A meditative album of new age piano-driven instruments with sparse electronics. Streaming Links: https://lnk.to/deuter_komorebi
Deuter's newest album is a digital solo release of classical new age instrumentals with sparse electronics titled Komorebi - Sunlight Through Trees. It features mainly piano, strings, and wind instruments in his unmistakable meditative style, and gives the listener a calming and richly detailed experience. Starting with very basic elements and gathering together a vision of the whole world within the secure embrace of the solar system, which is in itself held warmly by the most remote parts of the universe perceived to be present in all directions. The entire experience is clarifying , refreshing and satisfying.
“Komorebi - Sunlight Through Trees gives the listener a calming and richly detailed, yet new, Deuter music experience...clarifying, refreshing and satisfying.”
— Robin James, Igloo Mag
I've always found sunlight filtering through trees to be a profoundly beautiful and spiritual experience, but I've never had a name for it. "Komorebi" is the Japanese word that translates as "sunlight filtering through the foliage." That is also the title of Deuter's new album, which includes seven original pieces composed in a classical new age instrumental style and features piano, strings and wind instruments as well as sparse electronics. With more than sixty albums to his credit (the first one was released in the 1970s), Deuter is a true pioneer of the new age music movement and one of its leading artists. Largely a self-taught musician since childhood, Deuter has always been drawn to the sounds of nature as well as musical instruments. His music has always combined acoustic and electronic elements with ethnic instrumentation and nature sounds: from Tibetan singing bowls to flutes to piano and keyboards to bird songs, crickets and the sound of water. Komorebi - Sunlight Through Trees is somewhat different from his earlier work with its classical feeling and more traditional instrumentation, keeping most of the supporting electronic elements in the background. Much of the album is quite ambient, providing beautifully relaxing and soothing music that is very easy to get (blissfully) lost in.
Komorebi - Sunlight Through Trees begins with a piano solo simply titled "Komorebi." The piece flows at an easy tempo and makes very effective use of the piano's pedals and reverb to create a dreamy atmospheric sound. Demonstrating the beauty of simplicity, it's a very effective start! The second track is "Komorebi - The Walk," and includes piano, violin, harp, flute and recorder, plus occasional synth sounds. The theme from the first track recurs throughout the piece, going in somewhat different directions and expanding from 6 1/2 to just over ten minutes - plenty of time to let the music work its own special kind of magic. From there, we go to "Enchanted Forest," which is a much more symphonic piece that focuses on the strings to tell its engaging story of wonder and awe. "Silent Glow" paints a stunning picture of a peaceful sunrise and the promise of the start of a new day. Strings also take the lead on this one, which includes the sound of flowing water behind the almost ambient music - very warm, atmospheric and soothing! The piano returns to a more prominent position in "Clairière," which also features flutes, cello and electronics along with a bell-like sound in a few places. No one instrument is the "star" in this piece, creating more of a musical dialogue while expressing feelings of tranquility. "Anemoi" (Greek for "winds") features a melancholy solo on violin or viola over dreamy electronic background sounds. The final track, "Anemoi - Touch," is a short reprise of "Anemoi" with more strings (cello and viola or violin) plus some atmospheric keyboard at the very end.
Komorebi - Sunlight Through Trees is a beautiful musical journey well-worth taking! It is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, and many streaming platforms including Spotify. Very highly recommended!
Kathy Parsons
May 17, 2024/NewAgeMusicReviews.com
Deuter, a renowned new-age classical solo artist, has captivated audiences worldwide with his soothing sounds. With an impressive discography of 60 albums, his latest release, “Komorebi's Sunlight Through Trees,” is a testament to his unique style and musical prowess.
"Komorebi" begins with a beautiful and rhythmic soundscape, getting you into the proper space physically, mentally, and, if you do "listen," spiritually.
Komorebi means "sunlight leaking through trees." The artwork, which is very basic but effectively portrayed, describes the beauty and wonder of rays of light dappling through overhead leaves and casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.
"Komorebi - The Walk" continues with that meaning and theme, going through several changes in the track during its 10:08 minutes. It starts with a violin, then the flute enters, and as the song progresses, the subtle electronic elements enter with synth sounds that are dreamy and ambient. Eventually, the acoustic piano arrives, which Deuter is a master at, as you realize early in listening to this album. His touch is brilliant and precise. Over 10 minutes is a lengthy song; however, it is just perfect and lovely.
"Enchanted Forest" also begins with a violin then straight into some orchestration from the synths. As you can see by the track titles the theme stays in place from beginning to end. Music can be enchanting and so can the forest with all its mystery and adventure. I remember taking long hikes as a young boy with my friends and looking up at all the trees and wondering what kind of creatures we may encounter. We never knew where we were going but always made it back home.
"Silent Glow" is a track that resonates with the inner spirit. It evokes a sense of glowing from the inside out, a feeling that can be immediately seen and felt. This inner glow is not limited to humans; it also emanates from plant life. The living plants and trees rooted in the forest form a vast underground ecosystem that communicates with each other. The composition weaves a tapestry of sounds, including soft wind and water, and if you listen closely, you can hear, see, and feel that silence. As Mozart said, "The music is not in the notes but in the silence between." This track embodies that sentiment, inviting the listener to delve into its meditative depths.
"Clairière" means clearing a piece of land of wood, etc., for cultivation. A clearing in the forest. The track is just as beautiful as the ones that preceded it, and it changed my viewpoint of the word cultivation and clearing. Cultivation is not necessarily something wrong; it can be healthy. There are gently ringing bells and whooshing synth sounds as it moves through the composition layers and, once again, a gorgeous flute that calls to you and asks you to come along.
"Anemoi" in ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: Ἄνεμοι, "Winds") were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions. They were the progeny of the goddess of the dawn, Eos, and her husband, the god of the dusk, Astraeus (Wikipedia). Where the four winds blow as it were. The cello is particularly gentle yet prolific, and it captures the meaning of the wind blowing and doing whatever Mother Nature decided it should do at the moment. Once again, the synth underlies the main instrument, adding that ambient layer of pure relaxation.
"Anemoi -Touch" is just under one minute and is a sequel to the previous track, closing out the album with a brief but nice touch.
The softness and invitation of this music are its main attractions. It is a perfect choice for listeners seeking out relaxing and meditative music. Deuter's Komorebi Sunlight Through Trees is a testament to his ability to create music that soothes the soul and calms the mind. It is a musical journey that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Lovingly referred to simply as Deuter around the world, his music has soothed, uplifted and educated his many fans for decades. Deuter has recorded and released over 60 albums. He is fluent on an ever-expanding array of instruments including the flute, recorder, guitar, koto, shakuhachi, sitar, Tibetan singing bowls, santoor, bouzouki, piano and keyboards.
“I always try to make music which disappears into silence, that it takes the listener with it into the silence. ” - Deuter