Release data: David Helpling – Sleeping on the Edge of the World CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1999 This is the second album from accomplished ambient-electronic artist and film composer David Helping which -like almost all of SP’s releases- is graced by a beautiful cover. Predecessor “Between Green and Blue” on the whole reminded quite a bit of the fine…
Release data: Ruben Garcia – I can feel the heat closing in CD, Close Tolerance Music, 1998 On his fourth album “I can feel the heat closing in” (for which Harold Budd provided the title) New Mexican artist Ruben Garcia manages to find a beautiful balance between minimalism, piano, and synths, so again a comparison with the music of…
Release data: Sayer – Future City CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New Territory Records, 2019 Sayer’s music I got to know so far has been contemporary, dynamic and fresh. With the 75-minute “Future City” -a themed release accompanied by a short story- he brings his audience a mix of dreamy, uplifting and uptempo pieces (of which a few carry on bit to…
Release data: Keith Richie – Ambient Highways CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Other Worlds Than These Music, 2015/2021 Keith Richie is an ambient, electronic, and soundtrack composer hailing from Mesquite, Texas. Keith has been releasing soundtrack-ish stuff since 2006 after he became obsessed of electronic music in the early ‘80’s when he ran into the music of John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream. Mr…
Release data: Mychael Danna & Tim Clément – North of Niagara CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space Records, 1995 “North of Niagara” (subtitled “Impressions along the Bruce Trail”) is actually a sister release to Mr Danna’s solo effort “Skies”. It makes an appropriate companion for anyone in a bit somber, melancholic state of mind while it will also slow down and…
Release data: Ruben Garcia – The Gatekeeper CD, Close Tolerance Music, 1994 “The Gatekeeper”, Ruben Garcia’s second release, is dedicated to both Claude Debussy and Erik Satie featuring “11 improvised piano pieces for a simpler life”. No electronic music, but rather an album that showcases beautifully understated acoustic compositions in which the musician builds an interesting bridge between classical…
Release data: Ian Tescee – IO MC/LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, E-N Records, 1984/2004 The music of Ian Tescee was among the range of talented electronic musicians from the US that slowly found their way to Europe when import channels and European distribution opened up in the heydays. Like many others it was inspired by the beauty and magic of the cosmos, more…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Futuregate CD, Ardema Musik, 1995 A great off-shoot of cosmic Berlin School-spiced electronics was founded in 1994 by German synthesists Gerd Wienekamp and Frank Specht as Rainbow Serpent on the occasion of their concert at the 1st Astrofest Sittensen, Germany. For their debut “Futuregate” they found a home at Arndt Maschinski’s Ardema-label (who labeled it…
Release data: Create – Reflections from the inner light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2004 Ok, let’s have some further nostalgia. In 2004, Groove added a new artist to their roster who composed well-crafted Berlin School music: Create (a.k.a. UK-synthesist Stephen Humphries) who instead of any hardware synths used Reason software technology only to realize his sonic creations. On his strong…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Mosaique CD, Ardema-Musik, 1997 The musical development of the German act Rainbow Serpent, aka Frank Specht and Gerd Wienekamp, has always been strongly influenced by the available technology as well as gained experiences over the years and other musicians. After “Futuregate” and “Voyager”, the duo once again manages to convince with this beautifully produced “Mosaique”,…
Release data: Steve Roach Stephen Kent Kenneth Newby – Halcyon Days CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 2018 It’s time for another heavyweight from the past. This particular collaboration between Steve and the aforementioned duo is definitely foddering for fans of Suspended Memories and Newby’s solo album “Ecology of Souls.” Kent and Newby have already made their mark in groups…
Release data: David Helpling – Between Green and Blue CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1996 A great discovery I made in the mid-90s comes from Southern California musician and producer David Helping, who was nominated for the NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors and Manufacturers) Indie Award in the US in 1997 with his debut “Between Green and Blue”…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – North Star CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 With “North Star”, accomplished musician Erik Wollo brings his audience a highly emotive and imaginary journey inspired by The North Star, the beacon up in the sky which guided human travel for many years. It’s another quality recording with a lush, expansive sound design, most of all guitar-oriented as…
