Visible World
This 1995 release followed closely on the heels of the enormously successfulOfficium, Jan Garbarek's meditative collaboration with theHilliard Ensemble. The same tranquil aesthetic prevails on this release, but the methods and materials differ. Garbarek opts here for the recording studio over the monastery, building up many of the tracks himself with percussion and keyboards as well as the keening, resonant sounds of his soprano and tenor saxes. His compositions emphasize folk-like melodies and ethereal soundscapes, and there's effective work from pianist Rainer Brüninghaus and bassistEberhard Weber. The often-dramatic percussion fromMarilyn Mazur, Manu Katché, andTrilok Gurtuadds ceremonial and world-music touches to some superior work in the New Age genre.--Stuart Broomer