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Click here to purchase
"A New Day"
CD Price: $17.50
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Please note that most of the tracks begin very softly; the samples below only reflect the somewhat louder passages of each selection.
| NEWS: |
As a response to requests from our listeners, we will be developing an "un-plugged" version of "A New Day".
This version will be suitable for meditation or other situations where a soft, consistant soft background of music is desired, incorporating gentle waves of tonal elements to create gentle rises and ebbs in emotional while the music plays. These tracks follow the identical structure as the "Plugged-In" version, but will intentionally not have the rhytmic instrumentation or feel.
The release date and new samples will be posted here as soon as the project nears completion.
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| Reviews: |
"Once in a while, you come across a piece of music that transports you to pleasurable places. In this case however, the whole album is a voyage. One that tantalizingly invites you to close your eyes, and let the music take you on a journey tailored made just for you.
This artist is brilliant in not only his many talents, but also in being able to pull emotions and thoughts out of the air and render them physical through his music. Such artists are not easily found these days.
An album to be listened to over and over again, with a new voyage waiting every time. " M.W.
"Get ready to be inspired...the beautiful music in A New Day will leave you feeling happy, peaceful and emotionally recharged. This CD is a gem...I highly recommend it!" S.M.
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John Lister
A New Day
An Instrumental Journey of Musical Enlightenment
© 2008 John Lister
Total running time: 44:07
"A New Day" has been described as "New Age meets Classic Rock".
Passages of calm relaxation gently rise to create excitement, taking your emotions and mind on a spiritual journey of peace and harmony.
"A New Day"'s seven tracks musically interpret seven different times of the day, corresponding with the seven chakras, or energy centers in the body. The music always begins gently, to ease down into the psyche and then gradually lifts you to a place of higher energy vibration, before returning you once more to that restful state of mind and emotion. Each track builds upon the previous one, reaching deeper places, touching more emotion, even healing deep thoughts and memories.
"Mists of the Early Dawn" opens with a soft drone, like the first insects and gentle breezes of a summer dawn, with gentle wind chimes in the background. A soft piano breaks the stillness, then a haunting flute awakens the senses. The piano returns, then the main song begins with a harp. Layers of instruments build, as does the intensity and richness of the selection, filling with soft voices over drums and guitars, until it gently brings you back down to the spot where you began your journey.
"The New Morning" gently picks you up where the first track left you, and brings you through soft passages of Floyd-esque Hammond Organ, Electric Guitars and other classic rock instruments, over a gentle wash of strings and voices.
"Dance of the Sun" opens with a solitary harpsichord, playing a classical sequence of chords. It is soon accompanied by full orchestration, then replaced with piano and guitar, also backed by orchestral strings. A pan pipe joins with it's own haunting melody as the music intensifies. The haunting voices join in when the pan pipe completes it's melody, then a flute takes over the melody. At last the drums, bass and electric guitars join in to fill out the sound, followed by a guitar solo that features harmonies between two guitars. Another organ solo, then the climax is reached and the original theme continues as it began, softly, hauntingly, and leaving you at peace and maybe just a little breathless as the final waves of tonal beauty wash over you.
"In The Meadow" begins with a gentle piano playing a sequence of notes in 6/8 time, but is quickly joined by other instruments playing in 8/8 time. The synchronization of the sequences creates deep brain activity, as the listener unconsciously does the mathematics while listening. The drums come in and a flute takes the melody, joined in the second verse by a harmonizing pan pipe. Slide guitars enter for the chorus, and take over the melody, followed once more by the flute. The melody seems to come to an end with soft waves of final chords, but then starts again with a slower rhythm on acoustic guitar, with a jazzy piano solo over top. More slide-guitar on the choruses, this slower version of the original theme is reminiscent of classic rock, complete with guitar solo, yet ends once again with soft slide guitars fading to the ending chord.
"The Trail Home" enters with acoustic guitars and flute, backed by orchestral strings. A pan-pipe solo takes the melody, followed by an organ solo in the style of early "Deep Purple". A haunting guitar solo takes over, then becomes a harmony solo with two guitars combining to build a crescendo, followed by more electric guitar work. An acoustic guitar solo follows, then all fades to a haunting piano melody which ends the selection.
"Dusks Descent" begins with a piano theme, followed by choral voices and flutes, then continues to build with the addition of more instruments. Drums enter, and the tune begins to have a semi-gospel feel to it, then continues to build with the choral voices and flutes returning. A guitar solo creates the bridge of this song, then a sax solo. The drums leave, flutes and voices take the song to it's gentle ending, after a brief acoustic guitar solo and soft waves of choral voices.
"The Moonrise" is a haunting and sad piano melody depicting the day's end. It has a fully orchestrated backing joined by acoustic guitar, but is a soft tune with moments of extreme passion as the sounds rise and fall with the melody. The tune is taken over by the flutes in some places, and the choral voices add a sense of sadness. This final selection fades out during its ending, as a final statement that tells the listener that the CD has ended. Once more, the listener is brought back to earth gently, back to reality where they started from before listening, only refreshed, recharged and exhilarated.
Upon listening to the entire CD, most people will be moved emotionally, and pleased mentally with the experience. The attention to overlaying rhythms and placing sounds extreme left or right, cause subtle responses in the brain - mostly unknown to the listener. The result is an awakening of thought and emotion, and even a "healing" of emotions, as suppressed pains are brought to the surface and gently washed over by the tenderness and power of the music. Many people have felt more able to forgive or move forward after repeatedly listening to this music. Naturally, we can not make any claims as to the psychological benefits of this CD, so you we will leave you to make that judgement for yourself.
John Lister has composed, performed and produced music for several decades, generally working behind the scenes on music projects for other people. On this, his first solo CD, he performs each track in the studio, not relying on MIDI or sampling or any other automation to create the sounds. The wind chimes you hear are actual wind chimes, recorded in the studio. Some sounds such as flutes or strings are played on a synthesizer, but all of the tracks are recorded live, as they were performed in the studio.
Besides the synthesizer, John plays drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, synth guitar, and percussion instruments. The effect on this CD is "Rock group meets orchestra" with tasteful solos from every range of instruments.
The instruments used on this CD range from modern synthesizers to vintage rock instruments, such as a 1939 Hammond "D" organ and Leslie tone cabinet, a vintage early-sixties Gibson SG electric guitar, a 1957 National slide guitar, a five-string fretless bass, and a modern Ovation acoustic guitar. A guitar synthesizer provides many of the very unique tones on this CD, such as the "choir" voices.
Each track is recorded live to disk, so there is no tape or other analog medium to create hiss or other noise. The pristine tracks are then mixed down with careful attention paid to equalization and reverb, creating the clean and crystal clear sound quality you enjoy from beginning to end. Throughout the CD, sounds are sent to the extreme left or right side, something especially appreciated when listened to with high quality headphones.
 "A New Day" is not complete without the companion e-book, and we've decided to make it available FREE OF CHARGE! The e-book contains further documentation on each track, and associates some original photography and other information with each of the seven tracks, a perfect booklet to browse through while listening to the CD.
Experience the full journey, download the "A New Day" e-book and have it with you as you listen to the tracks. It'll take your mind on a journey like no other! It's a little like meditation, a little like reading an inspiring book, a little like being outdoors in nature, all in one sensory experience that reaches deep into the mind and emotions!
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE E-BOOK NOW
490K PDF FILE
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