Release data: Klaus Schulze – Shadowlands CD, Synthetic Symphony/SPV, 2013 This is a bit of an unusual review as I generally tend not to review releases by the bigger, better-known EM-artists, as they already get their share of attention through lots of other channels. Still, the limited edition 2-cd version of the studio-release “Shadowlands” intruiged me, as I wanted to…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Cracks in the Air DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 With his album “Cracks in the Air”, Javi Cánovas attempts to express feelings about very abstracts things that are hard to describe, along reflections about the apparent inconsistency about them as well. Sonically, it all feels like a journey through time and space, offering both slow…
Release data: Marcomé – Seven Seas CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Rubicon Records/Marco Productions, 1996 The (sadly deceased) Canadian label Rubicon Records released the feel-good/new-age album “Seven Seas” in 1996, which is the debut-album by Canadian singer/songwriter Marcomé (written as Marco May on my copy and also pronounced that way). Synthesist and producer Michel Robidoux was involved in the making of this album,…
Release data: Jerome Froese –Far Side of the Face CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Moonpop, 2012 On the minimalist designed digipack release “Far Side of the Face”, Edgar’s son Jerome adds a new chapter to his existing catalogue of “guitartronica”. I find slightly kindred emotive currents in the album’s music as encountered in the shoegazer works of Ulrich Schnauss, although Jerome’s outcome radiates…
Release data: Schiller – Horizon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Panorama/Deutsche Gramaphone, 2013 This is a bit of an unusual review, as it focusses on the album “Horizon” only, which is part of Schiller’s expensive and limited “Opus” Limited Ultra Deluxe Edition, (a four-cd-set) and not available seperately. Musically, it is way different compared to the dreary, reinterpreted classical-electronic music making up “Opus”.…
Release data: Mirrored Meridian – Heliolatry CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Meridian Music, 2013 “Heliolatry” is referred to as a soundtrack for an imaginary science-fantasy story sandwiched between two space-ambient tracks. The overall music though has a different impact and mindset compared to the more song-based predecessor “A Sense of Wonder”. “Heliolatry’s” instrumental storytelling takes the listener further into deep space as we…
Release data: Within Reason – Substrate: Collected Elements CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2013 In his press-notes, US-composer Gregory Kyryluk (aka Within Reason) refers to “Substrate: Collected Elements” as a body of collected Within Reason tracks created prior to “Subtle Shift” and in-between “Transient Broadcasts”. In my opinion, the seven tracks on the release once more reveal and emphasize the…
Release data: Troika – Goddess CD, Enso Records, 1996 At first glance, the visuals of Troika’s debut album already evoke a dreamy, fairy-tale like feeling, something also found in the beautiful art and design gracing the albums of e.g. Amethystium or the early albums of Gandalf. Sonically, Troika tells its own story in instrumental music in a most lyrical style…
Release data: Synaesthesia – Ephemeral CD, Zoth Ommog, 1997 Synaesthesia is one of the various projects by Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber, who are also the driving forces behind Delerium and Frontline Assembly. “Ephemeral” is their third (and also last) album under this alias, a sonic exercise in infectious tribal ambient with powerful but slow rhythms, drums and beats. The…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vir Unis – Blood Machine CD, Greenhouse Music, 2001 “Blood Machine” is the follow-up to “Body Electric”, and would also be the last full-length collaborative album of Steve Roach and John Strate-Hootman (aka Vir Unis). In the process of creation, the two musicians were exploring a kind of collaboration where the mutual focus is maintained…
Release data: Sayer – Random Access Melodies CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New Territory Records, 2013 After a long hiatus, American synthesist Sayer Seely re-surfaced lately, announcing a remastered version of his debut album as digital download only, along “Random Access Melodies”. The latter is a compilation of various tracks recorded since the debut album and prove Sayer still knows his ways in…
Release data: AirSculpture – Attrition System CD, Neu Harmony, 1997 “Attrition System” is an album assembling various tracks from the October ’95, November ’95 and March ’96 sessions, all happening after the EMMA#3 festival. Although featuring shorter bite sized pieces than usual, they all show the live improvisation (which is the core element of the band’s sound) while at the…
