Release data: Mark Isham – Songs my children taught me CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Windham Hill, 1991 “Songs my children taught me” is an album by trumpeter, synthesist and (soundtrack) composer Mark Isham containing a set of four neo-classical suites, each intended to accompany the reading of a classic children’s story. The outcome is exceptional mood music with various romantic and pastoral…
Release data: Dan Pound – Spherical CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Pound Sounds, 2013 More than once, the music of Dan Pound has shown similarities to the sonic art of Steve Roach. The 74-minute “Spherical” reveals many improvements in that direction, as it merges immersive textural sound worlds with beats, assorted percussion, guitars, field recordings and some Native American flute, all hinting for…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Phase Shift CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 “Phase Shift” is the third release by US synthesist Hollan Holmes, containing two long form compositions along three shorter takes found at the beginning. The outcome, a contemplative look into the human psyche, is a thought-provoking, spiritual and above all positive work of sonic art, while also an…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – Cenotaph CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synkronos Music, 2012 “Cenotaph” (the name for a monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere) is the follow-up release to Chuck’s beautiful album “MemorySpace” (2010). Sonically, Mr van Zyl very nicely expands on his cosmic sequencer style and signature, merging the timeless and the intimate while…
Release data: VoLt – Particles CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 Work on “Particles” already started during the process of assembling and finalizing “Circuits”, a VoLt-release that turned out less accessible and much more adventurous in the end. “Particles” however, once again developed and shaped over the internet, takes on an organic, more flowing character. Moreover, it re-invents and re-energizes the…
Release data: Paul Lawler – Opus DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 The 61-minute “Opus” is an a instrumental space/rock/EM album by Paul Lawler, starring Zlatko Perica (of TD-fame) and guitarist Paul Speer as guest-musicians to add some melodic prog-rock hooks to a couple of tracks. The whole album airs a sturdy vintage ’70’s realm where anthemic, darkening and cosmic spheres…
Release data: Schiller – Sonne Live CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Universal Domestic, 2013 The double-cd “Sonne Live” by Schiller, aka Christopher von Deylen, contains the full performance played at Berlins O2 World in December 2012. As on previous live-albums, Schiller and band do what the audience is expecting from them: playing an accessible and emotionally-charged set of vocal and instrumental tracks from…
Release data: Red Planet Orchestra – Aurora Symphony DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Path of Action Productions/Sound for Good records, 2012 The Red Planet Orchestra is a collective of well respected musicians who between them have produced works for film, TV and several mixed media events. One of them is renowned SF-author and composer Vincent Rees, also founder member of T30 Control, who…
Release data: Solar Fields – Origin #2 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ulimae Records, 2013 With “Origin #2”, Solar Fields (aka Swedish composer Magnus Birgersson) presents the second chapter of retrospective tracks fitting in the atmospheric/downbeat/chill-out realm as the first one, this time featuring tracks by composed between 2003 and 2009. I remember the rather awkward listening experience when I submerged in the…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – At Gutú DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2013 “At Gutú” (“woods” or “forest” in Tlingit-language) is Boreal Taiga’s fifth ambient release with Wayfarer records. It’s is a concept ambient album influenced by the expansive forest-environments found in USA’s Pacific Northwest and the ancient Tlingit tribes that have been living in this region for thousands of years.…
Release data: Altus – The Sidereal Cycle 4 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2013 This album marks the last chapter in Altus’ “Sidereal Cycle” series, rounding out the earth’s annual cycle with one more piece of immersive, highly contemplative ambient music. This time though, Mike Carss used medieval composer Thomas Tallis’s “Spem in Alium” (a motet for 40 voices) as…
