Release data: Walter Christian Rothe – Zebra DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1989/2010 Due to the kind help of a friend Down Under, Walter Rothe’s album “Zebra” recently saw the light of day as a digital, but download-only release. That same person also did a lot of troubles incorporating the informative content of the original eight page cd-booklet into this new…
Release data: Michael Neil & Graham Getty – Retrochet CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 For this album, composers Michael Neil and Graham Getty used the latest collaborative opportunities the internet has to offer to assemble a fine synthesis of vintage electronic music with the help of nowadays modern technologies. Well, “Retrochet” is your ticket for a 60-minute trip in a…
Release data: Clifford White – Atlantis CD, MG Music, 2010 “Atlantis” is Clifford White’s second album in 2010, a musical and imaginary journey inspired by the lost advanced civilisation of Atlantis and its ancient culture. The album takes off with the strong and majestic electronic sound of the beautiful title track, which holds the middle between the sound of Vangelis…
Release data: Dream Jungle – Lucid CD, Third Ear, 2007 Dream Jungle is an electronic-ambient-groove project founded by North Bay Area artist and musician Dwight Loop. The latter invited vocalist Taressa Bell to join him on the band’s debut album “Lucid”. The outcome is a sparkling sonic journey into the mystic imagination and uncharted mystery, presenting moody chill-out and trance-inducing…
Release data: Michael Neil – Ikons CD-R, Private Release, 1999 For the album “Ikons”, Michael Neil was is inspired by the philosophical themes embedded in classic poetry and literary works by e.g. Andrew Marvell, W. B. Yeats, and S.T. Coleridge, all themed around the ephemeral, memory and mortality and the subject of infinity. The 64-minute album is divided in two…
Release data: Wolfskin feat. Last Industrial Estate – Stonegates of Silence CD, Malignant Records, 2010 The US-based Malignant label has occasionally been sending me some of their heavy, dark ambient releases for quite a while now, to which the arrival of the menacing and creepy sounding “Stonegates of Silence” adds an atonal and intense desolate dimension. This recording is appropriate…
“Deep Roots, Hidden Water” is the second album by multi-instrumentalist Deborah Martin, which is now re-released as an authentic 24-bit remaster, 3-panel digipak with a new cover. The detailed restoration has lifted the sensitivity and grace of the original music to a new level, stressing its warm and clear sound design. In addition, it makes the beautiful impact of the…
Release data: David Helpling & Jon Jenkins – The Crossing CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2010 “The Crossing”, released three years after their critically acclaimed “Treasure“, is the third album by the talented musicians and sound designers David Helpling and Jon Jenkins. It´s again a highly imaginary release featuring great uplifting, expansive spheres as well as monumental and dynamic moods. Moreover,…
Release data: Arrocata – Desert Electric CD-R, Sonoran Winds Music, 2009 Some of the atmospheric soundscape tracks which Robert Straub aka Arrocata creates on “Desert Electric” are based on locations, legends and natural occurances that are indigeneous to the America’s raw Sonoran Southwest territory. Moreover, these imaginary recordings present a series of adventurous compositions that feel like an actual journey…
Release data: Yen Pox – Blood Music CD, Malignant Records, 1995/2010 Yen Pox is a project by Michael JV Hensley and Steven Hall. “Blood Music”, according to the press sheet to be a benchmark recording of experimental/dark ambient music, was originally put out in 1995 and has been out-of-print since many years. This re-issue comes as a beautifully designed 8-panel…
Release data: Steve Roach & Mark Seelig – Nightbloom CD, Projekt Records, 2010 “Nightbloom”, Projekt’s first album released in an eco-friendly but still very beautifully designed 6-panel cd wallet, is a deep release that’s been in-progress for nearly two years. “Nightbloom” offers a 73-minute long-form piece of slow-motion ambient bliss in five parts. The nocturnal mist-filled realm features Mark’s throat…
Release data: Gliese 614 – Serenity CD-R, Private Release, 2010 “Serenity” is a slowly morphing atmospheric ambient work by Ben Altmann, a London-based composer who founded the project Gliese 614 in 2004. For the music, Ben deliberately used only one piece of gear, the Arturia ARP2600V semi-modular software synthesizer (based on the ARP 2600), also with the goal to find…