Release data: Lightwave – Tycho Brahe CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom , 1994 This concept album, named after Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, is made by the French collective Lightwave (aka synthesists Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman). It can best be classified as atonal and unpredictable cosmic music with a firm twist along a good dash of experiment. This already comes forward…
Release data: Vidna Obmana & Sam Rosenthal – Terrace of Memories CD, Projekt Records, 1992 Terrace of Memories is a collaborative ambient effort between Sam Rosenthal (owner and founder of Projekt Records) and vidnaObmana (aka Dirk Serries). The five free form compositions on this 42-minute album all breathe a deep and absorbing atmosphere. I’d say it’s a meditative and highly…
Release data: G.E.N.E. – Flying Fish CD, Innovative Communications, 1995 G.E.N.E. (Grooving Electronics Natural Environments) is no single musician, producer, or influence, but several established musicians who have brought their own style and instrumentation to recordings. The overall concept behind it is to create a style of music that exists at the intersection between nature and technology that would unite…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Shadowplay CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2013 “Shadowplay” harkens back to the days when 36’s (pronounced three-six) debut “Hypersona” (2008) saw the light of day, made in a period when Dennis Huddleston was just having fun while making ambient music, with no strings attached, pressure or other expectations floating around. In the end, the new 48-minute…
Release data: Budd/Garcia/Lentz – Music for 3 Pianos CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, All Saints, 1993 “Music for Three Pianos”, inspired by Morton Feldman’s multi-piano pieces, brings together the gifted minimalist piano players Harold Budd, Ruben Garcia and Daniel Lentz. It’s not full album but a 21-minute EP with six compositions featuring simple but most effective music. Its subtle impact reminds of Budd’s…
Release data: Various Artists – Oxycanta III CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2013 After two years of hard work, label manager and dj Mahiane (aka Sandrine Gryson) finally compiled a third volume in the fine, but still rather unknown “Oxycanta”-series (named after Crataegus Oxyacantha, a species of Northern European Hawthorn dear to old time herbalists), this time containing 76 minutes of…
Release data: Temps Perdu? – Terra Incognita CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timebase, 1995 “Terra Incognita” is the second ambient album by Temps Perdu?, aka French/German duo Dirk and Catherine Ledit-Grützmann. The music is highly inspired by extensive travels around the globe, bringing elements from various cultures and traditions together. The instrumental outcome is an exotic, atmospheric and highly organic ambient soundtrack with…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Transcendence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2013 With the tenth release of this talented Japanese musician, we enter the next level of the ethereal, expansive float zone. Once more sticking to a free form, textural outcome, Mr Takahashi brings his listeners four 16-minute tracks with drifting, exotic-spiced soundscapes along a very nice touch of analogue sounds.…
Release data: Gastón Arévalo – Rollin Ballads CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf Records, 2013 Gastón Arévalo is a musician from Uruguay, whose album “Rollin Ballads” is a nature- inspired album featuring eight neo-classical and pop-ambient sound collages, evoking a certain aural and visual feel. Sound wise it clearly fits in the roaster of the Oktaf-label, offering calm but foggy/modulated synthetic washes, lush…
Release data: Frank Van Bogaert – GeographicCD, Groove Unlimited, 1999 With his second album “Geographic”, Belgium synthesist Frank van Bogaert takes his listeners on a journey to far-off places, a tasty melting pot of electronics, assorted world (percussion) instruments and voice snippets. Moreover, it’s (again) highly emotive work of sonic art with a carefully molded sound design that reminds somewhat…
Release data: Harold Budd & Brian Eno – Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror CD, EG Records, 1980 I thought it time to lift out another ambient classic out of the collection. Being the second in Eno’s ambient series, “The Plateaux of Mirror” is an album where Budd would indulge in lots of live improvisation on electric and acoustic piano…
