Establishing the mood with an intricate melodic piano performance, expanding with a cosmic frequency, Deuter opens What The Elephant Told with a track called Kumbukumbu. For some context, this means memory, remembrance, or record in Swahili, tapping into the adage that an elephant always remembers.
We appreciate the peaceful nature of the composition and the celestial nuances add a futuristic element whilst the piano and bass synth ground us. There is a spiritual aura that comes to life with the piece and the deeply zen energy that the piano exudes. The track would be perfect for a restorative yin yoga practise.
Next up is Mapambazuko which translates as “the dawn” or “the first light in”. The track opens with a sublime and transcendental glistening energy, perfectly akin to that of dawn breaking. We appreciate the onomatopoeic universe that manifests. Again, the composition feels restorative and healing, aligned with the peaceful and life giving energy of the sun’s rays. The expansion features a bold and orchestral strings arrangement and immersive wind instruments. The opus feels like a score to a film and would be perfect for a re-imagining of The Lion King.
The cohesive ebbs and flows of the track keep us engaged whilst the flute sounds reverberate and gate to create an almost psychedelic effect, aligned with a more holographic representation of light energy. The track has a subtle build and the sparkling motifs towards the finale add further dimensionality to the piece.
Nymphea opens with a liturgical and sacred energy. Astral tones guide us like a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water, which is aligned to the title of the track. We connect with the more fantastical approach here. After two-minutes a brooding cello emerges with cosmic detailing. This almost feels like going underwater akin to experiencing the call of whales.
This leads us to the title track of the album, What The Elephant Told, which features a more mystical energy. Again peaceful in its expression. The piece serves as the most extensive track on the album. We appreciate the shimmering details, the sonic evolutions and the catharsis that manifests.
We learn that What the Elephant Told as a whole is inspired in part by Deuter’s admiration for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, one of Africa’s oldest wildlife charities and a leading conservation organization, and its family of elephants. Deuter shares how he seeks to create music that encourages “inner peace, healing, and slowing down the madness of this world.” This certainly manifests here with the title track and invites us to “contemplate the natural, metaphysical and ephemeral worlds” that surround us. The latter part of the composition taps into a more robust and bass-driven energy which feels grounding and almost like the growth of an elephant themselves.
Pollen Path opens with choral synths and celestial frequencies. This feels like the energy of air, and truly fills our being with notions of catharsis. There are Eastern inflections at play here with subtle sitar sounds and a tribal manifestation with more cerebral motifs and tanpura.
Next is Ndoto za Tembo, a Swahili phrase that translates to “Dreams of the Elephant“. This features an astral-realm style elegance, shimmering ethereal bell tones, descending melodies and expansive oboe performances. This truly does feel like a dream state and cements the research that wild elephants experience REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This happens only once every three to four days, usually lasting around an hour. We appreciate how Deuter brings this to life with the luscious vocals and the more trippy and psychedelic elements.
Laini na kubwa, “soft and large” or “smooth and big” in English. The piano returns with graceful arpeggios and we connect with the more spiritual wind instrument performances, fused with airy cosmic textures. Again, this would be perfect for a yin yoga experience or during a shavasana as there is a deep healing quality that manifests.
Finally, we experience, Kumbatio la Tembo, “The Elephant’s Embrace” or “Embrace of the Elephant,”, again this manifests as an onomatopoeic experience. Deuter invites us to connect with the spiritual power of the elephant species with this enchanting energy.
We are grateful to Deuter for this sonic experience, and learn that he has recorded and released over 60 albums. He is fluent on an array of instruments including the flute, guitar, recorder, koto, shakuhachi, sitar, Tibetan singing bowls, santoor, bouzouki, piano and keyboards. This all comes to life with What The Elephant Told, which feels like a movie in its own expression.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added various compositions from What The Elephant Told to our New Music Spotlight playlist, our TIMELESS playlist, and our personal meditation playlists.