Album Review: Into the Unknown by Joseph L Young

Review by Lissette Cascante

Composer and multi-instrumentalist, Joseph L Young has enjoyed a proliferous career as a musician unafraid to go beyond boundaries of genre, style, or sound. Joseph is an established chart-topping, award-winning musician whose music has enjoyed broad radio and internet airplay, spanning such genres as New Age, Ambient, Relaxation/Meditation, Native Fusion, Jazz Fusion, and Contemporary Instrumental. But not to be limited, he has also played with a variety of bands ranging from rock, blues, folk, jazz and even Celtic.

In his sixth full-length album, Into the Unknown, Young delves deeper into musical expanses, with compositions that explore the mystical dimensions of time, space, psyche, and spirit, normally related to the unexplained, mysterious, or concealed. The album features three songs previously released as singles: “Secrets of Stone” released in 2021, “Remembrance of Time” in 2020 featuring pianist Lynn Tredeau, and a remix of his 2019 single “Between Worlds.”

The album also showcases more of his talent as a composer and arranger as well as his mastery of the flute. “Every note I play comes from my heart and is how I share my love of music with others, it's how I express my passion for the flute”, explains Joseph. He interlaces ancient sounds with modern synth arrangements which prevail in world fusion authenticity.

Joseph holds a second degree black-belt in Chinese Shao-Lin Kung Fu and Tai Chi which evidently contribute to his unique approach to music. “I want my music to take listeners on a journey of discovery”, he expounds, “to help them work through their emotions, releasing the negative, as they grow and change, and serving as a catalyst to help with their transformation."

The title track “Into the Unknown” is my favorite piece as it abounds with mystique and features a myriad of exotic instruments, voices, and rhythms bathed in a Middle Eastern style melody. In tracks like “Remembrance of Time”, “Enchanted”, “Secrets of Stone”, “Eclipsed”, and “Windswayed”, the alluring flute and creative musical arrangements transport the listener to ancient times, distant lands, sacred ceremonies, and mysterious places.

On other tracks like “Beyond the Horizon”, “Between Worlds”, “Transcendence”, “The Forgotten”, and “Ancestral Crossings”, Joseph seems to venture into other spheres such as space exploration, and perhaps even the afterlife. Into the Unknown is a treasure chest of musical jewels you’ll delight in listening time and time again. The unknown calls us to live consciously. Joseph composes music that speaks to the human soul, and which infuses the silence with the sounds of life.  

~Lissette Cascante for Auralscapes 

For more information please visit the artist's website. Into the Unknown is also available at Bandcamp, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Spotlight: Every Moment by Joseph L Young

World-flute master and keyboardist Joseph L Young adds a soulfully refreshing element on his latest album, Every Moment, which follows his enchanting 2016 album, Ethereum. Having formerly played saxophone in the smooth jazz group Mobius Trip (that he co-founded), Joseph again pulls out his sax and gets creative on his latest album, which draws upon influences of jazz, new age and ambient/electronic music. Comprised of twelve compositions spanning approximately 62 minutes, sax is the lead instrument throughout, as Joseph adds synthesized layers and keyboards, gentle percussion and subtle world music touches along the way. Centered upon a theme of time, the compositions overall feel timeless, musing and imaginative. Guest musicians include world flutist Cornell Kinderknecht on “Time Traveler” and violist Lisa Bittick on “Chronos Dreams”.

“Prism” opens the album with a subtle rhythmic pulse that underscores a soothing sax melody accompanied by synthesized vocal layers. A whimsical touch of Irish whistle joins the piece about half-way through, as both earthily sensual and dreamily spacey textures are woven among what could essentially be described as the quintessential ‘space-jazz’ composition. The next piece, “Falling Through Time”, is easily my favorite on the album. True to its title, the composition seemingly bridges the past, present and future, while its dusky atmosphere simultaneously evokes images of mysterious ancient landscapes and modern city nightlife. Processed lyrical vocals lend the piece a subtle synth-pop flair amid a sensual ensemble of soulful sax, ambient textures and tribal-esque percussion.

Another one of my favorites is “Vicariously Blue”, which features sax alongside Native American flute within an echoing chamber of organic-style percussion and low-humming chords. Another especially outstanding composition is “Letting Go”, which initially opens with gentle spoken word courtesy of Rona Yellow Robe amid a subtle shamanic pulse. Her vocals soon extend to mantra-type singing, which pleasantly reminds me of the lovely Deva Premal. It’s followed by “Eleventh Hour”, a notably intriguing piece that’s somewhat set apart from the rest with its comparatively more digitized effects and crunchy, quasi-industrial beat.

Meeting at the crossroads of new age, ambient and contemporary instrumental music, Every Moment will certainly appeal to a variety of listeners. Particularly, it brings-to-mind the more romantic space-jazz music of Jonn Serrie (think Ixlandia, Lumia Nights or Spirit Keepers), as well as saxophonist Paul Winter, thereby recalling some great “new age” classics. A mesmerizing album sure to be among this year's favorites, every moment of Every Moment is certainly time well spent! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and Google Play.