Release data: Alex Farhoud – Nosso Nosso LP/CD, Racket Records/Rubicon Records, 1988/1992 In the fast days of modern society, we sometimes need some music to slide back to the slow lane of things. At the end of the ‘80’s/start of the ‘90’s, Canadian composer Alex Farhoud created “Nosso Nosso”, (in Japanese the silence you provoke within), which offers the listener…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Little Things CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike Records, 2013 On his concept album “Little Things” (which is about uncovering and celebrating the wonderful little details that exist below the surface of our normal routines) Michael Allison has come up with a range of sounds and compositions that mix contemporary with Eastern, African, sometimes Urban ones. There’s still…
Release data: Arjen Schat – Infinite Arithmetics DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 The cover of “Infinite Arithmetics” by Dutch composer Arjen Schat is graced by some very nice experimentation with abstract macro-photography. The album itself offers tracks with sequencer pieces only, and is completely made using hardware gear only. The latter features two Moog Little Phatty’s, Moog Slim Phatty, Waldorf…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Crossing the Trail CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 1998 Fans of minimal soundscape tapestries will really want to dig this gem by Dirk Serries, better known as vidnaObmana. “Crossing the Trail” offers a continuous 70-minute farscape of ethereal sound washes, shakers and percussion, journeying through shaded and light territory with nice unfolding minimalism. It’s a seamless…
Release data: Emerge – Desecrate CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Attenuation Circuit, 2013 Emerge is a drone-ambient project by Attenuation Circuit’s label owner Sascha Stadlmeier,aka Emerge. What I got here is a 3″ mini cd-r on which the minimal, slow morphing music of the 18-minute track takes on an “acousmatic” approach, merging experimental and abstract elements with darkening, organic-flavored soundscapes along totally meshed-up…
Release data: Sigma – Binaural Beats CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2007 The discovery of their sophisticated album “Sleep of the Shadow” made me investigate their previous efforts, “Binaural Beats” being one of them. Don’t expect any cheesy or song-structured music on this album, as the improvised outcome is unconventional in many ways. Its sonic approach is challenging and adventurous, while…
Release data: Ran Kirlian – Formations CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altera Orbe, 2012 “Formations” is an ambient album by Ran Kirlian that merges elements of the organic subgenre with more traditional free form styles. According the composer, the outcome defines a journey to the core of the tribal-ambient landscapes previously heard on the albums “Sleeper”, “Melting Point” and “Limbo”. The 70 minutes…
Release data: Liveform – In Harmony DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1997 “In Harmony” is the debut release of the Dutch band Liveform, aka Arjan Steenbergen, Richard Stuij and Menno Zielhorst. As can be expected with such a title, the music covered here has a tranquil, balanced and relaxing character without becoming new-age. There are ten pieces in total, with quite…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – The Door into Winter CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2007 For his second release, Juta Takahashi chose a winter-theme which is expressed through three lengthy tracks. Its freeform soundscape ambient without a chilling effect though, as Mr Takahashi uses warm flowing pads in his quite minimal-oriented music. There’s a sense of stillness and balance embedded in…
Release data: Saul Stokes – Washed in Mercury CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hypnos Recordings, 1997 For its time, “Washed in Mercury” (the first cd-release on Mike Griffin’s newly founded label Hypnos Recordings back in the ‘90’s) offered an innovative, progressive sound in electronic music. For this purpose, Washington-based composer Saul Stokes used various home-made analogue synthesizers and fx’s gear. The medium tempo…
Release data: Mirrored Meridian – A Sense of Wonder Vols 1 & 2 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Meridian Music, 2013 The sole musician behind the UK-electronica project Mirrored Meridian is Chris Thomas. For “A Sense of Wonder”, he compiled material recorded between 2007 and 2011, for which Chris used an assortment of software and hardware synthesizers along e-guitars. This double album, split…
Release data: Benn Jordan – Pale Blue Dot (A Tribute To Carl Sagan) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AlphaBasic, 2008 Benn Jordan is a Chicago-based musician/producer who seems to be known under various other aliases (e.g. The Flashbulb) and for other types of music than what’s found on this cosmic gem. “Pale Blue Dot”, a tribute album to the late scientist and astronomer…
