Relaxing the Mind, Calming the Spirit
A collaboration between Sky Lakes Media
and the music duo Minstrel Streams
For a brief time (mid '80s to early '90s) the now-defunct
Miramar record label took some new age music albums and joined the evocative
music with equally beautiful nature photography, creating, in essence, a video
music album using the VHS format. The first two were well-known collaborations
between David Lanz and Paul Speer (Natural
States in 1985 and Desert Vision
in 1987). Those were followed by Pete Bardens' (R.I.P.) Water Colours in 1991 and Tangerine Dreams' Canyon Dreams in 1992. This format never really caught on, although
I personally enjoyed them (the label also released some ground-breaking
computer animation videos in the "Mind's Eye" series).
Fast forward to now, and nature videography has grown by
leaps and bounds due to two technological advances: high definition digital
video and drone videography (allowing pictures never before possible via
helicopter). As a result, Mark and Michelle Unger decided to resurrect the
concept of nature videos set to new age music via their company Sky Lakes Media.
The pair joined forces with another couple, Matt and Rebecca Stuart (who record
under the name of Minstrel Streams) and the result is the video
"album" (on DVD format) titled New
Horizon (this appears to be the first release in a series entitled Aerial Ambience). The DVD title is also
the title of the album by the Stuarts
and features music from that well-reviewed album (of which I wrote "The
music has a timeless grace, a rich beauty, and an overwhelmingly lovely and
simple charm, [simple meaning not cluttered with artifice or embellished
needlessly]. There is so much inherent warmth and good will present throughout
all thirteen selections that it would be damn near impossible to stay in a bad
mood (if you started out that way) and played the whole album through.").
The thirteen selections feature beautifully shot videos of
locations in southern Oregon and northern California and the images are,
indeed, stunning! From the opening selection, "Ancient Mariner," with
video of Indian Sands on the majestic southern Oregon coastline, we then set
out for the Smith River area of northern California on the track "Come to
the Waters," and progress on from there, visiting lakes, canyons, mountain
ranges, more coastline, and even a vineyard! Some videos are ground-based, many
are from drones in flight, and there are even some underwater shots! The
amazing visuals are wedded to the wonderful melodies of the Stuarts' music (who
even appear on camera in the vineyard track, "Golden Treasures"). I
am particularly awed by the coastal videos, but that's a matter of my being
emotionally drawn to coastlines, because the rivers, the canyons, the mountains,
are all beautiful.
Joining Matt (guitar and piano) and Rebecca (flutes) are
some stellar guest artists, including Jill Haley (English horn), Paul Kochanski
(string bass), Eugene Friesen (cello), Noah Wilding (vocals), Matt Heaton
(bodhran), and Tom Eaton on percussion and accordion. The music was recorded at
Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont and Tom Eaton handled the
engineering, mixing and mastering, so you know this is a video album that will
sound as good as it looks!
The DVD seems to be only available at CDBaby. I haven;t been able to find any sample videos (sorry).