In a world often craving constant noise, the latest offering from GRAMMY-nominated composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt and Australian producer-artist GEM arrives as a much-needed breath of fresh air. Titled 'According to the Moon', this album is an invitation to pause and reflect, offering a rich tapestry of ambient sound design that beautifully explores the push and pull of opposing forces.
Conceived during momentous celestial events like eclipses and supermoons, the new albums take a deeper, almost mystical intention and blends it perfectly with sweeping ambient sounds. Together, Engelhardt’s distinctive cinematic piano and ethereal vocals intertwine seamlessly with GEM’s ambient electronic textures and vocal contributions.
From its opening moments, 'According to the Moon' establishes itself as a guiding light through the emotional ebbs and flows of the lunar cycle. It unfolds delicately across nine compositions, offering lush organic sounds, beautiful vocal harmonies, and the occasional shine of blossoming digital rhythms.
'Glimmer', the opening composition, sets the tone with its spacious, softly focused arrangement where harmonies gently unfold over building, lush instrumentation. It’s an expressive and expansive introduction, one that gives a playful node to more adventurous compositions to come. Further into the album, ‘Mountain Meditation’ is a standout, shimmering with almost whispered, organic tones. The vocals are remarkably clear, breathing life into the ambient backdrop, creating a feeling of quiet contemplation amidst nature's timeless grandeur. It’s a song that embodies the album as a whole, showcasing an innate ability to conjure vibrancy from the subtlest of elements, gradually building into a wonderfully rich soundscape.
Other highlights include ‘Nightside’, which embraces more textured electronic elements, contrasting beautifully with 'Dawnlight', its golden counterpart, where intimate piano keys drift through a sea of lavish, shifting tones. As the album draws to a close, 'Betwixt' and 'Eclipse' create soft, meditative spaces that linger. 'Eclipse' in particular leaves a lasting impression, its gentle ambience swelling into a vibrant tapestry of glistening electronic beats and moving strings, carrying the listener gracefully to the album's conclusion.
Spanning studios from bustling New York and Los Angeles to the tranquil French Alps and Sydney, the album’s inspiration speaks to its expansive nature. The meticulous work of multi-GRAMMY winners Lonnie Park on co-production and mixing, and Jett Galindo on mastering, is evident in the pristine, expansive sound, allowing every delicate nuance to shine.
'According to the Moon’ is an album that beautifully side steps the pitfall of becoming background music. It's an immersive experience filled with gentle twists and turns that draw you in time and time again. It's a testament to the power of collaboration and the beauty found when seemingly opposite forces embrace, proving that true harmony indeed emerges from contrast.
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