MINDFUL MELODY
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • The Magazine
  • The Articles
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • The Magazine
  • The Articles
Search

LATEST POSTS

A selection of articles from all our issues - go to 'The Magazine' to read them all, including exclusive interviews from Aston Barrett Jr., Niko Moon, Serena Ryder, Canaan Smith and many more...

Ajeet: Review and Interview

9/26/2020

0 Comments

 

By David Dawson

Ajeet's Lunar: A spiritual journey

Picture
Recently I went on a journey, and physically I never even moved. The journey I went on was that of Ajeet’s latest release Lunar. Despite containing only four individual pieces the combination of traditional Gaelic sounds inspired by her Irish heritage with modern production create for a truly unique sound but one that is undeniably breathtaking. The work beautifully brings together spirituality, mental health and an exhibition of exceptional vocals from start to finish and truly transports you from the very spot where you stand.
The work opens with Dance of the Moon, one of two shorter songs of the collection. It sets out the album perfectly, introducing the violin and traditional Irish feel early on whilst offering a gentle build throughout that keeps you intrigued and engaged. It also showcases for the first time an effect that is used throughout which is the layering of Ajeet’s voice, considering the unique qualities of Ajeet’s voice on its own this effect creates a truly wonderful sound and offers a further richness to the already thick texture. Despite it being easy to get caught up in the vocals the end of the song involves Ajeet’s voice dropping away completely, leaving a few seconds for the listener to fully appreciate all the mesmerising sounds that have been in the background. This is the perfect start to the album for me, showcasing to us the spiritual and relaxing experience we are set to enjoy ahead.

This is followed by Full Moon Meditation, one of the two longer and more atmospheric musical works. Right towards the beginning of the piece Ajeet’s voice is reintroduced to us this time not in English, whilst at first my initial reaction was that it makes it somewhat hard for me to engage with the song this seems like the reasoning behind it:

The piece is after all a meditation tool and the lack of lyrics or words for me to get hung up on meant that I was free from distraction and able to let the sounds take over. The way this piece is put together is really a work of art, whilst sounding simple on the surface a closer listen reveals just how many separate sounds and effects there are going on, all working together to make an interwoven texture. There is a use of subtle builds and very slight and gradual changes to the music that almost trick you, not noticing that anything has happened until it becomes plainly obvious. Similarly to
Dance of the Moon this song also strips back at the end, this time instead taking away almost everything and leaving us to focus on Ajeet’s voice which is a joy to behold.

This takes us back to our second shorter song, When She Rises. This time the lyrics are much more of a centrepiece with a strong message about spirituality and mental health. Lines such as “It was time for the moon to rise in me”, “If you find yourself lost and afraid, don’t lose hope, don’t hesitate, look to the sky, and the stars will lead you home again” and towards the end, "Let go and the current will lead you home” all contribute to the message encouraging us not to panic or stress, not to let anything get us down but to let things be and let things work themselves out. This is such a powerful statement for many people out there who suffer with anxiety which can make it far too easy to become overwhelmed or scared; the reassurance that Ajeet offers in this song that actually things will be ok and things will work out is truly uplifting. This song also makes use of the layering of Ajeet’s voice to great effect and combines it with a beautiful harp in the background that along with the soothing lyrics and the ‘everything will be ok’ message give this song an almost lullaby feel.

​
Picture
Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash
Shadow Moon is the final piece on the album and the second of the longer atmospheric pieces. The piece starts without any vocals and this allows a full focus to be granted to the other sounds within the music. When Ajeet’s voice does make an appearance is it not as a lyrical centrepiece but as another instrument with sounds and vocalisations used to contribute to the texture as opposed to coming out on top of it. This piece is textured possibly even more beautifully than any of the other songs on the album as the vast array of different sounds and subtle changes almost sounds like one, when listening I could see a flowing line in my head that the music followed. The ability for the music to do this as well as having an interwoven and complex texture simultaneously is outstanding.

Overall, this work is really beautiful, a collection of spirituality, mental health, meditation and some sounds that are just so easy on the ear. The use of the ‘song – longer atmospheric piece – song – longer atmospheric piece’ format may make it difficult for many people to engage with the album and may also take away from the individual pieces, as someone listening for meditation may not enjoy Dance of the Moon whereas someone looking for a song to enjoy and sing along to may struggle to engage with Shadow Moon, but the collection is a well thought out spiritual journey and each piece contributes to this in their own way. Furthermore, in the age of streaming it is perfectly easy for someone to just access the songs or the meditation pieces depending on what they like or what purpose they are listening for on that particular day. Personally, listening to the EP from start to finish was an amazing journey of spirituality and swept me away completely, therefore in reality it would seem a shame to separate the songs anyway.

