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REVIEWS:
GIVE ME A PERFECT WORLD

CD/DVD News and Notes
Featuring the sublime songs and vocals of the alluring Andriette Redmann, the 2004 CD from NYC-based Sun Palace takes the cutting edge sound of pop artists like Sarah McLachlan and Bjork one step further. Supplying backing support to Redmann’s lush melodies and multi-layered vocal harmonies on Give Me A Perfect World are key players such as guitarists John Rokosny and...Tony Geballe in addition to Jerry Marotta (drums) and Pat DiNizio (backing vocals). Modern pop-based chill music that just oozes with atmospherics, the eleven track CD is capped off by a faithful Sun Palace cover of the Led Zep classic “Going To California.”

Creations Magazine
Give Me a Perfect World, Sun Palace - Wow! This CD has great harmonies and thoughtful lyrics - it definitely hits the ground running. In a genre broadly categorized as Pop/Rock, but more specifically described in a press release as "mystical, breezy, chill pop," this band must be carving out a niche for themselves. The uniqueness of Andriette Redmann (lead vocalist and writer) calls to mind the best work of Dido. With band members described as having "East Village Roots," Andriette excels on vocals and keyboards, ably backed up by guitarist John Rokosny, guitarist Tony Geballe, drummer Mark Brotter and a host of other instrumentalists and vocalists. In sound quality, I was reminded of Phil Spector’s "wall of sound" (for those of you that remember.) These are very full-sounding, richly produced songs. The music and style, while pop and fun, is never fluffy, as self-proclaimed Rumi fan Andriette imbues her work with a spiritual essence. Here’s a terrific alternative to the standard pop/rock genre. -Mark Maxwell Abushady

Out Smart Magazine
Give me a Perfect World by Sun Palace delivers modern rock with a cool, ethereal flavor. Sun Palace is led by Andriette Redmann and...the music on Give Me a Perfect World has an otherworldly quality and Euro-pop sensibility, blending rich vocals with dance grooves to create a wall-of-sound-experience. Outstanding songs include Going to California, Familiar Voices, Man of the Severn Wave, and Under the Moon, which features world-beat percussion and inspired vocal performances. In short, Sun Palace's new album is truly original and not to be missed.

The Critical Review, Media Report
Give Me a Perfect World is a magical album; one that somehow reminded me of Stevie Nicks and her dreamy romantic mystery approach--melded with a more lush, layered and textured musical aura. Andriette Redmann's vocals and songwriting are what drive the project, but the fine guitar work by John Rokosny and Tony Geballe…add the classy layers. But there's so much more--tight drums, clean big vocals, and great…(mix) by Roman Klun (eng. Sarah McLachlan) along with lots of rich instrumentation like violins, viola, cello, mandolin, harmonica, and creative percussion. While the genre is listed as modern rock the feel is in places New Age, World, chill, romance, and Adult/Contemporary. All kinds of sounds are brought into tight focus making the result an album of high quality. I was mesmerized by many of the songs which deal with love and romance as well as bigger questions. Redmann even covers the LED ZEP classic, Going to California; and here it was a good addition to this set of interesting songs. The title track is an upbeat work that has lots of radio potential. There's A Man is a tune which lauds her love of her hero. She views this man a heaven, and asks how heaven can be with her. Her creative lyric is the kind that I wish gospel singers would use as it puts flesh on a hero and lover. Love and romance are big themes and the number that encapsulates the thought has to be Love Saves. This is a beautiful selection and a highlight on this disc. Then comes the royal Palace Welcome, which sent my mind into a world of kings and queens and all that is of the chivalric and knightly age. My personal favorite though had to be Man of the Severn Wave. First of all I looked up the meaning of Severn. It is a river in England which has very unusual qualities such as strange floods and movements. This man of the Severn wave walks along the river, then dives into it, then seeming walks on it and rides the wave and finally rides off into the wide sky. The music is perfect for the story and the imagination reels (and revels) in the lyrical and musical images. Oh but there's so much more. On The Corridor, I felt (rightly or wrongly) that this was a dream-like experience or a near-death one. The romantic joys in love and life are presented in the song, Show Me Your Wild Side. The song is so alive it literally vibrates. We come to the last track, the 11th cut titled Under the Moon, a short closing number. Give Me a Perfect World is a wonderful, magical album that incorporates so many elements, music, vocals, lyrics, dreams; and the sum of them is vastly more when they fuse into new elements. A classy rich album that is so nuanced and controlled that it excites rather than bores. I highly recommend this dreamy romantic effort from a great band that has outdone itself. -A. Canales

