Release data: Seetyca –Seetyca – The Luminous Deep CD, Gterma, 2012 “The Luminous Deep” is my second encounter with the ambient/space music of German composer Seetyca. Three long, uninterrupted pieces make up the 80-minute album, that was conceived as a longform reconstruction of Seetyca’s soundtrack to the same-titled short animated movie by Amy Scott-Murray and Kevin Adams. The latter is…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Focus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2011 The 34-minute “Focus” is the second release by US-synthesist Bryan Carrigan, and almost seems an Ep to me. Like its predecessor “Passing Lights”, it contains ten emotive tracks of up-tempo, instrumental and moody electronic music. This time though, Mr Carrigan has put in a bit more hidden and straightforward…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Tiefschlaf CD, Malignant Records, 2012 “Tiefschlaf”, containing the music performed live during a sleep concert in Wuppertal, Germany in September 2011, marks the formal debut of Sphäre Sechs, aka German ambient composers Martin Stürtzer’s (also known as Phelios) and Christian Stritzel. The 55-minute recording consists of six phases, making up a continuous tapestry of massive,…
Release data: Numina – The Deception of Reality CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2012 From the labels notes on Jesse Sola’s concept release “The Deception of Reality” I learned it’s about introspective escapism while balancing light and dark themes, with the music transporting the listener to wherever they wish the music to take them. Jesse’s previous two albums already opened the doorway…
Release data: Paul Ellis – I Am Here CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike, 2012 In the words of the composer, “I Am Here” is a sort of a counterpart to his previous album “From Out Of The Vast Comes Nearness”, released on the same label. The concept album and its music is inspired by the Chinook tribe of Native Amaricans who once…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – yg:drasil DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2012 “yg:drasil”, subtitled “Modern Interpretation of Northern Sounds”, is Boreal Taiga’s fourth release with Wayfarer Records and also his first double album. The recording, clocking over 2,5 hours, features ambient and deep space tracks on the first cd that explore the vast regions of our Arctic environments. On the second…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Eolian Reflections CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Periphery, 2012 “Eolian Reflections” makes a great addition to the ever expanding collection of high-quality ambient/space music by Gregory Kyryluk, aka Alpha Wave Movement. Gregory states the outcome is a purely unconscious follow-up to the 2000 release “Drifted Into Deeper Lands”, as it is oncemore inspired by the timeless arid…
Release data: Har & Altus – Shadow District DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Earth Mantra, 2012 At the beginning of 2012, Mike hinted at a collaboration that he’d been working on since 2011 with ambient guitarist/bassist/Chapman Stickist Har. The outcome is “Shadow District”, a dense and mysterious affair triggering the imagination. It’s an intense journey through abstract soundscape netherworlds of dark, gloomy ambience…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Wisdom of Fate CD, Gterma, 2012 For over two decades, German composer Mathias Grassow is known as one of the strong purveyors of deep and immersive ambient music in the genre. Not only for his solo releases, but also his extensive, fruitful collaborations with other kindred spirits around the globe, most notably in Italy. The…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Passing Lights CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2011 “Passing Lights” is the debut album by US-synthesist Bryan Carrigan, who’s also a most experienced synth programmer, sound designer, remixer, engineer and producer with extensive experience in records and post production under his belt. He e.g. did a wonderful job on Raygun Ballets “World that wasn’t” but also…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – Highlands DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 “Highlands”, mastered by Ben Cox (one of the guys behind the Lotus Pike label), is a 66-minute narrative soundscape journey into higher and peaceful spheres, split in four long form compositions. These free form and rhythmless textures are the doorway to a tranquil and balanced world beyond where…
Release data: Within Reason – Subtle Shift CD-R, Periphery, 2012 Within Reason is a most interesting side-project by skilled synthesist Gregory Kyryluk (known as Alpha Wave Movement and one half of Thought Guild) that focusses on spacy dub-electro. The excellently produced outcome consist of eight tracks and is overall lush with lots of groovy undercurrents, carrying a smooth pulse and…
