Spotted Peccary Music is thrilled to announce the 20th anniversary release of TIBET by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher, completely remastered and remixed, finally presenting this masterful work as it was originally envisioned – a total immersive experience of being in the land above the clouds.
This richly textured musical sojourn beautifully inspires through the blending of electronic and acoustic instruments with traditional Tibetan percussion, instruments, and actual on-site recordings of sounds and prayers intoned by the peoples indigenous to that geographic region.
Now after 20 years, these eight original compositions have been realized in their fullest potential with the help of modern technology not available when the project was first released. Deborah states, “In listening to the remastered and Atmos versions of this very special project, I realized that the music not only transported me back to the land and peoples, but it instilled in me the fact that I never really left.” Cheryl adds: “TIBET was then and remains now a transcendent experience of remarkable personal growth and creative expression, an unforgettable experience of fire and ice, seamlessly combining the hellish uncertainty of life in Tibet with unfettered light filled bliss of said life in equal measures.”
To truly recapture the essence of this project, mix engineer Todd Boston painstakingly reconstructed each track, hand percussion, shakers, drums, bowls, harp, synth elements, live recordings, atmospherics, and remixed the work for the immersive space. A stereo remaster was then completed finalizing the total audio presentation. The resulting experience is an amazing sonic portrayal of the feeling of being present in this tumultuous land at an auspicious moment in time.
This is a deeply visceral experience of Tibet in all its authentic and stark rugged intensity, its cultural solidarity in difficult times and its dark paradoxes contrasting its ethereal remoteness and dramatic spiritual reflection.
To sample tracks or purchase click here
If you would like a signed copy by artist Deborah Martin you can order direct from her from the wizardscache.com site. Click the PayPal link on the right side bar. The cost plus shipping is $20 per CD and make sure to includes your name and present mailing address at the PayPal sight.
Reviews:
Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher — Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster)
(Spotted Peccary SPM-9052, 2004/2024, CD / DL)
Review by Peter Thelen, Expose. Published 2024-10-22
One may not remember, but on its original release around twenty years ago, Tibet received glowing praise in its original review in the printed edition of Exposé #30. I went back and gave the original a fresh listen before approaching this 20th Anniversary Remaster, and engineer Todd Boston, with the aid of mastering tools that weren’t available at the time (Dolby Atmos Immersive Space) and a fresh remix, has made the original recording significantly better in the clarity department — every sound has been meticulously reconstructed and presented with a fresh vision. The genesis of the project by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher (Madhavi Devi) was one of discovery: Travel to Nepal and Tibet to find inspiration in the land far above the clouds, with an audio recorder in hand, and compose music that as accurately as possible reflects that experience. The eight pieces at hand are the result, with both credited with electronics and samples. Gallagher also plays Camac electric harp, acoustic grand harp, and ethnic hand percussion; Martin is credited with Tibetan bowls, cymbals, drums and bells, ceremonial conch shells, Taos drums, hand percussion, and sound environs. Guests include Howard Givens, who offers electronics and ambient guitar textures on a couple tracks, David Helpling playing djembe on one cut, Mark Rownd with Taos drums on one piece, and Mark Hunton playing flute on the closing track, “Procession,” as well as live on-location sound recordings of Sherpas, nuns, monks, and other ephemera. With the opening cut, “Palace,” the scene is set with synths, powerful and delicate percussives and seemingly angelic voices from on high; midway through the piece a pulsating cadence pulls everything forward and eventually brings the listener back to a world of shimmering spatial beauty. “Glacier” is a stark and beautiful piece that conjures up solitude and loneliness. The bells that ring in “Morning in Tibet” are a vital link in connecting the music at hand to a place and time, while “Essence” offers a floating ambient backdrop to dreamlike waves of scintillating beauty. Perhaps the most noteworthy track is the closer, “Procession,” where many of the field recordings come to life, working within the mostly textural backing track, to bring the listener ever closer to the experience of being there.
Review by Pietro (Igloo Magazine) editor@igloomag.com
In 1999 Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher took a trip to Tibet to experience, first hand, the majesty, beauty and spirit of the “Land above the clouds.” Tibet has some of the world’s tallest mountains, Mount Everest is located on the border with Nepal, every mountain has a god guarding it and these gods differ, inspiring sound-spaces reflective of mystical vibrations. Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher’s hope is that these musical impressions will take you, the listener, on the same imaginative and magical journey to Tibet that they experienced.
