Release data: Lamp – The Three Towers CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 Lamp is a collaboration of Michael Shipway (also known as one half of VoLt) with guitarist/friend Garth Jones. Michael and Garth are actually former work colleagues and after a number of studio and live sessions together, they agreed that the combination of Garth’s melodic guitar with Michael’s synthesizer soundscapes…
Release data: Javi Cánovas –Transfiguration DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 The music on Javi Cánovas’ 2012-release “Transfiguration” sees a return to the comfortable realm of the classic Berliner School style. The spatial (sometimes even restless and smoothly pumping) sequencing on the five extensive tracks is in optima forma as are the various synth pads, solo lines and mellotron textures kicking…
Release data: Alio Die – Deconsecrated and Pure CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2012 “Deconsecrated and Pure” by Alio Die (aka Italian ambient-acoustic composer Stefano Musso) is a work of minimal sonic art where electronic music meets infinite loops, acoustic drones, sounds of metal and glass, bagpipe, stringed instruments, sacral voices and field recordings. It enters a profound liturgic but also timeless…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Lithea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2012 “Lithea” is the third and final part of the triptych that 36 (aka UK-based ambient/experimental composer Dennis Huddleston) kicked-off with “Hypersona” and “Hollow” previously. The 77-minute album is an intense ambient journey, creating warm and profound emotive textural landscapes based on extensive, yet melodic loops and choir pads. It’s…
Release data: Aurom – Secret Garden DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Kahvi Collective, 2010 Aurom is a down-tempo ambient project by Australian composer Nicholas Buchanan. The five tracks on “Secret Garden” are presented in one continuous mix, and have a spacious sound along a pleasant groovy undercurrent and an organic rim. The opening-piece “Gaiam” takes off with great textures, followed by the…
Release data: John Lyell – Eternity CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Six years after his first solo album “Dimensions”, Minneapolis-based -synthesist John Lyell (also known from two collaborative albums with Brent A. Reiland) brings us his long-awaited second album “Eternity”, mastered by Robert Rich. The new album, best listened to with some good headphones, proves John has made another step…
Release data: Havdis – The Hidden Islands CD, Gterma, 2012 Havdis is an ambient project by Odd Jensen, who resides in the remote coastal area of northern Norway. If I’m not mistaken, “The Hidden Islands” is his second release, put out by Johan Rehn’s quality ambient label Gterma. Mr Jensen’s soundscape music is profoundly inspired and influenced by nature and…
Release data: John Stanford – Deep Space CD, White Cloud Records, 1999 “Deep Space” is an ambient-dub album by New-Zealand based composer John (Nigel) Stanford, released on Jon Mark’s small White Cloud-label (part of the Naxos classic brand). It contains six tracks of spacious, melodic trance music merging highly sequenced trancy rhythms with expansive, almost symphonic themes. It all ends…
Release data: Wellenfeld – The Big Bang CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2011 The 66-minute “The Big Bang” is the sixth album by Wellenfeld, aka the German duo Andreas Braun and Detlef Dominizcak. The melodic and highly accessible music comprised on the ten interconnected songs merges spatial/minimal sequencing with choral/string pads, dancy rhythms and beats nicely. Beside a certain Jarre-esque/Kraftwerkian touch…
Release data: Chronos – When Mars Meets Venus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altar Records, 2012 Chronos is a project by Moscow-based musician Nick Klimenko who used analog gear and hardware synthesizers exclusively for this recording. Nick’s fifth album “When Mars Meets Venus” is split in two parts: the first is the factory-pressed cd “Mars” featuring nicely crafted down-tempo electronics, while the second…
Release data: moonbooter – World of Apes 2 CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2011 The second chapter of “World of Apes” (subtitled The Madness Continues) offers 75 minutes of fresh, contemporary and at times even danceable Em. Featuring less sampled sounds compared to it predecessor, Mr Scholl also didn’t use any witness-samples. Beside quite some loungy undercurrents through the various tracks,…
Release data: Michael Meara – To Resonate & Glow DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2005 After a period of experimenting with guitar-centered work and the use of some vocals, Australian ambient/space composer Michael Meara has found his way back to creating slow, freeform and gentle soundscapes. “To Resonate & Glow” contains eight shorter melodic, classical/orchestral ambient pieces of a smooth nature,…
