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Carlos
- crystal bowls, zither, tabla
LeAnn
- flutes, voice, bowls, zither
Carlos
- crystal bowls, zither, tabla
LeAnn
- flutes, voice, bowls, zither
» genre:
World >
World General
» location:
LeAnn Eriksson
» label: unsigned
» for fans of: Steven Halpern, Ravi Shankar, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Laraaji, Deva Premal & Miten, Dead Can Dance, David Hykes, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Brian Eno, Klaus Wiese, Prem Joshua
:: tags
altered state
bowl
chill-out
crystal
flute
hang
hemi-sync
meditation
minimal
relaxation
tabla
voice
zen
zither
Carlos Michael and LeAnn Eriksson, as Wavegarden, play unusual, powerful sounds using crystal singing bowls, hanghang, various kinds of flutes, waveharps, voice, and tabla and other percussion.
Wavegarden concerts are full-body experiences. Human bodies, made up of over 70% water, resonate with the vibrations from the bowls and go into a nearly involuntary relaxed state. The bowls also have a strong effect on the brain, not only slowing its activity into alpha or theta wave patterns, but also putting it into a state called "hemi-sync", meaning that waves from the two hemispheres are synchronized.
This state of mind and body is an invitation for our audiences to allow space into their lives, for whatever they need...healing, personal growth, spiritual exploration, or simply better sleep at night.
Wavegarden music is hard to put into a genre...ambient, chill-out, folk, tango, Indian, Celtic, rock and pop have all made their mark on us as musicians...and "New Age" feels limiting. Many crystal bowl players work with sounds only for vibrational healing. Our sounds are musical as well as relaxing.
This music is best listened to with good headphones or a high-end audio system. Don't try it while driving!
Wavegarden concerts are full-body experiences. Human bodies, made up of over 70% water, resonate with the vibrations from the bowls and go into a nearly involuntary relaxed state. The bowls also have a strong effect on the brain, not only slowing its activity into alpha or theta wave patterns, but also putting it into a state called "hemi-sync", meaning that waves from the two hemispheres are synchronized.
This state of mind and body is an invitation for our audiences to allow space into their lives, for whatever they need...healing, personal growth, spiritual exploration, or simply better sleep at night.
Wavegarden music is hard to put into a genre...ambient, chill-out, folk, tango, Indian, Celtic, rock and pop have all made their mark on us as musicians...and "New Age" feels limiting. Many crystal bowl players work with sounds only for vibrational healing. Our sounds are musical as well as relaxing.
This music is best listened to with good headphones or a high-end audio system. Don't try it while driving!
NEWS
February, 2009
Our biggest news for 2009 is that we have begun collaborating with several hang players. We're inspired by the magical sounds of the hang, and it fits in perfectly with our instruments. We'll be playing some gigs in Europe with Arne Frercks in late March and April, and then flying to the US for concerts in New York, Michigan, and California in June and July. Watch our events calendar for all details.
Our latest CD, "Live in Berlin" has just been released and is available for download via iTunes. It's a collaboration with Laraaji and was recorded live at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin in May, 2008.
We have been in the studio several times in recent months, so quite a bit of new material will be coming down the pipeline soon!
Summer, 2008
We reconnected with Laraaji in Berlin in late May for some recording and a concert. The first track from that collaboration, "First Journey," is a 22-minute sound collage put together from our first hour in the studio. We expect to have a live CD ready soon with highlights of the concert at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche. For photos of that event, see our web site.
We also had fun meeting new friends and playing in some lovely yoga centers in Düsseldorf and Freiburg in June. Thanks to Alexandra Clara Giray with Joyful Events for setting up all of our recent concerts in Germany!
Late June found us in California, where we had fun meeting Bashar (many thanks to Darryl and April) and catching up with old friends in LA and Berkeley. We had a wonderful week at Harbin Hot Springs and were happy to be able to play a concert in the beautiful energy of the Temple while there. It was a surprise to us and to the audience when one of our biggest bowls suddenly imploded during the performance--talk about high energy!
After soaking in some of the world's best natural energy in northern California and southern Oregon, especially among the big redwoods, we flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where we are enjoying summer and creating new material. It looks like we'll be back in California and then on to NYC in September/October, and back in Germany in November.
May, 2008
We've been back on the road some these past weeks in May, first to the Rainbow Spirit Festival in Baden-Baden, where we played as guests of Laraaji and Phil Gruber. What a great festival! We were able to take in the music of Deva Premal and Miten, Satya and Pari, Krishna Das, Prem Joshua, and many others, and the vibes at the event were beautiful. We're just back now from Berlin, where we had a couple of concerts and did some recording in the last week. Both concerts and the day spent recording were exciting for us, as we tried out new material and flowed in sound with Laraaji. We got some great material in the studio, and we may also be able to put together a live CD from the recording at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche. Watch this space and our web site for new clips, photos, and possibly video soon.
