First Light - 20th Anniversary Edition is a celebration of the first album by award-winning Australian composer/electronic musician, Jim Ottaway. Originally released locally on CDR on November 21, 2004, First Light became very popular in "new age/meditation" groups on the Gold Coast of Australia and is still very popular today. Until July 2024, the album was never "officially" released internationally, although a few copies made it into the hands of radio show hosts and collectors. The seven electronic, ambient tracks that made it onto the final version of the album were recorded between February 2003 and November 2004 and were mostly improvised live. For this anniversary edition, Jim revisited the original MIDI files and audio recordings and then re-recorded and remixed some of the tracks, refreshing them and eliminating minor issues that appeared on the first edition.

Jim Ottaway composes and records all of his music in his home studio which is situated in the foothills of the beautiful Springbrook Mountain on the Gold Coast of Australia. The inspiration for Jim’s music comes from his love of nature and his spiritual connection to the beautiful environment of the Gold Coast. Since 2004, he has released more than thirty albums independently.

First Light - 20th Anniversary Edition begins with "Ascension - The Journey Begins," a piece that feels to me like the time just before dawn when all is dark and very still, but just starting to stir. On the title track, things are starting to come to life, but it still feels very peaceful, still and relaxed. Like its title, "Peace" is calm and untroubled, providing a gentle massage for the mind. At just over 17 minutes, "Ascension" is the centerpiece ("centerpeace"?) of the album. Some of the electronic instrumentation is different from the opening track, and this piece is obviously much longer, giving it plenty of time to soothe the mind and spirit as well as the body. "Tranquility" uses the sounds of strings and tiny bells (among other instrumentation) to create an atmosphere that is smooth, sparkling and crystal-clear - SO peaceful! At a bit over twelve minutes, it has plenty of time to work its magic. "Freedom" is both beautiful and deeply poignant. Freedom is often portrayed musically as carefree and joyful, but in this piece, it is more reflective on what it means to be free, expressing longing and sadness. It's an amazing and very emotional piece - my favorite on the album. The darkly mysterious "Journey To a New World" explores with sounds that are different and sometimes kind of strange - a journey into the unknown.

First Light - 20th Anniversary Edition is fascinating from the first note to the last. I'm so glad Jim Ottaway decided to make it available to all of us! It is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes and many streaming sites including Spotify. Check it out!