Release data: Ruben Garcia – Room full of Easels CD, Close Tolerance Music, 1996 In the mid-’90s I was fortunate to be introduced to New Mexican artist, sound engineer, producer & self-taught pianist Ruben Garcia by Barry Craig (aka A Produce) with whom he collaborated on and off at the time. Ruben didn’t like computers, e-mail, and stuff, so instead…
Release data: Aes Dana – (a)period CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2021 Vincent Villuis, operating under the Aes Dana guise for many years by now, is composer, sound designer, Dj & co-owner of the French Ultimae-label. “(a)period” is a 72-minute cinematic aural canvas, an extended echo of longing, conceptwise going a similar road as Steve Roach travelled for “As it is”.…
Release data: Frank Makowski – Canon der Finsternisse CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 Ambient music comes in many forms, and several of them are not suitable for the faint of heart. The major of the works by German composer Frank Makowski (former member of [‘ramp], the musician behind Speed of the Dark, Tranquility and various collaborations in his 30-year musical…
Release data: Stephen Bacchus – The Memory Tap CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 With “The Memory Tap”, Canadian musician Stephen Bacchus (aka Grant Mackay) delivers his 10th album, a release tapping into Grant’s most distant sound and music memory with the aim to integrate earlier sound and music explorations (that started in the mid ‘’80s) into his overall composer…
Release data: Michael Brook – Hybrid LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, EG Records, 1985 “Hybrid” is the solo debut by Canadian Michael Brook –featuring Eno and Lanois as backing musicians-, a 42-minute album full of organic, none-dynamic, trance-inducing yet thoughtful ambient music. Mood and darker-shaded atmospheres take center stage on each of the eight instrumental vignettes, all airing distinct ethnic-world flavors due to…
Release data: Damm – Nautical Dawn LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 “Nautical Dawn” (inspired by majestic cloud formations at nature’s finest hour when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon) is an electronic chill-out release by Damm, an early ’90 alias of Swedish techno artist Joel Mull, featuring a personal selection of after-hours morning portraits. Sonically…
Release data: Nigel Mullaney – The Navigator LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Behind The Sky Music, 2021 Here’s a recording about (personal) exploration and discovery as well as seeing beyond the mind’s eye. “The Navigator” is a concept album inspired by the mythical voyage of St. Brendan, an early Irish monastic saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland (who’s also known as The…
Release data: Ma Ja Le – Dreams in the Orchards of Saturn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A.J. & Grey Sound, 1995 The ambient project Ma Ja Le was conceived in the ’90s by Christopher Short and Paul Vnuk with the aim for spontaneous improvisation, an exploration of sonic texture and atmosphere. If I understand the info correctly, this album is from…
Release data: Jon Mark – A Sunday in Autumn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, White Cloud Records, 1995 I had lost the thread of releases from this New Zealand-based artist after “Alhambra”. It turns out that after this, Jon founded his own label White Cloud Records, which has featured a slew of his own new releases and those of other musicians. With…
Release data: Moodswings – Horizontal CD/Digital Download, Water Music, 2002 The central man behind Moodswings is English musician James Hood, whose double album “Horizontal” is the third album. According to the cover, the music is quite different from its predecessors “Psychedelicatessen” and “Moodfood” (of the latter, some 600,000 are said to have been sold worldwide). Hood describes the new…
Release data: Bart Hawkins – Vision of Eden CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 Compared to his rather weird debut “21 Pulse Eclipse” (which was pure sonic exploration), Bart Hawkins second album “Vision of Eden” is a somewhat different breed. Still being a completely modular production with some strange, harrowing moments, it features a futuristic, rich pallet of synthetic sounds…
