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The continuous heartbeat rhythm, medicine rattles, heart and soul activating trance drumming, combines with Steve’s sonic mastery and deep didgeridoo to firmly anchor the entire journey to the listener’s own sonically-driven trajectory. Repeated use of this music in a personal ritual or ceremonial context will enhance the heart’s capacities for love, compassion, courage, power, and strength.
With focused and clear intention, this sonic call to adventure draws on the traditional shamanic model that is proven over the eons to open the primal mind to access all levels of human experience including the upper, middle, and lower worlds of the shamanic landscape and various transpersonal realms of reality. The Shaman's Heart II is a powerful and potent shamanic journey that invites the listener to make full contact with their heart – their own inner wisdom and various non-physical helpers, guides and allies, to reveal, release, heal and transform the habitual patterns and blocks that inhibit and stifle their growth and creative energies. BIO Byron Metcalf is a transpersonal guide and educator, shamanic practitioner, teacher, and award-winning professional musician. As a drummer, percussionist and recording engineer, Byron produces music for deep inner exploration, breathwork, shamanic journeywork, body-oriented therapies, various meditation practices and the healing arts. Byron is the creator of The Shaman’s Heart Program and holds a Ph.D. in transpersonal psychology, a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and is a certified graduate of Grof Transpersonal Training and Eupsychia Institute’s Psycho-Spiritual Integration programs. Byron has trained, studied, and worked with shamans, healers, and psycho-spiritual teachers from many parts of the world including Stan Grof, Jack Kornfield, Hameed Ali, John Davis, Ph.D., Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., Jose and Lena Stevens, Sandra Ingerman, and Don Americo Yabar. For over 20 years, Byron has been involved in consciousness research and spiritual development, specializing in the transformative potential of alternative states of consciousness. Metcalf completed Grof Transpersonal Training as a Certified Holotropic Breathwork Facilitator in 1989. Holotropic literally means “moving towards wholeness”, a term coined by Stanislav Grof to describe the category of non-ordinary states of consciousness that possess healing and transformational potential, such as in shamanic states of consciousness (shamanic journeying, healing, etc). As one of the “elders” in the holotropic community, since 1989, Metcalf has facilitated (or co-facilitated) hundreds of Holotropic Breathwork sessions and has conducted two formal research studies that focused on breathwork. PRESS FOR BYRON'S PREVIOUS RELEASES: Byron Metcalf’s life defines holistic integration. He holds numerous degrees in psychology and counseling and he is a shamanic practitioner. He is a pioneer of the therapeutic use and healing potential of "nonordinary" states of consciousness. He is also a world class percussionist and a leader in the field of healing music. Byron’s soundworlds are deep and rhythmic journeys into the self. The set runs the gamut from intense rhythmic head music to gentle Native American minimalism. Byron weaves his magic throughout the disc. His percussion carries the flow and guides listeners to the healing touch. That touch comes from within each listener. It can be spiritual, emotional and/or personal. It is always powerful! – Ambient Visions-Review by Jim Brenholts Byron so eloquently and masterfully brings rhythm and sound together in a way that speaks to the inner recesses of the soul. Each unique selection has a character of it own. – Annie Compton-Schmidt, d.j., Earthbeat!, KFCF 88.1 fm, Fresno, CA. I have used Byron Metcalf's music in shamanic divination journey work of various kinds, and have found it to be extremely valuable in taking one to the deep, at times frightening inner spaces that one often encounters in self-exploration. The deep resonant bass pulse and driving rhythms keep one moving through the changes, and provide a safe container for this kind of work. – Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., author of THE UNFOLDING SELF. It blends an archetypal "resonance" with the "haunting" shamanic flair that Byron is so good at. . . and with just the right vibration. – Bill Green, Senior Staff & Music Coordinator, Eupsychia Institute
BIO
Byron Metcalf is a transpersonal guide and educator, shamanic practitioner, teacher, and award-winning professional musician. As a drummer, percussionist and recording engineer, Byron produces music for deep inner exploration, breathwork, shamanic journeywork, body-oriented therapies, various meditation practices and the healing arts. Byron is the creator of The Shaman’s Heart Program and holds a Ph.D. in transpersonal psychology, a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and is a certified graduate of Grof Transpersonal Training and Eupsychia Institute’s Psycho-Spiritual Integration programs. Byron has trained, studied, and worked with shamans, healers, and psycho-spiritual teachers from many parts of the world including Stan Grof, Jack Kornfield, Hameed Ali, John Davis, Ph.D., Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., Jose and Lena Stevens, Sandra Ingerman, and Don Americo Yabar. For over 20 years, Byron has been involved in consciousness research and spiritual development, specializing in the transformative potential of alternative states of consciousness.
