# do you guys like new age music?



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

I remenber back in the days it was hip, like in the 80-90 ,stuff like kitaro, do you guys know relatively well this kind of music?

Seem like the genra that fade away, they dosen make music like this anymore , yet it felt relaxing, what do you guys think of this ,what are the best new artists from the 80 and 90, nowaday what been made.

in the 80'' there use to be hudge section of new age racks in record store now it dosen exist anymore perriod what happen?? 

have a nice days :tiphat:


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

It depends. 
Some of it I do like and some don't. I listen to some artists like Vangelis and Yanni that are considered also to be new age although they don't call themselves new age. Certanly, they have some compositions or even albums that could be qualified as new age, but to me it's more important quality of music than the name of the genre. 
New age can be sometimes very sterile, boring and simply not musically enough original or challenging for me to listen to it. So, it's more important to me that musician has a talent for what he is doing no matter how would we name that genre. 
These are some compositions that could be like a crossover of progressive/new age/neoclassical:
Vangelis - Heaven and Hell
Vangelis - Tears in Rain
Vangelis - Rachel's Song
Vangelis - La petite fille de la mer
Yanni - One Man's Dream
Yanni - Keys to Imagination
Yanni - So Long My Friend
Yanni - Point of Origin
Yanni - Adagio in C Minor

The main question is can I actually feel some kind of music. Those stuff I posted above I can actually feel very much and I love to listen to it no matter what anyone else think about those stuff or those musicians. 
The most of new age that is made basically for relaxation I can't feel. It's too sterile to me. I can listen to it if I want to fall asleep or if I feel too tense. For something like that it is perfect, but for listening and emotional experience... not so much. 
That's why I don't like Ludovico Einaudi for example... he is so 'safe' and boring and tasteless new age composer that it's hard for me to listen to his predictable piano harmonies.

Actually, I wouldn't say that new age music died. Far from that. Youtube is filled with this kind of stuff:





It's nice and relaxing, but that is it's purpose. I don't listen to stuff like that unless I feel truly screwed. People are more and more into such music and more and more people I know are also into meditation and other spiritual stuff. Since this world became stressful and many diseases and human behavior that came with modern way of life started to destroy human's psyche and overall health and this capitalist world seems pretty much sick, soulless and merciless and tries to turn us into slaves of the worst conventional behavior, people more and more are doing everything to escape that, so something like new age, relaxing or spiritual music won't die soon... if ever anymore.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I can't say I've dipped my toes in the water all that often so I'm not going to demean it, especially as it covers a wide spectrum of styles, some of which could be, or was, considered avant-garde. I can't say the more accessible, aromatherapy salon-friendly 'misty Celtic mountain' offerings from the likes of Enya (who doesn't consider herself a New-Age artist, by the way...) have ever done anything for me, though. And as for the mind-cleaning de-stressing process, I prefer silence to something like whale song any day.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

The folks who recorded for Windham Hill helped me through some hard emotional times. Music that massaged away the pain.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

'Return to Innocence' by Enigma — I was 14 years old in 1994 when this single was released in Canada. I remember initially liking it, but grew to detest it (as I did anything 'new age') as I got older. There was a big market for this sort of thing back then but it has, thankfully, retreated into the shadows.


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

The genre itself should not be a problem. The problem is mostly in particular bands and artists who suck or don't suck. 
Even when people ask me for thousands of times what music and genres I like I always have trouble to answer to that. I mostly say: well, I like pop-rock... with additions of folk-country-blues-gospel... I also like some of new age, film music, some of classical music, etc.
I always loved particular bands or artists and not genres as whole. Also, not all albums of certain artists are equally great or bad. 
But I do generally dislike some of genres and I don't even try to start to like them. Metal and hip-hop for example are dead to me. Trip-hop is something else... I can find interesting stuff there, but those 'angry' music for teens is simply not for me. It all sounds same to me. 

I remember 'Return to Innocence'.. I think it's fine and interesting composition, but generally, I don't like Enigma much. 

Also, considering Enya... some 20 years ago I did like her. She is likeable, but unfortunatelly, there isn't much behind those fancy little melodies and sweet arrangements and IMO that's really music for kids. Nothing wrong with that. 

I prefer Loreena McKennitt, especially her The Visit album... not so crazy about her other albums. The Visit is really interesting and etheric mix of old celtic songs and some Loreena's own songs. What I also do like considering that album is that it does not sound juvenile like many other goth/celtic music today where they add all that pompous drama and mix some metal with it... I find that pretty much shallow and not because of the attempt to mix those genres, but because of the vibe that's always the same and because of predictable, dramatic and empty compositions.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I haven't heard enough of it to make any personal judgment. John Tesh is nice to listen to.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I own a few albums that may be considered New Age, but they usually have more going on that makes them more interesting and involving than most New Age. More of a New Age/prog/jazz combination.

While Vangelis moved more into new age later in his career, Heaven and Hell and Albedo 0.39 are pretty much in the prog genre.

Shadofax became one of Windham Hill's darlings, started out as a pretty fiery prog/fusion band. Listen to a copy of their first release on Passport records years before they were signed to Windham Hill. It is more like 'Happy the Man' meets 'Mahavishnu Orchestra'. But even their Windham Hill stuff, although more sedate, still had more interesting stuff going on than is usually associated with the new age. 

I have a few more electronic albums like Tangerine Dream, the aforementioned Kitaro, Klaus Schulz, Neu, that many may consider new age, but I don't believe belong in that genre. They were more experimental.


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