from less than a minute up to four, is conceptualized following a clear idea and executed accordingly.
“By Your Side” features an acoustic piano sound that’s just ever so slightly cleaner than a physical piano, and some bell like tones that calm the spirit. The prominent sound of “Book Of Vows” is a fast vibrating synthetic string tone with lots of sharp resonance. There’s very little melody here. “Midnight Slips Away” is darker and more cinematic, suggesting solitude or perhaps a passenger train gliding through the countryside at night.
“Touchstone Star” features more acoustic piano reproductions and leans into new age a bit, with a simple melody. “Keepsake” also has the piano, with a nostalgic feel. “This Was Ours” starts with rising orchestral sounds and like the title suggests a reflection on the magnificence of something that has passed. The theme has a large scope, as if portraying an aerial view of a green and fertile landscape taken in from a camera mounted on an airplane flying above.
“When The Birds Returned” is majestic and mysterious, reflecting the wonder of birds in flight, to a soundtrack of shimmering synth strings and resonant brass. “The Outside World” suggests travel and discovery, with pulsating strings and percolating synths. “Few Simple Words” captures the tension of silence or perhaps the sadness of the need for silence in consolation.
Title track “The Great Love” reaches for the stars with a majestic theme, however so briefly. “Life Before Our Eyes” features arpeggios from an acoustic sound somewhere between a harp and acoustic guitar, with swirling textures beneath. “Before I Sleep” evokes the drama found as the actions of the day pass into dreams of the night, with bright strings and shimmering synths. “Into The Unknown Sea” suggests adventure, with arpeggiated guitar and a Celtic feeling. “Minutes For Lifetimes” hints at the fleeting nature of existence, with echoing ambient piano soaked in the obligatory reverb.
“What We Hear” is a solo cello piece that brings out the beauty of the instrument, be it synthetic or organic. “Sepia” is another lovely ambient piano piece with understated piano notes against a background of reverb. “The Great Beauty” is an understated modern electronic composition with pulsations of percussive piano sounds as the foundation.”Now We Wait” captures the reflective awe experienced at the boundary between action and inaction.”Frozen In Amber” invites the listener to imagine the secrets of natural history encased and frozen in time “Treasures Past” employs an enchanting mechanical motif on an instrument that’s peculiarly between a piano, harp and music box. “Summer Of Light” stirs up mental images of rays of light touching every surface in our world and every cell of our beings.
“Fires Burn Bright” suggest the drama of change that is embedded into history, built on a percussive digital synth sound that has acoustic features. “To Remember” portrays reflections human history, the losses, gains and perspectives gained in sentimental piano piece. “Letters Or Mirage” suggests a cypher, code, or mysterious sign. Employing echo and slowly evolving pads, “Boxes Of Light” seems to describe an ancient artifact or treasure containing secrets and wisdom. “In This Moment” uses mysterious string sounds to evoke the tension and drama of a revelatory experience. “Saves The Day” isn’t quite the heroic theme one expects; instead it’s a paean to romantic Agape love, portrayed with echoing piano sounds. “Love Alive” captures the awe of Easter morning when all creation springs to life.”Through The Night” features a sentimental theme of comfort, in three quarters of a minute. “The Card For You” sums up the positive message of The Great Love.”
I was having an anxious, caffeinated morning when I decided to sit and listen to The Great Love. It’s reaffirmed for me the proposition that ambient music has an actual beneficial purpose for the emotions other than just being mere background sounds and textures. Shahidi is a competent composer with a more than modest palette of themes, putting his musical talent to positive use, and that’s a pleasant surprise in a world where loud, angry, or shrill voices often get the most attention. The intent here may be purely commercial, but certainly there is an audience and a need for ambient music that leans into spirituality.
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