Release data: Above & Beyond – Flow State CD/LP/Digital Download, AnjunaBeats, 2019 What I got here is some 49 minutes of overall chilled-out, blissful (and occasionally even meditative) ambient electronics by UK’s trance trio Above & Beyond. “Flow State” though…
Release data: Vince Clarke – Songs of Silence CD/Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mute Records, 2023 It’s time for some more slow, wistful music, this time composed by Vince Clarke who many may know from his time with Depeche Mode and later on…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Melt CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 Among the fanbase of this Aachen-based composer must be many who have a soft spot for the early 70-s TD recordings made with classic, labour intensive gear. Same as…
Release data: Dave Bessell – Chromatic Lightning Cage CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2024 Quirky moods and stark analogue atmospheres with a cinematic edge form most of the core of the music on “Chromatic Lightning Cage”, a release completing a quartet of…
Release data: Loneward – Beyond the Sea, Part One CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 A lot of the music Mike Carss has put out by now has been a most pleasant and overtly relaxed listening experience. Mr. Carss recalls the…
Release data: Craig Padilla & Marvin Allen – Weathering the Storm CD/Digital Download, Spotted Peccary Music, 2023 On their third collaborative recording “The Weathering Storm”, accomplished synth-wizard Craig Padilla and guitarist Marvin Allen take us back to the realms of…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Ascendant Destiny CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New World Music, 2024 Jonn’s goal for “Ascendant Destiny” is to take his audience to beautiful and inspiring places with his signature blend of lush, emotive, and cinematic ambient soundscapes. Spending…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Reflections on a Moonlit Lake CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2024 From the start, Dunedin-based musician Rudy Adrian envisioned the outcome of “Reflections on a Moonlit Lake” to be a bit in the style of his…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – D.MO. Vol. 5 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2024 After four volumes in the D.MO series, I would have thought Mr. Schröder’s archive would be empty by now. But no, here’s “Volume 5” featuring another set…
Release data: Däcker – Anthropomorphic Personification CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2023 From time to time I have music on my desk that demands some extra time to investigate and grab the full picture. This applies to the second release…
Release data: Boris Blank – Resonance CD/Lp, IAN Records, 2024 Fans of the Swiss band Yello already know one half of it, synth-wizard Boris Blank, is a most talented sonic painter of enchanting, often highly cinematic atmospheres. His latest effort…
Release data: Awenson – Faith CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 “Faith” is a concept album in the fairly ‘traditional’ Berlin School style, but still bearing Awenson’s easily recognizable, occasionally hypnotizing, style. Furthermore, music, images, and the poem have been conceived…
Release data: TiRa The Art of Dance – Endless Ambient Part two CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2024 In my opinion, there’s not much to tell about the second chapter by musician Ralf Gülpen. It’s another set of mood music spread…
Release data: Altus – Solastalgia CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2024 I recall having quite some issues with the previous Altus album “Descender” but hearing the first textural waves of “Solastalgia” -created from May to July 2023- makes clear the latter…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Fragmented CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2024 Bakis Sirros´ “Fragmented” is another cinematic-oriented release fully fletched with the composer’s impressive modular walls, most notably the Eurorack as well as the Buchla system. Profound, wonderous, slow-moving soundscapes make…
Release data: F.D. Project – Stars Landscape and Collision CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2023 Moody, uplifting, and passionate electronic music is what´s found in Frank Dorritke´s 70-minute, cosmic-themed “Stars Landscape and Collision”. Partial progressive and orchestral in form, the five-part…
Release data: Derrick Stembridge & Mike Petruna – Cryptic Logic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Labile Records, 2024 What I got here is a most unusual recording for Sonic Immersion’s desk, as it’s an exploration of contemporary sound that transcends traditional boundaries. “Cryptic…
Release data: Perge – Void Coefficient CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 The title of this Perge release, which took about 3 months to record, refers to a state in a nuclear reaction which is the theoretical maximum output before the…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Sacred Places CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2024 In one of my previous reviews of Mr. Holmes’s music I once remarked the heartfelt aural splendor spread out there simply draws you in without much effort.…
Release data: Wolfgang Bock – Mintaka CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, MIG, 2023 This fall and to my astonishment, I found out that this German composer -who now seems to reside in Spain- had released another album -some 23 years after the classic…
Release data: Gert Emmens – City Never Sleeps CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2023 Painting emotive nocturnal cityscapes before the mind’s eye is what “City Never Sleeps” is all about. Its storyline is about a young country boy who moves to…
Release data: Zanov – Lost in the Future CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 It took Pierre Salkazanov some three years to come up with this follow-up to 2020’s “Chaos Islands”. Overall, the seven tracks making up the 45-minute “Lost in…
Release data: Danger in Dream – Entrance CD/Digital Download, Virtual Music, 2001 Nearing the end of another year made me reflect on an album that came out over 22 years ago. “Entrance” is the classic debut album from Vienna-based duo…
Release data: Kloob & Onasander – Goês CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2023 Ritualist dark ambient at full scale makes up Kloob & Onasander’s “Goês”, which rounds out the duos’ witchcraft trilogy. This last chapter focusses on funeral laments and chthonic sorcery…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Reflections CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Móatún7, 2023 With “Reflections”, skilled Greek synthesist Bakis Sirros continues his sojourn through organic, dark-ambient electronics. The eight tracks air malevolent, gloomy, and stark atmospheres incorporating abstract future-noir as well as minimal…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Cloud of Strings CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2023 “Clouds of Strings” sees a return of talented Scandinavian multi-instrumental artist Erik Wøllo to his first love: the acoustic guitar. In more than one way, the 12…
Release data: TiRa The Art of Dance – Endless Ambient Part 1 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2023 German composer Ralf Gülpen, aka Tira, is a new name to me and quite a discovery after submerging pleasantly in the first few…
Release data: The Roswell Incident – Departure from the Homeworld CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2023 Too many years have passed since this band’s last release from 2019, so it’s a relief Groove Unlimited grabbed the opportunity just before E-Live 2023…
Release data: Rob Papen – Waiting CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 It has been a long wait, it actually took Rob nearly 20 years to launch this follow-up album to “Daydreamer”. So what a surprise it was to see this…
Release data: Sequentia Legenda – Alcyone CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2023 Here´s another fine Sequentia Legenda album filled with long-form tracks for every Berlin School/late ’70s Schulze aficionado seeing the French composer express his profound passion and admiration for the…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – An Abandoned Day CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 The overall feel of the eight-track “An Abandoned Day” is one of nocturnal ambient that walks on and crosses the abstract/experimental edge at times. The feel of…
Release data: Simon Lomax – These Tranquil Winds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 On “These Tranquil Winds”, skilled UK ambient composer Simon Lomax (formerly known as Maitreya) dives deeper into a fascinating, slow-moving transcendental world of textures and atmospheres. “The…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Lost Seasons of Amorphia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2022 US musician Forrest Fang is one of the best-selling artists on Sam Rosenthal’s Projekt label. Forrest’s creative process is generally about exploration, aiming to develop…
Release data: Alpha Lyra – Sailing over the Sea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PWM Distribution, 2023 During the years I´ve heard quite a bit of the work of French composer Christian Piednoir, aka Alpha Lyra, but it never was able to move…
Release data: Terminus Void – Apeiron CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2023 “Apeiron” is the first real label release introducing Terminus Void’s full dynamic voice, including ambient, Berlin School, downtempo, and the classic Terminus Void emotional sound world. It contemplates the…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Into the Light CD, Spheric Music, 2023 With his release Into the Light”, the Aachen-based musician brings his listeners a 57-minute concept album that sonically stays close to that of Berlin School but contains far…
Release data: Yog Sothoth – Prehistoric Dawn CD, Private Release, 2012 What I got here is the debut album by Yog-Sothoth (aka Cologne-based musician Michael Wilkes) who has been around in the EM scene since the start of the ’90. Most…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Voices of the first day CD, Manikin Records, 2001 Teutonic Berlin School, especially the output of Klaus Schulze, has been a strong inspiration for Rainbow Serpent´s core sound, but the German duo was always able…
Release data: Thorsten Quaeschning – The Capitol Session CD/Digital Download, Protonopia, 2020 The live music featured on this release was recorded at the E-Wave Festival in November 2019 in Zeil am Main where Mr. Quaeschning played a full 75-minute set…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Sunday Morning Peace CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Valley-Entertainment, 2011 There´s not much to say about this one as the origin of this album with stress-relief music goes back to 2005 when Jonn released it privately on CD-R…
Release data: Ayaavaaki & Purl – Ancient Skies CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LILA, 2023 “Ancient Skies” is an extensive electronic dream journey of nearly 2,5 hours envisioned and realized by the duo Alexander Lux (aka Ayaavaaki) and Ludvig Cimbrelius (aka Purl). It…
Release data: Alio Die & Dirk Serries – The Chapters of the Eclipse CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2022 Both these two experienced ambient composers, hailing from Italy and Belgium respectively, have numerous collaborations and solo works under their belt. What I…
Release data: Node – Singularity CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2023 Sure, there’s been lots of talk about this UK quartet, most notably for their same-titled debut from 1994. The 67 minutes of music contained on “Singularity” -all created with analogue synths,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Ambient Church CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2023 Concerts performed in churches are something special, filling the sacred space with hallowed soundings. Ambient master Steve Roach already did several during his career, which this time around…
Release data: Llyn Y Cwn – Stratigraphy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 It´s been quite some years since I dug any further music by UK artist Llyn Y Cwn, aka Ben Powell, whose output is field-recording-based dark ambient with a…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Beta Pictoris CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryochamber, 2021 German synthesists Martin Stürtzer and Christian Stritzel make a great duo as they continue their exploration of the cosmic expanse under the Sphäre Sechs moniker. From the promo blurb,…
Release data: John Mark & David Antony Clark – The Leaving of Ireland CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, White Cloud Records/Naxos, 1998 Ok, please join me on another trip down memory lane. “The Leaving of Ireland” is a concept album by these two…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Mysteries of Dawn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2023 Since Dutchman Gert Emmens started out composing, he created lots of moody electronics with his large assortment of vintage instruments. “Mysteries of Dawn”, created between November 2021…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – The Zone of Malleable Fears CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2023 For this record, UK synthesist Brendan Pollard decided to do things differently: creating music based upon a storyboard of ideas he created many years…
Release data: Meg Bowles – Voices from the Ethereal Forest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kumatone Records, 2022 Synthesist Meg Bowles considers music -which she always has experienced very visually- as a primary language, a means to link to vivid worlds full of…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Extradimension CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 The majority of the music of talented German composer Martin Stürtzer happens at the moment as he improvises live or during studio sessions, something also applying to the darker…
Release data: Brianwork – Back to the Roots II CD, Cue Records, 2019 I haven’t reviewed much of Uwe Saher’s music but am familiar with quite a bit of his accessible, melodic music since the middle of the ‘90s. This…
Release data: [‘ramp] – Arp-en-Ciel CD/Digital Download, Doombient Music, 2023 I can´t deny I´ve developed a kind of soft spot for Mr. Parsick´s sonic creations over time, most notably for his ambient material (released on CD-R in clam shells). His…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – A Different Space CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Six Degrees Records, 2000 Here’s Bob Holroyd’s third album “A Different Space” -turning out significantly more tribal-spiced- which would not have been out of place on Peter Gabriel’s Real World…
Release data: Exuviae – Echoes in the Emptiness CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Greenhouse Music, 2000 Greenhouse Music’s third album, released over 20 years ago, comes in the name of Exuviae, aka American musician Brooks Rongstad. The Greenhouse compilation “Convergent Evolution” already featured…
Release data: Pete Namlook – Silence III CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fax, 1998 Here’s another release from the extensive Fax catalog. It sees Peter Kuhlmann -alias Pete Namlook- continue the concept of “Silence” in Part III. I’m not familiar with the previous…
Release data: Pete Namlook – Namlook XX-Music for Urban Meditation II CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fax, 2007 This is one of those albums that only works its magic when listened to focused and preferably with headphones. It’s a heavy and intense trip…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Entropy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 Since this talented German musician started out under the CG moniker, dark ambient journeys into the deeper end in line with ‘70’s enigmatic, Teutonic Tangerine Dream have become his…
Release data: Steve Roach – Rest of Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2023 The 134-minute “Rest of Life” is a release with a contemporary sound design celebrating calm, reflection, and introspection through arcs of immersive, textural music for which the…
Release data: 2814 – Rain Temple CD/Mc/Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dream Catalogue, 2016 Being impressed by the duo’s “Birth of a New Day” made me search for their third album “Rain Temple”. Well, this recording proves a more intense and straightforward ambient/down-tempo…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Colours in the Dark CD/Digital Download, 3Six Recordings, 2022 36´s “Colours In The Dark” came to life after an extended period of complete musical inactivity as the composer suffered from depression for the first time in…
Release data: Peter Mergener – New Horizons CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2023 With his previous release “Astronaut”, Peter Mergener was already inspired by the cosmos and the anniversary moon landing in particular. The 56-minute “New Horizons” (featuring a typical BSC/Prudence…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – A Walk in the Shadow Garden CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2023 Like almost all of Mr. Adrian´s previous releases, this recording had a long way coming. As usual, it involved a lot of (almost…
Release data: A.P. – Tidsmateria CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 This album was released simultaneously with David Parsons’ “Portal” in December 2022. Despite it being drifting, with minimal textural ambient, reviewing it took me quite a bit longer than I…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Plector CD/Digital Download, DiN, 2022 Stark organic vintage electronics are at work on Bakis Sirros’ third solo release on Mr. Boddy’s DiN label, a release not suitable for the faint of heart. A sense…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Recurrence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 It’s hard to keep up with the releases of Norwegian artist Erik Wøllo, who´s able to offer a dreamlike, cinematic journey on almost every recording, merging profound and timeless…
Release data: ASC – Original Soundtrack CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2022 The focus of this ASC recording -written during the 2020 pandemic lockdown- centers around a more acoustic sound of looped piano dressed with melancholic, airy soundscapes. James…
Release data: David Parsons – Portal CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2022 I’ve been following and enjoying the sonic adventures of David Parsons for over three decades now. Personally, I’ve been especially fond of his Tibetan-inspired/flavored works such as “Himalaya”, “Tibetan Plateau”,…
Release data: Axess – Time Traveller CD, Private Release, 2005 One actually can’t go wrong with the nicely shaped contemporary electronic music of Axel Stupplich, who’s also involved in the project Pyramid Peak. Compared to the previous releases, Axel’s third…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Floating Music edition 2023 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2023 It rather puzzled me what point is/was to publish Mr. Schroeder´s second album “Floating Music” for the third time since the vinyl release in 1980. I…
Release data: Spyra – Little Garden of Sound 2022 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Spyra´s “Little Garden of Sound 2022” (Monotonous Music For Stereophile Listeners) is a pure and honest dedication to classic Berlin School music and Klaus Schulze in…
Release data: Zuwe – SH40 CD/LP/MINIDISC/MC/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hiraeth Records, 2022 Zuwe is an Amsterdam-based musician whose musical background and experience include mainly (ambient) electronic music and environmental recordings. As his music evolved, he started implementing more instruments such as guitar…
Release data: Creation VI – Beringia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2019 Once in a while, I like to dig through the large pool of dark ambient created globally. Creation VI, founded in 2006, is an ambient/drone project by Ukrainian-based sound…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Atmospheric Twilight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2022 Expansive, gracious, and awe-inspiring textural landscapes have been a trademark of Max Corbacho since I ran into his music around 2000. Every release he put out appears as an…
Release data: Klangwelt – Here and Why CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2022 On his fifth album, of which large parts were created during the tiring, most difficult global corona pandemic and lockdown, Gerald Arend addresses global themes and worldly affairs…
Release data: Futureworld Orchestra – Mission Completed XL/Turning Point XL CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, FutureWorld Records, 2022 Some 40 years after their initial release, these two classic synthpop albums -based on the original Dureco releases- are now finally available in full. It’s…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Live at Awakenings CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2022 In hindsight, I feel there may have been moments during the last 1,5 years I have pushed Martin and Peter a bit too hard on getting the…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Higher Ground CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2022 Following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed and very well-received triple cd releases “Galaxis” and “Lost Tracks” it still must have been a huge…
Release data: F.D.Project – Distance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2022 There’s not much to say about the fine batch of contemporary electronic music making up this release. The rhythmic-driven, not-too-busy-sounding “Distance” continues in the footsteps of its predecessors, blending well-tempered…
Release data: Patrick Kosmos – The Visitor 1988 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1988/2022 During his career, Belgian synthesist Patrick ‘Wille De Wael’ Kosmos did a lot of quite memorable, visually attractive live concerts. Some of them were recorded and made…
Ian Boddy – Axiom CD/Lp/Digital Download, DiN, 2020 When darker, colder days are upon us, I always sense a great need to listen and immerse in melancholic, more profound electronic music. Mr. Boddy’s 2020 release “Axiom”, which I listened to…
Release data: Rolf Trostel – Narrow Gate to Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Musique Intemporelle/MiG, 1995/2022 In spring 2022 I suggested the German MIG label consider re-releasing “Narrow Gate to Life”, the classic fourth album by Berlin-based electronic musician Rolf Trostel. As…
Release data: Wolfgang Düren – Eyeless Dreams Lp/CD, WPL Records/MIG, 1980/2022 Most people might know Wolfgang Düren as the chairman of Waldorf Music. Before founding that company he collaborated with Wolfgang Palm (the man behind PPG) and distributed his synths…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg & Mathias Grassow – The Seer CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 Next to being good friends, German musicians, Rüdiger Gleisberg & Mathias Grassow have pursued their own solo projects as well as collaborated in various constellations,…
Release data: Axess – Chamaeleon CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 When it comes to quality German electronic music, bands like Rainbow Serpent and Pyramid Peak come to mind. One of the members of the latter is Axel Stüpplich, who kicked…
Release data: Various Artists – Bhogavati CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 This beautifully rendered concept release – marked as an ambient nocturnal abyssal tapestry – is built up in-house to tell a story from the label’s own mythos and features…
Release data: Venja – Unfolded CD/Digital Download, Art for Ears, 2021 One of the things I appreciate most about Johan Geens´ music is the range of intrinsic emotions he´s able to convey through his works. At first glance, he…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Redes CD/Digital Download, AD21 Music, 2022 When it comes to emotive music, the works of Bruno Sanfilippo always had a special charm for me. Instead of previous piano-led compositions, things now settle around sophisticated synth…
Release data: ASC & Inhmost – The Moons of Saturn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Auxiliary, 2021 As a fan of free-form deep space music, I already explored quite some releases by ASC, but it appeared this guy also did some collaborations, “The Moons…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Isolate CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Tonzonen Records, 2022 It`s not hard to imagine the album´s music and its title may have a connection to the human condition during the extended period of Covid that hit the globe severely…
Release data: Frank Beissel & Steve Roach – Nautical Twilight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundquest Music, 2022 “Nautical Twilight” is the debut release of Steve Roach and New Mexico-based synthesist Frank Beissel, a highly in-depth atmospheric ambient journey into immersive soundscapes. From…
Release data: [‘ramp] – happy days are here to stay CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2022 Since I came to know his intriguing music I dare say Stephen Parsick has a sarcastic view on the world as well as mankind, something he…
Release data: BySenses – MonoCHROOM CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 “MonoCHROOM” is the fifth release by Didier DeWachtere who’s artistically known by his nom-de-plum BySenses. The recording features two long-form tracks of 30 minutes each that both reveal a progressive approach…
Release data: Perge – Mutually Assured Destruction CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 What a great title for an album mirroring the state of the world, one of constant turmoil! As Perge (aka Matthew Stringer & Graham Getty) initially started out to…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Phrases and Protocols CD/Digital Download, Acoustic Wave Records, 2021 The 63-minute “Phrases and Protocols” –still recorded through a primordial recording process- is (another) celebration of old-school electronics hailing back to Tangerine Dream’s music in the…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Equinox CD/Digital Download, Silentsun, 2022 A most gracious, gentle evolving sound world of repose and contemplation lies at the core of “Equinox”, a 74-minute textural extravaganza by Spanish ambient master Max Corbacho. Max already announced…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Spaces of a Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2022 The sound of Robert’s previous album already showed a return to his early output, and this also applies to “Spaces of a Dream” in a certain way.…
Release data: Venja – Galactic Underground Volume 3: Music for Astronauts CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Art for Ears, 2021 For the third volume of the series, Johan Geens invited fellow countryman Rhea (aka Mark De Wit) and German synthesist Michael Brückner to join…
Release data: F.D. Project – Color of Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2022 The music featured on the 9- track “Color of Life” sees a continuation of Frank Dorittke’s contemporary, highly melodic style. Some pieces are rhythmic-driven, slightly rock-oriented, or…
Release data: Paul Ellis & Jared White – Unbroken Promise CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2022 “Unbroken Spirit” was meant to be created in the flesh and live in the moment but due to the unfortunate strike of Covid19 things had to…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Cycles and Pulses CD/Digital Download, Acoustic Wave Records, 2022 Since the Covid lockdown kicked in in Spring 2020, UK synthesist Brendan Pollard intensified his musical activities in his home garage, changing and re-arranging his set-up…