Release data: Remy & Synth.nl – PrimiTiveS CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 “PrimiTiveS” is the debut-album by the established Dutch synthesists Remy (aka Remy Stroomer) and Synth.nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen). Although they are both musically influenced by Jean Michael Jarre, classically-trained Remy and autodidact Synth.nl both have developed their own style, character and approach in their music. After they got…
Release data: Der Waldläufer – Wanderlust DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 There’s quite some electronic music around that’s inspired by or strongly connects to the natural world, its beauty and organic foundation. Der Waldläufer, a project by German synthesist, producer and composer Tobias Seidenthal, also fits in this category, as it offers an organic-based mix with elements derived from ambient,…
Release data: Schiller – Sonnenwelten CD, Universal Domestic, 2012 Schiller’s album “Sonnenwelten”, only available in the Limited Ultra Deluxe package of “Sonne”, can be regarded as a kind of Einlassmusik-release. It’s a fully instrumental release featuring tranquil music that fits best to what most fans in our genre characterize as electronic music. Although lasting for only 37 minutes, Mr von…
Release data: Richard Bone – Anthology DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 Through the many years of reviewing electronic music, I’ve been able to get to know a fair share of the music created by US-based ambient composer Richard Bone, also owner of the label Quirkworks Laboratories. Regarded as one of the founding members of the New York electronic music scene,…
Release data: Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance CD/LP, Type Recordings, 2008 For as long as I review electronic and strongly related music, I always have had a fascination for intimate soundscape worlds that breath a soft mourning, sadening and melancholic emotion. While searching the internet for something in this genre, I ran into the Goldmund’s release “The Malady of…
Release data: Etherfish – Psyquarium CD-R, Private Release, 2007 “Psyquarium” contains the first live concert (recorded direct from the mixer) that English synthesist Chris Christou, aka Etherfysh, gave at Noetic Sound on April 19th 2007 for an invited audience. It was partly undertaken to see how the logistics worked out in a live environment, and also to see whether he…
Release data: David Gerard – The Dream Chamber DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Orbiting Orion, 2013 The 51-minute “The Dream Chamber” is best classified as sleep-inducing and stress-relief soundscape music, pairing flowing textures and gentle washes into a slowly-evolving outcome. Overall minimal in form, the hypnotic textural current of the first phase is only occasionally interrupted by a few stronger sounding string bits.…
Release data: Bernhard Wöstheinrich – Live in New Jersey 2011 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 I’m not that familiar with the quite extensive output of German experimental electronic musician and multimedia artist Bernhard Wöstheinrich (also known as Redundant Rocker), although I’ve explored a couple of his solo releases and collaborations through the years. These recordings all show cast Berhard has…
Release data: Romerium – Solar Sequences CD-R, Private Release, 2012 With the album “Solar Sequences” (initial title “Planets II”), Dutch synthesist Romerium (aka Rene Montfoort) has chosen for a cosmic music concept. As the title already implies, the music takes a jolly nice sequential/rhythmic approach, kicking off with the 10-minute “Leaving Earth” that’s also available on YouTube with nice imagery.…
Release data: Phobos – Monolith CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dark Duck Records, 2010 Before he started releasing on his own, Phobos (aka David Thompson) found his first home on the US-based Dark Duck label, known for its expansive catalogue of dark and experimental/abstract ambient music. The 72-minute “Monolith” contains an extensive and deep journey in two parts, where David already displays his…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – Quicksand Memory EP, Independiente Music/Domino, 2007 By whatever reason I seem to have missed this EP of Mr Schnauss when it came out, but I’m happy it came on my way after all. “Quicksand Memory” features progressive instrumental music that puts regular electronics normally discussed here in the corner, hitting the shoegazer-button on the first…
