Description

Shapeshifters

Shapeshifters is a vibrant world fusion music album created by Alain Eskinasi, Aziz Paige and Richard Hardy. Combining rhythmic percussion, sitar, guitar, keyboards, bass, flute, saxophone, penny whistle, clarinet, tamboura and vocals, this distinctive recording brings together musical influences from Celtic, Eastern, African, European and American traditions.

Known as The New Pulse of World Fusion, Shapeshifters explores rhythm, movement and multicultural musical expression through an energetic collection of 11 tracks. The album moves between trance-inspired grooves, exotic instrumental textures, dance rhythms and more reflective passages, making it an engaging choice for listeners who enjoy world beat music, trance music, global fusion and contemporary instrumental sounds.

About Shapeshifters

Shapeshifters is rooted in the ancient and sacred tradition of trance dancing. Its music uses layered rhythms, sitar, woodwinds and percussion to create an immersive musical environment centered around movement, rhythm and freedom.

The album’s creators bring together a wide range of instruments and influences. Alain Eskinasi contributes grooves, percussion, bass, guitar and keyboards. Aziz Paige adds sitar, guitar and vocals, while Richard Hardy contributes flute, saxophone, penny whistle and clarinet. Khabira Paige adds tamboura.

The combination creates a sound that crosses traditional genre boundaries. Rather than focusing on one musical tradition, Shapeshifters draws inspiration from multiple cultures and musical styles, creating a contemporary world fusion experience.

Soundings of the Planet currently describes the album as “the New Pulse of World Fusion” and includes Shapeshifters within its World Music / Chants catalog. The label also features the album’s “Pipers of Beltane” on its Soundings Global Rhythms Collection, placing it alongside music from Middle Eastern, African, Indian, Tibetan, Native American and Aboriginal Australian traditions.

World Fusion Music With a Strong Rhythmic Pulse

One of the defining characteristics of Shapeshifters is its emphasis on rhythm.

The album combines:

• World fusion music
• Trance-inspired rhythms
• Percussion and drum grooves
• Sitar
• Guitar
• Bass
• Flute
• Saxophone
• Clarinet
• Penny whistle
• Tamboura
• Keyboards
• Vocals

These instruments create a layered sound that can feel both earthy and contemporary. Deep grooves provide a rhythmic foundation while melodic instruments add color and movement.

For listeners searching for world fusion music, Shapeshifters offers an especially diverse listening experience. Its arrangements bring together Eastern, Celtic, African, European and American musical ideas without restricting the album to a single style.

Shapeshifters and Trance Music

The concept of trance is central to the musical identity of Shapeshifters.

The album’s rhythmic approach is designed around repetition, movement and musical immersion. Instead of relying entirely on conventional song structures, several tracks use evolving grooves and instrumental layers to create a continuous sense of motion.

This makes Shapeshifters an interesting choice for people who enjoy trance music, world beat, dance music and rhythmic ambient music.

The music can also complement movement-based activities. Soundings of the Planet specifically describes its broader global-rhythms collection as suitable for yoga, Pilates and sacred movement, and Shapeshifters is one of the featured recordings in that collection.

Music for Dance and Movement

The rhythmic character of Shapeshifters makes it naturally suited to movement.

The album can be enjoyed during:

• Dance sessions
• Free-form movement
• Yoga
• Stretching
• Pilates
• Meditation
• Breathwork
• Creative movement
• Wellness activities
• World music gatherings
• Personal listening
• Relaxed social environments

Its combination of percussion and melodic instruments creates enough rhythmic energy for movement while still offering atmospheric and contemplative moments.

The idea behind trance dancing is particularly important to the album. The music encourages listeners to experience rhythm physically rather than simply listening passively.

The Musicians Behind Shapeshifters

Alain Eskinasi

Alain Eskinasi serves as one of the central creative forces behind Shapeshifters. He performs grooves, percussion, bass, guitar and keyboards, giving the album much of its rhythmic foundation.

