Amadas Estrellas

Achillea

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 13, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 13, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sequoia Records
• ASIN: B000LV63RM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,883 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Music Design in Review

With his second album under the name Achillea, former Enigma co-producer Jens Gad (Le Spa Sonique) continues to traverse the valleys of chilled electronica, with an added dose of rhythm this time around. Whereas THE NINE WORLDS was a deep ambient affair, AMADAS ESTRELLAS takes a more ethnic (or more specifically Spanish) approach, accenting Gad's engrossingly mood-drenched trancescapes with Luisa Fernandez's sensual vocals and flamenco guitar. Among other things, that is - the album is rich with multi-cultural flavor including flute, Chinese erhu, ethnic percussion and sacred choral samples. The sound is reminiscent of both Enigma and B-Tribe; while at the same time have a unique quality that is distinctly Achillea. It's not often that an album is able to be sensual, spiritual and hip all at once, but Gad pulls of the feat with panache.

Product Description

Highly acclaimed producer and guitarist Jens Gad, who worked for 10 years with the multi-platinum group ENIGMA, brings you a spellbinding downtempo musical odyssey into the ancient mythology of his Scandinavian homeland. He is joined by the entrancing classical vocals of Helene Horlyck, to co-create a sophisticated and hypnotic chill-out journey through "The Nine Worlds" of archaic legend. At once stirring and calming, entertaining yet relaxing, Achillea achieves a vibrantly new and hauntingly beautiful musical vision that artfully blends evocative ambient New Age atmospheres with European dance club electronica. Achillea elegantly weaves the mystery of ancient myth - a world of seers, elves, and rune masters, into a lush, richly layered sonic landscape with velvety melodies of delicately bluesy guitar playing, slow sensuous grooves and silky smooth vocals sung in Latin and ancient Swedish. Both intimate and cinematic, this uniquely transcendent masterpiece is full of deep beauty and mysterious wonder that will nourish your soul.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rhythm is the HEART, The idea is the SPIRIT, The Voice is the SOUL..., February 14, 2007

By	Onur Tezgeldi (Istanbul, Turkey.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

01.Prólogo 1:06 [Prologue]

The prologue from stars, a shimmering welcome to the new world of sounds from Achillea, from Jens Gad...Rising layers are opening the gate of this unique Mediterranean ambient experience...A type of Enigmatic horn opens the track, somewhat similar to the intro parts of `'Dream of the Dolphin'' but surrounded with space sounds, just like the unfathomable talks of aliens... There we hear the haunting voice of Luisa Fernandez opening the grand gates of the second installment of Achillea

02.Amor Parte I. 5:00 [Love Part I.]

...Amor starts with the jazzy-base rhythm, with an exotic instrument sounding like a sitar. This is an example of well-equipped electronica meeting the eastern flavor...Also enriched with constant fade in/ fade out effects, almost a trademark sound of Gad. And we meet the GADUITAR again! I would like to call Jens Gad's trademark electro guitar as Gaduitar as this is where he naturally excels...

Amor Parte I is dreamy, seducing, chilling...A perfectly produced chill out track, quite different than anything you've heard before under the title Achillea or the brother solo projects...Amor Parte I is setting the atmosphere of the album for the entire sound experience, saying hello to the listeners with layers and cosmic sounds into..

03.Desnúdame 5:20 [Undress Me]

...a short layer space intro and then an ultimately hypnotic Gaduitar loop... This is very remarkable and memorable... It will keep going on in your head even if you press the stop button when you finalize the experience...Layers and loops ... Mysticism, sexuality, multi dimensional voices, a collage, an impression of past ...

The main beat is identical to the one we hear on `'Page of Cups'', if not almost the same... We can consider this track as an alternative seducing version...Guitar loop is mesmerizing, haunting...Reversing loops and a breathing/moaning voice at 2:22, a deep, very deep archaic choir going in and out, just like a movie score telling an epic tale and we explode at 3:10! A total symphonic transition into the base where we started... The gad and the loop... Incredible, well worth the highlight on the album for its uniqueness...

04.Vivir 4:59 [To Live]

...Okay Enigmatics, you will be blown away with the killer track of the album... Let me give you the formula... Jungle environment from the first Achillea, Push The Limits plus some Sadeness soul, crying out flutes, deep bass layers, side to side drums , hi hats, electro guitar.. What else would you like to hear? Especially after 1:20 you can sense the unconventional and disturbingly beautiful E1 climate in a futuristic approach...All in one, all in Vivir!

