In Astral Blue, there’s an evocation of planet Earth as beautiful and spectral at the same time—in recent years we seem to have a new subgenre of pieces written in the spirit of ecology. Peter Lieuwen isn’t a strict Minimalist, but Astral Blue takes advantage of motor rhythms, repetition of simple chords, and chorale-like melodies that made me think (in a good way) of Philip Glass and Bernard Herrmann. Lieuwen’s melodies gorgeously float in orbit around the planet, and there’s affection in every bar. Woven into its textures is the famous B-A-C-H motif.