Less than half an hour in length and priced accordingly (on CD and vinyl), Fill the Heart Shaped Cup is the end result of a creative and imaginative collaboration between producer Carlos Niño and composer/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. While the former is well-known for his work in the Los Angeles aesthetic underground and as a member of Ammoncontact as well as a founder/member of the Build an Ark collective, the latter name may not be so recognizable, though he should be. Atwood-Ferguson is a member of the stellar Supernova String Quartet, and has done studio sessions with everyone from Ray Charles and Norah Jones to DMX, Bennie Maupin, and vanguard bassist Henry Grimes, and from Emanuel Ax and Esa-Pekka Salonen to Wayne Shorter and Brad Mehldau. Basically, there are electronics here, and some beats, samples, atmospheres, and strings; they are layered, arranged, sampled, and allowed to simply offer their resonant beauty to the mix. That may not be so unusual -- but what is unusual is the depth of soul involved. These are emotive and emotional pieces, ranging from about a minute and a half to just under four minutes. In that brief time span, entire sound worlds are traveled. Calling this "ambient" music is a misnomer; it cannot be ignored as background music. In the most gentle way, it draws you in, brings you to the center of the mix, and wraps around you with everything from jazz to classical music.

1		Oasis
2		Extended Hands of Giving
3		All for Love
4		Triumph
5		The Tides
6		Cup
7		Changes
8		Into the Depths
9		High Heavenly
10		Through a Child's Eyes