Jeff Pearce - The Light Beyond hyp2131
Hypnos is pleased to announce the latest by Jeff Pearce, THE LIGHT BEYOND. His followup to the beloved & highly-acclaimed 2000 album TO THE SHORES OF HEAVEN, THE LIGHT BEYOND shares its predecessor's basis of smooth, guitar-based atmospheric clouds, both dark and light. But THE LIGHT BEYOND explores more abstract, open- ended and free-form compositions, with one track almost forty-four minutes in duration, in the midst of three shorter pieces.
This may be Pearce's most developed and sonically complex work yet, a fact that is truly amazing considering that THE LIGHT BEYOND was entirely improvised in the "Star's End" studios of WXPN radio in Philadelphia. One man with a guitar and some electronic processing boxes has created, in real time and for the benefit of a live listening audience, work of a substance and depth, not to mention sonic richness, that ranks with his finest studio-recorded works.
Listeners who loved Pearce's previous work -- in addition to TO THE SHORES OF HEAVEN there were DAYLIGHT SLOWLY (also on Hypnos), VESTIGES, TENDERNESS AND FATALITY and THE HIDDEN RIFT, as well as Pearce's collaboration with fellow Hypnos artist Vidna Obmana, TRUE STORIES -- will find in THE LIGHT BEYOND the next phase in Pearce's evolution.
Track listing, including mp3 sample clips:
01. Migration of Souls mp3 clip
02. Across the Infinite Sea mp3 clip
03. A Farther Shore mp3 clip
04. The Light Beyond mp3 clip
Praise for Jeff Pearce's TO THE SHORES OF HEAVEN:
"Listeners' Choice" album of the year
--ECHOES Syndicated Radio, 2000
"...a successful and enduring album filled with the mystery and grandeur that first drew this artist to the genre. A master of the soundscape guitar, Pearce is enabled by insight gained through years of commitment, contemplation and experimentation. By blending technology, spirit and craft, Pearce has earned the respect of his peers and the admiration of his audience. Complex timbres resolve with sobering dignity. The listener is left with a sense of wonder, pondering eternal truths... Can this musical manifestation be an inkling of, after a lifetime of navigating the rough waters of mortality, being welcomed to the shores of heaven?
--Star's End Radio host Chuck VanZyl
"...a no-doubt-abouter here. A clean shot over the left field fence right off the bat. An all-time- lister. Desert island material. The most beautiful spacemusic CD ever released. 'Nuff said."
--Bill Beck on the Space Music mailing list
"Pearce has put this album together beautifully, the succession of pieces creating moods which form a kind of ambient narrative leading from darkness to light, from sadness to hope. It is an exquisite album which should be numbered among this year's best. HMGS rating: 10 out of 10"
--Hannah Shapiro
"Are the sounds breathing you, or are you breathing them? The well-sculpted To the Shores of Heaven allows for any number of imaginative mind trips."
--Carol Wright, Barnes & Noble (bn.com)
"Heaven is another leap for Pearce's music. Though some might consider the album to be the perfect backdrop to a planetarium show, Pearce's sound is distinct. Known for his use of a processed electric guitar, the songs on the early 2000 album are even more emotional and layered than Pearce's prior works."
--Diana Potts, All Music Guide
Pearce leads the listener through a variety of well crafted soundscapes. TO THE SHORES OF HEAVEN, is one of Pearce's finest albums to date. Highly recommended."
--Alternate Music Press reviewed by Ben Kettlewell
"A purist, Pearce generates all sounds on To the Shores of Heaven from his electric guitar, albeit processed, looped and layered in a fragile airbrushed orchestra. Pearce's music literally shimmers, with violin-like guitar layers dotted with delicate, finger-picked melodies. On pieces like "Sudden Light," he reaches a majestic contemplation. (A Critics Choice selection)"
--Billboard Magazine, reviewed by John Diliberto (host of Echoes radio)