Metcalf, Byron

Artist:  Byron Metcalf & Steve Roach
P:  2005 / 2010
The Shaman's Heart is ethno-tribal music that is not only breathtaking, but will also induce an altered state of consciousness using Hemi-Sync technology. In this very powerful shamanic composition, Metcalf uses buffalo drums, rattles, udu, clay pots, seed pods, nature sounds, etc. It is very much like going on a mystical trip into a rainforest.
Byron Metcalf - Buffalo drums, bear & peyote rattles, udu & clay pot, frame drums, hybrid toms, various shamanic percussion (seed pods, beads, shells, pottery & stone), spirit winds, hoasca sounds.
Steve Roach - Analog and digital soundworlds, didgeridoo, ocarinas. (Additional shamanic percussion on track 5)
This is a powerful and unique rhythmic and soundworld trance experience based on the traditional structures of shamanic drumming used for altering states of awareness. The entire journey is built using a collection of buffalo drums, frame drums and rattles. Presented as a continuous, unfolding rhythmic state, starting with lone peyote rattles and evolving into mandala-like polyrhythmic bliss. Through it all is a shapeshifting undercurrent of essential soundworlds specifically provided to create support for the intrepid inner traveler. This is unlike any of the solo or collaborations from Byron and Steve.
The heart is like an alchemical chamber – possessing the power to transform and transmute, fears, wounds, and patterns that block us from always traveling on what Don Juan called “the path with heart.” The ability to remain “heart centered” – to stay connected to one’s compassionate core in the face of adversity and personal challenge is a hallmark of spiritual and psychological maturity. Shamanism is an ancient spiritual system that helps develop the capacity to live fully in the world of the heart. Using ancient and contemporary rhythmic techniques, the intention of The Shaman’s Heart is an invitation to journey into the infinite regions of this heart-space dimension. . . and beyond.
THE SHAMAN’S HEART is a continuous 73 minute journey using varying rhythmic subdivisions of the classic 220 beats per minute journey tempo. The uninterrupted experience is created from a collection of buffalo drums, frame drums and rattles. This time and space altering ceremony is supported with an evolving, breathing atmosphere of subtle contrasting harmonic embraces. Adding to the experience is the sense that it is all occurring in a grounded, environmental space through the use of sounds from the natural world. This potent offering of “music as medicine” can guide and support even the most intrepid of inner travelers.

Artist:  Byron Metcalf & Steve Roach
P:  2011
THE SHAMAN'S HEART II is an entrancing 70-minute shamanic journey of uninterrupted, evolving tribal-trance drumming and percussion that continuously builds in rhythmic complexity and dynamic intensity. Byron is joined by Steve Roach who provides the harmonic and textural psychotropic stew created from a rich, organic and analog blend. The alchemy with the percussion results in an ecstasy that helps hold the space for the listener to journey far and deep into powerful and sustained shamanic states of consciousness. The journey culminates in a bursting forth through the full spectrum portal of pure existence -- returning safely home to the heart-centered presence and potential of the true self.
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.

Artist:  Byron Metcalf
P:  2007
In this solo project, Byron expands his sonic explorations of the shamanic path of soul-based and heart-centered living that is the foundation of his work. Inspired and driven by his increasing frustration related to our current global and planetary challenges, A Warning From The Elders invites the listener to whole-heartedly embrace the urgency facing the planet, while also birthing the dormant seeds of hope and vision that lie within each of us. In essence, Byron’s CD is a healing prayer for a radical global awakening. Motivated by a deep and purposeful commitment to make his “voice” fully heard, A Warning From The Elders is the first project where Byron has used his overtone singing to create harmonic drones and soundscapes. With this potent emphasis on the raw, organic sounds of wood, skin, metal, clay, stone, and the human voice, Byron’s masterful production results in a delicious blend of fierce percussion, heart-opening textural voices and overtone singing – a bold sonic expression of power, purpose, presence and compassion for the Earth – the Mother of us all.
 

Artist:  Byron Metcalf
P:  1998
Byron's critically acclaimed 1st solo album is considered a classic in the breathwork, shamanic and trance dance communities. In 2004, Helpers, Guides & Allies was re-mastered and sonically enhanced using the state of the art 24 bit technology available at that time. The re-mastered version features a wider stereo field and enhanced sonic detail throughout the entire audio spectrum. Of course, the raw power of the original 1998 release remains completely intact. The album is still selling well and is almost out of stock in its 4th pressing. When the current inventory is sold out, only the digital album will be available. NOTE: Some of the tracks for this digital album were edited (fade-ins and fade-outs) to ensure smooth transition during uninterrupted playback.
For over 40,000 years shamanic societies throughout the world have used various musical strategies to achieve altered states of consciousness. These states, which are believed to be essential components to most of their sacred rituals and ceremonies, offer infinite varieties of inner landscapes which the shaman must navigate in order to retrieve insight and wisdom, and bring healing to the community. Drums and percussion, played in a continuous, driving manner are the basic instruments used for these purposes. With this in mind, Helpers, Guides & Allies...was inspired by Byron's passionate interest and involvement in the healing potential of non-ordinary (altered states) of consciousness. 

