ATMAN PAGE 3 :
A review from one of their concerts : (Daily newspaper from Gdansk about Atman):
"The mystery of Sound"
"The C 14 Club in Gdansk is one of the most important institutions in Trojmiasto and the last mainstay of what we caned "art". Last Saturday there- was organised the show of the group named the Theatre of Sound ATMAN. There is no doubt that it was something more than only concert."
"On the verge of Aquarius Age"
"The posters stuck up in the pity informed. that Theatre of Sound ATMAN plays acoustically using various folk instruments from Europe and Asia. Such an information, the name of the group (in Sanskrit "atmant" means "spirit", "soul" although this notion has far more extensive connotation) and the group's logo which is the Never-ending Tangle of Life, the ancient Buddhist symbol all the signs gave me the imagination of what could be expected from this concert. That evening there was full house at the C 14 Club. Organiser prepared a wonderful (free) vegetarian dinner and hot tea. There was the stall with offside publications on Eastern philosophy, vegetarianism, animal liberation and deep ecology. The walls were covered with graffiti and posters marked "Freedom for Tibet". It was clear that we take part in non-profit undertaking. One could feel good vibrations, there was no doubt that we all are standing on the same side of front.
The concert has started. Step by step the sounds slowly began arising, so natural as the first sunlights do. Three men on the stage, with the Tibetan prayers flags hanging above to bless everybody invited us for a mystery. Through their playing the musicians evoke an atmosphere of moments like in "I Ching" . The musicians achieve an extremely high degree of integration between themselves as well as between them and audience. During the spectacle everybody takes part in one holistic structure as if it 'was the shamanistic ceremonial of primitive cults. At present in the age of spirituality degenerated culture of the West we need such an experience of Catharsis to, be able to' keep our state of mind in balance as well as to be aware of links connecting us with Nature. Seen in these terms ATMAN can be categorizing as belonging to the deep ecology movement which gains lately more and more adherents arnong the people aware of fact that prevailing technocracy leads toward the extermination of mankind and every fife on the Earth. The Theatre Of Sound ATMAN has been conducting its own "struggle for peace" for a long time because the group was formed at the end of seventies. Through all these years they tried to familiarize the Western culture with the highest values of the Eastern way of life, like many artists and scientists before: E. Swedenborg, N. Bohr, R- M. Rilke, H. Hesse, C. G. Jung, F. Capra, C. Wilson, J. Coltrane and others..."
Playlist from 930-1200 "Psyche Van het Folk" (2002?)
Earth Music from Poland, part 2 : ATMAN and (PROJEKT) KARPATY MAGICZNE.
Private (Fly) Atman : 'Gadajca ka'(1994),
tr.3, Midzy Ziemi a Niebem", 3 min
track 7,"Krg-Ruchomy"(->-1 min) 8 min
Private (Fly) Atman : "Brown Session"(1990),
*tr.1,"Forest Vibrations, part 2", 3 min
tr.4 "Frog,Birds, Cat and American Pie..", 7 min
*track 7, "Shadow", 6 min
Obuh Rec. Atman : 'Sounddreams'(1992/95),
tr.12 "The Wind (live 1994)" 9 min
Obuh Rec. Atman : "Theatre of Sound"(1993)
tr. « The End of philosophy »
Drunken Fish Atman : 'Personal Forest'(1993),
tr.6, "Green Wild Blood", 8 min
tr. 8, "The Talking Meadow"(live 1994). 9 min
Drunken Fish Atman : 'Tradition' (1999),
Tr. 1, "39 I Ching", 5 min
tr. 8, "Natural Landscapes (2)". 3 min
Fly Music Projekt Karpaty Magiczne (= The Magic Carpathians Project) :
Ethnicore (1999) : tr. 2,"Ethnocore" 3 min
tr. 3, « One Mother » (->-018) 11 min
tr.10, « Nagual Vydunas » 11 min
Obuh Records Karpaty Magiczne : Ksiga Utopii (2000) : tr.4, "Czas": 9 min
tr.5, "piewajce Misy"(fade out) 4 min
PS. : Private (Fly)/Atman : '"Jak Rozrzucune na ziemi kamienie"live',(1991) I did not play. I preferred to play more from the other albums. I believe this item has been reissued on LP later (300 of them). And Private (Fly) Atman : 'Gadajca ka 2'(1995) I only did not play because of the limitations in time. For the rest I think I have a complete list of Atman's product except for a recent single. The missing single I bought later. It was not unmissable for the collection.
The reissues from Personal Forest & Tradition are much more interesting than the tapes. The LP from Personal Forest is interesting however, but the added tracks on the CD are very good, and fitted perfectly.
The style of the Magic Carpathians is in some way a development of the style of Atman into new or wider territories, seen within a wider range of possibilities. The are some electronic details, a few samples added. Some tracks are in a very ritualistic mood. Other tracks are even danceable, which might make this interesting for a very young dance-public too.
Personal Value
· * OK, worth mentioning
· ** Good
· *** Very Good
· **** Splendid, recommended
· ***** Unmissable, a classic
· ° upgraded for some reasons
· ' may be to upgrade (I might change this after many hearings)
Atman : "Brown Session"(1990) ****
Atman : '"Jak Rozrzucune na ziemi kamienie"live',(1991) *
Atman : 'Sounddreams'(1992/95) *
Atman : "Theatre of Sound"(1993) ****'
Atman : 'Personal Forest'(1993) ****°
Atman : 'Gadajca ka'(1994) **
Atman : 'Gadajca ka 2'(1995) **
Atman : 'Tradition' (1999) ***°
Projekt Karpaty Magiczne : Ethnicore (1999) **
Karpaty Magiczne : Ksiga Utopii (2000) **
Allmost all tracks I played in the radio program receive ****
Both CD's from Drunken Fish Records are recommended.
I think both Karpaty Magiczne's cd's are very interesting for ethno-trance and Goa-or whatever listeners or dancers too. I hope the Drunken Fish label will give out one day the valuable "The Brown Sessions" too.
*Lollipop Shop Rec. distr. Fr.Ebertstr.103, 42549 Velbert, Germany ;
Pobox 460640 San Francisco CA 94146, USA
*Atman : "The Atelier", ul.Piastowska 5, 33-300 Nowy Sacz, Poland.
more specific links will be added here a bit later in february.
