ASHANEEN | WAVES OF LIFE
"Waves Of Life" is an Ashaneen's debut album for renowned New Age record label, California-based Real Music, a publisher of many famous artists like Grammy award winning Omar Akram, Liquid Mind, Karunesh, Peter Kater, Gandalf, Johannes Linstead, Kevin Kern and more.
"Waves Of Life" CD will be officially released on August 7, 2015 and now is already available for pre-order in biggest on-line music stores like Amazon (as CD) and iTunes (as Digital Download).
"Waves Of Life" CD will be officially released on August 7, 2015 and now is already available for pre-order in biggest on-line music stores like Amazon (as CD) and iTunes (as Digital Download).
"Waves Of Life" Album Sampler from Real Music (YouTube Video):
Video (1) for "Sixth Wave" from "Waves of Life" album by Ashaneen
(video created by Peter Schneider):
(video created by Peter Schneider):
Download a FREE copy of this track at Real Music...
Video (2) for "Sixth Wave" from "Waves of Life" album by Ashaneen:
– PRESS REVIEW –
CD Album review by Michael Foster from Ambient Visions:
While the artist known as Ashaneen may not be a household name in the new age/ambient community in the U.S., he has a rather large body of work available on his website through his Bandcamp page. Ashaneen, which means inner peace, is the artistic name of Piotr Janeczek who hails from Warsaw, Poland. Ashaneen’s new album and his first for the Real Music label is called Waves of Life, and will make a fine introduction of his style of music to listeners who have come to appreciate the quality music that this San Francisco Bay Area based label has released over the years. As Ashaneen says in the liner notes of this album, life is like the waves that constantly roll in from the ocean onto the beach. Each wave is of a different length and different intensity but it is the constant motion that brings to mind how the waves are indeed like life. Waves of Life consists of eleven tracks with a total listening time of a little over 63 minutes. The songs vary in length from as short as 2:38 to the longest track clocking in at 8:25. Piotr chose to name the tracks simply “First Wave,” “Second Wave” and so on rather than naming each one individually with a unique name. He does call the last track on the album “A New Beginning” which in my mind implies the endless cycle of life that the waves represent on this album which never really ends but simply starts over in a new cycle of experiences when the old cycle is completed. The music that you will find on Waves of Life is very appropriately called music for meditation or music for relaxation and maintains that mood from the first track through the last. The music might very well be referred to as ambient music as well, since it does not contain the more traditional elements of what I would term new age music. But since music perception varies from individual to individual, this observation is more of an opinion for those looking to get an idea of what the music is like through this review. Ashaneen’s music is at once peaceful and contemplative allowing the listener to sink deep down into themselves while the music paints a soundscape that enhances this introspective journey without ever intruding or breaking the calming effect that the music has on the listener. Even though there are eleven tracks that make up this release, as you listen to the album you are not aware of the individual tracks but simply a single flow of music that is immersive and reassuring to the listener. The music simply serves as a vehicle for the listener who is using the music to spend time meditating, contemplating their lives or simply relaxing after a tough day in the world. Even though the songs aren’t individually named, the track entitled “Eighth Wave” was one of my favorite flows of music from this album and at 7:30 it has plenty of time to unfold to the listener. The song is smooth as silk and shows off the compositional skills of Ashaneen as he weaves an enchanting work of art in the form of this musical composition. Overall Waves of Life is the cohesive artistic vision of Ashaneen filled with nuance and delicacy which is instantly engaging to the listener. To the attentive listener this album will very quickly wend its way into their souls with its sonic landscapes filled with emotional texture and with its ethereal sensibilities. While this may be the first release for Piotr on the Real Music label, it is by no means going to be his last. Waves of Life is an exceptional album and showcases the talents of Ashaneen to a whole new audience of potential listeners. Recommended! ~ Michael Foster (Ambient Visions, 07/2015) https://www.realmusic.com/in-the-press/waves-life-0 |
CD Album review by James McQuiston from NeuFutur Magazine:
“First Wave” is a richly emotive composition that is able to provide listeners with a compelling narrative without possessing any traditional form of vocal accompaniment. The bold strokes that are taken on the onset of Waves of Life ensure that listeners are on the edges of their seats from the onset. The six-minute run time of this initial composition provides Ashaneen with ample space to express the different twists and turns that will await listeners through the eleven cuts on the title. “Third Wave” straddles the line between electronic and organic in a way few artists can achieve. There is something that listeners can identify as existing in everyday life (industrial area noises such as metal on metal, vibrations) but something wholly separate from what one may find in real life. It is this duality that keeps listeners attentive and eagerly anticipating what will be presented to them in subsequent compositions. “Fifth Wave” and “Sixth Wave” are a delightful one-two punch that highlight each other because of their considerable differences. While Ashaneen’s hand is steady in establishing a cogent statement for this duo (as well as the whole of tracks on Waves of Life), the gulf between the overall sound and spirit of the compositions cannot be stressed enough. "Waves of Life" concludes with “A New Beginning”, an effort that does not only establish the possible paths for Ashaneen in follow-up releases, but ties up the different styles and approaches taken by the artist in a neat and orderly bow. Ashaneen’s latest speaks broadly to the human experience in a new and exciting fashion. Waves of Life will be available from a wide variety of online and physical retailers beginning on August 7th. Top Tracks: First Wave, Fifth Wave, A New Beginning Rating: 8.5/10 ~ James McQuiston (NeuFutur Magazine, 06/30/15) http://neufutur.com/2015/06/ashaneen-waves-of-life-cd-review/ CD Album review by Chris Spector from Midwest Records:
Suzanne Ciani only gave us seven waves. Ashaneen ups the ante by giving us ten as well as a new beginning. Impressionistic music that he composes by letting it flow through him, this is certainly music to clear your mind or get a deep tissue massage by. Falling into that bag of improv but disciplined, the music feels like waves rolling in and rolling out with the kind of randomness only the tides can provide. This is real new age music, old school. ~ Chris Spector (Midwest Record, 06/27/15) http://midwestrecord.com/MWRBlog.html |
CD Covers of "Waves Of Life" album (click to enlarge):