Release data: Loneward – Pure CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Emotive, elegant, absorbing, and intrinsic are keywords applying to the music of Loneward’s fourth album “Pure”. The 6-track/58-minute outcome of clouds of sound –with the aim to hold the listener in stasis- is a panorama of drifting, expansive, full-blow, slow evolving textures where the sense of calm is imminent and…
Release data: Todd Fletcher – Arcane Energies CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Microrelease/Editions100, 2001 “Arcane Energies” is the first release by Arizona resident Todd Fletcher on his Microrelease label with six longer tracks of around 8-9 minutes each. Todd describes the outcome as “a combination of desert atmospheres of “Star” with the dense rhythmic interplay of the album “Byzantium”. The music is characterized…
Release data: Stephen Felicetti – Imagination CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Delta Tauri Records, 1994 The cd-print already mentions the description Symphonic New Age, and that pretty much covers the musical content of this – without a doubt – remarkable cd. The American Stephen Felicetti is responsible for this 1st official release (he appears to have already composed six symphonies for synthesizer in…
Release data: Ron Boots & Gert Emmens – One Night at Blackrock Station CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 After his second collaboration with Synth.NL, Ron Boots now joins forces with another powerhouse electronic composer from The Netherlands: Gert Emmens. It’s no surprise lots of dynamics get in the works when those two get together. After creating various basic tracks…
Release data: Meg Bowles – From the Dark Earth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kumatone Records, 1999 “From the Dark Earth” is Meg Bowles’ fourth album, which delivered a wonderful sample of space music with predecessor “Blue Cosmos”. For this release, Meg collaborated work with internationally renowned trumpeter David Bilger (and some contributions by Cynthia Bilger on horn) of the Philadelphia Orchestra.…
Release data: Sequenced Reality – Almost Morning Now DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 After Syndrone was put to an end, André Theelen continued to listen to electronic music, only making music on his own took a back seat. In the past 10-15 years he’s been mainly been involved in video (music videos and a short sf film) aside from building…
Release data: Kurtz Mindfields – Synthr3 The Burning School Tape CD-r, FeverDog Music, 2020 Synthesist Jean-Luc Briançon was so fortunate to be chosen as an artist to test and musically develop Rémy Wasselin’s self-built semi-modular Synthr3, an instrument for both studio and live-on-stage performance. The latter is based on a modular patchable modulation matrix that can be stored in personal…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Gems CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2021 Through the years, Juta Takahashi composed various tracks that appeared on compilation albums from various labels. These all -with the exception of the last track- have now been compiled on the 63-minute “Gems”. The six emotive pieces feel like a warm bath due to the overall spatial sound…
Release data: Cell – Live in Corfu DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2020 This fine recording reminded me how much I miss the quality and lush down-tempo music that once came out for many years on the French Ultimae label (that nowadays puts out experiments in minimalist dub-tech soundscapes only). Well, the 70-minute “Live in Corfu” (of the eight tracks, four…
Release data: Brannan Lane – Lost Caverns of Thera CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, World Circle Records, 2000 The end of the ‘90’s and the first half of the 2000’s, marked a very productive period for US-composer Brannan Lane. “Lost Cavern of Thera” (inspired by the volcanic Greek island of Thera or Thira, but better known as Santorini) is a slow progressing dark-shaded…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn & Michael Ögren – Artefact CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 In 2017, Johan Agebjörn and Mikael Ögren impressed me a lot with their well-crafted debut “We Never Came to the White Sea”. From the press-info of this one, I learned “Artefact” is an “unofficial sci-fi soundtrack” inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel “Rendezvous with…
Release data: Martin Stürtzer – Temporal Paradox CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Echo Elberfeld, 2021 Here’s another fine release by Wuppertal-based synthesist Martin Stürtzer for those like like to to space out in rather bright celestial environs. It’s an overall gentle unfolding sonic journey which sees Martin merge slow Berlin School sequences with smooth textures and floating pads to drift-off, unwinding effect.…
