Release data: Matt Coldrick – Music for a Busy Head CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Absolute Ambient, 2002 Matt Coldrick has established to taking a turn in his career after being founder of a trance band. Next to composing for film and Tv, he now has put out an album with soothing mind-music to shut down the many things that keep out head…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Music for Cloudwatching CD-R, Private Release, 2002 This cd by English ambient composer Peter Challoner contains two long tracks of over 30 minutes. They are a perfect musical companion while gazing at cloud masses passing by. The freeform soundscapes remind of the airy compositions of David Parsons (“Himalaya”), the sophisticated textural ambiences of Thom Brennan,…
Release data: Ashera – Enviro CD, Private Release, 2001 “Enviro” is the fifth album of Anthony Asher Wright aka Ashera. It continues where his former albums already took him. In addition to his former albums, this one features the Hammond B3 organ, which gives things a twist. Each of the eleven tracks hold the key for a slow drift into…
Release data: Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express CD, EMI, 1977 In the period between the pioneering “Autobahn” and the band’s breakthrough-album “The Man Machine”, Kraftwerk road the edge with the cool avant-garde album “Trans-Europe Express”. The lyrics on this album are quite sparse, giving way to a great portion of hypnotizing music which captures a feeling of almost “eerie warmth”.…
Release data: Kraftwerk – The Man Machine CD, EMI, 1978 “The Man Machine” was released in May 1978 and is still regarded as one of the best recordings of Kraftwerk. The cover features the four musicians in red outfit looking East, which implies they see themselves as music-workers inspired by the Stalin-regime. Already known in those days for their static…
Release data: Various Artists – Ambienism Volume 1 CD, Spiralight, 2004 This great looking Spiralight-sampler offers a 74 minute collection of tracks by known and not-so-known ambient musicians. The first two tracks by Zero One and Mystical Sun set a great mood, offering up-tempo music with a profound atmosphere in which deep drone bass beats and effects are mingled together.…
Release data: Synth.nl – AeroDynamics CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 The musician behind Synth.Nl is the Dutchman Michel van Osenbruggen, who started recording music for his concept album “AeroDynamics” in 2006. Although I can’t say the cd-cover to it is that attractive to me, the twelve tracks on the disc speak their own language. It’s a nice collection of mellow-melodic pieces…
Release data: VoLt – Nucleosynthesis CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 The duo Michael Shipway and Steve Smith continue their grand tour of accessible and attractive sequencer-based electronic music with “Nucleosynthesis”. The cd contains three long tracks, on which the typical UK electronic music sound melts with Berliner School inspired sequencing and textures. The music pulsates and flows in the opening track…
Release data: Synthetic Block – Sonic Approach CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003 There has been quite a gap between the release of Jonathan’s second release “The Opposite of Staring into Space” and this one. Nevertheless, “Sonic Approach” (eight tracks, almost 60 minutes) has been worth the wait, offering another blend of classic electronics & the sophisticated infusion of modern approaches, so-called…
Release data: Sylken – Illusions of Light CD-R, Atmoworks, 2000 Sylken is actually the Canadian musician Eric Hopper, who is joined in the Sylken-Ensemble by Wally Jericho, Arnold Sprogis, Steve Sauvé and Joe Galifi. “Illusions of Light” contains seven tracks of very nice and delicately composed electronic ambient in which the ambient-guitar has a core position. Next to the fact…
Release data: Liquid Mind – VI: Spirit CD, Private Release, 2003 Like its predecessors, the sixth Liquid Mind-album “Spirit” sounds very relaxing and well-balanced. It is typical music that turns you inward within a few minutes. Warm, encompassing textures surround the listener for over an hour, taking out every trace of stress in mind and body. Sometimes the background features…
Release data: Ixohoxi – Ambient Tone Poems Volume 1 CD-R, Private Release, 2003 This is the first volume of a series of introspective ambient music which Ixohoxi has started a short while ago. The album features lengthy floating ambient textures kept in a quite simple and elemental way. Next to soft layers of electronic sound also some organic additions like…
Release data: UK Heights – Ambients CD, Private Release, 2002 UK Heights (also on the cd written as U. Kay Hytz) is a UK-based band of three musicians whom have been making music since 1991. “Ambients” as such is the final outcome of the persistent demand of a radiostation for quiet, more introspective versions of their music. Well, “Ambients” contains…
Release data: Arc – Fracture CD, DiN, 2007 This cd and its music premiered at the E-Live 2007 festival on October 13 in Eindhoven, where Mark Shreeve and Ian Body, aka Arc, also performed a great concert. Like the previous albums, their fifth album continues in their well-known retro sequencer style, kicking off with the mellow soundings of the title…
Release data: Emergence Music – EveryOne 432 CD, Private Release, 2002 “EveryOne 432” expresses the joy of life in a way of a symphonic-oriented instrumental poem which lasts for over 70 minutes. The composer, one David McCarthy from Washington State, is first of all a flutist who also knows his way in implementing electronic layers of sound and worldmusic-elements and…
Release data: Epiphany – Mindscapes CD-R, Private Release, 2000 The guy behind Epiphany is the Dutch amateur musician Erik Teljeur. Years back, I heard some music of him which had been compiled on the album “Images”, which generally lacked a sense of direction. Erik remixed a few tracks from his debut and added some new compositions to what has become…
Release data: Ron Boots & Friends – Joie de Vivre CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 Actually, this is the second live cd of MORE (Music Of Ron and Eric) and in that sense the successor of the very succesful MORE cd “By Popular Demand”. The last mentioned cd was re-released on April 10 at the Alpha Centauri Festival in Huizen (Netherlands)…
Release data: Revival – The Longest Dream CD, Private Release, 2000 “The Longest Dream” is an extraordinary release of the Canadian-based composer Sorin Pavelsco, his secondone until now. The concept deals with dreams, there impact and the different angles it holds deep within itself. Through his music Sorin masterfully builds a bridge between contemporary, classic and ambient music in which…
Release data: Remote Spaces – Silos CD-R, Requiem Records, 2004 “Silos” is a release of the Polish band Remote Spaces (aka Konrad Jakrzewski and Krzysztof Rzeznicki) which is nicely packaged in a dvd-box. It features six extended tracks of contemporary electronic music which is a switching maelstrom of elements. In their accessible music one can hear echoes of the electronic…
Release data: The Omega Syndicate – Analogue Waves CD, Neu Harmony, 2004 The Omega Syndicate is a band from Northern England which consists of Xan Alexander and David Gurr. Well, the title of the album already states what profile their music has. The album contains three extended tracks of progressive, improvised Berlin School-based music, the closing track clocking at 35…
Release data: John Luttrell – A Sense of Impending Levitation CD-R, Private Release, 2003 This seems to be the second cd of multi-instrumentalist John Luttrell, also founder of his own label Ottersong Records. Next to composing ambient music he’s also singer/songwriter of progressive rock music. This album offers a nice combination of original sounding piano- and ambient compositions which all…
Release data: Paul Lawler – Bronx Shadows CD-R, Ricochet Dream, 2004 “Bronx Shadows” is a live album from 1997, containing a recording of Lawler’s “Electric Cafe” concert in Derby, UK. The version reviewed here is not the original version featured on Paul’s website, but a copy of the limited re-release edition (100 numbered cps) which includes three exclusive bonus tracks…
Release data: Aetopus – Memories of the Elder CD, 12 Ton Productions, 2002 AeTopus is multi-instrumentalist Bryan Tewell Hughes from Washington. The album opens with a dynamic piano-sequence (sounds a bit like Frank Van Bogaert) but also reveals some classic elements. What we got here is progressive electronic music with flavours of pastoral new age and symphonic music in which…
Release data: Brannan Lane & Amir Baghiri – Lucid Circles CD-R, Private Release, 2004 Lucid Circles is the first collaborative outcome of the rather well-known ambient composers Brannan Lane (USA) and Amir Baghiri (Iran/Germany), which was already recorded in 2002. It’s an atmospheric album of 64 minutes in which the strongest elements of both have come to the surface. Introspective,…
Release data: Ixohoxi – Micronicom CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Micronicom” is a concept-album about the hidden world of molecular and chemical processes taking place in the microworld. There’s an overall mechanical effect noticeable in the music, which shifts between electronic tribal ambient grooves and vast waves of shimmering soundscapes (“Molecular Resynthesis”) and drone-loops (“Amorphous Electron Clouds”). The contemplative “Filtered Luminescence”…
Release data: Ruben Garcia – Maybe Forgotten Forever CD-R, Trance Port Special Editions, 2003 The last decade or so I’ve collected all five solo cds of American ambient musician Ruben Garcia, of which the reviews have been published the demised Dutch electronic music fanzine KLEM. “Maybe Forgotten Forever” is the second release on Trance Port Special Editions, containing two cds…
Release data: Ryan Farish – Beautiful CD, Neurodisc, 2004 This is the first commercial release of the English composer Ryan Farish who previously built quite a name on MP3.com. Well, the instrumental music on “Beautiful” is very accessible and will surely appeal to a varied audience with it’s electronic, poppy tunes. Farish’ style leans towards Robert Miles (especialy his piano…
Release data: Starseed Transmission – Metamorphic Illumination CD, Nova Zembla, 1994 The Australian band Starseed Transmission are Steve Law and Andrew Orion, the latter calling himself Andrew Orion on the album. The duo initially met in 1988 through a Melbourne radio station who did a compilation of local electronic musicians. In 1993 Steve invited Andrew on composing a cd of…
Release data: Robert Carty & Brannan Lane – Climatic Infusion CD-R, Private Release, 2002 Well, both these artists have done very well until now regarding their own solo music. Their first collaborative cd “Climatic Infusion” holds the key to a next chapter in deep atmospheric music presented to you in seven extended sound textures with lots of organic undercurrents. In…
Gulan is the pseudonym of Andrei Gulaikin, an ambient/space musician hailing from Latvia. “Cassiopeia” is an album filled with 71 minutes of very interesting electronic space music. It is nicely kicked-off by the title track, split in three parts. Some grand velvet textures merge with some twinkling sequencing while some light solo’s float on top. This rather active part is…
Release data: Steve Roach – Stormwarning CD, Timeroom Collector Series, 1999 This is the second re-release (but the “third” version now available as 24 –bit remaster) of Steve’s live-album “Stormwarning”, a dynamic live document that originally contained two long tracks. When it was re-released in 1992 on Lektronik Soundscapes, a third track (“Aftermath”) was added to the original SoundQuest-release as…
Release data: The Glimmer Room – Grey Mirrors CD, A-Frame Media, 2004 If I’m correct, “Grey Mirrors” is the second release of Andy Condon, who calls himself “a bedroom recording artist, keyboard fetishist and convicted technophile”. As I had never heard any of his music before, I was pleasantly surprised to hear it’s some kind of mellow ambient with rhythmic…
Release data: Gandalf – Colors of a New Dawn CD, Real Music, 2004 The music of the Austrian multi-instrumentalist Gandalf, aka Heinz Ströbl, has always been something special to me. But after his switch from Sony to the Sattva label his music became more and more new age with influences of world music. Since his former album, his music is…
Release data: Steve Roach – All is Now CD, Timeroom Editions, 2002 This, beautifully packaged, double live-cd comprises outtakes from the long list of intensive concerts Steve Roach gave during his US-tour in 2002. Concerts included Sedona Arizona, Oakland, San Francisco California, Portland Oregon, and the SFMOMA / Yoko Ono event in June 2002. Those familiar with his albums “Innerzone”,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces CD, Projekt, 2004 Steve wrote that the first ideas for this box-set came to life around 1996. From then on, it was accomplished and polished bit by bit, culminated to this form in the first months of 2003 in several nightly Time Room-sessions. Well, the outcome is impressive: four cds…
Release data: Steve Roach, Byron Metcalf & Mark Seelig – Mantram CD, Projekt, 2004 This tribal album is referred to as “eight parts in a continuous flow”, “grounded in a reverence for the slowing of time which allows the natural reflective process to emerge”. Well, it’s 70+ minutes of quiet, almost meditative environment in which delicately molded soundscapes shapeshift while…
