Odonata reviews:

Ambient Visions
by Lorie Johnson

Wow. Just...wow. That was my first, and continuing impression of Odonata, the first album from Amethystium. The overall feel of the album is vast, soaring, and always in motion, and ranging in feel from intimate to immense. There is over a full hour of music here to drive, study, or just kick back to.

Every musical genre undergoes an arc of development beginning with the early pioneers in the particular musical style, and a stage in developing the mature sound, and the 'handing off' of the mature techniques and styles to the next stage of development. There are many wonderful musical pioneers and innovators in the Electronic / Gothic / World Fusion / New Age category - like Tangerine Dream, Delirium, Enigma, Deep Forest, Vangelis and Kitaro, to name a few. It is obvious that Amethystium has been a good student of the sonic and emotional styles of these 'elders', because this album both invokes and transcends them all. One can clearly hear the homage to these various musical works in the body of the album, but it also has a unique voice of its own. This is clearly the mature flowering of this genre- a climb to a well-developed high point of sonic excellence. For a first outing, it is awesome. This one is going to stay in your CD players for a while, folks. I'd even venture to say that it might even become a 'desert island' selection.

The sonic landscape is a very eclectic one: Middle Eastern blends with Celtic, and Sanskrit chants segue over to Gregorian chants. A familiar sample of Tibetan/Nepalese street sounds accents a couple of the cuts (Avalon and Lhasa)- one I recognized from Delirium's Karma: Enchantment. Clearly, there is a lot of creative cross-pollination in World Fusion today. I love it- one sample from an old Tibetan field recording or Gregorian chant can say entirely different things in different musical settings.

Odonata opens with a deep, welling floating bass chime- reminiscent to me of a foggy night- and quickly brings in the rhythms that will propel the listener on their way. The opening "Opaque" is reminiscent of some of the best later albums of Tangerine Dream, including the Sanskrit chanter, and the static chorus. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was listening to TD- who is a very mature, highly skilled electronic fusion group on their own. It delights me that Amethystium begins at this point- and climbs higher.

Homages and cross pollination and close attention to sonic detail are prevalent throughout the album. "Ilona" has a Celtic feel to it, with chanting monks and a soaring vocal that brings some of Enigma's works to mind, but with a lighter touch. The synth voice, high and clear, reminded me a little of some of Yanni's early efforts.

"Enchantment" became a favorite for me from early on. Starting off with a Middle Eastern flavor, with flute and percussion, it climbs through minor chord progressions and percussion changes, and a Sanskrit chant and rhythmic piano. The musical tension continues to build until about four and a half minutes into the piece, it bursts into a yearning, minor key glissando synth melody that will stay with you long after the music is silent.

"Dreamdance" begins with a floating Native American flute flavor, and quickly bursts into the 'traveling' rhythms that propel much of the album. It is a rich mixture- you will want to listen on both headphones and speakers. Is that chain mail being dropped in a loop in my left ear? Sure sounds like it! It is little details like this that make the album a sonic delight to listen to, and each playing brings a new dimension of audio delights to enjoy.

"Tinuviel" leaves the 'traveling rhythm' behind for some quietly romantic introspection that is reminiscent of Kitaro on his best albums. But it is only a hint of Kitaro, an homage- the music and style is clearly Amethystium's own.

"Avalon" brings the mystique of the ancient land into focus with a deep, mysterious bass opening, segueing into a questioning synth line and a chanting quality to the rhythm. We are all seekers here, it says. We wish to know more. Will the stones and hills give answers? Are those fairy bells we hear? And children's laughter? This is a prime example of a familiar sound sample given a new perspective in a different musical setting.

A lovely chorus brings mystical overtones to "Calantha", continuing the yearning-seeking theme begun in Avalon. Rich arpeggios and a gliding synth voice take us soaring through this piece.

"Odyssey" brings shakuhachi flutes, droning strings, and a solemn dance rhythm into play to continue the yearning mystical feel of the middle section of the album. A male Indian chanter highlights this piece.

The traveling rhythm returns in "Fairyland", opening the final part of the album. "Paean" brings back the soaring Kitaro-esque synth voice to lead the listener deeper into the music and complex rhythms.

"Arcane Voices" is probably the most 'enigmatic' of the pieces, opening with the familiar "Ave/Hosanna" chant of Gregorian monks so popular with both Enigma and others. Clearly a homage, Amethystium reminds us of its musical and stylistic roots, and then takes us higher. Despite the familiar style, it is still as fresh and interesting as ever.