Picture

After reviewing Ajeet’s Lunar I was lucky enough to ask her some questions about her new EP, spirituality and mental health.

Hi Ajeet! Thanks so much for talking to me today! I recently have been listening to your new EP Lunar and for me it was such a spiritual journey, was this a similar experience for you when you were actually writing and recording the album?

Yes, the intentions were to make it that way, a journey. Lunar was a journey more than any other work before as this one was much more personal which meant making it was as special as putting it out there. Lunar has a specific mood and space and I only recorded it at night, completely turning my working hours, but this experience of deep quiet and solitude are what makes it so special.

How does it feel to now have this EP released and out in the world after working on and developing it?

Amazing! These projects take time, sometimes months and often over a year. By the time all the creating and the preparations for release have been done it is almost a surprise when you see people listening to it and sharing it. With Lunar this still feels fresh but it’s always exciting to hear that people have enjoyed it.

Was there any particular inspiration behind the work as a whole?

The idea started as one song, When She Rises which was written before there was the idea of an EP. I wanted to explore the Moon as a metaphor for moments in life when things change, the slow rise of people as they slowly grow into the next steps of life, allowing time and forgiveness. The Moon is ever changing and each stage is unique but has beauty. That first song encouraged me to continue my exploration of the moon.

Was it always planned that this project would be highly spiritual or is it something that came naturally with the music?

I am very drawn to spiritual practice and have been my whole life. In the media spirituality is often portrayed as its own thing but I don’t feel there is much of a separation between daily life and spiritual practice. I am interested in how we live in an ordinary way but have a deep connection to ourselves and nature, spirituality as it is perceived is actually a very human quality. I am less interested in moving to spiritual practices that separate from the world, but am more drawn into the spirituality of nature and how sounds from nature can bring people to a natural relaxation.

There are a lot of traditional Irish sounds in Lunar and I’ve read that this was a big part of your upbringing. How important is it for you to embrace this in your music?

Yeah, very important! Over the last couple years I have been coming back to my Irish influence. I grew up mostly in the US but also a bit in Dublin and have lots of relatives there. It is part of my musical foundation. When I was around uni or late teens age I was very interested in folk music, I went to India to study their traditional folk music and love ambient folk music too. It’s important to me that I’ve now returned full circle, finding a personal depth, comfort and love in these sounds. When I come back from tour I often visit my local pub to perform traditional Irish music. I think music is so important for meditation and as a healing space as well as creating a community and joy and that community is so prominent in the Irish culture.

Picture
In When she Rises there is lots of natural imagery in the lyrics, with mentions of the moon and the waves used to support the overall message about letting things be and not letting things get on top of you. Is this message inspired by something in particular or is it just something you wanted to convey?

I hesitate to say too much about my own influences as I want people to approach it with their own ideas. The beginning of the song is actually inspired by my therapist, we often talk about dreams and I love the study of dreams and their symbolism. ‘There’s a wise, wise woman, Down the path to the sea, She’s been whispering, whispering stories to me’, that is about my therapist, that wise mentor figure. I think the song is directly about having those people and places and practices in your life to keep close to yourself when going through change; be with the people that keep you close to your soul. The images, ‘Take your boat to where the waters meet, Wait and see where the currents lead’ are from old Irish folklore about the island of Great Skellig, famous more recently for being in Star Wars! It was discovered by monks and I find it amazing that these monks could access this island which is just huge, tall pieces of rock. The story is that a magician tells them to simply make a boat and wait by the water, the monks fall asleep when waiting and when they wake up the current has drifted them to the island.

I find that actually really extraordinary as when I listened to the album I had these visions of being stood on a grassy cliff looking over the Irish sea, so the fact that it actually relates to that is amazing!

Wow, yeah, I find that music gives a sense, it is more than just a sound. There is such a deep feeling in music and it is magical that it can create images and space and feelings for people.

The work features two songs and two more atmospheric meditation pieces, what was the thinking behind setting the EP out in this way? Was this planned from the start or did it feel right when the work was all coming together?

It felt right, that’s really how the music came about and happened. The idea of a moon based project had been discussed with the head of the label who is a friend and often trusts some of my wacky ideas! It started with the intention of a meditation project but with the inspiration coming from When She Rises the head of the label said I couldn’t really not have that song in there. Even after that it was just going to be the one song then meditation pieces, but then late one night in the studio while waiting for something to export I wrote Dance of The Moon which came to me very quickly and easily.