Release data: Steve Roach – Holding the Space: Fever Dreams II CD, Timeroom Editions, 2004 “Holding the Space” is the second chapter of the Fever Dreams-trilogy. Steve is accompanied by Byron Metcalf on assorted percussion and drums, and Jennifer Grais lends her voice to a few tracks. Although the overall content is strongly tribal, it seems to me that Steve…
Release data: John Rose – Cosmogenesis CD-R, Space for Music, 2001 John Rose is one of the founding members of the band Spacecraft. From the start of that band, I expected some deep space music, but their approach didn’t quite match my taste. This cd by John Rose, a musical pioneer in the field for over 25 years using self-built…
Release data: David Parsons – Vajra CD, Groove Unlimited, 2004 After several years of silence and only the sampler “In Retrospect”, fall 2004 finally saw the release of “Vajra”, a new album inspired by the extensive journey’s Parsons undertook in Tibet and especially the Himalaya’s. The six tracks of “Vajra” display the remarkable musicianship Parsons his known for since he…
Release data: Harald Nies – Space is Everywhere CD-R, Private Release/Syngate, 2004 A promo of this cd was handed over to me at E-Live 2004. Well, Harald Nies hails from Xanten, Germany, and has a fascination for electric guitars, guitar effect-boxes and Krautrock. The album appears to be an instrumental one which offers quite some rocking guitar next to several…
Release data: Mind over Matter – On the Wings of the Wind CD, Heart & Mind, 2004 “On the Wings of the Wind” is the first Mind over Matter- cd on Klaus’ own Heart & Mind-label. The concept of the album is gasballooning and the uplifting experiences and feelings which occur during the sky-high journeys. This subject as such isn’t…
Release data: Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher – Tibet CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2004 Multi-instrumentalist Deborah Martin and world class harpist Cheryl Gallagher made a trip to Tibet in 1999 in search of the spiritual and musical heart of the land, its culture and landscape. The impressive outcome is “Tibet”, which is a celebration of various ancient Tibetan percussion, religious…
Release data: Liquid Mind – VII: Reflection CD, Real Music, 2004 Chuck Wild aka Liquid Mind found a new home at Real Music, which now releases and distributes his whole catalogue from now on. The Liquid Mind concept is all about offering relaxation music for the accelerating world we live in, to make us slow down to a more natural…
Release data: August When – The Hour Before Midnight CD-R, Private Release, 2002 This almost instrumental album by the Scottish musician Martin Gillespie (who is assisted on a few tracks by Elaine Crawford & Tj Stirling on vocals) is a concept cd, and also his debut album. It musically tells the story of a young man’s journey from childhood to…
Release data: Ian Tescee – Breathwork CD-R, Private Release, 1990/2000 Some might remember musician Ian Tescee from his albums “IO” and “Continua”, after which he somewhat “disappeared” from the scene. What a happy surprise it was when I saw him turn up on several electronic music forums, which proved he’s still around and making music. “Breathwork” was originally released in…
Release data: Terra Ambient – The Gate CD, Lotuspike, 2004 “The Gate” is the second cd of Jeff Kowal aka Terra Ambient, which took him over two years to complete. In the meanwhile Jeff also established the brand new label LotusPike with two companions, on which “The Gate” is the first release. Well, the new album is a welcome and…
Release data: Terra Ambient – The Darker Space CD-R, Space, 2002 Well, ambient space-music can count another pioneer to their community: Jeff Kowal alias Terra Ambient is a good friend of reviewer & Ambient Visions-contributor Jim Brenholts, who hereby present a strong debut with “The Darker Space”. The intriguing sound worlds, as inspired by fellow-musicians like Roach, Pearce etc. contain…
Release data: Soundician – The Beauty is Knowing CD-R, Private Release, 2001 Soundician’s second album “Beauty of Knowing” is a bit shorter compared to their debut cd. It contains just 35 minutes of music, but musically it digs in the same territory as its predecessor. From the beginning is is clear that the expressiveness of their music has grown, and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Life Sequence CD, Timeroom Editions, 2003 As Steve states in the cd-booklet, this album chronicles five unreleased pieces recorded between 1988 and 2003 which re-visit his roots in analogue sequencer style music. The cd nicely takes off with “Lightness of Being”, a bubbling soundscape with swirling fractal groove samples. Next we enter “Living the Dream”,…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Genesis CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2004 US-synthesist Craig Padilla already brought us the very nice album “Echo System” with Paul Ellis in spring of 2004. Well, he’s not done yet, as his second Spotted Peccary solo-release “Genesis” has been released. And what an awesome music it has become. Padilla’s exquisite blend of analogue and digital…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Music in Ambient Motion CD-R, Private Release, 2002 This is the second release of the trilogy which musician Peter Challoner started with the album “Music for Cloud Watching”. The album is as quiet as its predecessor. Again, there are two long tracks with contemplative, minimalist piano in Brian Eno-style, which beautifully merges with meandering, floating…
Release data: Dan Barrio – The Physical World CD-R, Private Release, 2002 To say that this work of 45 minutes is just an ambient-floater with some darker edges would be far too easy. Dan Barrio is a 26 year-old musician and audio-editor for film and tv, and has contributed some of his sound genius to the film The Blair Witch…
Release data: A Produce – A Smooth Surface (Special Edition) CD-R, Private Release, 2004 This release is a special edition of the original ep which Barry Craig put out in 1994, now containing the full 24 minute version of the title-track. “A Smooth Surface” is best describes as tranquil and slow evolving ambient soundscape music, which absolutely pays debt to…
Release data: Various Artists – Awakenings 2005 CD-R, Private Release, 2005 “Awakenings 2005” is a triple cd-r set put together by John Sherwood, a guy who organized several EM-concerts in the past in the UK. Since last year he plans a series of similar gigs with Jez Creek using the moniker “Awakenings”. This compilation features unique and existing tracks from…
Release data: Isaiah Toran – Whispering Quietly CD, Private Release, 2004 This is the second release of this Ohio-based musician, of which I found his debut album “Another Way Home” rather mediocre. “Whispering Quietly” (another journey exploring the self interior) begins with some Roach-like textural guitar before whale-sounds and abstract soundscapes fade in. “Dark Knight” offers some heavy piano-keys, wind-sounds…
Release data: Isaiah Toran – Another Way Home CD, Private Release, 2003 “Another Way Home” is a new age cd with warm textural atmospheres. It is designed to evoke self awareness, made by the Cincinnati-based musician Isaiah Toran. This debut cd (composed and performed since 1990) is well designed, and opens with soft, warm layers of floating sound, relaxation music…
Release data: Sylken – Dreamlife CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Dreamlife” is the fourth album composed by Sylken, aka Eric Hopper, assisted by a few fellow musicians, therefor The Sylken Ensemble. “Night Wings” (composed with Alpha Wave Movement) kicks off beautifully, offering “sylkie” space textures, which also show up on “In Astral Flight”. The third track (which Hopper easily calls his…
Release data: Surface 10 – Borrowed Time 2000 CD-R, Space for Music, 2004 “Borrowed Time 2000” is a compilation of unreleased pieces spanning the period 1994-1999. As the press-sheet explains, these tracks were originally intended for the first Surface 10 cd on Hypnotic Records in 1996, which unfortunately never happened. The music has a more vintage sound which especially reminds…
Release data: Soundician – Tranquilicity CD-R, Private Release, 2003 “Tranquilicity” contains a special melange of rather challenging ambient music from this Scottish duo. “Freefall” offers an inviting welcome, followed by the laidback and light atmosphere of “Cherryblossom” with a great melody that runs the surface. “Adrift” is a piece of traditional ambient music with distinct, soft dwelling soundscapes and echoing…
Release data: Solar Fields – Blue Moon Station CD, Ultimae Records, 2003 I hadn’t heard before of Solar Fields aka the Swedish ambient soundsculpter Magnus Birgersson, of which “Blue Moon Station” is his second album. Well, this one is impressive, as this guy knows how to handle his electronic gear. In a way, you might say “Blue Moon Station” features…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Ad Libitum CD-R, ad21 Music, 2004 “Ad Libitum” is Sanfilippo’s first solo recording on the new label ad21 music, which he started with his friend Max Corbacho. To me, it contains a certain feel of romance and infiniteness. At times it’s quiet, but it can also grow out to beautiful symphonic grandeur like in the…
Release data: Steve Roach – Places Beyond: The Lost Pieces 4 CD, Timeroom Editions, 2004 This is the fourth collection from Roach’s Timeroom-cavern, offering a nice cross-over collection of fractal and organic groove music next to deep end atmospheric and ethereal music. It’s not just a collection of outtakes and pieces that didn’t make it to other cds. Steve explains:…
Release data: Robert Rich Open Window CD, Soundscape Productions, 2004 In the period after “Calling Down the Sky”, Robert Rich took a necessary brake before he could sit down and make up his mind about “Open Window”, an album filled with 60 minutes of solo piano music . Piano music was often part of his live-concerts, and the pieces heard…
Release data: Dino Pacifici – The Float Zone CD, Private Release, 2004 Dino Pacifici has been around in electronic music for quite some time. By whatever reason it took longer before this new album saw the light, as the last album I heard from him (“Hallowed Ground”) is from 1999. As the album-title already indicates, the listener awaits an ambient/space…
Release data: Maitreya – .74 CD, Council of Nine, 2004 Simon Lomax aka Maitreya has already impressed me with his former albums “From the Mothership” and “Telluric Waves”, and it was also great to meet him and art designer Kama Glover in person at E-Live 2004. The cd begins with the same opening track as in his performance at E-Live,…
Release data: Logic Gate – From the Silence CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2003 Vintage electronic music has been made by quite some musicians, and to this list we now can add the output of Logic Gate. The guy behind this project is one Steve L. Grace hailing from California, who’s vintage music carries influences of TD (period 1974-1977) and Redshift.…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Soundscape CD, Private Release, 1996 Electronic music from Down Under from a musician named Lance Lenehan. According to some photo’s on his site, Lance has a private studio with a nice collection of analogue and digital equipment. His interest in electronic music was triggered after hearing Tomita’s version of Moessorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. Since…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Analogue Days CD, Private Release, 2004 “Analogue Days”, released in January 2004, is a compilation of archived tracks from the period 1983-1988. It contains music Lance Lenehan composed using quite a bunch of analogue equipment, such as a Roland System 100M and Roland System 100. The cd offers ten tracks with lots of warm, vintage…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Ambient Spaces CD, Private Release, 2004 My first encounter with the music of the Australian musician Lance Lenehan was back in 1996 with his album “Soundscape”, which couldn’t convince me. Now he’s back with this brand new album “Ambient Spaces”. It begins with the beautiful “Song of my Heart”, a warm and intimate piece with…
Release data: Matthew Florianz – The Tone T(h)ree CD, H/S Recordings, 2004 “Jack This is the first cd from this Dutch ambient musician, whose music I hadn’t heard until now. “The Tone T(h)ree” is a collection of older tracks recorded in spring 2000, which have been re-mastered for this album. Like the tree branches featured on the cd-inlay, this is…
Release data: Brian Eno – Music for Civic Recovery Centre CD, Opal ltd, 2000 This is another chapter in the series of ambient music Brain Eno is known for. The cd (part of Eno’s “Quiet Club” series) contains a 44:52 minute section from the “Civic Recovery Centre Proposal” installation at the Hayward Gallery in London in May/June 2000. In fact,…
Release data: Adelbert von Deyen – Painted Black CD-R, Private Release, 2006 Who remembers this Schulze “copy-cat” from the begin of the ’80? After several lp’s von Deyen decided to quit music in 1991 after the unfortunate death of his friend Dieter Schütz. Quite a surprise when he showed up on several music forums where he announced had released this…
Release data: Various Artists – Devil in the Detail CD, Interchill Records, 2007 “Devil in the Detail” is a downtempo breaks and bass compilation from the Canadian Interchill records, containing what the label describes as “a heavy dose of chunk, crunch and glitched out textures”. The disc has been carefully compiled by uk-based label dj/webmaster/graphic designer Nick Edell, who presents…
