artist: Aeoliah country of origin: Germany/USA style(s): New age. ambient, ethno-ambient essential releases: Inner Sanctum (1981, Helios/Oreade) The Light Of Tao (1982, Helios/Oreade)

Walk into any new age shop and you'll see rows of CD's with covers like this. If the angelic artwork and hilariously pretentious cover notes is anything to go by, it would be easy to dismiss the German-born Aeoliah is just another new age troubadour with hand on a keyboard and his head in the clouds. Yet these popular U.S. albums from early in his career offer some superb music: floating, delicate pieces with a subtle emotional power.

Aeoliah plays synthesiser, piano, zither and other assorted instruments with support from respected names from the 80's Californian scene like synthesist Don Robertson and the flautist Larkin. “Mahariva” from The Light Of Tao is an unusual and awe-inspiring combination of church organ and Indian sitar. A couple of other tracks recall the drifting piano and electronics of Harold Budd, though with a quality more luminous than eerie. Unlike much other music of a new age bent, this is music first, and so much the better for it.

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