Reviews
“Spirit Eyes” by Ilka de Gast, PsyD
Single review by New Age Notes Radio and New Age CD Staff
Most of us have experienced the death of a loved one or a beloved pet. When this happens, we have a natural tendency to grieve deeply and look at the “death” from our earthly point of view rather than with our “spirit eyes.” Looking at things this way, from a spiritual point of view, can drastically change our entire perspective for the better and can bring a sense of deep peace rather than feelings of lingering sadness and utter dismay.
If you are not familiar with Ilka, pay close attention. Her star is on the rise. She is an absolutely amazing vocalist/overtone singer whose music is often played at Dr. Joe Dispenza’s advanced meditation retreats.
A little background on Ilka: For the past 30 years, Ilka de Gast – hailing originally from the Netherlands, and now based in California – is a licensed psychologist who has worked with a variety of sacred sound healing modalities from around the world, including the ancient art of overtone singing (vocal harmonics). She teaches meditation, Qigong, and sound healing classes online, as well as in person, in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Additionally, she leads sacred sound retreats internationally.
After formally studying overtone singing in London, England, with Dr Jill Purce, who having learned this ancient technique from Tibetan and Mongolian chant masters in the Himalayas, was one of the first to bring overtone singing to the West, Ilka discovered that the use of overtone singing could bring a sense of calm and joy to people as well as animals. Ilka, at that time in her late 20s, first discovered this phenomenon when she began using the technique in a variety of settings, including a communication research program with dolphins at the Epcot Center in Florida.
As well as her profound and life-changing experiences with the dolphins, an ethereal “shared death experience” Ilka had when her first husband passed away at the young age of 31, opened her to the realization that there was something more than this physical world and the five senses; a spiritual dimension that lies beyond the veil. Ilka’s ethereal vocals seem to emanate directly from this place, bringing a sense of other- worldly calm and peace like nothing you’ve probably experienced previously.
Ilka has released 3 singles as a prelude to her upcoming 11-track debut album, which will be released early this year. The single we are reviewing here is radio edit version of “Spirit Eyes.” The song was created at the time of the passing of Ilka’s beloved cat, Albi. From the very first opening notes, you know you are experiencing something very different and special. This 6-minute piece features Ilka’s ethereal vocals and harmonies as well as the soulful sounds of Tommy Graven’s Native American flute.
Available as a 12-minute meditative track from Ilka’s website, the song is also available on all major digital platforms. Haunting, healing, memorable, and profoundly relaxing, this is a “must have.”
Get it here on Ilka’s official artist website or on your favorite digital platform: https://globalsacredsounds.com/
Artist: Ilka de Gast
Title: Ocean of Light
Genre: Instrumental New Age Meditation
Release Date: February 18, 2025
Label: Global Sacred Sounds
Ilka de Gast, PsyD, is a California-based singer-songwriter, overtone singer, sound healer, Qigong, meditation teacher, researcher, and licensed psychologist from the Netherlands.
For 30+ years, Ilka has worked with sacred sound healing modalities worldwide, including the ancient art of overtone singing (vocal harmonics). The Chinese Zhineng / Wisdom Healing Qigong ties in firmly with this music and is something the artist taught for many years.
If you have not had the opportunity to listen to the results of those studies and all that has worked collectively over the years for many people, then now would be a good time to start.
“Spirit Eyes” begins your path to healing sounds with Ilka’s amazing vocalizations. It is apparent immediately her voice is one of the main instruments in this recording. The soft synth layer in the background brings her voice to the front with elegance and beauty.
“Ocean Waves Overtones” begins with a heavier bass-sounding synth, and her voice sounds like a centering Om point. Then, it changes to a different tone as the music changes. The tones of her voice are incredible. As we move along the composition, we realize that what she is doing is distinctive and original. She can get high and low or change her intonations to fit the frequencies and harmonics of the music. At times, she sounds like a digeridoo, which is fascinating.
“Sophia’s Song” takes on a different tone and path with a nice acoustic guitar and the reliance on the higher vocals to fill in the spaces between the music. A flute arrives for more ambiance. It is beautiful.
“Abalone Skies” begins with a pulsating synth sound, and the vocals take on another tone to offset that as the flutes join in. Ilka reverts back to a more chanting/tribal mode, then back again to the humming, buzzing tone you hear briefly at the beginning. The way she switches back and forth is like her voice is a band within itself!
“Song Bird” begins with a drone sound, with bells ringing, the kind that sounds so beautiful, like when you hang chimes, and the wind blows, to create that organic symphony. The vocals come in, echoing like she is in a cave. A whooshing sound is added, and a very subtle percussive knocking sound, like a quiet xylophone, is added.
