"Wonderful album on so many levels" -
Prem Myers
"Phenomenal" -
Kelly Anne Fleming Lynch
"Beautiful and ethereal" -
Marie Weston
"This is an exquisite piece, a true work of art, so creative and original." -
Jan
"When I began to listen to this debut album by Täyu, the insistent double-beat percussion that underlies the first track, 'Incantation', grabbed me by the lapels and insistently demanded my attention. From that moment, I was hooked. If 'Incantation' was a book, I wouldn't have been able to put it down. 'Gaia' is more contemplative and reflective; 'Prayer' short, but very beautiful. The ethereal introduction of 'Breathe' melts into a sweeping internal vista conveyed by an electric guitar whose sound summons memories of Jeff Wayne's classic 'War of the Worlds'. Against a background of birdsong the spell of the 'Enchanted Forest' is woven by both guitar and voice, supplemented by brilliant use of the didgeridoo to complete the enchantment. The brief Middle Eastern overtones of 'Ahimsa' then lead you to the 'Shores of Atlantis', where the lapping of seawater heralds a voice calling out for the return of the mysterious and the lost. I hope this album is the first of very, very many by Täyu." -
Deborah Latham
"I just wanted to say thank you, and to 'Myriad' too for the amazing album 'Incantation.' It is really incredible, I heard a bit on the Academy of Sound Healing chat you had with Tony Nec....and I really wanted to hear more so my partner ordered it for me as a surprise.
It is such a beautiful album, I love the blend of incredible music and vocals and the sounds of nature woven in...I also enjoyed the photography very much. Love the CD cover artwork too!
This is one I shall listen to again and again...
I hope there are many more albums to come!" -
Rachel
"The song, Incantation. I knew an elder Navajo man. He was my friend. He took me to a gathering in the forest. There were many Navajo there to dance in this ceremony. The full moon descended to the earth in rays between the trees. The women were chanting in harmony. There were native drums, percussion , and flutes. There was a fire. There was a shaman. This dance went on for hours, building into a climatic frenzy. The shaman worked his magic. All of a sudden, as if on cue, the music stopped and everyone fell down prone on the ground, all, totally spent. It was spiritual, Nirvana. The song, Incantation, just like that experience. What a pleasure to have that Navajo experience brought out of my memory, brought back to life." -
Heather
"I think the whole album is brilliant and shows a different to you as a person and musician. The shamanic, trippy, dreamy vibe is right up my street and think you've managed to capture that atmosphere really well. Kudos to Myriad for enchanting vocals that suit the music perfectly." -
Gideon
FULL REVIEWS
One World Music
Incantation By Tayu Written by Steve Sheppard
For this review we go close to home, far from anything you have ever imagined, and travel to lands musically familiar and brand new, confused? Don't be, this brand new offering by Tayu (meaning, as of yet unnamed), is that breath of fresh air that breathes new life into the new age music industry I have been a part of for some 20 plus years.
Incantation is one of the most vibrant openers you ever going to wish to find on your musical sojourns and Myriad on vocals sets the scene perfectly, while Mahhrk adds such a flavour to the percussive proceedings with a full flowing guitar. This one reminds me of two personal friends in Nigel Shaw and Carolyn Hillyer, in there days as Riven or perhaps Global with that wonderful pagan styled vibe, it also made me miss the tree frogs from the stream that runs close to my home.
We now move to the offering Gaia, oh as humanity, how we test the patience of our mother, the more expected Spanish guitar drifts across this composition from Mahhrk, while the strings, both Violin and Viola, (Melisa Cox) are in perfect harmonic resonance with the ethereal vocals of Myriad, a track that contains a lush sense of a global energy, with notes of an eastern flavour.
The short form track Prayer moves us ever onwards, Myriad gifting us the floating vocalise to enjoy, before we once more bathe within the musical ocean with the track Breath. Cox on strings creates such a reflective mood, which of course only the Violin and Viola can do, then an almost rock guitar from Mahhrk drifts across our oasis of pleasure, in a style I have not heard since the album War of the Worlds, (Jeff Wayne, Chris Speeding).
Enchanted Forest gave us Mahhrk's acoustic guitar to revel in; the natural sounds set the scene perfectly, while a little hats off goes to Digidave, for well yes, the didgeridoo arrangements, which made this one for me one of the most fascinatingly different, yet fluent offerings off the album.
