Release data: Audioasis – Audioasis CD, Private Release, 1995 Here’s another obscure CD I rediscovered in my collection recently. I remember I ran into it on James Johnson’s Zero Music website, which took care of distribution for it back in the day. Audioasis turns out to be the Australian duo Peter Beeby (synths and sax) and Shaun Pilkinton (guitar and…
Release data: David Michael Matuch – Masquerade CD, Infinite Monkey Productions, 1995 Debut album by this Illinois-based American with a beautiful art cover. David’s ambient music on this disc is largely interspersed with ethnic and xylophone-like sounds that are very reminiscent of Indonesia. A notable exception to this style is the 14-minute title track, which also serves as the album’s…
Release data: Tony Gerber – Blue Western Sky CD/Digital Download, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1994 Tony Gerber is an American who has been making music for years prior to this debut release. Among other things, he played keyboards on Giles Reaves’ great album, “Sea of Glass”, who in turn contributed to this album, along with a number of other electronic composers unknown…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Elysium CD, Prudence, 1999 With “Elysium”, the likeable German ex-Solitaire musician Rüdiger Gleisberg has arrived at his fourth solo album, in which his typical classical background is once again audible. The hour-long album contains 13 pieces, in which the symphonic character is more prominent than before. In addition to the characteristic light minimalist structures from…
Release data: The Amnis Initiative – Other WorldsCD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 I missed out quite a bit on the music of Dutchman Dennis Lodewijks in the last few years. With “Other Worlds”, he shows he made a big step forward, still staying close to Vangelis’ sound and his way of composing. Over two hours of music make up…
Release data: Redshift – Toll CD/Digital Download, Distant Sun, 2006 I have no clue why Mark Shreeve waited almost two years to release this album, which contains the almost complete set they played live on stage at E-Live 2004 (an event) that, together with E-Day, proves electronic music is still alive and kicking to this very day. Redshift doesn’t need…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Damiana CD, Prudence, 1997 It has been about four years since Rüdiger’s previous retrospective CD “Chronicle”, was released. With the concept album “Damiana” (Plant of Love), however, Rüdiger proves once again that he is in a class of his own within contemporary electronic music. The first string-like tracks have a slightly minimalist feel to them…
Release data: Dystopia – The Second Dawn CD/Digital Download, Origo Sound, 1998 Electronic music that addresses worldly/philosophical issues along with the status of science and technology in modern society, is usually something special. “Second Dawn” by Finnish duo Pertti Gronhölm and Ismo Virta, alias Dystopia. This politically charged concept album focuses on a sombre but no less interesting form of…
Release data: dreamSTATE – Between Realities CD, E-Space Recordings, 1998 What I got here is a long soundscape recording of smooth, ethereal electronic washes that’s part of my collection since it came out. “Between Realities” is a live-recorded deep ambient album by Canadian duo Scott McGregor Moore and Jamie Todd, alias dreamSTATE. It contains a 60-minute woven ambient soundscape (without…
Release data: Colin Rayment – Optical Perceptions CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2025 When it comes to contemporary electronic music, the works of Colin Rayment fit in there for sure. The outcome found on “Optical Perceptions” is a thoughtfully made set of music with an occasional edge of modern Tangerine Dream, featuring some various nice pairs of interlocking, quite complex sequences…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Chip Meditation 2025 CD/Digital Download, Spheric Music, 2025 One might as well ask what the purpose of all those anniversary and special editions coming out of classic albums is, which also applies to our niche EM-genre. Does it contribute anything substantial? In this case, the answer to that is yes, as accomplished classic EM composer…
Release data: Redshift – Oblivion CD/Digital Download, Distant Sun, 2004 By the time Mark Shreeve started making up his mind for and shaping the outcome of the studio release “Oblivion”, the overall sound of the vintage Berlin School project had grown occasionally darker and more ominous. A pleasant organic flow can be discerned throughout the full album, which presents all…
