A concept album of sorts, Poesis Athesis came about when Chi Kung Master Terrence Dunn commissioned Thompson to create music for a series of video productions, with the result more than ten hours of music produced for ten Flying Phoenix films. But there are moments on Robert Scott Thompson's Poesis Athesis that are as pretty as anything on Music For Airports and, in fact, “Mystic Pearl” is so reminiscent of the opening piece on Eno's classic it could be taken as a bona fide homage (it certainly sounds as if bits and pieces of Robert Wyatt's piano playing have found their way into Thompson's piece).

It can't be easy when Brian Eno's constantly lauded as an ambient deity while your own work gets labeled “New Age” and celebrated less rapturously. With Poesis Athesis, Robert Scott Thompson has created a work that spawns from his past while moving into newer creative explorations of sound and mind. Thompson creates an atmosphere of calm and relaxation suitable for both introspective and meditative moments as well as chill out regeneration. The thirteen tracks on Poesis Athesis are rooted in Robert Scott Thompson’s ambient style but also blend it with elements of electronica, ethnic influences and a personal homage to French composer Erik Satie. The collaboration eventually spanned ten films and Thompson composed more than ten hours worth of music over a two year period. Thompson composed the music to work specifically with the pace, mood and dynamics of the Flying Phoenix form of Chi Kung. Having originally worked together in the mid-80’s, Chi Kung Master Terrence Dunn (an admirer of Robert’s music) once again contacted Thompson to compose music for his current series of video releases. Poesis Athesis marks the debut release on Lens Records from internationally acclaimed composer Robert Scott Thompson.

Eight Days by Scott Thompson