Release data: TiRa The Art of Dance – Endless Ambient Part 3CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 It seems to me that Ralf Gülpen has further smoothened the overall sound design for the music that makes up part 3 in the series. Just listen and immerse in the first four tracks all featuring moody, airy, free-floating soundscapes that almost feel like…
Release data: TiRa The Art of Dance – The 4 Elements: Water & AirCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2024 After three releases, German synthesist Ralf Gülpen takes a bigger approach releasing two double albums simultaneously, each focusing on one of the four elements. All consist of 8 parts that flow smoothly into each other and have exactly the same playing time…
Release data: Abstract Rituals – II CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 What I got here is another release drawing inspiration from the early pioneers of electronic music, and sequenced Berlin School in particular. The person behind Abstract Rituals is Mike Donzella, an American electronic music composer who’s now based in Tokyo, Japan. Moreover, Mr. Donzella points out the 12-track contemporary…
Release data: Rhea – Luminescent Ties CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 “Luminescent Ties” was born out of a collaborative project of Mark de Wit (aka Rhea) with Belgian glass artist Stijn Wuyts. For his summer exhibition and installation ‘Uranium Capsule’, Mark made five 5-minute tracks (the “Isotope” pieces) that visitors could listen to with headphones. During the last day of…
Release data: Spyra – TauCD, Private Release, 2024 “Tau”, launched at Spyra’s „Hello 2025“ live event at Planetarium Bochum on 30.12.2024, is the final part of the trilogy “Staub” (2014) and “Dunst” (2018). Its sound is recognizable immediately as Spyra with fresh contemporary sounds blending his sonic ideas with beats and classic Berlin School soundscapes/sequencer music. The biggest part…
Release data: 猫 シ Corp – Blueberries on MarsCD/Digital Download, Hiraeth Records, 2024 What I got here is the first space-ambient album by Dutch music producer Jornt Elzing (using the 猫 シ Corp moniker -meaning something like Cat System Corp to release his music), who already impressed me various years back with the sonic gem “Building a Better World”.…
Release data: Perge – Exolon: Live’24CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2024 I’m glad Matthew Stringer accepted invitations to perform live in The Netherlands at E-Day in April 2024 and at the UK’s “Awakenings” in May 2024. A great selection of new songs as well as reworked pieces from the Perge back catalog ( “Mythos”, “Second Sun” & “Out The Way…
Release data: Deborah Martin & Erik Wøllo – Kinishba CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2024 In the lengthy period that I’ve been reviewing electronic music, I’ve developed a fascination for in-depth atmospheric ambient. “Kinishba”, the second collaboration between Deborah Martin and Erik Wøllo, opens a respectful, authentic window into the remembrance ceremonies of the Apache people. The album’s name actually…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Area 24DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 The eight-part/50-minute “Area 24”, released on December 23th 2024, is an alienating, haunting, psychedelic as well as strange sonic affair containing a whole range of abstracts hooks and stark organic bits. Imagine a slow moving landslide of murky, dark textures, dense soundscapes and repetitive motives dressed with field recordings,…
Release data: AirSculpture – Europa CD/CD-r, Neu Harmony, 1997 After their strong their strong debut “Impossible Geometries” in 1995, things went fast for the talented UK trio Christian The three describes their output as improvised sequencer music arising while in the act of playing along with both texture and mood as strongholds. “Europe” holds the entire improvised performance of AirSculpture’s…
Release data: Kevin Keller – PendulumCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1999 I recently rediscovered this album from 1999 in my collection by chance. Known primarily for “ambient chamber music,” a style that combines live instruments with electronic effects, American composer Kevin Keller has worked in the spaces between neo-classical, ambient, and electronic music for over thirty years. The 50-minute “Pendulum”, able…
Release data: Patrick Kosmos – Planetia UtopiaCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2000/2024 “Planetia Utopia” was first released as the 11th CD of “The Chronicles” box and is the fifth re-issue of cosmic traveler Patrick ‘Wille De Wael’ Kosmos. The 67-minute album is another ticket into the mystery and vastness of our cosmos, presenting deep atmospheric soundscapes for discoveries into…