Metcalf completed Grof Transpersonal Training as a Certified Holotropic Breathwork Facilitator in 1989. Holotropic literally means “moving towards wholeness”, a term coined by Stanislav Grof to describe the category of non-ordinary states of consciousness that possess healing and transformational potential, such as in shamanic states of consciousness (shamanic journeying, healing, etc). As one of the “elders” in the holotropic community, since 1989, Metcalf has facilitated (or co-facilitated) hundreds of Holotropic Breathwork sessions and has conducted two formal research studies that focused on breathwork. PRESS FOR BYRON'S PREVIOUS RELEASES: Byron Metcalf’s life defines holistic integration. He holds numerous degrees in psychology and counseling and he is a shamanic practitioner. He is a pioneer of the therapeutic use and healing potential of "nonordinary" states of consciousness. He is also a world class percussionist and a leader in the field of healing music. Byron’s soundworlds are deep and rhythmic journeys into the self. The set runs the gamut from intense rhythmic head music to gentle Native American minimalism. Byron weaves his magic throughout the disc. His percussion carries the flow and guides listeners to the healing touch. That touch comes from within each listener. It can be spiritual, emotional and/or personal. It is always powerful! – Ambient Visions-Review by Jim Brenholts Byron so eloquently and masterfully brings rhythm and sound together in a way that speaks to the inner recesses of the soul. Each unique selection has a character of it own. – Annie Compton-Schmidt, d.j., Earthbeat!, KFCF 88.1 fm, Fresno, CA. I have used Byron Metcalf's music in shamanic divination journey work of various kinds, and have found it to be extremely valuable in taking one to the deep, at times frightening inner spaces that one often encounters in self-exploration. The deep resonant bass pulse and driving rhythms keep one moving through the changes, and provide a safe container for this kind of work. – Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., author of THE UNFOLDING SELF. It blends an archetypal "resonance" with the "haunting" shamanic flair that Byron is so good at. . . and with just the right vibration. – Bill Green, Senior Staff & Music Coordinator, Eupsychia Institute
PRESS FOR BYRON'S PREVIOUS RELEASES:
Byron Metcalf’s life defines holistic integration. He holds numerous degrees in psychology and counseling and he is a shamanic practitioner. He is a pioneer of the therapeutic use and healing potential of "nonordinary" states of consciousness. He is also a world class percussionist and a leader in the field of healing music. Byron’s soundworlds are deep and rhythmic journeys into the self. The set runs the gamut from intense rhythmic head music to gentle Native American minimalism. Byron weaves his magic throughout the disc. His percussion carries the flow and guides listeners to the healing touch. That touch comes from within each listener. It can be spiritual, emotional and/or personal. It is always powerful! – Ambient Visions-Review by Jim Brenholts
Byron so eloquently and masterfully brings rhythm and sound together in a way that speaks to the inner recesses of the soul. Each unique selection has a character of it own. – Annie Compton-Schmidt, d.j., Earthbeat!, KFCF 88.1 fm, Fresno, CA.