All Music Guide
Anyone who hopes to get the most out of the singer/songwriter experience needs to do some research and dig beneath the surface in other words, use major outlets like MTV, VH1, and Billboard as sources of information, but certainly don't expect them to tell you everything you need to know. Be on the lookout for worthwhile singer/songwriters who, for whatever reason, might be flying under the radar, people who haven't enjoyed as much commercial exposure as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Paula Cole, or Shawn Colvin but still have a lot going for them. Andriette Redmann definitely fits that description; although the Sun Palace leader once recorded for CBS Records Italy…she's far from a megasuperstar. But as Sun Palace's second album, Give Me a Perfect World, demonstrates, it isn't because of a lack of talent. Redmann is a joy throughout this early 2005 release, which does more than live up to the promise of her first Sun Palace album, Into Heaven, it's an even stronger and more impressive demonstration of Redmann's talents…(She’s) an expressive, very listenable singer and an excellent songwriter. That is evident on sublime offerings like "Palace Welcome," "Round and Round," and "Show Me Your Wild Side." Redmann is equally memorable on an inspired cover of Led Zeppelin's "Going to California," which is one of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page's more folkminded offerings and is perfect for Sun Palace. But unlike Zep's albums, this folkrock/adult alternative CD never really rocks; instead, it floats and does so in a way that is dreamy and ethereal (two words that keep coming up where Sun Palace is concerned). Give Me a Perfect World is musical bliss. -Alex Henderson

Smother.net
New York City has a plethora of artists in just as many varying genres. But angle your way towards Sun Palace and you'll be one happy camper in the Big Apple. Andriette Redmann leads the way with her vocals and keyboard work, and when you consider all the past experience her fellow bandmates thrust under their collective shoulders, it shouldn't stretch the imagination too far that this is one great pop-rock album. The style is almost chill contemporary that could give Sarah McLachlan a run for her money. -J-Sin

Improvajazzation
For those inclined to enjoy "happy" visions of the world we live in, Give Me a Perfect World will be most enjoyable, & for them, this gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! -Dick Metcalf

Magnatunes
Angel-voiced Andriette Redmann teams up with (ex-)Smithereens…John Rokosny to make a luxuriant yet lighter than air pop-rock creation. Give Me A Perfect World does more than live up to the promise of the first Sun Palace album, Into Heaven—it is, in fact, an even stronger and more impressive demonstration of Redmann's talents. Highlights include the idyllic title track, the courtly and fateful "Round and Round," as well as the deeply dreamy "Familiar Voices." This album features legendary drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel/Paul McCartney/Elvis Costello) and cellist Jane Scarpantoni (Springsteen/Lou Reed/REM). Highly expressive, highly listenable.

Uwe Hermann’s Music Podcast, Germany
Dec.15, ’05 - Sun Palace (a project of singer/songwriter Andriette Redmann) has released a new CD called "Give Me a Perfect World”…beautiful, dreamy, almost magical…great music. Enjoy!

REVIEWS:
INTO HEAVEN

The Night Guide
What A Beautiful Album! Into Heaven, the debut CD from Sun Palace, Pop, Rock, a collection of lushly hypnotic and symphonic tunes, is full of richly textured guitars, ambient layers of keyboards, synths, drum loops, dreamy harmony vocals, and a solid foundation of bass and drums. Sun Palace splendidly weaves folk rock with ambient new age textures. Redmann's voice and compositions are really what sets this album aglow. The evocative words and melodies from singer/songwriter Andriette Redmann are sweetly sung, soaring at times and emotionally delivered. "There Once Was A Time" will appeal to the masses. An artist to watch out for!

Spirit of Change Magazine
SUN PALACE - INTO HEAVEN - Among a spate of Alter-native/New Age discs making waves that are rolling into mainstream music, Sun Palace may just be the vehicle to solidify the fusion. Singer Andriette Redmann may vaguely be compared with such vocal priestesses as Fiona Apple and Stevie Nicks. She stands out…and already has a signature voice all her own. From her interpretation of Jethro Tull’s classic “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day” to a softly passionate yet upbeat phrasing on “In Somebody’s Eyes,” Redmann far surpasses the marketable yet nondescript plethora of “good” vocalists. With a band consisting of a King Crimson (connected) guitarist (Tony Geballe), John Rokosny of the Smithereens and Billy Idol’s hot drummer, Mark Brotter, among other capable musicians, the haunting words and appealing vocal dynamics of Andriette are framed and perfectly supported throughout the album. Words cannot do justice to a talent and production of this magnitude. Superb! -Ming Yuan

The Critical Review
Redmann can sing, write, and orchestrate a classy first-rate production. She turns out highly nuanced, ethereal songs that meld pop and acoustic rock with New Age sensibility. I was mesmerized by the smooth and near flawless production and presentation. -A. Canales

Music Discoveries
Sun Palace sets no limits to what they can and will accomplish. Redmann may have single-handedly created a new sub-genre! - Amy Leach

New Age Journal
A beautiful record of dreamy songs led by airy-voiced singer, Andriette Redmann. - Bob Genovesi

Songwriters Monthly
Haunting mellow music. Andriette really shines when she lets the beauty of her voice carry her through the songs. Hypnotic arrangements provide a background against which to be gently captivated. A comforting album of aural sweetness. -Allen Foster

Improvijazzation
Redmann's voice has a haunting quality that sometimes makes it sound as though she is singing through a spirit, and that's a GOOD thing! This gets highly recommended by us.

Omega Magazine
The lyrics are insightful, personal and provocative, delivered in an intimate and sensually exciting fashion. The music is strong and direct. Serving well to backup Andriette's delicious vocals.