Release data: Colin Towns – Full Circle CD, Kock Screen, 1977 Colin Towns is an English composer who was a member of the Ian Gillan Band in the mid ‘70’s. His first film score for Richard Loncraine movie “Full Circle” (The Haunting of Julia) on a tragic story centring on a child’s death and a mother’s breakdown remains a memorable…
Release data: Michael Neil – For the Record CD-R, Private Release, 2010 Due to all his fans (like myself) who kept asking over and over again for a re-release of his very early cassette works, Michael Neil assembled the compilation “For the Record”. This 70+ minute album gives an overview of pieces from his mc’s “Tender Agression” and “Deo Gratis”,…
Release data: Tangram – Flow CD-R, Private Release, 2010 “Flow” is a digital album by Péter Fabók, aka Tangram, which was recorded within 24 hours. The minimalist music of “Flow” has nothing to do with the strong TD-inspired and well-executed music found on Tangram’s album “Tepidarium”. Instead, this album offers a 40-minute string of quiet textural music, split in seven…
Release data: Elve – Emerald CD, Virtualworld, 2010 Elve is one of Matt Hillier’s alter egos, of which “Emerald” is the second album. One might say the stage for the “green” music on this 64-minute release is set in a tropical rainforest, as its continuous ambient soundscape has a certain tropical but also a strong otherworldly feel. Elve’s music is…
Release data: Pascal Savy – The Endless Seasons CD-R, Field Noise Records, 2010 “The Endless Seasons”, available as a digital download Ep, is an experimental ambient project by Pascal Savy and Toshikatsu (whose also head of the Field Noise Records). The slow, non-rhythmic miniature soundscapes and expansive drone pads found here explore the concept of Japanese seasons within the realm…
Release data: Free System Projekt, Brendan Pollard, Hashtronaut – Mind Out of Time CD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2010 Due to the success of the previous album“Time Out of Mind”, Brendan Pollard, Free System Project (aka Ruud Heij and Marcel Engels) and Hashtronaut (aka Michael Daniel) decided to release a second album of improvised music made by during studio sessions in…
Release data: Mystical Sun – Primordial Atmospheres CD, Private Release, 1996 “Primordial Atmospheres” is a classic ambient debut album by Mystical Sun, aka Richard Plom, of which the beautiful designed cd-booklet doesn’t provide any further information. The cd contains a panoramic sonic landscape of ambient music, psycho-acoustic sounds and harmonic music for your mind and best listened to with headphones,…
Release data: Meg Bowles – Blue Cosmos CD, Kumatone Records, 1996 Classically trained flutist and composer Meg Bowles hails from Connecticut, USA, and was one of the few female musicians in the electronic music scene in the ‘90s. Her third album “Blue Cosmos”, regarded a classic album of deep space music by many, is available until this very day. Well,…
Release data: Arrocata – The Painter CD-R, Sonoran Winds Music, 2008 In his youth, Phoenix-based musician Robert Straub (aka Arrocata) was an art major, and while he’s still occasionally engaged in that endeavour he devoted most of his artistic energies toward music. However, he also enjoys going to art shows and exhibits of new and emerging artists that fit his…
Release data: Michael Neil – Tapestries CD-R, Private Release, 2010 The 90-minute “Tapestries” is an epic work inspired by Berlin and the electronic music that inspired Michael Neil to become a composer. The album’s music incorporates instruments familiar to the 70’s period of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze like the Mellotron, EMS VCS3 as well as software synthesizers developed by…
Release data: Laocoön – Immersion CD, Parnassus Nump, 1998 Laocoön is an ambient project of San Francisco-based musician John Broaddus, who released his debut album “Immersion” on his own private label. The music of “Immersion”, a concept album dedicated to water (“immersed in a sonorous reverberation of introspection and exploration”), is a real treat of any fan of deep and…
Release data: Solar Fields – Altered (Second Movements) CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 Word has been in the air for a while “Altered” would contain remixed and reworked versions of the music, which ended up on the previous album “Movements”. Well, Magnus Birgersson (aka Solar Fields) made the outcome a spacy, mellow chill-out affair, as he keenly recycled and re-interpreted the…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Paradise CD, Racket Records, 1983 When experiencing the sonic content of “Paradise”, the fifth solo album by German synthesist Robert Schroeder, one could consider its outcome as a kind of future music. Not in the least by the opening track “In Memory of Paradise”, which on one side is fairly melodic and nicely sequenced, but…