Release data: Parsick & Reuter – Lament CD, Gterma, 2012 The music of Parsick & Reuter’s second ambient release “Lament”, that both musicians consider a successor to the 2007 album “Ceasing to Exist”, was recorded between July and September 2010. It contains nearly 70 minutes/seven tracks of in-depth and lush textural soundscape drones, accompanied by processed/atmospheric guitar-strings and loop devices.…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Journey Through the Past CD, Spheric Music, 2012 Since long, Spheric Music owner Lambert Ringlage has had a good ear for fine (especially Berliner School-oriented or inspired) electronic music releases. As the title of this cd already suggest, “Journey through the past” by French composer Bertrand Loreau is another fine melodic recording fitting in the…
Release data: Various Artists – Euphony 2 CD, WWUH, 2009 “Euphony 2” is the second ambient collection published by the US public alternative radiostation WWUH, that this time turned out to be a double-cd. Like the previous sampler, it contains lots of unreleased goodies by established performers such as Steve Roach, Ron Boots, Forrest Fang, Dino Pacifici, and Alpha Wave…
Release data: Phobos – This Desolate Place CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Now here’s another strong piece of profound ambient music by UK-based composer David Thompson, aka Phobos, who already made a great impression on me with “Live on Earth”. “This Desolate Place” contains one longform piece, offering 68 minutes of highly atmospheric textural music. I gave the album several…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Airborne CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo already has a beautiful, extensive list of solo and collaborative releases under his belt, to which “Airborne” makes a great addition. Known for his highly emotive and sensitive approach, Erik again has incorporated minimal, contemporary and symphonic styles in his music that lend the melodic,…
Release data: Stephan Whitlan – Travelling Light DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fairy Nuff Music, 2010 “Travelling Light” contains the live concert by Irish/UK synthesist Stephan Whitlan performed on October 17 at E-Live 2009 in Oirschot, The Netherlands. Those who saw him as support act to John Dyson & friends the previous year already witnessed a most skilled and enthusiastically playing musician. Stephan…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Far Away CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, TeamQuasar, 2012 Danish composer Johan Tronestam played earlier in various music groups, but has for a long time concentrated on writing instrumental synth music. Created between 2011 and 2012 on the Åland Islands, an island in the Baltic Sea, the concept album “Far Away” (subtitled: a musical voyage beyond time and…
Release data: Ok Ikumi – Alpine Sequences DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/CASSETTE, Hel Audio, 2012 “Alpine Sequences” by Utah artist Ok Ikumi (aka Karl Jørgensen) is a collection of 12 short and simple ambient recordings. The latter are inspired by Utah geography and are built around procedurally generated and repeating sequences and looping melodies. The outcome is lush and spacious but also rather…
Release data: Steven Grace – Flow DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Steve Grace’s release “Flow” is an ambient album made with the Avatar ST software synthesizer only. Mr Grace recorded it during four sessions in March 2011 mostly through improvisation, with some editing afterward. Contrary to his output under the Logic Gate moniker, the music made using his own name…
Release data: Jack Hertz – Time DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 Ambient minimalism and (the impact of) the slow passing of time are core elements that mark the quiet and immersive music on the 76-minute “Time”. The longform and unhurried drone textures breath a similar kind of introspection, subtlety and profound stillness as found on Roach’s “Quiet Music” or…
Release data: Thomas Ronkin – Precursors CD-R, The Periphery, 2012 Some may know the previous two releases of US-synthesist Thomas Ronkin, “Within; Distance” and “Symmetric”. Both stand out for its classic, sequencer-driven, and Berliner School-influenced Em next to some fine, sophisticated and deep ambient tracks. Although I already had some unreleased studio recordings from Mr Ronkin from the ’80’s, the…
Release data: Alio Die & Yannick Dauby – Descendre cinq lacs au travers d’une voilé CD-EP, Aqua, 1998 This limited edition EP contains one 21-minute abstract/experimental soundscape with psychedelic undercurrents. Overall spiritual and meditative in nature, the sound collage of textures, electronic effects, water elements and Tibetan bowls is meant for deep listening as we travel through the veil into…
