Walking Through Clouds
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 3.7
All Music Guide
Real Music is one of the few labels left that really delivers music designed to relax in the best of the new age tradition. This veteran German composer and keyboardist doesn't do anything too fancy here — he just creates caressing ambiences and soft and dreamy piano melodies that he enhances with the occasional bass, guitar, and glockenspiel. Christoph Koch brings a playful folk element to "Following Stars" and the graceful, symphonic "Simply Great" with a gentle acoustic guitar, and "Christiane Boehm" chimes in every so often on flute. Although there is a free-floating element to the atmospheres Koch creates, most of the 16 tracks clock in like tightly structured pop tunes, and the melodies — and their innocent charm — seem to get more captivating as they go along. In a world so cynical, it's wonderful that people can take a CD cover of clouds and butterflies not only seriously, but also as an opening to a seriously joyful musical remedy. Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
All Music Guide
Bernward Koch's signature mix of intricate compositions and flowing piano technique appears once more on Walking through Clouds. Koch's sparkling piano work is accented by flute, guitar and understated percussion, making this a reflective, relaxing and sentimental collection of contemporary instrumental music." Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Solo Piano Productions
"This is Koch’s third effort with Real Music and much like its predecessors it avoids the obvious pitfalls of the commercial aspects of this genre. Restrained and calm, Bernward’s piano plays the lead throughout the album, though he is significantly complimented by the flighty flute work of Christiane Boehm. No better place than the regal and graceful opening track “Touched By Love” or “The Silver Veil” revealed later in the album. However, Koch does not hesitate to play it solo as found on the slower paced lullaby “Childhood Hour” or even the more optimistic “Flight Being”. The latter includes some nice light unobtrusive string embellishments. Speaking of embellishments, Christoph Koch adds sprinkles of percussion and a glimmer of acoustic guitar on “Following Stars” and “Simply Great”. Okay, the very light drum machine on the latter sounds very mechanical but it still remains entrenched within the boundaries of the album; to lift you up and allow you to rest your head on a soft pillow of white fluffy clouds." Michael Debbage, Solo Piano Publications