Style :

Smooth, atmospheric electronica with slow, restful beats - often leaning close to a new age sound. Higher Grounds features a lot of strings, swells and soft pads. The disc is divided into two sections - the first five tracks (section one) are mainly supported by percussive loops, the last three (section two) opens with the stabbing mechanical sequencer piece 'Art Of Trancelucency' before twinkling off into the distance and fading into the increasingly ambient 'Resonate Within' and 'Apnea' - where curving, onion-like, transparent layers of sound lull the listener into deep relaxation.

Mood :

Clear and expansive, pure electronica. Healer tends to soar rather than drift - the sound is too purposeful to suggest the sleepy meandering conjured up by some ambient albums. Long fluid build-ups, distant bell trees and finger cymbals along with warm synthetic gusts create a sense of mystery or a mildly exotic mood. Long drawn-out strings and lingering washes bring a serenity and sheet-like silkiness to the music - so that the overall impression is one of restfulness.

Artwork :

A glowing digipack with a sunset photograph of clouds over a harbour and a foreground knot of sharp 3D imagery. A tasteful package with the Healer logo standing out in white. The inner booklet is more subdued with sunset pinks that smudge away into abstraction behind the CD. The relevant thanks fill one inner panel along with credits and contact details.

Overall :

Michael Andresen works not only as Healer, he also produces more upbeat trance music under the moniker 12 Moons. In addition, he compiled the Scandinavian chillout CD Ease Division on Spiral Trax Records, which included a piece by Healer. As far a Higher Grounds is concerned, a few tracks are floating pieces, without beats, but with oceanic swells of frequency, tone or intensity - the others are mainly rhythmic ambience carried along by low-key programmed drum loops and subtle melodies.

Who will like this album :

Healer might suit ambient trance fans that want something right down the far end of the spectrum - leaning towards new age and relaxation music. If you enjoy the pure electronic sound of, say, Zer0 0ne and you'd like to take it down a notch or two - Healer might suit you.

Healer certainly likes to ad an atmospheric vibe to his music, both in his trance and ambient projects. The first track we get here starts really beautiful with a floating atmospheric sound. A little melody works its way slowly into the track together with some very relaxed, careful beats. A really nice start on this album, perfect when you are tired and want to relax. Track 2 goes floating too, but in a more mystic, deep way. Not much beats at all. Everything is just floating with massive beautiful relaxing sounds. Totally relaxing, deep ambient. After a while we also get some beautiful melodies and some piano. Track 3 moves a little bit away from that totally floating vibe. Still, we get tons of beautiful sounds and melodies. This one has some dubby beats and flute alike melodies. Nice. Track 4 is a slow drifting track with a deep mystic vibe and some beautiful piano. Totally relaxing and beautiful all the way through. I’m sure I will play this a lot this summer.

Track 5 has a more dramatic vibe. This track was originally released on the Ease Division 1 compilation on Spiral Trax Records in 2002. A nice chill out compilation which was compiled by Healer himself. This track is floating all the way through, with some nice relaxed melodies and chilled beats. While track 1-5 is called passage one, track 6-8 is called passage 2. And yes, track 6 takes a slightly different direction. This goes definitely darker, still with that totally floating vibe. This one might sound a bit intense and isn’t among the most interesting tracks on this album, but doesn’t sound bad. Track 7 goes even darker and more dramatic. Still very beautiful and relaxing, with mystic sounds that you might imagine is from outer space. This one is just drifting with no beats at all. Reminds me a bit of Pete Namlook. The last track we get here is one of the most beautiful tracks I have heard by this guy so far. This one is also just floating without beats, and the sounds are incredibly beautiful.

In my opinion, this album is definitely better than the first Healer album. If you like floating, atmospheric, deep ambient music, you should definitely check out this. A fresh breath away from the usual ethno chill. Pure, relaxing, deep ambient music for your home listening after work or whenever you are tired and want to just drift away in beautiful sounds.

PKS (trance-net.com, NO)

This release brings out what is actually real in music and eternally timeless. Because these oscillations are always pervasive and Michael Andersen, the healer, is one of the few that can catch and take hold of them for some moments. Listen, feel and ease!

Rakete (Mushroom Magazine, DE)

De l'ambient pur sucre. C'est-à-dire des nappes scintillantes et relaxantes qui virevoltent au gré de différentes variations, d'une ligne de basse et, parfois, au lointain souvenir d'une rythmique… Cela rappelle un peu la grande époque de Rising High. Bref, le genre de choses à écouter tranquillement pour se reposer les tympans et les neurones… Au total, huit plages enchaînées en 2 longues séquences introspectives. Que dire de plus, si ce n'est que l'auteur de ce disque, Michael Andresen, publie en parallèle un opus d'obédience psy-trance. Courant auquel est majoritairement dévolu le label Candyflip basé à Thessalonique, en Grèce.

LD (Chroniques, FR)

I remember the ice-cold waters and the atmosphere of mr Healer’s production from his work on Flying Rhino. Now with an obviously more new age – Tangerine dream approach, he invites the us to listen this album several times, to seek, to look out for, to feel and to heal the painful parts of our brain.

Harris P. (Freeze Magazin)