Release data: Loneward – Abridged Versions CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2025 The first volume of the “Fractional Dimensions” series ,all featuring dream-infused soundscapes and gentle ambiences meant for contemplation, meditation and sleep, came out in 2022. For the 41-minute “Abridged Dimensions”, all four volumes have been collected, this time around remixing four long-play tracks into new, shorter-form pieces. Each “dimension”…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – SojournsCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2022 “Sojourns” is a rather timeless sonic canvas that takes its audience to all kinds of different places and states of mind. Reminiscent of Erik’s other ambient works, it serves a kaleidoscope of emotive soundscapes, intricate rhythms, ethereal guitar, and mesmerizing synth textures. A sense of serenity and calm swirls through…
Release data: Rene de Bakker – Cosmic EquilibriumCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 Artistic expression can come in various ways, here seeing the artist gracing his new release with some stunning visual artwork all done by himself. On his previous albums, Rene already presented his audience his own cleverly and attentively moulded Berlin School impressions characterized by pleasant, warm sound designs…
Release data: Axess – Resurrection CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 This album is dedicated to Axel Stupplich’s late wife Irina, who was not only the love of his life and soulmate but also the first and closest person to him to offer feedback on his music. Creating new music proved a way to deal and come to terms with the immense…
Release data: Vanderson – 2055CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2024 Like the biggest part of Vanderson’s discography, “2055” will tick a lot of boxes for fans of contemporary-melodic Berlin School electronic music. In four accessible, well-produced, and mastered tracks, synthesist Maciej Wierzchowski aka Vanderson takes us on a 45-minute cosmic flight that merges catchy elements of both 80’s Tangerine Dream and…
Release data: Kurtz Mindfields – Flying AgainLP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 Kurtz Mindfields’ “Flying Again” is the follow-up to “Flying from Berlin To Paris” as well as the result of a desire on the part of Stephen Ingrand, maker of the NRSynth synthesizer clones, to produce an album that would fit next to Tangerine Dream’s output from the mid-’70s and…
Release data: Something Completely Different – The Last Gate CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 With the deluge of releases abroad, you would regularly forget that sometimes interesting music is also made close to home. What about SCD alias Boele Gerkes from Zutphen, whom I had never heard of until I saw him live at EMIL 2003. Boele is one of those…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – DissolutionCD, Aurora, 1999 Mr Grassow’s “Dissolution” – a dark trip dedicated to paganism – will be a treat for aficionados of deep, slow-evolving ambient and expansive drone-based sonic landscapes. The outcome is referred to as the ground, a below zero, where everything is put on hold and the wheel of life stops turning. Haunting, mystical,…
Release data: Paul Ellis & Per Thomhav – Orpheus CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2024 I reckon many fans of contemporary Berlin School style will absolutely embrace the sparkling outcome of Ellis & Thomhav’s collaborative “Orpheus”. It’s a concept album painting strong, in-depth atmospheres through lovely sequenced parts dressed with assortments of ethereal, melancholic soundscapes and vibrant textures. The very well-engineered…
Release data: Skoulaman – Waves of WaterCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2024 With this atmospheric, almost cinematic album, skilled composer Hans van Kroonenburg has outdone himself another time. “Waves of Water” features some 72 minutes of very well-rendered sequencer-driven Berliner School music with occasional hints of classic Teutonic electronics, all unfolding meticulously before the listeners ear. Warm synthetic sounds and…
Release data: Remy & Däcker – Live at ByssCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2024 Remy Stroomer and Peter Dekker were part of the select group of musicians who had the opportunity to perform at Bas Broekhuis BYSS studio during the 2020 pandemic. On that December evening, the two played together in public for the first time with a 1,5 hour…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Only Five PetalsEP, DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD21 Music, 2024 The 13-minute EP “Only Five Petals” is another fine exercise of reflective neoclassical piano music. The outcome, conceived during late-night sessions in the spring and summer of 2024, captures the essence of stillness and mystery as it sees Mr Sanfilippo explore the depth of his Kawai RX-3 grand piano.…
