The Devin Townsend Project - Ghost [2011]

Judging by the beginning of "Fly", this will be an album more in the style of Ki. Fuck, it's so damn calm it's impossible not to feel relaxed. Good use of Native American flute... not too forward, but certainly audible. "Heart Baby" seems to reinforce what the album is leaning towards in style and mood. "Feather" is a large song that relies more on the atmospheric natural world to get by. "Kawaii" picks things up a little by switching focus to more of what the album started off as. Then, "Ghost" somehow changes style entirely to something reminiscent of southern folk, and "Blackberry" continues the direction with the addition of more traditional American folk instruments and writing. "Monsoon" and "Dark Matters" opt for a very ethereal, natural, and atmospheric feel. "Texada" brings the music more forward. This album differs from Ki in that the style feels much more like it was influenced by New Age. It's a very pleasant album that seems to sooth the soul. It's very impressive that Devin has managed to so accurately mix New Age into his own style.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.hevydevy.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Amethystium - Isabliss [2008]

Another solid album. All the things that the previous albums were, but with just a little bit more variation.

Rating: 8

http://www.amethystium.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Amethystium - Evermind [2004]

I <3 this project ^__^. This one starts off with more of a cave theme to it, but the theme doesn't feel like it lasts long. The rest of the material is more of the same... naturist and new age that soothes the soul.

Rating: 8

http://www.amethystium.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Amethystium - Aphelion [2003]

More of that naturist new age that I like. There is certainly common stylistic ideas between their albums. Yet, they are separate from each other somehow. It seems like the songwriting has been tightened up just a bit on this album. It's energetic while maintaining the smooth calm of rolling clouds. Perhaps each album focuses on an element... I am beginning to notice that this album sounds more watery than I thought the previous one did.

Rating: 8

http://www.amethystium.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Amethystium - Odonata [2001]

This has much more of the naturist style that I was expecting their first disk would have. Very soothing. Well written. Wonderfully effective at taking the listener away from the current reality and in to a place thick with the morning mist and foliage.

Rating: 8

http://www.amethystium.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Amethystium - Autumn Interlude [2000]

Less naturalistic and more New Age than I was expecting, but that's just fine. Very soothing and smooth, yet well-layered and captivating.

Rating: 8

http://www.amethystium.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

志方あきこ - Navigatoria [2005]

Ahhh, now this is more like it. Seemingly New Age at it's core, but also naturist and even rock. However, what I find the most charming thing is her voice: very restrained and almost polite, with Japanese folk subtly mixed in... and she's quite an incredible singer. It's like a gentle scalp-massage. Great album all the way through. I will certainly be putting this in my regular rotation. Creative, very soothing, beautiful, catchy, very well-produced, but lacking in variation of the songwriting style. It's so obvious that a massive amount of care and work went into the writing of this album. Wonderful. Well done, Shikata, well done.

Rating: 8.75

http://www.vagrancy.jp/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Kenji Kawai - Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtrack [1995]

Ambient. Percussive. Erie. Perfectly crafted. Even the nutty vibrato that the chorus performs has grown on me and adds to the creepy effect of the music. "M04 Virtual Crime" throws some cool guitars into the mix towards the end. "M05 Chant II - Ghost City" throws more of the normal tonal effects and keys behind the same chant that was in "M01". Normally, this sort of ambient music bores me, but this is so precisely crafted that everything feels like it has its purpose instead of just being a bunch of effects that are thrown together. I am, however, not a fan of the recycled chants in some of the songs. Even though the music behind them is different, I would have preferred to hear new chant rhythms and notes. The mixture of mostly ambient tracks with more beautiful tonal tracks really suits the soundtrack and the mood well; it also creates some small sense of variety throughout the album. Finally, as far as I'm concerned, this soundtrack only has 10 tracks. "See You Everyday" is an abomination that has nothing to do with anything about the OVA or the music contained therein.

Rating: 9

http://www.kenjikawai.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.