Magnatunes
After releasing Sun Palace's latest album in December 2005, we were lucky enough to get our hands on this band's year 2000 debut CD—Into Heaven—which received four out of five stars from AllMusic.com and shows the more wistful, contemplative side of vocalist Andriette Redmann's talents. Written and recorded after a series of personal tragedies in her life, Into Heaven's palpable sense of melancholy serves as the ideal counterpoint to Redmann's lighter-than-air voice, and we suspect that fans of Sarah McLachlan and The Sundays will love this album.

All Music Guide
Sun Palace is to singer/songwriter Andriette Redmann what Maze is to Frankie Beverly. In other words, Sun Palace is Redmann's baby -- Redmann is Sun Palace (just as Beverly is Maze), and everything on the band's debut album, Into Heaven, reflects her thoughts, vision, and personality. Redmann takes a very hands-on approach on this CD; in addition to producing Into Heaven with guitarist John D. Rokosny, she wrote almost all of the material herself. And her songs favor a very ethereal, dreamy, folk-influenced approach to alternative pop/rock. Redmann's lyrics tend to be introspective and spiritual; no one will accuse her of inundating listeners with the sort of angst and anger that has characterized so much alternative pop/rock of the '90s and early 2000s. In fact, she is the opposite of angst-ridden -- if anything, Redmann comes across as an alternative pop/rock version of the congenial Enya on melodic, accessible offerings like "There Was Once a Time," "Are You Thinking of Me," and "Path of Heart" (which has a slight Middle Eastern flavor). Equally laid-back is Sun Palace's cover of Jethro Tull's "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day," which is the only track that Redmann didn't write. Like Beth Orton and new age favorite Enya -- and like many of the alternative pop-rockers who have come out of the dream pop/shoegazer field -- Redmann is the sort of artist who would rather float than rock aggressively. But those who look past Into Heaven's pretty surface will find that the CD has a lot of meat on its bones; Redmann's emotions run deep on this very likable debut. -Alex Henderson

Music Morsels
Andriette Redmann's Sun Palace produces beautiful music with an incredible passion for songwriting. Andriette's lovely voice provides a pleasing, rich texture to the music, conveying lyrics from her heart and soul.

Splendid
A marvelous collection of lushly arranged, symphonic tunes with a passion for songwriting, top notch.

Monthly Aspectarian
An incredible debut, every tack is a delightful discovery.

Get Fancy
Andriette begs you to stare yourself into oblivion, where clouds comfort, waves give way to wings and your spirit soars into pop pleasures. - Melyssa A. Harmon

Sonicswap
Into Heaven – Sun Palace - The latest trend in the music industry is to publish lyrics as poetry (whether it works as poetry or not). Sun Palace is a bit ahead of the game. This really is poetry set to music. Andriette Redmann's voice & lyrics are the perfect complement to the transcendent music of the likes of John Rokosny, Tony Geballe & Chris Fiore. There's even a tip of the hat to Tull with a cover of 'Skating Away'. Definitely a band to watch.

Collected Sounds
Sun Palace's music is soft and multi-faceted. Singer and composer Andriette Redmann has a knack for writing evocative and lush songs. "There Once was a Time" is haunting and sweetly sung. The theme of loss is handled well here and affects me slowly. "Your Hands Lie Open" is vaguely country influenced and has a strong lyric on possibilities. "Path of Heart" uses Spanish sounding guitar and a gorgeous vocal by Redmann to make a great song. The closing Jethro Tull cover is a good note to end this lovely album on. – Anna Maria Stjarnell

Street Beat
Sun Palace, Into Heaven - Andriette Redmann's path to this CD has taken some interesting turns along the way. Born in Wisconsin, inspired by an accordion-playing aunt in her youth, off to stardom in Italy after securing a recording contract, and then the tragic loss of both parents to cancer. As for the CD itself, a mixture of big synth interlocked with folk country outpaces the…drivel often encountered in the New Age arena. Her voice carries through the songs like a velvet blanket or a feather drifting through the air. Songs like "Your Hands Lie Open" and "Flying" bring the guitars more forward than the keyboards, and the country feel succeeds. Overall, the disc has a relaxing effect. Bonus points for the Jethro Tull cover, "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day.”

Ink 19
For exquisite, ethereal vocals listen to the serene, atmospheric pop songs on Into Heaven by Sun Palace. The multi-tracked vocals of singer-songwriter-keyboardist Andriette Redmann already garnered her popular success in Italy. Working through the tragic loss of her parents led to the introspective and hopeful lyrics here. Her talented band includes co-producer and guitarist John Rokosny (Smithereens, Carry Nation), drummer/percussionist Mark Brotter (Billy Idol, Hem) and as lead guitarist, Discipline Global Mobile artist Tony Geballe. Along with the title track, a feature track here is the free rendition of the Jethro Tull classic "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day".

NOHO LA
Sun Palace - Into Heaven - has a nice soft, soothing feel throughout that can be a nice accompaniment to a cloudy day. -Megan Gaynes

Uwe Hermann’s Music Podcast, Germany
Oct. 16, ’06 - Into Heaven - The music of Sun Palace never stops amazing me! Great stuff, every single song...

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