Release data: Phelios – Spirits of Rhea CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2020 Here’s another great exercise into outer space by the accomplished Wuppertal-based composer Martin Stürtzer. The 68-minute deep galactic voyage of lush, smooth spiralling darkening soundscapes found here is enhanced beautifully with radio emissions and re-synthesised images from the Saturn system recorded by the NASA probe Cassini. Immersing in…
Release data: Altus – Ultraviolet DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 In a way, I find it hard to get used to and adjust to Altus’s music, which marries rhythmic structures with transparent, soft, wavering soundscapes. This is the case on “Ultraviolet” and a track like “Transmission Erosion,” in particular. As the composer already remarks, the eight-track outcome here veers away…
Release data: ARC – Chronicle CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2024 “Chronicle” contains Redshift’s concert performed at E-Live 2007 in the Netherlands with Mark’s huge modular on stage, and it’s actually the only one of their 8 gigs never to have been released until this very day. A closer look and listen reveals the 63 minutes of organic-sounding music featuring multiple abstract…
Release data: Robert Rich – Travelers’ ClothCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2023 When it comes to immersive, journey-like and dreamy music, Robert’s album “Travelers’ Cloth” -referring to the fabric of vibrating creation that surrounds us, the fabric of life that sustains us, the fragility of comfort and stability- has lots to offer. It’s actually inspired by David Hinton’s translations of T’ang dynasty Chinese…
Release data: Frank Van Boagaert – Sounds from Higher GroundsCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2024 After two privately released albums, six albums and a CD-single through Groove Unlimited, accomplished composer, producer, and musician Frank Van Bogaert put an end to his Em career with “One out of Five” (2006). After that, he focussed his attention on his own ACE studio…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Beyond the Sleepy HillsCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2024 Like almost all of Rudy’s previous releases, I heard lots of demo tracks and sonic sketches for this one in an early stage. Once again, the aural balm draws inspiration from the natural world. Something that’s different though and noticeable quite soon (despite the music still…
Release data: F.D. Project – The Last Curtain CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 On his previous recordings, Dinslaken-based composer Frank Dorittke has proven he knows his ways around with electronics, with or without enticing e-guitar. On the nearly 71-minute “The Last Curtain”-which Frank refers to as the best from his self-released download albums “Project M.O.M.”, “Atmos” and “Earth and Moon”-…
Release data: Peter Challoner – ResonanceCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 I’ve been following this UK-musician since 2004, seeing him evolve from an amateur to an established, skilled synthesist finding his own way in the genre (mostly solo but also by collaborating with Jez Creek through Infinity Curve) with his textural ambient, rhythmic-spiced contemporary electronics. As Peter writes in the booklet,…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – Kontinuum CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 Pyramid Peak’s 12th studio album has a special feature, as the music was produced for the first time by Axel Stüpplich only, as Andreas Morsch is still in his musical break that began in mid-2023. Nevertheless, everything that Pyramid Peak has been known for, for over 20 years, is…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Filaments CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2024 “Filaments” is an adventure into the more darker and experimental side of his music but still has Mr Pollard’s occasional sequencer elements. On four tracks, Brendan’s electronics are joined by Michael Daniel’s tasty guitar work. The first two tracks start out in a gloomy, dark and psychedelic fashion,…
Release data: Brent A. Reiland & John Lyell – Wormholes CD, Solarwind Productions, 1998 “Wormholes”, the debut album by US musicians Brent E. Reiand and John Lyell, occupies a very distinctive corner within ambient music. The release showcases a strange kind of space ambient with both dark -think music on the Hypnos-label- and somewhat lighter passages, in which the use…
Release data: Frederique Rousseau – Spirit in the WoodsCD, Origins, 1997 French engineer and musician Frederick Rousseau will be know by many due to his work with Vangelis in the ‘80’s and the ‘90’s as well as Jean Michel Jarre, but he also did various own releases aside from being involved in many film projects. This release, for which…
