Customer Reviews

Lotus Land

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If you know the name Gandalf, you've probably seen the Lord of the Rings films. Or perhaps you're a longtime fan of Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth. Chances are, though, that unless you've been following the New Age music scene, you've never heard of Heinz Strobl.

He's one of several musicians from the 70's and 80's that grew up with Tolkien and took his musical persona from what until Star Wars came along was the most popular fantasy "franchise" in the English language. And so we have David Arkenstone, still active today and named after a mystical gem; Shadowfax, one of the first groups to record for Windham Hill and named after a sorcerer's horse; and Gandalf, the sorcerer himself.

Like the wizard for whom he is named, Austrian Heinz Strobl has a masterful command of the elements, which he employs to great effect on his latest recording, Lotus Land. Featuring nine original compositions, the album is a literal one-man show, with Strobl playing acoustic nylon and steel string guitars, electric pedal-guitar, bouzuki, saz (a kind of lute), electric sitar, piano, keyboards, percussion, and programming.

Conjuring blissful images of tranquil gardens, or perhaps a heavenly realm of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Lotus Land is a collection of serene, languid melodies suitable for either. Half the compositions are performed without rhythmic accompaniment, and of those with percussion two are so understated as to be missed. Even so, the melodies themselves have enough rhythm and movement to accompany a yoga workout.

Six of the album's eight tracks clock in at over 6 minutes, giving the artist plenty of space to develop his themes. Most of the songs begin with light synth effects, creating the aural canvas on which the lead instruments paint their pictures. Among the highlights are the piano climax of Love Opens the Gates, the synthetic choral effects on Mystic Voyage (that might remind some of Randy and Pamela Copus' 2002), and the charming interplay of sitar and oboe on Life is Love.

Lotus Land is Gandalf's 19th release in a professional career that began 26 years ago as a prog-rock hippie. While time may have softened his approach, his sorcerer-like instrumental and production skills are still as sharp as ever, if not better and more refined. I look forward to a monumental 30th anniversary release in 2011.

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I'm a Yoga instructor and I'm using this music for my classes. People are enjoying it very much. Beautiful music for the practice of Yoga or just for the pleasure of listening to something very relaxing. I love it!!!!!!

Great for massage and energy work... Clients love it. They are zzzzzzzzz in moments.

In commonness of everyday routine
To see the beauty of divine...

A man lives among the routine of the surrounding world of people. Befogged by the train of day-to-day affairs he stops to realize that these everyday troubles are imposed on him from the outside. And the man cannot be alone any longer, in private with himself. He always hurries up. He rushes through his life but for all that he does not feel it absolutely. A man has no time already to sense its flavour, to feel a joy of life and its everlasting love. It presents in splutters of a baby, in a glance of a beloved, in a gentle rustle of leaves, in a singing of birds and flickering lights of far stars. And this love presents inside every person and all one needs is to pause for a while and to look inside oneself. There is an inexhaustible ocean inside, and if one feels it, it can burst outside as a torrent, and flood everything around. A divine gladness slumbers like a lotus seed but the moment this beautiful flower starts blooming you can hardly find the words to describe this elation, delight, this divine love which is you yourself...

Gandalf is a great musician. From the very first seconds he plunges a listener into a stream of his music. And you are being gently guided by it, you are just drifting on the waves of this music. Gandalf creates placatory surroundings with his gentle guitar passages, tender rhythms of keyboard instruments and pulsatile percussion rhythms. His music is full of forgiving love and heart-healing tenderness. It is very expressive and full of images. While listening to "Lotus Land" you can see, at a certain moment, a land you have been looking for a long time, follow the paths winding through its shady woods, sappy meadows and murmurous springs and, after you have come back, sense its light in your heart. And nobody can ever take away the sensations that are within you because it is impossible to take away the divine things that are you indeed...

Gandalf's music is very positive. Prompting you to look inside yourself it arouses the desire to live a full life and act. And this action will be free of idle fuss and meaningless haste. Gandalf's music contains an impulse that urges you to create and work. After all while extending love around you are extending love inside you as well...

A divine circle of love. Feel it together with Gandalf's music. "Lotus Land" is the music which makes your life much more interesting. The life becomes more optimistic and bright...

At times of gloom and swindle
Among illusions that are dead
A mere light of love shall inspire you...

Serge Kozlovsky
[...]

P.S. Translated by Tatyana L. Permyakova.

I absolutely love this CD. It is so relaxing and soothing. I just received it today and I am already looking forward to tomorrow when I am going to meditate to it. I could play this CD nonstop. It takes me to another plane. Another world if you will, where there is peace and tranquility. No one knows when their time will come but, when mine comes I told my husband I would like this to be played at my funeral with Lotus flowers all around. I feel it will make my transition so much easier when I make my descent back to earth.

I bought this CD for my parents and they listen to it while going to sleep every night. They tell me all the time how much they love it!

Excellent relaxing music. A good mix of acoustical guitar and piano. Good inspirational melodies which make me feel as if I'm on top of a mountain totally at peace.