Release data: Erik Wøllo – Timelines CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 More than on any of his latest albums, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo here attempts to combine acoustic elements with electronic elements sophisticatedly, while arranging the outcome in a cinematic, orchestral way. In the process of creating the music for his 18th solo album “Timelines” (on which work started around…
Release data: Lars Leonhard – Burning Clouds DIGITAL EP, Ultimae Records, 2014 “Burning Clouds” by Lars Leonard is the second chapter in Ultimae’s series of digital only- EP’s. The three-track outcome by this German composer reveals a different side compared to what’s found on the track he delivered to the Ultimae-compilation “Oxycanta III”. “Burning Clouds” is what I would describe…
Release data: Banco de Gaia – Maya (20th Anniversary Edition) CD, Disco Gecko Records, 1994/2014 What I got here is an anniversary special edition of the first studio album “Maya” by Banco de Gaia, aka Toby Marks. It came out in 1994 originally, and (according to the press info) reached No.1 in the Independent Album charts and was nominated for…
Release data: Stratosphere with Dirk Serries – In A Place Of Mutual Understanding CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 “In A Place Of Mutual Understanding” is a collaborative ambient project by two Belgium composers who’ve know each for over two decades. Personally I think it was a question of time and opportunity as Ronald Mariën (aka Stratosphere) is Serries’ long-time sound…
Release data: I Awake – Tierra DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Ultimae Records, 2014 “Tierra” is the first in a series of digital-Ep releases from the Lyon-based Ultimae-label that will see the light of day in 2014. This 3-track album by Swedish composer Thomas Huttenlocher (aka I Awake) follows up on his debut album “The Core”. Sonically, we’re landing in down-tempo/IDM territory…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Echoing Delight CD, Extreme, 1993 For this ambient recording, released on the Australian Extreme label, we have to travel back to the first half of the ’90’s, to 1993 to exact. What still strikes me on “Echoing Delight” until this very day is the trail of tranquil splendour and its breathe of full introspection. On…
Release data: Brendan Pollard & More – Collection Volume Two CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2013 This is the second instalment on which Mr Pollard has assembled loose tracks which appeared in previous years on various samplers (such as the Awakenings samplers) along a few short intros for radio shows and the tasty track “A Different Sky” delivered for the…
Release data: Red Planet Orchestra – We Breathe Together DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Path of Action Productions, 2014 Those familiar with the gentle and immersive cosmic music on the albums “Aurora Symphony” and “Secrets of Eternity” by the UK-project Red Planet Orchestra will find a further extension of it on their third release “We Breathe Together”. The five textural compositions are uplifting,…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Trust CD, Deep Cave Records, 1995 Patrick O’Hearn’s album “Trust” followed after a four-year absence of solo album recording, a period in which he moved from California to North Carolina and was wrapped-up in composing film scores. The album (which earned Mr O’Hearn his first Grammy nomination) was initially released on his own label Deep…
Release data: Otarion – Out of Eden CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2013 After a break of nearly 10 years, synthesist Reiner Klein (aka Otarion) resurfaces with “Out of Eden”, his fifth release to date. Compared to his previous music the composer presents an emotive collage of sounds with a bit softer impact on the first few pieces. The music though…
Release data: Krusseldorf – Fractal World DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 If you like to try something out of the ordinary within the ambient genre, try digging the profound and overtly peculiar psychedelic ambient musings making up the fourth album by Krusseldorf, aka Stockholm-based producer/composer Simon Health. Although Mr Heath has made music under various alias and project names, I…
Release data: Lightwave – Mundus Subterraneus CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom , 1995 “Mundus Subterraneus” is inspired by the life and times of the 16th century Danish astronomer and Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher. On their second album for the HOS/Fathom label, Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman continue their journey into psychedelic, tonal ambient spheres, presenting 65 minutes of overtly strange, experimental-flavored…
