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Testimonials and Reviews: What people are "saying" about the music of Dan Pound
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Testimonial quotes:
“Great sounds! The intro creates a mysterious feeling and you feel like something is going to happen. There are a lot of interesting sound effects. I love the low-end stuff”.
Broadjam Founder & CEO, Roy Elkins
“Beautiful soundworlds, aural atmospheres and environments”
Rik of PingThings.com
“Shamanic music for the 21'st century”
Dene Bebbington of Melliflua.com
“Pound’s approach of fusing old and new styles is satisfying and highly engaging. His compositions establish thrilling intersections between exotic yesterdays and mysterious tomorrows”
Sonic Curiosity
“At its heart, Trance Meditation is all about space. And this space is definitely worth exploring”
Aural Innovations
“A cerebral journey through ambient landscapes. Intelligent and engaging”
Yoga Magazine
“I have heard a lot of new age music and meditation-ambient type music but very few with such tonal depth, quality and emotion”
Denis Couture
“Just checked out Watchers Of infinity, what a fantastic piece of music”
Nick Robins
“You’re music is incredible! I love it and now have 7 Cd’s which I play all day”
Mickie Bellah
“Just found your music and wanted to say how beautiful is”
Brian Duell
“I very much enjoy your music, fantastic stuff”
William Paynter
“I will be using this music in my modern dance classes for choreography and improvisation”
Karyn Edison
“It is good when independently produced works, those that lack even the alternative label support, spring up and show some bite”
Matt Rowe of Musictap.net
“Thanks for producing something that’s a nice addition to my library”
Len Pope
“Just picked up one of your CD's. Outstanding! You give great visuals to a blind listener. I look forward to more exploration”
Daniel Sweeny
“Music of mystery that could provide interesting ambience to a life or a soundtrack or both”
Earbuzz.net
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DAN POUND REVIEWS:
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Review of "Tantra Majik"
by Dene Bebbington for Ambient Visions Dec. 2007
The title of Tantra Majik suggests some kind of sensual theme, and indeed there is. Dan Pound has designed this album to be aphrodisiac music, with the aim of getting “your fire started”. Like his other albums this one uses synths, guitar, and ethnic instruments resulting in a by now expected primeval atmosphere.
In the opening track “Sheets of Skin” a pulsating rhythm slowly builds in intensity with chittering drums set against deep drones, washes, and tinkles. Brief “wah” effects provide some melodic interest alongside the driving rhythms that lead to a feeling of urgency! In contrast the following piece “Silk Dreams” has sensually understated drones and slowly melodic washes like a person luxuriating in a bed of silk.
Ethnic elements come out in the piece “Urge to Merge”. Snippets of chant and free form musical effects lead into a ritualistic rhythm of thumping drums and percussion. Though this piece is presumably meant to be sultry the use of what sounds like panpipes alongside Dan's throaty chants makes it seem more like a pleasing yet curious blend of traditional Peruvian music and aboriginal rituals.
It's good to encounter a couple of non-rhythmic tracks, especially the last one called “After Hours” which is a lovely and languid way to close the album. Deep resonant drones, light and high pitched washes and refrains, and almost Vangelis-esque synth effects shooting off into the aether could lull you into a sleepy reverie.
I haven't tried playing Tantra Majik to my girlfriend yet to see what response it creates (!), but I can say that some tracks probably could work well as an accompaniment to some intimate time with a partner. Setting aside the purpose of the music, it is, like Dan's other albums, atmospheric and like nothing else out there I've heard recently.
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Sonic-Immersion review of "Dream Spaces"
by Bert Strolenberg
(Nov. 2007)
Dan Pound is an American, classically trained musician hailing from Santa Rosa, California. The last couple of years he specialized to composing ambient electronic and new age like music, and built quite a catalogue of privately composed and released works.
"Dream Spaces" is a work of introspection, in which the free form tranquil soundscapes meander and unfold in a slow pace. They are intended "to accompany a variety of activities that are quiet and require a non obtrusive environment".
