Downloads and Audio samples

ANAND - A Man's Mind - CD - Lion Music - 2005


review by: Ignacio Coluccio  www.maelstrom.nu 
While it's common for all shredders to be called mechanical, cold or boring, Anand managed free itself of all those tags and to create an interesting disc. Sure, it doesn't really try to be different, and it's quite normal by shred standards, but for what it tries to be, it's perfect.
Instead of the common "guitar wankery" found in most albums of the kind, Anand uses an emotional approach similar to Steve Vai's "For the Love of God," or pretty much everything off his The 7th Song album. The usage of synths and its symmetry with the guitar lines is reminiscent of John Petrucci's work with Dream Theater (pre-Falling into Infinity).
Thankfully, all the album is instrumental (shred songs with vocals are horrible and you know it) and almost completely focused on the guitar playing. Some songs are heavier, some lighter, and there's an acoustic number at the end. There's variety and the album doesn't stagnate (well, there's not much progression, either). A Man’s Mind has its really technical moments, but also its purely emotional ones. Anand has variety in his playing, and from what's shown in this album, he could adapt to both metal and progressive rock outfits.
It's well packed, coherent, easy to listen to and fun, as weird as saying that would seem when talking about A Man's Mind. Production-wise, it's perfect; technically, it's outstanding. There's not much to say, if you like shred or prog rock you're gonna love it, if you only like the true underground genres or Australian tribal music, you better search somewhere else. (8.3/10)

ANAND - A MAN'S MIND (B+) Lion Music, 2005
12 tracks, RT: 55:44
[ http://www.anandmahangoe.com/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Instrumental albums are a tough sell these days; most fans of rock want to hear
vocals and are often impatient with music that demands attention and a certain
degree of tolerance for tunes that don't always deliver immediate
gratification. Anand Mahangoe will probably not climb to the top of the charts
with this release, as it was designed to appeal to guitar players and guitar
enthusiasts, but he has successfully delivered a contender in the curiously
crowded market of instrumental guitar releases. A MAN'S MIND is actually a
re-release of Anand's debut CD, and the first thing you will probably notice is
the similarity in style to Joe Satriani; now usually I'm turned off by players
who sound a lot like someone else, but Anand is definitely an exception as he
uses the Satriani template as a springboard into his own thing, ultimately
combining a variety of influences to produce a very listenable album. One of
the things separating Anand from the masses of guitar heroes is his emphasis on
melody and feeling rather than excessive displays of technique. The
compositions are well-arranged, with lots of space for great guitar
atmospherics. Listen to "Mysterious Ways" to get a good dose of what Anand has
to offer -- fantastic stuff! "Far Away" shows more of the guitarist's sensitive
side, lots of expressive playing on this one, while "Mimi Goes Hype" allows
Anand to indulge in some tastefully orchestrated shred over a cool jazz-fusion
progression. I took points off only for tracks like "Attack Of The Horrible
Space Babes" (great title) which is an excellent song but reminds too much of
Satriani's "Flying In A Blue Dream." I think Anand will easily be able to move
beyond the Satch influence in the future as he explores more of his unique
voice on the instrument. Overall A MAN'S MIND is an impressive debut I can
thoroughly recommend to fans of guitar instrumentals, especially those who have
been disappointed by Satriani's recent output. A MAN'S MIND makes me want to
hear more from this talented musician... - Neal Woodall (MysticX10@msn.com)

Detritus Rock/Metal e-zine
"Rock Hard With A Purpose"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/

 

Anand - A Man’s Mind It is nearly almost impossible to stand out in today’s world of shred guitarists, especially with the largely popular heavyweights such as Vai, Malmsteem, Pettrucci, McAlpine, Morse, and Howe (Greg or Steve) among many others who apply their axework to respected bands in the metal or prog vein. Award winning guitarist Anand Mahangoe offers something different, but yet providing a familiar sound to the axe attack we all know and love so much, he mixes the technical endurance of Rush with the melodic force of Satriani creating a smooth blend of guitar mantras, making his six string into the musical frontman for A Man’s Mind. Opening up with “Return from the Red Banana World,” a track that sounds like it could have been part of Rush’s well-known Gangster of Boats (their inside joke) trilogy, jamming with the rest of the groups tight chops, offering an aggressive take on fusion guitar work, which is followed up with the Flying in a Blue Dream-era Satch track “Attack of the Horrible Space Babes,” the Deep Purple-esque “Get In,” and “Midnight Chaser” where the music itself, besides the title, brings to mind a car chase scene in a movie. Like many guitarists, he has that sweet tooth for technical pieces, where key and time signature changes dominate cuts such as “What’s on a Man’s Mind,” the gloomy “Mimi Goes Hype,” and “Boys with Toys;” but of course, no guitarist can stay away from more mellow material, where the urgency to create the finite plectonics to more eased back proportion is usually never passed on, and Anand’s approach to this vibe is found in “Mysterious Ways,” “Far Away,” “Side by Side,” and the acoustic (and self-prophetic) “Another Side of Me,” with all those tracks floating within the thick atmospheric approach. With all songs clocking in on an average of four-and-a-half-minutes, there is no overzealous jamming, just Anand getting to the point (along with the occasional stand out points with keys and fretless bass). It might be hard to believe that with an instrumental record that A Man’s Mind is song oriented, where the riffs provide the hooks and so on and regardless of any comparisons, this reissue of his debut record is one of the strongest guitar records I have heard in a while and it is a shame it has not come to light earlier. Rating: 7/10 Hashman - 2/13/2005  www.revelationz.net

