Current Release: "Leaving Cygnus"

With the single track "Leaving Cygnus", I wanted to continue the experiments which began on "Counting Stars" from Pastoral Memory. I find the electric sitar uniquely suited for ambient music, and I think featuring it on this track gives it the middle eastern/southern Asian vibe I was trying to create.

The constellation Cygnus, or "The Swan", is located in the Milky Way, was identified by ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and has a rich mythological history. The title is also a nod to Neil Peart (drummer/lyricist for prog-rock band Rush, and co-composer of the piece "Cygnus X-1"), who sadly passed in early 2020. Although you probably won't recognize Rush's influence in listening to my ambient pieces, they played a huge role in my early musical development. My interest and ease in playing odd meters is the result of spending many hours listening to, and deciphering the rhythmically complex music of Rush, Frank Zappa, Yes, and the prog bands of their era.

The harmony for the piece is based on a suspended chord drone, and was created by playing the suspended chord on various instruments and manually looping the results to create an undulating bed, which I could then improvise over. After many, many takes, electric sitar melodies began to emerge, which felt natural and hopefully, would be singable for an untrained listener. Finger cymbals, singing bowls and various harps add to the mystical feeling.

While the pulsating synths in the opening may move this piece slightly into ambient space territory, I believe "Leaving Cygnus" is perfect for relaxation and stress-relief. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Happy listening!

Dan Palladino

Composed, Arranged, Performed and Produced by Dan Palladino
Recorded at The Torpedo Room, East Brunswick, NJ
Edited and Mastered by Nicholas Prout for True Sonix, Inc.
Cover art by Jorm S/ Adobe Stock

Special thanks to Lynn and Anthony Palladino, and to all of my friends who support independent music.

© 2020 Dan Palladino

Leaving Cygnus Reviews

"Dan Palladino’s 'Leaving Cygnus' is a brilliant and complex meditation piece. There are so many levels of meaning, so many details. It is storytelling on a grand scale..."

--BT Fasmer, New Age Music Guide
Read the full review here.

"This is an absolutely necessary track on any meditation playlist. It’s ambient Heaven on Earth. Brilliant, truly brilliant."

--Dyan Garris, New Age CD
Read the full review here.

"...a wonderfully exciting, yet perfectly balanced, eight plus minute opus of sublime electronic instrumental music."

--Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio
Read the full review here.

September 2020 Update

After being out for only four days, "Leaving Cygnus" has reached #5 on the New Age Music Guide chart for August 2020! Read about it HERE.