Akshan – The Tree Of Life

English / Polish version

Akshan - The Tree of Life
    ALTAR RECORDS
    Akshan
    The Tree Of Life
    2012

      1. Aborigen’s Dream
      2. Adagio For The Braves
      3. Angels Never Cry
      4. Symphonic Tendencies
      5. Eternity
      6. Back To The Origin
      7. Jungle Fever
      8. Waiting For You

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Another position of a Canadian label Altar Records surely could not fail to reflect an echo among the fans of softer varieties of psychedelic sounds. The first thing that grabs our attention is undoubtedly a cover, which as in most cases of this label, is simply sensational. But let us focus more on what is inside, as you know nobody buys milk because of a carton in which it is (although I think that frequently a box determines our choice, but I do not want to write about this now).

Akshan is of French descent, who from an early age was fascinated with the electronic music and his musical tastes was shaped by such artists as: Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis. When in 1993 he decided to go to an underground festival somewhere in the south of France for the first time, he did not even imagine that this event woulds affect the whole of his subsequent life. It was there where for the first time he had a contact with goa/psychedelic trance and what often happens, after some time of just listening to this kind of music it was no longer enough for him. He decided to start to assemble his studio and start making music on his own, discovering the music of his compatriots and more specifically – Ultimae Records and probably that ultimately influenced his musical preferences. Finally he made the contact and collaboration with DJ Zen (Altar Records owner), then it is known how it was…

If someone asked me to close the album THE TREE OF LIFE in a dresser on which there would be an etiquette called 'chillout’, without hesitation I would throw it in the drawer marked as chillgressive – an increasingly popular and widespread trend recently. Somewhat amorphous structure of the sound surely will not let you easily get bored with this album, because we can feel that still there is something new, something else catches our attention, and Akshan as befits a true virtuoso, quickly leads us through his musical, magical world. The album will be ideal both during the rest, relaxation, and in some cases during the meditation, but also the supporters of downtempo music at which you can rock and dance a little bit, certainly will not be disappointed. THE TREE OF LIFE is a very sensual, refined and spacious album to such an extent that I strongly advise against it to all sufferers of agoraphobia. While closing eyes, we have the impression of levitation, detachment from everyday life and what is commonly accepted to be called 'reality’. We give the bear into the unknown, to the world where time and space have a slightly different meaning than that which we assumed to be appropriate.

Once again Altar Records rose to the occasion, once again it proved that it is not the average label on the publishing market, and that the album does not seem just to inflate the statistics in a category 'the largest number of albums’. There is a reason that around the label and its artists there was made a lot of confusion (of course in a positive sense of this word). Akshan – THE TREE OF LIFE is not only worth attention, but I assure you that this is the album to which you will be happy to come back.

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8 / 10
Marion