Niya Yesh

Amazon.com
Axiom of Choice are based in Los Angeles, but their music springs from the Persian classical music of Iran. "Valeh," a haunting track from their first album, Beyond Denial, was a popular selection on many world-music samplers a few years ago. Iranian born guitarist Ramin Torkian and singer Mamek Khadem were both trained as mathematicians, and that's where the group gets its name. The axiom of choice is a principle stating that the mathematician has the right to choose elements without explanation, and Torkian and Khadem have expanded this theory's freedom into their eclectic musical choices. Eschewing their more high-energy, Middle Eastern grooves in favor of languid moods, Axiom follow up on the sound of "Valeh" on Niya Yesh, which is Farsi for "gnosis." On a custom quarter-tone guitar, Torkian weaves a flamenco-Persian filigree while Khadem's voice creates a wraithlike wail of wordless vocalese on pieces such as "Chaos of Paradise" and "Greener Than God's Dream." "Rain Drops" is a gentle lullaby while "The Calling" is the only track that really kicks into rhythmic gear. Tambouras, cellos, frame drums, kamancheh (spike fiddle), Buddhist chants, and ney flutes create a global chamber music sound on Niya Yesh, all framing Khadem's voice, her dark timbres seeming to rise like heat off the floor of the Persian desert. --John Diliberto

Niya Yesh,Axiom of Choice,Narada,Arabic,Ethnic Fusion,Int'l & World Music,Persia,Persian,Pop,United States of America,World Music

Average customer rating: Too smooth, too studied Persian cross-over music: Excellent! New age fans full of it no special talent for music Axiom of Choice ravers full of it.

Niya Yesh Axiom of Choice Manufacturer: Narada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Iran | Middle East | International | Styles | Music Arabic | Middle East | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Similar Items: Axiom Of Choice - Beyond Denial Unfolding Niyaz Portals of Grace In the Garden of Souls ASIN: B00004T9SS Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

1. A Walk By The Lake
2. Chaos Of Paradise
3. Greener Than God's Dream (Lyrics From Sohrab Sepehri's Poem 'Neshani')
4. Ida
5. Prelude
6. Parvaz (Flight)(Lyrics From Fereidoun Moshiri's Poem 'Daam')
7. Calling (Lyrics From Rumi's Poem Number 383)
8. Raindrops (Based On A Traditional Persian Folk Song)
9. Memories Of Pushkar

Amazon.com

Axiom of Choice are based in Los Angeles, but their music springs from the Persian classical music of Iran. "Valeh," a haunting track from their first album, Beyond Denial, was a popular selection on many world-music samplers a few years ago. Iranian born guitarist Ramin Torkian and singer Mamek Khadem were both trained as mathematicians, and that's where the group gets its name. The axiom of choice is a principle stating that the mathematician has the right to choose elements without explanation, and Torkian and Khadem have expanded this theory's freedom into their eclectic musical choices. Eschewing their more high-energy, Middle Eastern grooves in favor of languid moods, Axiom follow up on the sound of "Valeh" on Niya Yesh, which is Farsi for "gnosis." On a custom quarter-tone guitar, Torkian weaves a flamenco-Persian filigree while Khadem's voice creates a wraithlike wail of wordless vocalese on pieces such as "Chaos of Paradise" and "Greener Than God's Dream." "Rain Drops" is a gentle lullaby while "The Calling" is the only track that really kicks into rhythmic gear. Tambouras, cellos, frame drums, kamancheh (spike fiddle), Buddhist chants, and ney flutes create a global chamber music sound on Niya Yesh, all framing Khadem's voice, her dark timbres seeming to rise like heat off the floor of the Persian desert. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Too smooth, too studied.......2005-11-22

This CD is to authentic world music what smooth jazz is to jazz. Somewhat palatable and skilled, while nearly devoid of soul and art.

Redeemed from a wholly negative review by the beautiful "Raindrops," which has everything the rest of the album lacks.

Persian cross-over music: Excellent!.......2005-05-02

If you like Sufi Dreams by Mercan Dede, or Arvo Part's Alina, or Djivan Gasparyan and Michael Brook on Black Rock, or June Tabor's Abyssinians, or the Bang on a Can version of Brian Eno's Music for Airports --if you like any one of those works-- then I'm sure you will find great pleasure in listening to this superb album of Persian cross-over music. Some tracks are quiet and contemplative, some are sad and plaintive, and some are marked by energetic dance rhythms. Mamak Khadem --I could listen to her lovely voice on ""Greener than God's Dream" and "Raindrops" for hours on end. The instrumentalists here are excellent . And the recording engineers have done fine work too. Bravo, Narada.

New age fans full of it.......2003-04-15

For all the reviewers of new age music such as Vas, Stellamara and the likes, I say that they have absolutely no understanding of world music nor Persian music. They should just stick to their new age taste and not even try to review music they cannot grasp. This is a superb band that is an asset to the world music genre and has brought a totally new form. By the way they also predate Vas and Stellamara and are defintely superior to either one of them. I would not even put Vas and Stellamara in the same league nor compare them with Axiom. While the vocals come from the Persian tradition, those of Vas and Stellamara have no definite form and it is an easy escape for them because neither one of their vocalists has the capacity nor technique to sing like the vocalist of Axiom or Choice. Both are purely new age artists and there is really no room for new age in world music. There is absolutely no loose jamming on Niya Yesh as one reviewer has suggested. Every piece is wonderfully structured and composed and by the way, they get better with every new recording that they put out.

no special talent for music.......2003-03-12

If Axiom of Choice have a great talent, it's for getting their music fairly widely known. But a lot of the music on this cd sounds like an absent-minded jam anyone could have in their garage with a friend. There's some richer music on this cd, a song or 2, but not really. For music like this, I recommend other people such as Vas, Rasa, Stellamara, & even Loreena McKennitt.

Axiom of Choice ravers full of it........2002-08-29

After reading all the wonderful 5-star reviews i got the CD at what i thought was a rather exhorbitant price. But really divine music has no price sometimes. Unfortunately this does not qualify, or cannot be classified alongside works like Vas' Sunyata, Vox' Divine Rites, or From Spain to Spain, DCD or Stellamara. Now i have not heard other works by Axion of Choice, but the entirety of Niya Yesh seems contrived. It did not move the spirit, not even nudge it a little and sounded more like something i would imagine new age yoga fadist selecting to motivate them as they practice their AUUUhms and shleshis... I am a worshiper of Fadia-el Hage's (Vox) voice; of Sonja Drakulich's (Stellamara) or Les Nouvelles Polyphonies du Corces (Anima), of Lisa Gerrard and on occasion, occasionally, Azzam Ali's from Vas original album (their second- Offerings-is as painful to listen to as Niya Yesh and i am afraid i will no longer take reviews from here seriously). I am sorry, i will never choose this axiom again unless its parameters are much altered for the better. Now i must go searching for something to refresh the stagnation it has left my spirit in. Be well and keep it real.

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