Zen: The Search For Enlightenment

This 1991 Terry Oldfield album sparkles with intense musical colors and dazzling sonic flashes. "Pointing to the Moon" is an example of Oldfield's penchant for Asian music. On this piece, the composer borrows freely from the Japanese culture. Using a shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and Teiko drums, Oldfield successfully creates a tapestry of sound, which is quite powerful and enveloping. "Duality" may be the result of Oldfield's background as a composer for wildlife documentaries. Again, he uses a shakuhachi as his focus. However, on this piece, the flute is surrounded by the delicate trickle of water, the distant knocking of a woodpecker and euphonious birdsong. Toward the end of the track, lush keyboards fade in enhancing the already flourishing atmosphere with vibrant orchestral long tones. The album closes with "Transcending Time and Space" a motoric piece that is propelled by an unchanging synthetic pulse. The throbbing keyboard provides the perfect counterpoint to the legato shakuhachi and to the flowing strings. In general, this album buzzes with carefully selected nature sounds, Eastern (Japanese) modalities, and effectual keyboard accompaniment.