Release data: Max Corbacho & Bruno Sanfilippo – Indalo CD-R, ad21 Music, 2004 “Indalo” is the first full-length collaborative effort of these two musicians, who made their own music-business by starting ad21 Music. The concept-album is named after an old Andalusian symbol which still can be found in nowadays Spain. In 2001, Corbacho & Sanfilippo made a journey to a…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Nocturnal Emanations CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Nocturnal Emanations” is the fourth album of the Spanish ambient composer Max Corbacho, which again is worth the long wait. It features typical quiet long form ambient-space music divided in eight tracks, in which transparent synthwashes slowly develop and dissolve. A certain comparison to the current ambient excursions and…
Release data: Goldmund – Corduroy Road LP/CD, Type Recordings, 2005 “Corduroy Road” is the debut album of Keith Kenniff, aka Goldmund, featuring a collection of 13 most pastoral, intimate piano-based miniatures and a slice of acoustic guitar inspired by the American Civil War. The compact, most tranquil and narrative cinematic landscapes of minor-key piano sketched out here fit in the…
Release data: Pan Electric – Conscious Pilot CD-R, Absolute Ambient, 2007 “Conscious Pilot”, which has been gestating for over three years, is the third album from the British label Absolute Ambient, made under the collective name Pan Electric. This release isn’t that quiet as the previous albums by producer/writer Matt Coldrick, but still offers a rather extraordinary bundle of chill…
Release data: Christian Welde – Fairytales CD, Private Release, 1998 This is a great cd filled with dreamy music in the best tradition, but not so soft that it runs into new age. This remarkable music is able to reflect the grandeur of nature surrounding the talented Norwegian musician Christian Welde, who takes you on a relaxing journey without things…
Release data: Wave World – The Falls of Varnal CD, One Records, 2004 This is not a new cd from the Dutch multimedia project. It’s a compilation album released by the Russian label One Records. They selected seven tracks of their formerly released albums for this purpose, which are generally known to be very visual. The cd opens with “Another…
Release data: Various Artists – Distant Friends CD-R, Ambient Circle Music, 2004 A while ago, Brannan Lane started the new label Ambient Circle Music. Its first release, “Distant Friends”, is a compilation of collaborations between Brannan and six of his kindred musical friends: Vidna Obmana, Zero Ohms, Amir Baghiri, Robert Carty, Biff Johnson and Silvercord. Overall, the music is floating,…
Release data: Steve Verity – TimeStar CD, Private Release, 2004 Some may have heard of this American musician, who released his debut album “Digital Planet” back in 1994. The cd begins with the 18 minute title track, a soft flowing miniature of airy textures and the sound of clocks ticking. The following four tracks are well-balanced pieces of space music,…
Release data: Glen Tarachow – Waterclock CD, Burning Water Rebellion, 2004 Glen Tarachow seems to be a well known guy in the US-commercial music industry as a composer for television. “Waterclock” is his first full-length instrumental ambient cd, one with quite an own voice in ambient space and relaxation music. Next to sounding relaxed and a bit mystic, it also…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – Amorphous Worlds CD-R, Private Release, 2007 I came across American musician Phillip Wilkerson while visiting the cd outlet CD-Baby. Mr Wilkerson is a composer of free form textural ambient, of which his site learned he has more kindred albums under his belt. The first impression of the music of “Amorphous Worlds” seems to head towards…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Epiphany – Meditations on Sacred Hymns CD, Valley Entertainment, 2005 The subtitle of this cd didn’t make me that curious to liste to it. That is, something gave me the shivers this might be like his Christmas-albums. However, this cd proved to be better. In a previous e-mail Jonn already stated that this cd “sure…
Release data: Robert Rich – Echo of Small Things CD, Soundscape Productions, 2005 “Echo of Small Things” is a collection of sounds and image from a collaboration between ambient pioneer Robert Rich and his friend and photographer David Agasi. In over 60 minutes of music, Agasi’s sensual photography unites with Rich’s haunting, reflective soundscapes, both focussing on the beauty and…
Release data: Alby Potts – Dreaming for Real CD, Private Release, 1999/2004 “Dreaming for Real” is the debut album of one Alby Potts, an American composer and pianist who works in many musical genres including musical theater, chamber music and film scoring. The album is now available in a remastered form, containing a new version of the fifth track which…
Release data: Numina & Caul – Inside the Hollow Realm CD, Gestalt Records, 2004 The first impression I got from this collaborative recording is that it seems to move in some of the same beautiful realms which made Numina’s solo-album “Sanctuary of Dreams” stand out. On the other hand, at times it also breathes a more clouded, darker, and foreboding…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Slow Time CD, Private Release, 2005 On his completely self-crafted release “Slow Time”, Patrick O’Hearn turns his heals towards relaxed ambient, at the same time also leaving behind some of his typical sound. The overall album concept seems to deal with introspection and quietness as the music moves forward in the slow lane for 45…
Release data: David Parsons – Inner Places CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2005 The music of this album was made over two years ago, but by whatever reason shelved by the Celestial Harmonies label. The music is a counterpoint to the rhythmic, sampled tracks featured on “Vajra”, as it delves deep into the world of floating, meditative sound worlds, containing Parsons’ typical…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Insight CD-R, Shima Records, 2003 Parallel Worlds is the Greek ambient musician Bakis Siros, who has collected a vast assortment of vintage equipment, such as huge analogue modulars and analogue step sequencers. “Insights” is his second release of which the introductory tracks “Mechanical Wood” and “Dark and Blue” are quite heavy, as they don’t bear…
Release data: Jon Jenkins – Beyond City Light CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2005 “Beyond City Light”s the second cd of Jon Jenkins, who already made a favourable impression in the early days of the Spotted Peccary label with his album “Flow” and his collaborative album “Continuum” with Paul Lackey. The album opens with beautiful deep ambience by means of vast…
Release data: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre – The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre CD, Tadlow Music, 2006 October 2nd 2006 saw the release of this double cd featuring the Jarre’s major works presented in a classically, orchestral setting. All music is performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Crouch End festival Chorus conducted by Nic Raine. On a…
Release data: Galactic Anthems – Abstract Circuitry CD-R, Private Release, 2003 This is the second cd of Glenn Adams, who again surprises us with a nice blend of progressive and melodic EM. Taking off with the title-track, Glenn sets course through a vast space of textures and poly-rhythms, nicely followed by the wandering textures of “Sunrise at Sheep Pass” with…
Release data: Ishvara – Magik Square of the Sun CD-R, Private Release, 2005 Ishvara is the first of a series of limited edition releases of UK ambient composer Matt Hillier, also known as Ishq. They are released on Virtual, Ishq’s private label which plans to release more extra-ordinary, experimental and unusual deep ambient electronic works. The style “imaginary” is connected…
Release data: Ben Cox – On Water CD, Lotuspike, 2005 According to the press-information, ambient composer Ben Cox has been a musician for twenty-five years and a recording engineer for fifteen years. He’s also on of the founders of the Lotuspike label, which has released his debut cd “On Water”. The music is a blend of acoustic and electronic instruments,…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Autumn´s Apple CD, Lotuspike, 2004 Until now, I’ve heard quite nice ambient music from Darshan Ambient, aka Micahel Allison. For example, listen to his last album “The Zen Master’s Diary”, from 2003. In 2004, he founded a new label called Lotuspike with some friends. “Autumn’s Apple” is their second release. Well, fans of his music…
Release data: Michael Diamond – Atlantis Rising CD-R, Private Release, 2004 I found this California-based musician on the independent music site CD Baby. Well, both cover and music match as this is what one could call positively new age oriented music. No room here for difficult roundabouts, as we enter a world of ethereal floating soundscapes, some guitar and tabla…
Release data: Continuum – Volume 1 CD, Soleilmoon, 2005 Continuum is the duo Vidna Obmana and Steve Wilson, of which “Volume 1” is the first in a series of limited edition releases scheduled for the coming years. Fans of freeform, rather depressive and at times eerie ambient music can eat their heart out, as this album features three tracks of…
Release data: Robert Carty – Oceanic Space CD-R, Private Release, 2005 I have been familiar with the music of this American ambient space musician for quite some years, and must say I enjoy most of it. Well, “Oceanic Space” won’t disappoint those who love to listen to relaxing, deep space textures, which Carty now has carefully implemented into the water…
Release data: Between Interval – Radio Silence CD-R, Private Release, 2004 After I heard his stunning album “Secret Observatory” a while ago, I thought it would be a good idea to also track down the debut-album of Stefan Jönsson aka Between Interval. The album features quite a lot of distorted radio sounds, which don’t always make that much sense to…
Release data: Various Artists – Ping Ambience 2 CD-R, Private Release, 2004 This is the second sampler of the Canadian Ambient Ping concert series, this time filled with 13 studio tracks from the same amount of musicians. The disc starts with a weak piece from dreamSTATE, but track two sounds much better with the beautiful textural soundscapes of Alpha Wave…
Release data: Wave World – The Winds of Laax CD, VFR Records, 2005 I must confess I absolutely enjoyed the first three albums of this remarkable band, but after that I got rather confused by the direction of their music, which appeared not to be that mind thrilling and visual at all when compared to their first output. First of…
Release data: Michael Whalen – Like Rain Through My Hands CD, Alchemy Records, 2004 I already knew Mr Whalen’s music from his very nice ambient album “Nightscenes”, which was re-released by the same label in 2004. A strong feeling of melancholy and the passing of time is imbedded in the emotional music of “Like rain through my hands”. There’s a…
Release data: Various Artists – Waterhaven CD, Earthaven, 2001 The Canadian concept-album “Waterhaven” is a kind of celebration of the water element. Relaxing ocean sounds and seascape environmentals meet with quiet electronic compositions on five tracks. Two tracks are by the duo Danna/Clément, the other three by Stephen Bacchus (aka Grant Mackay). The wonderful 24-minute suite “To the Land beneath…
Release data: Alex Tiunaiev – Artificial Symphony CD-R, Ottersong Records, 2005 This album was released in March 2005 on the US-label Ottersong. Alex Tiuniaev is an ambient composer and electronic music artist from Moscow. On “Artificial Symphony” he combines the symphonic elements of neo-classical music with ethereal ambient atmospheres and soundscapes. “The Gray Wanderer” starts with gentle symphonic strings and…
Release data: Various Artists – Wilderness Mysterium CD, Earthaven, 2001 “Wilderness Mysterium” does the same thing as former concept album “Waterhaven”, but now focusses on the beauty and grandeur of the remote Canadian wilderness. Again there’s music of Stephen Bacchus, two tracks by Danna/Clément (“Ontario” and Summerland”) plus two solo-pieces (“Deserted Inlet” and “Wolfsong Night”) by Tim Clément. Although also…
Release data: Various Artists – Albedo CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 “Albedo” is another beautifully packaged concept-cd of the French Ultimae-label featuring “11 ambient refractions and kaleidoscopic grooves” by the same number of bands. he cd starts of with a quiet, meandering track by Carbon Based Lifeforms, before things move into the “Wishful Thinking”, a track by Between Interval with lots…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Expansion CD, Private Release, 2005 “Expansion” is the debut cd of Brendan Pollard, one half of the vintage band Rogue Element, which released the much acclaimed album “Premonition” last year. In their music they use the original Tangerine Dream sound effects frame dating from 1975, which now also has been applied in a further improved…
Release data: Sonic Adventure Project – Exergonic CD, Starmill, 2004 For quite a while electronic chill-out music is around, to which we now also can add the band Sonic Adventure Project, alias the Austrian duo Peter Köllerer and Thomas Vieböck. They are co-producers of several new acts in the Austrian popscene and also made music for videogames and websites. “Exergonic”…
Release data: Charlie Case & Jonn Serrie – Out of the Blue DVD, Starchronicles, 2004 This is the second dvd by visual artist Charlie Case. “Out of the Blue” (subtitled “Music and visuals for the mind”) again uses previously released deep space music of Jonn Serrie. It follows in the footsteps of the first dvd as it features one long…
Release data: Exuviae – Response CD-R, Atmoworks, 2003 “Response” is Exuviae’s (aka Brooks Rongstad) third instalment in a trilogy of ethereal ambient releases, which takes us on a similar journey through aural landscapes as his former albums. The eight tracks consist of floating textural plains of sound, drifting by in almost liquid form. Intimate, lush and spacious synth washes and…
