music review

Sarah Hopkins & Alan Lamb ::: "skysong"

cello - ambient - new-age - soundscapes

'The unique soundscapes created by Sarah Hopkins and Alan Lamb are reflections of the vast Australian Landscape.' Sarah is a classically-trained but very innovative celloist who composes wonderfully hypnotic and meditative music.

She uses harmonics to great effect achieving an almost didgeridoo effect and also tibettan-styled harmonic singing to produce truly otherworldly soundscapes.

Alan Lamb produces huge droning waveforms on, believe it or not, telegraph poles and their wires. He has released material on Melbourne's electronic-experimental Dorobo Records.

They composed and recorded this wonderfully atmospheric album in the late 1980s. Don't be mistaken into thinking that this is the sort of new-age hippy muzak that can be bought in Post Offices. It's miles and miles and miles above that. It's perfect for those times when you just want to switch off and/or meditate. I witnessed Sarah perform several of her works in Canberra in 1993 and, well, it was an experience not to be missed... mind-blowing.

Available from:

Vox Australis Records - PO Box N690 Grosvenor Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia.