Deuter: Innovative German electronic pioneer during the prog rock era, went the way of Florian Fricke and dove deep into the waters of the new age. Deuter went far deeper, however, retaining none of his connection with the street or underground music scene that spawned him. He has become a leading light in the music of healing and meditation, and Buddha Nature is his most focused yet most stridently abstract work in this genre to date. Deuter’s correct perception that Buddha Nature is inseparable from bliss/void and compassion Ú illustrated by the image of Avlokiteshvara (the Buddha of compassion who the Dalai Lama is said to be a reincarnation of) on the cover & creates five meditative tracks that deal with different aspects of the Path impressionistically. His trademark blend of keyboards, flutes, stringed instruments, and ambient soundscapes creates a web of musically impressionistic narratives that delve underneath the active perception of the listener and create a sense of stillness. The longest track here, ‘Illumination,’ which is almost 28 minutes in length, hovers in one timbral range for most of it while keeping the music flowing and pouring through, changing like waves on a beach. Elsewhere, on the title track, all of the melodic fragments are engaged in a process of unfolding at the same time. It’s quite remarkable that so much could happen in what seems like a static music. There are moments when the “bliss” element can be overbearing, especially on the last track, ‘Blessing,’ but in all, this is as good as new age music gets.
Thom Jurek
