A tropical island is for many the very idea of a paradise on earth. It is a dream about white sandy beaches, clear blue water, palm trees and endless holidays. And if you add a dolphin or two, the image of paradise is complete.
Based on this it is easy to understand why tropical islands are also a frequent theme in new age music. Many of the genre’s most popular artists have created albums with this theme (Medwyn Goodall, David Arkenstone and Deuter to name a few). It is almost like a new age music sub genre. The Nexion Project also has released an album with this theme, which now is available as a digital download for the first time. It is entitled The Isle of Freedom. Here The Nexion Project is as good as any of the before mentioned artists; it might even take the island theme to the next level.
The mastermind behind The Nexion Project is Hungarian Torok Zoltan. There currently are 16 albums released under the The Nexion Project name (see the discography here). Zoltan’s style is somewhere between chill out and new age; it has the classy lounge style of DJ Claude Challe’s Buddha Bar series and the deep, intense emotions of Michael Cretu’s Enigma. It is really like a bridge between two different genres. I must also mention that every album and every song have a sound design that is nothing but impressive; there is this attention to details that you just have to experience yourself.
The Isle of Freedom starts slowly. It is the dawn of the album, and you can almost see how the sun is slowly rising over the tropical paradise, and the day’s first sunlight is glittering in the ocean. Track two, The Hills over the Town, is like an instant classic in the island theme genre. It has a very satisfying build up, a catchy piano melody, strings and great guitar solo conclusion. Marvelous!
From here on you are taken on an expedition around the dream island. You get to see the Flowers (track three), Morning Forest (track five) and enjoy the Dusk – End Sequence (track ten). There is also an Enigma reference in the titles: Towards the Towers of Wisdom (track six). It is the Gravity Of Love lyrics: The path of excess leads to the tower of Wisdom. All Enigma fans will love this Nexion Project track, with its great sample use and dramatic, highly melodic segments.
The Hills over the Town is like an instant classic in the island theme genre. It has a very satisfying build up, a catchy piano melody, strings and great guitar solo conclusion. Marvelous!
Is it possible to make something that already is perfect, like the dream of a tropical island, even better? Yes, the Nexion Project’s The Isle of Freedom is a proof of this. It takes the island theme to the next level, creating a dream sphere that is both relaxing and energizing at the same time.
It is everything and more, just like paradise itself.
Sample the album on CDBaby