From the late 80s on, for longtime loyal fans and newly curious listeners alike, collections and compilations have been a truly effective introduction to the musical styles, visions and artistry of artists in the new age and ambient genres. After eight organic, soul-soothing and timeless acoustic and electric guitar albums that earned him countless accolades from Zone Music Reporter and New Age Radio Music Awards, the easiest thing for Shambhu to have done was to gather ten representative tracks from 2010-2024 and release a free-flowing playlist as a “greatest hits” album. A friend of his suggested he do just that but make it special by putting it out on vinyl.
Shambhu had a more sonically innovative idea that will newly enrapture even those die-hards who are familiar with every note he’s ever recorded: create dynamic new versions of ten fan favorites and tracks popular on SiriuxXM’s Spa channel by mixing them in Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Achieving his goal with the help of his mixer friend Todd Boston, the guitarist infuses the pieces on the aptly titled Transcendence with fresh energy and dimension, elevating the sound to allow listeners to experience them anew and immerse in their full sonic beauty.
This is the third time Shambhu has worked with Boston on Dolby Atmos mixes in the studio his friend had built at his new home in Portland, OR. Boston had been mixing and mastering the guitarist’s albums since his third album Soothe (2017), and Shambhu was excited about embarking on a whole new sonic adventure. The two mixed both Acoustic Oasis (2023) and Reflections (2024) in Dolby Atmos, so it made perfect sense to apply the same surreal, multi-level sonic magic to the retrospective.
“I call the album Transcendence because we’re elevating the sound of the songs by mixing them in this format,” Shambhu says. “The Dolby Atmos remix has infused these compositions with new energy and dimension. Every nuance, every subtle harmonic layer can now be felt in a way that transports the listener into the heart of the music. By remixing them up to 14 years after they were recorded, we were able to take them to exciting new levels. I started mixing in Dolby Atmos because I wanted to elevate the listener's experience—to bring my music to life in a way that feels more immersive, expansive, and deeply resonant. My music has always been about creating space, emotion, and connection, and Dolby Atmos lets me to take that vision even further.”
To Shambhu, a longtime spiritual devotee who sees his guitar as a voice for his soul, transcendence is also an aspirational goal for both elevating consciousness or making music. “We want to transcend,” he adds, “to go beyond what was into what can be. My music is really more of an extension of my meditation and mindfulness practice. My over three decades studying with Sri Chinmoy deeply influenced my approach, teaching me to let music flow through me rather than forcing it. I don’t just play—I try to create space for stillness and higher awareness to express through me. Likewise, I think if you ask listeners, they don’t just listen to my music—they let go to it - they feel it. Whether someone finds peace in my songs, overcomes a difficult time, or simply gets lost in the sound, I know my music is bringing something positive into the world.”
For those who have heard of Dolby Atmos but don’t know exactly what it is, Shambhu offers a succinct explanation: It’s a surround sound technology that creates a three-dimensional audio experience . It's used in movie theaters, homes, headphones, and other devices. Dolby Atmos adds height channels to surround sound, using speakers in the ceiling or upward-firing speakers to create a sense of height. It allows audio objects to be placed anywhere in three-dimensional space. During the mix, we can place sound “objects” — instruments —in the 3D listening space which feels wider and more spacious than just stereo, and engage the listeners imagination by moving the objects around.
The result of this technological deep dive defies an easy reach for colorful adjectives. Transcendence offers a uniquely non-chronological journey that showcases Shambhu’s compositional mastery while reflecting both his ability to create expansive sonic universes by himself (the stark, softly contemplative and sweetly melodic “Pondering When”) and in ensemble with some of the new age genre’s most acclaimed artists.
From the gentle, meditational graces of the opening track “Heart Awakening” (whose dreamy dark/light duality and intricate sonic exploration allows us to feel live in and feel the heart through music) through the tender, haunting closing improvisational piece “Dreaming of Now” (featuring Premik Russell Tubbs’ wistful flute), Shambhu takes these grand compositions from “spectacularly gentle, graceful and soul-soothing” to “multi-sensory spectacularly gentle, graceful and soul soothing.”
Those concepts are fully embodied by the collection’s two tracks from Soothe - the title song, which features Shambhu on electric guitars and pairs him with the hypnotic darker moods of fretless bassist Michael Manring and Kristin Hoffman’s vocals; and “Knowingness,” a deeply spiritual reflection of Shambhu’s sense and belief that there is a Higher Power, expressed passionately with Manring and Hoffman.
“Edge of Eternal” features the rich emotional shadings of cellist Eugene Friesen and English horn great Jill Haley, while “Revelation” (also from Sacred Love) adds the bass great Tony Levin to the intimate, wistful sharing of the heart. The two other pieces from Sacred Love include the breathy (and breathtaking) “Nirab Amare,” a lovely rendering of a devotional song by Shambhu’s guru Sri Chinmoy, presented as a guitar-flute duet with Tubbs; and “Imagine” (not the John Lennon classic), a stark, spacious and atmospheric gem showcasing the stellar trio giftings of Shambhu, Manring and legendary fellow guitarist (and co-writer/co-producer) Will Ackerman.
“Windows of Time,” from Dreaming of Now (2013), a lush, lyrical meditation featuring the graceful touches and sparkling full band interactions of Frank Martin (piano), Charlie Bisharat (violin), George Brooks (soprano sax), Kai Eckhardt (fretless bass), drummer Celso Albert and percussionist Jeff Haynes. All told, Transcendence features six co-productions by Shambhu with Will Ackerman, including two with Tom Eaton.
Shambhu says of “Windows of Time”: “I believe all moments occur simultaneously. Past present and future. All happening in the now. We are passing through time.” Experiencing the guitarist’s great works in Dolby Atmos on Transcendence is a splendid way to time travel musically through the discography of one of the genre’s premiere artists.
“For years,” he says, “I’ve written music that invites deep listening, a kind of sonic meditation where listeners can lose themselves in the sound. Dolby Atmos opens up deeper dimensions—it allows the music to breathe in 3D and to surround the listener in a way that stereo simply can’t. Now, instead of sound being limited to two speakers, it flows around you, as if you are sitting inside the music itself.”
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