Release data: Skoulaman – Mundus in Motu CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2022 Dutch synthesist Hans van Kroonenburg keeps surprising me with how thoughtfully made his Berlin School-infused music is and the 74-minute “Mundus in Moto” is no exception. The highly…
Release data: Jos D’Almeida – Continent 7 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, caPE Recordings, 2022 The music this Mr. D’ Almeida’s fourth album “Continent 7” was created and finalized during the Covid pandemic but its actual release date was postponed until Spring 2022…
Release data: Robert Rich – Neurogenesis CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2020 Initial work on “Neurogenesis” -inspired by a complex, mathematically-tinged lucid dream Mr. Rich had in March of 2019- took off in the summer of 2019, but then took a…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Androids CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2022 In the last few years, I haven’t been able to keep up with the speed of the new releases of the talented Mr. Tronestam, who now has found a…
Release data: Daniel & Booth – Inverse CD/Digital Download, Electronic Composers Outlet, 2020 When it comes to a reinterpretation and keen reshuffle of the Berlin School style, English musicians Michael Daniel and Phil Booth have done a fine job so…
Release data: Meg Bowles – Pilgrimage CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kumatone Records, 2022 You’re at the right spot with the releases of Meg Bowles when it comes to profound emotional ambient(space) music with lots of intrinsic elegance merged with a meditative touch.…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – The XYL File CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Industry8, 2016 Let’s focus on some old School-based electronic music from the US created in the mid ’80s that now sees a re-release. Marking the 25th anniversary of its…
Release data: Harvey Summers – Moon CD/Digital Download, MIG, 2022 Here’s a captivating release by an artist who used the lengthy Covid lockdown period to set up another studio in his home. It would become the birthplace for a cinematic,…
Release data: Wolfgang Bock – Cycles LP/CD, Telefunken/MIG, 1980/2022 It must be at least 15 years ago when I started my own -quite lengthy search- for the master tapes of “Cycles”, leading to the disappointing outcome they could not be…
Release data: David Helpling – IN CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2022 “IN” is an epic release by David Helpling composed over a ten-year period. Its music is celebrating (and is inspired by) the vastness of and the wonder found…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Forever Cascades CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 For “Forever Cascades”, multi-instrumentalist Forrest Fang created ten rhythmic-driven, minimalist aural surroundings with an Oriental edge, blending synthetic textures with world instruments such as violin, gamelan, dulcimer, and the…
Release data: Kelly David – Illusive CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 With “Illusive” (a 68-minute meditation on the endurance of beauty through troubled times), the evocative electro-acoustic journey Kelly David mapped out on predecessor “Meditation in Green” gets a…
Release data: Kubusschnitt – The Core CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Kubusschnitt, aka Andy Bloyce, Tom Coppens, and Ruud Heij is a Pan-European retro-electronica collective that has been around since the end of the ’90s presenting their own interpretation…
Release data: David Parsons – Atmanaut CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Celestial Harmonies, 2018 This release is a surprising one as the composer hadn’t received any notification from the label they had released it finally after it had been shelved for so many…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Epiphany CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 For this recording, their third album Groove Unlimited, Beyond Berlin is again the duo Martin Peters and Rene de Bakker. The 67-minute “Epiphany” follows up nicely in the footsteps…
Release data: F.D. Project – The other side of …. and more CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 If one likes accessible, moody, and melodic electronics with some occasional vibrant electric guitar, the works of F.D. Project (aka Dinslaken-based composer Frank…
Release data: Kontroll-Raum – Check In CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2021 Kontroll-Raum is a new German-Dutch project on the Manikin label featuring Bas Broekhuis, Frank Rothe and Mario Schönwälder. The 73-minute outcome was realized in 2020 which meant the extensive exchange…
Release data: Simon Lomax – Notes from the Void Vol. 2 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 This recording is the second installment of imaginary, gently resonating, and evolving soundscapes complementing the ambient journey released a year before. Melancholy and reflection…
Release data: AirSculpture – Widely Spaced CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Same as for many others, the covid pandemic deprived the AirSculpture trio of meeting up in person and jamming together. After many hardships and setbacks they found a way…
Release data: Däcker – Pareidolia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2020 With so much music coming from other countries I too often forget my small country has something nice and interesting to offer as well. So here’s an album merging…
Release data: EL-KA – La Rêve” CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 I can’t say I’m much of a follower of electronic music from Germany, but I do know Tübingen-resident Till Kopper and Düsseldorf-based HaJo Liese (aka EL-KA) have been around…
Release data: John Christian – Glis Glis CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 Those who cherish sequencer-driven electronics with an edge are at the right spot with John Christian’s “Glis Glis” (44’31’’). The 3-track recording mixes improvised soundscapes and effects with…
Release data: Chuck van Zyl – The Relic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Centaur Discs/Industry8, 1995/2018 Despite not being a collector, while owning the original “Celestial Mechanics”, I’ve always regretted not having a hardcopy of Chuck van Zyl’s “The Relic”. Fortunately, Industry8 did…
Release data: Venja – Galactic Underground Volume Two CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Art for Ears, 2020 Accomplished Belgium composer Venja, aka Johan Geens, has been around in the EM scene for some 30 years or so, but I confess missed out on…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Emerald Waters CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2022 With his second album on the Spotted Peccary label, accomplished composer Hollan Holmes takes his listeners into the magical world of the aquatic element. Inspiration came by…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Miyabi CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2021 “Miyabi” is an album containing brand new music after an environmental approach (“Music for Urban Promenades I & II”) and a collection of tracks (“Gems”). Gentleness and tranquillity still…
Release data: Max Corbacho – A Connection to the Wonder CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2021 The title of this album is well chosen as it’s an entrance into a magical world of expansive, serene textural vistas and alternate realities. An…
Release data: Synth.nl – Time Travel CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 With the fine compilation album “Time Travel”, Michel van Osenbruggen offers his audience 12 tracks that appeared on various samplers -most notably those in the Schallwende’s Schallplatte series-…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Revealed by Composed Nature LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hic Sunt Leones, 1990/1993 “Revealed by Composed Nature” is the fifth album released on Stefano Musso’s Hic Sunt Leones label, featuring intimate ambient music of a repetitive, overall soothing…
Release data: Orbifold C – Apeiron CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2020 If I’m not mistaken, it was longtime Russian Em-aficionado Anton Uraletz who paved the way for this music to be released through Groove Unlimited. I’m glad Anton persisted in…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures 5 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad 21 Music, 2020 From the start of the 38-minute “Piano Textures 5”, moods are sensitive, lush and elegant while a lovely sense of optimism and freedom takes off…
Release data: Thorsten Quaschning – AMA CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Protanopia, 2021 The musicianship of Thorsten Quaeschning has many faces, and with “AMA” he has outdone himself offering another solid production to his audience. It’s a concept album featuring nearly 76…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Pyroclast CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2021 With “Pyroclast”, Robert Schroeder -though taking a different sonic road- has delivered a cosmic-angled recording keeping the quality on par with his previous release “C’est Magique”. Robert even…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Tangible CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad21, 2021 The influence of social media and the way we connect/relate to each other on a natural and human basis has changed the world rapidly and significantly over the last…
Release data: Skoulaman – Byssed CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 After Ron Boots, Skoulaman was another electronic musician who found his way to Bas Broekhuis’ Byss Studio during the Covid lockdown. Despite the latter troubled situation, this live album…
Release data: Space Art – Entrevues CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2020 EM aficionados will know Space Art (aka Dominique Perrier/synths and Roger Rizzitelli/drums, percussion) is part of the league of pioneers of French electronic music. The two made…
Release data: Awenson – Floating CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 With “Floating”, French multi-instrumentalist Joël Bernard brings his audience a work of non-Berlin School art that isn’t like any of his previous releases. This time around he’s come up with…
Release data: Tonal Assembly – No Solid Ground CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2021 The contemporary electronics Taede A. Smedes brought his audience with “Lost and Found in Imaginary Landscapes” is now extended with the richly coloured sonic universe with some…
Release data: vidnaObmana – The River of Appearance CD/Digital Download, Projekt Records, 1996 When we talk about elegant and graceful ambient milestones, Dirk Serries’ “The River of Appearance” fits the bill perfectly. Until this very day, the 59-minute release filled…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – Symmetry CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 After quite a busy year in 2018, the German band Pyramid Peak took a well-deserved creative break. With the 67-minute “Symmetry”, Axel Stüpplich and Andreas Morsch offer another…
Release data: Wavestar II – Two CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soddett Hall Music, 2021 On their second release, the trio Dyson, Whitlan, and Ward extend on the fine music of their debut, offering a 71-minute batch of highly accessible music rich…
Release data: Steve Roach & Michael Stearns – Beyond Earth & Sky CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 Soundsculptors Steve Roach and Michael Stearns are both electronic music veterans with an extensive list of solo and collaborative releases under their belt.…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Isola CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2021 The sacred, the expansive, the mystic, and the introspective are imminent and most present on “Isola”. The 79-minute release features four extended tracks by Mathias Grassow composed between 2009…
Release data: Rhea – Close to Moving Ice CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Littl’ Antenna Records, 2020 For whatever reason, I missed out on this album by Belgian synthesist Mark de Wit, aka Rhea. “Close to Moving Ice” contains one 35-minute track…
Release data: Kloob – Parallel States CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2021 Shorter, colder, and darker days are upon us once again, a proper period to enjoy some dark ambient. Kloob’s “Parallel States” is a haunting, gloomy drift into deeper lands…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Nevermore CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2021 “Nevermore” -representing the 100th DiN release- features Ian Boddy’s live set created at the DiN studio on March 27th, 2021 as part of Steve Roach’s Soundquest Festival. With the exception…
Release data: Uni Sphere – TempUS CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2021 Some 6 years ago Eric van der Heijden and Rene Splinter surprised the EM scene with their project Uni Sphere and its fine debut “EndLess EndeavoR”. The latter…
Release data: Ben Swire – Equilibriums CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, The Foundry/Hypnos Recordings, 2002 In collaboration with the ambient label Hypnos, Michael Bentley’s Foundry label started releasing cd ep’s in mid-August 2002, a mini-cd with a playing time between 15 and 30…
Release data: Martin Stürtzer – Illumination Cycle CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synphaera Records, 2021 Any fan of captivating and smooth sequencing in new Berlin School style paired with spacious, cinematic atmospheres should have a go at Martin Stürtzer’s “Illumination Cycle”. The consistent…
Release data: Max Corbacho– Lost Links II (The Complete Collection) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2021 In 2011, Max Corbacho released “Lost Links”, a set of atmospheric and space music tracks that were shelved although they were composed initially to fit on…
Release data: Lyonel Bauchet – The Diver CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2021 “The Diver” by French library music composer Lyonel Bauchet -released a decade after his download-only album “The Secret Society”- is a tactile, highly imaginative ambient concept album. It centers…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Refuge (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Leftfield Records, 2014 After they left their label Ultimae around 2014, the experienced Swedish ambient music producers Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad (aka Carbon Based Lifeforms) continued…
Release data: Eleon – Dreams beyond Terra CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Heart Dance Records, 2018 Let’s turn to some music with a vibrant, uplifting and contemporary sound design as well as expert mastering and production that I ran into as was…
Release data: Tacit Blue – Dreamland CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2000 The year 2000 saw the release of “Dreamland” by Tacit Blue, a.k.a. the Missouri-based duo Chris Crabtree and Jim Rogers. They’ve dedicated the band to the exploration of…
Release data: Oar – Adrift CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2021 Oar is a side-project by Norwegian artist Odd Jensen, who was released previously under the Havdis moniker. Havdis’ music was inspired by nature and the sea as well as the sound/silence…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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”…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Release data: Simon Lomax – Notes from the Void, Vol. 1 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Council of Nine, 2021 The process creating the music for “Notes from the Void” turned out a little different than Mr Lomax used to do on previous…
Release data: Robert Rich – Below Zero CD, Side Effects, 1998 This deep dark-ambient compilation follows-up on Robert’s 1996 HOS/Fathom release “A Troubled Resting Place” presenting more abstract, foreboding and expansive soundscape work with a profound surrealist touch. The composer…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – When Dusk becomes Night CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 What I got here is possibly the most tranquil and serene album yet from this talented New Zealand-based composer. The major part of the 58-minute…
Release data: Robert Rich – Rainforest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space, 1989 Back in 1989, the release of “Rainforest” marked a major breakthrough for Robert Rich, who actually made the album as an expression of despair and respect for our planet.…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Arabesque CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1991 The style of Paderborn-based composer and music teacher Rüdiger Gleisberg is no typical electronic music as it integrates lots of classical, impressionist and symphonic elements along some minimalist ingredients. Piano…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Nocturnes III CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2021 With “Nocturnes III”, Max Corbacho brings his audience the last chapter of the trilogy started in 2017 featuring music inspired by the vast and desolate night landscapes of Spain’s…
Release data: Robert Rich – Offering to the Morning Fog CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2020 The music of “Offering to the Morning Fog” was created on-demand as it was made in response to various requests from listeners who had asked…
Release data: Penterakt – Conquest of the Moon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E- Discs, 2021 Penterakt is a new collaborative project by Andy Bloyce and Tom Coppens, who some might know from the EM-collective Kubusschnitt. The 60-minute “Conquest of the Moon” -still…
Release data: Steve Roach – Into the Majestic CD/Digital Download, Timeroom Editions, 2021 Here’s a floating soundscape from ambient master Steve Roach that shows he once more has found his way back time into an expansive space of embracing warmth…
Release data: Simon Slator – Chameleon DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 After quite an extended break from music-making, British musician Simon Slator recently started up again and released “Chameleon”. From the liner notes I learned the underlying theme is how,…
Release data: Paralle Worlds & Dave Bessell – Phosphenes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2021 The stark, surreal and gothic are most present on “Phosphenes”, the third abstract-ambient effort of Bakis Sirros and Dave Bessell, who share a passion for vintage instruments…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Prologue CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2020 The 65-minute “Prologue” -featuring music created in 2019 and 2020- sees the light of day some 13 years after Brendan’s last solo album. And another time around Mr…
Release data: Wave Walkers – Kronos21 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Wave Walkers is a newcomer from Belgium. It’s a collaborative effort of Jurgen Vitrier and Germain Ghys who express their love and enthusiasm for the sound of classic ‘80s…
Release data: Transceive – Frozen Circuitry CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Alles Klar Productions, 2020 After a six-year musical hiatus Steve Nelson returns with the album “Frozen Circuitry”, described as ‘derived from the technology used to create the soundtrack to a cold atmosphere’.…
Release data: Rhea – 108 Minutes -that changed the world- CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E Discs, 2018 Rhea’s “108 Minutes” -a three track/65-minute sonic tribute to Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space- is a nicely accomplished travelogue for all…
Release data: Skyscaper – Atmospheric Stratification [Reshape] CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2020 This release was put out simultaneously with Mathias Grassow’s “The Dreamquest Sessions”. It’s made by label-owner, sound designer, composer and audio postproduction engineer Anders Peterson, also known for his…
Release data: Ron Boots & Synth.nl – BorkHavn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2020 Many will recall Ron & Michel’s fine debut album “Refuge en Verre” based on music drafts made during a vacation of both families in Belgium. A decade…
Release data: Kloob – Cryptic Interactions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 The sonic world of Spanish ambient sound sculptor Kloob I’m accustomed to so far is one of deep invocation, and his “Cryptic Interactions” (inspired by various weird encounters with…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Dreamquest Sessions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 1998/2020 At the end of 2020 Gterma surprised its fans and followers with the release of “The Dreamquest Sessions”, an ambient work of art Mathias Grassow created in 1998 for which…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Music for Urban Promenades II CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2020 This is a second volume of continuous low volume ambient environs inspired by a collage of faint bell sounds heard inside an indoor shopping mall…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – 0110 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 The music of the German project Cosmic Ground fits in the league of vintage electronic music of the beginning and middle of the ´70`s made with a fine selection…
Release data: Brian Eno – Film Music 1976 – 2020 CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Universal Music, 2020 All familiar with his music know a lot of Brian Eno’s music has (or evokes) a cinematic impact. The 17-track “Film Music: 1976 – 2020”, which…
Release data: Awenson – Aweena CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2020 On this album (an ode to love, beauty, peace and harmony) Joël Bernard identifies himself with Aweena, a self-created cosmic divinity bringing humanity the opposite of all the sorrow and…
Release data: Andrew Heath – The Alchemist’s Muse CD/Digital Download, Disco Gecko Music, 2020 I won’t deny (and even want to stress) it demands a special ear and state of mind to immerse into environmental ambiences with a minimal touch.…
Release data: Ashtoreth & Stratosphere – Between Worlds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2020 “Between Worlds” is a full-length collaboration of Belgian musicians Ashtoreth (aka Peter Verwimp) and Stratosphere (aka Ronald Mariën). Together they deliver a 7-track ambient soundscape with some ritualist…
Release data: Time Being – An Ocean of Time CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2020 With their third full-length release, aka US-synthesists Jourdan Laik and Phillip Wilkerson take another step forward in developing and defining their musical signature. As on…
Release data: Sequentia Legenda – Beyond the Stars CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 On each new album Laurent Schieber keeps pushing the boundaries while expressing his enduring passion for (and presenting his interpretation of) classic Schulze Berlin School electronics. On…
Release data: Steve Roach – Tomorrow CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2020 Drawing from a vast, unique and deeply personal authenticity, Steve’s works are and always have been fueled by the momentum of a lifetime dedicated to (what he refers to…
Release data: Desensitized – Hemispherica Portalis (Portal of 1000 Years) CD/Digital Downbload, Spotted Peccary Music, 2020 It can be an interesting yet refreshing experience when a musician decides to travel a different sonic path than usual. Such is the case…
Release data: Kloob & Onasander – Mundus Patet CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2020 Fall and winter make most appropriate seasons for deeper listening and travels into dark ambient spaces. Specialized in this EM-genre, Dutch Winter-Light-label brings us “Mundus Patet” (the world…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Book of Wanderers CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2020 On all previous albums of Forrest Fang I’ve encountered so far I’ve much enjoyed a rather complex style of music merging elements from Non-Western and Western…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling & others – 20 CD-EP, Viktoriapark Records, 2020 This is a celebratory release due to the 20th anniversary of Viktoria Park Records founded by Johannes Schmoelling in December 2000. The 30-minute Ep features four previously unreleased…
Release data: 猫 シ Corp & telepath – Building a Better World CD/LP/MC, Hiraeth Records, 2019/2020 Jornt Elzinga is a Dutch music producer and owner of Hiraeth Records who’s been making music using the 猫 シ Corp pseudonym (that means something…
Release data: TheAdelaidean – Isolation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2020 From Down Under comes “Isolation” by successful Aussie writer Sean Williams. The latter uses the moniker TheAdelaidean to explore original and collaborative soundscapes while referring to his output as structured…
Release data: Erik Wøllo & Michael Stearns – Convergence CD/Digital Download, Projekt Records, 2020 “Convergence” marks the debut collaboration between Erik Wøllo and Michael Stearns offering a blend of slowly-evolving, contemplative and intimate music reflecting a very visionary and vast aural…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Music for Urban Promenades CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2020 Taking inspiration from a collage of faint bell sounds heard inside an indoor shopping mall in Yokohama, Juta Takahashi decided to undertake his own environmental approach…
Release data: Havdis – Fugløya CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2020 “Fugløya”, Havdis’4th album on Gterma, was actually ready to go to print in early March but due to Covid19 had to sit back and wait a bit just like everyone else.…
Release data: Steve Roach – A Soul Ascends CD/Digital Download, Projekt Records, 2020 Meant for deep inward immersion & infinite playback, “A Soul Ascends”(created over seven days in mid-April 2020 during the Covid19 crisis) kinda fits in the same league…
Release data: Max Corbacho – The Unfolding Dawn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2020 The COVID19 confinement period triggered talented Spanish Max Corbacho creating “The Unfolding Dawn”, a continuous longform ambient expanse. The liquid, slowly and always gently transforming spaces encountered here…
Release data: Airwaves – Multiverse CD/Digital Download, Carpe Sonum, 2020 “Multiverse” is the final recording from the sadly deceased Oscar Menzel his widow discovered on his computer years ago. It is now made available to the public as a limited…
Release data: Gandalf – Secret Sarai CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, BSC/Prudence, 2020 I abandoned Gandalf’s music many years back as I found out over and over again the intriguing magical scent gracing his early work was no longer present: it had become…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Ancient Machines CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2019 Every recording by multi-instrumentalist and sound creator Forrest Fang I’ve listened to has been an enchanting, mystifying and intriguing experience. In the creative process of molding and shaping…
Release data: Janne Hanhisuanto – Ambient Collection 2020 Digital Download, Private Release, 2020 This release features 10 remastered ambient tracks taken from previous released albums created between 2007 and 2019. Some of these albums are hard to find nowadays. One…
Release data: Madis – Sea of Tranquillity CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Seabound Music, 2020 Here’s a nice catch for fans of synth-pop related and rather infectious-melodic electronics composed by Polish musician/producer Amadeusz Malkowskraka Madis, aka Madis. The latter launched his debut mini-album…
Release data: Brian Eno – Ambient #1: Music for Airports CD, Editions EG, 1978 “Ambient 1: Music For Airports” (conceived by Eno as an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence: a tint) broke new ground when it came out as it…
Release data: Liquid Mind – XIII: Mindfulness CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real Music, 2020 Well, here’s an electronic recording heading up the New Age avenue. Liquid Mind, aka US-composer Chuck Wild, started in January of 1988 during a time of personal crisis…
