Peter Culshaw – Music from the Temple of Light (2023)    


Review:
It is hard to sum up the music of Peter Culshaw in a single sentence. It runs the gamut of influences on this musical polymath, from Indian music, to jazz and Cuban rhythms, to ambient sounds, to French music of the early 20th century (think Satie with the harmonies of Ravel). His travels in search of different musics are legendary, as are the people he has met along the way (this album was paid for by the sale of Malcolm McLaren's car, which was left to Culshaw), and these no doubt add to the gallimaufry we have here. The album tends towards the ambient (shades here, perhaps, of his time working with Brian Eno), and a lot of it is underpinned by the piano, played by Culshaw. The first three tracks are definitely at the contemplative end of the spectrum, but this is soon enlivened by the minimalist-like ostinatos on ‘Himalaya Drone’, and the dance-like ‘The Fire and the Rose are One’. There are more ambient sounds in the middle of the album, but the three-part ‘The Fire and Rose Suite’ has more of a groove and is perhaps the most interesting composition. That this was a labour of love is evident, demonstrated by the generous number of tracks, and if you are looking for a gentle amble through an Indian-inspired soundscape, there is plenty here to hold your attention. — by Maria Lord on songlines.co.uk


   


Track List:
01 - Blue Flower
02 - Sat Nam 2024
03 - Himalaya Drone
04 - The Fire and the Rose Are One
05 - In the Orient Cafe (with Erik)
06 - Shiva in the Rain
07 - The Lights Are Different
08 - Night Country (Mayotte)
09 - Calling Your Name
10 - The Gardens of the West
11 - Traherne
12 - The Fire and Rose Suite, Pt. 1
13 - The Fire and Rose Suite, Pt. 2
14 - The Fire and Rose Suite, Pt. 3


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, classical, world
Country: London, UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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