265 Results for : devoid
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Optical Illusion
Known for his passionate, never half hearted performances, McAllen has toured the UK, Poland as well as appearances in Dubai, Kenya and Rwanda. His first CD: Plug In was released in 2006. Songs from this appeared on compilation albums for a London independent record label. In March 2008 he released his second EP: "The Optical Illusion." A recent review stated this about the CD: 'A lively and expressionistic piece of music. Pete McAllen has...vibe and vigour. The material is certainly devoid of repetition. 'One Chance' is certainly a wonderous construct...McAllen swings between moody and loud with ease. A worthy addition to any collection.' Glasswerk UK. McAllen's music has received airplay on numerous stations including BBC6 Music, Alooga Radio (Germany), Premier Radio (London) as well as many local stations across the UK. People in the UK who hear McAllen's performances are getting very excited about this talented prospect.- Shop: odax
- Price: 22.11 EUR excl. shipping
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The Magnificent Kotobuki The Movie
On a barren world almost devoid of life, the only efficient way of distributing essential supplies and cargo between the isolated pockets of civilization is by using giant zeppelin-like airships. Unfortunately, these massive craft are also easy targets for the wolves of the air - sky pirates, who hijack aerial commerce and slaughter the crews. That's where birds of prey like Kylie, Reona, Chika, Emma, Kate, Zara and their Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa fighters come in. In a deadly business where a single mistake can mean instant death, the lady falcons of the Kotobuki Squadron will outfly and outshoot anything else in the stratosphere! Get ready to venture where only Angels dare to tread as the epic TV series becomes a spectacular motion picture in THE MAGNIFICENT KOTOBUKI - THE MOVIE!- Shop: odax
- Price: 34.12 EUR excl. shipping
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Jazz Canvas-Asian Memories
Shu Mei's rising star shows no sign of letting up. Since graduating from the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, she has embarked on a journey that transcends diverse music genres - classical, pop, ethnic, fusion, jazz and latin. As a much sought-after soloist and ensemble musician, Shu Mei's energetic performances have won her kudos from both the classical and non-classical world. Shu Mei has emerged as the violinist of choice for many regional and local artistes. In 2005, she has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist to celebrate bilateral Singapore-Malaysia ties in front of 30,000 people at the Penang Indoor Stadium. She has also been invited to perform with renowned jazz diva Marina Xavier at the Jakarta Jazz Festival and Penang Jazz Festival. Her association as a member of the ethnic fusion group Hybrid, swing group Goodfellas and latin-pop group San Nikkis provided the experience to expand and develop her range of musical instincts. In recognition of her valuable musical influence, Shu Mei is currently an endorsee of the Yamaha Silent Electric String instruments. Her prolific accomplishments as a performer are matched by her relentless drive to share her music knowledge and groom the next talent. In 2008, she was awarded the Singapore Spirit of Enterprise for her influential contributions to music education for the young. Shu Mei's album, Jazz Canvas ~ Asian Memories was released in June 2010. Jazz Canvas is a collection of infectious Asian melodies and original compositions infused with classical ideas and jazz interpretation. It's a celebration of Shu Mei's uncompromising mission to bridge the music world that is the East and West. Shu Mei violin Walter Fischbacher piano Evan Gregor bass Aviv Cohen drums Special Guests Christian Howes violin (track 3, 8, 9) Malik Willoughby rap (track 1) Mixed by Jeff Ciampa Mastering by Liberty Ellman Produced by Shu Mei & Christian Howes Song Descriptions: The Chinese and Malay folk songs presented in this album are a selection of songs I used to sing as a young child. I'd look up into the wide expanse of the sky and imagine the shapes the clouds were forming. The song Little White Boat (???) is just one of these imaginative songs, and it vividly describes a white boat formed by the clouds. Under the clear blue skies, along a silver river, Floats a small white boat. On the boat is an Osmanthus tree, under which white rabbits play. It is this song that launched me into a career as a gigging musician. I earned my first pretty penny entertaining the construction workers that came to renovate my home. Molihua (???) means "Jasmine Flower". I remember singing this particular tune for a class music test, and had to get creative with the words as I had forgotten most of the lyrics. My teacher inquired why I couldn't have prepared