Illumination of the Heart

New age musician Deuter is a house-hold name for those in the spiritual groove. He’s produced over 60 albums and continues to incorporate new instruments from all over the world while working in his Sante Fe music studio.
 
Illumination of the Heart continues Deuter’s tradition of creating wonderfully spiritual music for tranquility, serenity of mind, body and soul. This album features the musician playing flutes, keyboards, cello, piano, guitar, and some voices accompanied by gentle, low-key drumming that keeps the music pulsing along.

There are 8 tracks on the album, all from 5 to 10 minutes each. The theme is on various sources of cosmic illumination – the sun, moon and stars. The first track “Matamua” lures the listener into the otherworldly stillness of the cosmos. Track 2 “Moon and Earth” is a modern-style counterpoint piece with synthesizer lines and voices twining back and forth through melodic material. Track 3 “Tonglen” has a distinctive oriental character with an Asian string instrument as the lead voice. It’s quite ethereal.

Track 4 “Stern an Stern” features a warm, melodious cello with a string section floating above it. A choral group sings a chant in Track 5 “Coucher de Lune,” conveying an amalgamation of Gregorian and African vocal chants in an intriguing mix of old and new. Track 6 “Schein und Widerschein” returns to Deuter’s signature-style ambient music as the introduction combines sounds from nature with a flute. This 10-minute track is the heart of the album; the composition evolves into a luminous synthesizer piece that floats above the earth.  The flute returns in Track 7 “Desert Dream Green.” This song is languorous as it levitates into a musical dream world. The album concludes with Track 8 “Mericoeur.” It opens with an acoustic guitar and piano. Various instruments take the lead melodic parts in turn, all merging simple lines in a transcendent yet gentle finale.

Deuter just keeps getting better. This album immediately jumped into the #2 spot on my favorites list (“Koyasan” still is at the top) for its masterful blending of world instruments and its collection of pellucid compositions that create a state of boneless tranquility. Highly recommended for any and all music needs – healing modalities, meditation, yoga, and covening. Superb!

~review by Elizabeth Hazel

Artist: Deuter
New Earth Records, 2015
CD - $13.99, mp3 - $9.49
www.NewEarthRecords.com