The tranquil glow of Agua Viva's 'Aura'
Agua Viva basking in the aura of nature; press photo courtesy of the artist.
There are some artists that make works that resemble exotic and illustrious places that can feel both real and/or imagined. Their art transports us to other dimensions; artifices that cause our immediate surroundings to dissolve into the ether as we enter into the slipstream of consciousness that conjures experiences and thoughts that resemble refreshing and exciting new realities. These particular sorts of transportive creations instill a glowing sense of peace, providing a sense of renewal, bliss and a sublime joy that assuages the restless worries of the mind and spirit and calms the most anxious of hearts.
Astute in these sacred schools of creative alchemy is Brooklyn-based Agua Viva, aka Josi Arias, who follows up the lauded El Hechizo de la Luna with the ambient full-length of Aura. Predominately recorded at home in NYC; Aura begins with the sparkling key "Intro" that dissolves into the sound of glittering, trickling brook. Josi steers the vibe into the outer reaches with "Cosmic Reconciliation", then to the depths of oceanic adventures with "Aquadora", to the icy glacier rays of light that shine and twinkle with a bright calm on "Arctic Sun". The cosmological component and motif abounds with the space station satellite tones of "Galaxy Stereo", while "Etoiles" feels like getting lost on the planet surface of a star, as the constellation glistens on the glimmer and sparkle of "Untitled Star".
The astronomic voyage traverses the astrological on the outer space plane of "Mercurio" as Arias gently rocks the listener to a soundful and restful golden slumber with "Solar Lullaby" that completes the cycle of Aura. Billed with the tagline music for healing — Agua Viva creates a therapeutic soundscape of endearing comfort to quench our collective thirst, satisfy the deficiencies of our current era, soothe our souls and repair all wrongs and harm so that we may enjoy an abundant and harmonious existence.
Into the light with Agua Viva’s Josi Arias.
Josi described the new electro-ambient album’s inception:
Aura is born out of my desire to create some music that might be, beyond the artistic, functional to particular situations. Like relaxation, meditation, or any other introspective exercise in the search of inner peace.
I liked the idea of using my musical skills to bring something useful to people, like a kind of community service. Creating these tracks was my own therapy during these moments of confinement, a kind of creation of my own medicine.
As creating it helped me, my desire is that other people out there might connect with that same emotion or the energy used to create this tunes.
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Aura nace de mi deseo de crear una música que pueda ser, más allá de lo artístico, funcional para situaciones particulares. Como la relajación, la meditación o cualquier otro ejercicio introspectivo en busca de la paz interior.
Me gustó la idea de utilizar mis habilidades musicales para aportar algo “útil” a la gente, como una especie de servicio comunitario. La creación de estos tracks fue also así como mi propia terapia durante estos momentos de encierro, una especie de creación de mi propia medicina.
Así como la creación me ayudó, mi deseo es que otras personas puedan conectarse con la misma emoción, o la energía utilizada para creación de estas melodías.