Timothy Vajda - Worlds

Timothy Vajda

Worlds
​self-released; 2022

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen
​

Timothy Vajda is a composer and instrumentalist whose principal instrument is the viola da gamba. He also plays the medieval fiddle, electric and acoustic guitar, and keyboard. Vajda mentions “As a gambist, he participated in numerous early music performances in the St. Louis area with members of the St.Louis Symphony and more recently as a member of the Ganzfeld Quartet.” On top of that he also released an album entitled Worlds. 

I will say off the bat the album earns the somewhat grandiose concepts. I’ve been a big fan of the series COSMOS and the original with Carl Sagan specifically had some great interstellar music. The music on this ride did tend to feel haunting, vast and sometimes disorienting. There aren’t a lot of soundscapes which gave me a feeling of going to a location that is particularly welcoming. 

Our journey starts in “Venus” and there’s a good amount of melancholy swells. It’s indeed beautiful sounding but soon enough turns into something more terrifying and ominous. I was getting David Lynch type vibes from this song like something was absurd.

“Mars” has you feeling like you’re traveling through an air tunnel. It’s very windy here and perhaps something lurks underneath the clouds. There’s a sense of tension and action on “Jupiter.” It’s still haunting and I feel like I’m being chased. Oh god I see it coming.

On “Titan” there’s pure confusion. I’m not sure which way is up. Or if there even is an up. Look at me spinning in space hoping to land on my feet. I still feel a long way from home when visiting “Neptune.” The long swells contort time and space. Where are we? Or perhaps I should ask when are we?

The tension is still there as I visit “Phobos.” I feel like I’m ascending. Oh no I hope I didn’t pass the atmosphere. There’s some warmth here on “Luna.” I think I found some water. Peace at least. Let’s hope it continues. 

As I rounded the bend on “Pluto” my memory became fragmented. Why did I go on this journey and why is there a monkey named Morpheus as my co-pilot? 

​Vajda takes you on a journey with these songs. This would be an awesome experience with some visuals of the locations but I found closing my eyes works as well. If you can’t go to space with a billionaire anytime soon I highly suggest Worlds which will at least put you in the mindset.

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