[.ca] Aquaria: A Liquid Blue Trancescape

Surprisingly boring, even a little silly:
I was eager for this CD, considering how much I love Jewel in the Sun, and the Healing Spirit. But something is very wrong here, and I feel I wasted my money. I actually burst out laughing when I heard her saying "I am the voice of the sea". I could have done better myself, which is no compliment. There are a lot better CD's out there than this one.

you might fall into a "trance", involuntarily:
I had higher hopes for this CD, which I also gave as a gift to a friend. Though it starts out in an interestingly musical fashion, not much else happens after the initial intro piece. The album sounds too much alike from beginning to end, as if it were one long track, instead of several like it is indexed. Maybe Diane Arkenstone was inspired by Brian Eno's method of looping the same segment of music over and over again. It doesn't work here for what she's trying to market as a multi-song album. She should have issued this album as a six-track EP, or included a greater variety of "trancescapes" like you'd find on an Enigma or Enya recording. Not a terrible release, but not worth the list price either.

another hit:
Not quite as good as Diane's Healing Spirit but very nice. Would be five stars if there were no words to spoil the serenity of the music.

How good is this? Depends on what you're looking for:
If you are expecting something similar to Paul Oakenfold or DJ Irene, look elsewhere. This a mostly sedentary work, consisting largely of vocal washes imposed over moderate beats; in other words, it lacks the drive and rhythm of most trance-oriented works, but it does retain the genre's style and sensibilities, albeit at a much reduced pace. If anything, it resembles the efforts of Enya more than it does trance. This isn't music to dance to; rather, it is best suited as background or as accompaniment for activities such as reading or crafts. As a trance album, this may disappoint fans of that musical type. But for those seeking a good tonic for relaxation or sedentary activities, this will work just fine.

A Voice of a Great Spirit lives within Diane Arkenstone...:
If you stumbled onto this page by mistake, take a closer look. This album is FANTASTIC. With an Angelic voice and masterful audio crafting, Diane is breaking new ground. Following in the footsteps of her husband, Diane may well surpass David. At the very least, she walks by his side. Do not pass up this Master Works. Also look at David's Works... Shaman, Goddess, Faeries and Dream Palace under the name Troika. All Digital Heaven mixed with classic instrumentals!

• World Of Light
• Through The Veil
• The Water Garden
• The Treasure Caves
• Rhythms Of The Deep
• Voice Of The Sea
• Tranceshift
• Aquaria