Release data: Qeight – The Abyss of Loneliness Digital Download, Cosmic Leaf, 2023 Overtly serene, harmonic, and almost heavenly music comes your way on “The Abyss of Loneliness” by sound producer Eliam Weise, who founded Qeight back in 2015. The eight-track release, making up one hour of highly emotive as well as imaginary music, goes by like a slow, floating…
Release data: Galactic Sound Station – Music for the Mental Health of Astronauts (Volume 1) Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 Galactic Sound Station is an internationally oriented, UK-based space music collective that’s been in the works for several years. I heard about it in early 2023 through US-synthesist Terminus Void, one of the participants as well as co-producer of the…
Release data: Redshift – Faultline CD/Digtal Download, Distant Sun, 2004 Mark Shreeve and co established quite a live reputation since they started the project back in 1994. With “Faultline”, Redshift brings its third live recording to the table, this time documenting the exciting outcome of the four set pieces played at the Hampshire Jam 2 festival, Liphook, England, 9 November…
Release data: Loneward – Musings of Painted Sky Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 After producing “Gossamer Wings of Illusion”, Mike Carss continued writing tracks with a similar vibe – enough for another album: “Musings of a Painted Sky”. The 61-minute ambient work touches similar ground, offering an enchanting sonic canvas of calm, slow unfolding textural landscapes and quietening, cinema-esque soundscapes,…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – A Warm Static Sphere CD/Digital Download, Quiet Details, 2025 What I got here is some introspective ambient created by UK’s Dennis Huddleston, aka 36. The nine-part sonic journey sketches out a vast, highly immersive textural landscape that proves deeply meditative and emotive as well as full of subtle movement, sequenced parts, and swirling, subdued energy…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Aftermath CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 Those familiar with the releases in recent years by this German musician will have found a more experimental/industrial approach merged with early ’70s EM soundscapes. The 60-minute “Aftermath”, which demanded a longer period to finalize compared to previous albums as well as involving a lengthier list of gear, doesn’t…
Release data: Redshift – Down Time CD/Digital Download, Champagne Lake Productions,1999 Redshift’s third album, “Down Time” -an entire studio production- was presented and performed live in April 1999 during the Alpha Centauri Festival in Huizen, The Netherlands. It comes in an elaborate sleeve that once again contains very little information apart from a few scribbled track titles. Musically, Mark once…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Along the Coppermine Ridge CD/Digital Download, Spotted Peccary Music, 2025 It’s taken more than four years for Rudy Adrian to shape and complete this release, aimed at having a nice collection of tracks that give the feel of walking in the countryside. With this album, the New Zealand composer also says he tried to explore…
Release data: Irezumi – Downfall CD/Lp/Digital Download, Brique Rouge, 2025 Compared to Manuel’s previous recordings, I’d say the outcome of Irezumi’s “Downfall” makes a much heavier and intense listen: it reflects the fractures of a mind in crisis and the process of psychological fragmentation, as such, taking a different approach. Made up of dark ambient, semi-stark, and psychedelic-ish soundscapes, it’s…
Release data: Maria Warner – Dark Matter CD-r/Digital Download, Neu Harmony, 2024 On “Dark Matter”, Michael Neil takes his listeners on an accessible galactic journey wherein lots of Berlin School retro elements are present. The sound design mirrors depth and vastness that’s even more impressive when the music and many sound effects are cherished through a good pair of headphones.…
Release data: Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone – Paradise Lost CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 Aficionados of highly cinematic, lavishly colored, and textured electro-acoustic music made with modulars should pay attention here. “Paradise Lost” is Chris Meyer’s richly rhythmically infused release with an overall exotic edge. As before, each track on the release started life as a live performance and was…
Release data: Redshift – Redshift CD/Digital Download, Champagne Lake Productions, 1998 The year 1994 saw the birth of Mark Shreeve’s exciting project Redshift, for whom music had already been a full-time job for some 20 years at that time. Initially a solo effort, additional members such as James Goddard, Julian Shreeve, Rob Jenkins, and Ian Boddy would join on and…