Release data: MoonSatellite – Sequenzer I CD-R, Private Release, 2009 “Sequencer I” is an earlier work of Nancy-based composer Marc Perbal (aka MoonSatellite) where he shows he’s very fond and/or profoundly influenced by the classic electronic music as produced in the 1970’s and 1980. The music featured on the five parts taps into the heritage of Jarre (“Oxygene”/”Equinoxe”) but also…
Release data: Cyber Zen Sound Engine – Cooperation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, N-Light-N Records, 2011 “Cooperation” is the fourth album by Cyber Zen Sound Engine (CZSE), and the first one to feature their new line-up that adds British composer Tom Boon (known from EnoWeb) as a full member to the project. The music started flowing almost immediately after CZSE’s album “Ausländer” (released…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – D.MO Vol. 3 (Original Unreleased Recordings from the 80´s) CD, Spheric Music, 2011 More archival and shelved recordings are presented on Mr Schroeder’s “D.MO Vol. 3”, revisiting his typical and so much appreciated sonic excursions from the 1980’s . This time, the quality of the compositions and the selection of pieces is far better compared…
Release data: Steve Roach – Groove Immersion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2012 The 74-minute “Groove Immersion” comes in four parts and is a mixed bag of “infinite” grooves, minimal percussion and mercurial soundworlds. Although the sounds on this album lend the outcome a high-tech rim, it’s also too easy and rather uninspired to my ears. I imagine Steve’s intention must…
Release data: Ian Boddy & Erik Wøllo – Frontiers CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 There are many EM-albums that take the listener on an evocative journey with great sonic vistas passing by as the aural landscapes of sounds unfold. Mr Wøllo is already known for his great cinematic sound paintings of the cold northern hemisphere, most notably displayed on albums such…
Release data: Various Artists – Greenosophy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 “Greenosophy” (inspired by two outdoor Greenosophy parties in 2009 and 2010) is a mixed ambient compilation collected Mizoo (aka Swiss dj Cyril Miserez). It takes off gently and smooth, but as soon as the second track fades in, the narrative and rather surreal space slowly transforms into a bubble…
Release data: Various Artists – Lost in the Humming Air (Music inspired by Harold Budd) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf, 2012 “Lost In The Humming Air (Music inspired by Harold Budd)” is a thirteen-track compilation containing a collection of exclusive pieces by various composers paying tribute to the spheric, yet spacious sound art of ambient pioneer and pianist Harold Budd. Next to…
Release data: Michael Neil & Graham Getty – Retrochet III CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 With the third chapter in the “Retrochet”-series, the duo Getty and Neil continues their journey into the future of the past with another selection of fine crafted retro electronics. At first its seems they take on the Redshift-road, but soon it appears they pull their…
Release data: Steve Roach – Back to Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2011/2012 The double album “Back to Life”, presented in a beautiful designed 6-panel digipak, is a culmination of sonic events adressing a fantastic range of ambient landscapes and forms. Again hitting the 70-minute duration on both discs, Steve’s in-depth spherical creations bring a sense of magic and comfort, but…
Release data: Janne Hanhisuanto – Quiet Places CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Quiet places”, inspired by nature and people, contains 11 tracks that take the listener into a world of emotion and stillness. In an attempt to give a voice to strange moments, Finnish composer Janne Hanhisuanto prefers to play his synths by instinct, so most music heard here are…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Red CD, Manikin Records, 2012 The music that makes up the 67-minute BKS-release “Red” is no other than classic Berliner School music, but executed in a rather minimal structure and (in my opinion distinct) slow transforming manner. This and the fact the cd only contains three lengthy tracks makes it difficult though to…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Ambient, Landscape and Space CD-R/DVD-R, Private Release, 2012 “Ambient, Landscape and Space” is an cd/dvd package offering a collection of visuals and performances alongside music of Amongst Myselves (aka Steve Roberts), all made and assembled over a period of four years. The atmospheric music is performed by Steve Roberts is accompanied by Bernard Haseloff on…
