HAROLD BUDD Vinilo y CD

Review: The Pavilion Of Dreams was first conceived by Harold Budd in the early 1970s. He started writing an extended cycle of compositions that were produced by Brian Eno. Also appearing in the session were saxophonist Marion Brown and a pair of multi-instrumentalists in Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman. The album was a cathartic one for Budd who said at the time that is "erased my past," and lead to a musical rebirth. "It was like my Magna Carta." It sure is a soothing listen, with heavenly ambient sounds, mellifluous chords and glowing harmonies all soothing the mind, body and soul as they gently unfold.

Review: The White Arcades ranks amongst one of Harold Budd's best loved solo works. The ambient pioneer and celebrated pianist is of course well known for his work with the likes of Brian Eno, but this 1988 album demonstrates how clear-sighted his approach became when he was recording on his own. There's a pristine quality to this kind of ambience which allows it to sink into any number of settings, but it's far from banal. The subtlety of Budd's composition and performance as the piano and synth lines enmesh is a marvel to behold, suggesting half-hidden mysteries waiting to be solved, but only when the time is right. If there was ever music to soothe a troubled mind, this would be it.