it better, and I ended up getting a B+ for the test. The song Ma Ma Hao (???) describes the intrinsic love of a mother. It is still taught to young children to inculcate the value of filial piety. Mom's the only dearest in the world, A child without a mom is like a blade of grass - devoid of love, A child with a mom is like a most valued treasure, Embrace into mom's bosom and enjoy endless bliss. I spent much of my childhood in Penang, an island of Malaysia with beautiful beaches. Both Rasa Sayang and Chan Mali Chan are popular Malay children folk songs of celebration. Rasa Sayang means "I feel love" and Chan Mali Chan is a happy cheer. Babeli, OCD and Gotcha are melodies inspired by my favorite classical violinist, Lee Chuan Yun, who plays the most beautiful and spontaneously creative classical music. His pet name is Babe Li and he loves to play Elgar's Salut d' Amor. Like many highly gifted and accomplished musicians, he suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Li was performing the Katchaturian Violin Concerto when I first met him. Gotcha was developed based on a motif from that concerto. Carolina portrays a beautiful Colombian singer and dancer who captured my heart while dancing at Nestor Torres' concert. We have been dear friends ever since. Cubano is describes a strikingly handsome Cuban man smoking his cigar in a club while lavishly laying his eyes on the beautiful ladies around him. Credit notes: My jazz violin guru and mentor, Christian Howes has also been my greatest jazz violin idol. He encouraged me to venture into the realm of composition and arranging. Not only has he assisted me in every aspect of the production process of this CD recording, i.e., from fine-tuning the arrangements and managing the band to artistic coaching, he has also profoundly guided me in the recording and marketing of this album. As a classically trained violinist, I would never have dreamt of producing an album in this genre if not for Christian's relentless encouragement and priceless inspiration. It has been a great learning experience for me. I therefore have the honor of presenting Christian as a treasured guest artiste in three songs on this CD. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Chris! Special thanks to Storm, and all my friends who have taken time to provide me with valuable suggestions and advice. I would like to thank the people who have been wonderful to me: Ken Tan, my business partner, for partially sponsoring the production cost of this project, Mario Serio and Mei Sheum for guiding me in jazz composition, Goo Chui Ping for her friendship and emotional support, Anthony Seow for the album title and write-up edits, Francisco Raquiza and Leslie Yap from the Mosche Hair Salon for photography, make up and hairdo, Lawrence Lim from Poetic License for photography, Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel for the penthouse suite for photo shoot, Yamaha for the loan of the violin used for the recording done in Tokyo, Kevin Kwan for the overall graphic design of this CD, Roderick The for textual editing, Nancy Ho for the Chinese calligraphy, and the unconditional love of my family and Pet Mongrel Whisky.- Shop: odax
- Price: 26.22 EUR excl. shipping
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WWII in HD: The Air War
The untold story of the American 8th Air Force's bloody battle to defeat the German Luftwaffe in the months leading up to D-Day. Told through the gripping first person accounts of three American airmen and Stars & Stripes reporter Andy Rooney this special showcases breathtaking aerial combat-original color footage never before seen by most Americans-of the B-17s Flying Fortresses P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs on missions such as Regensburg Schweinfurt and Berlin. Never-before-seen 8mm footage of the airmen on the bases the devastation in Germany and the Luftwaffe perspective is also highlighted. Flying 25000 feet above the earth in oxygen-devoid air and temperatures as low as 50 below zero the 8th Air Force fought a war unlike anything ever before experienced. By the end they would suffer more than 26000 combat deaths-more than the US Marines lost in all of World War II. Narrated by Emmy-« nominated actor Rob Lowe.- Shop: odax
- Price: 15.15 EUR excl. shipping
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Bhakti: Devotion