Although I wished the overall sound was a bit warmer, the eight tracks on the album offer a lush textural ambience which makes the mind wander and relax at the same time.
I think this works out best on soft drone-fields and lush swirls of "Feeding the Moon", although the album as a whole breathes an intense atmosphere and deep immersion which suits well for meditation and what Dan calls "deep zone exploration".
This is a proper album of deep textures that makes your mind slow down in these busy times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ambient Visions review of "Fire Within"
by Dene Bebbington
(Oct 2007)
"Coming thick and fast from Dan Pound are his ambient/shamanistic fusion albums. Another recent work is Fire Within, a slightly less intense exploration of Dan's now signature style and sounds. For me these works often conjure up images of the Australian outback and aboriginal rituals around fires in the darkness of night.
A particularly atmospheric piece is the opener “New Beginning” where drawn out chants conjure up images of American Indians supplicating to their gods. The haunting nature of this piece is increased by eerie pads, whistles, and occasional low growls of a didgeridoo; while a rolling rhythm of bright notes gives a sense of being on a journey.
The resonances throughout the album are often deep and throaty. A guitar effect is introduced on “Carrying the Flame” in despondent refrains giving a feeling of dusty plains and tumbleweeds blowing by. A centre stage throbbing rhythm comes in along with various pads whistling across the soundfield, and animalistic effects inhabit the backdrop like wildlife seen from afar.
No album with shamanistic themes would be complete without at least one especially hypnotic piece. Here it's “Calling the Spirits” in which percussion like shaken sand combines with hallucinogenic drum rhythms, atavistic chants, and pads worming their way round the soundscape.
Listening to a Dan Pound album is to take a journey back to mankind's earlier days where unspoilt landscapes provide a home to people whose lives revolve around survival and placating the spirits and gods. The integration of modern electronics with voice, didgeridoo, drums, and natural percussion is seamless, lifting both above what they could have otherwise been.
In Fire Within Dan Pound manages to explore similar musical territory to his previous releases yet still subtly develops his style enough to retain listener interest".
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Melliflua review of "Dream Spaces"
by Dene Bebbington
(Aug 2007)
Another album from Dan Pound's rapidly growing discography is Dream Spaces, a work designed to accompany such things as meditation, yoga, and massage. This is inner spacemusic exploring the world of spirit and imagination; different in tone and pace to some of his rhythm based works. Here the sense of mystery is palpable, the impression sometimes being of sound sculpted in a manner reminiscent of Igneous Flame albums such as Tolmon.
The opening track “Starlight Starbright” gently lulls the listener into a reverie. An unobtrusive see-sawing melody of dim notes makes a comforting backdrop to glassy refrains which come and go like the filtered beam of passing cars seen through a bedroom window.
In “Feeding the Moon” throbbing washes and spacey rippling and echoing notes create an atmosphere of wonder and mystery. Some of the sounds and structure of this piece brought to mind parts of Kitaro's album The Light of the Spirit. A kind of sister piece is “Beyond the Blue” where the washes have a glassy and spectral quality, and the rippling elements are replaced by shy melodic whistles and gossamer refrains.
A common structure throughout the album is the use of washes where sounds rise into the soundscape and then fall away. The variety is in the tones and resonance. Whereas some pieces have a dark and heavy atmosphere others are lighter. A track which is now one of my favourites after an initial indifference is the wonderful and ghostly final piece “Voices”. Periodically sizzling metallic strands of sound brush past while washes of wordless vocals like angels calling to each other glide over a slowly pulsating and distant rumbling drone.
Dream Spaces is a quietly intense work ideal for concentrated listening and letting oneself go into another world. There's a lot to explore in the sonically rich and deep atmospheres which would doubtless be best appreciated on a good pair of headphones.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------MusicTap review of "Everflow"
by Matt Rowe
(June 2007)
Imaginative and highly fertile ambient music from the minds of Steve Roach, vidna Obmana, Tangerine Dream, and Michael Hoenig, are memorable in that they address change and transitions encapsulated within the folds of emotions and personal philosophy. That intensity is successfully reflected by the compositions of excellent sound masters in that they can create a world, populate it with a directed existence, and the music can do the work in the listener. And there are all kinds of works, some happy, some dark, and some a curious mix of the two.
