“The Garden of Make Believe” By Magdi Aboul-Kheir Is a Calm Escape From Chaos
Sometimes all you need is that orchestra and piano melodies, healing you from all those noise you’re used to. So I’ll be honest, my usual playlist is a mess of heavy metal and random urban beats, so stumbling onto something purely orchestral feels like a weird, refreshing palate cleanser. It’s like stepping out of a loud bar into a quiet, foggy park, experiencing nature and letting the fog rain on you, so you can feel calm. That’s the vibe of Magdi Aboul-Kheir’s new album, “The Garden of Make Believe“.
We all know Magdi is a composer based in Germany who clearly doesn’t believe in sticking to one lane. The guy has done everything from 80s synth stuff to ambient tracks about clouds. But for this record, he ditched the electronics and went full-on romantic orchestra. He says that sometimes “only the sound of an orchestra will do,” and after hearing this, I kinda agree with him and understands him perfectly. It’s all about big melodies and feelings that hit you right in the chest and never letting you go.
The album has ten tracks, and they all feel like little movies playing in your head, with each bringing a part you can’t ignore whilst maintaining a beautiful storyline that you can relate to.
The album starts with “On the Meadow,” which actually plays out like it name. It’s bright and light, like that first shot in a movie where the sun finally comes out and you know it’s gonna be a cozy feeling and beautiful day. It’s got a really intricate strings that lightens up your day. Then it moves into “If I Could Freeze Time.” This one is a bit more dramatic. It has that feeling of wanting a perfect moment to just stop forever. We’ve all been there—usually right before the weekend ends and you remember you have a job or when you meet someone and there’s a moment you wish it never ends.
One of my favorites is “Love in an Alternate Universe.” It’s a bit of a head-trip. It feels a little more mysterious than the others, like a “what if” story. Then you get “The World in His Arms,” which is just huge and sweeping. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel like you’re doing something way more important than just sitting on your couch eating chips. Do you see the arrangements here? Each song continuing the story, like a love story where it all began on a bright day, where moments where shared and wish they could freeze time in an alternate universe where she could enjoy those moments in his arms through gentle ties filled with tears and smiles!
Well halfway through, you hit “Gentle Ties” and “Tears and Smiles.” These are much more personal. Magdi is a pianist by training, and you can really tell here. The way the strings and the piano play off each other feels like a conversation between two people who know each other too well.
“The Summer Wind in the Wheat” is a total mood. It’s very visual—you can almost smell the grass and feel the heat. It leads right into the title track, “The Garden of Make Believe.” This is the heart of the album. It’s unabashedly romantic. It’s not trying to be cool or edgy; it just wants to be beautiful, and it pulls it off. And just like story, the summer winds were beautiful enough and sent you into the garden of made believe, where you realize things were actually real and now you’re yearning and longing for him, leaving you to be sending him a sleepletters. It’s a beautiful album and bringing things to an end are “My Yearning and Longing” and “Sleepletter.” Trust me, by the time you get to “Sleepletter,” the energy really winds down. It’s a soft, quiet ending that feels like a long exhale.
What I like about this record is that it isn’t “background music.” It’s built on real melodies. Magdi believes that a good tune is universal, and whether he’s writing for a solo piano or a massive group of violins, he sticks to that. It’s an album about nature, light, and how we connect with other people. And to me sometimes everyone needs that cool time where they are left alone to enjoy their moments and this album is the right tool to set the mood!
Enjoy More From Magdi Aboul-Kheir here;
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