Review of OPERA from Planetlightworker.com
Mar 23, 2007
Review by: Tony Tolin, Planetlightworker.com
Artist: P I S C E S P R O J E K T
Album: O p e r a

Pisces Projekt's husband and wife team Zakhuur and Sinari are based in Maine. Zakhuur is an accomplished composer, songwriter and vocalist who has performed with the Roger Wagner Chorale and the Citrus Singers (under director Ben Bollinger) and has a successful solo career under his own record labels. Sinari has received acclaim for her gifted voice and makes her recording debut here with Zakhuur as Pisces Projekt.

The CD's title is a fitting one; Opera, meaning both work of art and an operatic performance.

This is not just another new age CD. Opera is one of those CD's that you get once in a great while that demands your attention to its majestic offerings. Stunning and magnificent! I am blown away by this enchanting music featuring royally angelic voices mixed with Gregorian chants. The balance that Zakhuur and Sinari bring to this CD is magical.

If I had to compare this group with other New Age artists the closest would be a group called Twinflame mixed with another from Germany, Leseim. Both Twinflame and Leseim are favorites so this is a huge compliment to Pisces Projekt. But, really, Pisces Projekt is in a class all their own. They are innovative and mind-blowingly creative. Pisces Projekt reminds me of music you would find coming straight from Camelot!

SUCH PASSION! What else can I say? Songs like "Lovers Waltz" and "Battle Song" sound like there is a huge angel choir singing in the background. Amazingly, it's just them. Other favorites on this release are "I Am", "Admonition" and "Last Man Standing". The beauty, grace and tremendous talent shine through on this CD.

I am blown away at how intense & beautiful these songs are - eight total on the disc. I can't stop playing it!

Would I suggest this CD for anyone looking for quality New Age music? My answer to that is 100% YES!

Issue Number 32, May 2006
www.MnShadows.com

OPERA
Written, recorded and performed by Pisces Projekt
Produced by: Unicorn 1 Records
Price: $17.95
CD Can be ordered from:
www.unicorn1records.com
www.unicorn-cove.com/music.html
www.cdbaby.com/piscesprojekt
email: sales@unicorn1records.com
Reviewed by: Jim Sturdevant

This original recording is so very soulful. The rich baritone of Zakhuur and sweet soprano of Sinari combine in a way that moves one's spirit. Their vocals are accompanied by vibrant notes of the bass, drums and horns, in addition to electronically produced keyboards. All mesh poetically with lyrics that are well worth listening to.

Like all the tracks on this recording, the compositions Battle Song, Army of Angels, I call upon thee, Rush to my aid and Make haste to protect me! contain elements of prayer, affirmation and praise. This recording is uplifting especially if you sing along. It is full of hope and promise. Recommended

May 2, 2006
Review of OPERA by Pisces Projekt
Reviewer: Aeris Fiama
Volume 1, Issue 3 Spring Equinox 2006
Critic's Cafe

Plug in your headphones, sit back, close your eyes and prepare to be taken on a sweeping, cinematic, mystical journey blessed by the God and Goddess in which sword-bearing angels prepare for ethereal battles and gossamer lovers waltz in astral ballrooms.

The music is an unexpectedly harmonious blend of orchestral composition and electronica that transforms archaic to modern without degradation to either. A complete orchestra, horns, woodwinds, percussion instruments and strings are woven seamlessly with electronica beats as if both were invented to compliment each other. The music itself soars, sweeps and brings your soul right along with it but Zakhuur's and Sinari's vocals take the vision to a new dimension.

>From the outset, I Am introduces you to Zakhuur's haunting yet deeply powerful and confident voice that is somehow reminiscent of Gregorian chanting yet ascends with emotion and devotion as the pace of the beat quickens to realization. Sinari's almost operatic voice is highlighted in the next track, Battle Song. Her voice perfectly captures the emotion of invocation and then becomes filled with power as the beat drives. It is easy to envision the strength of the mighty angles on which she called filling her.

The magic of this music is how instantly and deeply it moves the listener. Track by track, the mind will be filled with visionary landscapes created by both voice and instrument. It's not new-agey, it's not electronica or house, it's not orchestra, it is difficult to define, unique, inspired and excellent. It is an iron glove veiled in silk.

This cd was reviewed by three individuals and each had their own favorite track, Lover's Waltz, I Am and Admonition were the favorites but we strongly encourage you to purchase the cd for yourself and find your own favorite.

A bit about the artists from their press release:
Zakhuur is an accomplished composer, songwriter and vocalist who has performed with the Roger Wagner Chorale and the Citrus Singers (under director Ben Bollinger), as well as a successful solo career under his own record labels. Sinari has received acclaim for her gifted voice and she makes her recording debut here with Zakhuur as Pisces Projekt.

    Opera is a remarkable CD, not just for its outstanding fusion of musical genres but for its tone as well. Leaving behind the inactive music of the past, each track on the CD virtually demands audience involvement and emotion. And the CD's title is a fitting one, "opera" meaning both work of art and an operatic performance.
    Each track draws on multiple styles of music, from ethereal, almost magical New Age vocals to Gregorian-style chanting to the intricate rhythms of dance and techno to inspirational hymns. The Pisces Projekt's unique musical sensibility recalls both past and future as their interesting arrangements breathe new life into ancient forms. For instance, "I Am" recalls the work of groups such as Enigma and even Depeche Mode, with vocals soaring out of the dark, driving tempo of piano and percussion. Inspirational lyrics and vocal quality add a dash of popular singers such as Josh Grobin to the mix. And "Battle Song" opens with an ethereal female voice in a simple arrangement that reminds one of medieval ballads.
    One factor uniting all of the tracks is their strong sense of theatricality--not bombastic or stagy but vibrant and filled with character. The rollicking rhythm of "Lovers' Waltz" exudes the euphoria of love while "Admonition" stands in sharp contrast with its techno-inspired beat heightening the feeling of judgment conjured up by the powerful warning contained in its lyrics. Ballads, hymns, and lullabies round out the selection on the CD, each with its own singular approach.
    Not just another set of songs, Opera is a resplendent sonic experience that will not easily be forgotten. Frankly, I have never heard of anything quite like it, and I look forward to hearing more from these peerless performers in the future.

Powerful, soaring vocals and strong cinematic orchestration (virtual, but very convincing!) merge in this unusual production by a husband and wife team determined to fuse classical themes with New Age appeal. Zakhuur and Sinari provide the vocals in this performance that at times also appear to be part of a massive choir. In truth, the two of them are the choir, just as all the instruments have been created electronically with brilliant results. Zakhuur has united a number of musical disciplines with remarkable results – not surprising, since he is already established as an outstanding songwriter, composer and vocalist. Described as a captivating blend of old and new, mystically spiritual and secular, the fiery passion from which their efforts flow is especially obvious in “Battle Song,” which was “nominated for best song in the New Age/World category of the Just Plain folks annual music awards.” (http://www.witchvox.com)
It is nearly impossible to imagine only two people are responsible for creating all this sound, darkly Gregorian at times and explosively inspiring at others, yielding a whole new definition for fusion.