Mikuskovics Baum – TimelessAlbum review by Dyan Garris for New Age CD and Zone Music Reporter
Luminous and fascinating on a lot of different levels, “Timeless” is a brilliant convergence of improvisation, unusual, thoughtful instrumentation, sensitivity, mindfulness, and magical soundscapes. Long and lush, “Timeless” is a meditator’s paradise.
Each of the seven instrumental tracks is anywhere from six minutes to over eleven minutes of sublime relaxation. This is enough time for the listener to experience and embrace the timelessness of the “now.”
The New Age/World album is a collaboration between Bernhard Mikuskovics and Georg Baum. Bernhard is a multi-instrumentalist, overtone singer, musical and spiritual educator, painter, graphic artist and author. Georg Baum is a music producer, composer, pianist, and qualified concert harpist. Together they are Mikuskovics Baum.
The instrumentation on their album, “Timeless,” includes, but isn’t limited to, a variety of harps, such as Jew’s harps, a variety of flutes from the Americas and Europe, sound bowls, small percussion, Sruti box, ocarina, and overtone singing. Overtone singing, is a form of chanting, although that is a basic and completely simplistic explanation, because it is so much more than that. In overtone singing, the voice, and the way in which it is used, becomes an instrument itself; an instrument of sound and vibrational healing.
The album begins with “Timeless Zenith.” This is eleven and a half minutes of seamless, fluid timelessness. The song opens with the interesting meditational drone of the Sruti box and Parmupill; the droning a timeless call itself. Then it builds nicely and evolves slowly into an elegant, fully melodious dance between harp and flute that takes us effortlessly right into the “zone.”
After this we have the compelling and meditative “Intuition Element,” which is nine minutes of mesmerizing “World” ambiance with an Eastern Indian flair as well as a Native American feel at the same time. Here we also get to experience Bernhard’s overtone singing. This song is a quite intriguing combination of Baum’s alluring harp, and Celtic harp, plus sound bowl, Mexican log drum, overtone harp, overtone singing, kouxian, Sruti box, and Native American flute. I find it brilliant.
“Mirror Ideal” incorporates overtone singing again and overtone harp, plus Native American flute, among other instrumentation. This has a wonderful Celtic atmosphere. Light, airy, pleasant, and melodic, and is a favorite.
Following is the seductive and captivating “Emotion Trance.” With its hypnotic Native American flute melody, that evolves sinuously into an “Eastern” vibe and then back again, we can literally feel the call of the ancients deep within our souls. With the Khomus underneath and Georg Baum’s harp expertly wrapping around and through, we effortlessly achieve heavenly timelessness.
The almost ten-minute “LifeLand” makes effective use of Bernhard’s masterful overtone singing, combined with the melodic harp, sound bowl, Sruti Box, and Fujara, Quenacho, Dvojacka flutes. This makes for an extraordinarily meditative composition. If you pay attention and really listen with your heart as well as your ears, you will be able to feel the music reverberating through and opening every one of your chakras.
My favorite song on the album is “Endless Ozean.” The “z” here is not a typo, and may represent the endless, infinite, timeless qualities we ascribe to our oceans. Like the ocean, this has a very healing, expansive feel to it. It’s extremely relaxing, with harp and enchanting flute entwining in an exquisite, eternal dance of life. I found myself listening to it several times. And when I closed my eyes, it was as if I was magically transported to the seaside. Thoroughly captivating.
The album closes out with the eight-minute “Same Source.” The primary melody has a calming, lullaby quality to it. Here we can float right out on a dreamy dream, knowing for sure we are part of the enduring whole.
Recommended for anyone who meditates, anyone who needs to relax, and anyone that wants a deeper connection with life and with themselves. Very nicely done with brilliant nuances, mixes, and instrumentation.
Get “Timeless” here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/mikuskovicsbaum