Release data: Zanov – Chaos Islands CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 Zanov’s sixth album “Chaos Islands” takes inspiration by the chaos theory and contains seven electronic vignettes blending the simple and complex while the listener can expect the unexpected. Still…
Release data: Brian Eno – Ambient #4: On Land CD, EG Records, 1982 As a big fan of ambient music for many years, I wondered how I could forget giving some attention to Brian Eno, one of the godfathers of…
Release data: Dave Bessell – Reality Engine CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2020 The surreal, gothic and cinematic form the main thread on Mr Bessell’s “Reality Engine”, his second solo album on DiN. This time around the UK-composer indulged his passion for…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – C’est Magique CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2020 I confess I somewhat gave up on on Mr Schroeder after the uninspired outcome of his previous two releases. Well, on his 2020-release “C’est magique” -a sound excursion…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Eternal Sorrows CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2019 The music on this 71-minute recording was made in 1981, a time when only limited analogue equipment along simple recording facilities were around and affordable for many electronic…
Release data: Alio Die & Parallel Worlds – The Utopian Blossom CD/Digital Download, Hic Sunt Leones, 2020 About six years after their previous recording the collaboration between the musical talents Alio Die (aka Italian soundsculptor Stefano Musso) and Parallel Worlds…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – Spacetones CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 Well, I guess the review of this one comes quite a bit later than I anticipated as I bought at the E-Live 2019 event where it was released.…
Release data: Nam-Khar – Sur Chöd CD, Winter-Light, 2020 Those who like to immerse in abyssal, long-form and ritualist-dark ambient soundscapes are at the right spot with the full-length “Sur Chöd”, an album following in the footsteps of the 2018-release…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – The Good Earth CD-r/DVD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 “The Good Earth” is the first album by Australian synthesist Steve Roberts (aka Amongst Myselves) made since he moved away from his suburban house near Adelaide to…
Release data: Nevel – The Hageland CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E Discs, 2019 I ran into this remarkable release on the Belgium Db2Fluctuation EM-event in February 2020. The concept-album The Hageland, a double cd limited to 300 physical copies, is the debut…
Release data: Nothing But Noise – Mutanten Maschine CD/USB-Stick/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DB2fluctuation, 2018 This release saw the light of day previously on cassette-tape and on self-released USB-stick before it landed on silver disc, the latter containing one bonus piece. Stark, progressive…
Release data: Stefan Erbe & Steve Baltes – A-11 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Erbe Music, 2019 Here’s another electronic album inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. The music on “A-11”, the third full-length collaboration of these skilled German…
Release data: Neraterrae – Scenes from the Sublime CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cyclic Law/Liberation through Hearing, 2020 On the 62-minute “Scenes from the Sublime”, Alessio Antoni (aka Neraterrae) continues his journey into haunting worlds of vast, ominous dronescapes. Coined as an ode…
Release data: Roger Eno and Brian Eno – Mixing C0lours CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deutsche Grammophone, 2020 Roger and Brian Eno’s collaborative debut-release “Mixing Colours” (created out of a back-and-forth process between the two brothers over a 15-year period) is an exploration…
Release data: Yagya – Old Dreams and Memories CD/LP/Digital Download, Small Plastic Animals, 2020 This album sees Reykjavik-based composer Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson redefining his own sound, continuing his quest in exploring new sonic pathways that he already started on his previous effort…
Release data: Nothing But Noise – Berlin to Brussel CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DB2fluctuation, 2019 On the 3-track/43-minute “Berlin To Brussel” Dirk Bergen and Daniel Bressanutti offer their listeners Berlin School-inspired electronics spiced with a few quirky hooks and slight experimental twists.…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Dreaming Spaces CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Sun, 2019/2020 Due to popular demand, this album got a limited edition physical release after it had been offered as a free download and thank-you from Max Corbacho to all…
Release data: Hyperkube – Remnants CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Littl’ Antenna Records, 2020 Hyperkube is a project initiated by Belgium synthesist Tom Coppens (who some may know as a member of Kubusschnitt). With this release he continues his love for classic Berlin…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Milestones CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2020 “Milestones” -marking Hollan’s debut on the established Spotted Peccary label- had a long way coming, not only as life got in the way. It actually deals with the…
Release data: Paul Ellis – Interstellar Nataraja CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 It seemed Paul Ellis put an end to his EM-career in January 2016 when his trusted studio dissolved, having lost decade’s worth of accumulated studio equipment. This heavy blow…
Release data: David Helpling – Rune CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2019 I’ve been following the musical endeavours of US-composer David Helping for many years, the last few focussing on sophisticatedly treated, pure ambient guitar and electronics. “Rune’s” cinematic outcome is…
Release data: S-A-W – Iconic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Viktoriapark Records, 2020 Kurt Ader is a talented German sound designer for hardware synthesizer, sampler and iOS apps who performed with Johannes Schmoelling on French Synthfest 2018 while having designed a large range of…
Release data: Skoulaman – Fluxes in Philadelphia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 This album documents the (slightly adjusted) concert Dutch synthesist Hans van Kroonenburg (whose motto is the power of a synthesizer is not to imitate but to create) performed at…
Release data: Jutaro Takahashi – Pleochroism CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neotantra, 2019 “Pleochroism” is Jutaro Takahashi’s debut-release on Lee Anthony Norris Neotantra-label (motto: Tantric solutions for ears). The outcome -that sees the Japanese composer in search of microcosmic beauty- continues Jutaro’s tranquil textural…
Release data: Daniel B. Prothese – Höllektrokraut / HellEctrokraut CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 Ok, time to dust off your speakers as here’s a treat for all fans of dynamic electronic krautrock with a leading role for analogue gear. Daniel B.…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – Skies and Stars CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 Well, ambient textural guitarist Jeff Pearce has outdone himself on “Skies and Stars”, a 56-minute epic of blissful space music meant for gazing at a clear night sky…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Astronaut CD, Cue-Records, 2019 Sure, the output of Em-veteran Peter Mergener has been low the last decade, but when something new comes up its worth checking out. This 50-minute concept album celebrates the 50th moon…
Release data: Awenson – Within CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 On the previous album “Hope”, Joël Bernard already showed his style is unusual and sometimes a bit peculiar. At first glance, “Within” features some progressive elements along the introduction of distorted…
Release data: The Roswell Incident – Trapped Part One CD, Wool-E Discs, 2019 Same as on their previous albums Koen and Jan Buytaert chose to compose lengthy electronic pieces for their new project “Trapped”. This time around, the release is…
Release data: Walter Christian Rothe – Secrets CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 “Secrets” (a concept album with melodic drama from his time as a composer) offers music from the back catalogue of talented Belgium synthesist Walter Christian Rothe, sonically connecting with…
Release data: RNGMNN – Arctic Interference CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2019 Ambient music dedicated to and/or inspired by the northern regions often has special vibe. The frozen and environmental dronescapes making up the nearly 60-minute “Arctic Interference” by Berlin-based Ronny Engmann (aka…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Sources (Early Works 1986-1992) Lp/CD, Smalltown Supersound, 2019 On this recording we travel back in time to early Norwegian ambient music when composer Erik Wøllo did various sessons and formative pieces between his albums “Dreams Pyramid”,…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Cosmic Ground 5 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 Here’s a fine 75-minute dish of darker flavoured vintage electronics staying close to the realm of TD’s “Phaedra” and “Rubycon”. Synthesist Dirk Jan Müller once again applied his…
Release data: David Parsons – Chakra CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2019 After “Puja” and “Stupa”, “Chakra” is the third album by New Zealand-based composer David Parsons on the Swedish G-terma label. This time around, the tracks on “Chakra” were very much gear-inspired.…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Transient Lunar Phenomenon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2019 The quality space-ambient of the German duo Sphäre Sechs stands out for its profound as well as cinematic quality. The result on their 50-minute “Transient Lunar Phenomenon” -recorded…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Azurae CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Valley Entertainment, 2019 With “Azurae”, Jonn wanted to follow up on musical ideas he developed on “Lumia Nights” and present a new perspective on those ideas. “Lumia Nights” envisioned an elegant “old school”…
Release data: C-Jay – ADEM CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 What I got here is the debut album on Groove Unlimited of Dutchman Christian Jansen who works as an experienced producer, composer and dj under his C-Jay moniker. As such he has…
Release data: Simon Lomax – How the Shadow Falls CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Council of Nine, 2019 The inner world explored on “How the Shadow Falls” is one of intense and profound textural ambiences extending further the emotive realm of its predecessors. Applying…
Release data: Bart Hawkins – 21 Pulse Eclipse CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2019 Bart Hawkins is an analogue gear-head from the US hereby releasing his inspired debut album. The abstract, industrial side of vintage Em (think Nothing but Noise, Node)…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Woodlands CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2019 For me, the biggest part of “Woodlands” is a trip down memory lane and most familiar to my ears. About half of it consists of aural sketches Rudy originally…
Release data: Max Corbcho – Echo of Longing CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2019 Majestic, in-depth and beckoning soundworlds keep coming from Barcelona-based ambient-master Max Corbacho. The 73-minute “Echo of Longing” is another example of his great talent featuring three long tracks…
Release data: Sysselmann – Ritual of the Aurora Noir CD-EP, Winter-Light, 2019 Fall and wintertime are appropriate periods to listen, enjoy and immerse into dark ambient music. Well, Winter-Light brings us the dark realms of 32-minute Ep “Ritual Of The Aurora…
Release data: Kelly David – Meditation in Green CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2019 “Meditation in Green” encapsulates the listener into a hypnotizing world of in-depth dream and drone spheres accompanied by a fine assortment of field recordings and percussion. Inspired…
Release data: Tonal Assembly – Lost and Found in Imaginary Landscapes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 The musician behind Tonal Assembly is Dutchman Taede A. Smedes who I know as a frequent and enthusiast visitor of electronic music festivals. I didn’t…
Release data: Ian Boddy & Erik Wøllo – Meridian CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2017 Contrary to “Frontiers”, the sonic journey of Ian Boddy and Erik Wøllo third collaborative effort “Meridian” is for those preferring slower evolving, denser and atmospheric electronics expanded with lyrical e-guitar…
Release data: Planet of the Arps CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2019 “Planet of the Arps”, the seventh release on Deserted Island Music, is the first ambient side-project by Dutch synthesist Remy Stroomer that evolved in various stages since he drew…
Release data: Mathias Grassow & Michael Brückner – Polar Vortex CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DataBloem, 2019 “Polar Vortex” -a magical ambient journey created in 2017 and 2018 leading the listener from mystical regions of the north to realms beyond- is a 75-minute ambient…
Release data: Rudolf Heimann – Die Unendlichkeit des Augenblick CD, Spheric Music, 2019 This concept album by German composer Rudolf Heimann -of which the title translates as The Infinity of the Moment- features a mixture of Berlin School-angled synth music,…
Release data: Toby Marks & Andrew Heath – Motion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Disco Gecko Recordings, 2019 “Motion” -the first collaborative album by UK soundscape-artist Andrew Health and Toby Marks (better known as Banco de Gaia)- offers a 60-minute ambient journey of processed…
Release data: Australis – One of Ours CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Essential Noises, 2019 In the five years since his previous release “Adrift”, composer Oscar Aguayo (aka Australis) found he was particularly receptive to the underlying forces behind most of our acts…
Release data: Steve Roach – Bloom Ascension MC/LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2019 Coined as a resplendent expression of elegant futurism, Steve Roach’s “Bloom Ascension” features four minimalist tracks of fractal, gentle spiraling analogue sequencer-driven electronics complemented by smooth yet elevating textural…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Totem CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 From this album on, Dutch EM-band Beyond Berlin has become a trio seeing Oscar van den Wijngaard joining Martin Peters and Rene de Bakker on their fine sonic journeys into…
Release data: Neraterrae – The Substance of Perception CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cyclic Law, 2019 Neraterrae is a dark ambient sonic adventure by Italian composer Alessio Antoni. On “The Substance of Perception” he collaborated with some various names in the genre, delivering…
Release data: Lambert – Dimensions of Dreams CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2019 Back in 1995 Lambert Ringlage released his successful third album “Dimensions of Dreams” that’s now available again as a remastered edition including one bonus track. It’s a highly…
Release data: Kloob – Unpredictable Signs CD, Winter-Light, 2019 “Unpredictable Signs” is Kloob’s second album on Winter-Light and again an extensive journey into mesmerizing yet deep soundworlds and beyond. Compared to predecessor “Remarkable Events”, this sonic venture is characterized by more…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling & Robert Waters – Zeit ∞? CD/DVD, Viktoriapark Records, 2019 Here’s a very nice live document I’m sure a whole bunch of EM-fans across the globe have been waiting for: the full concert (and more) Johannes…
Release data: Jos D’Almeida – Aspheres CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, caPe Recordings, 2019 “Aspheres”, a concept album dealing with a period after mass extinction, is the third release by Portugese synthesist Jos D’Almeida who’s residing in Ireland since two years. The almost…
Release data: Radiant Mind & Steve Roach – HelioSphere CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SteveRoach.com, 2019 The first intent of Radiant Mind (commited to working in anonymity with Steve Roach as his sole producer and interface to the world) for this music has…
Release data: Jorge Reyes – El Costumbre CD, Extreme, 2018 “El Costumbre” -realised in affinity with the customs of the Huichol Indians of Mexico- is an album featuring graceful yet subtle world ambient merging smooth soundscapes by Steve Roach with…
Release data: PERU – The Return CD, Private Release, 2018 With this album Dutch synth band PERU surfaces after approximately 25 years of absence. Their sonic odyssey now continues with Rob Papen and Ruud van Es leading the way using soft…
Release data: Yagya – Stormur LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2019 The heart and soul of Yagya’s “Stormur” is centered round a subtle flow of delicately molded tonal progressions in minimal techno-ambient featuring some occasional dubby sidesteps. It’s a groovy…
Release data: Metroland – Mind the Gap CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Alfa Matrix, 2012 Now here’s a Belgian duo leading the sound of Kraftwerk into the modern age of electronic music composing a collection of simple sounding tracks with vocoder/robotic vocals, Kraftwerkian rhythms…
Release data: Awenson – Hope CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2019 After a hiatus of several years, French synthesist Joël Bernard (aka Awenson) returns to the scene with “Hope”, a 67-minute album of cosmic electronic music with an undeniable “French” twist combined…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk – Passage LP/CD, Azure Vista Records, 2017 If I’m not mistaken “Passage” -which came to fruition out of a variety of musical motives and sketches by Jonas- is the second collaborative album by Ulrich…
Release data: D’Voxx – Telegraph CD/Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2019 Ian Boddy’s DiN label always had and still has a fine ear for alternative electronics and this debut release by D’Voxx – a live electronic music project by Paul Borg and…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Transmitter CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2017 The nearly 60-minute “Transmitter” contains Jeffrey Koepper’s set played live at Chuck Van Zyl’s WXPN’s Star’s End Radio show in June 2016. Using vintage analogues only, the result (featuring…
Release data: Robert Rich – Tactile Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2019 Especially the previous four albums by Robert Rich have been demanding above average, sonically as well as thematically. Divided in two parts, “Location” and “Dislocation”, the first disc…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Himavat CD/DIGITAL Download, Staalplaat, 1999 I’ve reviewed quite some (more recent) recordings by German drone-master Mathias Grassow, so here’s an older one from his back-catalogue. The cold, the dark and a distinct Tibetan feel are…
Release data: Mike Griffin – Fabrications CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2008 As far as I know this album is the last solo recording by Hypnos owner, visual artist and minimalist sound sculptor Mike Griffin. This dark ambient work – the follow-up…
Release data: Pillion – Enigmas CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1980/2019 Here’s one of those pinnacle releases of the past that never saw a cd-release after it came out in 1980. On this 54-minute live-recording, Walter Rothe and Guy Drieghe-D give their…
Release data: ASC – Trans-Neptunian Objects 2 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Auxiliary, 2018 I only need a few lines for this recording, the final one in the series, which sees James Clements – aka ASC- pick up the sonic trail where the previous…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Ars Lucis CD, ad21music, 2009 After the gentle ambience of his 2008-release “BreathStream”, Max Corbacho takes us to ambient heaven with his release “Ars Lucis”. Those familiar with his work know what he’s capable of,…
Release data: Etherfysh – The Sundered Sky CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 After a lengthy hiatus of 17 years, Etherfysh –aka Chris Christou- returns to the electronic music scene with “The Sundered Sky”, a 5-track release recorded partially in 2007…
Release data: Steve Roach – Electron Birth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2018 It’s been a while since a dynamic, energetic as well as electrifying work of electronics by Steve Roach has seen the light of day. From the start the…
Release data: Seetyca – Trances CD, Winter-Light, 2019 Here’s one for those who dig long, continuous strings of soundscapes as expansive, inspired and deep drone worlds are on the menu on Seetyca’s “Trances”, a kind of follow-up of “Zwischenwelten”. The 60-minute…
Release data: Patrick Kosmos – Mindscapes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1987/2019 Originally released privately around 1986/1987 on cassette, “Mindscapes” was later also included in “The Chronicles” cd-r box set. “Mindscapes” is Patrick Kosmos’ second album receiving a long-awaited release as factory-pressed cd.…
Release data: Massergy – Fire Opal CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2019 As has been the case for all previous Massergy music, Eric Jensen performed, recorded, and mixed the complete outcome entirely outdoors without the use of any sequencers, loops, software,…
Release data: Nigel (John) Stanford – Solar Echoes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 I imagine listeners who enjoyed Nigel (John) Stanford’s 1999 release “Deep Space” (like me) may have similar expectations of this double album. First of all “Solar Echoes”…
Release data: Vataff Project – Maeoma CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Virtual Worlds Records, 2012 “Maeoma” is the fourth album by Vataff Project, aka Bulgarian musician Victor Marinov, an emotionally-charged project aiming for profound feelings of ecstasy, dance and ritual from the ancient times,…
Release data: Ron Boots – Once the Dust Settles CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2018 “Once the Dust Settles”, surfacing over three years after Ron’s last solo album “Standing in the rain”, is a 60-minute release containing the live-set played at Planetarium…
Release data: Solar Fields – Ourdom CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Droneform Records/Sidereal, 2018 Here’s finally a new album by Swedish electronica artist Magnus Birgersson, released about six years after his last regular album “Random Friday”. Written entirely in his second home base…
Release data: Bluetech – Liquid Geometries CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2018 While sticking to his own sonic signature, Bluetech’s “Liquid Geometries” strays into the terrain of sequencer-driven vintage modular soundscapes with bits of Berlin School thrown in on occasion. Building slowly…
Release data: Al Gromer Khan – Chai & Roses CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Tea Time Music, 1987/2004 If I’m not mistaken Mr Khan released a cassette called “Chai & Roses” back in 1987, but the cd cover states most of this music was…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Fata Morgana Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2019 In my opinion composer Forrest Fang has delivered some very well crafted, evocative ambient art the last five years previous to this one. The high quality…
Release data: Andrew Kinsella – Cosmic Dawn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, MG Music, 2018 Although I personally prefer cosmic ambient music with profound depth, multiple layers along haunting, expansive farscapes, Andrew Kinsella’s “Cosmic Dawn” -a journey back through time to the birth…
Release data: ASphäre Sechs – Particle Void CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2018 The third full-length release by Sphäre Sechs, aka Martin Stürtzer (Phelios) and Christian Stritzel, found an appropriate home at Simon Heath’s cinematic dark ambient label Cryo Chamber. “Particle…
Release data: Al Gromer Khan – Turya CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Tea Time Music, 2006 The music of Al Gromer Khan is one of contemplation and meditation. It is shaped of hypnotizing soundscapes, sitar and intimate electronic sound design which at times…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Pianette CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD21 Music, 2019 Including twelve original contemporary classical solo piano pieces, “Pianette” (housed in a premium anti-static cover digipack) is the musical expression of Bruno Sanfilippo’s childhood memories of mechanical toys, dolls,…
Release data: ASC – The Waves CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season, 2019 I’ve been impressed by various ambient releases by James Clements, aka ASC, so won’t deny I had high expectations for “The Waves”. Well no worries as the 8-track/66-minute recording offers…
Release data: James Bernhard – Atmospherics CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, High Rising Records, 1994 Let’s take a ride with a fine example of old school ambient-trance classic made with classic instruments such as the Roland TB-303 (bass synthesizer), Roland TR-808 (Rhythm Composer)…
Release data: Chronotope Project – Lotus Rising CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2018 I can’t say the Chonotope Project releases on Spotted Peccary Music affected me as much as the independent (traditional space music inspired) recordings Jeffery Ericson Allen put out…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Fade to Grey CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2019 A profound sense of isolation and introspection is found in the pastel coloured textures, gentle melodic curves and rich emotive textures making up the 8-track “Fade…
Release data: Clifford White – Waterworld / The Speed of Silence / Robot Dawn / Cityscape (The Synergy Series) CD, Clifford White Music, 2019 Despite CD sales diminishing year on year, there are still many musicians and labels around the globe…
Release data: Sensory ++ – Art of Sadness CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E Discs, 2017 What “Art of Sadness” has in common with releases dealing with the same subject (such as Paul Sauvanet-Tristesse) is the slow progression and calm, emotive impact. The 71-minute…
Release data: Abbildung – At the Gates of Ouln CD, Winter-Light, 2019 Abbildung is a dark ambient project by Romanian sound artist Casian Stefan. Preceded by “All demons are horned” (2015, also on Winter-Light), “At the Gates of Ouln” is the…
Release data: Djen Ajakan Shean & Vidna Obmana – Parallel Flaming CD, Multimood Records, 1994 In the first half of the ‘90s quite some tribal-ambient releases saw the light of day. Steve Roach did a bunch, solo as well as together…
Release data: Serge Devadder – Taxon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2018 As for Serge Devadder’s previous cds, the cover of this release features an abstract texture by abstract art painter Birgit Schweimler that somehow reminded the composer of an amphibian organism,…
Release data: Vangelis – Nocturne CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Decca, 2019 Coined by Decca as a lunar album, “Nocturne” –subtitled the piano album- sees Vangelis turn up the New Age avenue which is a big surprise as the full outcome goes against almost…
Release data: Seifert & Steinbüchel – Abandoned Places CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Pleasure Sound Audio, 2018 After finishing “Reverse Engineering“, Erik Seifert & Josef Steinbüchel decided to compose an ambient album with slow music to relax but demanding attentive listening at the same time.…