Release data: Greg Klamt – Fluxus Quo CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1997 On his second album “Fluxus Quo”, American synthesist Greg Klamt takes things to a higher plan with a fine combination of symphonic-flavoured electronic music with a neo-classical touch. In addition, he uses an assortment of sophisticated percussion in his music. For the album, Greg has again composed some…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Distant Stars CD, Lotuspike/Spotted Peccary, 2010 After another long two year wait, LotusPike finally brings us a new album of New-Zealand artist Rudy Adrian, which at first glance is similar in style to that of his ambient albums, but a close listen reveals its still unique and somewhat improvised nature on the spot. Like his…
Release data: Julian Ray – Argonauts of Kosmos CD-R, Julian Ray Music, 2010 Julian Ray is a Toronto-based Ambient / Cosmic / New Age musician who paints his music and designs his sounds from small pieces of imagination, observation and fantasy. Julian released four album previous to “Argonauts of Kosmos”, the latter being a concept release presenting the space journey…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Brain Voyager CD, Racket Records, 1985 The album “Brainvoyager” is the film soundtrack which Robert Schroeder composed for the German movie “Glücksgedanken”. It is in fact one of my favourite albums of this musician until today, as it stand out due to the well-composed harmonic/reflective themes and their overall smooth, relaxing nature. The dreamy music…
Release data: Michael Neil – In Extremis CD-R, Private Release, 2000 “In Extremis” is a neo-classical work by Michael Neil for which he used quotes from Virgil’s “Aeneid” and Pindar’s “Pythagoras” for the track titles, which helped to distance the work from any particular religious view in that it deals specifically with the subject of mortality. The music is in…
Release data: Michael Neil – Maisema CD, Private Release, 2008 The album “Maisema” (the Finnish word for landscape) is a project conveying Michael Neil’s experience of living in Finland for almost a year, which affected him enormously. The 55-minute album is filled with eight tracks of minimal but contemporary ambient music with an abstract edge. “Slow gestating music in an…
Release data: Ma Ja Le & James Johnson – Live Under a Harvest Moon CD-R, Zero Music, 2000 “Live Under a Harvest Moon” came out in January 2000 on the small Zero-Music label. It offers a unique live-concert of Chicago-based Eno-oriented musician James Johnson and the peculiar ambient-duo Ma Ja Le (aka Chris Short and Paul Vnuk Jr.), which took…
Release data: Martin/Klamt/Rownd – Convergence CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2002 “Convergence” is the imaginative outcome of live concert performances of three accomplished musicians who all release their music through Spotted Peccary Music: Deborah Martin, Greg Klamt and Mark Rownd. The 55-minute album features some quiet, lush and ethereal textural pads which are nicely blended with Taos drums, various flutes and…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – Volume Two CD-R, English Electronic Music Company, 2010 For years, Steve Jenkins’ Hampshire Jam festival is known as one of UK’s finest EM-festivals, which had the privilege to welcome the Pollard/Daniel/Booth trio on stage during its eight festival in October 2009. The occasion was made even more special as the three musicians were joined by no…
Release data: Ishq – Fluid Earth CD-R, Virtualworld, 2010 Back in 2001, the Interchill/Dakini-label released Ishq’s album “Orchid” as a double cd limited edition in Japan and throughout Asia. As many people are still unaware of the second cd of this version of “Orchid” or missed out on it due to its limited availability, Matt Hillier (aka Ishq) decided to…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Passage in Time CD, Cue Records, 1991 After his first successful solo-album “Creatures”, Peter’s second album – which followed very quickly after his debut cd- is again one dealing with a concept. The musical story of “Passage in Time” involves the matter of time, the history of mankind and transitoriness. Once more, Peter is able…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – 3 CD-R, English Electronic Music Company, 2010 “3” contains the multi-track recording of the dynamic vintage set played by the trio Brendan Pollard, Michael Daniel and Phil Booth during E-Live 2009, only missing the encore (which will be featured on a forthcoming album). All who were present that day found the three performing musicians in great…
