David Parsons has long been fascinated by India and Tibet, two ancient worlds characterized by potent mythologies, mystical sacred sites, and sublime musical traditions. Over the years, this respected electronic composer h... more »as made numerous yatras (journeys, in Sanskrit) to India, experiencing the sites and sounds of this exotic land. Yatra is Parsons' first comprehensive attempt to log the essence of his Far Eastern adventures.Unlike his highly successful 1989 release Himalaya (17059-2), an artfully austere sonic ascent of the legendary mountain range, Yatra opens with a more earthy approach. The recording gently leads you through the Indian countryside, with its busy open air markets and joyful folk melodies, gradually moving to the ethereal realm of Tibet, a landscape imbued with secret ceremonies and hidden knowledge. Tapes recorded during a 1987 trip to the East merge with the Macintosh-manipulated samples of Indian instruments Parsons has collected over the years, to create a vivid sonic representation of the land and its people.« less
David Parsons has long been fascinated by India and Tibet, two ancient worlds characterized by potent mythologies, mystical sacred sites, and sublime musical traditions. Over the years, this respected electronic composer has made numerous yatras (journeys, in Sanskrit) to India, experiencing the sites and sounds of this exotic land. Yatra is Parsons' first comprehensive attempt to log the essence of his Far Eastern adventures.Unlike his highly successful 1989 release Himalaya (17059-2), an artfully austere sonic ascent of the legendary mountain range, Yatra opens with a more earthy approach. The recording gently leads you through the Indian countryside, with its busy open air markets and joyful folk melodies, gradually moving to the ethereal realm of Tibet, a landscape imbued with secret ceremonies and hidden knowledge. Tapes recorded during a 1987 trip to the East merge with the Macintosh-manipulated samples of Indian instruments Parsons has collected over the years, to create a vivid sonic representation of the land and its people.
"I bought this CD set in 1991 and still play it on a regular basis for meditation, reading etc. This is one of the best assortment of meditative works that have ever been recorded. This is a must have as the music somehow stays fresh year after year and very few of the current recordings hold a candle to this music, Every month I check to see if David Parsons has anything new coming out, although this would be a hard act to follow."
A far-reaching musical vision
Liz S. | Colchester, CT United States | 07/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fabulous recording...! I was fascinated from the first sounds, as the composer's experiences and visions, inspired by India and Tibet, came to life and enveloped me. I know I will be listening to this CD often for years to come, discovering deeper subtleties and finer nuances every time I revisit this stunning work by David Parsons."
Parson's Magnum Opus
Liz S. | 12/02/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a towering achievement. It must rank as what is perhaps the best, truest, "new age" album to date. The pieces float with great depth and clarity, drawing the listener gradually deeper and deeper into Parson's inspired sonic perspective of the Tibetian world and culture."
Still the best new age recording around
W. X. Young | Texarkana, USA | 11/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"David Pasons takes you on journey through universal consciousness with this awesome recording. It has been around for a couple of decades now but it is still best I have encountered. I own this recording on cassette tape but stopped listening to it years ago for fear that it would wear out and I have no means of making a duplicate. I was very pleased to find this selection on Amazon's site. It will stay in my CD player forever and be played often. Thank you, David Parsons, for the gift that is "Yatra""