This track will knock out any other recent new age track on a well equipped sound system...Drums make you feel like we're back to MCMXC a.D but somehow the achievement is, this is still very fresh and contemporary...Just how it's supposed to be...You hear the entire years of experience of Gad, that's a pure and obvious respect to past...

05.El Alma Herida 4:54 [The Wounded Soul]

...But the future is not a definition Jens is afraid of... Circling drums, a beat in the phone effect, I begin to wonder what's coming on the way... Bass line and the beat, Jens is pushing the limits once more, as he's one of the masters on that track...

The robotic I-Yay-Yay effect is back, also blended with the anthemic tunes of Enigma. This is pure pop, this is pure excellence where he goes top...2:05 will take you back to the first moments of Principles of Lust within a jungle. Sudden changes on sound as usual, sudden surprises...

06.Alas del Àguila 4:25 [Wings of Eagle]
...until the layers of Alas del Aguila... This is an epic tale to be told. Smelling very Mediterranean, you can not resist but hear the water droplets, continuous enigmatic loop, from 1:05 a reminiscent intro drums of Fading Shades remix of Mea Culpa is heard..

Then the archaic and cinematic choir is back again... This is truly a tale, a wide soundscape fading out with dreamy layers into yet another resurrection of..

07.Amor - Parte II. 3:29 [Love Part II.]

...Amor... But this time with full power, full throttle... Vivid as vivir...A stunning track for a single candidate... Very radio friendly and up-tempo... At 1.25 there are familiar twists and turns we all love to hear, also featuring the precise fade in/out effect vocals of Luisa Fernandez and the PIANO! Lovely or what? An ode to the best moments of love?..

08.Atacame 6:19 [Attack Me]

...opening with an instrument similar to flute, the one can feel the breath, the mysticism of sound...a variant of the sound also heard in `'Shears from the Scar'' on the first chapter. Atacame is the gravitional center of the album `'Amadas Estrellas'' -In fact it was planned to be the title of the album- A classic guitar loop with drums, heavy drums, hi hats...A mediterranean magic! Luisa Fernandez is singing, whispering, talking in the background...

As exotic as the chants we hear on The Eyes of Truth.. Atacame is the gem, Atacame is the diamond track... Top notch! Jazzy, Chilly, like the ice melting on a hot body...3.02 is the pleasure point, laughters from Luisa, a complexity, a storm into the heart wrenching guitar loops blended with Gaduitar solo here... Very elegant, very well produced and composed... Beyond the boundaries and quite different than the previous Enigma-like catalogue... You obviously feel this is a breakthrough...Voices or instruments, no matter what you hear, all for the musical ecstasy and aura of Achillea..

09.Amadas Estrellas 5:31 [Loved Stars]

...to the title track... This is rock flavored This is hard edged but still gently hugging the audience, Enigmatic, retrospective, melodic, eccentric featuring Er-Hu violin again...Not the best one and not really discovering a new path, some will like that number and some won't... I am more like in the middle...

10. A María Santíssima 4:12

...A dedication to Maria Santissima... An anthem, a symphony, a cinematic soundscape blended with mystic choirs. The loopy effects remind me of the ones we hear on `'Slowly Walking In''

This track could easily be used for a soundtrack of a historic movie, as a great score...The choir says goodbye, the archaic tale is over by a sudden...Until the next inspiring journey, until the time comes again...I guess we will meet again..

~~~

IN CONCLUSION:

Every sequel has the success pressure of the debut as the expectations grow and grow on the audience side.. This is no exception for Achillea for sure and somehow Amadas Estrellas is a complementary chapter to the initial one titled as `'The Nine Worlds...'' soundwise... Not really containing dramatic sound catalogue changes, just a smart re-combination of what's available in an innovative aspect. Let's just feel the good music, isn't that the only universal language? Jens Gad truly deserves the recognition world wide... But still building up to the point of true explosion... I have high hopes and he will get there...One way or another.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, February 24, 2007

By	Musik Freak - See all my reviews

This was my first introduction to the world of Achillea and I fell in love! Every song on the album is beautifully composed and flows together seamlessly. The seductive lyrics will send you on a journey to the beautiful Spanish island of Ibiza. After hearing this album, I had to purchase The Nine Worlds, Achillea's previous album, and I can't wait to hear more!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, March 13, 2007

By	SINtHetEk UphoriA - See all my reviews

Simply put: If you wanted Enigma where E4 left off, this is the album for you...simply wonderful!