Release data: Vanderson – Another Day in Future CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2013 Until now, none of the solo-releases by Polish synthesist Vanderson has been the least disappointing, which also goes for “Another Day in Future”. Mr Wierzchowski’s evolving vintage sound design and excellent sequencer patterns make up the heart of his long form music. More to the point, it’s…
Release data: Olivier Briand & Bertrand Loreau – Interférences CD, Spheric Music, 2013 Now this is an example of two musicians trying to extend on the vintage BS-style, but failing rather big time. Coming up with a nice retro sequence (quite often lining up next to late ’70’s Schulze) and some spherical pads is one thing, but the pointless, bland…
Release data: William Gregg – Epiphenomenon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resources, 2013 Compared to Gregg’s previous album “Source of the Hardware”, the music on “Epiphenomenon” is a different story. The twelve tracks on the electro-acoustic outcome (all recorded during a four hour session) is gentle, beatless and soft space music which sees the composer mix drifting and soaring textures with electric…
Release data: The Roswell Incident – Hunted CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 “Hunted”, presented at the Belgium B-Wave Festival in December 2013, is the second chapter of the trilogy which started with “The Crash” in 2010. While its cover is kept in the same style, its sonic narrative extends beautifully on the mysterious/darker-flavoured spheres, vibrant Berliner School sequencing and various…
Release data: Secondface – Changes DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Cold Fiction, 2014 Fans of dub-style ambient will be much pleased with this second EP of Frank Vilbæk Jensen aka SecondFace, released as free download on the Cold Fiction netlabel. The four tracks on “Changes” create comfortable, deep spheres while minimal sequencers and beats lead things forward in a gentle, unaccomplished and…
Release data: Steve Roach & Kelly David – The Long Night CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 Ambient composer Kelly David has been one of the kindred spirits of Steve Roach, who helped him out on the spacious and detailed sound design of his two solo releases. “The Long Night” is a 60-minute non-melodic, nocturnal soundscape offering with hardly any rhythm.…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – Glacia Form DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2014 Compared to his previous releases, JimDe hereby presents of his deeper ambient endeavors, taking his listeners into the icy splendor of slow moving glaciers. The concept album was set in motion when Jim came face to face with the Yentna glacier, found in Alaska’s Denali National Park, which…
Release data: Liveform – Take One, Volume 2 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Here’s the second chapter of archival recordings, nicely complementing the previously released volume 1. From the first track on it is clear the band’s melodic/sequenced music (still 100% improvisation with no overdubs) has further evolved, while the WaveStation synth is still found at the centre of the…
Release data: Suspended Memories – Forgotten Gods CD, Hearts of Space, 1992/1993 For this release we have to travel back in time, to 1993 to be precise. Suspended Memories is a tribal ambient/shaman music project by Steve Roach, Jorge Reyes und Suso Saiz. Its seed was planted in the days when the three musicians met each other during a grand…
Release data: Dwight Ashley & Tim Story – Drop CD, Lektronic Soundscapes, 1997 I must say the front cover of the cd-booklet coming with “Drop” is quite alarming, showing a figure falling from a high building. It already sets the mood for a darker-shaded recording by sound sculpture Dwight Ashley and multi instrumentalist Tim Story. The introspective sonic outcome is…
Release data: Pascal Languirand – Ishtar CD, Aspa Records, 1993 Many will know Canadian composer and producer Pascal Languirand of his well-known techno-project Trans-X or -even better- his classic EM-albums “Minos” and “De Harmonia Universalia”. “Ishtar” is his fifth solo- release, featuring instrumental electronic music with occasional symphonic/orchestral hints and choir pads along some distinct exotic flavours. Although the music…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Music for Cosmic Nights 2013 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Beyond Berlin is Martin Peters (on YouTube known as KeesVangelis) and Rene de Bakker (aka Attorks), who previously formed the Dutch trio AKS with a third member. The two played a live-set of Berliner School inspired music at the Cosmic Nights event in Planetarium Brussels…