Release data: Letum – The Entrance to Salvation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cold Meat Industry, 2001 Anyone wanting to try a not-too-hard-hitting album of dark ambient should give the (second) cd by Letum, aka Swede Mattias Hendriksson, a try. Letum, which besides death also seems to be some god from the underworld, manages for 50 minutes to set a dreary, monastic and…
Release data: Robert Rich & Luca Formentini – For Sundays when it rainsCD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2022 When it comes to atmospheric recordings, Robert Rich has always something special to offer. To create the electro-acoustic as well as ambient outcome, Luca spent three days at Robert’s new home in Carmel. This with the aim to record as many guitar tracks…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Resonant WavesCD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2024 Gregory Kyryluks’ “Resonant Waves” is a contemporary electronic release purposely realized on four pieces of equipment and no software (the composer is not a fan of soft synths whatsoever). The seven-track outcome is lively, rhythmic-driven, airy, and transparent sounding with nice high-tech, groovy bits and flavours and…
Release data: Solitaire – Trance Halcyon Connection DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2024 When it comes to tribal, lucid, and world music-infused electronic music with minimalist hooks, the German band Solitaire always had something special to offer. Their last full-length release dates from 1997. After that, a long silence set in with Elmar Schulte solely at the helm. At the end…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – Music for the Drive on RV83 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2024 With this release, sound sculptor Boreal Taiga continues the further transformation of his sound and music that was set in motion on his previous record “E 10”. It follows the path to a more ethereal journey with less fluff, creating a more deeper chill-out…
Release data: Floating Point – Between Worlds CD, Private Release, 1996 Ok, let’s journey back to the year 1996. Floating Point is the English trio Alan Gubby, Rod Mansell, and Nick Westwood who, on “Between Worlds”, opt for an extraordinarily interesting form of free-spirited instrumental electronic music with various chill-out hints in which bass and guitars are also used sideways,…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Journey CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2024 With this album, containing music recorded between March and June 2020, Japanese composer Juta Takahashi takes us into outer space, and describes the long-form result as an ambient expression of starlit journeys to uncharted worlds. As before, he blends strings of velvet soundscapes, long-held notes, and gracious textures -all…
Release data: Karl Bartos – Off the Record CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Bureau B, 2014 Those familiar with the enticing Bartos melodies and vocoder voices of his solid album “Communication” will find there’s actually nothing new under the sun on this release. Kraftwerk’s retro-futuristic sound is pretty much all over the place on Karl’s second album “Off the Record” of which the…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Illumination (Deep Skies 5) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Eventide, 2014 There’s a velvet feel found in the music of UK artist Kevin Kendle that shows familiarity with the new age/ambient works of Jonn Serrie. Kendle’s celestial sonic art and approach, though, has a meditative, soothing angle also present on his fifth release in the Deep Skies series…
Release data: Sequentia Legenda – Galactic Crystals CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 Extended Berlin School music with strong Schulze characteristics remains steady on Laurent Schieber’s “Galactic Crystals” (Adamantine Vibrations of the Universe), a spiritual journey and portal to new dimensions. According to the composer, resonating with the music is key as the listener finds his way as one is encapsulated…
Release data: Grand River & Abul Mogard – In Uno Spazio Immense LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Light-Years, 2024 What I got here is a rather unusual recording despite being electronic ambient. “In uno spazio immense” (In a huge space) is a release by Italian producers/musicians Grand River (aka Aimée Portioli) and Abul Mogard that’s best pinpointed as a dramatic ambient drone with…
Release data: Owann – State of Mind CD/Digital Download, Wool-E Discs, 2019 Johan De Paepe’s music is sensitive, tender, and emotive throughout, stirring quite some inner emotions, for me anyway. The outcome of his third album “State of Mind” is no exception, inviting the listener on a cinematic journey to contemplate and reflect on the state of the world and…
