Brainscapes | de

Before Amsterdam native Eskinasi came to Higher Octave in the lively African dance band Soto Koto,before his time with Frank Natale of Professor Trance and long before he became a founding member of the jazz-imbued band 3rd Force, he was known as Holland's first New Age artist because of his devoted work on the project that produced Brainscapes.

"There was absolutely no commercial consideration when we created this music, " Eskinasi admits. "In fact, originally it was aimed at just a few listeners, an audience who wore headphones and experienced the "Brainscapes " sounds while viewing shifting colored light patterns in a holistic healing environment. True "Now Age" music."

But far from being only a tool to aid higher consciousness, "Brainscapes " took on a life of its own as those who came under its spell spread the word of its musical beauty. The demand was so great that Eskinasi released it to the public, and it became an ambient music hit in Europe. Now the rest of the world can discover for themselves the sonic beauty and deeply moving effect of Eskinasi and Wafer's music.

Originally, "Brainscapes " was one of nine tapes Eskinasi recorded with Wafer...-quiet journeys for the ear and mind of the listener, designed to stimulate thought through the soft, rhythmic pulses of brain wave patterns combined with electronic keyboards and the earthly, meditative deep vibrations produced by the yedaki, the sacred Australian Aboriginal wind instrument.

In the case of "Brainscapes " , the rhythmic element is taken from a brain wave synthesizer that sets the pulse for each composition, over which Eskinasi adds his colorful palette of keyboard music, while Wafer's yedaki playing serves as "solo" instrument.

" In 1992 I was part of a group of musicians and others involved in holistic healing, " Eskinasi explains. " We found that you can use music to stimulate the same points on the body that acupuncture does. A doctor in the group, Jim Wafer, is half Gambian and half English, and he played the yedaki. He was doing research on the healing effects of the yedaki and the 5 Element Theory from China, which uses fire, water, earth, metal and wood. "

Wafer became Eskinasi's partner in making music. . "For two years we traveled and toured together, which included working with Australian Aboriginal band Yothu Yindi. Today Jim's in Australia with the Aborigines, going into the bush to get homeopathic remedies.. "

Eskinasi and Wafer were part of a group of 15 healers who put on . "Brainscapes Healing. " concerts for audiences of only 50 people, who would wear headphones while lying down. The concerts got a boost when the Dutch magazine Onkruid (a journal of macrobiotic eating, homeopathy and vegetarianism) became a sponsor.

"People wanted more, so I put out the tape as a way they could recreate the experience at home.The Dutch label"Megazijn"(mega-being) initially put it out in 1992,but in 1995 it got signed by Cyberoctave music and rereleased with a new cover. But neither Jim nor I had any idea that it would become a hit.. "

Likewise, "Brainscapes" stands on its own as music that reaches deep into the listener and creates an inviting, entrancing path to take one beyond the everyday world, and far beyond music as pure entertainment. .