Between Earth and Sky

Between Earth and Sky is an album that takes you deep into the imagination, where elements of fantasy and reality dance together in dreamy, quasi-symphonic soundscapes. These idyllic compositions are the work of Austrian composer/multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl, a.k.a. Gandalf, whose work revels in the majesty of nature and was influenced by everything from ancient myth to the tomes of J.R.R. Tolkien. As the album opens, you are instantly greeted with the weeping sound of the cello, backed by wistful ambience. As the album progresses, it sometimes captures the kind of synthesized, percussion-fueled drama you’d expect of Kitaro or Cusco; at others, it is sweet and enchanting, like a sonic fairy tale.