Release data: Alio Die & Jack or Jive – Mei Jyu CD, Projekt, 2005 “Mei-Jyu” is a concept album inspired by Zen practice, composed by Alio Die (aka Stefano Musso) and the Japanese duo Jack or Jive. The rather serene music consists of nine tracks of rather non-rhythmic, mystic/melancholical ambient of etheral voices (of which parts made me think of…
Release data: Cyclotimia – Wasteland CD, StateArt, 2002 Cyclotimia is the Russian duo Maks K. and Leonid M., who describe their cross-over soundscapes as “L’Electronique Mondial”. Experiencing the content of “Wasteland” is like entering a world of dark, cold atmospheric ambient soundscapes, where things turn into something quite disturbing and apocalyptic. The first three tracks step into the deep with…
Release data: Thom Brennan – Silver CD -R, Private Release, 2005 It took almost two years before Brennan’s long awaited ninth album “Silver” saw the light of day. The album offers music that nicely follows in the footsteps of predecessors like “Mist” and “Satori”, presenting another collection of slowly morphing textural space music. The title track is divided in six…
Release data: Dolores Castro – Fifth Dimension CD, Musea Records, 2005 As we know since a lot of years, female musicians form a minority in the world of electronic music. To them we can now add Dolores Castro from Spain, who has a background in music theory and piano, composing music based on her intuition. Her output is symphonic kindred…
Release data: Robert Carty & Gerard Geary – Mount Meru CD-R, Private Release, 2003 “Mount Meru” is a collaboration between space musician Robert Carty and Gerard Geary. The latter is reading four mystical poems with his deep voice (which reminds a bit of Vincent Price) on the album. Next to great expansive space textures, there’s also a dynamic angle to…
Release data: Dene De Benedictis – Salvaging the Past CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2005 This album by ambient musician Dean de Benedictis was composed between 1992 and 2005. The sleeve notes on the concept album state the music is not only a homage to the electronic music of the past, but stretches its meaning to the present. Well, it offers…
Release data: Amir Baghiri & Nimh – Entities CD-R, Silentes, 2003 I discovered this collaborative release through a link on Amir Baghiri’s website, which referred to the site of the Italian ambient composer Nimh (aka Giuseppe Verticchio). “Entities” contains four extended tracks, making up over 70 minutes of ritual-ambient atmospherics spiced with ethnic influences. The drifting textures and dronescapes also…
The Spotted Peccary label already proved to have a good nose for fine ambient music. But this time they really have done a great job by releasing an album by Between Interval, aka the Swedish musician Stefan Jönsson. “Secret Observatory” is Jönsson’s second album, who also handles two other music projects in the techno/trance genre. This album features four extended…
Release data: Australis – Lifegiving CD, Private Release, 2005 Australis is a project of Oscar Aguayo, established in the middle of 2004, which is described as the natural expression of the human heart beyond languages, cultures and distances. Well, “Lifegiving” features 45 minutes of accessible, melodic instrumental songs which feel both emotional and visual at the same time. In a…
Release data: The Amaranth Signal – Penumbra CD-R, Private Release, 2004 Although I’m quite familiar with bands and musicians who operate in the ambient-space genre, I hadn’t heard of The Amaranth Signal. The band hails from Tennessee and consists of Mark Mahoney, Roger Hausmann and Michael D. Peck. “Penumbra” is their second album, containing five tracks (in all 50 minutes).…
Release data: A Produce – Black Sands CD-R, Private Release, 2005 The last couple of years, quite a lot of vault and retrospective recordings have been shown up and released by various e-musicians. The three disc set “Black Sands”, the second release of A Produce’s own Trance Port Special Editions, is a nicely packaged retrospective work exploring the ambient/trance music…
Release data: Valley Forge – Live and Session Tapes CD-R, Syngate, 2005 On this album, Valley Forge is Thomas Bechholds, Michael Seitz, Jurgen Winter accompanied by guest musician Bernd Kistemann. Although the title might suggest something else, “Live and Session Tapes” is not an album filled with leftovers. It captures various tracks from the “Leaving to nothing” concerts and studio…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Anthology CD, Neuronium Records, 2005 Bruno Sanfilippo’s “Anthology” comprises previously released tracks composed between 1991 and 2004. The tracks are taken from the albums “Sons of the Light”, “The New Kingdom”, “Solemnis”, “Suite Patagonia”, “Visualia” and “Ad Libitum”. The album opener “The Nobles come back” is an intimate, medieval-like track with lots of grandeur. The…
Release data: Stephen Philips – Dagboken CD-R, Hypnos Recordings, 2005 The album “Dagboken” (the word is Swedish for “diary”) is the first release by Stephen Philips and the Hypnos-label. Philips is owner of the ambient label Dark Duck Records and also initiator of the Drone Download project which is linked to it. Well, the album consists of one uninterrupted piece,…
Release data: Remanence – A Strange Constellation of Events CD-R, Mpath Records, 2005 Remanence is the ambient duo John Phipps and Brian McWilliams, who’s new album comes in a beautiful, special designed cd box. “A Strange Constellation…” assembles a long series of musical experiments which began in 1997 soon after their release “Apparitions”. It contains ten deep ambient excursions which…
Release data: Luis Alberto Naranjo – Total Eclipse CD, At-Mooss Records, 2004 Luis Alberto Naranjo hails from Murcia, the south of Spain. He started making his own music in 1993, which led to seven demo releases, so far. Nowadays he also makes music for radio shows and local TV. “Total Eclipse” is his first official solo-release, a concept-album dedicated to…
Release data: Nunc Stans – The Cerulean Suite CD-R, DataObscura, 2005 Nunc Stans, (translation: “The Eternal Now”) hails from the Canadian arctic circle. The album features four extended tracks which range between 11 and 17 minutes, creating an relaxing atmosphere of free form ambient wanderings. The music’s impact is overtly introspective with its nice flow of transparent but complex textural…
Release data: Philippe Emmanuel Gueble – Fire & Remembrance CD-R, Underwater Music, 2003 The album “Fire & Remembrance” by the French composer P.E. Gueble is a perfect example of quiet minimal music. Its smooth freeform soundscapes breath introspection and contemplation as they subtly shapeshift between darker and lighter shades, sometimes combining electronic with acoustic instruments. Not that I’m that fond…
Release data: Tom Heasley – Desert Triptych CD, Farfield Records, 2005 This cd carries the subtitle “three meditations for didgeridoo, voice and electronics”. It contains three live recorded extended soundscapes from 2003, all mixed by Robert Rich. It indeed is quite deep stuff, at times even psychedelic with its slow morphing organic textures, treated vocal sounds and overtone singing. These…
Release data: Global Communication – 76:14 CD, Discotheque, 2005/1994 I thought it might a good idea to focus, again, on this album (originally released in June 1994) as an expanded, remastered version of this classic album came out a short while ago, including a bonus cd. Since its release, “76:14” has always been described as some kind of soundtrack, one…
Release data: Diatonis – Ambient Life CD, Private Release, 2003 The album “Ambient Life” is a 3 cd set by Stuart White, aka Diatonis, which contains 23 tracks. This is a smooth journey through soft atmospheric drones, which seem to be a dedication to life, trying to capture its essence, beauty, remoteness, warmth and profoundness. As for the music, Stuart…
Release data: Richard Bone – Saiyuji CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2005 The press sheet states that “Saiyuji” (meaning Dawn), named after the ancient Buddhist temple in Singapore, is the last part of the trilogy begun with “Disorient” and “The Reality Temples”. Bone explains that the foundations of each track were created and shaped on vintage gear, and later some melody…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Music in Suspended Animation CD-R, Private Release, 2004 This is the last title in the trilogy that started with “Music for Cloudwatching”. On the concept of “Music in Suspended Animation”, Challoner states: “it looks towards the future, where everything is man made and synthetic, and so high speed that things seem in slow motion, like…
Release data: Peter Challoner – The Other Side of Time CD-R, Private Release, 2004 I formerly reviewed three other cd’s of the sympathetic UK-based ambient composer Peter Challoner, who’s intriguing soundscape music I cherish a lot. “The Other Side of Time” is a concept album meant to cleanse the mind from the frenzied mental assaults brought about by the impact…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Rooms CD, Arya, 2001 “Rooms” is a cd-box from this sympathetic German/Iran-based ambient musician, filled with 3 cds, and released in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies. The first pieces and ideas of this music were born in 1996, but have remained in Amir’s mind all that time, until it was time to finish…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Exosphere CD, Bluebox / Databloem, 2005 “Exosphere” was created between January 2003 and June 2005. The album was already announced years ago by Amir Baghiri, but I guess he couldn’t find any proper label which was interested to release it, so he finally did it all by himself. “Exophere” offers ten tracks making up 68…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Cosmology CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 On his cd “Cosmology”, Gregory Kyryluk alias Alpha Wave Movement moves into a grand way: the album sounds more massive, dynamic and orchestral than before, with a few references here and there to progressive electronic music of the ’70. Opener “Prologue Sequence” takes off with marvellous sounds and transitions…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Beyond Silence CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2005 Gregory Kyryluk returns with his inviting new solo album full of energizing sequencing and rhythms, warm melodies and a beautiful drive all the way through. The cd features eleven tracks which combine elements of the old and the new Schools of electronic music, nicely pulled off by…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement & Jim Cole – Bislama CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 1999/2005 This is a re-release on cd-r of the album which originally came out in 1999. The difference with the first release, beside a new cover, is the addition of the 15 minute bonus “Bali Twilight”, which is a live track from 2002. Still, the music…
Release data: Nik Tyndall & Bernd Scholl – Dreamspheres CD, BSC/Prudence, 2005 This German duo already knew each other for quite some years through various encounters on festivals. They also did a live-set on the Klemdag 1997 in Nijmegen. According to the press-sheet, “Dreamspheres” (chill out in space) captures their best collaborative works. Well, anyone whose looking or hoping for…
Release data: Dwight Ashley & Tim Story – Standing + Falling CD, Nepenthe Music, 2005 “Standing + Falling” is the duo’s third album, which took eight years to accomplish. Their music is heavy as it finds and explores “aural space”. It rides the experimental, adventurous edge, and the outcome on this album is no exception. It sounds harsh, dark and…
Release data: Dwight Ashley – Discrete Carbon CD, Nepenthe Music, 2004 Dwight Ashley, who I only knew from the music he did with Tim Story, characterizes his work as experimental. This is his first solo-album, containing unreleased ambient pieces from 1999-2003. Although his compositions are rather dark, there’s also a certain expansiveness and intimacy found, as e.g. heard in “It…
Release data: Kelvin L. Smith – The Dreaming Mind CD-R, EMMA, 2005 With such a title one might expect a quiet, light atmospheric work, but things turn out totally different: the content roams in dark ambience and its nature is rather active and rhythmic. I don’t know what Kelvin was thinking while composing this album, but to me the outcome…
Release data: Thought Guild – Continuum CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance, 2005 “Continuum” is the second cd from Gregory Kyryluk (also known as Alpha Wave Movement) and his companion Christopher Cameron. On their debut album “Context” the duo already handled their analogue and digital synthesizers in an inventive manner. The result on “Continuum” turns out even better, offering 56 minutes of…
Release data: Solar Fields – Leaving Home CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 “Leaving Home” is the third album by the Swedish musician Magnus Birgersson aka Solar Fields. It contains almost 80 minutes of high-tech down tempo groove music with occasional some floating textural electronica, although also veena and sitar are applied in the second track “Time Slide”. The third and fourth…
Release data: Steve Roach – New Life Dreaming CD, Timeroom Editions, 2005 The seed for creating “New Life Dreaming” began to germinate in December 2004 as Steve Roach started remastering his epic album “Dreamtime Return” (DR). This new album contains 5 extended tracks, all beautiful examples of freeform dreamy and quiet ambient sound painting, nicely kicked off by “Perfect Dream”.…