Release data: Janneh – Solarization CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hanhisoundit, 2013 “Solarization” is a concept album of Finnish composer Janne Hanhisuanto about solar power and its significance through the history of mankind. Sonically, it combines the ambient flavors of Erik Wollo with more traditional Berliner School-oriented and symphonic electronic music. Most of all, the 34-minute outcome makes an accessible, contemporary-instrumental work featuring…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Take-Off CD, Cue Records, 1992 “Take Off”, a concept-album on “Flight”, was released during the prolific days of German electronic music, and continues in the slipstream of his Mr Mergener’s previous two solo albums. Back are the tasty and Mergener-specific sequencer patterns and electronic drums in a derivative of the Berliner School style, with a…
Release data: Horizontal Excursions – Symphonica Helvetica DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 A colleague at work pointed me to the music of Horizontal Excursions, a project by Dutch electronic DJ/dance-producer Roger Martinez that aspires to reach out to and touch people on a musical, universal level. “Symphonica Helvetica” (part of Roger’s Places Series project) is his second work of art,…
Release data: Phelios – Gates of Atlantis CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2013 It’s time for another journey in dark ambient, this time executed by German musician Martin Stürtzer, aka Phelios, with his fine album “Gates of Atlantis”. The cinematic ambient voyage starts out dynamic with fierce tribal drumming in the title track piece, thereafter ascending into slow morphing, dark ambient…
Release data: Jonteknik – The Satellites Of Substance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Jonteknik Music, 2013 “The Satellites of Substance” is a concept-album by Jonteknik, aka Brighton-based musician Jon Russell, about and inspired by communications and satellite technology. From the press-sheet I learned Mr Russell improved his musical skills whilst working alongside synth-pioneer Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The accessible…
Release data: Max Van Richter – Portal DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Private Release, 2011 Max van Richter, aka Paul Lawler aka “deceased” member of Arcane, once again rides the fine edge of vintage electronics with the music of his EP “Portal”. Although there are only two tracks on this release, the 18 minutes of tasty music moves gently through the darker…
Release data: Constance Demby – Æterna CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space, 1995 When we are talking about majestic and rich symphonic space music, the name of Constance Demby comes to mind. The contemporary orchestral style executed on the highly emotive “Aeterna”, made exclusively with Kurzweil K-2000 digital sampling synthesizers, is a musical meditation on eternity and the afterlife. Sonically, it…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Wolf at the Ruins / Migration CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The last couple of years, quite some re-releases of older out-of-print albums have seen the light of day. This happened as single or combined packages of the works by Steve Roach or Robert Rich. The US Projekt label hereby presents a limited edition…
Release data: Arc – Octane CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Something Else Productions, 1998 “Octane” is the remarkable debut album by UK synth-giants Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve, who know each other already since the start of the ’80’s. When the two founded ARC, they were looking for a more modern electronic sound, apart from the retro-space sequencer style. The music of Arc…
Release data: Elektric Music – Esperanto CD, SPV, 1993 It’s time for some more up-beat, melodic-spiced music, for which I turn to the synth-pop of “Esperanto”. This debut album by former Kraftwerkian Karl Bartos (with some help of Lothar Manteuffel and Emil Schult) was in initially released as a limited edition digipack through SPV. As such, it didn’t garn much…
Release data: Acheloo – Dream CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 “Dream” is the third album by Italian composer Carlo Luzi, aka Acheloo, released by David Wright’s at AD Music label. It continues his journey into spherical and overtly relaxed electronic music. His exquisite blend of delicately flowing electronic pads and guitar during the 58-minute ambient ride indeed paints a profound…
Release data: Jamie O’Callaghan – Music for Empty Spaces – Theremin Suite CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Happy Willow Productions, 2011 As a composer and Theremin player, Jamie O’Callaghan wanted to use and display the textural and micro-tonal possibilities of this special instrument. As the Theremin is often squeezed in the role of violin/Cello or sound effect, Jamie composed “Music for Empty Places”…