From the liner notes, originally released January 1, 2004: “Tibet is known as the land above the clouds. The album Tibet is a richly textured and highly emotive musical sojourn that takes the listener on a journey that is perfect for meditation, contemplation, deep listening and spiritual thought and practice. Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher have composed a work of beauty and majesty mixing traditional Tibetan percussion and Taos drums, harps and electronics with samples of authentic Tibetan prayers intoned by residents of this ruggedly awe-inspiring country.”
Instrumentally, what you will hear is Deborah Martin on electronics and samples, Tibetan bells, bowls, drums, cymbals, ceremonial conch shell, Taos drums, various ethnic hand percussion and sound environs, with Cheryl Gallagher on electronics and samples, Camac electric harp, acoustic grand harp, various ethnic hand percussion, also Howard Givens on selective electronics and ambient guitar textures on “Glacier” and “Procession,” Mark Hunton on flute in the track “Procession,” as well as the location sound recordings, Mark Rownd on Taos drum on “Glacier,” and David Helpling on the African drum known as the djembe in “Seeker and Sought.” All recordings of Sherpas and Tibetan monks and nuns were recorded on site at various locations throughout Tibet and Nepal.
The name of the djembe comes from the saying “Anke djé, anke bé” which translates to “everyone gather together in peace” and defines the drum’s purpose. A djembe is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from the Bambara people in Mali, West Africa.
Taking this all to the next level, to truly recapture the essence of this project, Immersive Audio mix engineer Todd Boston had to painstakingly reconstruct each track, hand percussion, shakers, drums, bowls, harp, synth elements, live recordings, atmospherics, and remix the work for the Atmos immersive space. A stereo remaster was then completed finalizing the total audio presentation.
Immersive audio is an emerging technology that allows a multi-dimensional approach to audio storytelling. By utilizing new audio production tools award winning audio producer Todd Boston at Spatial Sound Studios can bring these new sounds to listeners in an expanded sonic field that goes beyond traditional surround sound, and you can hear it using ordinary headphones or earbuds. While “surround sound” exists in a horizontal plane around the listener, “immersive audio” is designed to produce a fully immersive experience where audio is perceived as coming from all around you including the dimension of space above. What I heard was that amazing sense of location as well as very unique layering, all around.
This new sense of sonic place is awesome. Deborah states, “In listening to the remastered and Immersive Audio versions of this very special and deeply personal project, I realized that the music not only transported me back to the land and peoples, but it instilled in me the fact that I never really left. It is still a part of who I am now and will always remain.”
Cheryl Gallagher reflects, “While enveloped in the rich flowing textures of each track’s deep Immersive Audio soundfield, listening to those authentically powerful drums brought back to life, those sweet and steady devotional voices manifesting out of the ethers of the past, listening to this album TIBET – 20th Anniversary Remaster re-engineered into compelling multidimensional forms became a truly transcendental experience. Hearing that otherworldly music after so many years, I was brought to poignant tears with rolling waves of awakened memory, as if an intricate Tibetan sand mandala blown away 20 years ago reassembled before me. (Best. Flashbacks. Ever!)”
My submersive sonic rides into the gigantic mountain landscapes of Tibet have consistently left me in awe, savoring the weaving ornate tapestries, each of the individual instruments appear to be isolated in darkness so that these tiny details become bigger, all heard through these newly enhanced 3D ears. Tibet’s Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Thus, each song tells a new story from the journey, there are enchanting voices, a striking orchestral mix from Tibet and symphonic synth with hand percussion, so very fluid, and atmospheric electronics, a very rich fiesta of imagery taking place in a whole new way.
Emerging majestically, “Palace” (7:43), the title makes me think of the old perfect buildings unique to the region, dreaming of just being in the palace, the place of the people, and feeling that sense of architecture and history. Such large residential buildings with multiple windows that are constructed to let in the best sunlight and built on elevated, sunny sites facing the south, and are often made out of a mixture of rocks, wood, cement and earth. I hear a spinning box of jewels bright against the darkness, the tempo locks in and builds into a gigantic ancient structure, we are going into the palace, there are the people chanting, the drummers, the regal horns, a blasting bass with gongs and frame drums, lots of instruments rotating colors and patterns weaving and transitioning.