You’ve already touched on your spirituality and meditation; how do you find it helps you?

It is so helpful to have a pause and can be magical to take intentional times to focus, sit and be. Spaciousness feels like giving a gift to yourself. It is so easy to have every moment of the day taken up with emails and texts and just constant information. Just to take some space away from that can cause a massive shift in my day. I find it helpful to have a separate space, even if just in a hotel room as a mat in the corner! Just having a space that makes you want to sit and be quiet, making the space beautiful and enticing, can be so helpful.

Picture
What do you hope that people feel or take from Lunar when they listen to it for the first time?

The biggest thing is to explore beauty in the darkness. Most spiritual music is so light, I really wanted to make meditative music about the moon to show people how rich those times of darkness are. There is beauty in dark and difficult times. There is also beauty in the wildness of nature and the moon, and beauty in the wildness of music. There is beauty in the fullness of us as people. I want listeners to feel themselves and their own stories in the project and to find inspiration in dark or wild places within themselves. With grief or depression or heartbreak it is hard in these moments to feel positivity. It’s not important to be positive about darkness but to let life carry us through those moments. Later we can look back at these moments and recognise that the moon comes up, life gives us hope and music is true and hopeful. The gentle rise of the moon shows us there is strength and possibility.

One of my favourite things about the album is all the beautiful textures that contribute to the unique overall sound, how did you achieve this effect?

As far as the textural elements I think it comes from that balance between solitude and doing alone time in the studio exploring sounds, a lot more than in most projects. I wanted solitude in creation so I could explore and experiment. It was important to record at night as I was more drawn to certain sounds. I also only had a select few collaborators on this album, those are friends who share a sense of subtlety in sound exploration. The difference in the process of this album created a unique sound. With Shadow Moon it was hard to remember where I was at times when recording it! There are so many interesting sounds in it, especially the use of water; we recorded raindrops but from underwater, we were looking for sounds that feel like depth. A shadow moon is new moon, it gives that feeling of total darkness and I wanted to show this as a place of comfort. It was really fun to make but we ended up with this 12 minute piece and I did wonder if people would listen and what they would think!

So to finish, could you name your Top 3 Mental Health Songs?

1. Akaal - Ajeet
2. When She Rises - Ajeet
3. Shadow Moon - Ajeet


Lunar is available to stream now!

David Dawson
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Buy print editions of Mindful Melody Issue 12 below!

    Buy now

      Subscribe below to get each issue straight to your inbox!