Anand – “A Man’s Mind” Dutch fret burner Ananad Mahangoe returns with a brilliant new CD titled A Man’s Mind. An all instrumental affair that is full of compassion and an emotional delivery that is beautifully conveyed through the mind and fingers of this brilliant new talent. Anand’s technical ability is flawless and played with conviction. There is a real “feel” element to this maestro’s song craft that is so lacking in most of today’s music. Influence is gleaned from an array of guitar masters which include Macalpine, Moore, and Satriani. The entire CD is packed full of tasty compositions that breath new life into the tried and true world of instrumental guitar. A Man’s Mind is a multi musical odyssey hat transcends musical boundaries through its larger than life connection to diversity.   The listener is transported through each individual track to a different visualization that is conjured up through Anand’s guitar styling.   A true visionary with a keen sense of the historical sounds and structure of the instrumental masters, Anand carves out his own stylistic voice while paying homage to his peers. He covers it all with the ease and fluidity of a man totally in control of his chosen vocation. There is a real maturity to Anand’s playing that is showcased within the 12 breathtaking tracks included on A Man’s Mind.   Highlights include: (The titles alone are worthy of ones attention!!)   Return From the Red Bananaworld – A full throttle high intensity rocker that blasts off right from the get go. Massive tone and delivery are the backbone for this testosterone infused guitar storm. Greta rhythm work throughout with some very interesting solo excursions that incorporate some great tapping sequences.   Attack of the Horrible Space Babes – Massive thundering root power chords set the mood for this powerful composition. Powered along by a strong upbeat riff reminiscent at times of Satriani and Dream Theater. Contains the CD’s best examples of Anand’s soloing capabilities – breathtaking!   Far Away - a laid back Satriani inspired number that showcases Anand’s penchant for melodic anthem like composition. Massive shimmering chord structure with heartfelt blues based soling round out this impressive track.   A Man’s Mind is another superb offering that breathes new life into the instrumental guitar world - an absolute must have for the serious guitar aficionado.   Guitar Mania  

ANAND - JOY 4EVER (B-) Lion Music, 2003
13 tracks, RT: 56:16

[ http://www.anandmahangoe.com/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Anand Mahangoe is a 30-year-old guitarist that hails from Holland (born in Suriname, South America) who has definitely mastered his craft of guitar playing. JOY 4EVER is his second CD; A MAN'S MIND is his first and was re-released by Lion Music in 2004. In my opinion, his style is most likened to Joe Satriani, which is a good role model since I believe Satch to be the best at guitar instrumental songs.Anand has a great sense of melody and threads it through his songswell. He takes care in building the arrangements in a melodic fashionand not just recklessly running all over the fret board. He has surrounded himself with some incredible musicians on this release,most notable are Mike Terrana on drums and Derek Sherinian on keys.Nick de Vos on bass and Rob Fabrich on keys also do a fabulous job ofpainting the mood in which Anand highlights. There are some elementsof progressive rock on here but they are strategically placed as tonot lose the listener. My favorite is song #3, "Intimate Dance." It's
a slower-moving piece that builds with some very emotional guitarplaying. There is a great build-up and the rhythm section does a goodjob of this subtlety, while the listener is concentrating on the
guitar melody. "Get Laid" has a great heavy sound to it in thebeginning, transitions to a moody mid-section, and then revisits theheaviness again -- also a standout. I would have liked to have heard a
little more diversity as many of these songs were in the mid-temporange. I hear hints of different musical styles in this collection ofsongs but he doesn't seem to dedicate any one song to one particularstyle. This I believe would lend to the diversity that would take hisplaying and song writing to the next level. To his credit Anand doesallow the music to breathe every so often and the keyboards and rhythmsection both have their moments to shine. I do hear little influencesof Neal Schon, Larry Carlton, and even a little Jeff Beck at times,certainly in "The One." Anand gets a great smooth guitar sound with nice sustain thanks to his Koch Powertone II amps and speakers. Heplays Yamaha 1212A RGX guitars and uses TC Electronic 2290 Delay &G-Force effect units. Summary: This is for those of you who like rock
guitar instrumental music similar to Satriani that embraces a good amount of melody. Very smooth playing and produced fairly well. It'sone of Lion Music's better guitar instrumental releases. - Sean P.
Gahgan (lof@earthlink.net) Deitrius Magazine