Dan Pound, a talent that we have reviewed in the past, is an independent composer who has composed over 20 titles. Working within the same realms that the previously mentioned composers make their sound pulses, Dan Pound understands the importance of making clear contact with the spaces within ourselves in order to create effectively. Everflow, one of his later works produced in 2006, is an album of 10 songs that follow no particular theme, instead working shaman-styled, American Indian music alongside dark introspective pieces and space music. The longest ambient work, “Pulse,” is just shy of 8-minutes and is a deep-space explorative float. “Bringing It Home” is a great 7-minute piece that is a rhythmic American Indian dream experience.
Everflow has many good song ideas contained within it. I’m a fervent fan of extended pieces that allow for a long immersion, black space that lets you slip the airstream of this world and travel in your mind to places even if it is to walk amongst fear-inducing industrial menace, much like Obmana, and Alio Die create. I’d place Pound in the same company as Steve Roach, who is more accustomed to producing spiritual shamanistic pieces, although Roach may be the most accomplished in every angle of ambient music.
However, most of the songs are in the 5-6 minute range, which can be a disruption to some.
I haven’t heard any extended works from Dan Pound, whose music that I have heard are excellent embryonic pieces that could easily make that transition to larger universes. Everflow is a travelogue that addresses points of interest, if only as a tour guide. It shows easily enough that he can handle the ambient flow of most styles. Dan, pick a theme and give me three movements over 70 minutes; I’d love to hear your creativity in full capacity.
To potential ambient listeners, I’d like to challenge and ask, how fertile is your imagination?
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Aural Innovations review of "Solar Nexus", "Liquid Planet", and "Heat Waves".
by Charles Van de Kree
(May 2007)
A trio of agreeable albums by this California native that draws heavily from the well spring of contemporary European electronic music (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre) as well as its American cross-currents (Steve Roach, Michael Stearns, Michael Garrison). As with his antecedents, much of Pound’s repertoire is based on broadly cosmological themes; consequently, the much abused and overworked term “space music” would probably adequately characterize all three discs. Though no instrumentation is listed, pound employs a variety of synthesizers, percussion and a sprinkling of guitars and ethnic gear (didgeridoo and shakuhachi flute, for example) to propel his voyages into otherworldly realms. Solar Nexus is perhaps the most “American”-influenced of the three discs, featuring as it does a soundscape architecture at times reminiscent of Steve Roach’s The Magnificent Void (especially on deep space reconnaissance tracks like “Core Surface” and “Biosphere”) and the later work of Robert Rich. Like Roach, Rich and to some degree Stearns, pound has a predilection for resonant chords augmented by the ambiance of massive plate reverbs—an effect which produces an undeniably sublime aural space on the album’s closing track “Eclipse.” Liquid Planet adds a more ethereal touch to Pound’s sonic palette, incorporating elements of Fourth World neo-tribalism to counterpose his longing for astral navigations. As a consequence, many of the pieces on Liquid Planet have a vaguely “new age” feel that occasionally recalls the work of Emerald Web (particularly Lights of the Ivory Plains) and Roach’s Dreamtime Return. Still, tracks like “Orbit Crossing,” “Dark Star” and “Watchers of Infinity” resound with the spirit of the Cosmic Couriers, sometimes eerily evocative of Moondawn-era Schulze or the classic mid-period of Tangerine Dream. Heat Waves combines the strongest elements of both Solar Nexus and Liquid Planet. Both airy and earthbound, the best tracks on Heat Waves feature a plenitude of tribal percussion, ethnic samples, sweeping synthesizers and ghostly didgeridoo to evoke atmospheres both mystical and mesmerizing. “Warming of the Tides” and “Light of Being” are particularly effective in their fusion of tribalism and cosmic futurism. The extended track “Backward in Time” spirals in waves of multi-timbral synths and some very seductive e-bowed guitar over top a pulsing rhythm section. For this reason, though Solar Nexus and Liquid Planet are good in their own right, Heat Waves surpasses both and is therefore the better bet for the curious and the uninitiated.
