Throughout the body of his work, George Wallace has frequently celebrated the natural world. But more than another observation of nature, Frontiers is an experience of travel, of motion through place and time. The series of instrumental soundscapes is similar to Communion but with some updated recording technologies thrown in. The resulting 1-hour experience is a fresh, atmospheric mixture of electronic and acoustic instrumentation, with sparkling, inspired musical motifs and natural ambiences blended so artfully that we are not always sure whether we’re hearing pure music…or the music of pure nature.

We become aware from the very opening that we are in for a real ride. Entitled The Traveller (after George’s own adopted alter-ego), the opening cut of this amazing trip is our invitation to strap ourselves in and hold on…

As the last strains of The Traveller fade to silence, we touch down a moment later on the floor of a lush, primordial forest. It is here that we recognize how truly alive and joyful the forest is, all by itself. It is also here inside the mantle of this great solitary sanctuary that we may slowly come to understand our own energies.

Then from this earthbound frontier valley we are delivered upwards into the mysterious heights of the Himalaya; now we are on the pinnacle between Earth and Space. It is a lovely Indian moon that smiles down tonight. She shines her sultry light on the dancing figure of a young woman high up on a lonely cliff. Finally it seems that Frontiers has left Earth altogether. As our humble ‘Space Airplane’ hurtles past the small-talk of local, interplanetary traffic towards the outer reaches (and other such scary unknowns) of our experience, a comforting thought occurs: that no matter how ‘far out’ the journey may take him, the Traveller can always count on there being a last ship home. We all have our particular Shenandoahs to return to; we need only keep possibilities open to find our way back.

Throughout Frontiers there are the sounds of electric violin, bagpipes, tamboura, gentle percussions, and some not-so-gentle. We can hear at various times the influences of Jan Hammer, Wendy Carlos, Weather Report, and Bill Nelson, as well as renowned space musicians Jonn Serrie, Michael Stearns, and Steve Roach. Whether it be through the sounds of shimmering, interstellar spacecraft, an orchestral passage in full-rejoice, or a simple piano melody played against a wall of stunningly beautiful harmonics, the soaring, visionary music of Frontiers promises to intrigue and enrich us.