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 that the musical approach is quite daring, you also encounter vast layers of transparent and rather fluid textures.

Nice cascading whirls and jangles of ambient guitar take off at the beginning, soon accompanied by beautiful soundscapes. Mesmerizing atmospheres slowly unfold as each track takes its own direction, sometimes with a dense, minimal-oriented touch from time to time.

“Spirals” features some muted sometimes jazzy-like trumpet – not really my thing I must confess- which is melted with shimmering, repetitive textures and piano-keys on the background.
This is followed by the piano-oriented track “Islands” (which holds some new-age elements due to the use of sound of ocean waves) and the flickering ambient-guitar licks of “First Star”.

The last two tracks both clock over 10 minutes each, weaving a dreamy and relaxing atmosphere, the ambient-guitar treats reminding me a bit of David Sylvian’s instrumental stuff on “Gone to Earth”.

All in all, this is an album full of eclectic and atmospheric music with a dash of melancholy here and there.

Website: www.sylken.ca

You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Sylken artist page