Amethystium
Amethystium Profile
Amethystium is a pioneer of so called ethereal music - relatively new subgenre of new age music. Started at mp3.com in 2000 this project became widely popular among new age music fans.
Somewhere past the home of Enigma, along the road to Paul Schwartz and around the corner from Delerium is the house that Oystein Ramfjord built and it is called Amethystium. His structure is a lofty edifice teeming with tier upon tier of haunting vocals, memorable sound vignettes and atmospheric fairytales. His road to success is now chronicled in the album Emblem
These fifteen pieces are from his first three albums, Odonata
Ethereal (Odonata) exemplifies the wind swept movements, haunting piano and the serene atmosphere that Amethystium creates song after song. It conveys the amazing feeling of discovery and the reward of peace that is attained when we accept our surroundings.
Arcus (Evermind) is perhaps another way of traveling full circle on the path of life. The song contains beautiful ephemeral vocals for us and comfortable sound memories for Ramfjord. The haunting voice is perchance an echo from the past and the moderate tempo and melody are the footsteps of the present that return to familiar places.
Autumn Interlude (Aphelion) has its title taken from a Steven Hewitt poem. The song contains a wraithlike mix of male chant background, celestial female voice and a dulcet melody that is very soothing. The piano is something Ronan Hardiman might play in exaltation of the season.
Featuring the muted sound of Shakuhachi flute, Odyssey (Odonata) is the journey you take across rippling blue oceans, over dusty, sun drenched plains and perhaps even between mountain-covered continents. From the east to the west the passage is fraught with the excitement of discovery. Each new land brings gifts of knowledge, invention and newfound peace.
In Elvensong (Aphelion) you can actually hear the wings of the dragonfly as he flitters from reed to reed dappling the water’s surface like a single raindrop. On the fly he is ever the explorer, the discoverer and the predator. In the music our winged warrior guide takes us to the land of the elves. It is a magical place where the pursuit of peace and learning are paramount to the existence of a legendary society. This is an excellent piano, bass and cello combination that flies on gossamer wings and lands like cloud mist. It is one of the best of the album and a definitive example of Amethystium’s work.
Oystein Ramfjord started this project in his teens and received immediate success not only in Norway , but world wide. It didn’t take long for him to have a following of fans that hold their collective breaths between each new release and are wholly contented with the offerings. I must say that I enjoyed the sonic landscapes tremendously. All the elements, the voices, male and female, the bass rhythms, the flowing melodies and the overall theme was soothing and satisfying. Now I’ll have to go chase down all his albums. But it will be worth it.
(c) NewAgeReporter.com
Amethystium Discography
- (2000) Autumn Interlude EP
- (2001) Odonata
- (2003) Aphelion
- (2004) Evermind
- (2006) Emblem (Selected Pieces)
Buy Amethystium CD
Download Amethystium mp3
Official Amethystium Site
No comments:
Post a Comment