Release data: Solar Fields – Extended CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 The album “Extended” is actually a limited edition companion to “Leaving Home”. It’s an almost 80 minute atmospheric extension coming close to space music. The three tracks were used at a Swedish art installation. Overall it sounds very laid back and spacy in nature, and I must say I prefer…
Release data: Off The Sky – Gently Down The Stream CD, DataBloem, 2005 This is my first encounter with the music of the South California-based Off the Sky, aka Jason Corder. He’s one of the new protégées on the Databloem label of which this is his sixth album. The twelve tracks on this minimal sculptured (at times) album consist of…
Release data: Robert Rich – Electric Ladder CD, Soundscape Productions, 2006 The music on “Electric Ladder” is a smooth and sophisticated blend of vintage analogue synthesizers and acoustic tonalities. The latter are created on lap steel guitar, flutes, bassoon, soprano sax and acoustic guitar, played by either Robert or the two skilled session musicians who are his accompanists. I would…
Release data: D Loop – Mystery´s River CD, Ear Waves, 2004 D Loop, aka Dwight Loop, hails from Sausalito and has been performing electronic music since the late 70s in both solo and ensemble settings. Dwight is also a long-time radio host of “Earwaves,” a new and experimental music public radio program heard on public stations in New Mexico for…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light from Orion (Deep Skies 1) CD, Eventide Music, 2003 In the days of the former Dutch Em-fanzine KLEM I reviewed a couple of cds by this UK-based musician, who’s music was often categorized as New Age. ” Light of Orion” is the first in the Deep Skies Series, focussing on space music. Next to…
Release data: Cosmic Hoffmann – Electric Trick CD, Heart and Mind, 2005 The album “Electric Trick” is the sixth cd of Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock aka Cosmic Hoffmann. It features recordings made between 1978 and 2003. Stephen Parsick joins him on several tracks of what is described as a 70 minute vintage/psychedelic ride through time and space. The album offers a nice…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – Being to Being CD, Lascaux21, 2002 “Being to Being” is the debut album of the Canadian autodidact musician Tim Gerwing who’s cd offers a simple but very nice looking cover, stating that the musical content concerns “mystical ambiences in the 4th world”. Well, Tim’s approach is quite unusual and very difficult to find the proper…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – The Butterfly Effect CD, Lascaux21, 2004 I must confess that it’s a challenge to listen to this second release (which took over two years to complete) from the Canadian ambient musician Tim Gerwing. Listening to it is an adventure in itself, as it investigates deeper worlds and their meaning. The first five tracks are accessible,…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alpha ~ Omega CD, Private Release, 1998 The cd “Alpha~Omega” is the final chapter of the Star-System trilogy, released in the year Andrew Forrest permanently moved to New Zealand. The album contains seven tracks making up 74 minutes of ethereal heavenly music. At times a bit reminiscent to the floating works of Michael Stearns, the…
Release data: Diatonis – Highway 1 CD-R, Private Release, 2005 The album “Highway 1”, inspired by journey’s Stuart White aka Diatonis undertook travelling California’s Highway 1, was conceived between September 2004 and July 2005, and was realized using highly processed synthesizers and guitars. The mesmerizing ambient music is overall relaxed and intimate, reaching out to and reflecting deeper emotions. Melancholy…
Release data: Blue Stone – Breathe CD, Neurodisc, 2006 Blue Stone is a new project on Neurodisc, a label which already released the accessible and successful music of Amethystium and Ryan Farish. Knowing this, one definitely hears clear echoes of these two in the electronic, rather laid-back pop music of Blue Stone, aka Robert Smith (also known as the driving…
Release data: Streamline – Beyond the Horizon CD-R, Private Release, 2005 The man behind Streamline is the American musician Gary Mulford. The album starts off in a dreamy, floating manner with “Ptolemy’s View”, followed by the shorter space track “Adrift”. The music evolves in moody, relaxed way. Overall, the album contains some interesting smooth space ambient and a bit more…
Release data: Soundician – Seven Sisters CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Seven Sisters” is the fourth album by the English duo Odette and Kit Johnson aka Soundician. The music tracks were written as a suite, inspired by a Neolithic burial site near their home with seven trees on top of the mound (which were used as the title of the album).…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion One CD, Projekt, 2006 “Immersion: One” is the first of an ongoing series of infinite playback recordings from Steve’s Timeroom studios intended to be played at low volume. The press-info describes it as steady state “zones” created specifically as tone meditations for the living space. Like the former albums it contains one uninterrupted track…
Release data: Steve Roach – Possible Planet CD, Timeroom Editions, 2005 “Possible Planet” is the zone world album which came to life while Roach was revisiting “Dreamtime Return” before re-mastering it. The outcome is a long-form living-breathing soundscape album with a solid organic foundation, composed on analogue instruments only. The album has three extended tracks, all featuring slowly morphing and…
Release data: Nostalgia – The House on the Borderland CD, Arsbenevolamater, 2005 “The House on the Borderland” is the second cd of Nostalgia, aka Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow, and on this project they are accompanied by the Italian musician Luigi Seviroli. The latter delivered the album concept to the duo, although he already prepared the framework and foundation of…
Release data: Luminous Dimensions – Luminous Dimensions DVD, Numinations, 2004 Well, fans of the ethereal ambient music of Jeff Pearce can rejoice this unique animation video combining the animation of Michael DuBois and Jeff’s transparent soundscapes. The animations on “Luminous Dimensions” attempt to represent the majesty and mystery of worlds within. The main course is the almost hour-long “Luminous Voyage”,…
Release data: Mark Mahoney – If Dreams were Clouds CD-R, Private Release, 2004 Mark Mahoney is one of the members of the ambient space band The Amaranth Signal, who’s album “If Dreams were Clouds” is his solo debut. Although free form and sounding rather chilled-out, there’s also a slight surrealistic/experimental veil penetrating the flowing soundscape music on this album, which…
Release data: Jan Nemeček – Through the Planetary Void CD-R, Private Release, 2005 Jan Nemeček is a native of Belgrade, Serbia, where he works as sound designer and television/film soundtrack scorer. “Through the planetary void” was conceived as a soundtrack to a complete ambient space journey. The free form textural music, with accompanying effects, touches unearthly ground as it goes…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Lagoon of Eternity (Deep Skies 2) CD, Eventide Music, 2004 This is the second cd from Kevin’s Deep Skies series, on which he attempts to create unique sound landscapes that reflect this feeling of swirling movement. As on the first album, some glissando guitar is once again used, but this time it’s not overdone. The…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Starseed CD, Private Release, 1997 Andrew Forrest is a visual artist and musician from Cornwall, UK who lives in New Zealand since 1998. “Starseed” is the soundtrack to the esoteric film “Merkabah, Voyage of a Starseed”, and the second part of the Star-System trilogy, a concept-project which was started in 1992. The music on “Starseed”,…
Release data: Karmacosmic – Music for Tantra & Meditation CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 Karmacosmic is a project of Rüdiger Gleisberg (Solitaire), Carsten Agthe and Mathias Grassow. Well, don’t expect this album to be that quiet, as some live- recorded rhythms are implemented into the music. The trio presents an hour of oriental flavoured music, which, for the most part, is instrumental.…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Abstract Ambient Form CD-R, Private Release, 2005 I previously reviewed an ambient trilogy of this English composer, who’s freeform music I like a lot. “Abstract Ambient Form” contains six “Formations” featuring an ongoing flow of warm freeform textures. Each of the compositions seem constantly evolving, but track 2 seems to be a bit lightweight and…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alchemy CD, Private Release, 2002 The year 2002 saw the release of “Alchemy”, Andrews first album after 4 years after finishing Star System Trilogy. The album contains four long tracks all between 15 and 20 minutes and which heads a bit more towards New Age Music. The first track starts with some pleasant piano before…
Release data: U. Kay Hytz – An Acute Sense of the Absurd CD-R, Private Release, 2006 A couple of years ago, in 2002 to be exact, this UK-band released the impressive album “Ambients”, an ambient album next to their more poppy/alternative music. Last year the band unfortunately lost their drummer Nigel Vargeson, which made things very unsure as to whether…
Release data: Solitaire – Altered States CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1990 Solitaire is the brainchild of German synthesist Elmar Schulte, a project devoted to ambient/electronic music. For some albums and Solitaire’s debut “Altered States”, Schulte collaborated with the classically trained composer/musician Rüdiger Gleisberg. In 1989 Elmar and Rüdiger Gleisberg moved in the same house where they could work together on their…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Momentium CD, Air Space Records, 2006 “Momentium” is the second release of Jeffrey Koepper, who’s beautiful release “Etherea” was quite a success a couple of years ago. Koepper’s musical adagio was and still is “to create the music of tomorrow with the technology of yesterday”, thereby referring to the bunch of vintage analogue instruments he…
Release data: Danna & Clément – A Gradual Awakening CD-R, Earthaven/Mirage, 2005 Originally released I 1977, this is the first time this Canadian classic album –“A Gradual Awakening”– is available on cd. It was privately released on cassette by both artists, then got a mc re-release on Fortuna Records in 1984. A third mc-release appeared on Chacra Alternative Music, which…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Winter CD, Eventide Music, 2006 It’s winter over here while listing to this cd, so it’s perfecty timed. Kevin states in the booklet this music has been in production for 2,5 years, and is meant as a restful, reflective soundtrack for the season. Opener “January Sunrise” is a soft glowing track with a strong laidback…
Release data: Richard Bone – Vesperia CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2006 The concept-album “Vesperia” certainly shows a new direction in the music of ambient composer Richard Bone. The album is a commissioned work made for vesper service at a Holliston church in Massachusetts. Containing only 40 minutes, it features four tracks with soft, sacred and overall flowing new age music,…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Glaciation CD, Private Release, 2007 The issue of global warming has entered the world of electronic music as Patrick O’Hearn’s album “Glaciation” was inspired by the otherworldly beauty of the northern latitudes and dedicated to all those who share respectful consideration for its future. On his site, Patrick says that the “simple 13 composition music-told…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Planet X CD, Bluebox, 2006 The cd “Planet X” (inspired by the exotic astrophysical phenomena of the 10th planet) is Baghiri’s second privately released cd on his own Bluebox-label. His former album “Exophere” was a very nice effort, and I’m more than happy to say this new one doesn’t disappoint either. It’s an in-depth ambient…
Release data: Liquid Mind – Relax – A Liquid Mind Experience CD, Real Music, 2007 The sales of the floating stress relief music of Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, surely will receive another boost as Real Music has decided to release “Relax”, a compilation album comprising seven tracks from his former albums and one new track (“I am Willing”). Liquid…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – SphereWare CD, Spheric Music, 2007 I lost track of Robert Schroeder and his music quite a long time ago, as I thought it had become mediocre and too predictable, although I saw him perform live a couple of times in recent years at jamsessions in Germany. “Sphereware” is his second release on Spheric Music (but…
Release data: Christian Høy Knudsen – Hav CD, Council of Nine, 2000 “Hav” is the second release of the UK –based ambient label Council of Nine, run by Simon Lomax. Its composer is the Norwegian Christian Høy Knudsen, who spent two years sculpting and refining the dark and compelling textural outcome making up the concept release. “Hav” (the Norwegian word…
