The Gods Of Olympus
Since the beginning of recorded history, mankind has held a fascination for Greek myth and legend. The ancient Pantheon of Gods, of which there were so many, has never been explored in musical form before now. So sit back and allow Composer Clifford White to take you on a truly historic ride through the centuries - to explore those ancient myths and legends that were... The Gods Of Olympus!
Clifford White is one of the early pioneers of the new age music movement, having experienced a massive hit at the tender age of 17 with Ascension in the mid 1980's. After many years away, Clifford blasts back on the scene this year with this truly epic CD.
A supremely powerful and soaring work of which we at MG Music are most proud to be releasing. To quote label director Medwyn Goodall, "It has to be one of the finest, most impressive CD's I have heard in years". Clifford has produced a majestic, larger than life sound that ranges from the celestial and subtle to the bold and powerful.
With 14 tracks running at over 70 minutes, this thrilling work is a magnificent achievement and a true return to form for this unique and gifted artist. Welcome back Clifford, and thank you for The Gods Of Olympus!
The Gods of Olympus is electronic keyboard player Clifford White's first album in fourteen years (his previous, Myths of the Rock, was released in 1995). After listening to The Gods of Olympus, all I can say is "We should all take fourteen years off from our work if this CD indicates the quality of results we'll achieve!"
Just as the gods of Greek mythology each had distinct traits and powers, so too do the fourteen tracks on this enjoyable excursion into state of the art electronic music each exhibit their own musical "personalities" as White crisscrosses from dramatic Vangelis-esque soundscapes to lively chill-out infectiousness to classic new age melodic portraits, all done up in rich production values and a luxuriant cinematic sense of visual splendor.
» Greek mythology continues to amaze new generations. The tales of gods and heroes, and the battle between good and evil, have had an extensive influence on culture. From the epic poems The Iliad and Odyssey, to modern interpretations of the Age of Gods, Greek mythology will forever be a part of civilization.
The Gods Of Olympus is the title of Clifford White's first solo album in over 14 years. After a very successful new age music career in the 80s and 90s, I think his return just had to be powerful. But that it would be a journey of epic proportions was beyond my imagination. Believe me; what Clifford White has in store for us is incredible. It is a climb to the top of Mount Olympus that you don't want to miss.
This is a DDD CD - no, not the old term used for a fully digital discs (although it probably is) - This time it stands for Dream-like - Dynamic - Dazzling!!! This is an album of music based on mankind's fascination for Greek myth and legend - The ancient pantheon of Gods, so prepare yourself for an amazing musical trip through the historical centuries with one of the UK's forefathers of symphonic synth music, Clifford White.
We recently re-discovered Clifford White, one of our earliest new artist successes, with a long awaited follow up to an 80's/early 90's best seller at CDS Towers called 'Ascension', and that led me to listen to some of his other more recent work, and boy, am I glad I did, because I have also discovered a real gem for everyone into the symphonic / rhythmic side of synth music!!!
Having listened a few times to this new album by Clifford White, his first since "Myths of the Rock" in 1995, here are some of my thoughts:
Firstly, in addition to the immaculate presentation (nifty cover art and interior photos of the studio), the sound production, to my ears, is top notch. The music really benefits from an overall clarity and an agreeably "spacious" sound. All the different layers of instrumentation in each track are mixed together very well -- you can hear everything that is going on.
There is no more important source in man's history that gives rise to heroic adventures and extraordinary mythology than that of the ancient Greeks. Thanks to the minds, hearts and squibs of the Old World Grecian poets, gods and goddesses, heroes and villains and romantics of every sort came alive. It was a time when every god had a singular purpose in the history and faith of man. To understand those roles better, composer and multi-instrumentalist Clifford White offers an album of contemporary, sometimes ambient orchestral tunes called The Gods of Olympus that breathes new life into an aged mythology.
It's been way too long since we've heard from English recording artist/producer Clifford White, who over the course of his career has released eight of his own CD's as well as garnering writer/producer credits on 26 albums for other artists. The Gods Of Olympus, an interesting thematic choice for an album, is a lofty undertaking, which he succeeds at with grace and splendor.
Opening with a powerful and majestic intro, the CD proceeds through fourteen tracks evolving through a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses - from the heavenly harps and angel choirs of Aphrodite to the up-tempo thunder of Zeus. Each piece is distinctively different and paints a musical portrait of the corresponding Deity, with one of my favorites being the appropriately aquatic Poseidon.
This synthesizer/sampler-based music compares favorably to that of well-known composer Vangelis, and should also appeal to listeners who enjoy Jean Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, David and Diane Arkenstone, or Michael Oldfield, whose landmark album Tubular Bells was a major influence on Clifford. In addition, there are also shadings of contemporary electronica, ambient chill, and down-tempo groove genres, which blend interestingly with occasional Greek and ethnic sounds.
Although some of Clifford's previous albums have been more on the meditative side, The Gods Of Olympus has a lush cinematic quality that feels like an epic movie soundtrack. Providing inspiration and support for the project was fellow English recording artist Medwyn Goodall, whose record label distributes this CD. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and highly recommend it.