After a warm fade in, on winds and a teasing celestial choir, the track “Glacier” (6:51) travels, the tempo settles into the pace of camels walking on and on in a line on an ice trail, always getting more interesting, bringing new instruments and new variations in the repetitive patterns. Mark Rownd can be heard on Taos drum and Howard Givens on selective electronics and ambient guitar textures. Under a mountain sky, glaciers are mostly ice and very old, the procession of ceremonial dancers and the spirit of cold, here we all know that the glaciers are melting again.
With horns glowing awake from the universal silence into long tones from huge horns, “Morning in Tibet” (5:24) there is a calm, strong sense of hope and confidence. Imagine the mountains catching the sun’s rays slowly awakening the heavenly host in the sky above. Do I hear the whole village singing? Perhaps just for a moment, within new textures and unique instruments, a new tempo takes us even higher, soaring into a haunting gamelon beat.
Now to fade in, we are in a cave with water, mostly silence with tiny noises. This is the “Essence” (7:12), opening into a rising glow and clear dripping water, the synth glow takes over, sustained tones are blending in different ways with rattling things out in the distance, while the dawn keeps going with brighter drones, they hold there and then slowly fade, to be rekindled and expanding again, harps and tiny metal chimes, wispy winds on the ocean and an electric organ sunrise, slowly building into the big echoey floating fade out.
We are in a quiet cave of darkness, fade in a drone and chaos wind, “Seeker and Sought” (7:04), featuring David Helpling on Djembe. The djembe can produce a wide variety of sounds, making it an extremely versatile drum. The drum can be very loud, allowing it to be heard clearly as a solo instrument over a large percussion ensemble, which also adds to the more subtle textures. Now the women are chanting while the tones shift and bang together from time to time, we are floating in beams of shadow colors, the tempo takes form and we are moving at a steady pace now getting slightly faster. The djembe keeps things going during a momentary pause, now the atmosphere has coasted to a slow stop and the chanting voices and chimes merge, until the wind is all that remains.
Departing with a soft slow moment that fades in, glowing synth tones get stronger as we are “Leaving Shigatze” (5:12). In the physical world, it takes about three hours to travel between Lhasa and Shigatse by train. Lhasa contains a number of significant temples and monasteries, including Jokhang and Ramoche Temple. It is possible to get back to Lhasa within the same day by train. Musically, the distance is mere magical minutes, we have another dawn and new lands to see, with the ancient drums speaking of a living tradition, building a steady complex tempo against a harp. This becomes a regal procession, everyone moving in a slow deliberate pace and manner, a succession of interesting sounds mixing symphonically with exotic traditional instruments, bringing something new every few steps as the procession proceeds.
There is a mountain village, “Eklabatti” (6:16) a settlement in Nepal, the music starts building from the spooky windy place into a new awakening, following a path that traces riverbanks into oak, birch, and pine hills, past villages and a popular Hindu temple. At first I hear a flute calling in the night, another is answering, the wind picks up and the feeling is very slow and calming, perhaps the darkness is slowly lifting. We proceed, step by step, a camel caravan drum beat, they are getting closer. In the end, the winds blow but the darkness does not lift, the atmosphere is calm and respectful.
With Mark Hunton and Howard Givens, the concluding track opens as the winds fade in, becoming roaring mountain winds, “Procession” (10:11) brings together drums bells big horns, at times all making sound together, some places are quite ruckus, parts offer a succession of people doing different chants, some with urgency and some blank faced at other times. Tibetan vultures are mentioned in the accompanying 20-page booklet, perhaps that is what I am hearing, tones drone and expand while the action calls and flaps about. At other times I might hear some sounds of Tibetan cowboys herding animals in the mountains, calling and whistling mixed in with the warming synth, subtle classical guitar trills and proud electronic flute layers, we are descending the mountain in full glory and the women are chanting rapidly, the people are chanting again, speaking together in a mindful cadence, I have no idea what they are saying. There are shifting columns of tones layering into a quilt of sunset colors, a man chanting prayers becomes a procession of voices, until the strange struggling calls fade out.