Artist: Erik Wollo & Byron Metcalf
P: 2016
Electronic musician Erik Wøllo joins tribal-trance percussionist Byron Metcalf for an elegant album weaving melodic, vibrant soundscapes with subtle, grounding rhythms.
Earth Luminous stirs the memory on an outing through luminescent electronic ambient music where the ethereal is anchored and activated by steady, tactile frame drums and percussive patterns. Byron’s tight-to-the-grid substratum pulse serves as a conduit to Erik’s lush, emotive and expansive atmospheres. Together, the two sonic explorers find a meeting place where vapor trails and glowing man-made cityscapes reveal that we, the modern humans, are the ones who bring into existence the enlightened earth: our explorations illuminate to bring cascading insight.
Erik and Byron met at SoundQuest Fest 2010 hosted by Steve Roach in Tucson, AZ. Although they did not have the opportunity to perform together, they were impressed with each other’s sets and discussed the idea of collaborating on an album. After five years working on their own solo music, the duo reconnected to record this hybrid collaboration between continents and cultures. The pieces bring together a vast selection of synthesizers and electric guitars mixed with various acoustic hand drums and ​percussion​ instruments. Seven of the ​eight tracks were composed via audio files exchanged from Norway to Arizona and back again; while “Linked Stars,” the final and most spacious track, was recorded live in Byron’s studio in Arizona.
Erik says: “My original vision with this project was to combine my etheric elements with grounded and reality-oriented ​rhythmic grooves (or patterns) as the basic foundation for the music; a sound flowing freely along with the currents all the time balancing the dark with the light. I have worked with many drummers over the years, but with Byron everything fell into the right place. He’s been a professional musician for over five decades and has worked with some of the best players you can imagine. One of his real strengths is his ability to ​create the absolute right solutions for any melodic or rhythmical texture, making the arrangements complete. I noticed very quickly that he has a certain skill of playing towards and supporting a leading melody – a skill only an experienced drummer can understand.”
The dramatic images of the album cover reflect the music’s contemplative and timeless perception of our planet. Seeing the world from above from an airplane’s cockpit (in photos taken by pilot Ian Dutton) reveals reflective perspectives of the earth below: a magnificent visual confluence of the sky and the glittering nighttime urban city lights.
Earth Luminous’ lustrous soaring themes, moving electronic drones, and bedrock ​rhythmic patterns drift and unfold in a lush electronic treatment of modern instrumental music. Cycles of layered synthesizers, harmonies, introspective slow-motion soundscaping, vibrant acoustic percussion, and illuminated electric guitar produce expansive and fluid tracks. The results are deeply​ thoughtful, seductive musings upon a radiant​ earth.

Artist: Steve Roach & B.Metcalf & M.Seelig
P: 2004  
Like the living, breathing, meditative movement of the Sufi trance dance, MANTRAM is grounded in a reverence for the slowing of time which allows the natural reflective process to emerge. Slow heartbeat-like acoustic frame drum, overtone voice, Didgeridoo, Bansuri flute, and Tamboura drones mix with a majestic tapestry of organic electronic textures, offering the sonic equivalent of the power found when gazing into timeless Mandala images found in classic sacred art.
The entire CD holds a consistent interconnected feeling that seems to spiral outwards when experienced in repeat playback. Ethno-ambient travellers, those looking for a sustained exotic mood, anyone wanting ambient music with a global beat to it and an introspective tranquillity. Karunesh too recently produced a CD built around Asian sounds in Call of the Mystic - but, whereas, his music develops gentle new age melodies, Mantram is more sober, unstructured, mesmerizing, pensive.

Artist: Steve Roach & Byron Metcalf
P: 2010
The essential ingredients of ancient and contemporary shamanic trance states are fully activated in this highly potent new release. Byron carved out a collection of incredible trance grooves for nearly a year, eventually bringing in the prana-infused didgeridoo of Dashmesh Khalsa on every track. Steve joined on in early January 2010 and poured his heart and soul-drenched soundworlds into the six pieces, covering a full range of ecstatic dreamtime flow: rhythm, breath and expansion. The end result is a full-blown dreamtime alchemy of all the elements. The living, breathing percussion, didgeridoo and soundworlds are unified in a single purpose: to open to the door out of the ordinary world, initiating the listener into an empowered journey of infinite possibilities for spiritual rebirth, illumination, and transcendence.

Artist: Steve Roach + Byron Metcalf + Mark Seelig
P: 2008
A continuous flow in seven parts. Low drones and something like eerie sitar music lend an otherworldly feel to the first of seven parts that play as one continuous piece of music. World and ambient music are fused together harmoniously as wood flutes, clay pots, overtone vocals, and of course Steve’s various treatments combine into a unified whole.
The album is similar to Mantram in that it goes very deep, practically demanding the listener reach a different plane of consciousness. Each track is called an excerpt rather than a part, further emphasizing the intended continuous listening experience. Until tribal drums arrive in the fourth passage, the music evolves incredibly slowly, but once change comes it comes boldly, the drums bleating insistently and continuing into part five, which becomes more intense and dramatic.
Things calm a bit in the sixth excerpt as flutes return, and further still on the 17-minute closing section which makes for a soothing relaxing finish.