Luxa

Harold Budd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 30, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: All Saints
• ASIN: B000A3MHWQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,859 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars same as it ever was...., October 4, 2000

By 

Hans Stoeve (Cremorne, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luxa (Audio CD)

Harold Budd is probably sick of reading this sort of praise about his work, but truth is truth. He writes beautiful music. I would go as far as to say pretty music. HB is not going to set the world on fire with his piano technique, but then again he would be the first to admit to that. He has a very minimalistic way of of playing the piano, a very much soft pedaled approach. When HB performs you have feel within that time stands very much still.

Like most people who are aware of the music of Harold Budd, I first came across his music back in the eighties via the two releases with Brian Eno. The Plateaux of Mirror and The Pearl with Budd on electric and acoustic pianos and Eno providing shimmering background textures and atmospheres, both went on to become benchmark classic ambient releases blitzing what little opposition there was, and elevating ambient music to an art form.

This is HB's first solo work since 1991. It's basically HB paying tribute to people like Chet Baker, Agnes Martin, Serge Poliakoff. The music itself is as usual very light and free floating, the sort of thing we have come to expect from someone like Mr Budd. Sustained atmospheres bring back memories of The Pearl. What a beautiful album that was. This is dream music, hypnotic in effect. This really is beautiful music HB.

 

 

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, very nice, February 6, 2000

By 

loteq (Regensburg/Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luxa (Audio CD)

Harold Budd's latest album is a return to the minimalistic style of his early work and to his collaborations with Brian Eno in the early-'80s. Budd's early-'90s albums were strong statements of his imimitable standing between pop, new age, and contemporary classical music, but chamber music isn't exactly my cup of tea (although the performance of the Zeitgeist ensemble on "She's a phantom" was flawless). However, "Luxa" is divided into four musically different sections. The first one features the more pop-oriented pieces, like the rhythmic "Niki D." and "Paul McCarthy" with its delicate harmonies. The second part of this album comes up with three minature tracks, showing Budd at his purest. The third section obviously was inspired by Budd's former native place, the Mojave Desert. Synth-driven tracks like "Nove alberi" and "Feral" are the soundtrack to a very hot and dry day in the desert. The last two pieces are dedicated to Marion and Steven Brown. Overall, the sound quality is much better than on Budd's earlier records. I think "Luxa" is his best effort since "The pearl" in 1984.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so simple, yet so brilliant, February 19, 2005

By 

James C. Laubhan "yankinoz" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Luxa (Audio CD)

I'm sort of a new lover of Harold Budd. I've only known or heard of this great composer for about 8 months now, but I've spent this time tranfixed on the style and mood of Harold Budd. I can not say I have all the fancy words or expressions of some of the other reviews on here of his CD's, but the music trancends time and space, and takes you to far off places. Luxa is one of the finest CD's in my Budd collection now. Even though I paid a heavty price for it, and was a bit reluctant, it was very much worth the money. Much in the same feel as "The White Arcade" and "The Room", but the sound quality and depth of sound is remarkable. I highly recommend this CD. If your just starting out your Budd collection like me, begin with the more obvious titles, but work your way to Luxa, you won't be disappointed.