Release data: Ascendant – Meridian CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synphaera Records, 2016/2018 Soothing, languid, deep and subdued dynamic are just a few keywords to describe the 86-minute ambient-space journey “Meridian” by Ascendant, aka California-based duo Chris Bryant and mastering engineer Don Tyler.…
Release data: Spyra – Dunst CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2018 Referred to as the follow-up album of “Staub” (2014), Wolfram Spyra takes his listeners on a trip of energetic contemporary electronics on “Dunst”, coming up with a fresh approach of the…
Release data: Steve Roach – Return to the Dreamtime -30 years deeper- CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2018 The music of this double album was created in the slipstream of and inspired by the 30th anniversary of Steve’s standout release “Dreamtime Return”,…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Horizon Matrix CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2018 I’ve been following Max Corbacho since discovering his debut “Vestiges” in 1999. It opened a world of passionate ambient sonic splendour unravelling until this very day. A highly atmospheric, enchanting,…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – InTRO (remastered & expanded) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad21 Music, 2006/2018 In 2006, the beautiful designed “InTRO” marked a new chapter in the nice organic ambient music of Bruno Sanfilippo of which the impact seemed to grow…
Release data: VelgeNaturlig – Kundalini CD, Winter-Light, 2018 On previous releases, soundscapist VelgeNaturlig (aka Ivo Santos) already took his listeners on a mesmerizing trip to far off places and worlds beyond. The brooding, intense and deep ambience featured on the…
Release data: Bluetech – Dreaming into being CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sounds True, 2013 “Dreaming into Being”, an exploration of expanded states of being, by Evan Bartholomew features seven tracks of pure, deep and spaced-out ambient soundscape bliss with embedded pulses and…
Release data: Klangwelt – The Incident CD/Digital Download, Spheric Music, 2018 “The Incident” sees the return of German audio designer Gerald Arend, aka Klangwelt, to the scene of electronic music after a pause of over a decade. The 79-minute result is…
Release data: Pollard / Daniel / Booth – Eight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Electronic Composers Outlet, 2018 UK-synthesists Brendan Pollard, Michael Daniel and Phil Booth are known for playing classic electronic music inspired by or reminiscent of mid 70’s TD using analogue gear…
Release data: Wintherstormer – D.E.S.H. CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Pakusch Project Records, 2018 Since its birth, Terje Winther’s sonic endeavour Wintherstormer stands for none-conventional, totally improvised sequencer-based Berlin School-infused music. Besides a challenging and most peculiar approach, its soundings are also edgier,…
Release data: Various Artists – The Sound of Syndae CD, Private Release, 2018 In January 2018 I was approached by Stefan Schulz, host of the German EM-podcast Syndae to join the jury to select music to go on Syndae’s 10th anniversary…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – Follow the river home CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 The spacious music on the 7-track “Follow the River Home” continues in Jeff’s signature sound of pastel-coloured guitar ambient paintings. The calming aural impressionist art displayed…
Release data: Parallel Worlds & Dave Bessell – Dystopia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2018 The title of the duos second distance collaboration already suggests dark electronics -a style Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) and Dave Bessell both appreciate a lot- and that’s…
Release data: Sayer – Interplanetary CD, Private Release, 2017 The sonic journey US-synthesist Sayer Seely undertook until now has brought the Em-community some interesting stuff. I’d even dare say any fan of melodic sequencing mixed with spiced-up electronics that hasn’t…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – New Frequencies Vol. 3 CD, News Music, 2018 The third volume in the series (kicked off in 2010) sees Robert Schroeder moving further into the domain of contemporary up-tempo, melodic electronics with various vocal samples…
Release data: Nothing but Noise – eXistence Oscillation (possible) Future CD/USB-Stick, Private Release, 2018 As was the case with their two previous releases in the eXistence Oscillation trilogy, this third chapter steps out of the ordinary once more, pushing the boundaries…
Release data: Brock Van Wey – White clouds drift on and on CD/Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Echospace, 2009 Being an avid fan of emotional-driven ambient music it was just a matter of time before I would run into the postmodern minimalist ambient of…
Release data: Meg Bowles – Evensong – Canticles for the Earth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kumatone Records, 2018 Although the word “Evensong” most often refers to the traditional Anglican Church service, various forms of prayer and song at the end of the…
Release data: AirSculpture – Travelling Light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 The AirSculpture guys are still alive and kicking, hereby releasing another most vibrant live document with a 100% improvised outcome as usual. The slightly edited outcome (to bring it…
Release data: Dreamfire – Atlantean Symphony CD, Minotauro Records, 2018 This factory-pressed re-issue is a completely remastered and extended version of the original 12-track seamless musical journey released privately by the composer in 2012. This definitive edition features stunning new…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Galaxis CD, Private Release, 2018 Special recordings come in various form. Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij chose to release this great looking triple cd set on E-Day 2018 to celebrate 15 years…
Release data: Sequentia Legenda – Renaissance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 Laurent Schieber’s fifth album “Renaissance” (working title “Immersion”) is another dedication and a further attempt to come as close as possible to the core sound of the vintage era…
Release data: Aperus – Lie Symmetry CD, Geophonic Records, 2018 A strange but at the same time intruiging set of accidentally made landscape photographs by a cell phone grace the cover of “Lie Symmetry”, a title derived from the math…
Release data: Flames of Genesis – A Bridge to Further Realms CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Minotauro Records, 2017 Flames of Genesis is the name of a project by the same composer -also known as The Voyager- who’s producing music as Dreamfire. It…
Release data: Stefan Erbe – Genesys CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Erbe Music, 2017 With “Genesys” (subtitled: a journey of virtual spacedesign and artificial intelligence) German synthesist Stefan Erbe offers his listeners an album of fresh modern space music, contemporary melodic/rhythmic electronics inspired…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – Recitals 2 CD, Synkronos Music, 2018 “Recitals 2”, following in the footsteps of the previous volume, features a selection of live pieces recorded at two late 2017 performances. As happened on the previous volume,…
Release data: Free System Projekt & Terje Winther – Spoon Forest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 At the start of the ‘70s Tangerine Dream created some impressive soundworlds and haunting atmospheres on “Phaedra” and “Rubycon”. A similar aural spirit is…
Release data: Steve Roach – Molecules of Motion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2018 “Molecules of Music” sees Steve Roach venture into thoughtful, rather complex and minimal aural territory through a myriad of Berlin School-infused, carefully unfolding and evolving analogue lengthy…
Release data: Vanderson – Sequenced Thoughts CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2018 According the composer’s note in the booklet, this album is probably his last one containing classic electronic music. Can’t say I would feel bad about that as Maciej’s Berlin…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Cosmic Ground IV CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 This is Cosmic Ground’s first release containing a couple of shorter compositions aside lengthier ones which sees Dirk Jan Müller explore the still intriguing electronic sound of…
Release data: Ambiscend – Tranquility CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Imagineer Records, 2018 Ambiscend is composer Darren Rogers hailing from West Texas who started his own label Imagineer Records some 20 years ago to help promote new age and ambient music. As the…
Release data: Node – Node Live CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2018 The rare concert that three of the original members of Node assisted by distinguished Hollywood film composer and ambient music designer Mel Wesson gave at London’s Royal College of Music…
Release data: [‘ramp] No sleep ’til wilmersdorf CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2018 “No sleep ‘til wilmersdorf” (the Berlin years 1978/79) is a 76-minute continuous aural travelogue through space and time seeing the composer remember and reflect upon his childhood spent in…
Release data: Skoulaman – Next Step in Evolution CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2018 The progress I noted on Hans van Kroonenburg’s previous album “Andros Awakenings” has finally led to his first factory-pressed cd on a major Em-label: “Next Step in…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Nocturnes II CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2018 This second instalment of the “Nocturnes” trilogy reconnects seamlessly to the deep, gentle and intimate atmospherics of the first album delivering 70 minutes of mesmerizing night (at times even…
Release data: Robert Rich – The Biode CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2018 Coined by the composer as a surrealist electronic journey through the microbiome, “The Biode” -featuring heavy use of modular synths and the Haken Continuum- harkens back to Robert’s…
Release data: Erren – Fleissig – Schöttler – Steffen – Tidal Shift CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2018 “Tidal Shift” by the German quartet Jörg Erren, Bert Fleißig, Jochen Schöttler and Christian Steffen appears a four year hiatus. As was the…
Release data: Wavestar II – Nightwinds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2018 Wavestar II sees John Dyson accompanied by accomplished composers and studio-technicians Paul Ward and Stephen Whitlan continuing the sonic quest where Wavestar left us many years ago. “Nightwinds” contains…
Release data: Patrick Kosmos – Monument CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2018 “Monument”, part of the private-released “Chronicles” cd-r box set, sure will jog the memory and stir the appetite of Em-fans around the world, especially those in Europe who were…
Release data: Jeff Greinke – Before Sunrise CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2018 When it comes to the works of Arizona-based musician, composer, performer, sound sculptor and visual artist Jeff Greinke, music and creative process have always been inspired by…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Disintegration CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, MIRecords, 2017 The last two decades quite a few EM albums have seen the light of day concerning global environmental problems, the dangers of nuclear power and the ongoing destruction of nature…
Release data: Numina – The Chroma Plateau CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2018 Numina’s “The Chroma Plateau” required a long-term recording process, taking US-composer Jesse Sola about two years to work on. Because of this lengthy process, there are a…
Release data: Jeff Pearce –From the Darker Seasons CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2017 Slow, deeper ambient worlds, ethereal synth beds and guitar-based atmospheric spacemusic with a highly emotive thread have graced the works of Jeff Pearce until now. “From the…
Release data: Kloob – Remarkable Events CD, Winter-Light, 2018 The origin of “Remarkable Events” happened in April 2016 as Barcelona-based synthesist Daniel Ferreira, aka Kloob, planned to assemble a mix of tracks in the same vein as featured on “Solid…
Release data: As Lonely as Dave Bowman – Monolith CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2015 Now here’s a project fully inspired by and related to the cinematic art of Stanley Kubrick. Being named after the astronaut in Kubrick’s “2001, A Space Odyssey”,…
Release data: Annemarie Borg – In Nomine Tellus CD, Gterma, 2018 The cover of this 6-panel superfile release is graced by a beautiful panorama pic of the Alaska Range. “In Nomine Tellus”, the second album of a trilogy dedicated to…
Release data: Kurtz Mindfields & Taj Mahal – Analogic Touch CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Electrik Dream, 2017 Subtitled “From Berlin School to Ambient Electronica”, this release by Kurtz Mindfields (aka Jean-Luc Briançon) and TajMahal (aka Stephane Gallay) looks like a fun project…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Light and Shadows CD, Lunisolar Records, 2017 “Light and Shadows”, released on December 6, 2017, is the first double album by accomplished Japanese synthesist Jutaro Takahashi. Jutaro’s 12th release comprises six extended ambient soundscapes, two…
Release data: Hemisphere – Now CD, Groove Unlimited, 2001 Accessible, adventurous, darker and slightly unsettling moods all pass by on Ralph Knappe-Heinbockel’s and Thorsten Reinhardt’s fifth album “Now” that -compared to the previous albums- also sounds more contemporary. Besides the…
Release data: Ascendant – Particle Horizon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2017 “Particle Horizon”, the final chapter of Ascendant’s “Source”-trilogy is of particular interest for aficionadosof for faster-paced ‘80s TD-sequencing paired with a captivating, fresh sound design and cracking engineering. I…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Scenes from a Ghost Train CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Project Records, 2018 Until now, the electronic creations by most talented multi-instrumentalist Forrest Fang have proved a surrealist blend of processed ethnic instruments and minimalist, ambient soundscapes. “Scenes…
Release data: Airwaves – Biomechanical CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Carpe Sonum Records, 2001/2018 Here’s an invitation for a trip out of the ordinary. “Biomechanical” is an archival recording from deceased Mexican synthesist Oscar Menzel, probably composed between 1999 and 2001. The sparkling,…
Release data: Liquid Mind – XII: Peace CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real Music, 2018 “Peace” is an album for fans of electronic New Age music. It sees a continuation of the very smooth, serene-floating velvet soundscape music found on Liquid Mind’s previous…
Release data: Ambient Joy – Always hold the Light CD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 I can’t deny Ambient Joy’s debut album, a collaboration of German artists Dagmar Hoffman (aka Klaus Hoffman-Hoock’s ex-wife Dagi Daydream) and Harald Nies, appears a different and…
Release data: Simon Lomax – A Strange Light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Council of Nine, 2017 Simon’s intention for “A Strange Light” was a sonic exploration of the different forms and meanings of light. Well, the album’s eight compositions are vaporous, ethereal…
Release data: Akikaze – Solstice CD, Spheric Music, 2017 With Pepijn Courant’s “Solstice” (composed on the occasion of E-Live 2015 festival), German label Spheric Music has added an album fitting their catalogue. The release offers nearly 80 minutes of fresh…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Black Soma CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Recordings, 2017 A strong sense of the eternal, vast open spaces along a profound emotive current of longing and melancholy are found at the heart of Dennis Huddleston’s velvet ambient…
Release data: Remy – The Return of Planet X CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2017 The outcome heard on “The Return of Planet X” was staged live in concert at a one-off event organised by Remy Stroomer and Ron Boots…
Release data: Bridge to Imla – The Radiant Sea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light Records, 2017 Bridge to Imla is a project by the German duo Michael Brückner and Hans-Dieter Schmidt who started collaborating occasionally since 2012. At first glance exploration and…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Stories from Floating Worlds Vol. 1: The Turbulent Years CD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 Already having a successful back catalogue of solo and collaborative releases, accomplished synthesist Gert Emmens hereby brings us the first chapter of…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Fine Tunes CD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 “Fine Tunes” is the first factory-pressed release of Martin Peters and Rene de Bakker (aka Beyond Berlin) based on musical sketches mapped out during a jam session in November…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Source of Present CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2017 Being a long time ambient fan myself I’ve reviewed quite a bit of music fitting the bill to slow down the mind and detach from busy modern life,…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Lost & Found CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad 21 Music, 2017 “Lost & Found”, a 5-track/36-minute release with neo-classical piano music, throws new light on some past gems that were buried and lost in other collections but…
Release data: Altus – Winter Embrace (15th Anniversary edition) CD, Private Release, 2017 What I got here is the first factory-pressed cd from Canadian sound artist Mike Carss, aka Altus. It’s the definitive 62-minute version of the orchestral-electronic release originally…
Release data: Vanderson – Beyond Time Structure CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2017 Vanderson’s previous album “Vandisphere” sounded quite disappointing to my ears so it is good composer Maciej Wierzchowski is back with the consistent “Beyond Time Structure”. The latter contains…
Release data: Arc – Fleet CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2017 “Fleet” is another powerhouse live recording from Mark Shreeve & Ian Boddy featuring their set played at the E-Scape festival in May 2017 for an enthusiast audience. On their 7th concert…
Release data: Seetyca – Winterlicht CD, Winter-Light, 2017 Slow morphing, cold and profound ambient is on the menu on Seetyca’s concept album “Winterlicht” (a 79-minute effort conceived, played and recorded over three summers between 2014 – 2016) coming up as…
Release data: Arcane – Live @ E-Day 2017 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 There’s actually not much to tell about this fine release containing Paul Lawler’s 67-minute live set played at E-Day 2017 festival. At the occasion Lawler performed solid…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – D.MO Vol. 4 Harmonic Decadence CD, Spheric Music, 2017 Some long-time and avid Em-fans may remember German synthesist Robert Schroeder once contributed a track called “Harmonic Decadence” to Inkey$ No. 2 cassette (1983). The track…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Divinations CD, Gterma, 2017 “Divinations”, an almost 80-minute recording featuring five haunting ambient tracks, is a new chapter in Mathias Grassow’s Alchemy Suite inspired by man’s quest for higher knowledge and his taking to mysticism…
Release data: ASC – No Stars without Darkness CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season , 2016 This is a fine recording working well when the weather starts growing colder and in wintertime. With “No Stars without Darkness” listeners enter a far-off world…
Release data: Howard Givens & Craig Padilla – Being of Light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2017 With this follow-up to “Life Flows Water”, accomplished composers Howard Givens and Craig Padilla emphasize a visceral and enveloping experience, conceptually envisioning the…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – Recitals CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synkronos Music, 2016 What I got here is a 140-minute double album featuring sequencer-driven electronic music (extracted from five May 2016 performances) tapping in the pool of German vintage electronics bridged…
Release data: [‘ramp] Synchronize or Die CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2017 “Synchronize or Die” (celebrating 20 years of unsolicited noise) is the result of a five year sabbatical after the release of “Astral Disaster”. It reveals a much mellower, less stark…
Release data: Jim Ottaway – Deep Space Blue CD, Private Release, 2017 “As far as I’m familiar with his catalogue, “Deep Space Music” is the first true cosmic release with lots of freeform soundscapes from Australian synthesist Jim Ottaway. Opener…
Release data: Zanov – Moebius 256301 (40th Anniversary edition) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1977/2017 Zanov, strongly influenced by his own scientific background, always attempted to connect some scientific concepts such as chaos theory, fractals and complexity theory with his music.…
Release data: Steve Roach – Nostalgia for the Future CD/MC/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Edtions , 2017 “Nostalgia For the Future”, the companion release to “Long Thoughts”, is a calming reverie for the slow lane featuring a deep ambient flow of six…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – Roots CD, Manikin Records, 2017 “Roots” is a commemorative release celebrating the 30th anniversary of this successful German band who states the outcome is the essence of all previous albums. At the same time it…
Release data: Walter Christian Rothe – Alice (30th Anniversary edition) CD, Groove Unlimited, 1987/2017 In a way “Alice” could be considered a kind of forgotten work of Belgian synthesist Walter Christian Rothe. Initially released on vinyl in 1987 as a…
Release data: RON BOOTS Derby! CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 During his decades-long career Steve Roach has composed lots of longform ambient for looped infinite low volume playback mode to wander off gently and disappear in. The completely freeform environment “Long…
Release data: Chronotope Project – Ovum CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music , 2017 Chronotope Project’s seventh album “Ovum” had a long gestation period with seeds slowly starting to grow at the beginning of 2013. The process of (re)shaping, revising and…
Release data: Chuck van Zyl – Rituals CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synkronos Music, 2014 Mr. Van Zyl’s love for and signature style of classic electronic music forms the core of the 57-minute “Rituals”, an album containing two long tracks. The 21-minute “Saturn”…
Release data: Yagya – Stars and Dust CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Delsin Records, 2016 “Stars and Dust” is an album full off well-made, attractive and atmospheric down-tempo electronics encouraging the listener to get horizontal and feel at ease. This time around and…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Red Live @ USA CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2017 This double EP-album comprises three long excepts of music by the trio as they crossed the pond in 2012 to play several live gigs…
Release data: Secondface – Transitions CD, Gterma , 2017 The music on this album had a long way coming as composer Frank Vilbæk Jensen lost quite some drafts due to two severe computer breakdowns as he only made a partial…
Release data: S1gns of L1fe – Pathways to Ascension CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synphaera Records, 2017 “Pathways to Ascension”, cut from a 24bit-44.1 kHz master source, is a down-tempo/chill-out exercise by Chris Bryant (aka S1gns Of L1fe) who hails from California’s Bay…
Release data: VelgeNaturlig – Opalescent Pust CD, Winter-Light, 2017 Aficionados of haunting and profound organic ambient will find a lot to like on the longform “Opalescent Pust” by Portuguese soundscape artist VelgeNaturlig. It’s a liquid constellation of dark, slow morphing…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Albion CD, Lunisolar Records, 2017 Jutaro Takahashi’s “Albion”, a 73-minute concept album, sees the light of day after a three year hiatus. Still using analogue synths only, Juta brings us five free form ambient compositions…
Release data: Pyramaxx – Move CD, Klangdesign-Records, 2017 On their debut album “Distance” Axel Stupplich, Andreas Morsch and Max Schiefele already presented a fine display of melodic-spiced, solid and mature electronic music. The result on their second endeavour “Move” fits…
Release data: Free System Projekt – Five Suns CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2017 With the double album “Five Suns” Dutch duo Ruud Heij and Marcel Engels (aka Free System Project) continue their journey through vast Berlin School wastelands. The album…
Release data: Quaeschning & Schnauss – Synthwaves LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Azure Vista Records, 2017 Presented as a homage to the electronic music masters of the past yet breathing fresh contemporary and enchanting vibes along an overall post-cosmic sound, Thorsten Quaeschning &…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper –MantraSequent CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2017 As the title already suggest, “MantraSequent” is a series of Mantra-like meditative compositions that flow into each other creating a long sonic sculpture that lives and breathes. This time around,…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Live CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sunhair Music, 2017 “Live” compiles a mix of the best moments of the concerts Cosmic Ground played at E-Live festival 2016 and Psychedelic Network Festival 2016. At both gigs, where Dirk Jan…
Release data: Steve Roach – The Passing CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2017 “The Passing” (a surprise birthday present from Steve to all his fans in February 2017) is a 60-minute contemplation on human life of which the first seeds go…
Release data: Constance Demby – Novus Magnificat, 30th anniversary edition CD/DIGIAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space/Valley Entertainment, 1986/2017 For the description and impact of this modern-classic monument, building a bridge between classical and choral music by means of orchestral expressions and…
Release data: Nothing but Noise – eXistence Oscillation PrEsent CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool E-Discs, 2017 Whereas “eXistence Oscillation pAst” contained music created in the three years after the duo’s fine debut “Not Bleeding Red”, the 48-minute “eXistence Oscillation prEsent” offers all…
Release data: Mario Konrad – Spirit Cave CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2007 Mario Konrad’s second solo album “Spirit Cave” is a tribal-ambient recording that sounds like a light-version of Suspended Memories or a collaborative work by Steve Roach The 54-minute…
Release data: Ian Boddy – As Above So Below LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2016 It seems to me things have come to rest and return to a harmonic state on the Ian Boddy’s rather neo-classical oriented, symphonic infused “As Above so…
Release data: Various Artists – Winter-Light … That First Season CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Winter-Light, 2017 What I got here is an ambient compilation released by Dutch Winter-Light containing 16 exclusive, unreleased tracks by skilled composers hailing from all corners of the…
Release data: Synchronized – Galaxy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 “Galaxy” by Dutch synthesist Francois ten Have (aka Synchronized) marks the fifth release in Groove’s GR1000 cd series. The 64-minute album consists of eight accessible, melodic, sequencer-spiced and rhythmic tracks…
