I’m a bit late with this post but for those who don’t know: a couple of months ago saw the release of my collab album ‘Wonder, Harmony and Embodiment’. This collaboration with Belgian duo Moment2Moment was in the pipeline a few years ago but at the time the timing wasn’t right. We knew we had to make a serious effort when, by ‘serendipity’, we ran into each other on a sunny Saturday in Eindhoven. The three of us knew that was not a chance meeting. A couple of weeks later I would visit Jos & Carine at their home in Maaseik. I was amazed by what they showed me: a room full of the most exotic instruments, some of which I’d never see before (like the crystal didge, crystal pyramid, crystal harp and Kotamo). I knew they had quite an assortment of instruments that they use at their live soundjourney’s but hadn’t expected anything like this. I had the privilege to play some of them and totally submerged myself in the vibrations of the seven crystal singing bowls. Upon my return I started to notice that one bowl in particular had triggered something deep inside of me. It was like the sediment of my subconsciousness had been stirred loose. A wave of sadness rose to the surface and I knew instantly it had been triggered by this singing bowl. For the next couple of weeks I felt deeply into these emotions and let them move through me with grace and without resistance. I marvelled at the therapeutic effect of this instrument....wow this was such a powerful tool to heal old wounds buried deep within our psyche.

As time went by and I was in the finishing stage of arranging the different tracks, I got such a full dose of singing bowls-frequencies that my system went in full cleans-mode. I got ill and for one-and-a-half month couldn’t work on the project anymore. I simply couldn’t bare listening to our music anymore. During that time I felt a higher aspect of my self, let’s call it the big Self, integrate more deeply into my body. It was quite an experience which also brought a lot of challenges along my trail of evolution. This new consciousness challenged me to let go even more of my old identity. The dreams I was having nudged me to start saying goodbye to my old self. The process had now started in all earnest and the months ahead would plunge me into life’s most difficult situations I had ever experienced.

But the album, which had been a mammoth undertaking for me, finally saw the light of day this september. A lot of things went ‘wrong’ during the making-of but luckily the three of us were undeterred and were determined to get it finished: we knew in our hearts we acted like conduits for a higher energy which was beckoning to be materialised! And luckily we did because the album is so full of depth and soul-stirring beauty I’m glad we felt it had to absolutely be materialised.

It’s out! The Observer is there. This album has been made over a period of three years. The title is derived from the period since my move into my (then) new home. I was kind of cast into this silence I had never experienced before and out of that a silent witness occurred, the observer. For now this album will only be available through Bandcamp. Other digital stores will follow later.

My collab (The Sea of Potentials) with Dronny Darko is slated to come out this fall (also as a factory pressed CD) and will be released by Russian label Pantheon.

It’s been awhile since my last message. Somewhere in 2015 I stopped making music. It just wasn’t out ‘there’ anymore (I know it will be back at some point, though). I finished some older work but didn’t feel the passion to master it. That year had been all about my other passion: painting. But always with some good ambient music accompanying me from the likes of Robert Rich, Oöphoi, Bach and some Steve Roach and Alio Die. It’s been a good year to deepen my artistic skills and present myself and my work to a larger audience. One of my life’s themes is to learn to express myself and, even as important, to believe these expressions are welcomed and have their rightful place on this living, resonating earth. I still have some trepidation regarding this process but I have already learned by now my expressions are welcomed by those who are open to it. We all have the possibility to learn in this life that our existence is meant to be meaningful and that we have the compassion and intelligence of the whole Universe at our disposal. The more we break loose from the shackles that keep us imprisoned in this matrix the more we hear our own voice instead of society’s endless noise. And thus, as a consequence, we more and more feel the urge to express our core being. And so it became clear to me by means of my inner voice to start mastering my next solo album. The title is ‘The Observer’. This represents a state of being where one doesn’t identify with the machinations of everyday life or even with one’s own inner voice in regard to what’s happening in this physical reality. Being the observer means watching life unfold from the perspective of pure consciousness instead of separateness. The Observer will be self-released somewhere this year. My collab with Dronny Darko is still on cue at several labels.

After the release of ‘Live in the Ancient Past’ I focussed my attention on mastering my collab (The Sea of Potentials) with drone wizard Dronny Darko (Oleg Puzan). I was little apprehensive about it because I had never mastered an album before but on the other hand had learned a lot by looking over 33 Tetragammong’s shoulder. Now that’s it’s finished I feel more confident about it and even like the prospect of mastering more albums. So the album is finished after it’s been in the making for more than one and a half years. We’re still pondering through which channel to release it. My compliments go out to Oleg who, over the last year, has become an amazing sound designer. For a great example check out his release of a few months ago ‘Outer Tehom’ on the Cryo Chamber label. Here’s the first track of ‘The Sea of Potentials’:

After having settled down in our new homes we had both set up our new studio’s. Firstly I needed to make some new sounds again. My soul was craving to be immersed in musical creativity again after a draught of about three months. And yes that felt good! I can honestly say that not being creative will stagnate everything in my life. Than it became time to revisit some older projects: I started to finish the mixes of ‚The Sea of Potentials’ (collab album with Dronny Darko) and I am now in the mastering phase. I’m taking on the mastering duties from Wasili since he’s not into it anymore. For now he’s lost any interest in making ambient music anymore although he told me he still had a new album on the shelf. I can’t tell if he’s willing to release it because we have gone our separate ways after a friendship and collaboration of more than 13 years. We’ve grown apart and we knew this was coming already a couple of years ago. It’s for the best and we both know that. As a farewell to our collaboration we have a new release of an old album. It’s a live gig we did in 2009 at the E-day festival in Oirschot (near Eindhoven), The Netherlands. it’s called: Live in the Ancient Past: Live at E-day 2009. And it’s free! I guess it’s a bit of a thank you to all the people who supported us in many different ways throughout the years (download it here on Bandcamp). The gig took place a couple of months after the release of our first album ‚Resonating Earth’ and also functioned as promotion for that album. But because of the sheer size of the project in combination with the desire to create new albums, it got side-tracked time and time again. It has been a monumental task to sift through the recordings, make a selection, clean up the clutter and mix the whole thing. So to say there were a few hiccups would be a gross understatement. But over the years we felt this album had to see the light of day. Firstly because it has managed to capture a beautiful, sparse and spontaneous moment of us actually performing live side-by-side. Secondly, because the album has a sound and feel to it reminiscent of our early days as artists. It would have been a real pity if that unique sound wouldn’t have been able to reach a greater audience.
What’s next? This years will see the release of ‚The Sea of Potentials’ and hopefully (but I have good hope!) my solo album. I have recorded quite some music so there’s work to be done to forge it into something worthwhile.