Auracle
Step into sonic environments woven from ambient soundscapes and Eastern instrumentation.  Austin, TX-based Maneki Neko crafts music for relaxation, meditation, and the healing arts.  In the debut album, Auracle, Maneki Neko takes the deep chill ambient genre, layers it with gently rolling hints of melody, and grounds it in deep, satisfying, resonant beds.  The result is music with depth and purpose, music that invites the mind and body to slow down and relax in its ambient textures.  The five compositions on Auracle combine traditional instruments and melodic structures from cultures with long-standing meditative traditions to build soundscapes that aid the 21st century meditator on a relaxing inner journey. Maneki Neko is composer, soundscape artist, and recording engineer Al Mikula.  After a successful career in interactive digital video and audio, he left the world of high technology to pursue his lifetime love of music as a recording engineer in Austin's vibrant music and arts scene.  Austin's music scene is as diverse as it is vibrant, and Al has been privileged to work on classical, jazz, rock, pop, and ambient releases. "Sound is a core element in almost all meditative traditions. Sound can really change the way we feel - our heart rate, brain waves, and muscle tension.  With my music I try to blend the musical traditions I experienced around the world with ambient sounds that let listeners relax or explore through meditation."The music of Auracle was created to calm the mind and body.   The compositions on Auracle have been used to for yoga and massage therapy to encourage meditation and deep relaxation, as the music encourages the muscles to relax and release tension.