Release data: Ti-Cal – Coriolis CD, Council of Nine, 2002 Coriolis is the third cd on the small UK-based ambient-label COFN, and it’s another gem to look out for. Tarl Broad-Ashman, aka Ti-Cal, formerly one half of the duo Innerise, says to be musically influenced by Pete Namlook & Global Communication. He aptly describes his creations as “favorite morning and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Kairos DVD, Timeroom Editions, 2006 After quite some different projects and efforts to combine his intensive music with visuals, Steve Roach has culminated things and pulled them to a new, spectacular level with “Kairos” – The Meeting of Time and Destiny. For the project, Steve collaborated with five excellent light, film, and digital artists (Lynn…
Release data: Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook – Sleeps with the Fishes CD, 4AD, 1987 “Sleeps With The Fishes” is the excellent outcome of a collaboration between musician Pieter Nooten and ambient, experimental guitarist Michael Brook. The authentic tracks of this classic album were actually bedroom recordings by Pieter Nooten produced on a simple -at this time out of date-computer.…
Release data: Gandalf – More Than Just A Seagull CD, Seagull Music, 1988 This recording was originally composed in 1983 as the soundtrack for the multimedia-performance “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” in Vienna, Austria. It was one of the albums released on Heinz Strobl’s own label Seagull Music, and it also was his US debut. The music is a bit different from…
Release data: Steve Roach – Storm Surge – live at Nearfest CD, Nearfest records, 2006 “Dreamsurge” contains an unedited live recording of the concert Steve Roach performed at NEARfest on July 9, 2005. The 46 minutes of passionate, tribal-flavoured ambient music featuring pulsating rhythms, didgeridoo and Roach’s haunting soundscape textures. There’s also a new track to be found here: the…
Release data: Kelly David – Broken Voyage CD, Rocky Mountain records, 2001 “Broken Voyage” is the debut cd of the talented, Colorado-based synthesist Kelly David, which finds the listener in an overall adventurous landscape where you journey into unknown & mysterious territory. Strong ethno/tribal percussive beats blend together with darker sound textures, weaving a dense atmosphere in which you can’t…
Release data: Kelly David – Angkor CD, Rocky Mountain Records, 2006 Like Jeffrey Koepper, Kelly David also reelased his second cd in 2006. Same as Koepper, Kelly only uses analogue instruments for his music, which resulted in deep, darkening soundings on his debut “Broken Voyage”. “Angkor”, again mastered by Steve Roach, tells a bit of a different story with its…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Moontribe CD-R, ad21 Music, 2004 “Moontribe” contains a collection of previously unreleased tracks, meant for collaborative projects that finally did not happen, plus two brand new pieces. I must say it’s great Max didn’t put them on the shelf, as the music presented here is some pretty awesome stuff. It’s an impressive aural journey of…
Release data: Robert Carty & Brannan Lane – Dreamswirl CD-R, Private Release, 2006 “Dreamswirl” is the follow-up album to Carty & Brannan’s “Climatic Infusion”. Again it features deep ambient floating music, sounding melodic yet surreal organic as track after track goes by. As on their former album, the music of “Dreamswirl” is characterized by a smooth, continues flow. The sound…
Release data: Robert Carty – Suntales CD-R, Private Release, 2006 For years, Robert Carty is known for his highly atmospheric, moody and even spacy ambient music. Well, “Sun Tales” adds a nice chapter to his long list of releases. “Light Dance” kicks off in an inviting manner before “High Tales” takes us on an excellent, lush excursion through space. “Heart…
Release data: Robert Rich – Calling Down the Sky CD, Soundscape Productions, 2003 “Calling Down the Sky” is a live-cd by Robert Rich, clocking at exactly 74 minutes, offering all new atmospheric music. While heavy weather conditions followed Robert Rich during his tour in summer 2003, he gave a house-concert in Denver, where he was surrounded by a group of…
Release data: Between Interval – Autumn Continent CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2006 “Autumn Continent” is the third cd of the Scandinavian musician Stefan Jönsson, and his second on the Spotted Peccary sub label Wanderings. Like his former recording this again is a great, highly cinematic ambient adventure built of well-crafted soundscapes. The ten mysterious, sometimes even darkening textural landscapes float…
Release data: Dene De Benedictis – A Lone Reply CD, Fateless Records, 2001 Dean is also known as the musician behind Surface 10, but the music on “A Lone Reply” is something completely different from the rather experimental output on his Surface 10 release “In Vitro Tide”. All recordings were realised between fall ’98 and spring ’99, and is a…
Release data: Brian Parnham – Between Here and There CD, Floating Point Records, 2005 This is the second release of the American ambient musician Brian Parnham, whose name popped up a few years ago on the Broadvista ambient-sampler “Passing Strange”. The first 8 tracks are taken from an un-released dvd–soundtrack, the other 2 tracks are earlier composed, unreleased tracks. Well,…
Release data: Kelvin L. Smith – Reclining Music CD-R, Farfield Records, 2003 Kelvin L. Smith hails from South Wales. The cd-cover states that this is “a collection of cliché free ambient tracks for relaxation. Guaranteed free of whale-song and nose-flutes !”. “Reclining Music” is filled with eleven distinct tracks of minimal, sometimes rather abstract and slight drony movements. Things here…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Beautiful World CD, Private Release, 2003 For “Beautiful World”, Patrick again invited his musical companion Peter Maunu, who adds some fine 6 and 12 strings guitar to his inspiring music. Clocking at exactly 48 minutes, the album still contains the distinct sounds & textures that have made his music a trademark over the years, starting…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Visualia CD, Neuronium Records, 2003 Bruno Sanfilippo is an Argentinean/Spanish composer and a close friend of ambient musician Max Corbacho, who established to have his new album released on Michel Huygen’s label. With his fifth album he attempts to make music that awakes images hidden in our memory, but which also corresponds to the fractal…
Release data: Sean Washburn – Wave Mantra CD, Private Release, 2000 “Wave Mantra” is by all means a very nice album by American ambient-artist Sean Washburn. It offers the listener a spiritual journey of introspective music, lasting for 73 minutes, offering lush drone/soundscapes in which you will encounter a perfect melting of electronic and acoustic elements. The ongoing vast soundworlds…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Woodwork CD, Bajkal Records, 2007 I hope lots of you will remember this Norwegian’s band’s extraordinary performance on E-Live 2006, which clearly showed what can be achieved through improvisation using analogue gear. “Woodstock”, featuring four tracks created on the same basis, is a hard-edged journey of not that accessible vintage music. The word “smooth” isn’t appropriate…
Release data: Richard deHove – Worlds Beyond Number CD, Private Release, 2006 It’s been quiet for a long while regarding new artists composing well produced space music. Well, this guy Richard DeHove sounds most promising on his cd “Worlds of Number”. The strong opening track “The Good Earth” has been used for as background music for a series of space…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Spiral Journey CD, Electrofine Music, 1998 “Spiral Journey”is the second cd of the Colorado-based American musician Jim Pietkivitch. The cd-cover looks very nice and invites the listener on an imaginary trip into the huge galaxy which surrounds us. The cover goes very well with the featured music on the album: here we get a good…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Inner Worlds CD, Electrofine Music, 2004 Before I started listening to this cd, Jim let me know this new music has an “Inner” theme to it. In addition he explained it may not be as electronic or space sounding as the former one “Spiral Journey”, but the overall feel should be more consistent. The first…
Release data: Terran Spiral – Time to Slide CD-R/Digital Download, Private Release, 2001 Terran Spiral is mainly Robert Carpenter. He has set himself the goal to create cinematic, adventurous music, inspired by books, TV, film and even computer games. “Time to Slide” contains overall instrumental music, except for two vocal tracks, where Robert’s rather fierce guitar solo’s can be heard…
Release data: Waterbone – Tibet CD, IntentCity Records, 2003 Waterbone is a music project by producers/musicians Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendall Jones, who travelled all the way to Tibet to score a variety of raw source material. On “Tibet” (which is actually a re-release from an album from 1997)they combine them with worldbeat/trip hop dance grooves and hypnotizing rhythms. Well,…
Release data: Eirik Lie – 12 Bilder CD, Visuell Musikk, 1996 “12 Bilder” is the first release of this small Norwegian label. It contains a selection of music of the Norwegian musician Eirik Lie which he made for installations, theatre and videos. Upon hearing this cd, you’ll enter a strong eclectic, rather dark-shaped world of textures that at first reminded…
Release data: Mark Dwane – 2012 CD, Trondant/Orbian Music, 2007 I must confess I lost interest in Mark Dwane’s music after his first few albums (which in my opinion started to repeat itself more and more after his second and third release), but I’m happy to see he has further developed his musical style after all. “2012” is Mark’s ninth…
Release data: John Lyell & Brent A. Reiland – Synthetic Universe CD, Private release, 2002 “Synthetic Universe” is the second cd of this Minneapolis-based duo that made quite an impression in the scene with their debut-cd “Wormholes” in 1998. This is another fairly strong effort in traditional spacemusic, but John Lyell & his musical companion Brent A. Reiland also dare…
Release data: Maitreya – Telluric Waves CD, Council of Nine, 2003 It took Simon Lomax a.k.a. Maitreya four years to present us with this, his second album, but I must confess that the end result more than makes up for that. The sound of Maitreya has matured, pushing the boundaries in a most surprising way. The quiet “Night Vision” starts,…
Release data: Still Life – Volume Two CD, Private release, 2005/2006 Stiff Life is the duo Nelson Foltz and Tom Lynn, who state on the simple green cd-cover that no electronic instruments were used in this recording. This seems to be there third album (formerly they made “Volume One” and “Interlude”), featuring a sound experience which doesn’t emerge from silence…
Release data: Brannan Lane – Submerge CD-R, Ambient Circle Music, 2006 The album “Submerge” contains thirteen uninterrupted tracks of rather dark-oriented ambient music, freeform for the biggest part. There are quite some bell-like sounds scattered all over the album. “Part 8” features some heavy percussion accompanying the freeform ambient textures before things take a bit of an spooky turn on…
Release data: Numina – Symbiotic Spaces CD, Gestalt Records, 2007 In my opinion, Numina (aka Jesse Sola) has always been a rather extraordinary ambient musician composing delicately crafted ambient space music. The beautifully designed “Symbiotic Spaces” is a double-cd containing rare and unreleased tracks from 2000 till 2007, featuring music of which I’m more than happy it’s now available. Listening…
Release data: Sync24 – Source CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Sync24 is a project of Swedish composer Daniel Ringström, one of the members of the Scandinavian down-tempo project Carbon Based Lifeforms. After several loose tracks on various samplers, “Source” is Daniel’s first full-length solo release. Listening to “Source” is kind of a deep and gliding experience, as the overall music with…
Release data: Anomalous Disturbances – The Spirit Molecule CD-R, Private Release, 2002 On his debut album “The Spirit Molecule”, musician Terry O’Brien uses the sedating, hypnotizing effects of repetition and loops while using electronic devices. His deep breathing soundscapes created through electronically modified looping guitar might make you think of Jeff Pearce, but here some different angles are taken. The…
Release data: Sonic Metro – Six Dregrees of Separation CD-R, Private Release, 2007 “Six Degrees in Seperation” is the debut album of Sonic Metro, aka the Dutch musician Peter Leijdsman. He formerly played guitar, drums and piano bit before he decided to switched to electronics. A whole new musical world presented itself, opening up totally new horizons. The instrumental album…
Release data: Steve Roach – Quiet Music CD, Fortuna Records, 1986/1999 “Quiet Music” (QM) is a collection of pieces ambient master Steve Roach created in respect for silence between 1983 and 1986. It is dedicated to the passing time and the experience of watching particles in sunlight. The recordings were originally commissioned for several healing arts programs such as the…
Release data: Kevin Rees – Pools of Instability CD-R, Private Release, 2003 Kevin Rees hails from Hampshire, England, but now lives in Osaka, Japan. This album was composed almost entirely on a Korg Trinity with only occasional use of classic and acoustic guitar. The recording stands quite on its own, although a typical Japanese flavour is apparent in the first…
Release data: Steve Roach – Proof Positive CD, Timeroom Editions, 2006 Steve’s Roach’s re-discovery of pure analogue instruments has led to another album of excellent “spontaneous impulse”, to quote the sleeve note of the cd. The 21-minute track “Westwind” kicks off with great minimal pulse sequencing and delicate soundscapes before the tantalizing vintage sequences from “Living the Pulse” show up…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures CD, ad21music, 2007 “Piano Textures” is an introspective album which offers center stage for the processed sounds of a Grand old piano from 1923, accompanied by some synthesizers, duduk and samples of strings. All eight tracks have a more or less cinematic impact, their sounds tap from some kind of subconscious source, breathing…
