Sacred Music...Isn't It ALL?

Various Artists Planet Chant

The last couple of days have found me listening to this most interesting compilation CD of various "chant" traditions from around the world (most of which have been given modern down-tempo arrangements, but still effective).
A couple of well known contributors on this disc are the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Sheila Chandra and Krishna Das are similarly well-known amongst connisseurs of "world music", and their selections are outstanding (especially the Krishna Das piece, "Jaya Bhagavan"). The remaining artists might not be as easily recognized by all but the most cultured Chant fanatic, but they nevertheless provide a rich and often intoxicating overview of this sacred music.
This album will either get you in the mood to listen to some hardcore Ravi Shankar ragas or it will send you to SomaFM's Drone Zone to continue the "chilling out" process.
Speaking of soothing music, I was listening to XM's AudioVisions the other day and I heard a track by a guy named Iasos (pronounced Ya-Sos) and it was so intriguing that I looked him up on the internet. Hoo Boy, this guy has got some heavy ideas about music (especially his own). But forget that...it's worth visiting Iasos Website if for no other reason than to visit his "Oasis of Visual Sanctuaries"...you add the "heavenly music" to the mix on one o' those visual sanctuaries and yer liable to zone out right there in front of the computer.
I have to say that I do have mild misgivings about hearing music that comes packaged with so much metaphysical new age claptrap as Iasos most defiantly does. I can't help it if the composer himself has no idea where his music is REALLY coming from and so decides to market it in such a manner that will ensure that fewer people will actually hear it as a result of the perfectly reasonable decision to want nothing to do with it, because it proports to propigate false new age doctrine.
I take a similar view with all the Buddhist chanting I enjoy listening to, or all the classical Indian music with it's deeply Hindu-centric aspects. Strip the music of all societal and/or religious connotations and what you're left with is simply interesting and moving sounds, a neutral force, if allowed to be a force at all.
When I hear what's known as "new age music", I certainly don't think of crystals or chakras or bringing up my Kundalini...I don't even like to use the term "new age", because it's not nearly as appropriate a tag for this music than, say, "Soothing music", "Atmospheric music" (not to be confused with but sharing much in common with Ambient music)...I always thought "Space music" was a good name for the more ethereal stuff.
I wouldn't have thought to do it, but AudioVisions often mixes Cocteau Twins songs into their playlist, and to be honest, I think they sound better in such surroundings than stalwart New Age diehards like Enya or Yanni. They play way too much Enigma, too. But for some reason the Cocteau Twins stuff sounds at home there. Those familiar with Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz Fraser's approach to lyric-writing will understand when I say that there's nothing to consider when it comes to possible religious connotations in the words she pens for songs with titles like "Fluffy Tufts", "Pearly Dewdrops Drops" and "A Kissed Out Red Floatboat"...they are mostly made-up words that make no logical sense other than that they sound very good when Fraser sings them.
Here are a few Cocteau Twins CDs that are excellent from start to finish.

The Pink Opaque

Blue Bell Knoll

Love's Easy Tears

Garlands

Treasure

Stars & Topsoil Collection 1982-1990

Available from

FYI, this blog recieves no compensation from Amazon.com for referring customers...not saying that I'd send back any free CDs they wanted to pass my way for review and further referral...but as it stands, this be a non-frofit jobbie, so I include the link to Amazon for the reader's convenience. If my limited experience with Amazon can be used as a yardstick to judge the reliability of the company, I'd have to admit that they are first rate.