Release data: Eyes Cast Down – The Separate Ones CD-R, Kalindi Music, 2013 The sole musician behind Eyes Cast Down is US-based ambient/electronic composer, musician and writer Greg Moorcroft. “The Separate Ones” (that demanded seven years of hard work to complete as life got in the way on many occasions during the process of creation and sculpting) is a concept…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Bloodmoon CD, Gterma , 2012 German drone-King Mathias Grassow is well-known for his extensive and deep textural music, and the exactly 76-minute “Bloodmoon” (compiled from various projects recorded in the autumn and winter of 2009 and 2010) adds another chapter to that. As usual, Mathias layering of the various sound pads is done with precise…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Roots and Legends from the North CD, TeamQuasar, 2013 During the creation of the album “Roots and Legends from the North”, composer Johan Tronestam ended up in what he refers to as quite a turbulent journey with both joy and doubt, sometimes feeling afraid of getting lost in something he did not master. Due to…
Release data: Robert Carty – Beautiful Depths DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 For the music of “Beautiful Depths”, synthesist Robert Carty implemented an exotic touch to his freeform soundscape music. Overall, the outcome sticks to his trademark of uplifting and lush spacemusic with gentle cosmic washes and an overall floating sound current. This is drifting chill-out music for the slow…
Release data: Stephan Whitlan – Inertial Moments CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1997 “Inertial Moments” is actually a live (and also pretty rare) album by Irish synthesist Stephan Whitlan. It contains a recording of a concert performed at The Flowerpot, Derby on April 6, 1997, also featuring a rare chance to hear Stephan playing the accordion. Although the sound quality isn’t…
Release data: Skoulaman – Synthesizer Mood CD-R, Private Release, 2012 Skoulaman, aka Dutch synthesist Hans van Kroonenburg, is part of the Berliner School-trio AKS, that some might know from the fine concerts played at the upper room on E-Live 2012. AKS though was put to an end recently. Skoulaman’s motto (The power of a synthesizer is not to imitate but…
Release data: Asymmetric – From Nowhere Came CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Asymmetric Records, 1999 “From Nowhere came” is the only release to date by the UK-duo Peter Challoner and Paul Smith, aka Asymmetric. If you’re fond of melodic and nicely sequenced contemporary EM, I have no doubt the accessible music on this album will be right up your alley. The 63-minute outcome…
Release data: Phobos – Darkness Within CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AmbientLive Records, 2009 Fans of lengthy but inspired drone ambient are at the right spot when it comes to the output of synthesist and sound sculpture David Thompson, aka Phobos. The 76-minute “Darkness Within” taps into the deep end with one continuous track, blending and layering textures in an fashion without the…
Release data: Zorch – Ouroboros CD-R, Zorch Music, 1975/2000 What we got here is a vintage Em-release from the mid-‘70’s made by Zorch, aka the UK-duo Basil Brooks and Howard Scarr (aka Gwyo Zepix). According info on the bands website, it’s the only album ever recorded at Peter Zinovieff’s EMS studio, where the two musicians had access to the massive…
Release data: Ethereal 77 – Landscapes CD, Basedaddy, 1999 Before composer Ulrich Schnauss started releasing music under his own name, he made one full-length album and an Ep under the alias Ethereal 77. “Landscapes” is the highly melodic and crisp drum & bass outcome, both ethereal and groovy. It offers a jolly, uplifting and warm sound overall, with magic currents…
Release data: Apollonius – Birth of the Real Self DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Birth of the Real Self” is the next chapter in a series of spiritual sonic journeys meant for personal introspection, self-awareness and growth, this time solely composed by Eelke van Hoof, aka Apollonius. The spatial and organic soundscape, where flute and treated vocals were initially meant…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – A Long Way to Fall CD, Scripted Realities, 2013 In his own words, Mr Schnauss describes his fourth release “A Long Way to Fall” as an album that would celebrate the synthesizer as the very capable musical instrument that it is, but without the need to disguise it behind a wall of echo and reverb.…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Nostalgic Steps CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2013 On “Nostalgic Steps”, French synthesist Berrand Loreau offers another collection of vintage electronic music, paying tribute to the big names of the Berliner School and their recognizable sequencer style. I think this one is more cohesive, moody and musically stronger than the previous Spheric recording “Journey through the…
Release data: Cell – Phonic Peace CD, Indica Music, 2005 I ran into this album by accident, not aware that Cell (aka Alex Scheffer) had released another full-length album before his “Hanging Masses” release on Ultimae Records and a whole list of fine single tracks on various compilations. “Phonic Peace” presents 70-minutes of evocative and atmospheric ambient chill-out with smooth…