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Melliflua review of "Everflow"
by Dene Bebbington
(Mar 2007)
"Another recent self-released album by Dan Pound is Everflow. It's got a similar style to Solar Nexus in terms of instrumentation and the shamanistic feel but is less intense – hallucinogenic-lite is perhaps one way of describing it! The commissioned covert art for this release doesn't provide an answer to the mystery of the music, so this is a CD that can't be judged by its cover.
In the first track “Taking Flight” we encounter Dan's typical music elements of rippling sequences, didgeridoo, shamanistic voices, electronics, flutes, singing bowls etc. The conglomeration of these sounds results in an kaleidoscopic effect that verges on the primeval. Just this aspect of Dan's work would be enough to make his work interesting, but it's also enjoyable - and even mesmeric in places.
For pure enjoyment my favourite piece has to be “Hand in Hand”. Melodic and subdued clattering begins the piece and is joined by a simple melodic rhythm on what I think is acoustic guitar. The rhythm then picks up with bass and percussion while half voice-half flutey refrains add an air of mystery. It's up to the listener to decide who he's walking hand-in-hand with.
Rhythm is a strong element throughout the album, yet some pieces are mainly based on atmospherics. This is most apparent in “Remembering the Dream” where fat airy drones undulate across the soundscape like waves of subconscious thought while a slow tribal rhythm fills out the backdrop. Snippets of half-discerned effects continually intrude in the distance and throaty didgeridoo and flutes add more obvious sonic interest.
Along with the electronics there's an earthy, organic quality that permeates Everflow making it shamanistic music for the 21st century. For anyone looking for something different than run of the mill new age or world music this is an album well worth checking out."
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Yoga Magazine review of "Impressions"
(Feb 2007)
“Dan Pound has long been producing intelligent multi-layered music, and his CD “Impressions” takes us on a cerebral journey through ambient landscapes. Listing Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream among his influences, Dan has fused electronic and acoustic instruments to create a cinematic soundtrack for a far off world inhabited by exotic birds and wildlife. The tempo gently increases throughout the CD culminating in the track “last impression” which is my favorite.
“Impressions” in an intelligent and engaging piece of work that can be used to accompany yoga and meditation exercises, or used to relax and unwind with at home.”
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EarBuzz Review of "Liquid Planet":
"Dan Pound's 17-track CD, "Liquid Planet", is an ambiant electronic collection of pads, strings, and environmental sound tapestries that are intended to relax and inspire. The title track, "Liquid Planet", reminds us of the cosmos with a liquid center. Track 3, "Through the Layers", begins with a sawtooth pattern with oscillating and perculating sounds as the multiple figures and voices combine. Track 4, "Moment with the Machines", is an eerie rotating mix. Track 10, "Dark Star", brings in a bit more percussion than previous tracks. There's an opening and closing vocoder sounding element that supports the sparse hits and stabs. Our favorite track, "Above and Below", grooves a bit - with a dance loop that supports Pound's experimental keyboard work. The sum total is a record of mystery that could provide interesting ambiance to a life or a soundtrack. . or both."