Release data: 猫 シ Corp. – Hiraeth The Ambient Works CD/Lp/Mc/Digital Download, Hiraeth Records, 2025 Until now, every recording I’ve heard so far from music producer Jornt Elzing, aka Cat System Corp., has been an above-interesting sound trip into an alternate reality. With “Hiraeth the Ambient Works”, he harkens back and reflects on his ambient works compiled from various past…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Fountain of Remembrance CD/Digital Download, Aurora, 1998 Those familiar with the works of this German musical philosopher, who sadly passed away in August 2025, will know of his massive discography, both solo and in various collaborations. The nine-part “The Fountain of Remembrance” comprises minimal drone music Mathias created between 1996 and 1998 using synths,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Portals and SpiralsCD/LP/Digital Download, OtherSide, 2025 The vast amount of releases varying in quality Mr Roach put out in the last two decades didn’t make me want to keep up with that. There are still a few in there that deserve attention, “Portals and Spirals” being one of them. The recording consists of two…
Release data: Johan Agebjön – Southern Forest Mc/Digital Download, Constellation Tatsu, 2025 Mr Agebjörn’s “Southern Forest” is a concept release inspired by the Swedish forests. The nature-themed sonic narrative blends ambient, downtempo, sampled voices, and gentle electro into something transportive and cohesive. The 10 contemporary ambient tracks (featuring collaborations with Dr. Atmo, Cate Brooks, NINA, Miranda Magdalena, Mikael Ögren) create…
Release data: Uni Sphere – OpUS Tria CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2025 René Splinter and Eric van der Heijden are both known as accomplished and successful solo artists, but when they decided to join forces as Uni Sphere in 2015, a special sonic chemistry was born. From there on, they started to expand on their signature sound made up of…
Release data: David Helpling & Eric “the” Taylor – The Precious Dark CD/Digital Download, Spotted Peccary Music, 2025 The end of April 2025 saw the release of the seven-track “The Precious Dark”, an electronic ambient release constructed and shaped by accomplished, cinematic sound-maestro guitarist Mr Helpling and soundscaping synthesist Eric “the” Taylor (who both are also a member of the…
Release data: Matt Goodluck – Portals CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 “Portals” is the follow-up release to the artist’s 2024 release “Inner Cosmos”, at first glance taking the cinematic prog rock avenue at the opening, aside from displaying a more structured, rhythmic-driven sonic approach overall. This time around, Matt is joined by various guest musicians on e-guitar, bass guitar, and…
Release data: Phobos – Phenomenon CD-r/Digital Download, Private Release, 2025 Darker, haunting, and often slightly ominous atmospheres continue to be the core and sonic footprint of Phobos’ music, aka UK artist David Thompson, who hereby presents his audience with another live recording, this time made at the Awakenings festival in May 2025. Mysterious semblances and dense soundwaves already creep in…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – The Coils Suite CD/Digital Download, Acoustic Wave Records, 2025 With “The Coils Suite”, the composer’s second release in 2025, Brendan Pollard puts an end to an impressive list of retro-electronic music, whether solo or together with other kindred soulmates. Or in Brendan’s own words, “this old dinosaur is kind of retiring and enjoys the studio…
Release data: Rhea – Soon, everything will be a memory CD, Private Release, 2025 Over two hours of Belgian cosmic music, best enjoyed through quality headphones, is presented on the double album “Soon, everything will be a memory”. It comprises music played live in concert at various stages in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Listening to Rhea’s output is an…
Release data: Redshift – Ether CD/Digital Download, Champagne Lake Productions, 1998 The content of “Ether” sees Mark Shreeve (now accompanied by his brother Julian Shreeve and James Goddard) continue where they left us with the strong debut album (that was essentially a Mark Shreeve solo recording). Here we find two live tracks done at the Jodrell Bank Planetarium in 1996,…
Release data: Radio Massacre International – Organ Harvest CD/Digital Download, Centaur Records, 1997 Since they started out, the recordings by UK-trio Radio Massacre International defy categorization as their music is, first and foremost, improvisational. “Organ Harvest” hit the streets at the band’s most prestigious performance back to date, the Dutch KLEM dag festival 1997. Same as on their previous recordings,…