“Desert Dance” rings a bell, then a digeridoo or Jewish Harp sound comes to life, and some percussion begins, all sounding very earthy, like a spiritual dance for the elders before an offering or meditation. If you consider the track title, those comparisons seem to fit. Her voice sounds off in the distance in another direction; however, as usual, it is stunning. Things start getting more energized with the pace of the percussion and winding digeridoo/Jewish harp sound. This one is very mystical, and I loved it.
“Harmony Chant” is another glistening beauty, with Ilka’s lovely, wordless vocals leading the way to your place of comfort and healing. Like many other pieces in this collection, it is a harmonious chant, as the tones change during the track. The frequencies get your attention and, ultimately, your focus, which can be a great tool if your goal is regenerative meditation.
“Soul Shimmer” is an excellent title. Hopefully, after using this music to relax or meditate, your soul will shimmer with an inner light that may have been subdued somehow during your day. It starts with a light keyboard and those angelic wordless vocalizations. It sounds like an invitation to heaven, a musical soul food you will return to for a second helping.
“Light, Sacred Connection” is different in a few ways. It has lyrics with Ilka, showing how she can sing an entire song beautifully without changing her harmonics. It is warm and soft and so lovely. The length is 3:17, which is shorter than all the previous tracks. It is a step away from everything else to show another side of the most capable artist when called upon.
“Light Chant (Remix)” returns to the more extended compositions but starts with an acoustic guitar picked gently to match her vocals. Some nice woodwinds or Native Flute are added to give it a more organic earth tone, a nice addition. I could see where this lady could get full-time work providing backing vocals for numerous artists; however, what she does is much more valuable to an audience that needs it.
I had not heard “Healing (Remix)” before it was remixed. It is a reboot of “Light, Sacred Connection” and is just as beautiful, with a soft acoustic guitar, synth layer, gorgeous vocals, and emotive lyrics with such strong meaning.
This music certainly is an Ocean of Light. It is one of the more unique new-age releases I have heard in a long time because Ilka de Gast uses her voice as many instruments with varying harmonics. This is the perfect meditation recording.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Reviews Founder
February 5, 2025
“Ocean of Light: Music to Soothe the Soul” By Ilka de Gast
Review by New Age CD and New Age Notes Radio Staff
Are you familiar with overtone singing? I thought I was and wasn’t particularly a huge fan. “Ocean of Light” by Ilka de Gast is a game-changer, not just for overtone singing, but possibly for the whole fabric of music to soothe the soul.
Ilka de Gast, PsyD, is a California based singer-songwriter, sound healer, Qigong and meditation teacher, researcher, and licensed psychologist, hailing originally from the Netherlands.
Over the past 30 years, Ilka has worked with sacred sound healing modalities from around the world, including the ancient art of overtone singing (vocal harmonics). She teaches meditation, Qigong and sound healing classes online as well as in person in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, and leads sacred sound retreats internationally. Ilka’s meditation music is featured in Dr. Joe Dispenza’s advanced meditation retreats.
Along the way, after studying overtone singing in London, and participating in a communication research project with dolphins, Ilka discovered that overtone singing could bring a magical sense of calm to both animals and people. Ilka began creating and recording her own musical creations in 2021, combining the other-worldly sound of overtone singing with her singing voice and a variety of other instruments such as Native American flute, to create soothing, relaxing, meditation tracks. On her musical journey, she’s had the pleasure of working with some amazing musicians such as Tommy Graven and producer Hank Kalleen who are featured on this, her 11-track debut album, “Ocean of Light.”
Ilka’s musical inspiration comes from the powerful, expansive Pacific Ocean. She spends many hours on the cliffs of the Bodega Bay Headlands, connecting to Source and allowing melodies and ideas to flow through to her while enjoying the stunning vistas, the company of whales and seals, and pelicans flying overhead.
The album, “Ocean of Light,” opens with the ethereal “Spirit Eyes.” Along with the soulful flute of Tommy Graven, we have the beautiful vocals and vocal harmonies from Ilka. The song is a tribute to Ilka’s departed cat, and a reminder to look beyond this earthly life with our “spirit eyes.”
Overtone singing is an ancient technique whereby one person creates two vocal notes simultaneously, a base note, “fundamental,” and high bell-like sounds at the same time. “Ocean Waves Overtones” is a perfect rendition of this technique. Here, we are taken on a mystical, meditative sound journey where we are invited to effortlessly experience a state of deep relaxation.
Relaxing guitar and flute (Tommy Graven), along with Ilka’s amazing vocal performance in “Sophia’s Song” transport us to an equally blissful place. The song is a tribute to Ilka’s daughter. Just gorgeous, and if you don’t feel the tranquility seeping in gently here, you most likely never will.
Ilka learned to play Native American flute for her performance on “Abalone Skies.” It’s not bad. Her other- worldly vocals atop a soft, droning bed lead us further into a state of serenity. Very nicely done.