Anand - Joy 4 Ever Country of Origin: Netherlands Format: CD Record Label: Catalogue #: LMC081 Year of Release: 2003 Time: 56:18 Info: Anand Samples: Click Here Tracklist: A Dirty Mind Is A ... (5:28), Blind Date (5:50), Intimate Dance (5:27), Meet Mr Long (4:57), Get Laid (5:14), Disillusioned (6:56), Get Out (5:28), Next (4:42), Onatopp (4:29), The One (4:31), ... Joy 4 Ever (4:09)   The first in this collection of axemen is Dutchman, Anand Mahangoe, accompanied here by Mike Terrana (drums), Nick de Vos (bass), Rob Fabnrich (keyboards) and making a guest appearnace is keyboard wizard Derek Sherinian [track 5]. One of two releases from Lion Music (to be featured in this Special), who are to be commended for paving the way for hitherto undiscovered craftsmen of the guitar. Musically Joy 4 Ever treads a now fairly well trodden path, however what lifts this above many of it's counterparts is the melodic structuring, which is never foresaken for the desire for just another solo. What also made this album more palateable and in many respects more prog, was the inclusion of keyboards. Not only did this serve to add warmth and depth to the tracks, but variation to sound, so often missing with this "type" of album. Rob Fabnrich's choice of sounds are very complimentary and as he also pipes in with the several strong solo sections this offers a nice contrast to the guitar. This said we are very much in the mould of Joe Satriani with Joy 4 Ever and whilst Anand Manhangoe posses a similar fluidity in his guitar craftsmanship as the aforementioned, he does exhibit his own "voice", and therefore never appears to be like a plagiarist. There is no great complexity within the structuring and arrangement of the tracks, we are in the territory of the big driving rock drums, the strong guitar riff and (something that has always puzzled me about the guitar instrumental album) the almost inaudible bass guitar! However the beauty within the pieces is derived from the melodic use of the guitar, which prevails throughout. Musically we are well within the confines of the rock market (no jazzy noodling here), however the boundaries are stretched, pushing into the areas of ProgMetal, with Petrucci-esque and Dream Theater references to be found. Possibly the best illustrations can found in Get Out and the track featuring ex-DT man Derek Sherinian. All of which lead neatly onto the highlights and any drawbacks. Personally I would have preffered slightly more variation in the arrangements and possibly greater inclusion of some of the more delicate moments (there were some). And if I was to offer any criticism it would probably be aimed at the track titles - slightly more imagination might have been employed here :-). Favourite tracks were the beautiful Disillusioned, Get Laid, Intimate Dance and Get Out. Bearing in mind my remarks at the very beginning of this Special and on the premiss that guys like Joe Satriani feature in your CD collection, then all I can say is this is a great album and has received unanimous praise from those who have listened to it in my car. Great album go and buy it! Conclusion: 8- out of 10 www.dprp.net

ANAND / JOY 4 EVER / Lion Music
by: DAN SKIBA www.metalexpress.no

Trivia question: How many heavy rock guitarists were born in Suriname? If you know the answer to this, send me an e-mail, because I just became aware of ONE this week when Anand Mahangoe’s Joy 4 Ever CD arrived in my mailbox. Born in 1974 in Suriname, South America, Anand moved with his parents to Holland as a wee little lad and picked up the guitar at the age of 12. Based on his playing throughout this CD, he must not have put the damn thing down very often! Admittedly influenced by Joe Satriani, Anand delivers his 2nd all-instrumental CD in Joy 4 Ever, a follow up to his 1st effort entitled A Man’s Mind. At first look, Anand doesn’t seem to fit the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal mold. Dressed in nondescript long sleeve t-shirts and baseball caps, Anand certainly appears non-pretentious, if not a bit dorky, in the pictures shown within the liner notes of this CD…kind of along the lines of Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick. Once you listen to the first few tracks, however, you’ll quickly realize that you can’t judge a book by its cover, because Anand rocks!