Release data: Open Canvas – Nomadic Impressions CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited/Waveform Records, 1998 Groove Unlimited’s last album release from 1997 is credited to Open Canvas, about whom the (admittedly beautiful) CD cover provides no information. Enquiries, back then, at Groove HQ revealed that none other than Mr. Alpha Wave Movement is behind it. And if you listen to the CD,…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – Drift Live 2024Digital Download, Polar Magnet Records, 2025 What I got here is a sudden release by Boreal Taiga on his own private label. Only recently, he received the music from a live recording of a set he performed in summer 2024 at the outdoor Monad Drift Gathering. It’s a lovely ambient set of…
Release data: Constance Demby – Spirit Trance CD/Digital Download, Valley Entertainment, 2004 Refined symphonic new age/space music is still the core and backbone of Constance Demby’s work. “Spirit Trance” is a nearly 57-minute recording containing eight captivating, gentle sweeping and melodic tracks that build on Demby’s signature style. “Legend” (part of a soundtrack about film hero James Dean) opens beautifully…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Meandering TearCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2025 Too often, I have the feeling I’m rather late in reviewing certain albums that have been sitting on the ever-existing stack of music. With their previous releases, Beyond Berlin has shown they are something special in the electronic music scene and celebrate the Berlin School style in particular.…
Release data: Mark Dwane – The Atlantis Factor CD/Digital Download, Orbian Music, 1993 Like Mark’s other releases, this one is immediately recognizable as a Mark Dwane recording, as the smooth melodic, cinematic pads and nice groovy lines are all over the place. The 44-minute/9-track “The Atlantis Factor” opens up another chapter of symphonic and sci-fi inspired electronica using electric guitar…
Release data: Robert Fox – A Gathering of Spirits CD/Digital Download, Fx Music, 1995 The music on Mr. Fox’s fourth release is based on Robert’s time spent in Canada and legends of the Canadian Indians. I can be brief about the nearly 80-minute “A Gathering of Spirits”, as the outcome features the composer’s recognisable musical style of symphonic-angled synth pads…
Release data: Zodiac – Forest ImpressionsCD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2024 In the past, the duo Frans Ramakers and Ruud Grothausen released some very nice melodic electronic music, most of which saw the light of day on cassette, aside from one CD in 1995. The project’s goal back then (complex but still remaining very accessible) still shines through on the…
Release data: Brennan Lane & Billy Denk – Celestial Lullaby Digital Download, Wayfarer Records, 2025 What I have here is a quite interesting collaboration between EM veteran Brannan Lane and musician/producer Billy Denk. They present a 50-minute cosmic courier, addressing a lighter type of space music, pairing soft, sparkling sequences with sweeping, melodic, and spiced textural pads, occasionally dressed with…
Release data: Mark Dwane – Angels, Aliens & Archetypes CD/Mc/Digital Download, Orbian Music, 1991 The recent passing of composer Mark Dwane on July 24, 2025, made me revisit his album “Angels, Aliens and Archetypes”. During his career, Mr. Dwane created virtually all of his music using his guitar synthesizer setup, without the use of any synthesizers, and the result on…
Release data: Darshan – Autumn LightCD-r/Digital Download, Darshan Music, 2000 Michael Allison’s “Autumn Light” is a release which, like its predecessors, offers a collection of overtly soothing, introspective electronic miniatures. It’s attentively designed floating music with little dynamics in which stillness, compassion, and serenity lie at the core and clearly shine through. The title track seems to offer a tad…
Release data: Darshan – Providence CD-r/Digital Download, Darshan Music, 2002 Due to its simple, calming beauty, Darshan’s early music is easily one of my favorites to return to frequently. The compelling “Providence”, originally released through Zero Music/AtmoWorks back in the day, sparkles that beauty as well through warm, contemplative waves of sound. It taps into a pool of sweet nostalgia…
Release data: Constance Demby – Sacred Space Music CD/Mc, Hearts of Space, 1982/1988 “Sacred Space Music”, the predecessor to Constance Demby’s acclaimed masterwork “Novus Magnificat”, surrounds and immerses its listeners in a comfortable sonic bath of soothing, serene melodies and ethereal, almost otherworldly ambiances. Same as Constance’s other recordings, its sole spiritual intention is to inspire, uplift, and heal. No electronics are…