I have used Byron Metcalf's music in shamanic divination journey work of various kinds, and have found it to be extremely valuable in taking one to the deep, at times frightening inner spaces that one often encounters in self-exploration. The deep resonant bass pulse and driving rhythms keep one moving through the changes, and provide a safe container for this kind of work. – Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., author of THE UNFOLDING SELF.
It blends an archetypal "resonance" with the "haunting" shamanic flair that Byron is so good at. . . and with just the right vibration. – Bill Green, Senior Staff & Music Coordinator, Eupsychia Institute
The Shaman’s Heart II finds ethnic percussionist Byron Metcalf been joined by US ambient legend Steve Roach, to create a slowly morphing piece of shamanic tribal ethno ambience.
The album takes in just over seventy one minutes worth of ethno/ shamanic rhythms that are flowed under by Steve Roach's mysterious, rising, yet relatively subtle ambient textures. The album is broken up into ten tracks, but these really work as index points instead of separate tracks as this is one long shifting piece. On the album Metcalf plays a variety of percussive based elements taking in: Buffalo Drums, Ceremonial Toms, Frame Drums, Clay pots, Medicine rattles, & various ambient percussive elements. In the sonic supporting role Roach utilizes a mixture of:Didgeridoo, Ocarinas, Analog & digital hardware syths, Analogue Modula systems, ect.
The album starts in mysterious & mystical manner with a mixture of flute like/ Didgeridoo drifts & shadowy ambient ebbs. Under this is a fairly stripped & eerier ethno percussive backing, which slowly builds in detail & depth as the track goes on. By around the 5th minute the more shadowy/ darker elements have disappeared, and the shifting percussive textures, along with the mysterious yet now warming ambient textures are in place- this all feels like the sun has just come up over a timeless desertscape.
Over the next hour or so the track centres around a continual rhythmic ethnic heart beat, and around this Metcalf & Roach build a subtly shifting & shamanic tipped mixture of percussive & ambient elements. All of which creates a rewarding & mind expanding ethno ambient sonic trip. In the tracks last fifteen minutes or so the rhythmic elements slowly but surely strip down to leave just Roach rich, golden yet mysterious ambient textural swirls ‘n’ ebbs.
So if you enjoy an un-clichéd mixture of ethno rhythmic texturing & subtle yet heady ambience The Shaman’s Heart II is well worth a look.
A variety of rhythmics is given a harmonic flow by textural electronics.
Do not expect the percussion to be frenzied dancebeat stuff. Here, the beats are languid and metered to approximate a heartbeat and the consequential pulse. The central tempos remain steadfast, while auxiliary percussives (rattles and softer drums) gently embellish those core patterns with undulant rhythms which vary over the passage of time (or as the music progresses). Escalation of the rhythms generates tension as the body follows the artificial template set forth by the music, just as a decrease in the tempos guides the listener into a more sedate attitude.
The electronics are wholly textural. Atmospheric waves pulsate softly and produce a very organic milieu for the tapestry of beats. Not much happens with this electronic presence, its regularity serves to accentuate the subtle changes that occur amid the rhythmic structure.
The didgeridoo lends a haunting fog to the mix, lifting the soundscape from a basic ambient territory and depositing the listener in a realm of holistic tribal airs.
These compositions are designed to segregate the listener from the material world and put them in tune with their own physiological system. The rhythms create a connection with a person's pulse-rate, providing a doorway to a psychic appraisal of one's own anatomical processes. The tuneage does undergo a steady evolution, moving through various temperaments, although those alterations may be difficult for a casual observer to notice. They do exist, however, resulting in a fluid progression (enhanced by ancillary tempos) from a resting state through diverse levels of relaxation. A few of these cunning changes are reasonably pronounced, such as with the introduction of vocal drones and grunts in one passage, or when the beats vanish for the music's final stage, marking not so much a cessation as a transcendence to focusing on the ethereal wave which lies beneath everything. -Matt Howarth