We'll be playing three more concerts in Germany in June, and then we'll fly to the US for some time over the summer. We expect to play in the eastern US in September/October, and then more in Europe in November. If you'd like to experience Wavegarden live, drop us a line and we'll see whether the flow wants to go in your direction!
February, 2008
We had an incredible time in India in January, mostly in Varanasi studying tabla and bansuri. Many thanks to our teachers and everyone there who made it a special time. Special thanks to Stuart Forster, who spent several hours shooting photos of us on our last day in Varanasi. The black and white shot of us on our main page is his, and there will be more soon on our web site. Stuart's site is www.whyeyephotography.com and his work is stunning!
We had the immense priviledge of spending 36 hours in Agra, including a sunset and sunrise at the Taj Mahal. It must be the most beautiful place on earth, and the level of pure love vibration there feels so high it might almost be visible to the naked eye! The acoustics inside the building itself are pure magic. One of our dreams is to record there.
Carlos continues to play in new ways on our zithers, and what we learned in India is having a big impact on our sounds. We are looking forward to a collaboration with Laraaji on zithers and percussion and vocalist Dominique Lacasa at a concert on May 30 in Berlin. We are planning to put together a joint track or two via the miracles of digital technology and the internet during the next month (Laraaji is in New York City). For the next few months, we expect to be mostly in Bonn, with some trips to Berlin.
Our biggest news for 2009 is that we have begun collaborating with several hang players. We're inspired by the magical sounds of the hang, and it fits in perfectly with our instruments. We'll be playing some gigs in Europe with Arne Frercks in late March and April, and then flying to the US for concerts in New York, Michigan, and California in June and July. Watch our events calendar for all details.
Our latest CD, "Live in Berlin" has just been released and is available for download via iTunes. It's a collaboration with Laraaji and was recorded live at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin in May, 2008.
We have been in the studio several times in recent months, so quite a bit of new material will be coming down the pipeline soon!
Summer, 2008
We reconnected with Laraaji in Berlin in late May for some recording and a concert. The first track from that collaboration, "First Journey," is a 22-minute sound collage put together from our first hour in the studio. We expect to have a live CD ready soon with highlights of the concert at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche. For photos of that event, see our web site.
We also had fun meeting new friends and playing in some lovely yoga centers in Düsseldorf and Freiburg in June. Thanks to Alexandra Clara Giray with Joyful Events for setting up all of our recent concerts in Germany!
Late June found us in California, where we had fun meeting Bashar (many thanks to Darryl and April) and catching up with old friends in LA and Berkeley. We had a wonderful week at Harbin Hot Springs and were happy to be able to play a concert in the beautiful energy of the Temple while there. It was a surprise to us and to the audience when one of our biggest bowls suddenly imploded during the performance--talk about high energy!
After soaking in some of the world's best natural energy in northern California and southern Oregon, especially among the big redwoods, we flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where we are enjoying summer and creating new material. It looks like we'll be back in California and then on to NYC in September/October, and back in Germany in November.
May, 2008
We've been back on the road some these past weeks in May, first to the Rainbow Spirit Festival in Baden-Baden, where we played as guests of Laraaji and Phil Gruber. What a great festival! We were able to take in the music of Deva Premal and Miten, Satya and Pari, Krishna Das, Prem Joshua, and many others, and the vibes at the event were beautiful. We're just back now from Berlin, where we had a couple of concerts and did some recording in the last week. Both concerts and the day spent recording were exciting for us, as we tried out new material and flowed in sound with Laraaji. We got some great material in the studio, and we may also be able to put together a live CD from the recording at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche. Watch this space and our web site for new clips, photos, and possibly video soon.
We'll be playing three more concerts in Germany in June, and then we'll fly to the US for some time over the summer. We expect to play in the eastern US in September/October, and then more in Europe in November. If you'd like to experience Wavegarden live, drop us a line and we'll see whether the flow wants to go in your direction!
February, 2008
We had an incredible time in India in January, mostly in Varanasi studying tabla and bansuri. Many thanks to our teachers and everyone there who made it a special time. Special thanks to Stuart Forster, who spent several hours shooting photos of us on our last day in Varanasi. The black and white shot of us on our main page is his, and there will be more soon on our web site. Stuart's site is www.whyeyephotography.com and his work is stunning!
We had the immense priviledge of spending 36 hours in Agra, including a sunset and sunrise at the Taj Mahal. It must be the most beautiful place on earth, and the level of pure love vibration there feels so high it might almost be visible to the naked eye! The acoustics inside the building itself are pure magic. One of our dreams is to record there.
Carlos continues to play in new ways on our zithers, and what we learned in India is having a big impact on our sounds. We are looking forward to a collaboration with Laraaji on zithers and percussion and vocalist Dominique Lacasa at a concert on May 30 in Berlin. We are planning to put together a joint track or two via the miracles of digital technology and the internet during the next month (Laraaji is in New York City). For the next few months, we expect to be mostly in Bonn, with some trips to Berlin.
Why this name?
