Australis (musical project)
Encyclopedia
Australis is the name for the Utah
based Electronic New Age musical project by multifaceted Peruvian-born composer/producer Oscar Aguayo, although this name is often used to refer to him directly.
He named his project "Australis" (which in Latin literally means "from the South") because that word symbolizes his origins and the places where he received his primary musical influences.
His debut album "Lifegiving
" was independently released on May 2005.
By early 2006 "Lifegiving
" was re-released in Southern Asia by the Orange Music record label. In August 2006 two tracks from Australis' debut album "Lifegiving
" were included in the New Vibes Music's compilation Echoes of Tuvalu.
Work for Australis' second album, "The Gates of Reality
", was announced on August 2005, and almost two years later on February 2007 two of its tracks were included in the audio compact disc accompanying the last issue (#16) of the now defunct Netherlandic
publication "E-dition Magazine", despite the fact that the album was not yet released at the time.
"The Gates of Reality
" was released on November 2008 under the label Essential Noises.
On June 13, 2009 Australis' official website announced work for a third release has started. The upcoming album's temporary title was "Human Genus". In early July 2010 its official title was announced as "Sentient Genus".
"Sentient Genus
" was released on November 2010 under the label Essential Noises.
genre, Australis' music styles include Ambient music
, World music
, Electronic music
, Ethnic music, Symphonic music and Soundtrack
. Among other adjectives, his musical signature has been described as melodic, intense, contagious, emotional and meaningful.
Australis' style is characterized by very rich instrumentation present even in his most simplistic pieces: very melodic and clearly defined leads built over solid tonal bases (consisting of deep evolving pads or full orchestral arrangements), along with engaging rhythms, often ethnically influenced.
Instrumentally, Australis' music uses the expected electronic synthesizers and samplers, bringing unusual and interesting sound effects to blend with the main musical body. However, much of his material also exhibits classical instruments which include piano, strings (solos and ensembles) and winds (clarinets, oboes, etc.). Additionally, he also includes exotic instruments for his more ethnic material: native winds and strings (zampona, charango
) from the Andes regions of South America, and also from the Middle East (zurna
, darbouka, etc.).
Another interesting characteristic of Australis' music is the dissimilar styles he explores and compiles in his discs. For example, the album "Lifegiving
" starts with a very soft, relaxing, nature-driven title track; but the second track carries a completely different more electronic flavor. Then the third track comes and it has yet another color that falls into the category of dramatic soundtrack. Later on the disc other styles are also represented, including quasi-techno-dance "Fire Tamer", classic orchestra "The Enchantment", and the ethnic "Sacred Earth".
According to an interview he did for Lost Frontier late 2005, this gathering of styles is a consequence of the messages he is trying to convey through his music: "I don't pay as much attention to styles as to the messages I am trying to communicate."
The release of Australis' second and third albums, strengthens this feature. They comprise a wide range of styles that go from the purely electronic, to the ethnic, to the epic.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
based Electronic New Age musical project by multifaceted Peruvian-born composer/producer Oscar Aguayo, although this name is often used to refer to him directly.
He named his project "Australis" (which in Latin literally means "from the South") because that word symbolizes his origins and the places where he received his primary musical influences.
History
Australis was officially created as a musical project in the U.S. on August 2004. In January 2005, he won the "2004 Morpheus Music's Best Independent Artist" award with material released only to selected online radio stations.His debut album "Lifegiving
Lifegiving
Lifegiving is the music album debut by Australis.-Album History:"Lifegiving" was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was independently released by Australis on May 30, 2005.By early 2006 "Lifegiving" was licensed and re-released in Southern Asia by the .In August 2006 two tracks from...
" was independently released on May 2005.
By early 2006 "Lifegiving
Lifegiving
Lifegiving is the music album debut by Australis.-Album History:"Lifegiving" was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was independently released by Australis on May 30, 2005.By early 2006 "Lifegiving" was licensed and re-released in Southern Asia by the .In August 2006 two tracks from...
" was re-released in Southern Asia by the Orange Music record label. In August 2006 two tracks from Australis' debut album "Lifegiving
Lifegiving
Lifegiving is the music album debut by Australis.-Album History:"Lifegiving" was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was independently released by Australis on May 30, 2005.By early 2006 "Lifegiving" was licensed and re-released in Southern Asia by the .In August 2006 two tracks from...