Deborah Martin pursues her passion of exploring the depths of thematic composition through the process of creative layering of structured studio recorded compositions and live recordings of instruments, blending them into a world of ambient electronic expression. Her music sensibilities enable her to combine scenic melodies, rich symphonic sounds and rhythmic structures to recreate the delicate balance of life in its many surroundings. Deborah’s Spotted Peccary releases include Under the Moon (20th Anniversary Remastered), Deep Roots Hidden Water (2010), Ancient Power (with Steve Gordon, 1998), Convergence (with Greg Klamt & Mark Rownd, 2002), Anno Domini (with J. Arif Verner, 2007), Between Worlds (Erik Wøllo, 2009), Etched Into Memory EP (2016), Eye of the Wizard (2015), Hemispherica Portalis (Portal of 1000 Years) (with Dean De Benedictis as Desensitized, 2020), The Silence Of Grace (with Jill Haley, 2021), Chaos In Premonition [Firestimo Mutato] (with Dean De Benedictis as Desensitized, 2022), and Kinishba (2024).
Review by Steve Mecca – Nov 24 2024
Rated:
What comes to mind when you think of Tibet? The seat of Buddhism? The true home of the Dalai Lama? The occupation and annexation of the People’s Republic of China? Mount Everest? The highest region in the world (with an average elevation of 14,000 feet)? All of these are true but Tibet has always had a mystical aura that is not easily defined. While many know of its remote location, few will ever get to visit Tibet so travel videos may have to suffice, but even they cannot convey the real atmosphere of being there. This work by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher does much to bring into fruition the mystique that has entranced explorers and hardy international travelers about Tibet over many years.
Twenty years ago, Martin and Gallagher released ‘Tibet’ to rave reviews (except for one idiot on Amazon) but technology has changed much over the years so a remaster was necessary for this groundbreaking album. The album was completely remastered and remixed for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, finally presenting the work as it was originally envisioned- a total immersive experience of being in a land above the clouds. To truly recapture the essence of this project, Atmos mix engineer Todd Boston had to painstakingly reconstruct each track, hand percussion, shakers, drums bowls, harp, synth elements, live recordings, atmospherics, and remix the work for Atmos immersive space. Although I have never heard the 2004 original, the resulting experience is an amazing sonic portrayal of the feeling of being present in this tumultuous land at an auspicious moment in time.
Throughout the 8 simply titled tracks (“Palace,” “Glacier,” “Morning in Tibet,” “Essence,” “Seeker and Sought,” “Leaving Shigatse,” “Eklabati,” “Procession”) There is drama, majesty, pathos, mystery, plenty of atmosphere, and of course, a deeply visceral spiritual experience. Most of all though, this is an AMBIENT work, in the sense that it differs from a soundtrack by not having well-defined melodic themes, and/or a particular story program. If you can appreciate the impressionistic scheme that Martin and Gallagher convey, you will absolutely love this. As for sonic quality, – absolutely superb, never better, and the final track is absolutely mind-blowing.
Review by Steve Sheppard
When I need a sanctuary to rest a while in, I usually turn to the East and gaze towards the magical realms and meditative bliss of places like Tibet, I have a lot of time and respect for Buddhist traditions, unlike some western belief systems they are free from overwhelming dogma, threats of eternal damnation and infinite suffering for nonsensical crimes, and thus a rare beauty, a perception, of blissful tranquillity, a calm and a oneness can be found, and here on Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster) by Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher, we have that in all its glory.
I can only imagine what it must be like to have your works re-worked some twenty years later, here the artists must have felt each drum beat, each chime and tone still to this day with such great clarity. The opening piece gives me that ambiance with ease and is simply called Palace. A gentle progression I have not heard the like from an electronic musician since Thom Brennan on his seminal album Mountains.
The entire 8 track release is a step into a world that is in perfect harmony with its surroundings, both Martin and Gallagher capture that atmospheric spirit with ease on pieces like the mysterious and moving opus of Morning In Tibet, a sparkling home spun reverie containing wondrous electronic wizardry, and ethereal vocalisations, and also on compositions like the transcendent Seeker and Sought, a powerful, yet still meditative manifestation that brings us pristine musicianship, and also that aforementioned sanctuary of the soul we all so readily desire.
The location is captured splendidly on Eklabatti, a snow driven arrangement with a true indigenous feel to its progression. One can also enjoy the bells and chimes of the region, at my age I doubt that I will ever be able to visit this stunning site, but at least through breath-taking albums like this from Martin and Gallagher I can do so vicariously thought the music.