Release data: Peter Mergener & Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock – Visions of Asia CD, BSC/Prudence, 2006 These two experienced German musicians already contributed on one track of each of their former albums. This is their first full-length release for which Hoffmann-Hoock did all the sound design, but one can clearly hear that each track carries a stronger signature of one of them.…
Release data: Amethystium – Odonata CD, Neurodisc, 2001 “Odonata” is a special and great looking cd from the Norwegian musician Øystein Ramfjord. It is almost all instrumental music which nicely features some influence of Enigma, but next to that also elements of the music of Synaesthesia, John Stanford (trance/dance-feel) and David Parsons (Tibetan/ethnic flavour)can be heard. Very nice deep bas-loops,…
Release data: Psicodreamics – Mythomusic (remastered) CD-R, Private Release, 1997 A while back, Spanish musician Salva Moreno aka Psicodreamics came up with the idea to revisit his album “Mythomusic”, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its creation. He gave the music a thorough remastering to make the music stand out even more. To a certain degree, the 13 neo-classical tracks on…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Obsessive Surrealism CD, DiN, 2007 “Obsessive Surrealism” is the fourth full-length release of musician Bakis Sirros aka Parallel Worlds, one continuing the path of innovative dreamy atmospheric electronics since he started his music project in 1998. In a way he again succeeded in surprising me as Bakis reaches new heights with the eleven tracks featured…
Release data: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy – Lithosphere CD, DiN, 2005 This is the second collaborative album of Rich & Boddy, released as a limited edition of 2000 copies. It’s the outcome of ten days of hard work in Rich’s studio. Compared to its predecessor “Outpost”, the sound and overall feel of the new album is more organic, energetic…
Release data: Soundician – Memorophilia CD-R, Private Release, 2006 “Memorophilia” is the fifth cd of the English duo Odette and Kit Johnson on which they continue the musical path of its predecessors. Soundician’s output always had a rather unique style and sound, and on this recording the duo further investigates the boundaries of their minimal oriented rhythmic/melodic style. Although dedicated…
Release data: Jonathan Badger – Metasonic CD, High Horse, 2006 The cd “Metasonic” (lasting only 29 minutes!) is a live recording by the Baltimore- based musician Jonathan Badger. The music is all done with guitar with no studio overdubbing. In what he calls “a diverse sonic palette”, Badger applied use of pulse to bring rhythm to the ambient form. “Code”…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Moonwater CD, Lotuspike, 2006 “Moonwater” is Rudy’s first release on the rather ambitious Lotuspike-label. As explained in the booklet, the start of the music was more or less accidental as some of his main studio equipment broke down. Nevertheless, the outcome is a beautiful collection of relaxed and moody ambient music carrying some distinct elements…
Release data: Projekt Erde – Mysterious Vibrations CD, CMS/4U, 1992 Musician and sound specialist Christoph Hausmann had a 24-track studio in the late 80s and early 90s. It had nearly all of the state-of-the-art synthesizers available at that time such as CMI Fairlight, Oberheim Matrix 12, Emax I and II and Sequential’s Prophet VS. Christoph met sound technician Martin Stark,…
Release data: Asura – Life 2 CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Rather quick after the former great release “Source” from SYNC24, July 7th saw this release of Asura, the musical moniker of one Charles Farewell. The album starts out with drones, Aramean tribal rhythms, vocal samples on “Golgotha”, before a acid/dance sequence, fx’s and grand textures kick in on the glowing…
Release data: Jack Wood – Lighthouse CD, Private Release, 2007 “Lighthouse” is the beautifully designed second album (his debut “Per Ankh” came out in 2002) of the American visual artist Jack Wood. He uses the subject of the lighthouse to reflect his ideas, thoughts and visions from the lighthouse keeper’s point of view, investigating its various intrinsic and emotional elements:…
Release data: A Produce – Land of a Thousand Trances (special 2-cd edition) CD-R, Trance Port Special editions, 1994/2007 The last couple of years, Barry Craig aka A Produce has invested quite some works in revisiting & re-releasing some old recordings from the past. March 2007 saw the re-appearance of the 13-year old “Land of a Thousand Trances”, now available…
Release data: Samsa – The Laurentian Divide CD-R, Dark Winter, 2002 Samsa is Nathan Larson, one of the guys who founded the now defunct ambientlabel GreenHouse Music. “The Laurentian Divide” is his dark-ambient debut, which contains lots of heavy dronespaces with experimental touches and voice-samples, so quite hard stuff actually. But there is space on this cd for more transparent,…
Release data: Klaus Schulze – Kontinuum CD, SPV/Synthetic Symphony, 2007 I wasn’t that impressed by the music on his former album “Moonlake”, although I liked the first few minutes of the opening track very much. Well, the first track of “Kontinuum” made my smile stay on my face all the way through, as “Sequencer” (from 70 to 07) sets out…
Release data: Forrest Fang & Carl Weingarten – Invisibility CD, The Foundry, 2006 While listening to this fine cd, one almost has to think of some form of Fripp/Eno project, but then in a more spaced-out, floating manner. Mr Weingarten contributes some great sliding and well crafted guitar works to the very nice woven ambient textures and soundscapes of Mr…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion Two CD, Projekt, 2006 This is the second chapter in the Steve’s Immersion-series, aptly subtitled “Artifact Ghost”. As with all former infinite playback recording, the disc features one uninterrupted track of over 70 minutes. It contains a long atmospheric tapestry of slowly morphing textures and forms breathing calmness and introspection as the journey goes…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Interpolation CD-R, Private Release, 2007 “Interpolation” is the fifth album by the skilled British ambient composer Peter Challoner, bearing the subtitle “Music in Ambient remix”. It contains six extended tracks all breathing a relaxed but this time a bit more active music (compared to his former albums), as the freeform soundscapes are accompanied by some…
Release data: Anomalous Disturbances – HovR CD-R, Private Release, 2003 This is the second long awaited release of the Canadian musician Terry O’Brien who already surprised me with his engaging album “The Spirit Molecule”. Well, Hovr features lots of delicately structured repetitive elements, again created via electronically modified looping guitar and is another masterful recording. E.g. the grand track “Apparitions”…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – Images and Memory CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2007 May 31, 2007 saw the release of this beautiful retrospective album, an anthology of Johannes Schmoelling’s work comprising a well chosen list of tracks from 1986-2006, also featuring several new, unreleased pieces. In all, there are 23 tracks, nicely kicked off by “Zeit” and two more tracks of…
Release data: Amethystium – Emblem CD, Neurodisc, 2006 The album “Emblem” is a compilation-cd aptly subtitled “Selected Works I”, comprising tracks from his former three very successful albums “Odonata” (2001), “Aphelion” (2003) and “Evermind” (2004), which form the so called Dragonfly trilogy. All tracks have been digitally remastered and got a personalized narrative of Øystein Ramfjord, the musician behind the…
Release data: Projekt Erde – 11:11 CD, CMS/4U, 1991 Approximately six months after the German duo Hausmann & Stark had finished “Mysterious Vibrations”, the two musicians made a journey to Egypt. After their return they did the same kind of recording as for the previous album and generated the basic tracks for “11:11”. Different from “Mysterious Vibrations”, the music of…
Release data: Various Artists – Analogy 2 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2006 In 2005 under the title “Analogy, Volume 1”, a compilation cd came out with unreleased material from a lot of interesting electronic musicians. The assignment was to create a piece only using analog equipment. This was a success, hence now a second cd is released (well, the title “Volume…
Release data: Lisa Walker – Grooved Whale CD, Private Release, 2001 Canadian-born musician Lisa Walker has a peculiar fascination for humpback whales and their natural environment. So she made lots of recordings with a hydrophone, capturing the amatizing, broad repertoire of communication patterns of these huge animals, combining them with environmental sounds, and integrated all this into some highly inspired…
Release data: Ad van Gerven – Hatching CD, Cue Records NL, 1992 Ad van Gerven was one of the electronic musicians living in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, who participated in the KLEM subsection KLONE at the start of the ‘90. In 1989 he made his first electronic compositions, resulting in two tracks (“Etude” and “Etude 2”) on the Synteam sampler mc…
Release data: The Lab – Homodigitalis CD, Neuronium Records, 2003 “Homodigitalis” is the debut-album of the Spanish duo The Lab, aka Miguel Lázaro & José Corredera, assisted by image-expert Bernardo Rivavelarde. The latter was responsible for the nice visuals on the separately released dvd. This cd contains the music for the same audiovisual show, which is touring through Europe and…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Etherea CD, Air Space Records, 2006 Jeffrey Koepper has been making electronic music since 1985 and has played in two groups, Pure Gamma and Immortal respectively, before starting this solo-effort. During these years he has collected a proper and varied collection of analogue devices and fine synths to finally create this stunning debut. “Etherea” offers…
Release data: Stephen Bacchus – Etherium CD-R, Akasa, 2006 Stephen Bacchus is the alter ego of Grant Mackay, president of the Canadian Oasis label. “Etherium”, released on the Oasis sublabel Akasa, consists of six music meditations for reaching inner space. So await slowly floating layers of soundtextures, tape loops and some high sounding accents, all breathing a sedate and harmonic…
Release data: O Yuki Conjugate – The Euphoria of Disobedience CD, Private Release, 2006 After a hiatus of over ten years, the English band OYC shows up again in their 3rd reincarnation, made up of original members Andrew Hulme, Roger Horberry and new additional member Rob Jenkins. The sound of their fifth studio album “The Euphoria of Disobedience” investigates the…
Release data: Various Artists – Evening Sky CD-R, Oasis Productions, 2003 This is the first cd-r of Oasis’ Music Theme from Canada, a music-database that is supposed to grow over the years and in which a lot of no longer available music is filed and can be bought by request. Music for Stargazing is he subtitle of “Evening Sky”, an…
Release data: Amethystium – Evermind CD, Neurodisc, 2004 With his third album “Evermind”, Amethystium a.k.a. Øystein Ramfjord continues his tradition of accessible, ethnic infused fairy-tale music. For the new album, the third instalment in the “Dragonfly Trilogy”, he invited a few guest-musicians, like the evocative vocals of one Lee Nisbet (from the band Animus Mundi) and Martha Rosbakken plus some…
Release data: Richard Bone – Experiments ’80-’82 CD, Quirkworks Laboratories, 2007 A while back ambient musician decided to revisit some 25- year old cassette tape recordings (composed with a Mini Moog, Korg MS10 and a Roland SH1) and restore them as best as possible. The material comes from two rare cassette only releases, “Quiz Party” and “Life in Video City”…
Release data: Brian Vassallo – Flashback CD, Private Release, 2006 In 1999 this Maltese musician released the very nice atmospheric space album “Beyond”. His new album “Flashback” chooses a new direction as the music (all tracks were composed in 2001) deals with chill-out, more upbeat stuff. “Senses” is a good opener which sends regards to Kraftwerk, followed by the nice…
Release data: Various Artists – Floating Point 3 CD, Iboga/Sofa Beats, 2006 In the world of electronic music it’s always nice to discover new names by means of samplers. This one comes from the Danish Iboga’s sublabel Sofa Beats and is compiled in 2005 by one Michael Banel. The cd features a very nice collection of modern electronic music from…
Release data: Seamus – Forever CD, Silentes, 2005 Seamus is a collaborative project of Amir Baghiri and Stefano Gentile: Amir composed all music while Stefano created the concept and made all photo’s. The music can be categorized as minimal ambient techno, executed in a smooth but rather unusual manner. Next to some vocal samples the album also captures a certain…
Release data: Geodesium – A Gentle Rain of Starlight CD, Loch Ness Productions, 2007 I must confess that although I’m a long-time space music fan I’ve never laid my hands on nor have I heard any music of Geodesium aka Mark C. Petersen until now. Since he started out around 1978, he has provided planetariums all over the worlds with…
