Salon Saturday Music: New-Age: What’s in a name?

New Age is a broad category that includes electronic music as well as acoustic sounds and might include less known musical instruments. Sounds of nature and other environmental sounds are sometimes added, like whale-song and birdsong. Early efforts were not mainstream and some evolved as meditations using chants, bells and primitive music.

From Wikipedia: There is no exact definition of new-age music. An article in Billboard magazine in 1987 commented that “New Age music may be the most startling successful non-defined music ever to hit the public consciousness”. Many consider it to be an umbrella term for marketing rather than a musical category, and to be part of a complex cultural trend.

History:

New-age music was influenced by a wide range of artists from a variety of genres. Tony Scott’s Music for Zen Meditation (1964) is considered to be the first new-age recording. Paul Horn’s Inside (1968) was another important predecessors. Steven Halpern’s Spectrum Suite (1975) was a key work that began the new-age music movement. I still have Halpern’s old tapes around somewhere, but I soon lost interest in meditative music.

Under the umbrella term, some consider Mike Oldfield’s 1973 progressive rock album Tubular Bells one of the first albums to be referred to under the genre description of new-age. The music of Greek composer Vangelis and modern jazz-rock fusion exemplify the progressive side of new-age music.

Some of the artists I have gathered under the rubric of New Age include Jean-Michel Jarre, Andreas Vollenweider, George Winston, Mark Isham, Michael Hedges, Shadowfax, Mannheim Steamroller, Kitarō, Yanni, Enya, Clannad, and Enigma.

Many film scores have elements of, or are primarily conceived as New-Age, although many artists reject the label.  When the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album was first created in 1987, winner, Andreas Vollenweider, said, “I don’t have any intention to label my music… It’s ridiculous to give a name to anything that is timeless”.

New-Age on Film:

There is no doubt about the influence of this type of music in film where setting atmosphere is a key function of music in film. Imagine the slow motion runners in the surf of Chariots of Fire without the music of Vangelis. Mark Isham began as a jazz horn player, but is now a composer of nearly 200 film scores. Many jazz artists, particularly those using electronic music like jazz-fusion also form a boundary of what this music can be.

I do distinguish between meditative music, background music and active listening music. What I listen to actively are often artists from a jazz, rock or classical background that know how to capture the listener’s attention. Here are ten of my favorites.

• David Arkenstone: Beginning with Valley in the Clouds, he puts the listener into a relaxed but active listening place; truly a valley in the clouds. Good traveling music, too.
• Constance Demby: Using her voice, synthesizer, and the musical instruments she created, Demby moves through a meditative and spiritual soundscape. I first met her playing her hammered dulcimer, which was on her first recordings and from there she branched out.
• Dean Evenson: is an environmentalist who uses electronic music blended with the sounds of nature. One of the few artists successfully blending these elements.
• Enigma: A great name for this group of artists who used Gregorian chants blended with electonica, voice and a thumping rock pulse that the Gregorian monks would have never
• Enya and Clannad: Enya was originally part of Clannad and both mix elements of Irish music into soaring new melodies that embrace the spiritual side of Ireland while still capturing the emotional weight of Irish songs and harp music.
• Mannheim Steamroller: They first became popular with a Christmas album with a unique and lively spin before venturing into the classical realm. I can often play several tracks before anyone realizes its Christmas music because of the jazzy scores.
• Mark Isham: From his days as one of the pioneering icons of electronic music to his current status as a world-renowned legendary film composer, Mark Isham continues to be one of the most prolific and provocative artists on the scene. Over 200 film scores, that’s prolific!
• Paul Lloyd Warner: Uses electronic synths to create classical-like suites that are thematically complex. I met Paul at a musical event in Palo Alto and quickly began collecting his music.
• Tangerine Dream: This pioneering German collective has been delivering their distinctive style of ambient music for over three decades, laying down a foundation of sound textures and sonic imagery that has influenced many of today’s electronic musicians. Founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese who then produced Electronic Meditation in 1970. Over 50 film scores, including Firestarter (1984) and Legend (1985) with a very young Tom Cruise and demonic Tim Curry.
• Andreas Vollenweider: Deserved his first Grammy with transcendent music on electronic harp and guitar with vocals from a variety of artists. Each album is thematic and tells a story.