The ten songs resulted from intensive rehearsals and present their own compositions as well as Traditionals from Korea, India and the Alpine space.
The album shows ihow different musical traditions in one unexpected refreshing way merged with each other and creates a musical bridge between east and west.
The ensemble EURASIA:
Claudia Haarfee Nussbaumer, an amazingly groovy harpist,
Klaus Falschlunger, sitar player - one of few in Europe - and
Paul Heis performing various woodwind instruments, percussions and vocals. EURASIA connects
east and west by impressive style variety and cheerful easiness.
The careful combination of acoustic and electronic sounds gives a globally unique sonority. With refreshing arrangements, passionate improvisations and virtuoso performances, the formation inspires the richness, the depth
and expressiveness of various musical traditions and so thrills the entire audience.
Bestechend und überzeugend dabei der Einfallsreichtum in der Gestaltung der meist modalen Stücke. Mit erfrischender Offenheit legen die Musiker/innen ihre Sicht der Weltmusik dar, sie liefern Sounds die entspannen, mitreissen und verwundern. Der Betrag den diese Cd kostet ist bestens in einen erweiterten Weltmusikbegriff angelegt.
Florian Bramböck
This journey moves along interesting paths of european and asian sounds. Performed by quite different charakters you'll find exciting suprises along the way. This piece will nicely fit in your music collection.
Chris Wörndle
The new album "Be Now Here" ("Be Nowhere") by the ensemble "Eurasia" is a delightful collection of Asian – inspired vocal and instrumental music combined with European traditions of Jazz and Folk principles.
This is largely achieved by a unique combination of instruments, such as the sitar, the harp, saxophone and flute, voice and percussion, and once even the exotic didgeridoo.
The 3 musicians show in a well crafted manner how elements of Eastern and Western traditional music can perfectly harmonise and be joined by Western style Jazz to suggest a modern atmosphere while never leaving a basis of solid tradition.
"Blue India" is a fantastic way of introducing Indian Raga as a starter and then carry the listener away into a parallel world of Jazz ambience.
"Sitarol" is a refreshing Jazz-style track with an interesting 7/8 rhythm reminding me slightly of Dave Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance" in the way percussion/clapping is used, yet still keeping an original Indian-inspired flavour. On this track the ensemble is joined by the outstanding percussionist Sani Kunchev.
The "Andachtsjodler" – another personal favourite – is based on a well-known Alpine-traditional, shown in a completely new environment, giving us the felling of "the Alps transferred into the Himalayans, accompanied by an Irish Bodhran and an Uzbek Nay with beautifully arranged vocals – a work of genius!
Norbert Zehm