Release data: Berlin Heritage – Land of the Rising Sun CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Berlin Heritage is a newly founded Em project initiated by Hannover-based composer Robert Sigmuntowski. The latter released his debut album “Land of the Rising Sun” at the start of February 2012 through Lambert Ringlage’s Spheric Music label. While combining the best from old gear and stuff…
Release data: Thought Guild – Third Voyage CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2012/2015 Thought Guild’s third and final album “Third Voyage” is handmade and packaged in beautiful “retro” 5.25 floppy discs, all hand numbered with a limited edition of only 50 copies. It’s sad though this is the last recording of this dynamic and creative duo, as the 52-minutes of…
Release data: Loom – Scored (live) CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2012 “Scored” contains the fantastic, full-length E-Live 2011 performance by Loom, aka Johannes Schmoelling, Jerome Froese and Robert Waters (aka Robert Wässer). All present then will remember the very professional, versatile and dynamic music played by the trio, with Johannes Schmoelling playing very emotionally and enthusiastically. The concert featured 17 tracks…
Release data: Yagya – Rigning CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sending Orbs, 2009 Like the previous two releases, it will be most difficult to track down a physical copy of Yagya’s third album “Rigning” (Icelandic for “raining”), although it’s still digitally available through the label’s own official download site E-Orbs. Nonetheless, the smooth dub/techno ambient making up this recording is a very nice…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Live in Concert 2006 part 1 & 2 and more CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave, 2012 Since his most convincing live performing at “E-Live 2006”, Brendan had been asked multiple times when the recording of it was being released. Being put on the back burner for a long time, he finally revisited the recordings late 2011…
Release data: Altus – Complex Silence 22 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Treetrunk, 2012 As usual, Mike Carss (aka Altus) had not much to say about the music on “Complex Silence 22”, a release in a series of albums of enigmatic atmospheres & soundfields created by fellow-ambient composer Phillip Wilkerson. Once again, Mike displays he’s a master in creating beautiful textural music with…
Release data: Void – Avoidance CD, VOID Records, 2011 Some might know the music of Void, aka Dutch musician Danyo Romijn, from his recent contribution to the EM-sampler “Dutch Masters”, although he made his first album back in 1997. The unaccomplished melodic/rhythmic style found on “Avoidance” is much inspired by the big names in the genre. At the same time,…
Release data: René van der Wouden – Fixus Naturalis CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, REWO Records, 2011 The music found on Mr van der Wouden’s release “Fixus Naturalis” came into being during November/December 2009, a period in which René was very busy completing the album “Numerus Fixus”. The spacious, warm and detailed sounding outcome, presented in five parts, is again inspired by nature…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light from Andromeda (Deep Skies 4) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Eventide Music, 2012 Still hugely inspired by the mysteries and spectacular of deep space, UK-artist Kevin Kendle brings his listeners “Light from Andromeda”, his fourth installment in the Deep Skies concept-series. Inspired by the awe-inspiring Andromeda Galaxy, Mr Kendle focusses on a melodic-oriented, lighter and accessible kind…
Release data: Sleepresearch_Facility – Dead Weather Machine / Dead Weather Machine Re:Heat CD, Manifold Records, 2004 “Dead Weather Machine” is the second release by SleepResearch_Facility, aka Scotland-based ambient musician Kevin Doherty. Those familiar with his more recent endavours “Nostromo” and “Deep Frieze” know SleepResearch_Facility is a purveyor of slow morphing drone and sleep-conducive music. The fascinating outcome of “Dead Weather…
