Jim Ottaway is an award-winning Australian composer. His latest album, Infinite Universes simply transports the listener to another realm of delight that is not of this earthly toil, but of a place that is beautifully peaceful and tranquil.
This gloriously wonderful place can be reached by allowing the music to take you on a voyage of intimate mystery and beauty.
The album commences with Beyond Heaven and Earth introduced with a slow mesmeric drone that gathers elements of intrigue as it deepens, going further into the dream state of endless space, laced with a light, ethereal singular series of notes before slowly drifting into the beautiful Ancient Starlight.
Allow the mind to simply see what is hidden within the intricate, measured sounds as if each note represents faded starlight once so shiny bright, and new, now slowly going forever before the Hidden Universes are reached.
Sombre and reflective Hidden Universes bring to mind vast halls of massive arches and flagged pathways. Images spring to mind of hallowed halls where good souls float through the semi-dark shadows, mysterious, fascinating leading further into the endless forever segueing into Until Eternity Passes Away. This exquisite piece is slightly faster, and more up-tempo, with an encouraging sense of playfulness, as if the darker aspects of the journey have lightened gracefully.
Divided Skies ushers in a very attractive element with a lighter, slightly more intricate composition that simply delights with the drifting movement of sound, underpinned with a rapid, subtle pulsating rhythm.
An Infinity of Universes offers choices and pathways. Piano notes lead to electronic bleeps, and gentle, rich sonic sounds entice while maintaining a deliciously soft, relaxing, and peaceful tone that guides the time of relaxation.
A sonic sound of digeridoo leads into a new vibration created with layers of contrasting elements, deeper tones, and yet lighter shades wound within, as Many Different Suns unfold into the rich, full-bodied, and yet ethereal Voices of Universal Infinity.
Slowly returning to reality from a captivating one hour of perfect bliss is accomplished with the Light from Perfect Darkness, a complete contrast of sonic sounds that reiterate there is more than one universe, which is able to be accessed via the incredible medium of relaxing, mediative and divine space music.
Jim Ottaway manages to push the limits of ‘space’ music to new heights with every new album he releases. His work is lauded as his best series. Infinite Universes certainly is an outstanding work with each of the pieces recorded between 2008 and 2023, then selected from his vault of music with care, before being woven into another magical, mysterious, and most refreshing journey into the outer limits of our Universe.
You can listen to the album here.
Website https://jimottaway.com/reviews.php
Distributor Jim Ottaway/ Spotify
Artists Jim Ottaway
Review By Janet Mawdesley
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