Infinite Universes
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley September 4, 2023
Artist – Jim Ottaway
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Each year around mid-year, Australian composer Jim Ottaway releases an album of carefully composed works that simply transport to another realm of delight not of this earthly toil, but of a place that is beautifully peaceful and tranquil. This gloriously wonderful place can be reached by allowing Infinite Universes to take you on a voyage of intimate mystery and beauty.
This exquisite album commences with Beyond Heaven and Earth introduced with a slow mesmeric drone which gathers elements of intrigue as it deepens, going further into the dream state of endless space, laced with a light, ethereal singular series of notes before slowly drifting into the beautiful Ancient Starlight.
Allow the mind to simply see what is hidden within the intricate, measured sounds as if each note represents faded starlight once so shiny bright and new, now slowly going forever before the Hidden Universes are reached.
Sombre and reflective Hidden Universes brings to mind vast halls of massive arches and flagged pathways; hallowed halls where good souls float through the semi dark shadows, mysterious, fascinating leading further into the endless forever segueing into Until Eternity Passes Away. This absolutely exquisite piece is slightly faster, more up-tempo, encouraging a sense of playfulness, as if the darker aspects of the journey have lightened gracefully.
Divided Skies ushers in a very attractive element with a lighter, slightly more intricate composition that simply delights with the drifting movement of sound, underpinned with a rapid, subtle pulsating rhythm.
An Infinity Of Universes offers choices, pathways; piano notes lead to electronic bleeps, gentle, rich sonic sounds entice while maintaining a deliciously soft, relaxing and peaceful tone that guides the time of relaxation.
A sonic sound of digeridoo leads into a new vibration created with layers of contrasting elements, deeper tones and yet lighter shades wound within, as Many Different Suns unfolds into the rich, full bodied and yet ethereal Voices of Universal Infinity.
Slowly returning to reality from a captivating one hour of perfect bliss is accomplished with the Light From Perfect Darkness, a complete contrast of sonic sounds that reiterate there is more than one universe, which is able to be accessed via the incredible medium of relaxing, mediative and divine space music.
An award winning composer, Jim Ottaway manages to push the limits of ‘space’ music to new heights with every new album he releases. Each year his work is lauded as his best series. Infinite Universes certainly is an outstanding work with each of the pieces recorded between 2008 and 2023, then selected from his vault of music with care, before being woven into another magical, mysterious and most refreshing journey into the outer limits of our Universe.