Release data: Project Earth – Tak Ze CD/12INCH, MFS, 1994 “Tak Ze” by Martin Stark and Christopher Hausmann, aka Projekt Earth, contains 36 minutes of overall mellow, spherical and highly textural spacemusic. Nowadays we would call these almost non-rhythmic, slow morphing cosmic soundscapes “Chill-out”, but in the days these three lengthy tracks where composed, the German duo already made an…
Release data: Gustavo Jobim – In Search of Berlin DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Gustavo Jobim’s “In Search of Berlin”, part of an ongoing project of archival releases, contains 78 minutes of improvised music composed between 2003 and 2009. In contrary to his current output that is much more experimental, the music featured here connects very strong to the Berliner…
Release data: Ian Boddy – After the Rain DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 The music contained on “After the Rain” reveals the more experimental and abstract/adventurous side of skilled UK-composer Ian Boddy. Recorded live in concert at the Basic Electricity #4 festival in Berlin held in June 2012, the 65-minute outcome harks back to the dawn of electronic music at the…
Release data: Nostalgia – Arcana Publicata Vilescunt CD, Relapse Records, 2002 Rich, gothic-like drone tapestries, tribal percussion and symphonic synth textures grace the intoxicating and rather dramatic music of “Arcana Publicata Vilescunt”, the debut release of the German project Nostalgia (aka Mathias Grassow, Rüdiger Gleisberg and Carsten Agthe). Composed and performed between 1999 and 2001, the outcome is a peculiar…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Angel CD, Lunisolar Records, 2012 After a hiatus of nearly two years, Japanese composer brings us his ninth album “Angel”. The recording is a 65-minute soundscape journey spread out over four lengthy tracks that once again moves through immersive, contemplative sonic territory. Here, things are at ease and in balance, with slow morphing and smoothly…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Indulge the Passion CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 “Indulge the Passion” is the second cd by Picture Palace Music on the established Groove Unlimited label containing 75 minutes of post-rock and contemporary electronica. Contrary to PPM’s energetic concerts, the music on their cds are at a lower volume level, leaving room for more detail, the…
Release data: Tau Sagittarii – Sensory Data DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mehanika, 2012 The person behind Tau Sagittarii is Kurt Baggaley, an English producer and artist of deep electronic music, who’s best known for his minimal electro/techno productions as Scape One. Tau Sagittarii is a new project to launch his more experimental electronic scores. The theme of the first Tau Sagittarii concept…
Release data: Gert Emmens – An Artist’s Stroke CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 For the concept album “An Artist’s Stroke”, inspired by the life and works of the late Russian painter Yuri Pugachov, Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens has composed some vintage music with a strong lyrical feel. Overall, the retro sequencing is well done but also executed in the same manner.…
Release data: Booth & Creek – Lightwaves CD-R, Private Release, 2012 If you’re a fan of more abstract-oriented ambient, “Lightwaves” by the UK-duo Phil Booth and Jez Creek may be something up your alley. The 61-minute title track filling the release is a lengthy soundscape without a trace of melody, taking the listener into a psychedelic sonic environment where alienating…
Release data: Dreamfire – Atlantean Symphony CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dreamfire Music, 2012 Dreamfire started in 1999 as a symphonic musical project to explore ancient mysteries, magic, legends and majestic/epic themes. It’s the effort of a UK-composer and guitarist who has been a musician for almost 20 years. He regards the project as a conceptual manifestation of journeys through time, space and…
Release data: John Stanford – TimeScapes (Official Soundtrack) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SouthWest Light Ltd, 2012 Now, 13 years after his debut “Deep Space”, New Zealand based composer (Nigel) John Stanford releases his second album “TimeScapes”. The latter contains the synthesizer soundtrack music to Tom Lowe’s amazing documentary film of the same name, that’s loaded with stunning time-lapse footage. Clocking at exactly…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – New Frequencies Vol. 2 CD, News Music, 2012 “New Frequencies Vol. 2” is proof Robert Schroeder has further developed his own musical trademark of contemporary electronic music, merging melody with a whole range of groovy and sometimes even dance-like elements. Although more varied than anything Robert put out before, the best parts in his music…
