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Kitaro

Contemporary instrumental music was informed by the aesthetics of new age's progressive electronic wing, but drew from a wider range of emotions and styles. Where progressive electronic emphasized lush, elaborate, and often grandiose compositions, contemporary instrumental was just as free to settle into simple, quiet rumination, or to prominently feature soloists in addition to accessible melodies. Contemporary instrumental also made greater, sometimes exclusive use of acoustic instruments,... [+] Read More

Contemporary instrumental music was informed by the aesthetics of new age's progressive electronic wing, but drew from a wider range of emotions and styles. Where progressive electronic emphasized lush, elaborate, and often grandiose compositions, contemporary instrumental was just as free to settle into simple, quiet rumination, or to prominently feature soloists in addition to accessible melodies. Contemporary instrumental also made greater, sometimes exclusive use of acoustic instruments, particularly when artists wanted to create mellow, pleasant moods. The recordings of pianist George Winston helped establish this direction during the early '80s. Not all contemporary instrumental artists share new age philosophies, even if their music frequently draws upon similar feelings and influences; moreover, contemporary instrumental music may employ bits of pop, rock, jazz, folk, classical, and world music (when the latter is especially prevalent, it's termed ethnic fusion). Nevertheless, the '80s and '90s continued to witness a high degree of crossover between progressive electronic, the similar adult alternative style (which was more electro-acoustic), and contemporary instrumental, with many artists fitting simultaneously into more than one category. [-] Hide

Wally Badarou

Ethnic Fusion is not to be confused with world fusion (a synthesis of jazz and world music) or worldbeat (which may draw from any number of world musics, often adding a Western pop influence). Instead, ethnic fusion is generally rooted in the sounds and philosophies of new age music, seeking to incorporate traditional ethnic folk musics into contemporary electronic music. Often, though not always, the aim is to find ways to create unity and harmony between Western technology and more earth-... [+] Read More

Ethnic Fusion is not to be confused with world fusion (a synthesis of jazz and world music) or worldbeat (which may draw from any number of world musics, often adding a Western pop influence). Instead, ethnic fusion is generally rooted in the sounds and philosophies of new age music, seeking to incorporate traditional ethnic folk musics into contemporary electronic music. Often, though not always, the aim is to find ways to create unity and harmony between Western technology and more earth- and nature-oriented cultures. Jazz musicians like Tony Scott and Don Cherry were some of the first to synthesize world music with Western forms, and minimalist composers like Terry Riley and Philip Glass sometimes drew upon non-Western scales and structures. These experiments informed early ethnic fusion, most notably the music of Jon Hassell, who helped establish the style during the late '70s and early '80s with his solo work and his collaborations with ambient pioneer Brian Eno. In time, ethnic fusion became a favorite way for adventurous contemporary instrumental musicians to broaden their sound with new rhythms or non-Western instrumentation; others came naturally to a particular ethnic music and fused it with a contemporary instrumental/new age sensibility. Artists in the latter category included Clannad (Celtic folk), Ottmar Liebert (flamenco), Kitaro (Japanese folk melodies), and R. Carlos Nakai (Native American flute music). During the early '90s, ethnic fusion artists like Enigma, Dead Can Dance, and Deep Forest found a wider audience with the introduction of club-ready dance beats into the mix, which could feature anything from medieval European music to sampled field recordings of African pygmies. But even if there were very few larger commercial breakthroughs, ethnic fusion maintained a degree of popularity through the remainder of the '90s. [-] Hide

Steven Halpern

Arguably, all music can be said to be useful for Meditation. The styles, cadences, arpeggiations, and rhythms of meditational music for contemplative practices is characteristically different than most other forms of music. Generally speaking, the music is relaxing, lacking definitive rhythms. Meditation and music have been relational partners for centuries. Mellow, repetitive, and redundant sequences of smoothly contoured melodic lines help to relax the mind as arrhythmic tempos do not... [+] Read More

Arguably, all music can be said to be useful for Meditation. The styles, cadences, arpeggiations, and rhythms of meditational music for contemplative practices is characteristically different than most other forms of music. Generally speaking, the music is relaxing, lacking definitive rhythms. Meditation and music have been relational partners for centuries. Mellow, repetitive, and redundant sequences of smoothly contoured melodic lines help to relax the mind as arrhythmic tempos do not distract the listener into a beat but rather a flow. Harmonies are often absent unless one accepts the musical nuance of imitation as structured harmony. Meditation music can also include recordings of sounds in the "natural" world: rainfall, waterfalls, birds, insects, whales, and others, separately and in synthetic combination. ~ Keith Johnson [-] Hide

