Transcendence / Infinite Hearts Desire

Aquarian Dream
By
Carmen Rubino

Produced By: John Barcelona & Carmen Rubino
Engineered By : John Barcelona
Album Art & Graphic Design: John Barcelona

Written by
Steve Sheppard

Never before have I listened to such a powerful and deeply moving start to an album
as Aquarian Dream by Carmen Rubino, the synth work in the first track
Transcendence is almost 2002 in style, the sheer emotion and determination in the
composition is outstanding in its brilliance.

It moves us seamlessly into the next piece called Infinite Hearts Desire. The intensity
is still here, but even more musical genius is drawn to our well of listening, the piano
and symphonic constructions add a real depth of passion. The track is just short of
ten minutes long and Rubino, not a stranger to one of my favourite genres of music
Progressive Rock, creates a completely stunning performance, as he pulls back and
lets this tide of a track build under its own momentum, with segments of rest,
reflection and determination.

Dear listener you have joined us on another journey through the sonic delights of
Carmen Rubino, next he will perform a moving track called Tears of Joy. This, at just
over two minutes is the shortest composition on the album, but easily the sweetest,
this is a track of angelic beauty, the like that I have not heard of since the early days
of the English New Age musician Mike Rowland, timely crescendos, and soft synths
path our way into the next piece.

More intent filled piano from Rubino on this track will greet your senses, and by now
dear reader and listener you will know you are listening to a real masterpiece of an
album, the chimes and subtle change of chords within this track are so delicate but
perfect in its form, giving this track Spirit Of Reflection an almost Tim Burton style
soundtrack for another film perhaps?

Well I host a show called The Perfect Remedy on O.W.M., which, I may add, will
feature this album on its next episode, but here Rubino performs Perfect Harmony
for us. This is a very gentle piece that reminds me greatly of Stephen Rhodes on his
world famous album Pure Healing. This is real traditional new age music and so good
to hear, but listen more deeply dear reader, there is far more inside, listen to the
actual composition and construction of the track and you will find a narrative in there
that takes us on a nine minute plus journey of balance, the eastern feel and Zen
styled garden flute and percussion, is a stroke of genius, one can really feel with the
harmonious perfection of life coming into a state of musical equilibrium in this utterly
beautiful track.

We are now at the half way stage dear constant listener and I must say I hope you’re
enjoying this journey as much as I am; it has been a real pleasure to bathe myself
with this album and as I listen now to the next piece called Christmas Wish, I feel a
real sense of the ages coalescing, Christmas may have just passed as I write, but
through the music one can still feel it’s energies and its timeless appeal and those
heart felt memories that always surface at this time of year. Rubino with his care and
attention had created a handsome piece indeed.

In Our Place is our next port of call, this gentle harbour of traditional new age music
gives us a place of safety and a timeless sanctuary with which to take stock of our
sojourn with Carmen Rubino and the beautiful journey of music we are on with him,
this track is layered perfectly with a calming flute, a few natural sounds and smooth
and caressing keyboards, just simply beautiful.

Now the journey continues dear reader and the speed picks up and an almost Keith
Emerson like Piano whisks us away from our safe port of call and into a track called
How I Love You. This is one of my personal favourites from the album, it’s a track that
really shows now not only Rubino’s skill on the piano, but his amazing ability to go
hard and soft on the keys at will, then at just under the two minute mark, create a
work of almost classic interpretation that would grace any film score, with a
backdrop of a musical essence of a deeply felt and most sincere love.
Now dear reader it feels like we have been pulled back in time with the track, or
should I say opus called Father. At just over an amazing twelve minutes this quite
incredible symphony has many twists and turns contained within. I would advise you
to listen to this composition many times in order to get the most out of all the subtle
and not so subtle nuances in this composition. Father as a track has a deeply moving
narrative that seems to take you on a musical journey through the life of a man and
his struggles and successes through life. Some of us have been there, but we will all
at some stage be there, now thanks to Carmen Rubino you have the perfect musical
opus to use as a soundtrack, he weaves a musical carpet of many mood changes to
keep you completely enthralled in this spectacular track.

From the wondrous opus of Father, we drift into two short pieces now, the first is
called Sweet Angel Return and the keyboards provide us with a real symphonic
angelic touch in a track that almost smothers us in unconditional love and hope and
them seamlessly into the world of our penultimate piece called Sacred Vows. The
latter is a deeply moving short form composition that says all in a moment of musical
brilliance, all you will ever need to know about honesty, truth and integrity and how
they merge into a vow that is eternal and meaningful.
Well dear reader and listener, we are at the final signpost of our journey and our
walk along the path way of life and love with Carmen Rubino draws to a close, but
the artist still has one more rabbit to pull from his musical magicians hat and what
better way to end an album than with another symphonic moment of outstanding
natural beauty.
This composition is over thirteen minutes long and guaranteed to leave you with a
tear in your eye and a longing in your heart to hear this album once again and to
allow yourself to find out more about this quite incredible musician. The track its self,
seems to me to sum up the whole album in one movement, it is of course Aquarian
Dream. This is a beautifully and thoughtfully performed reflection on our journey
dear reader and listener.
Aquarian Dream by Carmen Rubino is one of those rare albums that just does not
come around too often, it is a creation created by a musical genius, it is an album
that touches the heart and soul of your very being and it is an album you need to
have in your collection as quick as you possibly can, I could not recommend it higher.