Some other highlights: “Desert Dance” is a “worldly chant” song, which brings life force energy right to center. “Harmony Chant” is a favorite with its soft Koshi chimes and the masterful incorporation of the ancient sacred chant, “Hun Yuan Ling Tong,” which translates to “transforming all disharmony into harmony.” Sweeping orchestral harmonies (Hank Kalleen) along with Ilka’s ethereal vocals, make “Soul Shimmer” memorable. This is really beautiful and another favorite, if one could even choose such things on this album.
“Light, Sacred Connection” speaks to the eternal connection between us and our departed loved ones. The vocal performance over soft synth pads is one of the most soothing you’ll ever hear.
This amazingly beautiful album closes out with the very peaceful and gently expansive “Healing.” Light and delicate with harp and beautiful vocals we are reminded here that we are the light, we are souls at our core, “pure and true.” We are encouraged “to let go into love, let go into healing.”
I encourage you to get this album for a deeply transcendent, meditative, and unforgettable experience.
Release date: February 18, 2025
Official artist website:
https://www.globalsacredsounds.com
Ocean of Light: Music to Soothe the Soul By Ilka de Gast Written by Steve Sheppard
The new age genre continues to grow experientially, and fresh, great new music is flooding into the studios of our radio station regularly. We haven’t seen such a growth in this genre since the late nineties, and joining that throng is debut musician Ilka De Gast and her album Ocean of Light: Music to Soothe the Soul, a lush tapestry of sound and tone to create a state of healing for the listener to both enjoy, and feel benefit from.
From the point of entry on this new album by California based singer songwriter, sound healer, Qigong and meditation teacher, researcher and psychologist, who originally hails from the Netherlands, is a delightful reverie entitled Spirit Eyes, a transcendent offering that hovers like an autumn mist in October, and a flute by Tommy Graven that is so all encompassing, match this with tender female vocals and you have the perfect beginning.
The deeper realms of awareness can be found on the next track entitled Ocean Waves Overtones, this style of vocalisation I first became familiar with many years ago, its swirling harmonics create a bed of sound that is totally unique and transformative, the same can be said for the following narrative in Sophia's Song, a track written about Ilka’s daughter, and once more this Native American styled composition contains both the guitar and flute of the aforementioned Graven.
Abalone Skies is unique in as much that the composer De Gast learned to play Native flute especially for this very track, that being said this is one of the most vast soundscapes from the album, its back drop of sound is akin to an immense green forest, and her flute the call of a spirt guide that leads you on a path less trodden, this is indeed a mystical offering.
We can now take a careful footfall towards the middle section of the album and the piece Song Bird, the Koshi chimes in particular reminded me of the ones used in Deuter’s album Buddha Nature. The vocalisations here are incredibly powerful and dynamic in every way, and energetically open up a portal to brighter opportunities.
Time passes so slowly, as we slide into the latter half of the album, but what follows now is something deeply rhythmic in the new age style that I haven’t heard the like of since the days of artists like Sika and Steven Cragg, and the vibrancy of both the didgeridoo, performed by Pamela Mortensen, and the tabla guiding the light along the way with this pulsating presentation on the track Desert Dance.
We change pace now with a composition entitled Harmony Chant; I found this specific manifestation a meditative arrangement that I could literally fall right into, the vocals here were soothing and ethereal in composition, and upon further research I would find that the song features an ancient Chinese healing mantra from the Zhineng Qigong. This resonated with me and reminded me of various Reiki chants and mantras I had learned from the Japanese healing tradition, many years ago.
On Soul Shimmer a classic new age styled opus is created, a veritable dance between lush ethereal vocals and keyboards, thus creating the perfect tone and timbre for relaxation and tranquillity, whilst on the following musical narrative entitled Light, Sacred Connection we have a gentle and considerate composition that has a texture to it, one that is deeply sensitive and heartfelt.
Light Chant (Remix) is our penultimate creation and a song that once more contains the work and skill set of Tommy Graven on acoustic guitar and flute. This tapestry of tonal delight floats with and around the listener in a mist of magical healing properties that offer up a soothing female vocal and a gentle backdrop of sound.
The album concludes with Healing (Remix), this time containing the serene tones of the harp, thus bringing a lighter energy into the proceedings, and in doing so was simply the most perfect way with which to leave the album.
Ocean of Light: Music to Soothe the Soul by Ilka de Gast is an album that needs to be listened to on repeat for a multitude of times; just to enjoy each tonal delight and each heart felt nuance, and meaningful touch of a healing meditative moment thus given. It is so good to hear such accomplished music like this back on the scene again, and is probably the album that the New Age genre has waited so very patiently for, and now it is here, so make sure you avail yourself of a copy of Ocean of Light: Music to Soothe the Soul by Ilka de Gast, it’s an album your spirit will fall in total love with forever.