Customer Reviews

Seven Metals: Singing Bowls of Tibet

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Fantastic if only for the care taken over the program notes and listening suggestions, this is a must-have cd for yoga enthusiasts, meditators, and those simply looking for a wonderful transition into deep sleep. To quote from the liner notes: PLEASE NOTE: THESE SOUNDS ARE PROFOUNDLY RELAXING AND SHOULD NOT BE PLAYED WHILE DRIVING. i'd take it one step further than that even and say it's almost impossible to feel angry or tense listening to this music. not only that, the music seems to penetrate you not only through your ears, but through your entire body. sounds kinda strange i know. but as benjamin iobst says, "since all life and matter is composed of atoms vibrating at various rates we are, in effect, sound." how right he is.

If you are interested in the faithful, and I stress faithful, ambient sounds of Tibetan singing bowls with gongs and wind chimes, "Seven Metals", by Benjamin Iobst should interest the serious collector. The music is perfect for meditation, deep relaxation, Yoga, massage, and for creating a spiritual, healthful atmosphere. It is noteworthy the Bowls on "Seven Metals" produce remarkable sounds that drift into the heart of the listener, without electronic enhancement, blending together creating an enhanced listening and relaxing experience.

Nobody can describe the sound of these bowls to one who hasn't heard them, nor can one adequately describe their effect on mind and body and, therefore, soul to one who hasn't experienced them. I do recommend playing them at a reasonably low volume and, as mentioned in the program notes, without headphones. I can indeed believe that the vibrations have an effect on the air, and on any living things. I will be observing my sole ivy plant, watching for any changes in it. I can well believe that the plant will benefit as well as myself from repeated listenings to this recording. I did try doing some inspirational reading while the CD was playing, however for me, it didn't work well. I feel it's most effective when not trying to fill the mind with any thought or concept.

Several weeks ago, I had gone into a new age bookstore I'd never been in before. As I browsed the shelves, I smelled the incense burning and heard what I thought was a clock chiming. Eventually I realized that the sounds had occurred too many times for a clock, so I asked the clerk what it was, and of course it was this CD. It was kind of funny because I hadn't even realized it was music...I think my exact words were, "What *is* that sound?" I fell in love with it instantly, and went home and got right on Amazon and purchased it. It begins with the gentle sound of windchimes, then evolves into the sounds of the bowls. It is an unusual and very relaxing sound. It is wonderful for meditation and to listen to while reading. Highly recommended.

I spent a month in Tibet and found a few musical shamans... I found one I will never forget, a 100 year old man singing non-stop outside a monastery in the heart of the country. I was lucky to have been able to record his performance in high quality digital recording... he was singing his lungs out, from the heart.

Although I got my hands on all the music I could find in Tibet... The real Tibetan music was hard-to-get, eg. imports from Nepal and India (many ethnic Tibetans are exiled there). If you look for Tibetan music in Tibet you will probably only find it being performed, not in a recorded format.

Recordings such as SEVEN METALS, and SINGING BOWLS OF TIBET are definitely hidden gems.

This recording is at the top of my Tibetan Music Lis. It takes me all the way back to the Tibetan Plateau... moreover... it calms me down, promotes inner peace and the deepest relaxation.

I have bought several copies already as presents for two very special friends of mine. One of them a stockbroker, who lives under continous stress (this CD will add quality and additional years to his life).

Thank you Benjamin IOBST for having captured this musical blessing in a bottle and making it available to others.

Tashidele!!!

I use this CD on a vibro-acoustic table for my bodywork sessions. This CD above all others, is the most relaxing and transformational CD in my library. Without exception, every client asks me for the name of the CD when their session is over. Many of them say they want to buy the CD to load onto their i-Pods so they can listen on their lunch breaks at work to relieve daily stress.

When clients leave my office after an hour with this peaceful recording playing on my table, they look younger and more refreshed when they leave. At the end of a long day, I myself feel so at peace and blissed out just from listening to it play all day. I never tire of the beautiful sounds of the bowls. It's music that you just want to pull inside of you and carry around with you all day.

This is a masterpiece as far as Tibetan bowl music goes. If you are looking for a way of achieving profound peace, and have had difficulty meditating in the past, this is the cd for you. Just put it on, get quiet and LISTEN. That's all you have to do,and before you know it, you will have let it all go and will be totally refreshed and at peace when it is over. You will play it again and again....

When I received this CD, I was a little sceptical because it looked like a white guy was playing the singing bowls, and I kind of expected it to be performed by monks or something. Well, come to find out, the player's skin color or religion makes no difference whatsoever as long as he is as talented as Benjamin Iobst. This CD is marvelous for accompanying your yoga or meditation sessions or even for playing while you're studying, just to get you in a quiet mood. The first "song" on the CD is a fairly random presentation of the bell tones, while the second one sounds a little more like a traditional song with a tune. Initially, I thought I would be distracted by the tune of the second song, but when you're deep in meditation, you barely notice anything but the individual tones. Happy listening!

I bought this CD last year and it has become the only CD I use for meditating. I use it as a "timing" device - each cut (there are only two) is about 25 minutes long - which is just perfect for an advanced beginning meditator. The sounds are soothing and you can use the sounds as part of your meditation. I think if you want to begin meditating, this is an excellent CD to use.

I was exposed to this by my Yoga instructor. The sounds take me to a deep place. I have never heard anything quite like this cd. Though extremely difficult to describe, I'm going to attempt. It sounds like gentle chimes, vibrating, a train in the distance, feedback that isn't annoying, & what I imagine could be the inner workings of something mechanical such as a clock. The timing is amazing. Just when I think the sounds are dissipating they gradually pick up again. It seems spontaneous, but I think that great skill & patience went into its production. It has become my favorite cd to listen to when I need to relax.

As a massage therapist, I had been looking for a cd that not only had soothing music, but also conveyed a sense of the space between sounds- the sound of the silence behind the notes. This cd was exactly what I was looking for. When I play this during a massage, my clients almost always fall into deep relaxation. I've had so many positive comments on the music, and everyone seems to hear something familiar in it. I recommend it highly.