BABA "The end goal of education is character. The end goal of knowledge is unconditional love. The end goal of wisdom is freedom. The end goal of culture is perfection." - Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba Few have influenced the spirit of modern India as Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba. Baba's thoughts, words, sentiments and actions permeate the lives of human beings everywhere regardless of origin or faith. Baba's vision of a better world is exemplified in the exceptional schools, universities, hospitals, housing and drinking-water supply projects built by his charities to serve and enhance societies in hundreds of countries. A life of truth, righteousness, peace, love and non-violence is a life dedicated to Baba. THE MUSIC BHAKTI : DEVOTION celebrates the eternal spirit of Baba through music. The inimitable sisters Kalaimamanigal Radha & Jayalakshmi join some of the most eminent musicians of India to sing twelve songs espousing Baba's values composed and conducted by Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao. Through the past seven decades, legendary flautist, innovative composer, pioneering choreographer and erudite musicologist Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao has shaped and indelibly influenced the essential form and derivatives of culture known to the world as classically Indian. Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao's is a rare brilliance on the cultural firmament in India and abroad. Marked by characteristic excellence, his work has always carried an exuberance of spirit. In BHAKTI : DEVOTION Panditji leads a stellar cast of renowned singers and musicians to celebrate the aesthetic joy inherent in spirituality. ART & SPIRITUALITY In the interview below, Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao elaborates on the confluence of art and spirituality. Question: What is spirituality? Answer: It is perhaps an inwardly soulful vivacity, well defined as an immaterial, eternal, pure state of mind devoid of all physical tensions, illusions, or wants. It is what makes the mortal an immortal. Q: Are you spiritual? A: Just to say 'yes, i am' is sheer hypocrisy. All achievements, attainments or professional skills of a human being - I think - are ultimately aimed at making him/her a ' spiritual' person: a true human being guided by a spirit that can conquer his / her self. That spirit embodies my ideals. As I seek it through my thoughts, it transforms my actions. In the serene, unconscious manner of a prayer with tangible consequences, my spirituality allows me successively increasing amounts of self-fulfillment. Complete self-fulfillment is a state of true independence. Liberation is another moniker for that state of being. As we seek what we know is an infinite expanse of ideals, we regulate our processes accordingly, and eventually liberate ourselves. I think liberation is the process of fully coming to terms with oneself, free from non-idealistic bondage. Every human is endowed with a fund of divinity, the complete potential of our ideals. Artistes seek it as a matter of skill, those less prone to expression seek it through prayer. When we strive to realize that innermost being and it's consequent divinity, we seek to be spiritual. 'Spirituality' is a process of such realization. If I am engaged in this process, I am spiritual. I wish to be spiritual in every action of mine and earnestly attempt to seek it's blessings. Q: How does your spirituality influence your expressions? A: My spirituality guides me when I create. It offers me inspiration. It makes me humble. It provides me with an anchor. It puts my muse in perspective. It is the essence of any innovation I attempt. When my creations rise above what is mundane and appear to be genuine, everlasting, they implicitly suggest a lingering, pervasive aesthetic. That aesthetic is significantly intertwined with my spirituality. Because what I seek through my spirituality is intrinsically unique to my being, my aesthetic is original too. Technically perfect pieces of art begin to enlighten beyond their compass if they were founded on the basis of spirituality. Entertaining is no longer an audience driven exercise - with spirituality, the performer begins to express a soul. Q: Can there be such an entity as a non-spiritual artiste? A: The world is populated with human beings of all kinds. Simple expression sometimes becomes high art. Much vacuous expression is passed off as art. Intentions drive human beings to the extremes of their potential: evil masquerades under guises of acceptable expression. There is much tacit approval of non-art, rooted as it is in a confusion of metaphor or medium. A lot of this comes from non-spiritual expressionists. They exist, and they practice, and they foist their mindsets on unsuspecting audiences. They are a necessary barometer of free societies: for every action, the unavoidable reaction. Yet, in my opinion, true art has always had it's roots in introspection. Art is a journey from the realms of the self to the non-self. The moment one undertakes the responsibility of making that trip, he / she invariably operates in the realm of spirituality. To be an artiste, therefore, is to be spiritual. Art is the language of the spirit. A non-spiritual artiste, thus, is a rare species. Q: Is the artist's nature the same as his spirit? A: Through constant 'sadhana', by virtue of an innate discipline in consequent expression, an artiste could attain a level of