The River of Appearance Re-Released

One of my fave ambient releases remains Vidna Obmana’s The River of Appearance, which was originally released on Projekt Records back in 1996. It’s a CD I often turn to whenever I need some serenity and peace in my life, when I just need to slow down and rest — read my review.

While the parts of the album do veer a little close to “New Age” territory, what with the heavenly-sounding syntha arrangements and subtle ethnic flourishes. But what rescues the album is the emotion the flows through it, equal parts nostalgia, melancholy, and romance. The opening moments of the album, with the slowly-cycling guitar melodies, sparse piano, and ethereal keys, remains otherworldly beautiful, no matter how many times I hear them. They never cease to relax, move, and envelope me.

This year celebrates the album’s ten year anniversary, and as a treat, Projekt will be re-releasing The River of Appearance as a two-disc special edition. The first disc will be the original release, and the second will feature a complete re-creation of the album by Oregon’s Dreams In Exile using traditional instrumentation, childrens’ choir, and whatnot. (Dreams In Exile have previously collaborated with Vidna Obmana on the latter’s Echoes of Steel release.)

No word on a definitive release date, but Projekt is currently accepting pre-orders.