PARISHVILLE — World-class flutist Peter Phippen, originally from Parishville, has released a new album.

Phippen, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, explores the gleaming mystical sonorities of ancient and modern flutes in “Into the Ancient.” Within a 12-track album of haunting new age world music, Phippen and co-producer and synthesist Ivar Lunde Jr. offer a captivating collage of the flutes’ translucent chimerical whisper and subtle electronic sound images. It's a shimmering panorama illustrating the gauzy veil of perception that separates our present state from the airy world of the spirits.

“With these songs,” Phippen says, “I employ antique instruments as antennae to directly channel the ancient voices of mature seedlings and allow their wails and whispers of time immemorial to be known to those who listen. Each vestige of spirituality played demonstrates magical significance not only through the music captured on this album but through the tangible energy that courses through the bamboo or wood as it sits in one's hands.”

Over the past three decades and 22 albums, Phippen's experiential, natural folk style revealed a penchant for creative and artistic musical improvisation. He's researched the history and performance technique of traditional flutes from around the world and throughout time.

"I have a deep interest in playing the old flutes and museum replicas,” Phippen says. "I am curious as to what notes were available and how these flutes may have been played in their time. The instruments on Into the Ancient are antiques dating back to the Edo period of Japan, or historically accurate replicas, meaning that the makers of my flute replicas took measurements from the original artifacts, but they did not change the instruments to conform with today's tunings or playability. This makes the flutes sound more mysterious and unusual."

As a recording artist, Phippen was the first non-Native American musician signed to Canyon Records, which released his classic 2003 album Night Song. In 2010, his Woodnotes Wyld: Historic Flute Sounds From The Dr. Richard W. Payne Collection was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Native American Music Album category.