3.5

Release data:

Synaesthesia – Desideratum
CD, Hypnotic/Cleopatra, 1995

What I got here is the second album of the duo Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber, aka Synaesthesia, offering a massive 140 minute work of sonic art.

Although it starts out cool and trance-upbeat with “Andromedia”, the music thereafter unfolds in much slower pace and textural spacious manner. It features a nice range of lush swirling textures, captivating sequencing patterns, awkward trippyness and a great line of groovy basslines, all fitting in a minimalist aural cocoon to hypnotizing effect.

The second disc comprises even darker shades and haunting ambient spheres as we travel gradually into the deeper end of the spaces. As a whole, the intense, gloomy and hypnotizing journey presented on “Desideratum” reveals a profound inward, introspective feel with an occasional, somewhat sinister/psychedelic and cinematic edge to it.

It’s recommended not to play the double album back to back in one go, as I predict this will lead to a rather monotonous listening exprience.
With a bit of luck, one still should be able to track down a hardcopy of this fine album (which also makes some great headphone music by the way).

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