Release data: ASC – Truth be Told CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season , 2014 The fully beatless “Truth be Told”, the follow-up to James Clements excellent effort “Time heals all”, builds and expands slightly upon the themes and ideas explored on…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Nocturnes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silentsun, 2017 “Nocturnes” (the debut release on Max’s own label Silentsun, created exclusively for his solo albums from now on) is the first episode of a trilogy with night landscapes as a…
Release data: Kevin Braheny – Lullaby for the Hearts of Space MC/CD, Hearts of Space/Valley Entertainment, 1980/1991 For the first time ever on cd, “Lullaby for the Hearts of Space” is commercially available for the first time since its cassette-release…
Release data: Ryuichi Sakamoto – async LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Q-rious Music/Warner Music, 2017 The analog and synthetic “async” (conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary Andrei Tarkovsky movie) marks Ryuichi Sakamoto’s first solo effort in about eight years, a period in…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Sequencer Rarities CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2017 “Sequencer Rarities” is a collection of six lone and special tracks composed between 2000 and 2007 that (unfortunately) never made it to any of the albums released by…
Release data: Between Interval – Legacy CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2017 “Legacy”, Between Interval’s fifth chapter in something that was started with “Radio Silence” around 2003/2004, appears after almost eight years of silence. Life caught up with Swedish composer…
Release data: James Johnson – The Butterfly Chamber CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2002 The actual release of “The Butterfly Chamber”, James Johnson’s second album for Mike Griffin’s Hypnos label was postponed for one year in favor of Mr. Johnson’s collaborative album…
Release data: Chris Russell – Labyrinth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2017 Meant as an audio soundtrack for circling to the center of oneself, the spacious, slow evolving, subtle shapeshifting and overtly subdued soundscapes making up each of the six…
Release data: Gandalf – Visions 2001 CD, Sony Music , 2000 It was somewhere in the year 2000, Austrian sound magician and multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl (aka Gandalf) looked back on 20 years as a recording artist and decided to record…
Release data: John Kerr – Embracing the Inevitable CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 Facing a life-threatening disease and suffering from the severe physical and mental consequences of it has been what John Kerr’s life has been all about the last…
Release data: Martin Peters – Angels of Nowhere CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited , 2016 With “Angels of Nowhere”, Dutch synthesist Martin Peters (also one half of Beyond Berlin), presents a fine and moody debut album. The nine track outcome, although…
Release data: Gandalf – Visions LP/CD, WEA, 1981 “Visions”, Gandalf’s second album, extends further on the moods of fantasy through sound introduced on his debut album “Journey to an Imaginary Land”, painting another sonic narrative inspired by Tolkien’s writings. The…
Release data: James Johnson & Robert Scott Thompson – Forgotten Places CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Zero Music, 2001 Next to his solo releases, ambient composer James Johnson also collaborated with several other musicians (such as Vir Unis and Stephen Philips) which resulted…
Release data: Betzler & Brückner – Triplet CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 The 76-minute “Triplet” is a collaborative project by Tommy Betzler (drums) and Michael Brückner (synths) joined by Sammy David (e-guitar) on most tracks and Fryderyk Jona (Moog synth)…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn & Mikael Ögren – We Never Came To The White Sea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2017 “We Never Came to the White Sea” is a soundtrack and (the first) concept album by Johan Agebjörn and…
Release data: Gandalf – Tale From A Long Forgotten Kingdom LP/CD, WEA, 1984 This narrative and emotive album extends on the enchanting, fairytale-like music of its predecessors, especially his debut “Journey to an Imaginary Land” comes to mind on various…
Release data: Owann – Eternal Return CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E Discs, 2016 The 76-minute “Eternal Return”, the second release in Wool-E’s series of Belgian NeuMusik, by Belgium composer Johan De Paepe (aka Owann) is a concept album inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s…
Release data: Van Zyl, Gulch & Rath – The Sound Museum CD, Groove Unlimited , 2001 The classic electronic and Berlin School-based music featured on the 74-minute “The Sound Museum” hails back to the late ‘80’s when Chuck Van Zyl,…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Velocity CD, Spheric Music, 2017 Although “Velocity” is a release of contemporary and general-melodic instrumental electronics, it also sees Robert wander back to several of his classic roots that marked the start of his EM-career…
Release data: Various Artists – Greenosophy chapter II CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2017 Here’s a second batch of minimal, contemporary, progressive trance and hypnotic electronics by various artists compiled by Swiss dj Mizoo aka Cyril Miserez. What starts out in…
Release data: John Lyell – Planetary Artifacts CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2017 Although just started, the year 2017 has already seen a few space music releases. With his fourth album “Planetary Artifacts”, mastered by Robert Rich, John Lyell presents his…
Release data: James Johnson – Entering Twilight CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2000 At the time this album came out, the music of the Mike Griffin’s Hypnos label featured quite a lot of dark, abstract and sometimes even experimental-oriented releases. The sonic…
< Release data: Hollan Holmes – Prayer to the Energy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2017 In regard to the quality of his previous releases I think it most exciting when a new release from the very talented Texas-based composer Hollan…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Following the Ether Sun CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projektt, 2017 Besides synthesizer, violin and an assortment of hand-based percussion instruments, Chinese-American sound-sculptor Forrest Fang also plays some far lesser known and uncommon stringed instruments on “Following the…
Release data: Silentwave – Kilauea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hiss Noise Records, 2017 On the 31-minute dronescape “Kilauea” (the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield volcano), Yoshinori Noguchi expresses the beauty of nature in the first half while the second one reflects…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Urban Decay CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2014/2016 The six tracks Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij created for “Urban Decay” were mainly based on and inspired by their well-accomplished performance at the Dutch…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – The Sentinel CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New World Music, 2017 The six deep space “paintings” making up “The Sentinel” are based on and inspired by Steven Caldwell’s (aka Stewart Cowley) Terran Trade Authority book series published between…
Release data: Lav & Purl – A State of Becoming LP/CD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2017 Aficionados of tranquil, spacious and smooth glistening ambiences dressed with environmental/nature recordings, piano and carefully measured beats will be fond of “A State of…
Release data: F.D. Project – Timeless II CD, Private Release, 2016 “Timeless II” (which actually has a loud sound level) saw the light of day exactly 10 years after the first album from 2006. This second chapter features a lot…
Release data: Brian Eno – Reflection CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Warp Records, 2017 It’s time to submerge in some tranquil soundscapes again. Fans that enjoyed Mr Eno’s long form ambient bliss such as “Thursday Afternoon” and “Neroli” will encounter a similar aural…
Release data: Steve Roach – Spiral Revelation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2016 Since a couple of years I’ve found it very hard and too demanding to keep up with the high speed of Steve’s releases. Besides serious time constraints to…
Release data: Hecq – Night Falls CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hymen/Ant-Zen, 2008/2016 This deep listening recording is not for the faint of heart. Nocturnal, neo-classical, semi-orchestral and dark cinematic mood music (including a passage with abstract/experimental hooks on “Dis”) is on the…
Release data: Atmosphere Factory – Atmosphere Factory CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dakini Records, 2016 Here’s another nice find I was pointed at by a good friend from Down Under. The contemporary electronic “Atmosphere Factory” proves another addition of sophisticated, flowing, tranquil but…
Release data: Steve Hauschildt – Strands LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kranky, 2016 With “Strands”, Cleveland-based composer Steve Hauschildt presents his listeners a fascinating analogue trip into spacey and surreal ambient landscapes without wandering in darker territory. The album is a song cycle…
Release data: Spyra/Lang – Achtundsechzig 24 (Live@Toskana-Therme) CD, Manikin Records, 2003 With this release the duo Spyra/Lang has come up with a fine work of long form, sequencer-driven and rather trancy Berlin School music carrying the spirit of both vintage…
Release data: Jim Ottaway – Timeless e-Motion CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 The title of this album wants to reflect the ‘almost’ endless motion of life along some of the emotions that we experience as we go through life’s journey. As…
Release data: James Murray – Eyes to the Height CD-DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2016 Mr Murray’s seventh full-length solo album “Eyes to the Height” is a work of contemporary ambient poetry centred on the fragile beauty of life and loss.…
Release data: AirSculpture – Vanishing Point Volume Two CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 This follow-up to Volume 1 features the music played live in concert at The Gatherings 2011 concert in Philadelphia USA. What strikes quite a bit is the…
Release data: Stefan Erbe – Selectronique Debussy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Erbe Music, 2016 What you get on this recording is Debussy’s classical music taking the Tomita-avenue but executed in a contemporary “German” fashion. I actually gave the release several extra spins…
Release data: Nothing but Noise – eXistence Oscillation Past CD/DIGITAL DOWWNLOAD, Wool E-Discs, 2016 The Belgian Wool-E label has coined Belgian NeuMusik (Belgian ambient, Berlin School and other experimental-instrumental EM) to label Nothing but Noise’s album “eXistence Oscillation Past”, the…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Nightquest Sessions CD, Gterma, 1998/2016 Looking at the range of releases on Gterma its clear label owner John Rehn is an avid fan of the darkening ambient-drone works of German musician Mathias Grassow. This…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – No Further Ahead Than Today CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Scripted Realities, 2016 This album is a kind of journey down memory lane as the impact of the nine complex and emotive songs making up “No Further Ahead…
Release data: Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene 3 LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sony Music, 2016 Mr Jarre keeps busy the last couple of years and even set himself a deadline to compose a third chapter of “Oxygene” for its 40th anniversary. Well,…
Release data: Various Artists – Spheric Music: Silver CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2016 With the compilation album “Silver”, Lambert Ringlage’s label Spheric Music celebrates its 25th anniversary offering ten exclusive tracks by established and forthcoming artists on the label. The…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures 4 CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD21 Music, 2016 “Piano Textures 4” sees a continuation of Mr Sanfilippo’s journey through refined electro-acoustic aural realms. It contains nine narrative compositions of intense piano minimalism, treatments, field recordings…
Release data: Silentwave – Daiyuzan CD, Gterma, 2016 Welcome in the immersive world of Yoshinori Noguchi, aka Silentwave, a Japanese composer from Yokohama working most exclusively in the ambient field or drones music while addressing themes of nature, consciousness and…
Release data: Arcane – Automaton CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 Arcane aficionados -including myself- who have been following and appreciating this artist’s accessible vintage sequencer works should now be very cautious. Mr Lawler’s “Automaton” proves a hard nut to crack…
Release data: Seetyca – Zwischenwelten CD, Winter-Light , 2015 “Zwischenwelten”, worlds in between, starts out with mysterious whispers and blurred, expansive dronescapes. It’s an entrance into another deep ominous and ghostly world made by of e-maschinen, samplers, ocarina, recorder, zither,…
Release data: Matthew Stewart – A world bathed in sunlight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 American multi-instrumentalist Matthew Stewart previously made appearances on albums and live performances of Spotted Peccary artists David Helpling, Jon Jenkins and Deborah Martin. The…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau (feat. Lambert) – In Search of Silence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2016 The switch to other analogue instruments than his regular gear proves beneficial to the sound of the outcome of Bertrand Loreau’s “In Search of…
Release data: Serge Devadder – Ganda CD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 At first glance, “Ganda” (Gent), of which the most part was recorded live in concert during Cosmic Nights in spring 2016 and taken straight from the mixing desk, seems to…
Release data: Steve Moore – Light Echoes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cuneiform Records, 2012 From the start it’s clear the music found on Steve Moore’s album “Light Echoes” doesn’t hide being inspired by classic German Kosmische Schule by the most notable Tangerine…
Release data: Robert Rich – Vestiges CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2016 “Vestiges” began as the unspoken corollary to the strong concept album “What We Left Behind” and proves even more up close and personal. While traveling forward in his own…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – A Thousand Times part 2 CD, Viktoriapark, 2016 Six years after its initial release, Johannes Schmoelling (joined by Jonas Behrens on a few tracks) brings us a second batch offering a mix of styles but…
Release data: Walter Christian Rothe – Let the night last forever LP/CD, Groove Unlimited, 1985/2016 Belgian composer Walter Christian Rothe lived in the heart of the city of Brussels when he composed his classic album ‘Let the night last forever”.…
Release data: Loren Nerell – The Venerable Dark Cloud CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2016 “What would it be like to be a soul or spirit inside a gong?” You would not think in human ways but maybe in gamelan tones.…
Release data: Howard Givens & Madhavi Devi – Source of Compassion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 I imagine the meditative exercise with Craig Padilla on “Life Flows Water” must have triggered Spotted Peccary veteran Howard Givens to explore that…
Release data: Tom Eaton – IndeSterren (Into the Stars) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, River Wise Records, 2016 Those music fans out there enjoying the intimate, emotive ambient musings of Jeff Pearce, Tim Story and Patrick O’Hearn should take notice here. Tom Eaton…
Release data: Zanov – Green Ray CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1976/2016 The mid seventies experienced the emergence of electronic music from the progressive soundscapes with those (short) keyboard solos or before unheard sound effects evolving into interesting full length albums.…
Release data: Remy – Fears CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2016 After five years, Dutch accomplished synthesist Remy Stroomer hereby presents us his new solo: the concept album “Fears”. Remy didn’t take the easy road for this one, expressing the…
Release data: Peter Baumann – Machines of Desire LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Bureau B , 2016 I must confess I’m impressed the way Peter Baumann has been able to implement and continue the style of his fine 1979 classic “Trans Harmonic Nights”…
Release data: ASC – Fervent Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season, 2015 A beautifully rendered and overtly tranquil soundscape journey through time and space is what’s found on ASC’s “Fervent Dream”. James Clements, aka ASC, has outdone himself another time by…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Coastlines CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 “Coastlines” can be regarded as sister album to Rudy’s previous album “Atmospheres”. The range of reflective ambient soundscape music making it up are mainly works composed between 2000…
Release data: Seetyca – Nemeton CD, Winter-Light, 2015 Seetyca’s recording “Nemeton” is named after and/or inspired by a sacred space in ancient Celtic tradition, primarily situated in natural areas, often sacred groves of trees. It’s recommended to all who love…
Release data: Hoshin – Path of Dissolutions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, CryoChamber , 2016 Hoshin is an ambient composer hailing from Belgium who connects opposites in his deep aural creations using an analog modular synthesizer, sound effects and many field recordings of…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Cosmic Ground III CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 A thorough journey into analogue heartland would be a perfect subtitle for Cosmic Ground’s third album, offering a 71-minute outcome once more loaded with a wealth of…
Release data: Vangelis – Rosetta CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Decca, 2016 With “Rosetta”, dedicated to ESA’s Rosetta probe Mission, Vangelis finally offers us an album fully made with synthesizers. Since 2014, three tracks presented through ESA’s YouTube channel had been floating around,…
Release data: Baffo Banfi & Matteo Cantaluppi – Frontera CD, AMS Records, 2016 Some older EM-fans might have wondered whatever happened to Italian musician Giuseppe ‘Baffo’ Banfi, who’s also former keyboard player of the Italian progressive rock band “Un Biglietto…
Release data: Martin Nonstatic – Nebulae Live at the Planetarium CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2016 In February 2016, some artists from the French Ultimae label did a live performance under the dome of the Zeiss Planetarium in Bochum, Germany. Martin…
Release data: Purl – Deep Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season/Eternell, 2011/2014 What I got here is a minimalist ambient-dub release by Ludvig Cimbrelius, aka Purl, which I believe is his second album on the Canadian Silent Season label. “Deep Ground”…
Release data: Tim Story – Wheat and Rust LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cicada/Uniton, 1987 Quiet, unhurried observations in pastoral ambient could have been the subtitle of Tim Story’s album “Wheat and Rust”. The music itself, composed with piano, synthesizers and a bit…
Release data: Tetsu Inoue & Carlos Vivanco – Zenith CD, Fax , 1994 The four subtle, minimalist, overtly mellow electro tracks (ranging between 11 and 19 minutes) making up Inoue’s and Vivanco’s “Zenith” evokes a kind of time machine-like feel.…
Release data: Vir Unis & James Johnson – Easting CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AtmoWorks, 2004 “Easting” is another live-in-the-moment piece of long form ambient, featuring deep atmospherics and minimal organic-flavored drift textures. It was made in the heydays when both composers were…
Release data: John Vorus – Transmuting Currents CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ambient Distillery, 2006 The primary influence on Jon Vorus’ “Transmuting Currents” was the element of water, and how existing in environments in and around water has a subtle but powerful effect…
Release data: Vidna Obmana & Alio Die – Echo Passage CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Musica Maxima Magnetica, 1999 Three continuous movements (“Echoes of Light – A slip of darkness – The Passage”), are featured on “Echo Passage”, leading its listeners into minimal,…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Last Alien CD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 To record the music of “The Last Alien”, Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens challenged his skills once more, this time selecting some old pre-MIDI synths only that are (and…
Release data: Frank Specht – Sebastian im Traum CD, Invisible Shadows, 2000 All familiar with the popular German band Rainbow Serpent will know Frank Specht is one half of it. Mr Specht first heard “Audentity” by Klaus Schulze in 1983,…
Release data: Mario Konrad – Submerging CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1992 Here’s another nice release on Bernd Kistenmacher’s good old label Musique Intemporelle. Mario Konrad’s debut “Submerging” was achieved with very limited technical possibilities and an extremely low budget, which was…
Release data: Dave Fulton – Hard Particles CD, Eurock , 1999 Some may know US-musician David Fulton who’s one half of the veteran space music band Dweller at the Threshold. His debut album “Hard Particles” offers a nice display of…
Release data: Chronos – Helios CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altar Records, 2013 With “Helios”, Russian composer, DJ and producer Nikita Klimenko (aka Chronos) invites his listeners into the great cosmic expanse out there, implementing some nice Eastern sound samples along the way…
Release data: Elemental Journey – Absolute Ambient.com Volume 2 CD, Green Nuns Music, 2005 What I got here is an album by UK musicians Matt Coldrick and Matt Hillier (aka Elemental Journey) featuring atmospheric and trippy ambient chill-out. It displays…
Release data: Lightwave – Nachtmusik CD, Erdenklang, 1990 It’s time for something special. After some privately released cassettes, French duo Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittmann (aka Lightwave) made their official debut in the electronic music scene with “Nachtmusik”. The latter…
Release data: Mark Shreeve – Collide CD, Champagne Lake Productions, 1996 The music of “Collide” was recorded live at EMMA Electric Festival, Derby, UK, March 12th 1994. It sees Mark Shreeve, assisted by James Goddard and Julian Shreeve, perform a…
Release data: Spyra – Etherlands CD, Fax Records/Ambient World, 1999 “Etherlands”, dedicated to all pirate radio stations, is one of the well-made albums by German synthesist Wolfram Spyra. Its music merges elements of Berlin School and ambient-techno in a most…
Release data: Free System Projekt – Protoavis CD, Quantum Records, 2004 On “Protoavis”, Dutch trio Marcel Engels, Frank van der Wel & Ruud Heij (aka Free System Project), take the listener back to the vintage sound featured on TD’s classics…
Release data: Jos D´Almeida – Aether CD, caPe Recordings, 2016 Jos d’Almeida composed the music of “Aether” with the purpose to create some meditative songs that would be able to transmit relaxation. For the album’s music, Jos envisioned and realized…
Release data: Andy Pickford – Terraformer CD, Centaur Discs, 1994 In the mid ‘90’s, Andy Pickford was part of the league of talented and successful UK synthesists producing highly attractive and varied song-like, sequencer-based EM. It stood out for its…
Release data: Steve Roach – Shadow of Time CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2016 The aural musings making up “Shadow of Time” mark another return to Roach’s style heard on his classic recordings “Structures from Silence” and “Quiet Music”. We’re talking…
Release data: Scann-Tec – Facial Memories CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Celestial Dragon Records, 2010 I agree the cover coming with this release is absolutely awfull and doesn’t match with the well crafted down-tempo music featured inside. It remains the only flaw though.…
Release data: Chronotope Project – Passages CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 With his album “Passages”, Jeffery Ericson Allen (aka Chronotope project) presents the most introspective of his six releases to date. Again, the Haken Continuum Fingerboard is featured on…
Release data: Solar Fields – Reflective Frequencies CD, Ultimae Records, 2001 Vibrant, fresh and contemporary electronics with an overall deep sound that inspire ones imagination is what’s on the menu on “Reflective Frequencies”, the debut album of Solar Fields (aka…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Darklight Quest CD, Gterma, 1998/2016 Mr Grassow’s “The Darklight Quest” comes with an “explicit warning” printed on the backside of the booklet “Ambient Nocturnal Expanding Thought”. This line sums up most accurately what the…
Release data: SiJ & Sergey Gabbasov – Perseides CD, Gterma, 2016 “Perseides” is the second ethnographical aural journey by Vladislav Sikach (aka SiJ) and Sergey Gabbasov on the Swedish Gterma label. This time around, the continuous, almost 80-minute outcome is…
Release data: Various Artists – Star’s End 30th anniversary (anthology cd) CD, Private Release, 2007 Fans (especially those living in the USA),loving atmospheric ambient and Berlin School inspired cosmic music may be familiar with Chuck van Zyl. The latter is…
Release data: Suzanne Ciani – Seven Waves LP/MC/CD, Finnadar/Victor/Seventh Wave, 1982 “Seven Waves”, expressing the composers love for and fascination with early electronic instruments along a mystically bonding to the sea, was Suzanne Ciani’s first commercial album. Not only took…
Release data: Peter Miller – The Violet Flame CD, Archon Music, 1993 Peter Miller is an Australian sound designer, musician and digital image artist whose sonic artistry at first reminded me of the abstract ambient paintings by Andrew Thomas Wilson…
Release data: Detlef Keller – The Breakfast Event CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2016 This album contains the continuous 46-minute live set (and one of his rare solo concerts) performed by German synthesist Detlef Keller at the Schallwende EM-Breakfast in December…
Release data: Tim Story – Glass Green LP/CD/MC, Windham Hill Records, 1987 Painter of introspective sonic miniatures is a description that fits well to American composer Tim Story. The mood and feel of “Glass Green”, presenting a lovely interplay of…
Release data: Sine Amplitude – Hypnotized CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, BI-ZA Records, 2016 Sine Amplitude hails from Germany and is made up by Torsten M. Abel, aka TMA (synthesizer, sequencer and programming), Andreas Aulke (drums, cajon and percussion) and Martin Rohleder (acoustic-…
Release data: Jos D’Almeida – Awaken CD, caPe Recordings, 2014 Jos d’Almeida is a musician hailing from Setúbal, Portugal, who studied at the Regional Music Conservatory in the same town. d’Almeida has always been driven to music for electronic environments…
Release data: Shaded Explorer – Empatia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season, 2016 Like in every subgenre of music, there are lots of mediocre recordings floating around. When it comes to electronic ambient-dub, Italian composer Emanuele Pertoldi (aka Shaded Explorer) is one…
Release data: Scann-Tec – Unyt CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2016 Scann-Tec, aka Russian music composer and sound sculptor Vladislav Isaev, is one of the artists who found a spot on various Ultimae compilations through the years. This time around he…
