The transformation in Sunny Ray has always seemed inevitable since she made her debut in 2010 with the delightfully visionary EP Mindlessness. Here was a voice that spoke to us of the journey of the soul and the process of its awakening. Now, in a time of still great global uncertainty, the butterfly has emerged from its cocoon with Sentient Compass.
An over-riding theme that runs through the album is the idea that if you want to change the world you need to be that change. That our thoughts do not have to think us and through becoming more mindful we can become more conscious and aware of how we choose to shape our experience of reality. That our emotions are always mirror reflections of our deepest, sometimes unconscious, beliefs and can illuminate where we have invested our energy.
The 12 stages of transformation, as it were, come with their own "grace notes" for the listener. So a track such as the earthy Beauty Way, with its interplay of didgeridoo and Native American flute and echoing vocal chant ís "based on the wisdom of the Navaho Beauty Way prayer, this song is an affirmation of a commitment to walking our highest path and cultivating beauty within and in the way we see and interact with everything".
The album is both personal and impersonal in the way it sets out to reveal universal truths where a track such as the profoundly moving and perceptive Responsible - "the heart knows direction the eyes cannot see", is an intimate experience of unconditional love that has universal applications.
What knits Sentient Compass together so well, aside from the amazingly intuitive electronic sound "gardens" created by producer Brother Beans, is that it is tuned to a specific frequency "to activate the listener's heart and empower the inner creator through empathic storytelling and enlightened perspective". The opening and title track unfolds on the sound of a Tibetan bowl resonating at 432hz.
For the curious minded, 432hz is the base tone or solfeggio frequency commonly used in music. The ancient mysteries schools and contemporary sound healing pioneers such as Jonathan Goldman postulate that the body and soul can be "re-tuned" to higher frequencies through exposure to these tones.
There's certainly no doubt that Ray's intention with Sentient Compass is to inspire a deeper sense of connection and well-being. She's a folk singer at heart but she's no ordinary folk. Her aspiration is an inspiration.
Sunny Ray grew up on the west coast of Auckland, in the Waitakere ranges. She began her music career at the tender age of 14 when she curved her rebellious teenage path into a deep and meaningful passion for song writing and and singing.
At 16 she was gracing stages at festivals throughout New Zealand and sharing her unique, heart warming and quirky songs.
In 2009 Sunny traveled across Thailand and India sharing music as she went and writing tales of the Rajastani deserts.