Search - David Parsons :: Dorje Ling

Since 1975, David Parsons has made numerous trips to India to absorb the culture, study the music, and record performances by indigenous artists. In addition to producing three albums of Tibetan ritual music, in the Sacred Ceremonies: Ritual Music of Tibetan Buddhism (17074-2, 17079-2 & 13132-2) series, the composer and synthesist has translated the essence of his journeys into the lush, yet, profound soundscapes of Himalaya (17059-2) and Yatra (18072-2), two critically acclaimed albums of original music.Dorje Ling, was inspired by his subsequent return to Dharamsala, India, home of Tibetan Buddhism in exile. For several months, Parsons lived at the Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery and immersed himself in the ancient art of Tibetan ritual music. "During our stay, my wife, Kay, and I would sit in the monastery for eight hours at a time through whole ceremonies," Parsons recalls. "Although I'm not a Buddhist, and I don't speak Tibetan, I found myself compelled to sit there for days on end just trying to absorb the nuances of it. In this way, the music got into my subconscious, and the album is a result of that."On Dorje Ling, Parsons mixes samples of traditional Tibetan music into his gently evolving electronic compositions. Many of these recordings were taken from material released on Sacred Ceremonies 2 (17079-2), yet the resulting fusion of ancient and modern sensibilities is not meant to be a representation of Tibetan Buddhist practices. Rather, Dorje Ling, is a poetic exploration of the visions this rich culture has inspired in Parsons, culminating in a sonic pilgrimage through the treacherous splendor of the surrounding Himalayas.