Mahhrk and the Spanish guitar may seem familiar to you, and so it should, you have heard him many times on the radio, but I'm not going to spoil that for you, you're going to have to buy the album and investigate yourselves, however it is both beautiful and soothing, and transports us to a land I know so very well indeed, in fact right up on the sands and beaches of the Shores of Atlantis themselves.
Now this is where it gets a little freaky, as many of you who know me, will also know I broadcast a show called Shores of Atlantis on the radio, and many will also know I live in Cyprus, which is said by many, Plato in the main, to be part of what eons ago would have been known as Atlantis.
Now I have played this piece several times, and each time I do I feel the urge to walk the 10 minutes or so to the shore line and listen to this live whilst bathing in the energies of Atlantis itself. Musically this is utterly sublime a wonderful joint effort, Mahhrk excels and also on Native American flute, now that's something I didn't know about him, and with Myriad's other worldly vocals, manifests the best composition from the album with ease, perfect tempo, creative arrangements, one that builds a splendid vista of the said location and more.
Incantation by Tayu is without doubt the best new age album that's come across my desk in a long while; its production quality is lush and colourful, whilst each and every performance within this fine collection is absolutely brilliant. It is so nice to hear an album like this again, a classy collection of truly enjoyable songs, that is not afraid of being New Age and proud, this one is easy to recommend.
One World Music - https://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/
Higher Plain Music
Sounds like...
A cross between Dead Can Dance and New Age tropes.
The review
"Täyu are a duo I came across when following the Sound Healing Academy on Youtube. Two members of the Sound Healing Academy have formed a duo called Täyu and released their debut album 'Incantation' last year. I was late to the party and only recently picked it up and it is a delightful album for new age and idioglossia fans.
Across the album's seven tracks, five are long epic pieces that incorporate various different tribal rhythms or instruments. These are the heart of the album and often last for six or seven minutes as a hypnotic and ever-shifting melody. The title track opens the album with crickets and forest noises before skin drums and fire spits pound in over synth drones. It is then the vocals of Myriad comes through and hits you. She doesn't sing with words, she sings from the heart (idioglossia) and so weaves chants, coo's and bellows depending on her mood with the music. The result is a siren-like command over the music that bends to her whim. For the title track, the percussive machine is joined by crazed Indian styled guitars from Mahhrk. It is a powerful introduction to Täyu that consistently evolves its sound over time.
'Gaia' is a beautiful ballad of acoustic guitar and strings where Myriad's voice is interwoven with distant chants that fade in and out from tribespeople, It has a cross over the feel of Celtic and Norse music with Javan or Indonesian chants too boot and sounds unique to new age music. 'Breathe' is a slinky slow-burn symphonic rock ballad. With a full band behind her, Myriad sings like a soothing cool breeze against weathered instruments. The string arrangement here is particularly beautiful as the song twists around like a mirage of slightly uneasy chords. The witchiness and Wendy Rule vibe are strong in this one.
'Enchanted Forest' pulls us into the swamps and jungles of South America and Asia. Digeridoos, atonal vocal noises, animal squawks and guiros all play off each other in a humid smoky atmospheric piece. It sounds like the wildlife has come out to party and to prey on you during the night time. It balances a threatening aura with being rhythmic and the udu pot's 'boing' is key to adding in that playful element. The album closes with 'Shores of Atlantis' where water laps against the listeners' ears over cavernous synth drones, whistles, bells, drums and ancient guitars. Also included are two short transition tracks. 'Prayer' features Myriad's voice whilst 'Ahimsa' features Mahhrk's guitar skills. All together it forms a peaceful and mystical experience that I was completely lost in.
Täyu have tons of musical talent. The duo is able to craft melodic new age hybrids of different cultures and stitch them together using loads of instruments and a special voice that should be considered as one of the strongest and most evocative in the new age scene. What drew me in was that Täyu isn't afraid to show that mystical means a balance of beauty, intrigue and unease and they balance this perfectly. New age and world music fans - don't sleep on this one. It is a corker."
-
Higher Plain Music -
https://higherplainmusic.com/2021/01/10/tayu-incantation-review/
Awards:
- "Shores of Atlantis" - Number 8 in the Top 30 tracks of 2020 - One World Music
- "Shores of Atlantis" - Finalist in the One World Music "Oneness" awards