" were included in the New Vibes Music's compilation Echoes of Tuvalu.
Work for Australis' second album, "The Gates of Reality
The Gates of Reality
The Gates of Reality is the second music album by Australis.-History:The Gates of Reality was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was released by Australis through the label on November 22, 2008...
", was announced on August 2005, and almost two years later on February 2007 two of its tracks were included in the audio compact disc accompanying the last issue (#16) of the now defunct Netherlandic
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
publication "E-dition Magazine", despite the fact that the album was not yet released at the time.
"The Gates of Reality
The Gates of Reality
The Gates of Reality is the second music album by Australis.-History:The Gates of Reality was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was released by Australis through the label on November 22, 2008...
" was released on November 2008 under the label Essential Noises.
On June 13, 2009 Australis' official website announced work for a third release has started. The upcoming album's temporary title was "Human Genus". In early July 2010 its official title was announced as "Sentient Genus".
"Sentient Genus
Sentient Genus
Sentient Genus is the third music album by Australis.-History:Sentient Genus was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was released by Australis through the label on November 30, 2010....
" was released on November 2010 under the label Essential Noises.
Musical style
Under the wider New AgeNew Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
genre, Australis' music styles include Ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, World music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, Ethnic music, Symphonic music and Soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. Among other adjectives, his musical signature has been described as melodic, intense, contagious, emotional and meaningful.
Australis' style is characterized by very rich instrumentation present even in his most simplistic pieces: very melodic and clearly defined leads built over solid tonal bases (consisting of deep evolving pads or full orchestral arrangements), along with engaging rhythms, often ethnically influenced.
Instrumentally, Australis' music uses the expected electronic synthesizers and samplers, bringing unusual and interesting sound effects to blend with the main musical body. However, much of his material also exhibits classical instruments which include piano, strings (solos and ensembles) and winds (clarinets, oboes, etc.). Additionally, he also includes exotic instruments for his more ethnic material: native winds and strings (zampona, charango
Charango
The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. Primarily played in traditional Andean music, and is sometimes used by other Latin American musicians. Many contemporary charangos are now made with...
) from the Andes regions of South America, and also from the Middle East (zurna
Zurna
The zurna , is a multinational outdoor wind instrument, usually accompanied by a davul in Anatolian folk music. The name is from Turkish zurna, itself derived from Persian سرنای surnāy, composed of sūr “banquet, feast” and nāy “reed, pipe”...
, darbouka, etc.).
Another interesting characteristic of Australis' music is the dissimilar styles he explores and compiles in his discs. For example, the album "Lifegiving
Lifegiving
Lifegiving is the music album debut by Australis.-Album History:"Lifegiving" was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was independently released by Australis on May 30, 2005.By early 2006 "Lifegiving" was licensed and re-released in Southern Asia by the .In August 2006 two tracks from...
" starts with a very soft, relaxing, nature-driven title track; but the second track carries a completely different more electronic flavor. Then the third track comes and it has yet another color that falls into the category of dramatic soundtrack. Later on the disc other styles are also represented, including quasi-techno-dance "Fire Tamer", classic orchestra "The Enchantment", and the ethnic "Sacred Earth".
According to an interview he did for Lost Frontier late 2005, this gathering of styles is a consequence of the messages he is trying to convey through his music: "I don't pay as much attention to styles as to the messages I am trying to communicate."
The release of Australis' second and third albums, strengthens this feature. They comprise a wide range of styles that go from the purely electronic, to the ethnic, to the epic.
Released Works
- LifegivingLifegivingLifegiving is the music album debut by Australis.-Album History:"Lifegiving" was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was independently released by Australis on May 30, 2005.By early 2006 "Lifegiving" was licensed and re-released in Southern Asia by the .In August 2006 two tracks from...
(May 2005) - The Gates of RealityThe Gates of RealityThe Gates of Reality is the second music album by Australis.-History:The Gates of Reality was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was released by Australis through the label on November 22, 2008...
(November 2008) - Sentient GenusSentient GenusSentient Genus is the third music album by Australis.-History:Sentient Genus was produced and recorded in Utah, United States, and was released by Australis through the label on November 30, 2010....
(November 2010)
Contributions
- Echoes of Tuvalu (Compilation, various artists - August 2006)
- E-dition CD Sampler (Compilation, various artists - February 2007)