9 Songs of Ecstasy

Pilgrimage | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 1997)
• Original Release Date: October 21, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B0000040VE
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,533 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Campus Stella/Field Of Stars

2. Through The Seas Of Life

3. Pilgrimage

4. Land Of Ecstasy

5. Rain Or Shine

6. Ceremony

7. Dark Skies

8. Iberia

9. Path To The Invisible

Editorial Reviews

9 Songs of Ecstasy is an evocative and frequently haunting album that offers a musical interpretation of the travels of the medieval pilgrims who roamed northwestern Spain in the 13th century. Composers/arrangers/producers Simon Cloquet and Eric Calvi based much of their music on traditional melodies and brought these timeless tunes into the 20th century. Alternating their stylistic approach between contemporary instrumental, space rock, ambient, and trip-hop, Cloquet and Calvi create a hypnotic array of soundscapes with the assistance of such collaborators as Phil Manzanera, DJ Spooky, and Ben Neill, but what holds 9 Songs of Ecstasy together is the lovely singing of Catherine Bott, who gives the music a spiritual, human core with her wonderful voice. The end result is a record unlike any other. ~ Rodney Batdorf

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pilgrimage: A journey of the soul and mind, July 5, 2005

By 

Petar Vodogaz "Commissioner" (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 9 Songs of Ecstasy (Audio CD)

This is a monumental CD offering from 'Pilgrimage' called 9 Songs of Ecstasy. There is not one song that is not good. This is a new age song fest that is both ambient and haunting at the same time. This CD is best suited for listeners who are at home relaxing. Try this - close your eyes at the start of track 1 and relax and let the soothing rhythms take your soul and mind on a journal into a dreamscape of your own sub-conscious. The female vocalist who sings a romano-celtic tongue has a voice that is angelic.

This album is a one only release from this artist but what a wonderful release. This is chant for those who want to relax and let their minds wonder in the playground of this rich and character driven music beat. The coverwork of this album is also a work of art and adds to the flavour of the overall album.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Affects your spatial and temporal awareness!, April 10, 2001

By 

perla "Being. Differently." (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 9 Songs of Ecstasy (Audio CD)

Waves of spiritual delights combined with rhythms of sensuality. A unique and hard to find blend of hip-hop rhythms with ethereal sounds... Pilgrimage CAN affect your spatial and temporal awareness by transporting your mind to another time and place. Do you like Dead Can Dance? Then you will definitely enjoy Pilgrimage. In its own musical style it also profound, out-there and absolutely fabulous in its dreamlike and sensuous effect.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the blend of chant & trip-hop works well on this cd!, February 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: 9 Songs of Ecstasy (Audio CD)

This album has some of the best female choir sample's I've heard yet - the way they blend with the trip-hop and acid jazz rhythms really worked nicely, and as a whole the album flows well. Obvious comparissons will be made to Enigma no doubt, but Pilgrimage really has a distinctive and polished sound compared to some others who dare to attempt the "enigma-sound"! If you especially like the soprano voices mixed with the ambient rhythms, you may also want to check out an artist called ARIA (aka Paul Shwartz - Aria is more operatic though) and also Richard Souther's album "Illumination" (which sounds quite similar to this).