Release data: [‘ramp] Doombient.Five – Archetypes CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2009 Every musician or music project has had its rather insecure beginning. “Archetypes” assembles 12 tracks made during the formative stages of [´ramp] in 1996 and 1997. The outcome on this release shows quite a lot of rough sonic sketches with a main part for Stephens and Franks analogue equipment.…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Cygnus-A CD, Spheric Music, 2010 To much surprise, Robert Schroeder announced the cd-release of this album in 2010, that appears to be a well-done re-recording of the classic album “Galaxie Cygnus-A” from 1982. The biggest relief though for me is that the overall ambience of the slow morphing and dreamy music stays very close to…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – The Stars and Afterward CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Fans of Philip Wilkerson’s music may have had the impression that this musician was going to persue a different musical direction after “Ten to Eleven”. This is not the case, although that album otherwise reflects on a phase in the composers life and music career. “The…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn – Music with Less Electricity DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Husmus Media, 2006/2012 “Music With Less Electricity” is an album with piano music by Gothenburg-based Swedish producer Johan Agebjörn, influenced by Satie, Debussy, Swedish folk music, ambient and jazz. Mr Agebjörn composed them during a hard period in his personal life (starting around 2003) when Johan was suffering from…
Release data: Ron Boots – Ante Oculos CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 The album “Ante Oculos” (“For Eyes”) was released on the occasion of the Bochum planetarium concert by Ron Boots and friends in December 2011. The six tracks offers a lush and atmospheric blend of contemporary electronic music graced by the Ron’s familiar musical trademark. In its own way, it…
Release data: Uwe Reckzeh – Subsesizer CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 201 Uwe Reckzeh already proved on his previous releases he’s most talented, and the music of the 77-minute “Subsesizer”, released about two years after “Unnatural Light”, again confirms this. Uwe knows his ways in composing attractive, smoothly cascading (and sometimes even poignant) sequencers, rhythms and textures with emotive solos on…
Release data: Dan Pound – Cocoon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PoundSounds, 2011 The 65-minutes of tranquil music that make-up “Cocoon”, that depicts a sequence of events and transmutations of the life stages of a cocoon and chrysalis into a butterfly, once more prove that Mr Pound is a follower of Steve Roach. It’s introspective music about transformation, embarking on gentle textural and…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Strange Attractors DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 “Strange Attractors” is a power release by Ian Boddy, known as one of UK’s longtime and leading Em composers. The disc contains music performed live in concert in April 2011 at the Awakenings electronic music concert series. The 75-minute recording shows Mr Boddy is in excellent spirits, as he…
Release data: Tidal Force – Nebula CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 “Nebula” is the debut album by the Danish quartet Tidal Force, made up by Emil Bech, Frederik Olsen and two other musicians who go under the aliases HC Aarup and PC-72. Slightly carrying on in the footsteps of melodic side of the Berliner School, they’ve composed some energetic music that…
Release data: Amethystium – Aurorae DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Ramfjord Music, 2012 “Aurorae” is a four-track Ep from Øystein Ramfjord, aka Amethystium, who considers the digital-only release very much a do-it-yourself project, as there’s no traditional promotion behind it. Amethystium very much sticks to the formulue of emotional and lyrical instrumental music as known from his previous albums. But this time,…
Release data: Michael Neil & Graham Getty – Retrochet II CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 “Retrochet II” is the second album by Michael Neil and Graham Getty, smoothly hitting the electronic avenue with two tasty 30-minute tracks (“Cascade Effect Part 1 and 2”) in Berliner School tradition. The music pairs unhurried atmospheric intros and interludes with immersive mellotron flutes and…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Antimatter CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2012 It was great to see Berliner-based composer Bernd Kistenmacher re-emerge in the electronic music scene a couple of years back with “Celestial Movements”, followed by “Beyond the Deep”. With “Antimatter”, Bernd adds the final chapter to his “Trilogy of the Universe”, which features typical Kistenmacher-music but now with an…
Release data: Yagya – Will I Dream During The Process? CD, Sending Orbs, 2006 If you’re looking for timeless quality-ambient music with that typical Northern touch, Yagya’s second album “Will I Dream During The Process?” for sure will be a most welcome discovery. Aalsteinn Gumundsson’s organic, free-flowing minimal synth washes and bouncing mid-tempo beats create a smooth and gentle ambience,…
Release data: Komendarek & Rudź – Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep CD, Generator.pl, 2011 The first impression of the music on “Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep” is one that connects progressive electronics with the TD sound of the ‘80’s, but this vision for sure is ruined by the chaotic opening piece, loaded with lots of freaky and loud solo voices,…