Release data: Loneward – Fractional Dimensions Volume 4 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 This release is the next chapter in the ongoing series under this title, which started in 2022. The continuous 65-minute “A Threshold of Stillness” presented here fits like a glove to the slow enveloping, warm, and spacious soundscapes found in the previous volumes where the profound dreamy,…
Release data: ASC – Loss CD/Mc/Digital Download, Past Inside the Present, 2024 “Loss” is another moving and haunting ambient release album by ASC, this time coming up in a confronting, most personal manner, though, as it deals with the death of the composer’s wife in 2023. As such we’re taken on a most touching and heartfelt journey of weighty vastness…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Different Spaces CD/Digital Download, Projekt Records, 2017 “Different Spaces” (featuring music in memory of the composer’s late sister) is a double album by skilled Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo that sees him skillfully execute his minimalist-emotive music. Once again, the blend of various guitars, gentle sequencers, haunting synth pads, and assorted percussion is immaculate as we are transported to…
Release data: Phelios – Human Stasis Habitat CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Loki Foundation, 2016 “Human Statis Habitat”, arriving some three years after “Gates of Atlantis”, is a 47-minute work of deep galactic soundscapes and droning dark ambience, all molded and shaped meticulously by the capable Martin Stürtzer. Atmospheric, slow morphing and dark textural pads paint a vast emptiness before the mind’s eye,…
Release data: Field Lines Cartographer – Tone Maps CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Quiet Details, 2023 “Tone Maps” by Lancaster-based producer Mark Burford is an immersive sonic exploration of place and time: past, present, and future, using analog and digital synthesizers among a vast range of field recordings, attempting to capture some of nature’s magic and atmospheres encountered in the sea, skies, and…
Release data: Jim Ottaway – First Light (20th Anniversary Edition) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2004/2024 “First Light” is the debut album from Australian synthesist Jim Ottaway that came out on CD-R back in 2004. Now, this light relaxing ambient release celebrates its 20th anniversary as a factory-pressed CD. For the occasion, some tracks have been re-recorded and remixed from the…
Release data: Rene de Bakker – Dive In Dive Out CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 “Dive Dive Out” marks the eighth solo release by Beyond Berlin member Rene de Bakker. As the composer writes in the notes in the booklet, it is sequencer-based music with its basis and inspiration in the tradition of Berlin school featuring sequencer parts mainly derived…
Release data: Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone – Finite Space CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 Chris Meyer is a New Mexico-based music industry veteran who recently came to my attention. He created vector synthesis and served as technical chairman of the MIDI Manufacturers Association in the ‘80s and ‘90s before turning his attention to video/film and later to creating his music.…
Release data: Brainwork – Late in Berlin CD, Cue Records, 2021 Uwe Saher knows how to make attractive and accessible electronic music, doing so for a long time now. He delivers another fine testament with his 22nd album “Late in Berlin”, offering four lengthy tracks in the best tradition of the Berlin School sound. The 11-minute title piece kicking things…
Release data: Martin Stürtzer – Space is not Empty DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 With this release, Martin Stürtzer once again shows his versatility in the electronic space music he’s been producing for years. The 48-minute/5-track “Space is not Empty” kicks off with two longer cosmic pieces pairing warm, dense, gently swirling pads with lush Berliner School sequencing and some…
Release data: Gustavo-Denouard – Mysterious Winds DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2024 One of the things that becomes clear on this peaceful recording by Buenos Aires-based ambient composer Gustavo Denouard is the sonic approach, which lines up quite nicely with Michael Stearns as well as Steve Roach’s introspective, melancholic-infused soundscape music: it takes the listener to meditation and reflection. According to…
Release data: David Michael Matuch – Brainstorm: Adventures in Hypoxia CD/Digital Download, Carpe Sonum Records, 1999/2024 With this special album, I invite you to travel back with me to April 1999, when Tucson-based composer David Michael Matuch sent me a demo plus a few handwritten notes of his third album “Brainstorm: Adventures in Hypoxia”, that’s still sitting comfortably in my…