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Steve Brand's Blog (14)

iPod Playlist: “Deeper Into The I AM”

I thought I'd put together a little (about 2 1/2/ hours) iPod playlist for the transition from 2009 to 2010. Thought I'd share it here. 2010 contains a 2, which symbolizes duality, kindness, balance, tact, equalization, and a 1, which symbolizes singularity, unity, spirit, new beginnings, purity, pure energy. 2010 Reduces to a 3, which is said to symbolize magic, catalyst, intuition, fecundity. Should be an interesting year of contrast, transformation, settling of old accounts and eventual toget… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on December 20, 2009 at 6:00pm — 3 Comments

Blue Spiral Light Over Oslo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/09/norway-spiral-watch-stran_n_386281.html http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/10/earlyshow/main5961513.shtml Around the time of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Some say "a portal of consciousness opening." Some say "a failed Russian Rocket"...really? Pretty cool failure. I… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on December 13, 2009 at 8:00pm — 6 Comments

Thoughts on a Review

I was reading a review of James Johnson’s fine new album, "November" that he posted on his own site? Excerpt: “Not only does Johnson provide some much needed revitalization to the overseeded, undertalented epic ambient genre...” (I apologize if this reviewer is a friend of, OR IS, anyone reading...these are my thoughts initiated by your review.) My initial response was, “Who is this guy to determine if a genre is ‘overseeded’ and ‘undertalented’...to me this is a burgeoning genre that has been t… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on December 3, 2009 at 12:00pm — 8 Comments

“The First Day Unnamed” (w/ Disturbed Earth) on AtmoWorks.com, Friday, Oct. 30

This album (a long form piece timing in at just over 71 minutes) literally grew out of the parts and pieces of my trilogy collaboration with Dean/Disturbed Earth that came out in 2008 ("Broken Gold," "Busy with Dreams," "The Rest of Time"). That said, this is not a continuation or regurgitation of those works. It is an entirely new piece that has it's own unique character and feeling tone. In the previous trilogy, Dean took my sounds and twisted, bent, re-sculpted them with his own sensibilities… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on October 27, 2009 at 5:00pm — 3 Comments

"She Covers The Sky" on AtmoWorks.com, September 25

Early in 2009, I had a recurring idea to make music that was dedicated to honoring the return to Earth of the divine feminine, or goddess energy. Female energy. When I have ideas that keep coming up over and over, as this one did, I never over-analyze them, as they find a way to come to life one way or another. Central to the idea of the return of the divine feminine, is the idea that about 10,000 years ago (of course, this date varies, some say 5,000), there was a shift from matriarchal societ… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on September 16, 2009 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment

“Because We Were Once..." Featured Album on StillStream.com

I'm very pleased to announce that my AtmoWorks.com release, "Because We Were Once Covered In Gold," is a featured album on StillStream.com for the next month. This album was made when I was fresh from my experience at Steve Roach's "Soundcurrent" masters' class in late 2007. Matter of fact, the track for “Womb of Stars," chosen by Steve himself, was used as a bed for an evening of improv by the group. Heady stuff. For me, this disk is a sentimental favorite, as one of my albums where I found a… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on July 31, 2009 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

Steve Brand & Ishq Collaboration on AtmoWorks July 17

July 17 on AtmoWorks.com: Ishq/Steve Brand double disk collaboration: "Spiritual Science" and "The Voice From Home." I've been an Ishq (Matt Hiller) fan for about 3-4 years. I found his work as part of my complete immersion in Ultimae material. Ishq kept showing up in the "If you like this, you'll like this" area of iTunes. I bought "Orchid" and was hooked. I love his atmospheres and beats, the delicacy and expressiveness of feeling, and his intuitive and spiritual approach to music. Really fee… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on July 16, 2009 at 9:29am — No Comments

Steve Brand "Children of Alcyone" OUT NOW on Hypnos Secret Sounds

http://www.hypnos.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HOS&Product_Code=hss26 From the Hypnos store page: 2009. The second release by Steve Brand on our Hypnos Secret Sounds imprint, Children of Alcyone demonstrates the characteristic otherworldly quality of the artist's best work. Generally quite simple, at times singlemindedly minimal, this work is nonetheless possessed of a depth and complexity that are revealed upon repeated listening. Stretched-out drone structures combine w… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on April 27, 2009 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

"Cahokia" Re-release, March 20 on AtmoWorks

"Cahokia" was first self-released in early 2007 on CDBaby.com. In the intervening year or so, I've been refining, re-working and re-mastering the album. The new album, which will be released on AtmoWorks on March 20 (by no coincidence this is Spring Equinox and Ostara), is more deeply textured, and a bit more complex than the previous release. As with many sacred places I've been fortunate enough to visit, I have a deep connection with Cahokia, and this album reflects the sense of mystique and p… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on March 16, 2009 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Human Evolution, Sound, and Interdimensionality

I found these to be powerful ideas to head into the new year with and thought I'd share with the AW crowd... Excerpt from the latest "Sedona Journal of Emergence": "Human Evolution" Kryon/Lee Carroll "What is taking place, dear ones, for all to know and see and understand, is that very, very, slowly you have the linearity of the Human brain starting to be reduced. Unlike the autistic, it will be in ways that will still be balanced and make sense. In other words, you will be able to to move in… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on January 14, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

"Bridge To Nowhere" Reviews

"Bridge To Nowhere" | Hypnos Secret Sounds June 2008 Textura.org Steve Brand, a veteran of more than twenty releases under the Augur alias, recently began issuing material under his real name with the four-track Bridge to Nowhere his first for Hypnos. With three of the pieces clocking in at twenty minutes apiece, you know you're in for some hard-core ambient and Brand doesn't disappoint. He also wisely invests the material with a broad sonic palette by supplementing a number of exotic instrumen… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on November 12, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

"SoulSpiral" Review

e/i Magazine > Audio Verté Friday, October 17, 2008 Installment 20 Next up is Steve Brand, something of a veteran by now, his first experiments with sound forged in the early 80s, all gnarly tape loops, cassettes, and 4-track portastudio play. Early work was under nom du cassette Augur, part of a shadowy ‘tape network’ and follower of the :zoviet*france: school of DIY industrial ambient. Now reclaiming real name for artistic Endeavour after more than 20 Augur releases, his SoulSpiral contain… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on October 23, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

"Breathing Light" on Hearts of Space

“Breathing Light" (timing in at 20'40"), from the Hypnos Secret Sounds release, “Bridge to Nowhere” was included for the Hearts of Space episode titled, “Reading the Bones,” along with the work of Steve Roach, Brian Parnham, Brannan Lane, Numina, Biff Johnson and others. The show will air Sunday night, August 17, on National Public Radio. This is my second inclusion on HoS, the first time being October 2007 for the show entitled, "Dark Waters." Very fun to be on a radio show that has taken me… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on August 15, 2008 at 9:30pm — 3 Comments

"Keepers of Frequency"

"Keepers of Frequency"?! Probably a title for an upcoming disk. ;-) A few selected paragraphs regarding the nature of sound from the "Symphonies of Consciousness" chapter of Barbara Maciniak's "Bringers of the Dawn"... "Light informs you. It uplifts you, because once you are informed, you feel more powerful. When you are not informed you feel powerless. Sound is another way to carry information because it is part of light. "To you it may seem that sound and light are two separate things, beca… Continue

Added by Steve Brand on July 17, 2008 at 11:00am — 3 Comments