We were looking for something that conveyed what we're doing...and that is creating a space filled with vibrations...so it's a garden of waves, or Wavegarden! This came to us suddenly after about two months of rumination.
Do you play live?
We play live as often as possible, usually in churches or yoga centers. We love it...the energy from our audiences comes into our sounds, which are improvised and created totally spontaneously, and then goes back out to the audience...so no two concerts are ever alike. We have had many special moments when none of us was conscious of playing...the sounds simply move through us.
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
It makes outreach possible to a much larger audience, especially for new or lesser-known bands.
Band History:
Carlos and LeAnn started playing together in public in late April, 2007 with a concert tour that included Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Cologne, and London. That early experience helped tremendously as we moved on to shows in the US later that year.
Carlos has been playing bowls for more than ten years, and began using them as a body worker. Clients commented to him how beautiful their sounds were, and suggested that he try them as instruments...and the more bowls he put together, the better the sound got. He studied tabla for many years in India, so using the bowls as percussion rather than simply playing them as continuous tones was a natural thing to do. He's had a lot of fun creating various, unusual mallets that give his bowl playing a distinct signature sound.
LeAnn began playing classical flute at age 10, and she added wooden flute and whistles through her love of Celtic music several years ago. She has had to throw out everything she "knew" about music in order to melt into the sounds of the bowls and begin to play what spontaneously comes. She began singing and writing songs in earnest in 2008 and now loves singing even more than playing the flute.
With the help of luthier Pete D'Aigle, Carlos and LeAnn are developing a new instrument called the Waveharp that is based on the zithers they learned about from Laraaji, who converts them from autoharps. Waveharps are tuned pentatonically, and have 38 strings. The bottom two strings are on a fretboard, and the rest are played with special mallets that Carlos has developed.
We often collaborate worldwide with various musicians, including hang, saxophone, cello, violin, vibraphone, and zither players, and some of our most exciting moments come in these concerts.
Carlos has been playing bowls for more than ten years, and began using them as a body worker. Clients commented to him how beautiful their sounds were, and suggested that he try them as instruments...and the more bowls he put together, the better the sound got. He studied tabla for many years in India, so using the bowls as percussion rather than simply playing them as continuous tones was a natural thing to do. He's had a lot of fun creating various, unusual mallets that give his bowl playing a distinct signature sound.
LeAnn began playing classical flute at age 10, and she added wooden flute and whistles through her love of Celtic music several years ago. She has had to throw out everything she "knew" about music in order to melt into the sounds of the bowls and begin to play what spontaneously comes. She began singing and writing songs in earnest in 2008 and now loves singing even more than playing the flute.
With the help of luthier Pete D'Aigle, Carlos and LeAnn are developing a new instrument called the Waveharp that is based on the zithers they learned about from Laraaji, who converts them from autoharps. Waveharps are tuned pentatonically, and have 38 strings. The bottom two strings are on a fretboard, and the rest are played with special mallets that Carlos has developed.
We often collaborate worldwide with various musicians, including hang, saxophone, cello, violin, vibraphone, and zither players, and some of our most exciting moments come in these concerts.
Your influences?
Philip Glass, Steven Halpern, Shivkumar Sharma, Laraaji, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, John Spillane, The Mamas & The Papas, The Beatles, Dead Can Dance, Lunasa, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Indian raga, minimal, chill-out, crystal vibrations, shamanic flute, Celtic, Irish, world music
Favorite spot?
We have certainly had some great moments on Maui...and we love Harbin Hot Springs. The Redwood National Parks in northern California have a special place in our hearts.
Equipment used:
Crystal singing bowls, many from Crystal Tones, especially a number of special ones from their Alchemy series; wooden Monzani 8-key, simple-system flute c. 1814, wooden keyless Terry McGee flute (modern), silver Prima Sankyo flute, low D Overton whistle, tabla from India, and several Oscar Schmidt autoharps converted into zithers. Pete d'Aigle (see above) expects to have our new Waveharps ready in the summer of 2009.
Anything else...?
We have three CDs, "Zen", "Healing Vibration", and "Live in Berlin" available on our web site, www.wavegarden.net. All are great for meditation. The third CD is a collaboration with Laraaji, and was recorded in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin in May, 2008.
We also will be releasing quite a few singles in the coming months, as the material we recorded with Kim Riccelli in November of '09 gets mastered, and as we make new recordings. We have much in the pipeline!
Our music is best listened to with headphones or a very high-end sound system, as you can't get the full effect of the crystal singing bowls with computer speakers or small audio systems.
We also will be releasing quite a few singles in the coming months, as the material we recorded with Kim Riccelli in November of '09 gets mastered, and as we make new recordings. We have much in the pipeline!
Our music is best listened to with headphones or a very high-end sound system, as you can't get the full effect of the crystal singing bowls with computer speakers or small audio systems.
Photos
Varanasi sunset
Here come the buffalo!
Looking east from the Taj at dawn
Eastern side of Taj at dawn
Behind the Taj at sunset