by Jonathan Widran
Searching musically for Ireland's roots, songwriter and musical visionary Reg Keating fashions a unique new age outing steeped in the realm where myth and reality cross in murky shadows. The title promises a Celtic-themed journey and there are definitely elements here that will appeal to fans of the genre -- native language performances by the Enya-like ethereal voices of Sharon Murphy and Karen Tracey, a festive jig-type flavor on &Winds of Change,& and a whimsical flute and haunting tribal voices winding through the ambient contours of &Tuath de Danaan.& Despite these threads, however, and some unique scene-setting track descriptions (which read like a largely mythologized history), this recording is more geared toward the fan of cool, soulful ambient music in general than hardcore Irish music fans. &The 9th Wave& has a hypnotic industrial groove with haunting synth sounds and a moody vibe. &Tri na nOg& is all synth wash ambience and distant synth patterns leading into a gently throbbing trance. &Genesis Hibernia& is a lush new age solo piano tune surrounded by a thunderstorm soundscape. Overall, the story is slightly more interesting than the music.