Fish Night Moon

by Carol WrightTim Wheater's gentle flutes slide gracefully over soft didgeridoo drones and intoxicating rhythms. Fish Night Moon is a winning trance-inducer that will give your body a case of "warm-or-cold-fuzzies." The kalimba thumb piano seems to plump up the cells, while gentle drum patters flutter like moth wings against the skin; the cello and violin and cymbals offer sharper sonic textures. "Elemental" begins with cold and echoing winds; here, the didgeridoos growl ominously. Here, the body is massaged with sound and the nerves stand alert. Wheater's gentle Native American flute on "Rainbowmaker" gives a soothing break before the flute is floated away on the didigeridoo river of "Fish Nite Moon." Strange bird noises, clicking percussion, and violin and mandolin accents make this nine-minute track a mysterious and arresting experience. The piece picks up steam until it finally comes to rest in a sonic pond. "Celestial City" is a warm puddle of sound, including layers of vocals (Julie Schatzberger), golden-toned flutes, and the overtone singing by Wheater that forms the basis of his monumental album Heart Land. "Ancient Footsteps" is a fun syncopated piece that layers rhythms and intriguing phrases into a complex tapestry of sound. The album ends with Wheater playing a peaceful melody on the Lakota flute. Fish Night Moon is a sensual concept album that is very trance-inducing.