Earbuz.net
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Aural Innovations review of "Trance Meditation"
by Jeff Fitzgerald
(August 2006)
"On his web site, Dan Pound refers to his music as ambient electronic, new age, shamanic, deep-zone space music. I can hear all of these elements in this recording, but with a definite emphasis on the deep-zone space music direction. Trance Meditation is divided into seven tracks (titled Trance Meditation Parts 1 through 7), but it is really one entire, nearly hour-long journey into the outermost reaches of the universe. The 10-minute long opening track is pure space music, with icy, minimalist atmospherics, cosmic winds and deep galactic breaths. This definitely sets the tone for the entire rest of the work, but as the journey continues, elements like didgeridoo, occasional shamanic vocalizations, and subtle rhythms emerge from the mix, adding a warmer, organic element to the chilling spacescapes, without being intrusive or taking over. Towards the end Dan even adds some bell like sequences and some subtle symphonic textures. But these touches are nicely restrained, allowing the music to be what it really wants to be. At its heart, Trance Meditation is still all about space. And this space is deep, and definitely worth exploring."
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"Music Tap" review of "Impressions"
by Matt Rowe
(Jan 2007)
It is good when independently produced works, those that lack even the alternative label support, spring up and show some bite. Dan Pound, whose self-released Impressions is a collection of Tangerine Dream/ Steve Roach/vidna Obmana-like soundscapes that employ the same spacey sounds, all generated by computers. If a suggestion can be offered it is this, with ambient works, the usage of themes, even if not implied, push the music further and is longer lasting.
Impressions uses an Altoids-like approach in that you can pull out a tune for the moment and enjoy the effect that it supplies.
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Melliflua review of "Solar Nexus"
by Dene Bebbington
(Dec 2006)
13 tracks. Running time 63:13
Dan Pound is an independent musician who specialises in ambient, acoustic new age, world, and soundtrack music created in his home studio. His album Solar Nexus is one of the more intriguing works to have come my way recently. Described as shamanistic spacemusic this is unlike any spacemusic or ethnic styled album I've heard before.
Though the track titles ground the themes in all things solar, the music conveys the feeling that we're experiencing it through the hallucinations of a shaman performing sacred rituals. This is done by the use of tribal rhythms, chants, and rhythms. Often these are layered so much that repeated listening sessions are needed to fully appreciate all that is going on.
Listening to Solar Nexus brings to mind Steve Roach's On This Planet, partly because of the tribal motifs but more so the intensity. Whereas Roach's rhythms can feel tacked onto the spacey atmospherics and washes they are an integral part of Dan's sound.
It's especially easy to lose oneself in the longest and frenetic track “Spectrum”. In this multi-layered piece thrumming notes vie with hi-hat percussion and drummed rhythms to be the most hypnotic. All the while tinkling notes, spooky washes, and animal calls add to the phantasmagoric effect. The shamanistic element is particularly strong in the track “In the Time of Helios” where chants and low growling didgeridoo conjure up images of aboriginal ceremonies round fires in the outback at night.
About half the album is gentler and less intense. In “Once a Planet” slow hand beaten drums play out against various reverbing drones panning across the soundscape while the atmosphere is adorned with whistles, distant clanking sounds, and wordless chants ranging from ethereal to guttural.
For me Solar Nexus is one of the hottest releases of the year; a pleasantly hallucinogenic musical trip through aspects of a star. This is a new take on a genre usually known for floating/drifting atmospheres or traditional sequencing.
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Ping Things review of "Solar Nexus"
(Dec 2006)
A beautiful soundworld of aural atmospheres and environments incorporating electronic and acoustic instruments.
With the release of his disc "Solar Nexus", Dan Pound presents his audience with a seemless blend of organic and synthesized sounds which together create a beautiful journey through ambient spaces.
Opening track "Prism" features a wandering arpegio that plays amidst a bed of undulating pads, tones stretching and bending around each other like liquid mercury. It's a beautiful beginning, something that brings to mind the dawn, the start of a new day. Stunning.
"Spectrum" opens with a glistening cascade of bells blending in with a steadily pulsing synth track. There's a very vibrant energy inherent in this track, a very metropolitan feel to it that grows as percussion is added to the mix. Yet despite that vibrancy, that energy, the track remains beautiful and calm, relaxing in some ways.
"Life Force" presents a deep rolling bass line underneath a low and plaintive melody played alternately by woodwinds and vocals. It's a very space-y track, something very cosmic sounding and celestial despite it's organic flavour. A very interesting mixture of sounds and textures.
