The album “To Invoke The Clouds” by queer flautist Roy Amotz from Jerusalem is an invitation to a spiritual journey through a contemplative soundscape. A meditative space for finding peace.
The Berlin-based artist interprets i.a. pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach – with the sweet sound of the baroque flute –, contemporary works by Tōru Takemitsu and Jōji Yuasa – inspired by the Japanese shakuhachi flute with its airy, raw sound – and pieces by Giacinto Scelsi as well as Tristan Murail, with the rounded sound of the golden modern Western flute.
Bnaya Halperin-Kaddari was commissioned to compose “Ivsha” especially for this album. As the only piece featuring electronically generated sounds, it merges music – incorporating field recordings of Weddell seals – with the sound of airflow. Towards the end of the album, this opens up a completely new dimension – with a piece that consciously leads into the Bach prelude.
The title track “To Invoke The Clouds” by John Thow is inspired by the rain ritual of the Hopi – indigenous people from northeastern Arizona – and serves as a meeting point between times and cultures. The tracks of the album intersect, forming a sound collage in which the individual pieces unfold their own identities while merging into a unified whole. These compositions, created by different people at different times and in different regions, come together here – and something new emerges.
In the same way, this album is a plea for diversity, tolerance – and sensuality! A call for a new community in which less obvious dimensions of reality are illuminated – and inspire a sensual and spiritual connection that makes it possible to live together in peace and harmony. With each other and with nature. More information can be found here.