maturity that allows him / her to realize all his / her visions and his / her dreams, consistently, at the level of complete perfection. In that stratosphere, over time's passage, he /she could conceivably express his / her imagination through the process of conquering self-defining traits, so that his / her spirit is allowed free reign. What he / she expresses then is the spirit in it's full glory. Shorn of what is fleeting, devoid of the artiste, completely representing his / her art. The spirit is the art, then, the spirit is the artiste. There is a resplendent symmetry in the artiste's nature, his / her medium, and what it carries outward. Perhaps this is utopian, maybe it is an ideal as unattainable as the spirit itself. Perhaps that state of being is what characterizes saints who practice artforms - Thyagaraja is a case in point. In such states of consciousness physical existence is not a desire. Art outlives the artiste. Q: Is God an artiste? A: Can you ever believe that nature - our nature, beautiful, colorful, multivariate - , throbbing with a multitude of energies, seething with a billion forms extending well into the reaches of time and space, that this nature could ever be the work of a non-artiste? I believe God is the net essence of all knowledge, truth, energy and purity. He / She is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. That essence is achieved through several lifetimes of inculcating and honing of an ephemeral spirituality. The quest of a typical human lifetime is to harness it's skills, knowledge, capacity and deeds to move toward a sense of godliness. In that framework, we human beings are all engaged in the process of making art. An art that meshes with the grand order of natural process - the ultimate work of art. In that order worlds exist in majestic splendor to sustain life, and just as majestically self-destruct, so that newer worlds of fresher truths take their natural place. If that is not art, what is. If that is not the artiste's dream, what is. Q: What has been the role of God in your art? A: To me God represents exquisite energy: immaterial, immortal, eternal energy. As I create, I seek recourse to that perennial energy. I can seek to perfect my expressions that way. Work becomes a form of worship. I am able to sustain my spirits for interminable lengths of time. My creations take on a completeness of meaning. I seek symmetries with pieces of nature. Can my interpretation of a Raga induce it's natural mood in the ears and minds of my connoisseurs? I work within a divine frame of reference. I develop an aesthetic which is uniquely mine. I am more mature as an artiste because I- Shop: odax
- Price: 26.65 EUR excl. shipping
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This Is My America
If you considered their debut "Worthless Lesson" album a slap upside the head, you better duck. Route .44's sophomore release is a haymaker. The album, called "This is My America," can be likened to Russell Crowe's first big line in "Gladiator"... "Unleash Hell" or Gerard Butler's, as Leonidas in "300"... "Prepare for Glory."Yeah, "...My America" has just that kind of ferocity. The current lineup of Route .44 came together just under five years ago, with stand up bassist and production guru Eric D. joining in '05. In 2007, they earned a Motif Music Award for Breakthru Band of the Year. In 2008, they were dubbed Alt-Rock Band of the Year by local music junkies. Here at Motif, Roots music columnist John Fuzek first noticed Route .44 as an upstart roots outfit throwing together crazy elements of various genres into a richly-saturated oblique tour-de-force. The debut work, "Worthless Lessons," leaned mainly on the bands roots foundation, coming across as much gospel as roots-rock at times. Despite the fact that band leader and lyricist Ian Lacombe peppered the album with hard-edged lyrics in songs such as "Addiction" and "Worthless Lessons." The sound, vocals, and arrangements are an acquired taste, to some degree. You're not likely to catch Route .44 on mainstream Clear Channel stations like WHJY, or corporate alt-rock such as WBRU. There's an oblique power and beauty, admittedly not for everyone. "This is My America" demonstrates a clear maturation into more forceful songwriting and an uncompromising social critique noticeably absent in this time of war and crisis. "Music has always been a mirror of the times. This album is a continuance of that tradition," songwriter Ian Lacombe says. "I have always been a fan of music with a conscience from Anarcho-punk bands like Crass and Conflict to Woody Guthrie and Country Joe and the Fish. "I think we are living in a time when we need more social commentary in music. I don't think people really want to be spoonfed the latest Britney Spears song about how difficult her comeback has been... I mean,do we really give a f&%$k about that." One of the more pertinent and in- your face tracks, 'My America,' indicts American apathy, political deceit and the dark cruelty harbored by human souls. Referencing the album's title, 'My America' could double for Johnny Depp's big "Sweeney Todd" number. A blend of breathless harlequin and burning disdain, Lacombe continues his raw wordsmith excellence. 