CD: inhale slowly
Artists: Tim White and Joe Paulino
Contact: http://www.inhaleslowly.com/
With a title like inhale slowly, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect an album of serenely spacious music that is perfect for relaxation, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or massage. And that is exactly what it is – an hour and eight minute oasis of calm that is available 24 hours a day. The creative source of these tranquil tracks is Tim White, on bamboo flute, guitar, sitar, and esraj, and Joe Paulino who plays piano and synthesizers. The music was originally created as accompaniment for guided imagery projects, after which, according to Joe, “we re-arranged our compositions as pure instrumentals, freeing them to speak their own truths.”
The album consists of five lavishly lengthy soundscapes – three in the 17minute range and two approximately 9 minutes each. These expansive excursions provide lots of breathing room, so to speak, for cultivating deep inner states. For me, the sound of the sitar evokes a mystical air, and it was interesting to hear it in a setting that was more freeform than the highly structured context of traditional Indian music. These two musicians have a wonderfully supportive rapport and the interplay of the various instruments offers a nice blend of multi-cultural influences and atmospheric ambience. Evidently, others agree, as the album has just won in the Best New Artist category of the 2012 ZMR Awards!
Tim and Joe have created a short promotional video about the album which can be seen on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a7DZ80m7E. They go on to talk about the music and what it has to offer: “In the multi-tasking madness of today’s chaos-filled world, it’s often easy to overlook the simple joy of stopping for a moment to allow yourself to take a deep breath.inhale slowly gives the listener absolute permission to step back from the relentless demands of the day to indulge in the almost guilty pleasure of taking the time to breathe. Your well-deserved break from the stresses of the world begins the moment you press play and inhale .”
Music and Media Focus 