His musical background includes work associated with world fusion and rhythm-oriented projects, and his multi-instrumental approach helps give Shapeshifters its broad sonic palette.

Aziz Paige

Aziz Paige contributes sitar, guitar and vocals.

The sitar is one of the most recognizable elements of the album’s Eastern musical influence. Its distinctive tone adds melodic depth to the rhythmic arrangements and helps establish the multicultural character of Shapeshifters.

Richard Hardy

Richard Hardy contributes flute, saxophone, penny whistle and clarinet.

His wide selection of wind instruments gives the album a diverse melodic vocabulary. The combination of woodwinds with sitar, guitar and percussion creates many of the album’s most distinctive textures.

Khabira Paige

Khabira Paige contributes tamboura, an instrument associated with the sustained drone textures often heard in South Asian music.

Together, these musicians create a layered ensemble sound that moves well beyond conventional instrumental music.

A Multicultural Musical Experience

Shapeshifters is built around the idea that musical traditions can interact and transform into something new.

Celtic influences appear alongside Eastern instruments. African-inspired rhythms meet European and American musical elements. Sitar and tamboura are combined with guitar, bass, keyboards and Western woodwinds.

The result is a contemporary global fusion album that emphasizes musical connection rather than strict genre boundaries.

This multicultural approach is one of the reasons Shapeshifters fits naturally within the broader Soundings of the Planet catalog, which includes world music, New Age music, meditation recordings and music created for wellness and movement environments. Soundings describes its catalog as spanning healing arts, relaxation, world music and related instrumental styles.

Track Highlights

Breath Music Dance

The opening track establishes the album’s rhythmic identity and introduces the connection between music, breathing and movement.

Moon and Star

Moon and Star combines melodic instrumentation with the album’s world-fusion foundation, creating a more atmospheric listening experience.

Pipers of Beltane

One of the album’s standout tracks, Pipers of Beltane brings a Celtic flavor into the broader world-fusion sound. Soundings selected this track for its Global Rhythms Collection, highlighting its role within the label’s multicultural catalog.

Lakshmi

Lakshmi adds another Eastern-inspired dimension to the album, helping reinforce the connection between sitar, percussion and global musical traditions.

Voice of Rhythm

As the title suggests, Voice of Rhythm focuses strongly on the rhythmic character that defines the Shapeshifters sound.

Stop the War

Stop the War adds a more purposeful dimension to the album while maintaining its multicultural musical identity.

Shapeshifting

At just 34 seconds, Shapeshifting serves as a short transition within the album.

Trance Organic

Trance Organic returns to the album’s rhythmic and trance-inspired foundation with an energetic world-fusion approach.

Manju

Manju provides another opportunity to hear the interaction between melodic instruments and rhythmic textures.

Equinox

Equinox continues the album’s movement between atmospheric and rhythmic passages.

Lotus

The album closes with Lotus, a more reflective and lyrical track that provides a contrasting ending to the stronger dance-oriented sections earlier in the recording.

Shapeshifters Track Listing

1. Breath Music Dance – 5:35
2. Moon and Star – 4:41
3. Pipers of Beltane – 6:33
4. Lakshmi – 6:14
5. Voice of Rhythm – 4:43
6. Stop the War – 4:48
7. Shapeshifting – 0:34
8. Trance Organic – 6:14
9. Manju – 5:49
10. Equinox – 4:28
11. Lotus – 5:17

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes

Shapeshifters for Yoga and Mindful Movement

Listeners searching for music for yoga, movement or mindful activities may appreciate the album’s strong rhythmic foundation.

Unlike purely ambient recordings, Shapeshifters provides a noticeable pulse throughout much of the album. This can make it useful when music needs to support movement rather than simply sit quietly in the background.

For yoga practitioners, dance enthusiasts and people interested in expressive movement, the combination of repetition, percussion and melodic instruments creates a natural musical flow.

