ASURA - Life Squared
Not all forms of music have the same effects on one’s mind and concentration. Some music invigorates you with fast beats and hooks. Others are more ethereal and pull the mind out of the body entirely. But the music by ASURA in their album, Life Squared is ideal for relaxation and writing. The reason why Life Squared is so good for writing is because it is a mix between world music and trance with a strong electronic tree trunk of sound. The whole album is seamless and flows from song to song with elegance. I’ve used this album several times for meditation sessions so I already knew it intimately before I started to use it while writing on the computer. As a blogger, have good music to write to is a must. And Life Squared is always at the top of my list. The song, “Back to Light” is one of those kinds of songs where when you listen to it, you feel like you gained insight and experience. The song is inspiring and it infuses me with confidence as well as awe. It is a song that is one of those that give you that feeling of flying with purpose.
It would be normal for a good album to peak at some point. But ASURA’s, Life Squared peaks so early with “Back to Light” that is more like a tall plateau than a peak. The rest of the album has such sincerity and the craftsmanship and composition of each song is done with such skill that I was blown away when I realized it was the work of one man. His name is, Charles Farwell.
The main type of sound that Life Squared emanates would best be describes as, full. It is a full, well layered sound. The mastering done on this music must have been both a labor of love and a challenge. This is because there are a lot of subtleties and themes in the music. I’m listening to “Galaxies Part One (ALBUM EDIT)” right now as I write this and the pads and swells are like being in the ocean while fog rolls in. I am completely carried by the music and connected to the ambiance and tempo.
As a writer, I’m often looking for music that is both relaxing and inspiring at the same time. I need something that is capable of running through my headphones in the background, while I am still able to think. This is a tall order but Life Squared really stacks up. The kicks used for the drums are punchy enough to maintain a good flow, yet they are subtle enough to not bother my ears over a long time of listening. Sometimes with other music, my ears get tired because the beat it too heavy or the music is mixed a little to foreground. Life Squared does a great job with balancing mood with message and I can listen to it at a relatively loud volume without hurting my ears or loosing interest.
When used during meditation, Life Squared is one of the few albums that I keep next to my Future Sound of London collection. I listened to Life Squared on repeat along with A Gigantic Globular Burst of Antistatic by FSOL for a couple months until the machine broke. I would relax to the music in the morning before I started my day, laying flat on the floor. I wasn’t sleeping or awake. I was in that state of meditation that seems to regenerate and relax the mind before a long day.
If you like relaxing music and/or trance music you will probably love Life Squared. This music is great for nighttime listens as well as early morning music sessions. I bought my copy and the package for the album and some promotional material came from France and that was super cool! I love getting international packages.
-Tyler