    Subscribe to Mindful Melody

    Articles List

    All
    3 Key Lifestyle Habits That Can Improve Your Mental Health
    Absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder-live-music
    Adam-douglas-on-his-middleaged-mental-health-awakening
    Adele-andy-find-perfect-harmony-on-where-i-belong-ep
    Ajeet-review-and-interview
    Album-review-mac-mcanallyrsquos-lsquoonce-in-a-lifetimersquo-is-both-a-soundtrack-and-an-antidote-for-our-times
    Am-i-right-to-be-optimistic-about-2021
    Amy-speace-interview
    And-a-little-help-from-the-forest
    And-being-born-for-the-stage
    And-do-we-need-to
    And-no-shoes-nation-how-fan-clubs-are-easing-lockdown-loneliness
    Andy Franks Interview - Music Support: Meet The Music Industry Veteran Working For Change
    A-new-way-forward-for-musical-theatre
    An-interview-with-mesita
    An-interview-with-thomas-corneill-from-young-martyrs-navigating-life-as-a-fulltime-musician
    An-interview-with-ziggy-alberts-bringing-unity-through-music
    Are Biopics Good For Fans?
    A-review-of-petrichor-ndash-jon-reynolds-the-aches-something-for-everyone
    A-talk-with-the-lead-wailer-aston-barrett-jr
    Bo Burnham's 'INSIDE' - Dark Comedy And Music Combine
    Bootleggers
    Breaking The Boundaries Of Genre And Mood An Interview With Jon Reynolds
    Breland Interview
    But I Think We Will Find A Common Ground": Finn Matthews Interview
    Can Music Be Your Coping Mechanism?
    Can We Seperate Artists From Their Music
    Carl Falk Interview: The Avicii Hitmaker On Friendship
    Channel Your Negativity Into Creativity
    Charlotte Young: Tackling Positivity And Negativity (Sometimes Simultaneously!)
    Christmas Music: The Marmite Of The Charts
    'Chris Tomlin & Friends': Joy That Transcends Religion
    Clipping. – Visions Of Bodies Being Burned Review
    'Come Home The Kids Miss You' - Did Expectations Ruin Harlow's Big Release?
    Denis Coleman - Pop Prodigy And Mental Health Ambassador
    Directioners
    Does Listening To Music Help Us Study?
    Don't Have Time To Create A Vision-board? Try This 'audio-board' Alternative
    “Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic?”: Why The Music Industry Really Is A 'poisoned Paradise' (Yingmin Khoo Guest Post)
    Drake White Interview
    Emma Moore Interview Finding Self-Love In Music And Society - Interview
    Escaping The Shuffle Society - How To Improve Mindfulness Through Music
    Everybody Dies Young
    Faith
    Faith Over Fear: Southern Gospel Artist Brent Cobb Talks To Maxim
    Fatherhood And Genre-fluidity
    Find Your Own Therapy
    From Bullied Teen To Chart-topper: Kelsey Bovey
    George Strait
    Gloria Anderson Interview: Cars
    Greetings From...The Marfa Tapes: Let Miranda Lambert
    Grief And The Songwriting Process
    Hardy On His Hopes For Hixtape Vol 2 And Being Country As Hell!
    "Hate Has Become The Default
    Headphone Holiday: Kenny Chesney
    How Can Music Affect Our Emotions
    How The Eagles Turned Back The Clock And Lit Up British Summer Time Festival 2022
    How Tik Tok Has Become The Industry's Hottest New Critic
    Humility And Heart
    Interview: Andreas Moe
    Interview: CalledOut Music
    Interview: Canaan Smith - How He Found Himself Through Fatherhood
    Interview: Essie Jain - Creating Healing Music For All Ages
    Interview: Haley & Michaels
    Interview: Kieran Lancini
    Interview: Kylie Morgan
    Interview: Morgan Wade
    Interview: Music Therapy With Tiziana Pozzo
    Interview: Tyler Braden On Small Towns
    Is The Music Industry Turning A New Leaf With Its Support Of Mental Health?
    "It's Time To Stop Living In My Head": Interview With Nashville's Olivia Lane
    Jack Ingram And Jon Randall Be Your Tour Guides On This Sonic Retreat
    JEEN-YUHS - WHY KANYE WOULD BE A BETTER LIFE COACH THAN YOU THINK
    Jhené Aiko's Chilombo: A Perfect Blend Of Peace And Passion
    Jhené Aiko's Chilombo: A Perfect Blend Of Peace And Passion
    Kenny Chesney
    Kezia Gill Interview
    Kristi Hoopes - Engagement
    Lathan Warlick Interview: How A Brush With Death Inspired His Music's Message Of 'God
    Live Music Is Changing
    Love And Unity'
    Low-Strung And Amped-Down: Unplug Your Mind By Going Acoustic
    Lyrical Life Lessons #2: 'Don't Blink'
    Lyrical Life Lessons #3 - 'Give Me More Time'
    Lyrical Life Lessons #5 Jake Owen
    Machine Gun Kelly Has Gifted Us The Realest Album Of 2020
    Mainstream Sellout - Did MGK Ignore The Critics?
    MAJE On Motivation
    Make Yourself A Musical Photo Album
    Man On The Moon III: Kid Cudi Finds Dawn After Years Of Darkness In This Modern Epic
    Maxim Speaks To Elliah Heifetz About Anxiety
    Meet The Man Determined To Bring More Positivity Into Country Music - An Interview With: Kyle Elliott