Release data: Sigma – Between Here and There DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2009 From the cd-sleeve I learned this concept-recording was originally recorded for the Finnish radio program Aaniversumi. The spatial outcome, referred to as a soundtrack for an imaginary movie, is a 59-minute continuous soundscape containing lots of sampled, looped and processed effects for which the SCI Prophet VS…
Release data: Brendan Pollard & More – Collection Volume One CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2013 British synthesist Brendan Pollard did quite some efforts looking through music that had been shelved for the last decade by whatever reason. This is the first result in a series of three discs, filled with 12 tracks (demos and tracks for radio programmes) along…
Release data: Hakobune – If it were to fade CD, Gterma , 2013 Hakobune is the alias of Kyoto-based musician Takahiro Yorifuji, who has quite a list of albums under his belt. The almost 79-minute “If it were to fade” is based on Mr Takahiro’s cassette-release “Evergreen/Faraway”, and features three long-form ambient compositions generated by processed guitar improvisations. We’re talking…
Release data: Can Atilla – Hi Story CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 I don’t know that many albums by Turkish musician Can Atilla, but I found out this one came out about six years after “Concorde”, his previous album on Groove Unlimited. I must say this newbie is filled with accessible and catchy electronic music, making it a most attractive collection…
Release data: Robert Carty – In Neptune’s Wake DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Gentle, drifting and at times even enchanting and magical. All these are key descriptions that apply to the harmonic ambient space music of Robert Carty, nor has he ever strolled far from these since he started composing. The six free form soundscape compositions making up “In Neptune’s…
Release data: Steve Roach – At the Edge of Everything CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 The live-album “At the Edge of Everything” travels back to the Dutch E-Live festival 2000, where Steve Roach performed (what he likes to refer to as) the zenith of a period in his deep organic / tribal ambient sound. At the occasion, Mr Roach was…
Release data: Vanderson & Rudź – Remote Sessions CD, Generator.Pl, 2014 Many who love the school of classic electronic music will probably be familiar with the highly attractive and successful works of Polish synthesist Vanderson (aka Maciej Wierzchowski), which is hereby paired with the progressive (rock) and a bit more modern approach found on the releases of fellow-countryman Przemyslaw Rudź.…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Day After CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 Although “The Day After” still carries the distinct “Emmens signature”, it also reveals a new sonic approach of this talented Dutch synthesist. Still firmly founded and inspired by vintage electronics, the melodic, sequencer-driven music on the concept album enters a profoundly melancholic and mournful world of sound…
Release data: Ran Kirlian & Jaja – Cosmos Vol. 1 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altera Orbe, 2013 “Cosmos Vol. 1” (the first album in a series of electronic space-ambient dedicated to the magnificence of the universe and one of its biggest explorers: Carl Sagan) marks the debut collaborative work by Spanish ambient composer Ran Kirlian and his German soul mate Jana Rockstroh…
Release data: Nisus – Electronic Medication CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Belgium has seen quite some new electronic music talents the last couple of years. One of them is Nisus, aka Evert Vandenberghe, who calls himself an architect of electronic cathedrals, sacred sounds, symphonic sketches, sequential spaces & acoustic novels. In addition, this guy was the ‘Best Newcomer 2012’ of…
Release data: Aqua Dorsa – The November Earth CD, Gterma, 2013 Listening to the dark ambient music on “The November Earth” is like entering an infinite world of shadows and deep caverns. Along the journey, lots of foreboding, organic and remote undercurrents fly by. If you’re looking for a kind of polished ambient, you won’t find it here as the…
Release data: Rhea – The True Color of Titan’s Lakes CD-R, Rhea Music, 2008/2013 One’s at the right spot here if you’re an avid fan of ambient space music like I. A few decades ago, synthesist Mark de Wit already contributed his two cents when he was part of Purfoze. Since a couple of years though, he pursues a solo…
Release data: Alexander Saykov – Cold Front DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Spaceal Orbeats Records, 2013 I received word about Mr Saykov’s EP “Cold Front” through the Gterma weblog, and was more than keen too investigate it as his album “Mistral” made quite an impression on me. The release contains three parts, complemented by various remixes of the track by other artists.…
