by Johnny Loftus
One of David and Diane Arkenstone's many tangential explorations, Ah*Nee*Mah blends strikingly organic contemporary instrumental soundscapes with ambient nature effects and Native American overtones. Spirit of the Canyon is billed as a collection of sound paintings inspired by the Grand Canyon. This is a noble intent, and it's unclear as to how directly successful Ah*Nee*Mah is in this endeavor. It's better to examine Spirit of the Canyon as a straightforward new age , as its sweeping allure and pristine quiet stretches are quite effectual. For "Voices of the Wind," violin and rustic acoustic guitars are blended with aching wind effects for a meditation on western American folk music of the late 1800s. "River Journey" follows the same path, layering in subtly ethnic percussion. Not surprisingly, "Echoes of Time" and "Night Voices" take a less structured turn, offering solitary Native American woodwinds over beds of both nature and synthesizer.