Release data: Man from Mars – Mars Memory DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 Man from Mars is a project by two Serbian brothers who started listening to Vangelis at a young age, ending up producing trance and psy-trance music. A few years back they translated one of their trance tracks into a beatless electronic track. As the outcome was satisfactory…
Release data: Distant System – Infinite Continuum DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Many have been waiting for a second album of this American composer, who’s “Spiral Empire” gained lots of critical appraisal among fans of melodic chill-out, slow-trance and atmospheric down-tempo in a spaced-out fashion. Well, the wait is finally over. Tyler Smith’s “Infinite Continuum” continues the signature sound and…
Release data: Steve Roach – As it is CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 I confess I had various doubts about the clinical vibe and digital-ish sound design surfacing on some of Steve’s sonic creations of late. Fortunately, none of this is present or sensed on “As it is”, a work Roach describes as a simmering, churning, moving appointment with reality,…
Release data: Dino Pacific – Hallowed Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1999 Montreal, Canada-based Dino Pacifici has been active in music since 1984, with some forays into jazz. This “Hallowed Ground” is his fifth cd, filled with just under 70 minutes of distinct ambient. Opener “Solace” stands out most positively for my taste: 22 minutes of soft engaging ambient…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Moon Musick DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2021 “Moon Musick” is an atmospheric work of ambient art of which the original music dates back to 2006/2007 when the idea surfaced for a cd to go with an illustrated picture book for children, something that didn’t happen in the end. Fortunately, Stephen rediscovered the music (featuring Markus Reuter…
Release data: Ghosts in Mirrors – Cold Dust CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Littl’ Antenna Records, 2020 The Belgium electronic music scene is expanding for years with own festivals (Cosmic Nights, B-Wave, AntennA/ Littl’ Antenna festival, Sonic Emissions), Belgian Neumusik, two labels promoting this genre of music thoroughly (Littl’Antenna and Wool-E Records) as well as the media Channel AntennA for Electronic Music. With…
Release data: Spacecraft – Evening Star DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Valley View Records, 2021 A trip into textural, fluid space, a cosmic place of solace is what is awaiting you on the 48-minute “Evening Star” by Rishi Bhatia aka Spacecraft. There’s a calm, soft glowing atmosphere found on each of the 10 tracks unfolding in slow motion, best listened to on…
Release data: Altus – Sleep Theory Volume 4 CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 With this release Mike Carss brings his audience the fourth and final installment in the “Sleep Theory” series that was kicked off a decade earlier. If you’re familiar with the previous volumes you will find a nice continuation of them, but Session 10, 11 and 12…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Still Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, RMC Records, 2000 Amongst Myselves is Australian ambient/space musician Steve Roberts whose “Still Life” appears to be his second full-length recording. The press-kit mentions, among other things, that the album reflects a quiet part of Robert’s life. The first half of the album consists of floating ambient music with a…
Release data: CC:Dome – Laurel CD/Digital Download, Ajna Music/Cursor Club, 2003 I personally feel the most interesting thing about this release, which comes as an attractive tri-fold digipack with nice cover-footage, is that it fulfils several plans that Garrett Parks of the US-label Cursor Club had in mind for the future, but wasn’t able to realize. The “Laurel” album contains…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Remixes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1999 This is a limited, hand-numbered album of 1,500 pieces featuring remixes -by one J.T.- of the tracks “V8” and “V13” taken from Crown Invisible’s first and second ep. As primal versions, both pieces have something catchy and very reminiscent of The Art of Noise’s engaging “Moments in Love”.…
Release data: Crown Invisible – CI4: Cinema CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 2001 This release was actually scheduled for the end of 2000, but due to the on and off rush of the holidays and the demanding production process at Cursor Club, it was not actually released until June 2001. It has finally become a full album (six tracks, 41 minutes),…