Release data: Deutsche Wertarbeit – Deutsche Wertarbeit LP/CD, Sky Records/Bureau B, 1981 When we talk about German electronic Krautrock, one shouldn’t overlook the instrumental, hypnotic/rhythmic synth music of Deutsche Wertarbeit. This solo-project by Dorothea Raukes, who’s better known as leading…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – The New Kingdom CD, AD21 Music, 1995 “The New Kingdom” is the second album by Bruno Sanfilippo. It’s a medieval/classical work of art that next to synthesizers also features guest musicians on flutes, vocal treatments…
Release data: Andre Alvarez – Picture Music CD, Private Release, 1996 What I got here is another very nice recording full of classic ’70’s cosmic music that synthesist Andre Alvarez created as follow-up to his cassette “Luna”. In eight “Pictures”,…
Release data: Jim Ottaway – Invisible Vortex CD, Private Release, 2015 Energetic-rhythmic synth music is what’s on the menu on Jim Ottaway’s “Invisible Vortex”, revealing the other musical side of this synthesist from Down Under. It’s an album full of…
Release data: Sabled Sun – 2145 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2012 Sabled Sun is a dark, post-apocalyptic and futuristic ambient endavour by Swedish composer Simon Heath (aka Atrium Carceri) started in 2012. The highly cinematic and expansive ambient-drone project features…
Release data: Various Artists – Musique Intemporel – Bernd Kistenmacher, Mario Schönwälder, Rolf Trostel LP/CD, Timeless Sounds/Titan, 1988 It’s time for another trip down memory lane. We’re back in the year 1988 when Bernd Kistenmacher made the decision to release…
Release data: John Kerr & Ron Boots – Juxtaposition CD, Groove Unlimited, 2015 “Juxtaposition” is the long-awaited follow-up to the duos most successful release “Offshore Islands”, a landmark made 25 years earlier. The highly accessible, neo-classical/symphonic and occasional even romantic…
Release data: Enya – Amarantine CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Warner Music, 2005 Enya’s album “Amarantine” took five years in the making. Although I only know her first two albums, her typical musical signature hasn’t changed when you hear the first sounds of…
Release data: Lee Anthony Norris & Porya Hatami – The Longing Daylight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Carpe Sonum Records, 2014 If you (like myself) love expansive and deep ambient plus have a preference to immerse into the very heart of soundworlds using…
Release data: Hemisphere – Beyond the Darkness CD, Cue Records NL, 1996 Most of Hemisphere’s recordings have a strong cinematic impact, and “Beyond the Darkness” by the combo Ralph Knappe-Heinbockel and Thorsten Reinhardt is no exception. Although kicking off with…
Release data: Radio Massacre International – Knutsford in May CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Centaur Records, 1997 “Knutsford in May” captures a concert of Goddard, Dinsdale and Houghton live on stage, the one they did in May 1996 at Jodrell Bank Space Research…
Release data: Radio Massacre International – Republic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Centaur Records, 1996 The UK-trio that caused a blast with their debut “Frozen North” hereby presents another winner, lining up very nicely next to to TD’s “Phaedra”, “Ricochet” and “Encore”. In…
Release data: S1gns of L1fe – Branches in the Sky CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Arecibo Records, 2013 The emotive music of “Branches in the Sky” is a five track EP (40 minutes in length) picking up the sonic trail where the debut…
Release data: J. Arif Verner – From a Distant Horizon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2005 The imaginative ambient magic of John Arif Verner has proved to be most satisfying on his previous albums “A Vision beyond Light” and “Through…
Release data: Kebu – Perplexagon CD/LP, Secret Entertainment, 2016 It’s quite easy to understand why the music of Sebastian Teir (aka Kebu) is so popular and appreciated by many. His music is highly accessible, melodic and sequencer/up-beat, bearing hints of…
Release data: ASC – Time Heals All CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season , 2013 What I got here is a double album by San Diego-based composer James Clements, aka ASC, with absorbing ambient soundscapes where time seems to dissolve. I’m confident…
Release data: J. Arif Verner – A Vision beyond Light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1996 Multi-instrumentalist, J. (John) Arif Verner, one of the many accomplished musicians within the Spotted Peccary stall, published his debut album “Clear Colors” in 1988.…
Release data: Robert Rich – What we left behind CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2016 “What We Left Behind” is concept album labeled as a dreamy travelogue across the Earth long after we humans are extinct. At he same time, the…
Release data: Vanderson – Vandisphere CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2016 Vanderson belongs to the league of musicians delivering attractive and accessible electronic music. The outcome of “Vandisphere” (awful title by the way) is no exception, this time though sounding more…
Release data: J. Arif Verner – Through the Timeless CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2000 “Through the Timeless” is the second album from this American ambient-composer turning out even better than his much acclaimed “A Vision beyond Light” also published…
Release data: Steve Roach & Robert Logan – Second Nature CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2016 “Second Nature”, a work of processed grand piano and synth textures, was released simultaneously with the duo’s “BioSonic”. Sonically, it’s a totally different story though…
Release data: Steve Roach & Robert Logan – Biosonic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2016 “BioSonic” puts a new branch onto the long list of collaborations Steve Roach did in his long career, this time meeting up with UK-musician Robert Logan.…
Release data: Jim Ottaway – Southern Cross CD, Private Release, 2016 Jim Ottaway is a composer, producer and studio performer residing at the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Australia who has have released 23 independent albums in his homeland. The…
Release data: Serge Devadder – Cambrian CD, Private Release, 2014 Spacious ambient textures, loops, minimalist patterns, subtle sequencing and some treated guitar are the elements making up “Cambrian”, the first full-length album by Belgium sound artist Serge Devadder, who now…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Terrelektra CD, Air Space Records, 2016 Accomplished US-synthesist Jeffrey Koepper, also known as Analogue Jeff, recalls “Terrelektra” was conceived as a far away planet of sound where the tracks all merge together like an electronic…
Release data: VoLt – A Day without Yesterday CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2016 The title of this album is an alternative name for the cosmic The Big Bang, while the actual track titles describe aspects of the event, especially when…
Release data: Transceive – Exit to Nowhere CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Alles Klar Productions, 2016 As far as I know, the previous Transceive-recording happened in 2011 when Steve Nelson released the digital ep “The Circe Complex”, of which the title track would…
Release data: Dan Pound – Shadows of the Heart CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PoundSounds, 2016 “Shadows of the Heart” is a recording of serene, nocturnal and overall dreamy textural ambiences derived from acoustic and electric sources to which composer Dan Pound applied…
Release data: Stratosphere – Rise CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Reecords, 2016 I must confess I was rather reluctant to check out this album as I knew Ronald Mariën was very into heavy, harsher sounding distorted guitar drone music and abstract sound…
Release data: Csillagköd – All the Time CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 “All the Time” sees a further extension and refinement of the nicely shaped cosmic and amorphous worlds explored on the Csillagköd-debut “Silent World”. To my ears, the…
Release data: Global Communication – Pentamerous Metamorphosis LP/CD, Dedicated, 1994 At the start of the ’90’s, UK creative minds and producers Tom Middelton en Mark Pritchard was offered the opportunity to remix Chapterhouse’s shoegazer album “Blood Music”. The chill-out result…
Release data: Harald Grosskopf – Synthesist LP/CD, Sky Records, 1980 “Synthesist”, the debut by German composer Harald Grosskopf, is one of those cult releases from the golden synth era. It’s an accessible, melodic outing of early synth-pop songs with Mr…
Release data: Aes Dana (feat. Miktek) – Far & Off CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2016 This album contains all tracks of the three previously released EP’s “Cut”, “Alkaline” and “The Unexpected Hours”. It started to take shape after a long…
Release data: Laudanum – Laudanum (full album) CD, DataBloem, 2016 My wish for an extended version of Amir Baghiri’s & Rüdiger Gleisberg’s EP that saw the light of day in 2001 has finally come true. The original, quiet-atmospheric 21-minute recording…
Release data: Heavenly Music Corporation – Consciousness III CD, Silent Records, 1994 Let’s journey back to the mid ‘90’s and the techno-ish/chill-out made then. On “Conciousness III”, composer Kim Cascone has found a way to blend chill-out with trance and…
Release data: Rapoon – Song from the end of the World CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Glacial Movements, 2016 Environmental and lifethreatening issues have been the inspiration for several electronic music releases, such as “Annihilation on Earth” (Holle Mangler), “Atomkraft, nein danke!”(Earth Star),…
Release data: David Parsons – Puja CD, Gterma, 2016 “Puja” (started by the composer with nothing particular in mind) is David Parsons’ first album using software synths only, as he decided purchasing a fine collection of soft-synths in years previously…
Release data: Common Ground – Common Ground CD, FlowSpace Music, 2015 Common Ground is a new project founded in spring 2013 after Gary Johnson and Bill Olien (aka Resonant Drift) approached electronic space music synthesist Hollan Holmes to collaborate. From…
Release data: Various Artists – Sounds of a Universe Overheard CD, Hypnos Recordings , 2007 The music released on the Hypnos label isn’t the usual cup of ambient, as it most often features rather abstract, psychedelic and experimental-angled works not…
Release data: Mike Griffin & Dave Fulton – The Most Distant Point Known CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2000 The 66-minute “The Most Distant Point Known” is an analogue/digital frenzy composed by Mike Griffin (founder of the Hypnos label and member of…
Release data: Hemisphere – Intruders CD, Cue Records NL, 1995 The first impressions of the cd artwork and the sonic content of “Intruders” are rather dark but not uninviting. The 70-minute instrumental journey features narrative compositions that address gothic flavoured…
Release data: The Ministry of Inside Things – Everlasting Moment CD, Synkronos Music, 2003 This album is my first encounter with The Ministry of Inside Things, aka Chuck van Zyl (synths) and Art Cohen (guitars), although I’m familiar with Chuck’s…
Release data: The Ministry of Inside Things – Contact Point CD, Synkronos Music, 2006 On “Contact Point”, synthesist Chuck van Zyl and guitarist Art Cohen, aka The Ministry of Inside Things, have come closer to cosmic-themed music. Still relying on…
Release data: Schiller – Tal des Himmels CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Universal, 2016 While he stayed at Sky Valley, California, German musician Schiller composed an additional album for the Ultra-Deluxe-Edition of “Future”, which is inspired by and dedicated to the power of…
Release data: Zanov – Open Worlds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Zanov Music, 2016 It is not unusual to put an idea or project on hold with the intent of returning, but when the gap is a three decades long musical hiatus there…
Release data: Steve Roach – Emotions Revealed CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2016 The music on “Emotions Revealed” is actually “lost” music from the early ‘80s, made just prior to “Structures from Silence”. During that period, Mr Roach was still finding his…
Release data: Suzanne Ciani – The Velocity of Love LP/MC/CD, RCA/Private Music/Seventh Wave, 1986 Created during the formative years of adult contemporary instrumental music, Ciani’s second release “The Velocity Of Love” is a example of gentle melodic and classical arrangements…
Release data: John Sobocan – A Soft Circle CD, DataBloem, 2012 When talking about secluded, Eno-esque ambient soundscapes, John Sobocan’s “A Soft Circle” fits that description very well. The quiet and gently blended textural musings encountered on all 12 tracks…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Sleepwalker´s Ocean CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2016 With his double album “The Sleepwalker’s Ocean”, that received some beautiful cover art, US-musician Forrest Fang has delivered a most mesmerizing and emotive ambient recording with hypnotizing minimalist…
Release data: Sverre Knut Johansen – Earth From Above CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 With “Earth From Above”, Scandinavian musician Sverre Knut Johansen takes his listeners on a continuous trip up above, which in many aspects seems to follow…
Release data: Heavenly Music Corporation – In the Garden of Eden CD, Silent Music, 1993 The rather transcendental music with organic undercurrent contained on “In the Garden of Eden” was created for the Space Age Lounge, a techno-mystical chill room…
Release data: Liquid Mind – XI: Deep Sleep CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real Music, 2016 Ten years earlier to this album, Liquid Mind’s album “Sleep” saw the light of day. At that time, and with any release following after that, Chuck Wild…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Heaven Condensed CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2016 What I got here is Craig Padilla’s musical interpretation of the Heavens through spiritual/cosmic/romantic/space music. To him, most of all it’s a happy place whether found in…
Release data: Biosphere – Shenzhou CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 There are various degrees of minimalism applied to and found in electronic music. Biosphere’s “Shenzhou” – based on the orchestral works of Claude Debussy upon which tracks 1 to 10 are…
Release data: Ishqamatics – Spacebound CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, …txt, 2013 Ishqamatics is Lee Anthony Norris (aka Metamatics, Autumn of Communion and owner of the …txt label) and Matt Hillier (aka Ishq). “Spacebound”, their third full-length effort, is a continuous 10-track ride…
Release data: Stefan Erbe – The Sounds of my Comfort’Sone CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Erbe Music, 2012 “The Sounds of my Comfort’Sone” compiles 15 tracks of various projects Stefan Erbe was involved in 2011, most notable the pieces part of his monthly…
Release data: Havdis – Novemberlys CD, Gterma, 2016 Released during the winter of 2015/2016, “Novemberlys” contains seven calming ambient pieces compiled and mixed by label-owner Johan Rehn from the Havdis-catalogue. The first two (“Waterhorse” and “Dressed in Dark Water”) were…
Release data: Vlad Nedelin – Postante CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 “Postante” is the debut-release of Stockholm-based composer Vlad Nedelin is a contemporary electronic music album offering nine abstract ambient compositions with slight experimental and down-tempo edges along bits of…
Release data: Mick Chillage – Infinite Perspectives CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, …txt, 2015 Dublin-based composer Mick Chillage (aka Michael Gainford) has produced a lengthy list of albums since 1996. “Infinite Perspectives” contains a selection of seven minimalist-flavored and fulfilling ambient music tracks…
Release data: S1gns of L1fe – Language of the Ancients CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 S1gns Of L1fe is Chris Bryant, a skilled ambient producer hailing from California’s Bay Area. He’s also one half of the ambient group Ascendant along…
Release data: Mike Andrews – Retrospective CD, Invisible Shadows, 2002 Composer Mike Andrews has released quite a bit of music on cd-r, but only found a home for them on two established labels as factory-pressed cds. This feels a bit…
Release data: Steve Roach – Alive in the Vortex CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2015 “Alive in the Vortex” is another addition in the (ongoing?) series of live recordings which Steve Roach has (re-)discovered, this one focusing initially on expanded textural…
Release data: Cymphonic – Dimensionata CD, DataBloem, 2013 Since he started composing music, Dutchman Stanley Swinkels (aka Cymphonic) has found his own way in the genre of organic-spiced, minimal-flavoured and subtly moulded ambient music. The 11-track “Dimensionata” is a quieting…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Floating Music LP/CD, Innovative Communications/Racket Records, 1980 The cosmic music that was released in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s has a special significance and flavor to many. German composer Robert Schroeder jumped on that wagon around…
Release data: Brian Parnham – See None, Hear None, Speak None CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Floating Point Records, 2011 US-composer Brian Parnham describes “See None, Hear None, Speak None” as an intense electro-acoustic-trance/ambient album with an edge. On my part I’d like…
Release data: Chihei Hatakeyama & Dirk Serries – The Storm of Silence CD, Glacial Movements, 2016 “The Storm of Silence” is a soundscape recording by Chihei Hatakeyama, a Japanese sound artist and musician living on the outskirts of Tokyo, and…
Release data: Stefan Erbe & Steve Baltes – S-thetic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Erbe Music, 2015 Intelligent, contemporary and energizing are the key words for “S-thetic”, a fine debut album by Stefan Erbe & Steve Baltes. The 70+ minute recording contains the…
Release data: Various Artists – Digiseeds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2015 “Digiseeds” is the first in a series of conceptual compilations compiled by Czech artist Lubos Cvrk aka Ambientium. The outcome is a 66-minute dreamscape and playground which sees 11…
Release data: Kitaro – Daichi / (From the) Full Moon Story LP/CD, Zen/Polydor/Geffen, 1979 This album sees a further continuation of the cosmic space sound explored on the composer’s debut-release “Ten Kai/Astral Trip”. Present once more are tribal drums/percussion and…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Dream Access CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2015 With “Dream Access”, Robert Schroeder stays close to his signature sound, playing lush solos and creating melodic/moody spheres without getting the least complicated. It’s nice though to see…
Release data: Navigator – Northern Consequence CD, Invisible Shadows, 2000 What got here is the debut album by the band Navigator (aka Tony Anderson, Kent Eskildsen and Jens Peschke, presenting their brand of energetic and spiralling electronic music. The spicy…
Release data: Loren Nerell – Lilin Dewa CD, Side Effects, 1996 “Lilin Dewa”, the follow-up album of Loren Nerell’s 1986- release “Point of Arrival”, takes us on a deep sonic trip into the culture of Java and Bali. The 5-track…
Release data: Mario Schönwälder – Traum & Trauma CD, Manikin Records, 2015 Berlin-based Mario Schönwälder, well-known as synthesist of the trio BKS, hereby present a new solo album after a lengthy pause of 19 years. I would rather call the…
Release data: Edgar Froese – Pinnacles LP/CD, Virgin Records, 1983 Being fascinated by the outback found in Western Australia, Edgar Froese named his fifth album after strange stone figures found in Western Australia, north of Perth. Sonically, “Pinnacles” lines up…
Release data: Stefan Erbe – 2Club Genetica CD, Erbe Music, 2015 This is an album for all who love contemporary electronic music incorporating slight influences of dance, chill-out and techno. Wandering through the vibrant and fresh 71-minute “2Club Genetica” (a…
Release data: Pyramaxx – Distance CD, Private Release, 2015 Well, what a surprise to see this joined project-release of Axel Stupplich and Andreas Morsch (aka Pyramid Peak) accompanied by Max Schiefele (Maxxess). All are known as respected, successful and talented…
Release data: Eddie Jobson – Theme of Secrets LP/CD, Private Music, 1985 When we have a look at ’80’s synth albums, Eddie Jobson’s “Theme of Secret” is a most interesting and creative one. The 40-minute release, composed solely on the…
Release data: Martin Nonstatic – Granite CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2015 I’ve encountered the name of German producer, sound designer and composer Martin Nonstatic (aka Martin van Rossum) on various compilation albums previously, but this is the first full-length release…
Release data: Harold Budd – The Room LP/CD, Atlantic Records, 2000 The core inspiration for this quiet album was drawn from a painting of the same name LA-composer Harold Budd encountered in the late ’80s. “The Room” eventually ended up…
Release data: Harold Budd – Lovely Thunder LP/CD, Editions Eg Records, 1986 Mr Budd’s aim to make his music as beautiful as possible at every moment is a firm understatement when it comes to the music found on this amazing…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Triza CD, Groove Unlimited, 2015 Telling sonic narratives is something Gert Emmens is getting very good at when you look back on his output in recent years. The 73-minute “Triza” travels through a dark, mysterious…
Release data: Simon Lomax – 5 Textures CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Council of Nine, 2015 Dissolving and immersion in the beckoning silence of a foggy world would be an appropriate description in a nutshell for Simon Lomax’s release “5 Textures”. The spacious,…
Release data: Kitaro – Ten Kai/Astral Trip/Astral Voyage P/CD, Zen/Polydor/Geffen Records, 1978 After having joined the progressive Far East Family band, Kitaro decided to pursue a solo trip, starting with the spiritual, heavily synth-based “Ten Kai/Astral Voyage”. The latter proves…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – The Stargazer’s Journey CD, New World Music, 2003 After too many cheesy, chill-out, feel-good and profound romantic albums I gave up hope Jonn Serrie would ever be able to release any new mature space music.…
Release data: Deborah Martin – Eye of the Wizard CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 More than once I’ve felt US-composer Deborah Martin was the female sonic equivalent of Austrian multi-instrumentalist Gandalf in a certain way. “The Eye of the…
Release data: Urenga – Pacific Depths CD, Gterma, 2015 This album, assembled from various recordings made between 2011 and 2013, extends on Urenga’s album “Mu”. Andras Kiss delivers another dedication to the beauty and wonders of the water element while…
Release data: Michael Padilla – Atmospheres (Ambient Works Vol. One) LP + CD, Fruits de Mer Records/Strange Fish, 2016 What I got here is a beautiful designed 40-minute ambient album (strictly limited to 400 copies) by one Michael Padilla, who…
Release data: Uni Sphere – EndLess EndeavoR CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2015 What to expect from two accomplished musicians in their own right who decide to collaborate in a new project? Well, combining the sonic pathways of Eric van der…
Release data: Skare – Solstice City CD, Glacial Movements, 2009 Assorted field recordings, found sounds and treated/manipulated instruments were the means used to create the narrative outcome of the 50 minute “Soltice City”, a project by Swedish trio Mathias Josefson,…
Release data: Mark Shreeve – Nocturne CD, Sonic Images, 1995 “Nocturne” -released on Chris Franke’s Sonic Images label- is the last solo album by British synthesist Mark Shreeve he would out out under his own name. Just a year after,…
Release data: Fryderyk Jona – Wind Experience CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synth Musik, 2014 Fryderyk Jona is a young Polish synthesist now living in Mainz, Germany, who hereby presents his debut album of contemporary, Berlin School-oriented electronic music. On the 56-minute overall…
Release data: Netherworld – Alchemy of Ice CD, Glacial Movements, 2013 Here’s another piece of well-rendered arctic ambient, a 43-minute sonic endeavour created by Alessandro Tedeschi (also founder of the Italian label Glacial Movements). According the composer, the conceptual elements…
Release data: As if – Havet CD, Gterma, 2015 “Havet” is the second full-length album by musician/visual artist Kenneth Werner (Jensen) on Johan Rehn’s Gterma label. The almost 80-minute outcome, melting dubtechno and ambient moods, was highly inspired by the…
Release data: Redshift – Life to come CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Distant Sun Production, 2015 It’s been a while since the previous release, but this new chapter of the Redshift discography has been worth the wait. Fans still don’t need to worry…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Planetary Chronicles, Volume 1 CD, Miramar, 1992 This album is the first of two releases filled with a selection of Jonn’s earlier (commissioned) planetarium works along library music, all accomplished using analogue gear only. Such…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Planetary Chronicles, Volume 2 CD, Miramar, 1994 As Jonn had more earlier planetarium work and library music shelved, I’m glad he has been given the free hand to collect and release a second batch focusing…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Tingri CD, Miramar, 1990 On his third album “Tingri”, situated in a remote village in Tibet, composer Jonn Serrie started infusing spiritual, feel-good romantic flavors into parts of his music. While still sounding spacious and…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – Blueprint CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real World Works, 2015 What I got here is a 46-minute album with 14 cyclical ambient tracks, in part inspired by work in therapy, and in part by the creative process itself.…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Ixlandia CD, Miramar, 1995 “Ixlandia” is the sister album of “Midsummer Century”, following the poignant sense of romance of the previous album while its melodic, song-written music describes the environments and places of the classified…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Midsummer Century CD, Miramar, 1993 On this emotive recording, Jonn Serrie takes the mixing of romantic elements into his space music (as introduced previously on “Tingri”) to an even higher level while moulding it into…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Flightpath CD, Miramar, 1989 For his second album “Flightpath”, Jonn Serrie didn’t want to repeat the concept of his debut-album “And the Stars go with you”. Instead, being an experienced pilot himself, he decided to…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – And the Stars go with you CD, Miramar , 1988 I remember “And the Stars go with you” marked my introduction into the mesmerizing world of classic space music that started to spread slowly over…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Konnektions CD, Air Space Records, 2015 After a hiatus of a couple of years, accomplished synthesist Jeffery Koepper returns with “Konnektions”. It’s an inspired release maintaining his connection to the pure emotional impact of pure…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Fall into Winter CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2015 The winter season has already inspired many electronic musicians to compose music, those in the ambient genre especially. With his sixth album “Fall into Winter”, accomplished American…
Release data: Schiller – Die Einlassmusik 10 CD, Sleepingroom Musik, 2013 Schiller’s “Die Einlassmusik 10” is an eight-track album featuring music Christopher von Deylen composed to entertain his audience before the actual concert during his 2013 “Neue Klangwelten” tour. Contrary…