Release data: Uwe Reckzeh – Virtual Minds CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2013 On the 78-minute recording “Virtual Minds”, talented German composer Uwe Reckzeh moves closer to TD’s melodic, sequencer-driven music from the ‘80’s. His Berliner-School spiced album also features lots of engaging melodic lines, which –in combination with the already mentioned sequencing – explain why his infectious and well-structured music…
Release data: Graham Getty & Stephan Whitlan – Higher Green Session CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Retrochet Records, 2013 Many might know UK-synthesist Graham Getty from quite a list of solo and collaborative recordings, most often inspired by the German vintage electronics of the ’70’s. His collaboration with Mr Whitlan adds a new flavour to the aforementioned, as not leaning on the melodic…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – Scorpius Rising CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lascaux21, 2013 It’s about ten years ago since I reviewed an album by Canadian composer Tim Gerwing. His fifth album “Scorpius Rising” (subtitled Music for the inner listener 5) is an album with versatile Arabic world, electronic and ambient flavours. According to Mr Gerwing, the outcome provides a sort of inner…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – Six CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, English Electronic Music Company, 2013 The Berliner School music on “Six” is compiled from various studio sessions in 2009 and 2010, which saw the trio Pollard/Daniel/Booth having lots of fun with the large assortment of analogue gear which Mr Pollard had to let go some time later on. Three lengthy tracks (all clocking…
Release data: Phobos – One Moment Live DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Like the previous Phobos-release, “One Moment Live” a live album recorded at UK’s Awakenings all dayer festival, but now the 12th October 2013 edition. This time though it’s a digital-only release featuring the full 46-minute performance but without any audience noise. David Thompson here attempts to suck his…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Below Zero CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2013 Listening and reviewing music is all about discovery and (re)interpretation. With his fourth album “Below Zero”, accomplished US-composer Bryan Carrigan takes his instrumental eclectic/hybrid music into the territory of chill out and down-tempo styles with groovy bass lines, beats and exotic electronic soundscapes along pleasant gentle melodies. In…
Release data: David Parsons – Stupa CD, Gterma , 2013 It’s almost four years since the EM-community saw the last album of New-Zealand based composer David Parsons, which was due to circumstances at his former label. In the meantime, David didn’t stop molding new sonic creations where ambient and Indian classical music neatly converge. He started using different electronic instruments,…
Release data: Venja – Mode Zen CD/Digital Download, B-Wave, 2013 After a long break, 2013 saw the tenth release of Belgium-based composer Venja, aka Johan Geens, also the first album on the newly founded B-Wave label. The music (recorded between 1997 and 2012) draws from rather simple melodic formulae, and stays close to the sound we know from IC-records: moody,…
Release data: Ashen Simian – Spinal Staircase CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Retroduction, 2013 This second solo-instalment by Ami Hassinen is a very nice surprise, introducing its listeners to more rhythmic-oriented music with more sparse arrangements than heard from his band Nemesis. Presented in a modern, stylish 6-panel digi-pack, “Spinal Staircase” offers a very clear and transparent sound design where heavy bass lines…
Release data: Steve Roach – Spiral Meditations CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The title of this release implies an introspective journey into ambient music, and that’s exactly what the listener receives: a sequencer-based, slow morphing and highly minimal long form piece. While listening to “Spiral Meditations”, the thought of Steve’s track “Destination Horizon” passed my mind more than once. The…
Release data: Thought Guild – Electric Curios DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2013 Although “Third Voyage” was the last complete Thought Guild album, Gregory Kyryluk decided to release another TG-album in November 2013: “Electric Curios” is a compilation of lost and very early music predating the debut “Context”. It was never to be released but since Christopher Cameron is no…