Release data: [‘ram] Return CD, Doombient Music, 2011 For every project, Stephen Parsick has always found it a real challenge what means to use to create music and/or a specific outcome he envisioned, also when it came to the use and implementation of atmospheric recording. At the same time, he always avoided any convenient solutions along the way within the…
Release data: David Wright – In Search of Silence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 For “In Search of Silence”, David Wright put everything he’d accumulated over 25 years into practice, both musically and technically, plus more of an awareness of playing and programming. The outcome is a 79-minute melodic and emotive journey that ebbs and flows through various moods and…
Release data: Boris Lelong – Everyday Flower DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 With the music of his album “Everyday Flower”, US-composer Boris Lelong offers a freeform ambient soundscape in five “Movements”, meant as “a sweet and sour electronic requiem dealing with loss and tenderness”. Although the slow morphing textures sound less polished and valvenized and could benefit from a bit…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Symphonic Arts CD, BSC/Prudence, 2012 For long, German composer Rüdiger Gleisberg had the wish to once make a production with a full orchestra or with a few orchestral members. With “Symphonic Arts”, that dream has finally come true. It all started when the young, much accomplished musician Wladimir Krasnich wrote Rüdiger a letter in which…
Release data: Robert Jíša – Pět Tibeťanů (Five Tibetans) CD, LK/Nextera, 2006/2011 In 2006, Tjech-based composer Robert Jíša was asked to compose a simple, rather monotone album for relaxing and meditative purposes, that later appeared to sell over a 100.00 copies. “Pět Tibeťanů” (Five Tibetans) contains one 56-minute track made up by massive longform drones of Tibetan monk chants, all…
Release data: Various Artists – Euphony 1 CD, WWUH 91.3 FM, 2008 “Euphony 1” is an electronic ambient release compiled by Susan Mullis of the US-based radio station WWUH, a public radio station broadcasting alternative programming from the University of Hartford . The cd contains 14 previously unreleased tracks, offering quite a range of various ambient styles. Next to a…
Release data: MorPheuSz – Garden Gnomes & Goblins CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 For July 2011, Ron Boots was requested to play a concert at a garden party in Germany, but during its preparations his musical friends Eric van der Heijden, Harold van der Heijden kindly offered to join him, as well as German guitarist Frank Dorittke (aka F.D. Project). It…
Release data: Synth.nl – Apollo CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 After a beautiful and well-rendered sonic journey into the sea, Synth.Nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen) takes his listeners into the fascinating aura and wonders of space with his fourth album “Apollo”, inspired by the various moon missions. The first drafts of this album were presented by Michel on “E-Day 2011” along…
Release data: Matthew Florianz – Los DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 As Mr Florianz explains in some notes to “Los”, story and abstraction were and always will be reoccurring themes in his music: not in their pure sense, but more complementing each other in the composers sonic quest of investigating new ideas and possibilities. And while various ambient environment recordings…
Release data: Wave World – Hieroglyphs CD, Virtual Factory Records, 2011 After a five-year period of silence, the Dutch multimedia project Wave World resurfaced in the fall of 2011 with two new albums, “Hieroglyphs” being one the them. The cd offers seven highly cinematic compositions, accompanied by many strange and insect sound effects expanding the visual experience. The sound design…
Release data: Wave World – Tableaux CD, VFR Records, 2011 At the same time as their album “Hieroglyphs” came out, the Dutch trio Wave World also released “Tableaux”. The latter contains 15 single tracks composed exclusively for the art exhibition held by visual artist Pbalris (aka Wave World member Gert van Santen) in early 2011. Beside the fact that the…
Release data: Vanderson – Visions CD, Generator.pl, 2011 If I’m not mistaken, “Visions” is the very first factory-pressed cd by Polish composer Vanderson, aka Maciej Wierzchowski. This cosmic album pairs the classic sound of Germany’s vintage EM-years with nowadays modern technology, all assembled into four long compositions. Next to most enjoyable spatial sequencing following in the footsteps of Schulze and…