Release data: Various Artists – Joint Efforts – The Album CD, EM Productions, 2010 Joint Efforts- “The Album” is the outcome of an idea born several years ago on the EM forum emportal.info. I’m personally not a fan of compilation-albums, and like only those, which feature unique tracks. Fortunately, “The Album” is an exception, as this double album contains all…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Hollow CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2010 “Hollow” is the second studio album by 36, also marking the second part of a trilogy (as the cd cover states Part 2 of 3) which was started by the impressive “Hypersona”. Well, at first glance it seemed the sonic journey continued in a similar manner, but here the…
Release data: Kinesis – Beyond the Galaxy CD, Morningstar/Geomagnetic Records, 2010 Kinesis is a Psy-Trance project by Salvador, aka Dj Salva, an artist of Spanish origin who initiated the project in 2005. “Beyond the Galaxy” is his second release, and the outcome is a well-produced and overall steamy dance excursion. What we got here is a powerful 74-minute instrumental ride…
Release data: David Michael Matuch – Before Reality CD, Infinite Monkey Productions, 1997 “Before Reality” is David’s second album, bearing the well-chosen subtitle “Mind Movie Music and other Ambient Electronic Experiments”. And yes, cinematic electronic dreamscapes we sure get on this recording, for which David used the Kurzweil K2000RS on two tracks, mostly to create loops, samples and appropriate sequencer…
Release data: Mike Andrews – Time & Science CD, Neu Harmony, 2002 “Time and Science” is one of the only two factory pressed cds by synthesist Mike Andrews, who currently seems to reside in The Netherlands. The release actually contains all music of his “Tides Of Time” album, to which a few others tracks are added, which makes it a…
Release data: Tom Hackl – Terra Australis CD, Blue Sunshine, 1992 While running over my cd-collection, I stumbled upon this album by Australian musician Tom Hackl, which I remember I bought from Joerg Strawe’s Cue Records. The cd lacks any further background info on Mr Hackl though. But a look upon the cd-cover and the track titles on this 62-minute…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Creatures CD, Cue Records, 1991 I’m glad German musician Peter Mergener decided to start a solo career after he quit the collaborative project Software with Michael Weisser. I I always found the overall sound of the high-tech project far too synthetic and distant. Mergener’s own music though has a human and warm touch, which is…
Release data: Phaenon – His Master’s Voice CD, Malignant Records, 2010 First I’d like to mention the beautiful and evocative but also rather disturbing and scary cover art that graces this 6-panel digipack release. It seems this nightmare scenery doesn’t predict much good for the second cd-album by Phaenon, aka Szymon Tankiewics. The concept album “His Master’s Voice” is inspired…
Release data: Human Metronome – The Child Set Free CD, Private Release, 2010 Human Metronome is Eindhoven-based ambient musician and visual artist Eelke van Hoof. In his opinion, composing music is a spontaneous, etheric process which can be a means to reach the intuition within a human being. In addition, the press-sheet states: the setting of “The child set free”…
Release data: THIS – Zone CD-R, Private Release, 2010 THIS (soulful sonic excursions extruding hypnotic-ambient-space overture, healing and spiritual) is a project initiated by Kentucky-based musician Bill Chelf, whose career spans over fifty years. He started work on “Zone” after he heard Hearts Of Space Radio in the 80’s, so this outcome has been approximately two decades in the making.…
Release data: moonbooter – Orbit Number 2 CD-R, Mellowjet Records, 2006 On “Orbit Number 2” Bernd Scholl brings us 62-minutes of overall groovy and highly sequenced electronic music, spread out over eight lengthy tracks. The album is actually the audio companion to a dvd of the same name with 5.1 Surround Sound featuring some old Nasa visuals. The outcome is…
