Harold Budd – Avalon Sutra

Harold Budd was a new name to me but apparently he’s been around for some time & has worked with some quite high profile characters in the music world. Brian Eno & the Cocteau Twins to name but two. This is perfect home listening of a more classical, soundtrack nature. Warm & delicate instrumentation is the order of the day. Not being familiar with Harold Budd I was initially put off by the ‘Avalon’ in the title which I thought might have suggested New-Age noodlings! No such worries. I suppose you could describe this as New age/Classical? I don’t know. To be honest I’m quite new to this kind of music so I’m struggling to find a good way to describe it. I suppose it would make an almost perfect soundtrack to a David Attenbourough documentary. I say that because it reminded me quite a lot of the ‘Life on Earth’ soundtrack & to my ears this album has a very similar feel & kind of warm fuzziness about it. That is to say that the production feels very subtle. High, sharper sounds seem to be kept deeper in the mix so as not to appear to sharp & abrasive thus retaining the warm & gentle feel that this album exudes. Triangles & other similar percussion instruments are often heard as quite distant background sounds, which gives the music an incredible depth. Meanwhile the strings, piano & woodwind instruments are brought to the fore where they soothe & move in equal measures. The whole album is an incredible listen & comes very highly recommended for fans of modern classical, soundtrack & ambient pieces from the likes of Brian Eno.

This package also comes with a second CD containing ‘As long as I can hold my breath’. A single piece which lasts for some 70 minutes! Like the main album this is a beautiful piece that’s even more subtle & hypnotic. Perfect meditation music? I wouldn’t know about that but it’s frankly impossible not to be ‘transported’ by this piece well within the 70 minutes that it lasts for! A truly beautiful & amazing work. On top of all this the 2 CD’s come beautifully packaged & feature some very appropriate cover photography/artwork.

Buy Harold Budd – Avalon Sutra/As Long As I Can Hold My Breath @ Amazon