Quiescence: A World at Peace by Amberfern
Customer Reviews
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Midwest Record
Delightful impressionistic, musical travelogue that takes you around the bend and back as you can practically see the ports of call that this music takes you to at various times of day, away from the ‘bustle’ of that location, no matter how remote it is from your ken. To the right of granola eating but fairly closely aligned with the traditional take on new age, this bunch is clairvoyant in knowing what you are looking for when it comes to grabbing an audio staycation and getting away from it all in your own backyard. Solid stuff throughout. Chris Spector
Bette Timm
Listening to the music of Amberfern is like traveling the world visiting secret gardens and enchanting forests. It evokes a feeling of intrigue and magic. Instruments from around the world, including hang drum, ethnic flute, keyboards and various percussion and string instruments, create full, rich compositions for relaxation and inspiration. Bette Timm
Ambient Visions
Clive Brooks, also known as Amberfern, produces meditative and healing new age music. He lives in England's New Forest National Park, and you can hear the natural influences in his music that have no doubt been absorbed from his surroundings. This CD can be categorized as World Music as you can hear the influences from a variety of world cultures in his compositions. Clive uses drums, vibes, synths and more to create a sound palette that interweaves music that at heart contains elements of ambient, new age and electronica. Clive has skillfully woven these various textures together to create an introspective sound stage that takes the listener on a sonic adventure through these different realms. It is peaceful, mood setting and sometimes intentionally brooding. These are wonderful compositions with which to create a quiet and thoughtful setting that will allow the listener to relax and unwind. My preferred songs off this CD are Light on Water, a somber piece, which tantalizes the listener with a slight oriental flavor. This song can be very intense but it is essentially contemplative in nature. Bedouin Sunrise captures the Middle Eastern feel extremely well. This is a melodic and very fascinating composition. Seagulls, a jazzy beat and an almost West Coast feel comes across in Clear Skies. I love the vibes and flute combination. But my favorite is the opening track on this album called Misty Harbor. Water, ethereal "fog" and an electronic keyboard blend in a very appropriately titled song. This is an impressive CD that presents the work of Amberfern aka Clive Brooks who is a very talented musician and does not disappoint. The overall feeling of the album is very ambient, very electronica, and quite wonderful to listen to. Michael Foster Editor – ambientvisions.com
www.neufutur.com
The sheer amount of time that Amberfern gives the different tracks on “Quiescence” is intriguing; with a number of the album’s cuts clocking in at the six or seven minute mark, one wonders before the CD begins whether listeners’ interests can be sated. It may take a few minutes of the album’s first track, “Misty Harbor,” but listeners will rapidly understand the unique and mature compositions as they truly are. During the aforementioned “Misty Harbor,” a panoply of different styles and influences issue out. Nothing in the way of vocals are needed; there is a deep and detailed sound that is cultivated through “Misty Harbor,” which in turn keeps things fresh and new for “Magharibi,” the album’s second track. While there are some currents established during “Magharibi” that both touch upon and build off of the sound first crafted during “Misty Harbor,” each of Quiescence’s next ten tracks provide listeners with an unquenchable vitality. “Lights on Water” is a sea change for Quiescence, as the Native American-tinged compositions that open up the track gradually give ground to an electronic-meets-woodwind sound. Taking a wider look, one will be able to tell that Amberfern creates a composition that is at least as varied as the human experience. Quiescence ends just as strong as it begins, with a triumvirate of tracks (“Clear Skies,” “Ayuba Aye,” and “Art of Serenity”) that act as a perfect ending for the album. More so, I feel that these tracks provide listeners with a few hints to what Amberfern will wish to establish with any further releases or recordings. Check Quiescence out today; I believe the album expands upon what listeners should expect from instrumental and world music. Top Tracks: Misty Harbor, Lights on Water Rating: 8.6/10 James McQuiston Editor, NeuFutur (print magazine) Editor, http://www.neufutur.com (e-magazine)
Music Design
Soft and lulling, these instrumental pieces offer a blend of keyboards, flutes, piano, guitar and subtle drum beats. It's an album that travels the world, interweaving elements from different musical cultures, while maintaining a smooth, blended sound. For example, "Bedouin Sunrise" has a subtle Turkish flair, noted through the use of breathy flutes and shimmering lute strumming, or "Dharamsala," which is rooted in the sounds of the Far East. From English country gardens to the plains of Africa, Amberfern is both exotic and soothing. Dan Cowan
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