The music of Levi Chen (http://www.levichen.com) is not meant to be just listened to, but experienced. This is not pop fluff, and nor is it the selfish doodling of a prog-rock snob. Chen actually takes elements from different musical genres, from the commercial (funk) to the high-brow (classical), somehow molding parts of them together to produce a stunningly beautiful and life-affirming masterpiece.
If you thought artists such as Pink Floyd and Dead Can Dance could elevate you to another plane of existence, then you haven't witnessed Chen's vivid imagination.
There are no words on "Devocean," and this is one of those cases where lyrics and vocals would've distracted from the breathtaking beauty of the compositions. They certainly could've altered our interpretations of them as the enigmatic arrangements here are made more intriguing by how mysterious they are.
Before Chen rockets to other worlds, he offers us a familiar treat with the opening Spanish flavors of "Memory (DNA)," which then bloom into lush orchestral waves and winsome, soaring flutes. As gorgeous as that is, it's on the following cut, "Sound and Recent Sorrow," wherein Chen truly begins to impress us. Imagine if Steely Dan's funky side absorbed exotic Eastern rhythms and the trippy atmospherics of New Age, and you have the offspring that is "Sound and Recent Sorrow."
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Chen's creative versality is astounding, but I'm more moved by it on an artistic level. From the bluesy tones in the opening of "Desired Straits" to the ethereal guitar work in "Brios" to the upbeat smooth jazz of "Exploradora," Chen never misses a step in locking our ears, hypnotizing us. There are pieces here, such as "Brios," which would make fine cinema. However, for the most part the pictures that Chen paints are for the mind, like the transcendent, moody intro and crisp deep bass of "New Edge."
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