Release data: Geigertek – The Timeless Mind CD-R, AD Music, 2010 Geigertek is a project by classically trained synthesist Neil Fellowes, who hails from Norwich, UK. In January 2009, Neil was recruited as member of Code Indigo and live session keyboard player for electronic music project Callisto (as Dave Massey still doesn’t want to do “live”). “The Timeless Mind” is…
Release data: A Produce – Urbanisation CD, Generator.pl, 2010 Aairria (whose motto I read is the insignificance of time) is a project by the Polish ambient musician Marcin Drabot. He already put out several minimal and longform releases through various internet labels using multiple aliases. “Urbanisation” was previously available through his own Rain netlabel, but now has received a proper…
Release data: Megabyte – Powerplay CD, Innovative Communications, 1987 This is, in my opinion, one of the most peculiar electronic releases put out in the second half of the ’80s. Megabyte is Billy Byte and Amanda Mega, but the actual musicians behind it are no other than Thilo Rex (who sadly passed away at the age of 51 in 2009)…
Release data: Yanni – Keys To Imagination CD, Private Music, 1986 This instrumental album is the debut release of Greek-born American musician Yanni (aka Yiannis Hrysomallis) on Peter Baumann’s Private music label. Although clocking at only 38 minutes, the cd offers eight classical-edged tracks featuring some appealing compositions, melodies, elaborate cross-rhythms, and a dash of romantic flavours. Despite starting out…
Release data: Michel Bekkering – Cosmopolitan Dances CD-R, Private Release, 2010 “Cosmopolitan Dances” is the second album by Dutch synthesist Michel Bekkering, who’s also a member of the band Modular White. According to the press-sheet, the music (which was already finished in 2007) takes on a vintage-oriented approach. The first and last section of the 23-minute “Tango Hypnotique” occasionally reminds…
Release data: Mark Shreeve – Thoughts of War CD, Champagne Lake Productions, 1981/2000 Mark Shreeve’s album “Thoughts of War”, was released in 2000 on cd in a limited and numbered edition of 300 copies, although the original came out on vinyl back in 1981 on the Norwegian Uniton label. The recording contains four lengthy compositions which features a great interplay…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Galaxie Cygnus-A LP, Innovative Communications, 1982 In my opinion, the cosmic symphony “Galaxie Cygnus-A” is the most remarklable project German synthesist Robert Schroeder did in the ‘80’s. In it, visual artist Michael Weisser (who later on would found Software with Peter Mergener) was also involved. The “Musik-Computer-Sinfonie” project, as it was adapted, was commisioned for…
Release data: Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon CD, EG Records, 1985 The long form music on Brian’s Eno’s “Thursday Afternoon” (composed as the soundtrack to an art installation video of the same name) is by many regarded as one of the pinnacles of ambient wallpaper music. It’s also proof of Eno’s theory: slowing things down makes things sound so much…
Release data: Mark Dwane – The Monuments of Mars CD, Orbian Music, 1988 Going through my collection, I stumbled upon this classic recording of Ohio-based synthesist Mark Dwane, which I purchased right after its release in 1988. The 39-minute “The Monuments of Mars” is Mark Dwane’s first cd-album, and it was also the first of its kind completely made using…
Release data: Greg Klamt – Fulcrum CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1993 “Fulcrum” is the debut album of American synthesist and visual artist Greg Klamt, which offers a rich blend of symphonic-flavoured, cinematic music with occasional powerful percussive elements. Created from intuition and through experimentation, Greg’s classic / symphonic compositions are assembled of gentle flowing textural spaces, which he gradually unfolds…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Far Away Light CD-R, Shima Records, 2005 For fans of vintage analogues, the music of Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) is something special. His output is retro music with a modern twitch, for which he intelligently applies his assortment analogue step sequencers and analogue modulars. In my opinion, Bakis’sonic adventure through a landscape of slow-tempo…
Release data: Schiller – Atemlose Klangwelten CD, Universal Domestic, 2010 “Atemlose Klangwelten” is the bonus album which comes only with the Limited Ultra Deluxe Edition of Schiller’s “Atemlos”, and in a way you might compare it with the “Einlass” cd-series which he releases privately. The bonus cd, which is all instrumental, contains six ambient “Klangwelten” (Soundworlds), and here Mr Von…