One of the hallmarks of great artists is the ability to combine different genres and create something new and totally different. These artists create music that lives on and still sounds fresh many years after it was originally released. I think that the band with the cool sounding name Kush, started by Etric Lyons, has this rare quality. Their most recent release, Martin’s Miracle, is hard to define but all the more easy to enjoy. Either you choose to call it nu jazz, new age music, chill out or downtempo, it is simply great music that just sounds different. So yes, it is almost like a miracle!

Kush - Martin's Miracle

The thing I have to mention right away, which is this album’s foremost quality, is its incredible coolness.

As you know, electronic music often is criticized for being soulless and dull, but the soundscape you’ll experience on Martin’s Miracle is powerful, friendly and easy to like.

It sounds a bit like Thievery Corporation or Air, with a hint of nu jazz, all in a beautiful ambient environment.

The album has six tracks with no pause between, which makes great for studying, creativity or just relaxing. You can also safely use it as background music to dinners or parties, knowing that it will not get in the way or be too noisy.

The tracks have no names, but they are quite different in style – although the atmosphere is constant (which I find to be positive on an album like this). Track one and two are quite electronic, with a tasteful bass and sharp synth plucks. It is chill out and downtempo, just the way we like it. Track three to five are more like Buddha Bar, or sounding like Enigma’s more ambient passages; if Michael Cretu was to make an ambient album, this is what it would sound like.
And like all great chill out / downtempo alums, Martin’s Miracle also has a “wake up” track. Track six is warmer and brighter, and the soft rhythm is just a little bit faster. It is like wakening from a beautiful dream, positive and refreshed.

I find the sound quality to be very good, and a little above most professional sequenced albums. The synths sound fresh and the lead instruments fit perfectly. The mastering is very well done. It is simply speaking a quality production on all levels.

Kush sounds a bit like Thievery Corporation or Air, with a hint of nu jazz, all in a beautiful ambient environment.

Martin’s Miracle is different because it combines different genres, and creates an unforgettable mix that is as cool and jazzy as it is ambient. But where is the miracle, you might ask? Well, it is in its almost limitless replay possibilities. You will never get tired of these melodies, and that is not a small miracle  

It is called Kush Krush…

Sample the album on CDBaby. Visit Kush Music for samples.