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I don´t fight in any sense against the overwhelming amount of electronic music around, but it’s a pity if you miss out on a quality recording that deserves recommendation to a wide audience. So I’m glad a trusted long-time EM aficionado and friend brought this one to my attention. The contemporary EM of Dutchman Taede A. Smedes, who goes by the moniker Tonal Assembly, fits the aforementioned bill most of the time. “Four Pieces for Sonic Solitude” starts out with three recordings from 2012 inspired by the journey of the Voyager spacecraft Mr. Smedes (re)discovered in his archive. I’m happy he did release these hidden gems -although I would have preferred the full album was a factory-pressed cd and not just a download- as the three “Voyager” movements (with a duration of 26 minutes in total) form a lovely set of emotive, inspired cosmic music blending melodic and sequencer-driven stuff most effectively and convincing. For me, Taede is at his best on the last two movements where the encompassing music elevates and reaches out to the heavens to full effect, not disguising some lovely Vangelis bits and pieces. The aforementioned is complimented by the 25-minute “On Our Way”, a rather euphoric, steady-building, rhythmic-driven composition with tribal-like percussion spreading out quite some hidden power along a joyful, positive vibe as it progresses. The mood and feel displayed here are simply wonderful and emphasized by the uplifting solo voice kicking in briefly at the 17-minute mark and returning in a similar manner in the track’s final minutes. Rating: almost 4 stars. Nice going, Taede! |
| Website: tonalassembly.bandcamp.com
You can see what reviews I have done of these artists on the Tonal Assembly artist page.
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