Release data: David Anthony Clark – Terra Inhabitata CD/Mc/Digital Download, White Cloud Records, 1993 “Terra Inhabitata” is the debut album by New Zealander David Anthony Clark, who seems to draw a lot of musical inspiration from his numerous tours of our globe, taking a particular interest in the history and music of ancient cultures. His musical style (David himself calls…
Release data: Create – From Earth to Mars CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2005 The contemporary electronic music of Create’s second album, “From Earth to Mars was created with the aid of the software program Reason in the composer’s private studio between March and May of 2004. It resulted in an outcome still rooted in the sequencer domain and Berlin School…
Release data: Robert Carty – Midnight Rainbows CD/Digital Download, Deep Sky Music, 2001 Here’s another beautifully crafted album in the long line of atmospheric ambient music that American Robert Carty already has to his name. “Midnight Rainbows” is a subdued album of some 67 minutes, divided into eight longer tracks that again can be categorised in the genre of strongly…
Release data: Darshan – The End of DaysCD-r/Digital Download, Darshan Music, 1999 I seem to be one of the lucky ones who owns a physical copy of this album by Oakland-based composer Michael Allison, aka Darshan. In 1999, this private release recording became part of the distribution roster of James Johnson’s own Zero Music label. “The End of Days”…
Release data: Robert Rich – Inner Landscapes CD/Digital Download, Hypnos Recordings, 1999 This recording is a kind of re-release of the eponymous older cassette album from Rich’s early days, 1988 to be exact, during which Robert gave his glorious “sleep concerts”. From more than two hours of material, Robert has filtered, lightly reworked, and remastered the strongest passages, resulting in…
Release data: Redshift – Halo CD/Digital Download, Distant Sun, 2002 “Halo” is an entirely studio-based recording performed solely by Mark Shreeve that, compared to “Siren”, is significantly more subdued in character. This time around, Redshift’s music reveals more melancholic as well as darker sensibilities. Nevertheless, it contains equally fine compositions with the same vintage sounds. Once again, Mr. Shreeve succeeds…
Release data: Redshift – Siren CD/Digital Download, Distant Sun, 2002 Redshift’s “Siren” came out simultaneously with “Halo”, both were presented at The Hampshire Jam 2. It includes an hour-long rendition of their splashy concert that Mark Shreeve & co put down during their performance at the 6th Alpha Centauri festival in April ’99, where Mark’s massive Moog modular synthesizer was…
Release data: Deepspace – The Architecture of FlowersDigital Download, Private Release, 2023 The ambient journeys created by Mirko Ruckels, aka Deepspace, have always possessed a special touch, something that one could pinpoint as both spellbinding and riding the surreal edge. The lengthy ‘The Architecture of Flowers” features a total of 19 tracks of breath-like washes of sound, a 1 hour…
Release data: Biosphere – The Way of Time CD/LP/Digital Download, AD 93, 2025 Geir Jenssen’s concept album “The Way of Time” is a glacial, stark, and minimal ambient work exploring sonic stillness and decay made with vintage synthesizers. Moreover, the 41-minute recording, like Biosphere’s recent albums, rejects melody in favour of tone space and mood. The outcome draws loose inspiration…
Release data: Otarion – Time of NationsCD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2025 The accessible music of Reiner Klein has been on my radar since he started releasing music through the -now sadly defunct- MellowJet label. Somehow, he also belongs to the league of musicians many haven’t heard of, which is a pity. The 76-minute “Time of Nations” sounds powerful, emotive, and…
Release data: TiRa The Art of Dance – Time Travel CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2025 I have a preference for instrumental electronic music, so I had my reservations for this album, on which Ralf Gülpen introduces the (wordless) vocals of Misi Wainwright (spherically interwoven with the instrumentation on four tracks) as well as a saxophone player on the final piece…
Release data: Klangwelt – Second Nature CD/Digital Download, Spheric Music, 2025 Klangwelt’s music has always sounded very well mixed and produced, and the outcome on Mr Arend’s sixth album “Second Nature” -another exploration into the broad field of contemporary, melodic synthesizer music- is no exception. Along traditional sequencing and melodic lines, many vocal samples and rocking elements are scattered over…