    Memories And Music
    Mental Health And Me #10-David: My Dream Band Line-Up
    Mental Health And Me #11-David: 'Sun Is Shining
    Mental Health And Me #12-David: 'The Drugs Don't Work'
    Mental Health And Me #2: Maxim
    Mental Health And Me #3: David Why 'How Are You?' Is My 2020 Kryptonite
    Mental Health And Me #3: Maxim - How Sad Songs Showed Me The Value Of Wholeness Over Happiness
    Mental Health And Me #4: Maxim - 'Pitch Perfectionism'
    Mental Health And Me #5: David
    Mental Health And Me #5: Maxim - Can You Dance Away The Lockdown Blues?
    Mental Health And Me #6: David - Meditation Memoirs
    Mental Health And Me #6: Maxim - How Country Music Showed Me The Power Of Gratitude
    Mental Health And Me #7: David - Was I Right To Be Optimistic About 2021? The Follow Up
    Mental Health And Me #7: Maxim - Can ‘mindful Listening' Help Ease Productivity-guilt?
    Mental Health And Me #8: David - Enjoying The Ride
    Mental Health And Me #9: David Was I Right To Be Optimistic About 2021 - The Trilogy
    Mental Health And Me: David
    Mental Health And Me; David #14: God's Plan - Why I'm Jealous Of Believers
    Mental Health And Me: David - How Running Made Me A Better Person
    Mental Health And Me: Maxim
    Mind Over Matter - Why Everything's Going To Be Alright (Even If It Isn't)
    Mitchell Kersley Challenges Toxic Masculinity On New Single
    Mod Sun's 'Internet Killed The Rockstar' - A Familiar Story
    More Than A Musician: Meet The Artist Making A Real Difference In The World Of Mental Health - An Interview With Serena Ryder
    Music
    Music And Grief By Ashley Broadhurst
    Music And Memory: The Healing Power Of Music (Yingmin Khoo Guest Post)
    My All-American Kenny Chesney Adventure
    My New 'Malibu Theory'
    National Identity - And Dad Jokes
    Nihilism In Rap Music: Misunderstood
    'Oh Man
    Our Top 10 Songs For...Peaceful Melancholy
    Our Top 10 Songs To Make You Laugh
    Our Top 10 Songs...to Relax To
    Our Top Ten...Slow Down And Simplify Songs
    Our Top Ten Songs...about Self-Love
    Our Top Ten Songs For...Peaceful Melancholy
    Our Top Ten Songs Of... Film/TV
    Our Top Ten Songs Of Nature
    Our Top Ten Songs Of... Summer Sun!
    Our Top Ten Songs To Hear Live
    Performance Anxiety: Friend Or Foe?
    Quadeca - I Don't Care Review
    Ray Fulcher Interview - "I Want People To Think
    Sampling - Creative Genius Or Cutting Corners?
    Sarah Louise: The UK Country Singer-songwriter That Just Wants You To Believe In Yourself
    Seafret Slow Down And Simplify With New Piano Sessions EP - Interview
    Self-Improvement And New 'Fly On The Wall' Project
    Should Your New Self-love Mantra Be A Rap Lyric?
    Songs That Get Me Through Lockdown - David
    Songs That Get Me Through Lockdown - Maxim
    Sounds That Heal And Relax: The Music Of Mindfulness
    Sound Therapy: A Vibe-check
    Spotify Recommended: Help Or Hindrance?
    Starz In Their Eyes – The Music Industry According To Just Jack
    Starz In Their Eyes – The Music Industry According To Just Jack
    Stereotypes And Saving Lives
    Sublime Simplicity - Quadeca's Atmospheric 'From Me To You' Album Reviewed
    Tamar Haviv: The Singer-songwriter Who's Making The World A Better Place
    Tebey Interview
    The 90% Gratitude Rule
    The 90’s Country Comeback: Why Cowboy Hats And Honky-tonks Are Striking A Chord With Gen-Z
    The 90’s Country Comeback: Why Cowboy Hats And Honky-tonks Are Striking A Chord With Gen-Z
    The Artist Making Iconic Songs Her Own - An Interview With: Lissie
    The Hot Girl Walk: Just Another Tik-Tok Fad - Or A Great Way To Boost Our Wellbeing?
    The Importance Of Being ERNEST - Flower Shops
    Then It's Okay If I Do Too.'"
    The Safety Of Familiarity
    The Sonic Ranch: Midland's Origin-story Digs Up Their Roots And Strikes Gold
    The Voice
    The Weather Is Sweet'
    Thomas Rhett Finds Happiness At Home On Country Again (Side A)
    Tick
    Tick… Boom! The Musical Of Honesty
    Tiera Kennedy Interview
    Tim Prottey-Jones - From Western To West End - And Back!
    Tom Cary - New Single 'Something In The Whiskey' Breaks Country Music's Heartbreak Streak
    Top 10 Motivational Masterpieces
    Top 10 Songs For Concentration
    Top 10 Songs For...Overcoming Heartbreak
    Toxic Or Positive?
    Vinyl Therapy
    Well If Ray's Got His Own Struggles
    Why 'Lonely' Confirms Justin Bieber's Move From Guilty Pleasure To Admirable Star
    Wren Kelly Tackling Society And Mental Health In New Single 'Game Over'
    Zac Brown Band - 'The Comeback' In Name And Nature
    Zane Williams Interview

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • The Magazine
  • The Articles