Sleeping Thunder: “Off the Map” – conjuring visions of nature in all its unbridled beauty

Peter A. Bruce is Sleeping Thunder a NH based artist inspired by hikes, kayaking, and Native American things. He has released a host of New Age and World Music-type albums, including the 16-track “Off the Map”. Sleeping Thunder uses woodwinds, keyboard, percussion, and real nature sounds to create his blend of ambient soundscapes.

The soundscapes encountered herein are no less gorgeous, relaxing, and inspiring than the natural landscapes that Sleeping Thunder translates into music. He seamlessly and beautifully intertwines drums and flutes with sounds inspired and derived from nature. The melodies and beats are at once uplifting and soothing. Each song is a short trip through different aspects of tranquility, as is the album as a whole, conjuring visions of nature in all its unbridled beauty.

Though each ensemble is deserving of recognition, my favorites would have to be “Dance of Blackfeather” and “Seeking”, with its infectiously haunting melody, as well as “Limestone”, and “Mircat” with its hypnotic and soft constant pattering beats.

“Off the Map” is wonderfully evocative, soul stirring and haunting, with sounds of pure escapism. The listener gains a sense of being in another time and place and the end result is a total relaxed feeling. The music has the ability to transport you outside of yourself, and to allow you to become one with the music.

We all know what it is like to be stressed out. Well, when you are stressing, you should make yourself sit down, put on the headphones and listen to this “Off the Map”. After it has played, you should no longer be in knots and will probably think clearer and feel refreshed and ready to start anew. The music flows like a spring in the forest. It radiates energy and emotions.

In places the album has a light, quick, happy sound that enlivens and inspires you, which may even be perfect accompaniment for various activities such as walking or jogging. I also found that “Off the Map”, as well as most of Sleeping Thunder’s other releases are also a great replacement for most other kinds of music one may play when out camping or otherwise in nature.

It can blend into nearly any outdoor moment so the part of our brain that is accustomed to hearing a background of played music will be sated and the rest of the mind can open to the nature you are in at the moment. So if you’re the kind of person that likes being in nature, give it a try in that setting.

OFFICIAL LINKS: GOOGLE PLAY – YOUTUBE