When Dik Darnell released his first album Following the Circle, it introduced a new level of technological sophistication into the arena of Native American music, enabling him to simulate a 24-hour ceremonial cycle, creating in the process some very powerful audio theater. Voice of the Four Winds expands on that concept, being intended as an invocation of the Above Beings, angelic entities believed to be guardians of human evolution. The album begins with a medicine man calling to these beings, who then descend in a ...
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When Dik Darnell released his first album Following the Circle, it introduced a new level of technological sophistication into the arena of Native American music, enabling him to simulate a 24-hour ceremonial cycle, creating in the process some very powerful audio theater. Voice of the Four Winds expands on that concept, being intended as an invocation of the Above Beings, angelic entities believed to be guardians of human evolution. The album begins with a medicine man calling to these beings, who then descend in a spaceship (represented by whooshing electronic sounds) to join in the ceremony. Native flutes, drums and rattles blend with animal and nature sounds, while the chant "E-O-IH" -- sacred to the wind, which itself represents the unseen power of the creator -- weaves throughout the entire work. Where flute was the primary melody instrument on Following the Circle, piano assumes that role here, adding a stronger melodic feel, while the chanting is also quite dominant, often featuring Dik Darnell alone, but sometimes with a small choir of male and female voices. After various visionary sequences -- including a lively dance appropriately titled "African Sojourn" -- the album ends with a short inspiring duet sung by Dik Darnell and Aubrey Carton, as the angels depart, leaving the medicine man alone with the sounds of the night. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, Rovi
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