Release data: CC:Dome – Dream Furious CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 2000 “Dream Furious” is CC:Dome’s second release, an EP with 29 minutes of fine and attentively composed electronics. Compared to the Crown Invisible project from the same label, CC:Dome’s previous Ep already displayed a more adventurous approach, this time it’s even more captivating, profound enchanting and almost dreamy. The…
Release data: CC:Dome – Dome CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 CC:Dome is another enigmatic project from Garrett Park’s Cursor Club. Soundwise it’s episodic, rather minimal and, compared to the Crown Invisible-project on the same label, taking on a bit more adventurous approach. The creative process involves the incorporation of very slight Middle Eastern elements, drone pads and more. CC:…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Crown Invisible II CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 The main comments I made on “Crown Invisible” also apply to the “follow-up” Ep “Crown invisible II”. Once again it’s quite visual music and a great listen through headphones, sounding evocative in every possible way. Like its predecessor it holds three cool, ingeniously composed tracks (“V13”,…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Crown Invisible CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 Let’s journey back to 1998. That year I ran into something special for all those Em-enthusiasts always on the look-out for new diamonds in contemporary electronic music. It comes from the small Hollywood-label Cursor Club run by Garrett Parks. In general, Crown Invisible’s music is pretty melodic…
Release data: Jean-Michel Jarre – Amazônia CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sony Music, 2021 “Amazônia” is Jarre’s 52-minute musical score to the vision of Sebastião Salgado’s immersive exhibition about the Brazil’s Amazon with the attempt to approach the region with respect, relying on a poetic and impressionistic way. The ambient sound collage comes in 9 parts full of weird turns and twists, wrapping…
Release data: Kees Aerts – Slices of Time CD, Groove Unlimited, 1997 What I got here is the very first Groove Unlimited-release. With “Slices of Time”, Kees Aerts (at that time business partner of Ron Boots’ Groove Unlimited label) also presents his official solo-debut. His name appeared previously on various “Truth” cds. The album -dedicated to the function that allows…
Release data: Changing Images – Vituality CD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1992 Changing Images is the German duo Martin Kornberger (synths) and Volker Kuhn (synths and guitars), a project following the more electronic/sequencer-led progressive music of the ‘70s. They seem to have been working under this group name since 1991, having released the more symphonic-tinged release “The Castle” on the French Musea…
Release data: Akikaze – Fantasmagora CD, Criminal Records, 1996 “Fantasmagora” is the second cd-release of Pepijn Courant on which he reverts to old work from about 12 years ago that he has reworked and polished for this cd production. It features four long “parts” with a strong classical-symphonic as well as an unusual slant. We hear a lot of sampled…
Release data: Andreas Akwara – Solar Eclipse CD, Private Release, 2002 “Solar Eclipse” is the second effort by this German synthesist, and a concept album of space music. Those who think that the music can be laid alongside existing cosmic compositions will have to conclude that Akwara has managed to find a rather different sound and approach. Floating passages are…
Release data: Alio Die & Mathias Grassow – Expanding Horizon CD, Relapse Records, 2003 This is an ambient double cd by Italian/German ambient duo Alio Die (aka Stefano Musso) and Mathias Grassow. Beforehand I had a feeling it was going to be a hefty one, and it proved to be so with 2x 70 minutes of meditative drone music. Grassow…
Release data: Robert Rich – Sunyata Mc/CD/Digital Download, Soundscape/Hypnos Recordings, 1982/2000 Robert Rich’s 1982-debut “Sunyata” grew out of all-night concerts and was reissued on cd in remastered form. A student at Stanford University at the time, Robert was already concerned with the fact that music is capable of altering consciousness, and the intended psycho-active stimuli on “Sunyata” are a first…
Release data: Brannan Lane / Vidna Obmana – Deep Unknown CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Brannan Lane Music, 2002 One of the many cds that Brannan Lane had planned for 2002 is this collaboration with his Belgian colleague Dirk Serries. It’s not a full-length collaboration but one that is limited to the first three tracks. The overall atmosphere is misty, slightly mysterious but…