Images From Earth: History of the Planet Through
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Michael Thomas Berkley's conceptually ambitious debut album (subtitled A History of the Planet Through Music) is also the inaugural release for his Numinous Records label. The 26-year-old Berkley (piano, synthesizers, percussion) and his unknown but skilled gathering (additional percussion, electric and acoustic violins, electric guitar, North Indian flute, occasional voices) concoct haunting, faintly beautiful soundscapes that evoke mental images of things primordial, Paleozoic, even heavenly. If you are familiar with the work of European keyboardist Richard Pinhas or long-lost progressive keyboardist Michael Garrison, or like the idea of infusing Tangerine Dream with a world-beat mentality, Images from Earth and its shifting, enigmatic sound clusters might catch your fancy. Of special interest: the glittering pulsations of "Wave on Wave," Berkley's interpretation of mammalian expansion in post-Jurassic periods. Abstract, but not alienating; worthy of your headphones. --Terry Wood
Images From Earth: History of the Planet Through,Michael Berkley,The Orchard,Ambient,New Age / Meditation,Pop
Images From Earth: History of the Planet Through
Average customer rating: 
|
Images from Earth (A History of the Planet Through Music)
Michael Berkley Manufacturer: The Orchard ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Ambient
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
General
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
Meditation
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
General
| New Age
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B00000G51B Release Date: 2000-03-18 |
Tracks:
Amazon.com
Michael Thomas Berkley's conceptually ambitious debut album (subtitled A History of the Planet Through Music) is also the inaugural release for his Numinous Records label. The 26-year-old Berkley (piano, synthesizers, percussion) and his unknown but skilled gathering (additional percussion, electric and acoustic violins, electric guitar, North Indian flute, occasional voices) concoct haunting, faintly beautiful soundscapes that evoke mental images of things primordial, Paleozoic, even heavenly. If you are familiar with the work of European keyboardist Richard Pinhas or long-lost progressive keyboardist Michael Garrison, or like the idea of infusing Tangerine Dream with a world-beat mentality, Images from Earth and its shifting, enigmatic sound clusters might catch your fancy. Of special interest: the glittering pulsations of "Wave on Wave," Berkley's interpretation of mammalian expansion in post-Jurassic periods. Abstract, but not alienating; worthy of your headphones. --Terry WoodCustomer Reviews:
Wonderful, Superb!.......1999-03-06
One of the most vividly evocative albums of recent memory!.......1999-01-12
The first full-length album from composer and producer Michael Thomas Berkley is a unique -- and uniquely effective -- concept. "Images from Earth" is a musical interpretation of the history of the planet. That's right, 4.6 billion years of geology and evolution packed onto a single CD. As overly ambitious as that might sound, the result is a modern classic of ambient and world music. Berkley's original training is in European classical music, and that sensibility is reflected in the meticulousness of the composition -- but his ethnomusicology field studies in remote parts of Africa seem to be the more dominant influence, along with threads of rhythm and melody from the Middle East, Asia, and the realms of imagination. The cuts on this recording center around electronic-based instruments layered in with acoustic piano, violin, voice, North Indian flute, and an incredible diversity of percussion. The tunes themselves range from purely atmospheric to heavily rhythmic, all serving to evoke a sense of awe at the vastness of Terran history. "Images from Earth" ranks as one of the most vividly evocative albums of recent memory -- highly recommended. -Philip Farber, Daily Freeman July, 1998
One of the most vividly evocative albums of recent memory!.......1998-09-10
Rating: ***** (out of 5)
The first full-length album from composer and producer Michael Thomas Berkley is a unique -- and uniquely effective -- concept. "Images from Earth" is a musical interpretation of the history of the planet. That's right, 4.6 billion years of geology and evolution packed onto a single CD. As overly ambitious as that might sound, the result is a modern classic of ambient and world music. Berkley's original training is in European classical music, and that sensibility is reflected in the meticulousness of the composition -- but his ethnomusicology field studies in remote parts of Africa seem to be the more dominant influence, along with threads of rhythm and melody from the Middle East, Asia, and the realms of imagination. The cuts on this recording center around electronic-based instruments layered in with acoustic piano, violin, voice, North Indian flute, and an incredible diversity of percussion. The tunes themselves range from purely atmospheric to heavily rhythmic, all serving to evoke a sense of awe at the vastness of Terran history. "Images from Earth" ranks as one of the most vividly evocative albums of recent memory -- highly recommended.
-Philip Farber, Daily Freeman July, 1998
Ambitious, but successful! Good stuff!.......1998-05-13
Pop Music:
Recommended Music:
Music: Cuando Yo Sea Grande [Import]
You're the Reason I'm Living/18 Yellow Roses
Weiss Duo in Recital: Mozart & Grieg
West From 42nd [Explicit Lyrics]