Jonathan Goldman: Dolphin Dreams (1988)

This post might not make much sense in the future but today it’s a bite-sized review of Jonathan Goldman’s epic womb music dubbed: Dolphin Dreams. Originally released in 1988, on cassette, under the auspices of nascent American New Age label, Spirit Music, Dolphin Dreams provided a “sonic environment for relaxation, meditation, and the birthing process.”

In 23 minutes and 42 seconds, per side, ex-punk musician who had an epiphany one day, while playing to the aggro-tuned, unwashed, masses. From that day on, he turned into sound healing. Originally, creating music inspired by crystal and celestial realms turned to towards one inspired by the ultrasonic voices/sounds/music of our cetacean buddies, the dolphins.

An early developer of more modern interpretations of healing music or music therapy, Jonathan, either with Laraaji or as Lyghte and Spirit Sounds, tried to use resonating instruments to create vibrational tones simpatico for pregnancy and childbirth. This slightly expanded recording in the original CD release, thankfully, avoids having one running over to a tape deck and flipping the cassette as the actual birthing/meditation is occuring.

As stated on the original cassette, “beautiful sounds of dolphins [recorded by Jonathan], choral voices, ocean, human heart beat, and quartz crystals [bowls, I imagine they forgot to complete the noun…]” create this gestational, amniotic, fluid sound that’s quite perfect for easing you through birth or simply taking some personal time in your “metaphysical womb”.

It’s been measured that dolphins can feel and hear frequencies up 75 to 150kHz. Perhaps, us, as humans, and our pitiful 0.02 to 20 kHz cognizance seems to add so much unwanted physical and sonic pollution to the places we traffic, we could stand to learn a bit more humility in understanding the realms of such things as peace and quiet. For now, simply experience the feeling of heading back into more comforting waters where things are out of our control.

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