Release data: MoonSatellite – Unendlich Sequenzer, Sequenzer Vol. 2 CD-R, PWM Distribution, 2010 Here’s another fine batch of classic-inspired, melancholic sounding EM from French composer MoonSatellite. It is strange though the track durations of the music are totally different from the onces listed on the back of the cd-booklet As can be expected, no surprises to be found in his…
Release data: Peter Challoner – More than can be heard CD-R, Ambient Sound Projects, 2012 With “More than can be heard”, UK-synthesist Peter Challoner adds his 13th ambient soundscape to his music catalogue. In almost 62 minutes, Peter’s quiet and introspective textures take us into a world of calm ambience in which a fair bit of environmental sketches and urban…
Release data: Urenga – After Rain CD, Gterma, 2012 Urenga is the youngest project of Hungarian sound-wizard Andras Kiss, that slowly but surely created its own existence from his other ambient experiments. Besides that and compared to those other projects, the Urenga-formulae is inspired by/ focuses on the beauty and impact found in the untouched natural environment. “After Rain” is…
Release data: The Grey Encounter – Dark Matter CD-R, EEMC, 2012 The Grey Encounter is a collaborative effort by UK synthesists Phil Booth and Xan Alexander, whose 61-minute “Dark Matter” is their debut release. If you love well-rendered spherical electronics and ambient, the two extended tracks of 32 and 28 minutes do the job most satisfactory. The duo has assembled…
Release data: Indo – Winter in Zangla (A Tribute To Alexander Csoma De Kőrös) CD, Gterma, 2011 Indo is an older project of Hungarian soundartist extraordinaire Andras Kiss, that has been growing out slowly from his other ambient endeavours. The Indo-project is strongly influenced by nature, metaphysical traditions, lost cultures and civilizations, ancient knowledge by people what’s getting lost or…
Release data: Rigel Centaurus – Into Infinity DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, United Studios Corp., 2012 “Into Infinity” is the second cosmic album by Russian composer Andrey Hlybov, aka Rigel Centaurus, again solely made with soft synths. Once again, the listener is invited on a freeform deepspace trip through the vast unknown, while various elements of the grand celestial design float by. The…
Release data: Altus – The Sidereal Cycle 1 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 According to Mike Carss, aka Altus, this series is something that he should have done years ago, and has been suggested by a number of his listeners. “The Sidereal Cycle 1” is the first of a four “disc” project (that will be on-going into 2013) that…
Release data: Nothing but Noise – Not Bleeding Red CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Future Noise Music, 2012 Nothing but Noise is a project of Front 242 founder Daniel Bressanutti assisted by former Front 242 member Dirk Bergen and Erwin Jadot. Don’t be alarmed by the band’s name nor the cover art, as the outcome of “Not Bleeding Red” features a beautiful range…
Release data: Various Artists – Manikin Records Second Decade 2002-2012 CD, Manikin Records, 2012 This double album celebrates the 20th anniversary and second decade of Berlin-based Manikin label with 2x 70 minutes of brandnew and unreleased electronic music. Of course, the usual suspects Broekhuis, Keller, Schönwälder are featured in various formations, next to affliated musicians such as Raughi Ebert, Thomas…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Animism CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 On “Animism”, Forrest Fang’s ninth solo release to date, a large range of vibrant sounding acoustic instruments and a few synths are at play, melting the music culture of the East and the West in a fascinating, but most of all ingenious fashion. In just an hour, Mr Fang…
Release data: Sync24 – Comfortable Void CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 “Comfortable Void” is the second solo-release by Swedish musician Daniel Segerstad, also one half of the project Carbon Based Lifeforms. Back in 2007, he released his critically acclaimed debut “Source”, that already revealed a much more introspective side of his musicianship. This follow-up contains a continuous mix of 10…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Chronos CD, Sonic Atmospheres, 1985 The original soundtrack recording “Chronos”, a predecessor to the Imax-movie “Baraka”, is a classic space music album by Michael Stearns for which he once again used the (Mighty) Serge analogue modular synthesizer. The album features 40 minutes of highly and in-depth atmospheric music aptly accompanying the mind-blowing journey through time…