Release data: Jean Michel Jarre – Electronica 1: The Time Machine LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sony Music, 2015 This release, working title “E-Project”, has been rumored about long time before the actual release in October 2015. Prepared over a long period of…
Release data: Apocryphos, Kammarheit & Atrium Carceri – Onyx CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2015 Dark ambient comes in various flavors, especially when it’s the result of a collaboration of talents. In case of “Onyx”, Apocryphos (aka Robert Kozletsky), Kammarheit (aka…
Release data: Paul Ellis – Moth in Flames CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 Upon request, Mr Ellis let me know the title of this release could mean several different things, from unrequited love to environmental problems. But the main…
Release data: David Wright – Live at the London Planetarium CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 1996/2015 This release is actually the remastered version of the album David originally put out on cd in 1996. It features outtakes of music he played…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Echotides CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 The atmospheric/cinematic and overtly relaxed music which Mr Wøllo offers on the 43-minute EP “Echotides” will suit all who love Erik’s contemplative ambient style and expansive textural outings. The…
Release data: Chronotope Project – Dawn Treader CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 Judging the high quality of his previous releases it was just a matter of time before Jeffery Ericson Allen, aka Chronotope project, would be signed to a…
Release data: Solitaire – Nocturnes CD, Arya, 1997 “Noctures” sees a continuation of the minimal, tribal-infused ambient by the German duo Schulte/Gleisberg as known from previous works, but with a slightly livier vibe discernable between the Eastern-spiced drony tapestries and…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Upon Contact Reworked CD, ad21 Music, 2015 It has been done quite often, releasing an album containing reworked versions by other composers derived from an original composition. For “Upon Contact Reworked”, Bruno Sanfilippo invited Francesco…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Cosmic Ground 2 CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 From the start of this album it becomes clear this is a well rendered effort of and homage to TD’s signature sound from the “Ricochet”/ “Encore” era,…
Release data: Adelbert von Deyen – Atmosphere LP/CD, Sky Records, 1980/1992 This might sound strange, but this is my first encounter with the classic music of German Em-composer Adelbert von Deyen. “Atmosphere”, his third album, is the only one from…
Release data: Steve Roach – Etheric Imprints CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 After the analogue sequencer-outing “Skeletion Keys”, Steve Roach hereby returns to deeply expansive, emotive and contemplative electronic music comprised into four minimalist low volume tracks. Lots of reverb…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – World of Sleepers CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2006 Those in search for a piece of sonic magic have come to the right place with CBL’s second album “World of Sleepers”. In almost 80 minutes,…
Release data: Distant System – Spiral Empire CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Celestial Dragon Records, 2008 Sonically, this actually could have been a release on the fine Ultimae label, lining up nicely next to some Aes Dana and Asura recordings over there. But…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Green CD, Manikin Records, 2015 “Green” sees a further continuation of the band’s “color-series”, featuring music played live in concert at their Repelen-venue and during rehearsals in 2015. The 73-minute release merges classic…
Release data: Numina – Through the Gate to Nowhere CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Relaxed Machinery, 2015 The continuous music contained on this evocative ambient recording is the culmination of material recorded over a two year timeframe, in which it was securely molded…
Release data: Optical Image – Moonchild CD, SoundArt Productions, 1998 “Moonchild” is an album continuing the signature sound of Dutch composer Tom Habes, aka Optical Image, has been developing of the years. The five pieces all have a positive air,…
Release data: Troika – Shaman CD, Enso Records, 2000 Subtitled as the “mystical, powerful world of spirit healers”, “Shaman” sets out on a 47-minute harmonic journey. This time, David Arkenstone offers no smooth synthesizer orchestration anymore but an assortment of…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Void Dance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2015 It’s time for change, as Dennis Huddleston (aka 36) has tried his hand on incorporating more melodic flavors and a slight song-like approach in the ambient and symphonic…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vidna Obmana – InnerZone CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2002 On both “Well of Souls” and “Ascension of Shadows”, the duo Steve Roach and vidnaObmana made clear they are an accomplished and powerful combo in exploring…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vidna Obmana – Well of Souls CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 1995 “Well of Souls”, actually the first fully-realized duo project by Steve Roach and Vidna Obmana (aka Belgium-based composer Dirk Serries), lines up perfectly when…
Release data: Various Artists – Subtextures CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Interchill, 2015 If you look for any regular names of the Interchill stall, you will look in vain for them on this compilation which introduces a brand new league of contemporary musicians…
Release data: Steve Roach & Roger King – Dust to Dust CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 1998 “Dust to Dust” is a 61-minute trip into sonic desert terrain, a concept album about people who decided to go west, travel though the…
Release data: Hemisphere – From Inside the Cyclone CD, Groove Unlimited, 1997 Despite a few contemporary, melodic-oriented rhythmic tracks opener “Zombie Attack” is one of them), there is a mellow/dark current on the 72-minute “From Inside the Cyclone”. That flavour…
Release data: AirSculpture – Vanishing Point Volume One CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 The UK-trio AirSculpture is at their element when they perform live, improvised and in the moment, which has been documented by several releases by now. “Vanishing Point…
Release data: Chad Kettering – Pathways CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soniclayers Music, 2015 The third album by Chad Kettering, which took three years in the making, takes on a new sonic approach. It fuses the world of orchestral instrumentation with the world…
Release data: Frore & Shane Morris – Blood Moon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music , 2015 Next to Steve Roach, the US-duo Frore (aka Paul Casper) and Shane Morris were also attracted and inspired by the solar eclipse, which led…
Release data: Time Being – A Place to Belong CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 Launched as a theme-continuation from their previous album, the music featured on “A Place to Belong” takes the next step into deep exploration of ambient…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – From Past to Past CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2015 According to Mr Loreau’s liner notes in the booklet, the outcome of 60-minute “From Past to Past” is his best effort to date to express his…
Release data: Kristoffer Oustad – Filth Haven CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2015 Haunting, dark, machine-like and slightly doomsday ambient dronescapes are what the listener is receiving on the rather analogue sounding “Filth Haven” by Norwegian composer Kristoffer Oustad. The first…
Release data: Rene de Bakker – Returning Winds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 On your search for well-tempered Berlin School music the works by Rene de Bakker will surely please quite an audience, as it is well composed and structured.…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Earthen CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Anodize, 2015 On “Earthen”, Gregory Kyryluk has somehow been able to collect the best ingredients from his output as Alpha Wave Movement, blending his trademark of evocative ambient atmospherics and contemporary…
Release data: Damián Anache – Capturas del Único Camino CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Concepto Cero & Inkilino Records, 2014 For this peculiar album we travel to Argentina, homeland of experimental composer Damián Anache. The latter constructed so called generative “landscape” ambient using…
Release data: Yen Pox – Between the Horizon and the Abyss CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2015 Massive distorted sounds and textures along a great sense of discomfort are at play on the 73-minute “Between the Horizon and the Abyss”, a…
Release data: Ishvara – Under A Hexagon Sky CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Virtual World, 2012 Intelligent electronic space lounge is a description that flew through my mind while I was digging Ishvara’s album “Under A Hexagon Sky”, “an album of futuristic prismatic…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Spirits of the Voyage CD, Earth Turtle Music, 2000 “Spirits of the Voyage”, soundtrack music from the same-titled documentary, features exotic, at times slightly mysterious-infused ambient music weaving native island songs and navigator chants from…
Release data: Steve Roach & Elmar Schulte – Ritual Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent/Relic/Projekt Archive, 1993/2000 The electro-acoustic alchemy that ended up on “Ritual Ground” (originally released on the Silent-label in 1993 under the nom-de-plum Solitaire) was created in the period…
Release data: Numina & Zero Ohms – Broken Stars Through Brilliant Clouds CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 “Broken Stars Through Brilliant Clouds” is the first full-length collaboration of Jesse Sola (aka Numina) and Richard J. Roberts (aka Zero Ohms)…
Release data: Parallel Worlds & Self Oscillate – World Adapter CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2015 “World Adapter” contains 10 modular improvisations taking the experienced ambient listener into the lands of electronic futurism and mellow IDM with a dash of controlled experimentalism…
Release data: Filter-Kaffee – 102 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2015 Filter-Kaffee’s second album “102” came out on E-Day 2015, on which the duo Frank Rothe and Mario Schönwälder also performed parts of it live in concert. The tasty but short…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Concept of Motion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1998 Although AWM’s third album opens much more energetic, rhythmic and sequencer-driven on the first two pieces, the sophisticate soundscape ambient style heard on his previous releases…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Flavour of the Past CD, Spheric Music, 2015 Now here’s an album that put a slight smile on my face, as it comprises various single and/or commissioned tracks from Mr Schroeder that ended up on…
Release data: Steve Roach – The Desert Collection Volume 1 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2014 In a way, this 74-minute album (that started as a collection of desert-themed tracks sequenced for summer road trips between Arizona and California) is a…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Echoes From Future Memories CD, Groove Unlimited, 2015 After their beautiful excursion into the textural domain on “Signs”, the Dutch duo Emmens/Heij shifts back to the analogue, sequencer-driven soundworlds on “Echoes from…
Release data: SiJ & Sergey Gabbasov – Zhang Zhung CD, Gterma, 2015 What I got here is a Himalayan-inspired, slow evolving and grand sounding soundscape meticulously put together by Ukraine composer Vladislav Sikach (aka SiJ) and ethnomusicologist Sergey Gabbasov. The…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Splendid Labyrinths CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad 21 music, 2015 Since he started out releasing music in 1999, accomplished composer Max Corbacho had delivered the ambient community a very nice and consistent collection of highly spherical ambiences.…
Release data: Jorge Reyes – Bajo El Sol Jaguar CD, Opcion Sonica/Mexican Records/No-CD Records/Musiqu, 1991 “Bajo El Sol Jaguar” (Under the Sun of the Jaguar) is a key ethno-ambient release by Mexican multi-instrumentalist Jorge Reyes, who later on would team…
Release data: Dan Pound – Change Of Weather CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 With “Change of Weather”, US-composer Dan Pound had delivered another intense and quite enjoyable ambient recording. A captivating atmosphere is already set by the two-part opener “Through…
Release data: Sean Washburn – Wave Mantra CD, Gterma, 2000/2015 “Wave Mantra” was originally released privately by the composer in 2000, but has been out-of-print for a long time and been sought after by many. This reissue (with new art…
Release data: John Christian – Sol Invictus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 On his fourth album “Sol Invictus”, Airsculpture-member John Christian invites his listeners to join him on a trip that features a good bunch of heavy sequencers. In the…
Release data: Circular – Nanotopia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Origo Sound, 2007 What I got here is the debut album by the Norwegian project Circular, which was established two years earlier. Influenced by the sound that was to be known as arctic…
Release data: Yagya – The Inescapable Decay Of My Heart CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kilk Records, 2012 It came as a bit of a surprise to find out accomplished Icelandic dub techno and ambient producer Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson (aka Yagya) hereby presents a…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Mala Kunia CD-EP, Eastgate, 2014 This long-run cupdisc, the first (and also last release I reckon) in “The Quantum Years” was made available on the occasion of TD’s live performances in Australia in the last…
Release data: Steve Roach – Skeleton Keys LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 “Skeleton Keys” is a labour of love for the analogue synth domain and one Steve Roach has been attracted to since he started composing in the late ’70’s.…
Release data: K2Project – K2Project CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fairy Nuff Music, 1999 K2Project is a fun electronic music collaboration established in 1999 featuring Stephen Whitlan with local musician Keith Corbett (who he’d met on a community Arts program) while still living…
Release data: Zanov – Virtual Future CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Zanov Music, 2014 The fans of vintage electronic music may be in for a surprise to find out legendary French synthesist Zanov, aka Pierre Salkazanov, has resurfaced recently after “disappearing” 30 years…
Release data: Steve Roach – Michael Stearns – Ron Sunsinger – Kiva CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1995 “Kiva” (representing the unbroken circle of the earth, according the album cover notes) is a tribal-ambient release full of sound archaeology which involved…
Release data: Zanov – In Course of Time LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1983/2015 Enigmatic, surreal, futuristic and deep mysterious are the keywords to best describe Zanov’s third album “In Course Of Time”. Legendary French synthesist Zanov, aka Pierre Salkazanov, already…
Release data: Solitaire – Fearless CD, Recycle or Die, 1995 At the time of release, this album was presented as ambient music shifting between various cultures and ages. Sonically, Solitaire’s album “Fearless” sees a switch to more progressive-oriented electronic music…
Release data: Tim Story – Abridged (Selected Miniatures 1979-1988) CD, Hearts of Space, 1991 One of the goals set by Tim Story is to evoke things in the listener that connect them to their own imagery and emotion. His music…
Release data: Something Completely Different – Megacatz CD, Invisible Shadows, 2001 “Megacatz”, the debut cd by Boele Gerkes, is a compilation cd featuring music made in previous years. The 53-minute outcome is a mixed bag offering 14 melodic songs which…
Release data: Michael Stearns – The Middle of Time CD, Earth Turtle Music, 2000 Sound artist Michael Stearns is an expert in composing ambient soundscapes that imagine the travel through time and space. On the 49-minute “The Middle of Time”,…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Incandescent CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 With “Incandescent”, composer Hollan Holmes has delivered an excellent album that even beats his previous gem “The Spirits of Starlight”. Mr. Holmes dedicated the album to the late Richard…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Blue Radiance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 From the first notes on this recording its clear Erik’s characteristic sound design has stayed the same, lining up easily next to the emotive instrumental music of e-guitars,…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Future Terrain DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/CD, ad21 Music/GSP, 2015 In April 2015, Spanish synthesist Max Cobacho announced two new releases. One of them is download-only album “Future Terrain”. Created alongside the factory-pressed cd “Splendid Labyrinths”, Max imagined…
Release data: Steve Roach – Dave Hudson – Sarah Hopkins – Australia: Sound of the Earth CD/MC, Fortuna Records, 1990 This tribal album is a spin-off from Steve’s second journey to Down Under, which led earlier to his masterpiece “Dreamtime…
Release data: Mark Mercury – The Art of Space CD, Private Release, 1991 “The Art of Space”, the second release by Pasadena-based composer Mark Mercury, is a 60-minute suite of contemporary and classical/symphonic electronic music, including five tracks containing the…
Release data: Steve Roach – Kevin Braheny – Western Spaces CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fortuna Records/IC, 1987 A special article on this album can be found in Ultimate Desert Soundtracks: Western Spaces & Desert Solitaire Website: www.steveroach.com You can see what reviews…
Release data: Steve Roach – Kevin Braheny – Michael Stearns – Desert Solitaire CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fortuna Records, 1989 A special article on this album can be found in Ultimate Desert Soundtracks: Western Spaces & Desert Solitaire Website: www.steveroach.com You can…
Release data: Steve Roach – Dreamtime Return CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fortuna Records, 1988 A special article on this album can be found at “Steve Roach: Dreamtime “Revisited” Website: www.steveroach.com You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on…
Release data: Steve Roach – The Dream Circle CD, Soundquest/Timeroom Editions, 1994 “The Dream Circle” is the first recording in an ongoing series of 70+ minutes recordings intended for infinite playback. According to Steve website, the music was first experienced…
Release data: Steve Roach & Michael Shrieve – The Leaving Time MC/LP/CD, RCA, 1988 In the same time Roach’s ambient masterpiece “Dreamtime Return” was released, the rather forgotten “The Leaving Time” (referring to Steve’s trip to Down Under) saw the…
Release data: Steve Roach – World’s Edge CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fortuna Records/Timeroom Editions, 1992 The double album “World’s Edge” is a transitional work of inspired ambient music, also Steve’s first solo project created after his move to Tucson, Arizona in 1990.…
Release data: Leila Abdul-Rauf – Insomnia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant/Antibody, 2015 Isolationist drone music comes in various forms, but receives an even different treatment on the environmental ambient effort “Insomnia” by San Francisco-based multi-instrumentalist Leila Abdul-Rauf. The latter incorporates her ethereal…
Release data: Troika – Faeries CD, Enso Records, 1999 “Faeries” welcomes the listener in a dreamy, pastel-coloured world of New Age mood music evoking a realm of magic and enchantment. David Arkenstone and co. have created another album of overtly…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Gongland CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2000 Being an avid fan of ethereal ambient music, the smooth shifting atmospheres and exotic-flavored textures found on Forrest Fang’s classic album “Gongland” is still a release to cherish in…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Enceladus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2015 It’s time for another stride through the galactic netherworld where the darker elements meet, one solely created on analogue gear without the use of computers. The continuous 53-minute aural…
Release data: Ishq – Seascapes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Virtual, 2014 Here’s another fine album meant for low-volume listening. For the 7-track album “Seascapes”, Matt Hillier (aka Ishq) has come up with a set of imaginative and textural soundscapes backed by subtle…
Release data: Valley Forge – Leaving to Nothing CD, Private Release, 1995 From time to time, there’s electronic music that sounds highly original and rather weird at the same time. In my view, the Valley Forge debut album “Leaving to…
Release data: Optical Image – Interference CD, Soundart Productions, 1994 The instrumental synth-orchestral music featured on Tom Habes second album as “Optical Image” shows the same sound signature as his debut album, but delivered in a more thoughtful and better…
Release data: Australis – Adrift CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Essential Noises, 2014 All Australis albums I’ve heard until now have been graced with many emotive components and a core that celebrates the wonders of life. “Adrift” though took shape in a period…
Release data: Howard Givens & Craig Padilla – Life Flows Water CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2015 “Life Flows Water” was performed one week after Craig Padilla gave several solo performances in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Seattle, Washington. All these…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Letters to the Farthest Star CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 One of the great things about the music of the skilled composer Forrest Fang is his ability to incorporate world music influences from Asia (focusing…
Release data: Alio Die & Lorenzo Montanà – Holographic Codex CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2015 “Holographic Codex” is a peculiar sonic breed which sees introspective, moody ambient landscapes paired with IDM sequences and psybient textures. Moreover, the cross-pollination of the…
Release data: Alex Farhoud – (A + M)² CD, Audiogram, 1988 Compared to “Nosso Nosso”, I characterize the music on Faroud’s album “(A + M)²” as a totally different sonic breed. The ten easy-going tracks feature a very light and…
Release data: Todd Fletcher – Star CD, Arya, 1996 A lot of quality stuff can be found in the genre of ambient soundscape music next to loads of mediocre and amateurish work. This 1996 release by Arizona-based composer Todd Fletcher…
Release data: Todd Fletcher – Byzantium CD/CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1994/2002 “Byzantium” was originally put out as a real cd, and saw a re-release as the fourth cd-r album on the Mr Fletchers own Microrelease label (which appears defunct now).…
Release data: Lambert – Drachenreise CD, Spheric Music, 2015 When you’re a fan of general-melodic, highly accessible synth music, Lambert’s newbie “Drachenreise” (his first new album after almost 20 years) will most surely be of your liking. The composer considers…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Inside Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ad21 Music, 2015 “Inside Life” is a contemporary classical work of art built upon piano and strings, which see Bruno Sanfilippo continue his quest through the quiet sonic landscape of minimalist…
Release data: Alio Die & Parallel Worlds – Elusive Metaphor CD, Hic Sunt Leones, 2015 Compared to the duos previous recording “Circo Divino”, the listener will run into a much more ambient-oriented outcome on “Elusive Metaphor”. Then again, the sonic…
Release data: Dave Bessell – Black Horses Of The Sun CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2015 The title of Mr Bessell’s second album comes from a Navaho myth about the sun: each day the sun rides across the sky on a horse,…
Release data: Robert Rich – Filaments CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2015 “Filaments” is an album roaming in the same league as Robert’s sonic endeavors “Electric Ladder” or “Geometry”, where he explores some of the cyclic interlocking patterns he always has…
Release data: Node – Node 2 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2014 It’s been a very long wait, but what a joy it is to finally see a new release by the legendary vintage collective Node since its debut in 1995. “Node…
Release data: Steve Roach – Invisible CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2015 Released on Bandcamp the first day of 2015, “Invisible” is Steve’s New Year’s gift and gesture to his loyal fanbase. Created in the last week of 2014 during a…
Release data: Ron Boots – Standing in the Rain CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 From the beginning, movies, tv series and books have always been an important source of inspiration for the music of Ron Boots. Just check out “Bookworks” or…
Release data: Polaris – Way Out CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ricochet Dream, 2014 The 55-minute album “Way Out” contains tracks which aka Polaris (aka Polish synthesist Jakub Kmieć) recorded between 2009 and 2013. The energetic, in-your-face “Entrance” already makes a great kick-off…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Slide CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2008 The electronic music found on the upbeat, abstract-oriented “Slide” is pure and definitely of analogue origin, featuring the usual gear-suspects like the massive Roland 100-M and Doepfler A-100 systems. One…
Release data: Spyra – Staub CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Butterfly Collectors, 2014 With his 16th album “Staub”, Wolfram Spyra presents the electronic community a different yet daring sonic experiment. What initially started out as something organized, logical and back-to-basics ended up more…
Release data: Deborah Martin – Under the Moon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1995 Deborah Martin is one of the talents within the Spotted Peccary community who would create an atmospheric ambient world of her own in later years. Previous…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – The Edge of Infinity CD, Groove Unlimited, 1997 Thoughtful yet subtle ambient with a distinct mysterious angle would be a appropriate description in a nutshell for the music making up “The Edge of Infinity”,…
Release data: Spacecraft – Hummel CD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1998 On “Hummel”, Tony Gerber, Diane Timmons and John Rose (aka Spacecraft) persue their journey through the fantastic and the cosmic, clinging to improvised, unstructured space music with psychedelic, rough edges. The…
Release data: Radio Massacre International – Frozen North CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Centaur Records, 1995 “Frozen North” is the (still) amazing debut official album by synthesists Duncan Goddard, Steve Dinsdale and guitarist Gary Houghton aka Radio Massacre International (RMI), who were at…
Release data: Brian Eno – The Shutov Assembly CD, Opal Records, 1992 Dedicated to Russian artist Sergei Shutov and his fine art installations, the outcome on this album hails back to Eno’s thoughtful ambient explorations from the mid ’70’s. On…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Songs from the Deep Field CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2014 Inspired by one of the most famous images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, “Songs From The Deep Field” ranges from pure space to…