Release data: Chronotope Project – Chrysalis CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Relaxed Machinery, 2102 The musician behind Chronotope Project is Jeffrey Ericson Allen, who has an eclectic background in classical, new acoustic and theatrical music. As a composer, Jeffrey is triggered by themes that contrast yin and yang, of mysteries that open themselves slowly, gradually unfolding and revealing hidden facets. “Chrysalis” contains music…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – The Serenity CD, DataBloem, 2013 German/Iran synthesist Amir Baghiri already started work on “The Serenity” in 2009, but as Amir got further involved in the film music industry and had to deal with many deadlines from then on, the project evolved only very slowly from then on. Work only continued when times became calm and…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Yasumu CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2013 “Yasumu” is music Alpha Wave Movement (aka Massachusetts-based composer Gregory Kyryluk) composed for quiet contemplation, meditation as well as a subtle removal from more frantic rhythmic music. The 45-minute release indeed is an oasis of tranquillity and harmony. Here, gentle flowing textures lead the way on the…
Release data: Arcane – A Tale of Unease DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Besides the many vintage influences and sounds found in the music of Arcane, aka UK-synthesist Paul Lawler, there also has been a distinct sense of something sinister, gothic and foreboding to it as well. The six-track outcome on the full-length “A Tale of Unease” is no exception,…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Desert Dawn DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 For his album “Desert Dawn”, Spanish synthesist Javi Cánovas decided to switch to a world music approach, something Gregory Kyryluk once did with his Open Canvas-project. The outcome on “Desert Dawn” contains many influences of ethnic music of different countries round Magreb (Northern Africa), the Middle East and…
Release data: Telomere – Lux Primordia CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Evenfall , 2012 In the early stages of recording his fourth album “Lux Primordia”, California-based space music composer Chris Macdonald (aka Telomere) was interested in pursuing a more drone-influenced style. But at the same time, Chris kept a clear focus on the cosmic outcome in motion through harmonic, melodic, rhythmic or thematic…
Release data: Resonant Drift – Full Circle CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Flow Space Music, 2012 This album is entitled “Full Circle” because of various thoughts and ideas the duo Bill Olien and Gary Johnson had about returning, coming back and so on, that initially started them to create music on this theme. In the process of crafting and moulding the music, those…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Sepulchre DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 “Sepulchre” contains the set that Ian Boddy performed live on air for the Stars End radio show in Philadelphia, USA on October 14th 2012. The 64-minute outcome of Ian’s concert at this venue is made up by a rich and colourful tapestry of pads and floating atmospheres, all carrying the…
Release data: Secondface – Vega Colony CD, Gterma , 2013 “Vega Colony” is an ambient/spacemusic extravaganza dedicated to the life and work of the late British science fiction illustrator and painter Peter Elson. Its mesmerizing futuristic music though is composed by Secondface, the moniker of Danish musician Frank Vilbæk Jensen, who released some other ambient-dub albums through various netlabels previously.…
Release data: Nemesis – Living Statues CD, Retroduction , 2012 The beautiful designed and exceptionally packaged “Living Statues” is a concept album by the Finnish band Nemesis that was highly inspired by the life and art of Veijo Rönkkönen. To experience the full impact of Rönkkönens strange new world of peace and surrealistic environment, the Finnish band members went to…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Exiled Particles Vol. I Archive 1997-2005 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2012 With “Exiled Particles”, skilled American ambient composer Gregory Kyryluk (aka Alpha Wave Movement) brings us the first volume in a series of archival recordings. Tracks were made between 1997 and 2005, but never found its way to an actual physical release. Gregory…
Release data: Uwe Gronau – Visions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Visions” is a 76-minute instrumental album by German composer Uwe Gronau, taking the listener on a summertime late-night journey through the (atmos)pheres of Paris. Uwe’s eclectic mix of dream-like music creates strong moods that range from ambient to more melodic/progressive outings. It’s hard not to be touched by the…