Release data: Loren Nerell – Slow Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 As some may know, the music of Los Angeles-based composer Loren Nerell always had firm roots in the music from Indonesia, especially when it concerns sounds that were from a gong’s perspective (in that culture, a gong is regarded a thinking spirit). The deep, dense and cinematic ambient…
Release data: Odyssey – Music for Subway (Symphony for Analogues) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.Pl, 2012 The last couple of years have seen a large amount of recordings that are referring to or highly inspired by vintage electronic music and their classics. Odyssey’s double-album “Music for Subway” is another one that can be added to that range of releases. According to the…
Release data: Solar Ocean – Enter Serenity CD, Gterma, 2011 Solar Ocean is an ambient drone project by a 19-year old Russian musician called Eugene, residing beyond the Urals. The 37-minute mini-album “Enter Serenity” ties emotion, drone textures and a sense of comfort together in four uninterrupted parts. It offers the listener a highly minimal and slowly evolving soundscape journey…
Release data: Phobos – Live on Earth (Live at Awakenings) CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 This is my first encounter with the music of Phobos, aka UK-composer David Thompson. He previously had been creating music using his own name in the general melodic sequencer-based style in the ‘90’s. After 2000 he took a break from making music, but decided to…
Release data: Steve Roach & Dirk Serries – Low Volume Music CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2012 This year, it’s about 10 years ago Steve Roach and vidnaObmana did their last collaborative work. With “Low Volume Music”, Dirk Serries returns to re-energize their fine collaborative efforts, but by going with his own name instead. What we got here is almost an hour…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Urbs CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hypnos Recordings, 2012 On “Urbs”, Bruno Sanfilippo introduces the listener in the amazing world of city soundscapes and its vast array of noises. Bruno tried to merge this mysterious alchemy from a punctual approach, discrete in elements and discourses. “Urbs” offers a spacious, mysterious and above all hypnotizing sonic ride through the…
Release data: Michael Meara – Contemplation 1: Void in Form DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 As one can imagine with such a title, this is an album of overall quiet and calming soundscape musings. It’s also the first in an ongoing series of subliminal drift pieces by Australian ambient musician Michael Meara. “Contemplation 1: Void in Form” contains one 51-minute…
Release data: Vanderson – Synthetic Breath CD, Generator.Pl, 2012 Already with the first track “A Tribute to Tangerine Dream”, Polish synthesist Maciej Wierzchowski (aka Vanderson) once more shows who has been and will remain the core inspiration for his music since several years: in exactly six minutes he comes up with some catching sequencing along vintage pads and solo voices…
Release data: Rigel Centaurus – Area of Habitat DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, United Studios Corp., 2012 What we got here is deep space music from Russia. “Area of Habitat” is the debut album by Andrey Hlybov, aka Rigel Centaurus, who has been doing this kind of music since five years or so. The floating and highly spacious sounding “Area of Habitat” reflects…
Release data: Sleepresearch_Facility – Stealth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cold Spring, 2012 “Stealth”, a project commissioned for Cold Spring-label, is the long overdue project by UK sound sculpture Kevin Doherty, aka SleepResearch_Facility. It’s another deep ambient journey committed to the exploration of sound, this time inspired by one of the most mysterious aircraft of the twentieth-century. The outcome is basically a hack/remix…
Release data: Somnarium – The Fourth Presence DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dark Winter, 2009 Somnarium’s 50-minute “The Fourth Presence”, inspired by the works of Dante and Lustmord, takes its listeners on an otherworldly trip into dense and darker spaces. The outcome are six free form pieces of headphone music with slow evolving, textural landscapes linked by processed guitar experimentations, featuring the occasional…
Release data: Emmanuel Tuts-Schiemsky – Muze in de Storm CD-R, Private Release, 1998 The almost 51-minute “Muze in de Storm” is alchemy of tribal-organic music, mostly driven by cyclic rhythms and shakers. Electronics are almost absent here, and have been replaced by flutes, bells, soaring monk chants, Tibetan bowls and spacious environmental sounds. These ingredients all end up in an…