New Album Release COMING SOON!
Al Gromer Khan’s SPACE HOTEL II
A new sonic journey is about to begin.
Renowned ambient music pioneer Al Gromer Khan returns with Space Hotel II — a deeply immersive sequel to his acclaimed work, fusing meditative soundscapes with the mystique of interstellar solitude.
Evocative. Hypnotic. Timeless.
Let yourself drift through corridors of cosmic stillness and dreamlike textures.
SPACE HOTEL II
SPACE HOTEL, the first part, appeared almost a quarter of a century ago. When first discussing SPACE HOTEL with my friends Bhikkhu and Waduda at NEW EARTH RECORDS, we concluded that there had to be people out there in the whole wide world with whom it might be worthwhile to share these sentiments. They saw something in my humble work. They liked the specific state of subtle euphoria I had been into, and agreed to release it. And it became a global hit album.
This new SPACE HOTEL, called SPACE HOTEL II, consists of eight tracks, some of which are in a sort of song mode in which I aimed, as always, trigger … at making silence audible. Other tracks are in the classic ambient style. All the tracks want to lead the listener from a personal emotion into a universal sphere, a space, called “Hal” by the Sufis, and “Bhava” by the yogis – thus “SPACE” HOTEL. The possibility of neutralizing environmental noise through including precious elements is still the prime motivation: power created through the principle of reduction and minimalism. The “hotel” is an allegory for life itself, and about feeling “at home”. We hang around for a while, and move on.
~ Al Gromer Khan
© AGK
PRESS
“Full of poetry and magic.” THE NEWS, San Francisco
“Now this is the real new age music. Like Eno, only warmer.” KEYBOARD MAGAZINE
“Wonderfully imaginative and intuitive.” ENLIGHTENMENTS, Cincinnati
“Meditative music delivered with exceptional virtuosity.” NEW FRONTIER, Philadelphia
Note Worthy News…
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
Article written by Bhikkhu Schober
After years in the music industry, it never occurred to me that I would one day cross paths with a music legend. During a busy day in our New Earth office in Santa Fe last December we received a phone call from Paul McCartney’s assistant inquiring about one of our artists. On a trip to Ireland, Paul had purchased a little-known CD called Celtic Ragas, by Chinmaya Dunster and Vidroha Jamie, at a souvenir shop. The CD, featuring a blend of Eastern and Western folkstyled melodies, captured Paul’s attention. In fact, Paul liked the CD so much he wanted the Celtic Ragas band to play a private party, an event that appeared to be shrouded in secrecy, with no official date, time, or place. Although the invitation seemed strange, Chinmaya was ecstatic and our entire office was bursting with curiosity.
A few days later, during the heat of concert arrangements, Waduda announced that the Celtic Ragas band would not only be playing for Paul McCartney, but also for his friends and family at the event of the year. The band would star as the premier musical act during Paul McCartney’s upcoming marriage to former model Heather Mills.
Waduda called Chinmaya, who was at the Osho Commune in Pune, India, and the band of eight sannyasins was formed. It featured British-born Chinmaya Dunster on the sarod and American VidrohaJamie on acoustic guitar. Celtic Ragas is also supported by an international entourage of talent: Indian Manish Vyas on tablas; Scottish Tanmayo on violin, vocals, and penny whistle; Dutch Sadhu Bolland on accordion and keyboards; British Prabhod Senger on fretless bass; Australian Ramadhan Suisse on drums; and Naveena Goffer from Israel on tampura and swarmandel.
As the months passed, the event began to take shape. Paul’s busy schedule made the arrangements all the more difficult, as he and his crew were on the road playing his US concert series. Finally, the week before the wedding, all of the practicalities had been taken care of and the band had been given an itinerary, although the wedding location still remained shrouded in mystery.
By June 9 our group was boarding a small propeller plane in Manchester, en route to Belfast, where we would check into a small hotel in the center of town. Meanwhile the paparazzi had leaked the secret of the hour. Paul McCartney would marry Heather Mills at Cas e Leslie in Glaslough, Ireland.
(L TO R) Chinmaya, Ramadhan, Naveena, Sadhu, Prabodh, Jamie, Tanmayo, Manish, Waduda, and Bhikkhu
According to plan, a private bus shuttled us through the rainy streets and the green damp of the Irish countryside. After traveling one and a half hours south of Belfast arrived at the castle, taking in the view of the 500-acre grounds and the security checkpoint that allowed our bus through the gates. A crowd of newspaper and television reporters braved the rain and the tight security in a valiant attempt to gather information. Paul McCartney made a personal appearance to announce that the wedding party would take off rock ‘n’ roll style, with 300 guests in attendance, no dress code, and “beer on the piano.”
Back at the castle, the wedding setup was in full swing. On the day of the wedding the bride and groom would give their vows in a small chapel attached to the castle and host the reception in a large tent on the castle grounds. The Celtic Ragas band would perform at the reception amidst a colorful array of silk cushions, saris, and rich tapestry, turning the simple tent into an Indian-themed lounge. Along with the music, Indian snacks (samosas, pakoras), would be served by maidens in saris, and the band would showcase their complete album.
However, as is the case with many weddings, not everything went according to plan. The British decorators missed their ferry from England, the Indian decor for the reception tent had not arrived, and the pouring rain threatened to flood the castle grounds. The event was beginning to turn into a classic Indian “Monsoon Wedding” situation with an ounce of Woodstock celebrity thrown into the mix. And yet, after a lot of chaos, rehearsals, sound checks, Guinness beer, trips to the local pub, and an on-the-spot interview of Chinmaya with the NBC Morning Show, the magic moment finally arrived. The Celtic Ragas band was ready to take center stage.
As the wedding guests filed into the reception tent, I noticed their eclectic range of dress, from full wedding attire to jeans. It almost seemed like a flash back to Buddha Hall celebrations, considering the Eastern theme and the beautiful Osho music surrounding the party. Slowly, the atmosphere began to mellow and the champagne was poured. Waduda and I spotted celebrity guests like Ringo Starr, Monica Seles, Twiggy, and David Gilmoure from Pink Floyd. Everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time, and the band sounded fantastic.
Eventually Paul and Heather too began to enjoy the music and finally settled onto one of the Indian pillow podiums right in front of the band. They swayed to the music while chatting with Chinmaya and Jamie during their performance, letting the band know that they were very familiar with their album and loved the music. After the band had played, Paul introduced Chinmaya to some producers and complimented him on his music. I offered Paul a wedding gift, Osho’ s book India My Love, on behalf of the Celtic Ragas band and New Earth Records. (It was later noted that Paul carried the Osho book under his arm for a good part of an hour. We think he liked it!) For the blushing bride, we gave an Osho Zen Tarot card deck and a sari full of New Earth CDs.
While we all packed the instruments and got on the bus back to Belfast, we reminisced about the party, the guests, and the excitement. We had one last moment of celebration at a late-night dinner at an Indian restaurant and then left the green island behind, flying through the clouds on a chartered plane to John Lennon Liverpool airport with the rest of the wedding guests.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a small fairy tale that allowed us to bring Osho music to one of the world’s most beloved musicians – an event we will never forget.