Release data: Mathias Grassow & Carsten Agthe – Beyond the Silence (Live at Gut Saunstorf) CD, Gterma, 2012 What we got here is a double-album with music played during an extensive live-set by Mathias Grassow and percussionist Carsten Agthe, complimented by a few new (improvised) compositions at the end of each disc. The 160-minute outcome strongly connects to Grassow’s foundation…
Release data: Last Industrial Estate – Last Industrial Estates CD, Gterma, 2012 Extensive and sinister drone ambient is the game at play on the concept album “Last Industrial Estates”, an ode to the remnants of the industrial era. It’s one of the ambient projects by A.P., aka Anders Peterson (who’s doing all the excellent mastering-jobs for the Gterma label until…
Release data: Steve Roach & Byron Metcalf – Tales from the Ultra Tribe CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012v During his musical career, ambient master Steve Roach once in a while always kept returning to the fusion of electronics with tribal/organic elements. With Byron Metcalf, he made his first collaborative effort “The Serpent’s Lair” in 2000 that hereby gets a follow-up.…
Release data: Mark Isham – Castalia CD, Virgin Records, 1988 “Castalia” is the fourth album by composer Mark Isham, whose title refers to the mythical spring Castalia on Mount Parnassus in Greece, that sees mark collaborate with quite a large amount of other session musicians. The recording has a moody and warm sound design along a vague a new age…
Release data: Arcanum – Arcanum CD, Faria Records, 1997/2007 This is the re-release of the classic album by the German trio Mathias Grassow, Rüdiger Gleisberg and Amir Baghiri that originally saw the light of day in 1997 on the Italian Amplexus sub label Arya. There’s a small difference though, as two nice bonus pieces have been added (“Vipassana” and “Reminiscence”).…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Dämmerung CD, Gterma, 2012 Those familiar with the extensive discography by German multi-instrumentalist Mathias Grassow will be acquainted to his vast and deep-listening type of music. “Dämmerung”, depicted as one long flowing epos dedicated to the sun and her voyage across the burning evening skies of Northern Europe, is a vast landscape of intense ambient…
Patterns of the Sky is a soundscape ambient project by Texas-based musician Glenn Matson that was originally founded in 2005 as an outlet for lush and old-style trance. Mr Matson designed it as well for refining sounds of pure bliss and music for thoughts through seminal techno and classic trance music since its inception. “The Long Flight” opens up a…
Release data: As if – Faraway Trees Standing Still CD, Gterma, 2012 As If is the magical soundworld project of Danish composer and visual artist Kenneth Werner (Jensen), which focuses on low-tempo, soundscape and the ambient/dub end of electronic music. Although the music starts out in a very atmospheric and free form fashion on the first take, the recording reveals…
Release data: 12 Followers / Meteo Xavier Impulse OST DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 12 Followers/Meteo Xavier is currently a one man collective, semi-professional composer operating out of East Tennessee, who got and grabbed the opportunity to contribute some music to the spacey-puzzle game “Impulse”. The outcome is an ambient/experimental, rhythmic and sample-driven work that sure is not your (and…
Release data: Noryani – Southeast 225 CD, Generator.pl, 2012 “Southeast 225” is the second full length release in a series of four concept albums by Polish synthesist Adrian Noryani, and another emotive and well/composed work of electronic art. And although lots of the composed music did match the conceptual idea one way or the other, Adrian also felt they simply…
Release data: Otarion – Creator CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony, 2002 About a decade ago, German composer Reiner Klein, aka Otarion, made his third and also last album “Creator”. Until today, I regard it as a solid release featuring powerful, rhythmic and melodic synthesizer music accompanied by bubbling and otherwise tasty sequencing. His moody and at times spacy and symphonic music…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Cadenced Haven – Mystic Dawn CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 If you’re looking for a moody, melodic and nicely sequenced music, one in general can’t go wrong with the music by successful Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens. “Mystic Dawn”, his second full-length collaboration with Cadenced Haven (aka Laila Quraishi), is no exception to that rule. It offers…