Gymnoshere: Song of the Rose
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley December 15, 2014
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Pure sound with shape may seem to be a lot to have to relate too but when this double album was created in in San Francisco in 1976, a sector of society was on a quest for spiritual pathways, alternate lifestyle and music that could transcend the ordinary and encourage deep meditation. This acoustic piano music was definitely a sound that was cutting edge, perhaps before its time, but in so many ways timely in its meditative qualities.
New Age had not yet been coined as a phrase and hippies or flower children, as they were known were encouraging all to get into meditation, live a lifestyle which was free from worry and live in a state of nirvana.
A number of music greats made the shift with Cat Stevens and George Harrison to name just two, seeking far and wide for their spiritual ‘Id”. While they were on their spiritual quest, de la Serra was composing his experimental music on an alternately tuned Steinway D acoustic concert grand piano.
The music encapsulated on ‘Song of the Rose’ is an absolute treasure as when created it was classed as experimental, exploratory and inspirational. Today with this new release it is still as fresh as its first release, in that it resonates perhaps more now than initially with the ‘new age’ direction in acoustic music.
It touches the soul and relates to deep meditation and introspection. Some may say ‘spacey’, but there is far more to it than that; it is both primal and futuristic, otherworldly, deeply spiritual. It could almost be considered a form of musical poetry, as the intent when creating the music was to ‘share the offering of pure sound with shape, to all beings who live and breathe, expressing love through the grace of music’.
This has been achieved.
The way the pure sound quality was achieved was creative and cutting edge 37 years ago, but when you consider this was recorded in a hired space, decorated to look and feel like and Indian Temple, then the tapes were taken to the Grace Cathedral, played through their speakers and then recorded again, it certainly was ground-breaking on so many levels.
Remastered in digital format from the original tapes, the music is once again available to all who enjoy pure sound, creative energy and a lovely spacey, ambient atmosphere in which to relax and let the mind flow free.