Release data: Robert Carty & Sylken – The Endless Vista CD-R, Private Release, 2007 Just a couple of weeks ago I received “The Endless Vista”, the new album by talented ambient musician Robert Carty for which he collaborated with Canadian artist Sylken aka Eric Hopper. The title track starts out with beautiful soothing space textures, leading the way to five…
Release data: Dave Peck – Endo-Spectra CD, Private Release, 2003 I found Peck’s name on one of the many playlists of the US radio stations who broadcast electronic music, and got intrigued by the name of the album. Dave Peck is a synthesist and the creator of several of the factory presets for the new Clavia G2 synthesizer. Well, I…
Release data: Jack Andrews – Electrokinesis CD-R, Private Release, 2007 “Jack Andrews is a writer, visual artist and musician hailing from Arizona’s Sonoran desert , who’s “Electrokinesis” (meaning “creating and manipulating electricity from the mind”) is his debut-album. It is Andrews’ belief that musicians and artists act as some kind of “receiver” for music already present in a pre-existant cosmic…
Release data: Bekki Williams – Edge of Human CD, AD Music, 2007 Those who love accessible & highly melodic music can surely grab this cd, as it holds all strong keys to become a success in the genre of general and contemporary electronic music. Sure, certain comparisons to the work of Andy Pickford can’t be denied, but overall the music…
Release data: A Produce & Ruben Garcia – Early Sessions CD-R, Trance Port Special Editions, 2003 After many years of absence a brand new cd-r has been released on Barry Craig’s own label, Trance Port Special Editions. It features music he himself -using the A Produce pseudonym- recorded with electronics & piano-magician Ruben Garcia in the early ’90’s, and after…
Release data: RON BOOTS Dreamscape CD, Groove Unlimited, 1990/2003 This album always held a special place for me as it marked the real kick-off for Ron Boots into the world of electronic music. In addition, the recording is a perfect example showing how much fun it is to make such quality electronic music, which can stand test of time. Ron…
Release data: John Lyell – Dimensions CD, Private Release, 2006 The music on “Dimensions” is one about the stillness of outer space and its mysteries. Being an musician since 1984, John Lyell formerly made two others space music albums (“Wormholes” in 1998 and “Synthetic Universe” in 2002) with companion Brent A. Reiland. This is his first solo-trip offering 55 minutes…
Release data: Giles Reaves with Aashid Himons – The Deep End CD-R, Space for Music, 2000 Already by seeing the cover of this cd I got this exciting feeling that the music would sound more than nice. And yes: with “”The Deep End”, Giles Reaves again proves himself a mastermusician on spacemusic. Magnificent walls of sound drift on and on,…
Release data: Colin Rayment – Continental Divide CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Continental Divide” is the second release of the London-based musician Colin Rayment, who has produced his own melodic electronica for several years. The inspiration for the cd came from a recent visit to the Canadian Rockies, of which the outcome is a nice atmospheric work. On a few tracks…
Release data: Arroniz – Contacto CD, Private Release, 2007 “Contacto” is the debut cd of the Mexican musician Miguel Arróniz Castrillón. The eight tracks on this album, which last over 75 minutes, almost all have a sequencer-based up-tempo character. The influences ranch from Kraftwerk to smooth, Schulze-like soloing over swinging sequence-lines. Especially the title-track is well composed, lasting over 15…
Release data: Various Artists – Chasing the Dawn [Ultima Thule Ambient] CD, Ultima Thule Media, 2006 After a very long delay of over three years this long-awaited sampler finally saw the light of day in the middle of 2006. The album is a fund-raiser for the Australia’s FM radio station which broadcasts the radio program Ultima Thule, dedicated to airing…
Release data: Gert Emmens – A Boy’s World CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 On the concept-album “A Boy’s World”, Gert Emmens tries to capture a bit of the world, ideas, dreams and fantasies of his up growing son Frank. The albums contains six tracks which all breath a warm, positive and at-easy feel. The music is inviting and at times also…
Release data: Syndrone – Blind Date CD, Cuel Records NL, 1996 After a three year break, the album “Blind Date” was released in fall of 1996. The nine tracks on it were recorded during several jam sessions between 1994 and 1996, some of them one-time-only live recordings capturing the spirit of the moment. It is again Ron Boots who was…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Beneath the Ice Flow CD-R, Private Release, 2007 I received this ambient release together with his remix-album “Interpolation”, so I expected something in the same manner. “Beneath the Ice Flow” visualizes a sub aquatic journey in which one enters a world of darkening, mysterious lights and shadows. Altogether, there are three extended tracks on the…
Release data: Syndrone – Being There CD, Cue Records NL, 1993 It was somewhere in 1992 when André Theelen and Harold Teunissen, aka Syndrone, payed me a visit. In those days, I was write reviews and other articles for KLEM, the Dutch electronic music magazine. They wanted my opinion about their debut album “Outer Reaches”. The cassette contained 59 minutes…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Auburn Silhouette CD, Private Release, 2007 Amongst Myselves is Australian ambient musician Steve Roberts who’s “Auburn Silhouette” (released April 10th 2007) is his fourth album. Like his former album, it’s accompanied by a dvd featuring some great nature footage to three audio tracks. From the start it becomes clear Steve’s music has further grown, although…
Release data: Robert Rich – Atlas Dei DVD, Soundscape Productions, 2007 “Atlas Dei” is a nicely packaged 90-minute dvd-extravaganza of high-resolution motion graphics, in panoramic 3:1 aspect ratio with letterbox. It features released and unreleased ambient music (all presented in 5-channel surround mixes) from Robert which beautifully matches the computer-generated imagery of filmmaker Daniel Colvin. It invites you to a…
Release data: Amethystium – Aphelion CD, Neurodisc, 2003 This is Øystein Ramfjord’s second cd, which again features a great cover. I can be short about the music as its continues where the former album “Odonata” ended. From the opening track the same reminiscent sound and elements fill the room. As such, the album contains 58.58 minutes of masterful sound tapestries…
Release data: Deborah Martin & J. Arif Verner – Anno Domini CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2007 This release is made by two long time artists of the Spotted Peccary stall. With such an album-title one expects a bit of a sacred record, which indeed is the case. The cd takes off with the beautiful heavenly & sacred soundings of “Kyrie”,…
Release data: Klangwelt – The Age of Numbers CD, Spheric Music, 2003 This is the long-awaited, great looking second cd of Gerald Arend aka Klangwelt. For those who enjoyed his former cd, well prepare yourselves for a treat. Ingenious, catchy compositions, warms sounds and nice up-tempo sequencers and rhythms, it is all here and in balance. Gerald certainly knows how…
Release data: Michael Meara – Abstractus Somnarium: Deep Space Meditations CD-R, Private Release, 2005 A while back, my attention was drawn by a tip of one of the members of EmPortal to this Australian ambient musician I hadn’t heard of. Well, the musician’s website told me Michael Meara put out around 15 self-released cd-r albums next to having contributed single…
Release data: Numina – Live at the Inner Sanctum CD-R, Private Release, 2003 Jesse Sola, a.k.a. Numina, recorded this impressive live-document at the Inner Sanctum in Denver, Colorado on Mai 31 2003, and while listening I would have loved I had been there. The cd contains eight extensive tracks but works for me best as one single track, as it…
Release data: Numina – Sanctuary of Dreams CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003 The music of Jesse Sola aka Numina has always been special to me, and with his album “Sanctuary of Dreams” he again doesn’t disappoint at all. As the title already suggests, this is sanctuary of ten great tracks filled with drifting and spacy synthesizer washes, an introspective sanctuary for…
Release data: Nautilus – In Search of Castaways CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 I’m not familiar with this German band nor have I heard any of their music. It’s their fifth cd so far, but their third on the Prudence-label. First of all, the press sheet announces that the line-up of the band has changed: next to the original members Martin Ludwig…
Release data: Maitreya – From the Mothership CD, Council of Nine, 1999 “From the Mothership” is the debut-cd of Simon Lomax aka Maitreya, released on his own small ambient label Council of Nine. The cover states the album is “dedicated to the end of one life and the beginning of another”, some small letters elsewhere made clear that “the artist…
Release data: Jeff Greinke – Weather from another Planet CD, First World Music, 2003 “Weather from another Planet” is the second cd release by Jeff Greinke, but this one is quite different in both nature and sound compared to his Hypnos-recording “Wide View”. First of all, the album offers a daring and adventurous mixture of rather sophisticated beats and samples…
Release data: E=motion – Infinite Motion CD-R, Underwater Music/Syngate, 2002/2003 Electronic music from Polen made by one Jacek Spruch aka E=Motion. “Infinite Motion”” is his debut-cd, which was first released in private, but in 2003 it was re-released as a cd-r by Syngate. Well, fans of rhythmic, powerful and melodic music will surely find something here, as Jacek starts digging…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Hydroponic Garden CD, Ultimae Records, 2003 Carbon Based Lifeforms is the Swedish duo Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Ringström of which some music already appeared on the Fahrenheit Project-samplers of the same label. Well, what we encounter here is down-tempo ambient from up north in which spacy textures and tribal ambient grooves are combined, shifting…
Release data: Kevin Bartlett – Near Life Experience CD, Aural Gratification, 2003 “Near Life Experience” is the awesome debut-recording of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Bartlett, offering over 73 minutes of evocative instrumental songs in which influences of Mike Oldfield, Enigma, Peter Gabriel and progressive/symphonic rock can easily be heard. The album kicks off with (my personal favorite) “Gayatri”, with a Celtic kindred…
Release data: AuReality – Sense CD-R, Private Release, 2003 The man behind Aureality is the Dutch ambient composer Paul Swennenhuis, of which “Sense” is his second album. On this cd he uses the Alesis QuadraSynth, Emu Morpheus en de NI AbSynth, and the outcome is above average. AuReality’s music contains nice melodic lines and mixes them quite often with ethnic…
Release data: Ashera & Brannan Lane – Sextant CD, Private Release, 2003 Anthony Wright and Brannan Lane join forces on this disc, offering 69 minutes of exquisite and delightful ambient music. “Sextant” offers five extended tracks of slowly morphing freeform textural ambient carrying a deep sense of introspection and solitude. The delicately shifting sound tapestries with some soft drony passages…
Release data: Atrium Carceri – Cellblock CD, Cold Meat Industry, 2003 Well, fans of dark ambient/industrial musiccan enjoy themselves with this heavy release of the Swedisch label Cold Meat Industry. Atrium Carceri, aka Simon Health, presents 43 minutes of creeping, gruesome and oppressive darkwave ambient, featuring deep drones, soundscapes and heavy fx’s. This is a total audiovisual experience on the…
Release data: Aperus – Tumbleweed obfuscated by camera failure CD-R, Mpath Records, 2003 The music of ambient composer Brian McWilliams -also known as one half of the creative brain behind Remanence -has taken a new shape by the name of Aperus. Aperus brings us a recording inspired by obscured photographs resulting from camera problems during a trip Brian undertook to…
Release data: Aperus – Hinterland EP, Mpath Records / Geophonic Records / Resonant Effec, 2004 “Hinterland” is a multimode EP which contains four alternative versions of tracks which appeared on the formerly released cd “Tumbleweed obfuscated by camera failure” plus one unreleased environmental sketch called “Kaskaskia Canyon”. Of course musically it doesn’t differ much of what was on the original…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Sacred Black CD, Private Release, 2003 “Sacred Black” is Steve Roberts’ third cd, who’s music caught my attention when I heard his (former) album “Still Life”. The album starts with the slow morphing soundwaves of “Dawn 1958”, delving into intimate reflection, riding the edge between dark and light. This is nicely followed by “Morning of…
Release data: Living Dreamtime – Exploring the Water Element CD, Origo Sound, 2002 “Exploring the Water Element” is an album by Living Dreamtime,a.k.a. the very talented Oslo-based musician Tor Linlokken. The album completely focuses on the world of water, its environment and its species. The album comes in a great looking fold-out digipack with full-colour booklet, presenting the ambience you’re…
Release data: Kwook – Unidentified Feathered Object CD-R, DataObscura, 2003 I wasn’t too fond to review this cd, as the Databloem-label releases some rather different electronic music than I usually prefer. I was wrong, as this Kwook-cd appeared to be more than enjoyable. Kwook, aka Simon Bennett, is an Australian musician who realms in the world of “dubbed ambient”. “UFO”…