'My America' would be like Jim Morrison joining Disturbed and bringing his poetic psychedelia on a Warped Tour. Vocalists Jess Powers and Teri Pimley conflate an angelic foil to Lacombe's demons. But with the new Route .44, halos tarnish fast in an anti-harmony of vice: Take my money, give me pain. Put me out on that train. Again, the way you use me. I thought I was forgiven, but I cannot stop my sinning... I dream of a catastrophe, already in the making. In which we are like insects, tryin' to build a hive. Like drones we all operate without the ability to think for ourselves 'till the day we die. And our queens will just make more of us, as we succumb to thoughts of lust... perpetuate our existence to further make us slide. This is my, this is my America. This is myAmerica. "As far as the darker imagery in the lyrics goes, I think that's simply a sign of the times," Lacombe says. "The world is getting darker, wars are raging, our economy is shrinking, and resources are disappearing. "In a nutshell, the world shapes the music I present, and personally, happiness isn't really inspiring to me. I don't write love songs because I'm not inspired by love." Throughout the 10-track "My America" disc, Route .44 threads themes of sin, vice, betrayal and fury. The new material has more edge than the 8-member band's "Worthless Lesson" release. "My America" comes across dirty, sexy, and lust filled, merging more heavy rock, jazz and blues elements than before. Sax men Matt Swanton and Paul Choquette shine, as does Pimley's lonesome viola work, and Eric D. (upright bass), Jud Lisiecka (percussion), and Rob Champagne (drums) lay the groundwork for vocals to soar, mingle and fall to Earth. On perhaps the most musically brazen track, 'Trinity,' blaring horns, driving bass and percussion are challenged by the lofty vocals of Powers and Pimley, and contrasted by Lacombe guttural mixing of the parables about Hindu God Vishnu and the first testing of a nuclear weapon. The test, like the song, is called Trinity. Site director for the Trinity test, J. Robert Oppenheimer, later said that a line from the Hindu scripture the "Bhagavad-Gita" came to mind: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Lacombe uses the line repeatedly. "When I was about 19, I really got into researching the development of the Atomic Bomb," Lacombe says. "I was always enthralled with Oppenheimer. He was an incredibly compassionate man, and a brilliant scientist, whom I think was devastated by his own creation." At the time, nuclear test director Kenneth Bainbridge reportedly said to Oppenheimer, "Now we are all sons of bitches." Pithy Americans! But 'Stimulus Response' lays claim to the most lyrically fierce song on "My America." Down, down, down. This place burns to the ground. Desperately, we pursue our happiness like rats in the street. When our backs are broken and our knuckles raw, we work from our knees. Hope is what we feed ourselves at night. Have some, it'll make everything alright. In poverty we're spoonfed the scraps of a Bourgeois roast. A loaf of bread to feed five thousand, while the CEO's toast. We can rise up. We can greet them with a storm. Or lay down and accept what is the norm. 'Stimulus' operates as an unabashed political revolutionary call, devoid of any real hope that a response will follow. Lacombe's lyrical tact points to the obvious... we're all screwed. So stand up, or take it like a beat dog and just roll over. There's plenty more solid music on"America," including steamy 'Lonely Together,' with a sultry jazz-based groove courtesy of Eric D. "This is My America" makes the blood rush fast and hot, makes you smile at the thought of sin and lust. Jim Vickers - Motif Magazine - April 09.- Shop: odax
- Price: 20.41 EUR excl. shipping
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Sonne
The band Sonne was formed in 2004 by Berlin jazz musicians. Philipp Gropper, Carsten Daerr, Johannes Fink and Christian Lillinger play multilayer compositions of groove, hip-hop and New Music that present music, often intended to be performed electronically, in an acoustically electrifying way. The joint composition work results in a unique sound that sympathises with harmony and form, even in the advanced improvisations. The gestus of composition thereby defines the colour of improvisation. In contrast to it's name, Sonne (German for "sun") tells dark stories that also stand as a protest against an entertainment that is forced into line and devoid of meaning. The young Berlin jazz band Sonne steps out of it's big city environment to create a universal language through it's music.- Shop: odax
- Price: 23.09 EUR excl. shipping