Soundings of the Planet specifically places Shapeshifters within its broader world-rhythms collection, which it recommends for yoga, Pilates and sacred movement.

Shapeshifters for World Music Collectors

For collectors of Soundings of the Planet recordings, Shapeshifters represents an interesting part of the label’s catalog.

The album was released in 2000 and appears in the Soundings discography between the label’s earlier New Age, world and healing releases and later projects such as Sonic Tribe and Spirit Rising.

It is particularly relevant for collectors interested in the development of world fusion music within the Soundings catalog.

Fans of Sonic Tribe, Spirit Rising, Peace Dance, Alchemy, Rhythms of Paradise and other world-oriented Soundings releases may also enjoy exploring Shapeshifters.

Why Choose Shapeshifters?

Shapeshifters is a strong choice for anyone looking for a world fusion CD with distinctive instrumentation and rhythmic energy.

It brings together:

• World fusion
• Trance rhythms
• Sitar
• Percussion
• Guitar
• Bass
• Flute
• Saxophone
• Clarinet
• Penny whistle
• Tamboura
• Keyboards
• Vocals

The result is an album that crosses cultural and musical boundaries while maintaining a strong rhythmic identity.

Whether you are building a world music collection, looking for music for yoga or movement, exploring trance-inspired recordings, or simply searching for something different from conventional instrumental music, Shapeshifters offers an engaging 55-minute musical journey.

Product Details

Product Name: Shapeshifters
Artists: Alain Eskinasi, Aziz Paige, Richard Hardy
Format: CD
Catalog Number: SP-7183CD
UPC: 096507718326
Total Tracks: 11
Total Playing Time: 55 minutes
Style: World Fusion, World Beat, Trance, Multicultural Instrumental Music

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shapeshifters?

Shapeshifters is a world fusion music album by Alain Eskinasi, Aziz Paige and Richard Hardy featuring multicultural rhythms, sitar, percussion, guitar, flute, saxophone, keyboards and vocals.

What type of music is Shapeshifters?

Shapeshifters combines world fusion, world beat, trance-inspired rhythms, Eastern influences, Celtic elements and multicultural instrumental music.

Who performs on Shapeshifters?

The album features Alain Eskinasi, Aziz Paige, Richard Hardy and Khabira Paige.

What instruments are featured on Shapeshifters?

The album features percussion, bass, guitar, keyboards, sitar, vocals, flute, saxophone, penny whistle, clarinet and tamboura.

How many tracks are on Shapeshifters?

Shapeshifters contains 11 tracks.

How long is Shapeshifters?

The complete album has a total playing time of approximately 55 minutes.

Is Shapeshifters good for yoga?

Yes. Its rhythmic and multicultural sound makes it suitable for yoga, Pilates, sacred movement and other movement-based practices. Soundings of the Planet includes Shapeshifters in its Global Rhythms collection, which it recommends for yoga, Pilates and sacred movement.

Is Shapeshifters a trance music album?

Shapeshifters incorporates trance-inspired rhythmic elements and was created around the concept of trance dancing and movement.

Does Shapeshifters feature sitar?

Yes. Aziz Paige performs sitar and guitar on the album.

Does Shapeshifters feature percussion?

Yes. Percussion and rhythmic grooves are important parts of the album’s overall sound, with Alain Eskinasi contributing percussion and other instruments.

When was Shapeshifters released?

Shapeshifters was released in 2000 as part of the Soundings of the Planet catalog.

What is the main style of Shapeshifters?

The album is best described as world fusion music, incorporating trance rhythms and influences from Eastern, Celtic, African, European and American musical traditions.

What albums are related to Shapeshifters?

Listeners interested in Shapeshifters can also explore Sonic Tribe, Spirit Rising, Peace Dance, Alchemy, Rhythms of Paradise and Music for the Healing Arts.