Anand indeed has many similarities to Satriani…which, in my book, is a good thing because somehow over the years I’ve managed to continually lug my obstinate arse into a local record store to pick up absolutely everything Satriani has ever released. To best describe Anand’s style and sound, start with Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien album and add more thunderous and pronounced percussion along with mood-enhanced keyboards. The overall sound is pretty clean throughout and well produced. Although clearly intended to showcase Anand’s talents, a conscious effort has been made in Joy 4 Ever to ensure no instrument is left behind. As a result, every instrument is properly emphasized and apparent, and none are just along for the ride. Headbanger music this is not, however, about half of the tracks are indeed aggressive and move along at a pretty impressive clip. Anand uses light to moderate distortion to spice up his guitar sound, but it’s the percussion and driving bass guitar that legitimately nudge this album into the Heavy Metal genre (beware: at high volumes, the “thump” of the bass drum will test the druthers of even the best subwoofer systems!). Anand’s guitar performance contains its share of innovative and blistering solos, but like Satriani, his playing is filled with thoughtful passages whereby his instrument creates colorful images and narrates the story of each song without lyrics.

This CD attempts to tap into the testosterone-laden male psyche, providing a plausible account of an intimate relationship from its genesis as a mere thought inclination to eventual pair-up with one’s perfect soul mate. There are 11 tracks on the CD, entitled as follows, that flow together and play out a story (at least in my mind) along these lines: The male ponders his desire for a worthy female subject in “A Dirty Mind Is A…”, however, his lustful motivations are transparent and demonstrate his “true” intentions (eeeeek!…watch out ladies!). Evidently, a friend fixes him up with a friend, resulting in the ensuing “Blind Date”. The date seems to go well, and I envision that maybe they have each had a little too much to drink. Hand in hand, the new couple fosters a newfound romance as they engage in an “Intimate Dance”. The dance causes the cauldron to boil the libido of both participants…so why wait for the customary 3rd date rule? How about we “Meet Mr. Long” right now! Evidently Mr. Long is pleasing enough to the female subject’s eye…or maybe the male’s dancing was just that good…either way, one thing quickly leads to another, and it’s time to “Get Laid”. Man, this guy works quickly!!! Next, the endorphins (or the alcohol, or maybe both) get the best of these lust birds causing them to fall asleep. The male evidently awakens to see the female sleeping next to him in his flannel shirt, reeking of implied long-term commitment. His enjoyable “one night stand” suddenly has him “Disillusioned” by the prospects of getting trapped into an unwanted monogamous relationship. The immediate solution is to have his transient mate “Get Out”. She evidently complies amid a mass of hostility and hurt feelings. The relieved male is relegated to pondering what is “Next”, and somewhat quickly finds his “Next” mate. This mate is different, however, as he comes to realize that she indeed is “The One”, and the mutual commitment results in “…Joy 4 Ever”! Whew!!! What a story (remember, of course, there are no lyrics on this CD – so you’ll just have to take my word for it)! Can I have a dry towel now?

Based on the story above, Anand does a great job of gearing up or notching down the attitude and feel of the songs to allow the listener to empathize with the male’s emotional state as each event transpires. Although nothing on Joy 4 Ever is musically commensurate to The Nutcracker Suite, this album does a similar job of pairing up the music to the story to create a fairly evident picture and mood. For example, “Get Out” emits hostility and anger, while “Get Laid” has seductive interludes coupled with passages that build up energy and tension (a la Ravel’s Bolero), and “...Joy 4 Ever” is effervescent with positive vibe.

Overall, listening to this CD is a completely enjoyable experience. If you like Joe Satriani or Eric Johnson, Anand’s effort here will be a remarkably pleasant surprise. This is the type of CD that can be used for multiple occasions and will allow a true Heavy Metal fan to “make good” in very diverse settings. Played at volumes low enough to subdue the powerful percussion and bass guitar rhythms, this album could surely “pass” for a New Age work (albeit with an aggressive edge) that could fit in easily as lively dinner or social gathering background music. Played at high decibel levels (like the good Lord intended it to be played!), this album will whet and satisfy the appetite any Heavy Metal fan that appreciates creative guitar and all-instrumental work. Anand took a long time to write and record Joy 4 Ever, and its polished finish shows. Like me, I think you’ll be pleased if you ignore the deceptively plain cover on the book of Anand personally, take the plunge and open to page 1, and give this CD a listen. You’ll quickly come to realize Joy 4 Ever indeed is a keeper!

Guitars & Bass: A
Percussion: B+
Vocals: Not Applicable
Lyrics: Not Applicable
Recording Quality: B+
Originality: B-
Overall Rating: B
Release Date: November 2003