"Ascension", "Ethereal" and "Lhasa" round off the album, bringing more of the wonderfully layered rhythms and sounds accented a wonderful flute solo on "Ascension". "Ethereal" is quietly introspective with delightful sonic nuances and piano. "Lhasa" finishes the album with Buddhist monks, and the impression of more horizons to explore.

Odonata is a wonderful first outing for Amethystium, and if they continue on the path they are currently on, weaving their own unique sound from the threads provided, I predict that we will have many more musical delights in the future.


Wind and Wire
by Bill Binkelman

The word "lush" can be defined with a single word: Odonata. That's the title of the debut CD from Oystein Ramfjord, who records as Amethystium. Moving from mp3.com to the urban/dance-based label Neurodisc, this album is sure to find a new audience eager for its seamless blend of sensuous beats (a la Enigma and Delerium), sampled vocals, wooden flutes/pan pipes, and ultra-smooth synths. This is one highly polished effort. But, it's not soulless - god no! This is not "churned-out for the sake of sales" music. It's infectious yet humanistic musical heaven. Less than one minute into the opening track, "Opaque," should convince anyone that what the artist has created is not some shallow attempt at band-wagon jumping. Simply put, you can't create something this good by just connecting the dots. And be assured, Odonata is that good - oh yeah!

There are fourteen cuts on Odonata and there's not a weak one among them. The well-engineered layers of keyboards, samples, rhythms and vocals are so smoothly integrated cut-to-cut that it's difficult to imagine they weren't recorded all at the same time. Let me be honest - this album positively shreds the best stuff Enigma has ever cranked out. It's no contest. But, what really cleans my clock is that this is not just "get down and dirty" Enigma-esque tunes. It's also an example of sterling production, inspired music, and, believe it or not, humanity. I never once thought this album was anything but the work of an artist who had a lot invested in the music. I held this belief back before Odonata was ever snatched up (smartly, I might add) by Neurodisc and was only an mp3.com release. However, there was a reason that this album merited a shit load of downloads and was optioned by a smart label like Neurodisc - the album flat out rocks!

From the exotic sexiness of "Enchantment" with it's third-world percussion elements and snaky flute work to the more overt new age music stylings of "Tinuviel" with twinkling bell-like synths to the mournful pan pipes of "Fairyland" to the funky uptempo water drum beats of "Paean" to the uptempo Enigma-esque "Ascension," Odonata holds many delights for the ear that is attuned for sensual rhythms, smooth flute samples, and lush layers of synthesizers and keyboards.

The fact is, this review almost writes itself. I loved this album from the first listen. Sure, it's not "ambient" per se and it shares some similarities with commercially successful recordings from the aforementioned "stars" (Enigma and Delerium) but so what? This album is 100% ear candy. I never tired of the smooth beats, swaying washes of sound, keyboards, vocals, and flutes. Whether you think music like this is too commercial or too shallow says more about you than the music. I, for one, have too much fun listening to albums like this that are all about well-crafted music - hey, maybe it's not "deep," but the world needs solid entertainment, too. And besides, maybe music like this is the key. Yeah, I know, we should be so lucky! As for Odonata - highly recommended!


Vision Magazine
by Trevor

Odonata, the first release album by Amethystium, is an absolutely gorgeous, intricate gem. I have probably been playing this album five times a day to date. An uplifting and enchanting, otherworldly experience. Lush, ambient and often trance-like rhythms flow as if guided by forces of ascension. Take a wonderful journey along a dreamy soundscape into a gorgeous other dimension. Listen carefully as the Sanskrit chants and natural atmospherics evoke a feeling that all will be all right with the world. I couldn't recommend this CD more . . . go and buy it immediately.


All Music Guide
by Murrday Fisher

Oystein Ramfjord's project, Amethystium, creates ethereal, mysterious aural impressions on the debut release, Odonata. Although this album officially came out on August 14, 2001, it had already achieved significant popularity and airplay at his site on www.mp3.com, where it has been extremely well-received in both the new age and electronica genres. As the offerings from this talented Norwegian composer tend to be melodious and relaxing, and have a pleasant variety of timbres and cadences which maintain listeners' interest, their attraction is quite understandable. "Opaque" could be music for submariners, with its echoing sonar tones. "Enchantment" has a Middle Eastern influence, while "Avalon" offers delicate crystalline chimes. "Arcane Voices" includes Gregorian chanting interwoven with percussion. Ethnic influences can also be heard in the Sanskrit vocalizations on "Opaque" and the Buddhist chanting of the opening to "Lhasa." Yet, all these diverse influences are melded together into a harmonious whole that rings delightfully to the ear. In all, this is an elegant album, and its ambient soundscapes will draw many casual listeners into becoming Amethystium fans. Definitely recommended.