Release data: Loom – The Tree Hates The Forest CD, Viktoriapark, 2013 After two three live concerts, two Ep’s and a stunning live cd, it was just a matter of time before the first full-length album of Loom would surface. The wait is over with the cracking “The Tree Hates The Forest”, which sees the trio Johannes Schmoelling, Jerome Froese…
Release data: Altus – Sleep Theory Volume 2 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 After a break of about a year, Canadian musician Mike Carss returns with the second volume in the Sleep Theory series, bringing his listeners another chapter of low volume soundscape ambient music. The album contains three long form sessions (Session 4-6) of velvet, carefully molded textural worlds…
Release data: Alexander Saykov – Mistral CD, Gterma, 2013 “Mistral” was originally released as a digital-only album on Cold Tear Records in October 2012, but now received a proper factory-pressed cd release of which the content has been continuously mixed and expanded upon. The almost 80-minute outcome was made by Moscow-based composer Alexander Saykov, who hereby presents a meticulous collection…
Release data: Alpha Lyra – From Berlin to Paris CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PWM Distribution, 2013 Alpha Lyra is an electronic music project by French composer Christian Piednoir, who performs at concerts in France next to MoonSatellite. At first, the opening piece “Berlin 600 AM” remained a kind of an outsider track for me, but after several spins it started to grow…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Slow Motion CD, Spheric Music, 2013 Since I started reviewing electronic music a long time ago, I also visited a fair share of music for the slow lane as counterpoint for the continuous rush time surrounding modern life. With “Slow Motion”, German synthesist Robert Schroeder delivers his own contribution of melodic-oriented music fitting in the…
Release data: Robert Rich – Morphology CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Anodize, 2013 “Morphology” is a live album recorded during Darren Bergstein’s home concert series One Thousand Pulses on May 15, 2010. It’s been a while since I listened or reviewed any live music from the most talented Robert Rich, but it’s again a joy to dig this 70-minute electronic & electro-acoustic release,…
Release data: MoonSatellite – Low Life CD-R, PWM Distribution, 2013 With the album “Low Life”, presented as one overture and six parts, we enter a vibrant world of classic electronic music for 65-minutes. While still echoing some of the vintage work of Jarre, Marc Perbal has come up with a most attractive assortment of layered sequencer patterns and highly spherical…
Release data: Odyssey & We Are The Hunters – Odyssey & We Are The Hunters CD, Generator.pl, 2013 This release features Odyssey, aka Tomasz Pauszek (also known as RND) and We are the Hunters (aka the – Spanish? – duo Sentionaut and Synthembryo). Both have delivered one lengthy composition that is dedicated to or inspired by the legendary cosmic music…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Tamanoshima CD, Gterma, 2013 The almost 80-minute “Tamanoshima” follows in the footsteps of Mathias previous releases on Gterma, again travelling into deep, uncharted but still lengthy sonic environment. The meticulously crafted continuous waves and drone fields remain intense and mysterious, smoothly shifting color and shape in most subtle manners. Listening to these slightly mind bending…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – 5 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, English Electronic Music Company, 2013 What I got here is another analogue extravaganza containing the three-part “Sphere of Influence” along the 9-minute encore from the trio’s live-gig at “E-Live 2009” (which didn’t fit on PDB – “3”). The triptych is a 60-minute journey through the vintage years of the early and mid ‘70’s,…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Presence (Harmonics Trilogy Vol. 3) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 With “Presence”, Andrew’s ninth release to date, we get to the closing part of the Harmonics Trilogy. Like its predecessors, it contains three expansive movements meant for sonic, long-time discovery along relaxation and introspection. The outcome took the composer nine months of composing, involved 90…
Release data: Synthex – Mirrorland CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 In my opinion, it was just a matter of time before this youngster would come up with his first mature, factory-pressed release, having heard his remarkable first steps that made up “Pythagoras”. “Mirrorland” contains 55 minutes of highly accessible melodic music, which is joyfull, warm, uplifting and dreamy. Jeffrey Haster shows…