Deep Space Blue
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley November 20, 2017
Artist – Jim Ottaway
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http://jimottaway.com/
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Powerful, deep and majestic this latest release from award wining Australian composer Jim Ottaway takes you to places only ever imagined, places that are deep within and without, often without meaning, space or place, subliminal, like the tendrils of dream felt but not always remembers.
Space before the endless timelessness arrives, deep blue, the colour of the ocean at depths unseen; the soft but gentle song of the bird, sitting, reflecting, gently swaying with the endless motion that is the world turning ever so gently on its axis; each emotion, each feeling can be discovered, felt, experienced in the introductory track Austral Voices, a suburb introduction to what can be considered as a truly subliminal album.
In Search of the Lost Star is almost incredibly difficult to put into words as it is a piece which needs to felt, to be heard, to appreciate the many carefully constructed levels. Think or consider simply floating, no time, space, place yet again, a gentle reverberation, the softly discordant melodies of the horn introduced to change the vibration; simply beautiful.
39.5 Light Years (TRAPPIST – 1) shifts the focus in a mellow and delicate manner with the introduction of the human voice, but still with the overlay of the gentle, floating ambience created in the previous pieces. As it is 10:42 long it is a piece which could easily be singled out for a slightly different style of meditation as it tends to almost have a slightly discordant feel.
The gentle tinkling of small bells or wind chimes reminiscent of Vangelis introduces Stars of Ice adding a haunting simplicity to entice, woo and to enjoy.
The title track listed at number 5 is Deep Space Blue, entwining what the human ear considers is a journey trough the uncharted regions of space, mysterious, intriguing and infinitely powerful. Secrets hiding and hidden within the endless nature of the void, the intergalactic space
The final piece Interplanetary Panspermia is based upon the theory that ‘meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also by spacecraft in the form of unintended contamination by microorganisms” (1) which is a very profound manner in which to end this endlessly beautiful album.
Perhaps Ottaway is, through the medium of music, attempting to get a message out there that all things may not be as they seem; that in our mindless rush to conquer space, we are destroying what we do not understand.
Each of the five pieces on the album simply segues effortlessly, creating the impression that it is one long and very beautiful piece designed specifically for deep meditation; it would be the perfect vehicle to be used to encourage deep, healing meditation but should time not allow, simply having it floating in the background brings with it soothing and relaxing benefits.
(1) Wikipedia