Don’t be deceived by the clinical sounding name of the artist or its cover-art, as the musician responsible for the very nice “Kontakt” (assembled from tracks made between 1996-1998) is no other then the talented Gerd Wienekamp, also known as one half of Rainbow Serpent. Gerd’s fine electronic music ventures beyond the Berlin School tradition but also differentiates quite a…
Release data: Robert Fox – Still Waters CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 For the music of “Silent Waters”, Robert Fox was inspired by the culture and world music from the Eastern spheres, and more specific the Persian region. The continuous outcome is an emotive and exotic journey with profound lyrical sonic motives giving its own interpretation of 1001 Arabian Nights.…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Across the Flow CD-R, Lunisolar Records, 2007 What I got here is the debut album by Japanese ambient composer Juta(ro) Takahashi, who only applies analogue synthesizers. The three lengthy pieces found “Across the Flow” come down to smooth soaring and drifting textures and some piano on the opening (title) track. This freeform music carries on…
Release data: Liveform – Take One Volume 1 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Around the end of the ’90’s, preliminary to the formation of the band Remotion, Arjan Arjan Steenbergen and Richard Stuij briefly formed the band Liveform with Menno Zielhorst as third member. “Take One, Volume 1” is their second album, offering eight tracks all made live in the…
Release data: You – Electric Day LP/CD, Cue Records/Bureau B, 1979/2011 “Electric Day” is one of those classic analogue albums recorded at the famous Panne-Paulsen Studios, where also Klaus Schulze frequented a lot. The fine drumming on You’s debut album is also most recognizable as being those of Harald Grosskopf, due to copyright reasons listed as Lhan Gopal at that…
Release data: Martin Solós – Coro de las Estrellas (Chorus of the Stars) DIGITAL EP, Private Release, 2013 This release is one of the many unsolicited albums I receive on a regular basis, made by Birmingham-based composer Martin Solós. “Coro de las Estrellas” (“Chorus of the Stars”) is his first effort, a passionate 16-minute ambient/space piece in glorious 70’s Berliner…
Release data: Steve Roach – Live Transmission CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The music that landed on the double album “Live Transmission” was created, recorded and broadcasted live at the studio of internet radio station SomaFm, San Francisco, May 7 2013. Established in a single two-hour session two days after his May 2013 Ambicon concert, Steve grabbed the opportunity to…
Release data: Pete Namlook – Air CD, FAX, 1998 “Air” is the first solo-album and one of the many projects by the prolific German artist Pete Namlook, aka Peter Kuhlmann. It presents an inventive way of merging neoclassical, contemporary and ethnic influences with acoustic instruments into a consistent whole. The 60-minute journey starts out with a deep ambience of drones…
Release data: Steve Roach – Early Man CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manifold/Projekt Records, 2000/2001 “Early Man”, on Steve’s site described as primeval innerspace deep ambient, is a profound organic and highly atmospheric piece of sonic art, a 74-minute journey through excavated memories of ancient earth. From the first track on, the listener is immersed into the deep depths of underground audioscapes, visualizing…
Release data: Tim Story – The Perfect Flaw CD, Hearts of Space, 1994 The string of emotive musical miniatures by Tim Story continues beautifully on the 45-minute “The Perfect Flaw”, containing 12 new-age compositions which blend feelings of desolation and hope simultaneously. This time around, Mr Story started to incorporate orchestral instruments in his music. If you love calm, contemplative…
Release data: Frank Van Bogaert – Colours CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ace Studio Editions/Groove Unlimited, 1998/2004 “Colours” is the remarkable debut album by Belgium composer/synthesist Frank Van Bogaert, also owner of the notable Ace-studio in Artselaar. From the liner notes we learn each of the twelve musical paintings has a distinct atmosphere, primary to the melodies and rhythms. Not only does Frank…
Release data: Toss Power Traps – Earth Rot II: Music For Iceland DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 “Earth Rot II: Music For Iceland” is a musical commentary on the state of the environment in Iceland and an unsolicited sequel to David Axelrod’s 1970 “Earth Rot”, made by Brendan Coon aka Toss Power Traps. Like the original, its principal goal is…
Release data: Synergy – Computer Experiments Vol. 1 LP/CD, Audion , 1981/1986 The following is taken from the release notes: “Computer Experiments Volume One” is a recording of three different executions of a microcomputer self-composing program. The program, called “Pink Tunes”, was written by John Simonton of PAiA Electronics Inc, and is an application of the stochastic process to electronic…