The entire project is concluded via the medium of the last track called Procession, a delicious long form creation that one can literally float like an eagle upon the thermals of a timeless reverie of serenity with. A river of energy flows from this piece, and in doing so manifests a musical moment of sublime mastery like I have never heard before, for me, this is exactly what truly great electronic based music should sound like, this last work I got lost within and never wanted to return, kudos for the inclusion of pertinent natural sounds too.
Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster) by Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher is an influential release that commands respect, its soft and creative journey is simply remarkable. A huge tip of the hat must also go to Howard Givens, Mark Hunton, Mark Rowland and David Helpling whose musical contributions were a pleasure to be enjoy, and one must also not forget the tireless work Todd Boston with his engineers hat on in this case.
Tibet (20th Anniversary Remaster) by Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher is an album that should never be forgotten, it is a timeless pastiche of peace and harmony, a tonal universe of electronic music and added instrumentation, that manifested for me one of the finest releases I have heard in this genre for years, and thus should be a guaranteed hit and perhaps even more!
Library Bookwatch: November 2024
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
Spotted Peccary Music is thrilled to announce the 20th anniversary release of TIBET by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher, completely remastered and remixed for Dolby Atmos and Spatial audio, finally presenting this masterful work as it was originally envisioned – a total immersive experience of being in the land above the clouds.
This richly textured musical sojourn beautifully inspires through the blending of electronic and acoustic instruments with traditional Tibetan percussion, instruments, and actual on-site recordings of sounds and prayers intoned by the peoples indigenous to that geographic region.
Now after 20 years, these eight original compositions have been realized in their fullest potential with the help of modern technology not available when the project was first released. Deborah states, “In listening to the remastered and Atmos versions of this very special project, I realized that the music not only transported me back to the land and peoples, but it instilled in me the fact that I never really left.” Cheryl adds: “TIBET was then and remains now a transcendent experience of remarkable personal growth and creative expression, an unforgettable experience of fire and ice, seamlessly combining the hellish uncertainty of life in Tibet with unfettered light filled bliss of said life in equal measures.”
To truly recapture the essence of this project, Atmos mix engineer Todd Boston had to painstakingly reconstruct each track, hand percussion, shakers, drums, bowls, harp, synth elements, live recordings, atmospherics, and remix the work for the Atmos immersive space. A stereo remaster was then completed finalizing the total audio presentation. The resulting experience is an amazing sonic portrayal of the feeling of being present in this tumultuous land at an auspicious moment in time.
This is a deeply visceral experience of Tibet in all its authentic and stark rugged intensity, its cultural solidarity in difficult times and its dark paradoxes contrasting its ethereal remoteness and dramatic spiritual reflection.
A top-selling award-winning artist on the Spotted Peccary Music label, Deborah Martin continues pursuing her passion of exploring the depths of thematic composition through the process of creative layering of structured studio recorded compositions and live recordings of instruments, blending them into a world of ambient electronic expression. Her music sensibilities enable her to combine scenic melodies, rich symphonic sounds and rhythmic structures to recreate the delicate balance of life in its many surroundings. Deborah’s releases include Under the Moon, Deep Roots Hidden Water, Ancient Power, Convergence, Anno Domini, Between Worlds, Etched Into Memory (EP), Eye of the Wizard, Hemispherica Portalis (Portal of 1000 Years), The Silence Of Grace, Chaos In Premonition [Firestimo Mutato], and Kinishba.
Electronic musician, harpist, and meditative sound painter Cheryl Gallagher (Madhavi Devi) produces and performs music with intention towards supernal inner growth and development, composing inspiring sound-spaces reflective of mystical vibrations and light from the center of being. Her critically acclaimed releases feature rich textures and nuanced melodic structures that are evocatively moving and intimate, and yet celestial in scope. Nature sounds, various acoustic percussive elements, and subtly crafted electronic sub-components all add eloquence to her sonic palette and choreography. With several releases over the last couple decades, Cheryl Gallagher continues to explore her innate sensitivities towards musical conversation, evolving sound as a vital connection to personal discovery. Cheryl’s other releases include Source of Compassion, The Truth of Being, and The Celestial Expanse.