by Erik R. Slagle
Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions for 2025? Roughly one month into the year, any resolutions made have likely already been broken. No matter – if you came into the new year resolute about lowering your stress (and, possibly, your blood pressure), a playlist curated from these albums might just do the trick!
“Crystal Bowl Meditations,” Life in Balance. Husband and wife Ami and Steven Sciulli make up Life in Balance, producers of ambient electronica. “Crystal Bowl Meditations” brings together the tones of quartz crystal bowls, high-frequency “singing” bowls, flutes and steel guitars to create sounds that encourage trance-like calm and deep meditation. Promoted by guru Davidji as a path to spiritual serenity, the sounds of crystal bowls are unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Whether or not you practice meditation, this CD is good for your soul.
“In a Silent Way,” Miles Davis. Davis’ first foray into the electric jazz-rock fusion that defined the second half of his incredible career, “Silent Way” – released in 1969 – sounded like nothing else around it on the record store shelves. Featuring two multi-part musical opuses of emotion and ambiance, it left the jazz purists aghast, divided his fans, and launched a generation of new ones. As soothing as records like “Kind of Blue” can be, the ethereal nature of “In a Silent Way” makes this the Miles album to chill to if you can only choose one.
“The Quiet Earth—Dusk,” Kamal. Kamal, a German New Age mainstay, has garnered awards both overseas and in the U.S. for his work. On Dusk, he explores themes of hope, evolution, and eternity through four cycles of synthesizer tapestries. It’s not hard to pick out the influences of Brian Eno and Suspended Memories’ Steve Roach as you get lost in Kamal’s easy, soothing melodies.
“Lumia Nights,” Jonn Serrie. If you’ve ever been to a planetarium space show, gotten lost in an atmospheric IMAX soundtrack, or drifted off into the cosmos with a cable TV documentary, there’s a very good chance you may have been listening to Jonn Serrie. His music feels synonymous with “a galaxy far, far away” – and he’s even scored for LucasFilm! (No, though, not THAT Lucas film.) In 2001, Serrie released “Lumia Nights,” a collection of space-inspired electronic numbers that brought new meaning to the old phrase, “the music of the spheres.”
“Angel’s Blows,” Dimitri Grechi Espinoza. Espinoza is a bit of an enigma, but “Angel’s Blows” –recorded in 2014 at a centuries-old Italian monastery – is unmistakably spiritual. The haunting, echoing reverb of his instrument is both romantic and unsettling, as he explores the space between sounds in a way that’s reminiscent of Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue.”
“Zen Pause,” Thierry David. The title says it all – this album from one of France’s premier New Age composers is the perfect place to turn when you need to take a pause and find your Zen. Plug into your earbuds and immerse yourself in David’s tones or leave it on as background music throughout your home. You’ll find you’ve created a tranquil oasis for a quick escape and recharge!