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Harold Budd

Many contemporary instrumentalists are conservatory trained, yet don't subscribe to the modern classical world's emphasis on intellectual, atonal forms of composition. As these artists follow their own vision, however, classical music may continue to be an important inspiration. The Neo-Classical distinction refers to any style influenced by classical music, whether the performer is offering updated arrangements of actual works by an established composer (Bach, Pachelbel, and Debussy seem to... [+] Read More

Many contemporary instrumentalists are conservatory trained, yet don't subscribe to the modern classical world's emphasis on intellectual, atonal forms of composition. As these artists follow their own vision, however, classical music may continue to be an important inspiration. The Neo-Classical distinction refers to any style influenced by classical music, whether the performer is offering updated arrangements of actual works by an established composer (Bach, Pachelbel, and Debussy seem to be popular in this respect) or weaving elements from the baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic, and/or more challenging 20th century styles into a more original approach. ~ Linda Kohanov [-] Hide

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Mike Oldfield

Progressive Electronic thrives in more unfamiliar territory. The styles that emerge are often dictated by the technology itself. Rather than sampling or synthesizing acoustic sounds to electronically replicate them, these composers tend to mutate the original timbres, sometimes to an unrecognizable state. True artists in the genre also create their own sounds (as opposed to using the preset sounds that come with modern synthesizers). In progressive electro-acoustic music, the electronics play... [+] Read More

Progressive Electronic thrives in more unfamiliar territory. The styles that emerge are often dictated by the technology itself. Rather than sampling or synthesizing acoustic sounds to electronically replicate them, these composers tend to mutate the original timbres, sometimes to an unrecognizable state. True artists in the genre also create their own sounds (as opposed to using the preset sounds that come with modern synthesizers). In progressive electro-acoustic music, the electronics play an equal if not greater part in the overall concept. Acoustic instruments performed in real time are usually processed through reverb, harmonizing, or other methods, which adds an entirely new dimension to the player's technique. At best, this music opens up new worlds of listening, thinking, and feeling. At worst, progressive electronic artists worship technology for its own sake, relinquishing the heart and soul of true artistic expression. ~ Linda Kohanov [-] Hide

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Suzanne Ciani

Solo Instrumental recordings launched successful labels like Windham Hill and Narada, ushering in a whole movement oriented toward impressionistic, often folk-inspired originals for piano, guitar, Celtic harp, and even hammered dulcimer. Though some of these releases offer innovative, emotionally moving performances, enough second-rate opportunists have jumped on the bandwagon to give the genre its "aural wallpaper" reputation. Still, some fine musicians continue to battle this stigma. ~...

Solo Instrumental recordings launched successful labels like Windham Hill and Narada, ushering in a whole movement oriented toward impressionistic, often folk-inspired originals for piano, guitar, Celtic harp, and even hammered dulcimer. Though some of these releases offer innovative, emotionally moving performances, enough second-rate opportunists have jumped on the bandwagon to give the genre its "aural wallpaper" reputation. Still, some fine musicians continue to battle this stigma. ~ Linda Kohanov [-] Hide

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Jon Hassell

A more specific variation on the ethnic fusion theme, Techno-Tribal music is becoming more prominent among progressive electro-acoustic artists who are fascinated by the idea of combining man's most primeval musical expressions with his most technologically advanced inventions. Tribal rhythms and instruments from the aboriginal cultures of Africa, Australia, and North & South America are mixed with sophisticated electronics. Though successful efforts are immensely powerful, it takes great... [+] Read More

A more specific variation on the ethnic fusion theme, Techno-Tribal music is becoming more prominent among progressive electro-acoustic artists who are fascinated by the idea of combining man's most primeval musical expressions with his most technologically advanced inventions. Tribal rhythms and instruments from the aboriginal cultures of Africa, Australia, and North & South America are mixed with sophisticated electronics. Though successful efforts are immensely powerful, it takes great skill and sensitivity to keep the music from sounding like cheap parodies of the cultures from which these artists are borrowing. ~ Linda Kohanov [-] Hide