With the release of their latest single, the soul-soothing, a wafting orb of musical meditation they call “Floating Waves,” the dynamic ambient new age/global music duo of jazz/Indian kirtan drummer Jim Gelcer and famed “sound painter” David Vito Gregoli continues to build momentum towards the release of their upcoming dual album Quiet Expanse.
Before we discuss how the track – the eighth lead single from the collection – fits into the overall theme and aesthetic of the project, listeners might need a brief explanation about the exotic South Asian instrument Gregoli uses to create his haunting, trance-inducing tones, which drift majestically over Gelcer's bold, haunting wall of ambience and the explosive choir that rises as the song builds in volume and intensity.
It’s an esraj, a stringed instrument found in two forms throughout Pakistan and Northern India, primarily Punjab, where it is used in Sikh Music, and West Bengal, where it is used in Rabindra Sangeet and classical music. For those really into nerdy historical details of such instruments, it’s a modern variant of the Dilruba, differing slightly in structure. Those who immerse in the seductive caress of “Floating Waves” might think they’re listening to a sitar, and for good reason. The esraj has characteristics of the sitar, with a long neck, frets and metal strings, but unlike the sitar, it has a soundbox with parched skin and is played with a bow.
It's an incredible instrument with plucky and long notes that make us feel like we’re being carried off to heavenly realms. But more to the point of Gelcer & Gregoli’s triumphant vision, it’s another breathtaking, gracefully planned stop on the album’s overall journey. Besides its unique sonic texturing and the use of the esraj, its nature-inspired title sets it apart from the other lead singles they composed.
While the previous titles (“Resilience,” “Compassion,” “Authenticity,” et al) were spiritually forward-thinking human traits, “Floating Waves” is a bit less complicated, using imagery of a shoreline to convey how the music makes us feel as it eases along. It’s another remarkable piece of work by masters of their individual sonic universes.
Kommentare