"Nine Heavens" features nine intricately carved original arrangements and compositions of traditional folk songs and mystical Sufi poems from Iran, the Indian sub-continent and Turkey. With a strong emphasis on composition... more », Niyaz centers on the deep interconnectedness between the music of Iran, India and Turkey, and delves further into the traditional melodies of these regions with outstanding performances by its core members as well as guest musicians of the highest caliber from these three traditions. Nine Heavens has been released as a double disc set. One cd embodies the original concept of the band which is to bridge the gap between the traditional and modern by creating a finely-tuned balance of acoustic and electronic music. The second will be a solely acoustic version of the album, which will feature a more organic approach with a stronger emphasis on traditional acoustic instrumentation with added percussion.« less
"Nine Heavens" features nine intricately carved original arrangements and compositions of traditional folk songs and mystical Sufi poems from Iran, the Indian sub-continent and Turkey. With a strong emphasis on composition, Niyaz centers on the deep interconnectedness between the music of Iran, India and Turkey, and delves further into the traditional melodies of these regions with outstanding performances by its core members as well as guest musicians of the highest caliber from these three traditions. Nine Heavens has been released as a double disc set. One cd embodies the original concept of the band which is to bridge the gap between the traditional and modern by creating a finely-tuned balance of acoustic and electronic music. The second will be a solely acoustic version of the album, which will feature a more organic approach with a stronger emphasis on traditional acoustic instrumentation with added percussion.
"After anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new Niyaz album, I am thrilled to report that I am in no way disappointed. "Nine Heavens" is not merely a repeat of Niyaz's debut album, however. Instead, the music has gotten richer, more complex and velvety, with less emphasis on pulsing electronic trance rhythms. Worry not, however, it's still gonna move you...perhaps in a slightly more fluid expression. Despite the novelty of having two discs representing both the "electronic" and acoustic versions for 8 of the 9 songs, the music itself only differs slightly between them, and this is in no way a detriment. The differences are more subtle and nuanced, each thoroughly enjoyable in its own right. I can already imagine that I'll be listening to the slightly quieter acoustic version in the morning, and choosing the electronic version for evening.
For those fans of Azam Ali and/or Vas, you may recognize more of a similarity in the texture of this music than perhaps the first Niyaz album, with a return to more instrumental emphasis."
As good as I hoped
O. Guerra | 06/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Niyaz first album, Nine Heavens will not disappoint. As one other reviewer mentioned, there isn't as strong emphasis on electronic sound like in the song "The Hunt" but this is not to say someone who likes electronic music will be disappointed. Niyaz blends traditional and modern sounds, I'm always looking for bands that fuse different elements of world music together and Niyaz does it in perfect harmony, not to mention Azam Ali's voice is amazing. very few bands can accomplish this.
If you never heard of Niyaz and are looking for not just world music, but something different, Nine Heavens will not disappoint. The addition of the acoustic version is like having a completely different CD, not to mention, they could have waited six months before releasing the acoustic version.
The only negative thing I have to say is that the album is so good, it left me wanting more and I wish it was twice as long!"
Azam Ali has Become Progressive
Chris Custer | San Francisco, CA, USA | 07/29/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With this new band "Niyaz," Aza Ali has become a more progressive rock style singer, and thus less hauntingly spiritual and sound-oriented. Although I still long for her earlier style from her days on Vas, chiefly her breakthrough performances in the Sunyata album, this 2 CD-set is certainly worth the money. Heck, anything with Azam Ali's incredible vocals is money. I will continue buying whatever album, and in whose ever band, in which Azam sings. This album is good, very good."
Sensuous mystical cross-cultural grooves
J. TIMMERMAN | Lawson, NSW Australia | 10/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Born in Tehran, Iran, Azam Ali grew up in India and as a teenager moved to USA with her mother in 1979. Her music career that began there now spans more than a decade and remarkably already includes four solo albums and six collaborative ones. These include four with multi-instrumentalist Greg Ellis in a duet called Vas and now two in a Los Angeles-based trio called Niyaz where she is joined by Loga Ramin Torkian, master of many traditional instruments from Europe, Turkey and his native Iran, and Grammy-winning producer/re-mixer Carmen Rizzo. Azam both sings and plays a santour or hammered dulcimer, and not surprisingly her music has been compared with that of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry's Dead Can Dance - a fair comparison in terms of ethereality although her Vas recordings are not as punchy, more like later Loreena McKennitt but less florid. For Niyaz think Natacha Atlas plus Dead Can Dance and you are in the right ball park.
Nine Heavens is a double-CD with both electric and acoustic versions of nine deft, stylish arrangements of traditional folk songs as well as Medieval Farsi, Urdu and Sufi poetry from Persia, Turkey and India. Not that I found the listening experience between one CD and the other a whole lot different - it's all good, with very high production values all the way. It's a nice idea though to give the listener the choice between traditional and modern arrangements.
Where the music of Vas was interesting enough, the results here are far more exciting. Azam has clearly developed musically in leaps and bounds, and her rich sensuous voice is just right for this complex cross-cultural blend with its agreeable balance between old and new. This is highly penetrating stuff, ancient mystical music with an ultra-modern beat and deep ambient grooves that are musically and spiritually rich and engaging. Azam's depth of expressive feeling, the technical mastery of the various traditional instruments or electronica and the imaginative arrangements result in a series of haunting, exhilarating soundscapes.
A must for anyone interested in Eastern-styled cross-over."