"Rhythm of Lights" uses a variety of sequenced synth lines to create a veritable wall of synthesized sound. It's a very rich track, something very full in terms of the depth of sound presented, something composed of many levels to explore and discover.
"Sunset Rain" takes on a much more natural feel than previous tracks, using a much more organic sounding orchestration. String instruments play lovely melodies and themes, truly capturing the sound of a light rain at dusk. It's a lovely piece of music.
"Harnessing the Flame" also uses organick instruments, blending sequenced tracks with dijiridoo. The wailing sound of breath works really well here, giving the track a depth and mystery that I find both intriguing and mesmerizing.
"Once a Planet" brilliantly captures the sound of the void, bringing sound to the emptiness through sparse pads, minimal percussion and an emotional vocalization. It's a stunning track, something that really stands out on the disc as a perfect tonal mixture that represents a variety of moments and emotions. Absolutely stunning.
"Core Surface" features metallic tones drifting through the soundstream. It's a very moody track, enigmatic and thought provoking as it slowly moves towards completion. A lovely example of dark ambience used as counterpoint to an otherwise (mostly) bright work.
"In the Time of Helios" is another track that employs vocals, this time more pronounced, more up front in the mix. Flute and percussion weave and bob around the piece as well creating a tribal feel to the piece. It's a very powerful track, something that really resonates on a primal level, arguably my favorite track on the disc.
"Chromosphere" makes use of percussion paired with a steady arpeggio and a selection of pads, bridging the gap between the tribal sounds of the preceeding track with the more electronically based sound of the next piece. It's very nicely done and works well not only as a bridge between ideas, but also as it's own independant work.
Title track "Solar Nexus" opens with rising and falling tones playing underneath otherworldly vocals. As the song progresses rapid beats build in strength, sizzling with an intensity that suggests a star or a supernova. The sound of the cosmos runs throughout this track, infusing it with a sense of both beauty and mystery.
"Biosphere" pairs a beautiful guitar loop with the sound of a jungle or forest, pads drifting through the distance deep in the soundfield. It's a hypnotic track, one that lulls you into a sense of peace and calm. Beautiful in it's simplicity, simply beautiful.
"Eclipse" closes the disc with minimal instrumentation, a repeating melody and little else. It's all very simple and yet it connects so well with me as a listener, it stirs exactly the right emotions and ideas. A lovely way to end the disc.
Without doubt "Solar Nexus" is a disc that does everything right, that brings together styles and forms in the best ways possible to create something beautiful and engaging. I very much enjoyed this release and I strongly recommend it to anybody who likes to be able to connects on a deep level with their music.
rik - ping things
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Sonic Curiosity Review of "Heat Waves"
It takes inventive guts to combine didjeridoo with metallic percussion, but Pound has the skill to pull it off with tasty flair. Lighthearted electronics generate a strange backdrop for this contrast, punctuated by more tender rhythms and brief outbursts of vocal elation.
Subsequent tracks continue to reflect this predilection for mixing modern sounds with ancient timbres. Haunting electronics drift in tandem with primitive chants. Snappy tempos are dogged by breathy didjeridoo textures while guttural mutterings summon piercing tones into prominence. Ethnic percussives pitter with lively agitation while drones of ominous character surge into an enveloping cloud.
The percussives provide a sharply modern edge for the tribal disposition produced by the moody electronics. The constant presence of didjeridoo and shamanistic chants enhances these primitive aspects, which are in turn violated by the futuristic flair created by the synthesizers' crisp wailings and shuddering pulsations.
The rhythms are softly dynamic and suitably stimulating when mixed with the eerie soundscapes that are produced by the coexistence of tribal instruments and technological machinery.
Pound's eccentric approach of fusing old and new styles is satisfying and highly engaging. His compositions establish thrilling intersections between exotic yesterdays and mysterious tomorrows.
Soniccuriosity.com
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