Release data: Hemisphere – Early Reflection 1980 – 1990 CD, Cue Records, 1997 This album of previously unreleased material came out in a period a lot of retrospective recordings by others saw the light of day. Still, I find it…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Outland CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 An assortment of typical Emmens-sounds makes up the sound pallet of “Outland”, an album which excels especially when it comes to sequencing. Although there are some melodic passages present on…
Release data: Andy Pickford & Paul Nagle – S.T.D.M. – Ramayana CD, Neu Harmony , 2002 UK’s Jodrell Bank Planetarium has been a venue where quite some electronic music live concerts have taken place in the last few decades. It’s…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Continuum CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Something Else Records , 1996 “Ian Boddy goes ambient” could have been an appropriate subtitle for this album, which contains a selection of a continuous 7-hour improvised ambient performance at the Comic…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Josephine the Mouse Singer CD-EP, Eastgate, 2014 I’m not a follower of the big names anymore since 1,5 decade or so, but now and then try to scratch the surface on a few releases here…
Release data: Radiant Mind – Strands CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Steve Roach.com, 2014 Radiant Mind is an American synthesist who chooses to work in anonymity with Steve Roach as his sole producer and interface to the world. Over time, Steve encourages him…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson & Chris Russell – Vague Traces CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2014 Harmonic and multi-dimensional music roaming gently through vaporous, tranquil spheres is an apt description for this album by synthesists Chris Russell and Phillip Wilkerson.…
Release data: Dweller at the Threshold – Full Boundary Condition CD, Quantum Records, 2004 All who missed out on the original DATT’s albums “No Boundary Condition” (1996) and “Generation-Transmission-Illumination” (1998) can simply catch up by buying the 3-cd set “Full…
Release data: Michael Daniel – Henglers Circus CD, English Electronic Music Company, 2014 What I got here is a firm piece of energetic progressive rock solely made and played by Michael Daniel, one of the members of the EM-retro project…
Release data: Mark Isham – Tibet LP/CD, Windham Hill, 1989 “Tibet” belongs to those albums that I have overlooked at the time it was initially released, and also never tracked down in the decades thereafter. It’s a majestic 48-minute soundtrack…
Release data: Carola Kassner – Planetary Voyage CD, Orion Productions, 1994 “Planetary Voyage (a voyage through the solar system – and beyond)” is a 66-minute live recording by German visual artist and composer Carola Kassner at Zeiss Planetarium Berlin in…
Release data: Dweller at the Threshold – Generation – Transmission – Illumination CD, Eurock , 1998 On their debut album “No Boundary Condition”, Dweller at the Threshold (DATT) already proved they could expand very nicely on the classic analogue music…
Release data: BySenses – Frigments-Fragments CD, Private Release, 2014 “Frigments-Fragments” is the full-length debut by Belgium synthesist Didier DeWachtere, aka BySenses, whom I also know due to his longtime passion for EM. The 77-minute recording is a solid effort, showing…
Release data: Csillagköd – Silent World CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2014 Csillagköd, Hungarian for Nebula, is an ambient-space project started by Olivér Dombi in 2011 with the aim to transfer his profound interest in the philosophical side of time,…
Release data: Dilate – Octagon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hypnotic Records, 1997 Dilate’s fine space/ambient effort “Cyclos” already made quite an impression on me, so what a surprise to learn Victor Wulf was able to raise the quality bar even higher with…
Release data: Steve Roach & Jorge Reyes – The Ancestor Circle CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 Here’s a shamanic recording from the vaults using material recorded before Reyes’ death in 2009, sonically hailing back to the times of Suspended Memories,…
Release data: Synaesthesia – Embody CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cleopatra Records/Zoth Ommog, 1995 “Embody” is the debut-album of the Canadian project Synaesthesia (aka Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber) introducing ethno-rhythmic-driven ambient featuring lots of (world music) samples and weird klangspielerei, all executed…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – The 8th Nerve CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2005 For “The 8th Nerve”, Frank Specht and Gerd Wienekamp (aka Rainbow Serpent) have created a very fine sonic alchemy of exiting contemporary electronics, featuring a great pulse…
Release data: Front Line Assembly – Airmech CD, Metropolis Records, 2012 What I got here is the fully instrumental soundtrack to the real-time strategy videogame “Airmech” created by Bill Leeb (Skinny Puppy, Noise Unit, Delerium, Synaesthesia), assisted by a bunch…
Release data: Dilate – Cyclos CD, Cleopatra Records, 1996 Dilate is an ambient project by musician and sound explorer Victor Wulf, who previously collaborated in the experimental/industrial project Vampire Rodents. His 77-minute debut “Cyclos” (quite a rare find these days)…
Release data: Asura – Radio Universe CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2014 According to Ultimae’s press release, the 78-minute “Radio Universe” is as a musical odyssey that presents a renewed vision of the seventies space music legacy. I agree to that,…
Release data: Lamp – Scales of Fortune CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 Both Michael Shipway and his musical partner Garth Jones were quite amazed by the many positive and enthusiastic responses on their Lamp-debut “The Three Towers”, so it was just…
Release data: Erik Wøllo & Bernhard Wöstheinrich – Weltenuhr CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2014 This album is the duos second collaborative effort that contains lots of “Wøllo characteristics” if I may say so. The 11-track release offers mellow, groovy oriented music…
Release data: Jason Sloan – Deluge CD, Gterma, 2011/2014 Jason Sloan is a US-based new media & sound artist, electronic musician, composer whose sonic creations explores immateriality and its connection in memory, systems and the virtual world. “Deluge” contains his…
Release data: René Splinter – Frames CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 After listening to “Frames”, I’m impressed by the confident attitude and the solid way this Dutch composer has accomplished this nice follow-up on his very strong and successful album “Modern…
Release data: Ashra – @shra & @shra vol. 2 CD, MG.Art, 2008 This double-cd features remastered versions of the original albums “@shra” (1998) and “@shra vol. 2” (2002). These contain the dynamic live performance by Manuel Göttsching and his trusted…
Release data: Project Andrew Rotten – En Passant CD, Private Release, 2005 The musician behind Project Andrew Rotten (not an attractive name for a band if you ask me) is German synthesist Andreas Morsch, who some will know as one…
Release data: MorPheuSz – Tantalizing Thoughts at the Dawn of Dreams (Chapter Two) CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 With their album “Tantalizing Thoughts at the Dawn of Dreams”, the four experienced musicians making up MorPheuSz have added a strong and upfront…
Release data: Seetyca – Lieder Zum Summen CD, Gterma, 2014 The ambient music I’ve heard so far from German soundartist Seetyca has always fitted in the darker, mysterious category, so what a surprise to see him explore the lighter, uplifting…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Passage in Beauty CD, Decade/Relic, 1991/1995 “Passage in Beauty” is one of the privately released limited edition albums by Dirk Serries (aka vidnaObmana) that saw the light of day at the start of the ’90’s.…
Release data: Riechmann – Wunderbar LP/CD, Sky Records, 1978 “Wunderbar” is the one and only solo album of the late German synthesist Wolfgang Riechmann, who’s known best for his collaborations in the bands Phönix, Neu!, and Streetmark. Influences of the…
Release data: Unique – Boat People CD, Nocturne Records, 1994 Here’s another trip down memory lane. This release is a “forgotten” recording, being part of large distribution catalogue of Cue Records NL in the EM heydays of the ’90’s, I…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Backspace CD, Spheric Music , 2014 According the liner notes, “Backspace” is an album filled with electronic music for the flight through the universe of fantasies and emotions which could even be on top of…
Release data: Liquid Mind – Relaxing Rain & Ocean Mixes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real Music , 2014 Those of you out there familiar with the previous releases of Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, know his output fits into the new age…
Release data: Andrew Heath – The Silent Cartographer CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Disco Gecko Records, 2014 The sonic quest of UK-composer Andrew focuses on immersive ambient music evolving in a drifting, quiet realm. In his own words, Andrew seeks out the random,…
Release data: Nemesis – Xenopus CD, Retroduction, 2014 “Xenopus”, released at the end June at the Scandinavian ambient music conference Ambicon 2014, features shorter compositions compared to the previous album “Living Statues”. Fans of the band need not to worry…
Release data: Dirk Serries – The Origin Reversal CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 A Gibson Les Paul custom guitar and a few pedals. These were the tools Dirk Serries applied solely in creating the music for “The Origin Reversal”. The…
Release data: Troika – Troika II Dream Palace CD, Enso Records, 1997 The fantasy/fairytale and dreamy instrumental music known from Troika’s fine debut album “Goddess” sees a nice continuation on David Arkenstone & companion’s second effort “Dream Palace”. Form and…
Release data: Dan Pound – Life Giving CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PoundSounds, 2014 “Life Giving” (coined as nocturnal space music by the composer) is a release filled with lush, tranquil, smooth soaring and drifting ambient music centred on the living spheres. The…
Release data: Kevin Braheny & Tim Clark – The Spell CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1996 “The Spell” is the second and last album by Kevin Braheny (Fortune) and Tim Clark, containing so-called imaginative and magic-coined instrumental music. The downside…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Inspired CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2014 The sonic trail running smoothly through Bryan Carrigan’s fifth album “Inspired” radiates a positive and uplifting message. The latter refers to finding inspiration in everyday life, go with the…
Release data: Vangelis – Rapsodies LP/CD, Polydor Greece, 1986 “Rapsodies” is the second full-length album by Vangelis and Greek actress Irene Papas, of which a large part of the music was recorded around 1982 in Vangelis’ famous Nemo (home) studio…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – The Spiritual Bonding CD, Extreme Records, 1994 As stated in the cd-booklet, the album title highlights the gathering and spiritual communication between the various musicians involved in the outcome: Steve Roach (who also did the…
Release data: Tuu – The Frozen Lands CD-EP, Amplexus, 1999 The 20-minute cd-ep “The Frozen Lands” contains a set of three solo pieces using gongs, metal instruments and electronic processing and sampling of their sounds. The 8-minute title track kicking…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Tremor CD, Relapse Records, 2001 When ambient composer Dirk Serries entered the 2000’s, the music he made as vidnaObmana started to head into new directions. “Tremor” is the first part of a trilogy inspired by…
Release data: Erren – Fleissig – Schöttler – Steffen – Night on Ouddorp CD, Private Release , 2014 Back in November 2010, German musicians Jörg Erren, Bert Fleißig, Jochen Schöttler and Christian Steffen recorded their first set of improvised recordings…
Release data: Shane Morris & Mystified – Evolution CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2014 What I got here is the second installment of the “Inspired Evolution” , a triple concept-release about prehistoric time and evolution. As can be expected, the…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Dream Tempest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2014 The intrinsic drone world of textures and soundscapes found on the first half of 36’s sixth album “Dream Tempest” offers a lighter (or maybe brighter might suit better)…
Release data: Optical Image – Another Treasure Point CD, SoundArt Productions, 1997 With this album, Tom Habes reflects on the music of his successful debut “Treasure Point”, delivering a fine melodic outcome. While sticking close to and re-interpreting the original…
Release data: Hemisphere – Outdoors CD, Cue Records, 1994 On his third album “Outdoors”, Ralph Knappe-Heinbockel (aka Hemisphere) presents both rhythmic-driven, melodic pieces along free form ambient compositions. Once again, I feel Ralph is at his best on his non-rhythmic…
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…
Release data: Robert Fox – Blue Mountains Suite CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fx Music, 1993 The sweeping and majestic music making up “Blue Mountains Suite”, the third album by UK-synthesist Robert Fox, takes its inspiration from a three week journey to Australia…
Release data: Temps Perdu? – Earth Story CD, Amplexus, 2000 According to the electro-organic outcome of their previous albums “Athanor” and “Terra Incognita”, depicting the mysterious, the remote, the fascinating (and the even surreal) impact of desert ambiences has become…
Release data: Michael Stearns & Ron Sunsinger – Singing Stones CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1994 Those having a knack for deep, organic and tribal ambient music will find much of their liking on “Singing Stones”, which has a way of…
Release data: Christopher Franke – The London Concert CD, Varese Sarabande/Sonic Images, 1993 “The London Concert” by ex-TD member Chris Franke features his one and only live performance after he left Tangerine Dream. On the occasion in October 1991, Mr…
Release data: Robert Rich & Lisa Moskow – Yearning CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1995 After her contribution to one track on “Propagation”, Robert Rich invited American sarod-player Lisa Moscow for his full-length “Yearning”. Most of the sounds on “Yearning”…
Release data: Nacht Plank – Echo Ark CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, …txt Recordings, 2014 Nacht Plank, one of the monikers of Lee Anthony Norris, explores the deeper end of the ambient genre. “Echo Arc” is a work of sonic art filled with…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Tundra CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 The atmospheric music on the 5-track/30-minute EP “Tundra” lines up to the contemporary sounding outcome featured on Erik’s full-length “Timelines”. At the same time though, it incorporates traditional world…
Release data: Analog Sweden – Moments Lost (music and art inspired by the movie Blade Runner) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/LP, Private Release, 2014 Analog Sweden is a Swedish duo with Fredrik Segerfalk and Per Ronge at the helm. Through crowd funding they…
Release data: Can Atilla – Concorde CD, Groove Unlimited, 2005 With the 79-minute “Concorde”, Turkish composer Can Atilla brings another fine collection of vibrant and melodic music. It’s inspired by the legendary Concorde airplane and the critically acclaimed contemporary works…
Release data: Simon Lomax – A Glimmer of Memory CD/LP, Txt Recordings/Private Release, 2014 First a few words of the composer on this ambient work of art, taken from his website/SoundCloud page: “I’ve often thought about the way that we…
Release data: Ishq – Blue Infinity CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Virtual, 2014 Matt Hillier’s “Blue Infinity” is an ambient concept album inspired by the story of Peter Lanyon, the painter and glider pilot based in Cornwall, who painted landscapes of the West…
Release data: Józef Skrzek & Przemysław Rudź – The Stratomusica Suite CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.pl, 2014 This concept album between progrock musician Józef Skrzek and Mr Rudź contains the music especially composed for The Balloon Mission to the Edge of Outer…
Release data: Robert Rich – Propagation CD, Hearts of Space, 1994 “Propagation” is a concept album about biology and the many elements of life, a sonic metaphor for “the miraculous process of living”, the spreading of genetic material across the…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Sacred Site CD/MC, Hearts of Space, 1993 Capturing the power, beauty and magic from all kind of inspiring places around the world into compelling music has always been the cornerstone of accomplished US-composer Michael Stearns.…
Release data: Eric G – Visions CD, Elmuced Records, 2011 “Visions” is my second encounter with the music of Swedish composer Eric G (although it seems to be his third album by now), which features four lengthy compositions made between…
Release data: Pertti Grönholm – Winterplanet CD, Orogo Sound, 2013 “Winterplanet” is an intimate electro-acoustic and seasonal travelogue into the extreme cold weather conditions encountered in subarctic environments, in this case the homeland of Finnish composer Pertti Grönholm. Between 1997…
Release data: Deepernet – Impossible Landscapes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music/OE3, 2014 Entirely created in Cubase, the cross-genre “Impossible Landscapes” is Andrew Miles’ second album for the Spotted Peccary label, which (fortunately) is a tad less energetic compared to “One”.…
Release data: Steve Roach – The Delicate Forever CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 Composing ambient music depicting a desert environment is one of the specialties fitting under the belt of Steve Roach for many years. For “The Delicate Forever”, Roach…
Release data: Within Reason – Farshadow CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Periphery/Anodize, 2014 “Farshadow” will be last release for Gregory Kyruluk in 2014 after quite a list of releases under his monikers Within Reason or Alpha Wave Movement in recent times. His sonic…
Release data: Various Artists – Phra Rahu CD, Gterma , 2014 Due to the persistence of label owner Johan Rehn, the beautifully designed compilation album “Phra Rahu” (the mythical god of darkness) has made the light of day after quite…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – The Spirits of Starlight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 Like many musicians, US-composer Hollan Holmes also experienced a growing challenge when starting work on a new album, with the goal to make the outcome different…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg & Mathias Grassow – Ad Lucem CD, Gterma , 2014 German composers Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow have been friends for over 25 years. Besides having their own solo careers, they also joined forces in various…
Release data: Circular – Moon Pool CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2014 With “Moon Pool”, Circular (aka Bjarte Andreassen and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik) have delivered another fine chilled-out ambient journey to please the ears. By the means of contemporary electronics and…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Utopia CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 For the project “Utopia”, Mr Kistenmacher invited four different artists (most notably Thorsten Quaeschning on guitar) to establish the outcome. The recording is a different cup of tea compared to…
Release data: Urenga – Mu (The Lost Continent) CD, Gterma , 2014 “Mu” (dedicated to the great unknown of the Pacific Ocean, strongly refusing to be charted and explained) is a sonic travelogue by Andras Kiss (aka Urenga). It features…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Day Star CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New World Music, 2014 “Day Star” is the follow-up to the 2009 space music poem “Thousand Star”, on which Jon Serrie continues combining space music and the romantic: he takes the…
Release data: Loren Nerell & Mark Seelig – Tree of Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 All who love in-depth ambient journeys through sound with a profound sense of world music will probably know some individual works of Loren Nerell…
Release data: Arc – Umbra CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2014 All who saw Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve (aka Arc) in the flesh live on stage at E-Live 2013 will be much pleased with the release of “Umbra”. The latter is…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder – Analog Overdose 5 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2014 For the music on the 77-minute “Analog Overdose 5” (a kind of cityscapes caught in electronic music) the duo Fanger & Schönwälder has teamed up with…
Release data: Derelict Thoughts – Autumn Moon CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 What I got here is the second full-length ambient project by Ron Boots after “Too Many Secrets”, but released under a new moniker: Derelict Thoughts. All who know Ron’s…
Release data: Enterphase – Solar Promenades CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2004 When we talk about fine space music from the USA, we should now forget about the cosmic voyages undertaken by Fred Becker and Jeff Filbert, aka Enterphase. Ten years…
Release data: Sverre Knut Johansen – Planets CD, Origo Sound, 2012 With such a title one expects (and gets) an album of cosmic-inspired instrumental music taking on a melodic and cinematic approach. Scandinavian multi-instrumentalist and composer Sverre Knut Johansen spent…
Release data: Earthstar – French Skyline LP/CD, Sky Records/MI Records, 1979 “French Skyline” is one of those EM classics that should not remain unmentioned on my site. It came out on the legendary Sky Records label but after twenty years…
Release data: Thorsten Quaeschning’s Picture Palace Music – Remnants CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 What I got here is the 60-minute original soundtrack album Mr Quaeschning made for the “Remnants” (a beautifully shot documentary of time lapse cine photography about the…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Creatures 2020 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, BSC/Prudence, 2014 “Creatures 2012” is a limited edition double cd, featuring the music contained on the albums “Creatures” (1991) and “Let There Me More Light (Creatures II)” (1994). For the occasion,…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Signs CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 I think it always great and exciting to see people step out of the ordinary and do something different. The latter applies to “Signs” (a concept…
Release data: Geoffrey Downes – The Light Program LP/CD, Geffen Records , 1986 Being a fan of quite some symphonic/rock music as well, I thought it a good idea to reflect a bit on this album, which the composer released…
Release data: Pillion – Centillion CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 In 2010, I already wrote a review of a digital download-only album by almost the same name (“Centillion 303”) which was released by Walter Christian Rothe & Friends. At that time,…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Hidden Path CD, Groove Unlimited, 2014 I for one think it great to see a Cánovas-album again as a factory-pressed cd after a large list of digital-download only and cd-r releases. On this 70-minute/six track…
Release data: Michel Genest – Crystal Fantasy LP/CD, Sona Gaia Productions, 1984 “Crystal Fantasy” is the first album by French-born musician Michel Genest (but living in the USA now), labelled as visionary synthesizer music. The 45-minute outcome is overall soothing,…
Release data: Gandalf – To Another Horizon LP/CD, WEA Records, 1982 For the music on the 48-minute release “To Another Horizon”, Heinz Strobl has assembled a fine selection of skilled musicians (on bass, drums, flute and grand piano/organ) to accompany…
Release data: Evan Marc – Emotional Ecology CD, Psybooty Records, 2007 “Emotional Ecology” is the debut by Evan Bartholomew using the Evan Marc moniker for this tech-house recording of melodic dub Its goal is to bring a sense of the…
Release data: Pete Namlook & Tetsu Inoue – Shades of Orion CD, Fax, 1993 “Shades of Orion” (which would see another two volumes) may be a good starting point when you’re in the mood of some trippy ambient electronics. The…
Release data: Green Isac – Passengers CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music , 2014 “Passengers” is the long-awaited ethno-electronic sound world release by the Norwegian band Green Isac, aka multi-instrumentalist Morten Lund and percussionist Andreas Eriksen, seeing the light of day…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – A Strangely Isolated Place CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, City Centre Offices/Domino, 2003 This album is the follow-up to Ulrich’s excellent “Far Away Trains Passing By”. It’s a release with a bittersweat current of melancholy sweeping between the…
Release data: Terra Sancta – Exile CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2014 Terra Sancta is the alias of Australian dark ambient Greg Wood, who hereby delivers his second full-length album on Malignant Records after an eight year hiatus. The 58-minute freeform…
Release data: Robert Rich – Gaudi CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1991 This album is inspired by and a tribute to the magnificent and awe-inspiring architecture of Antonio Gaudí. Moreover, it gives a spacious voice to its organic, mathematical and…
Release data: Various Artists – Passages CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2014 With the futuristic sounding “Passages”, the French Ultimae-label adds a new chapter to their existing list of tasty and well-sorted out compilations. It’s the third compiled by Nova, aka…
Release data: Far East Family Band – Parallel World LP/CD, Nippon Columbia, 1976 In the discography of this band, “Parallel World” is exceptional album, not only as Masanori Takahashi (aka Kitaro) was part of this psychedelic/prog band, but also due…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Quinoa CD-EP, VOLT Records, 1992 “Quinoa” is a 28-minute Ep by Tangerine Dream that initially came out in 1992 on VOLT Records as a limited edition of 1000 copies issued by the TD International Fan…
Release data: Under the Dome – Bellerophon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony, 2002 It would take four years after their stellar debut “The Demon Haunted World” before Under the Dome’s launched their second studio-album “Bellerophon” (Electronic Tonalities). The latter, launched on…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Spiral Lights CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music , 2014 The music compiled on “Spiral Lights” reflects on the so-called “Sequences” compositions which Bertrand Loreau used as musical background during live performances. Sonically, the eights nostalgic and…
Release data: Christopher Franke – Klemania CD, Sonic Images, 1993 All those that experienced a huge disappointment after hearing the soothing, new-age musings on Franke first solo-album “Pacific Coast Highway” can rest assured on what’s on “Klemania”. On the latter,…
Release data: Robert Rich & Alio Die – Fissures CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1997 The sonic content captured on “Fissures” is a doorway to an inner world filled with mesmerizing, at times even dreamful textural soundscapes and acoustic instruments pictured…
Release data: Vangelis – Antarctica OST LP/CD, Polydor , 1983 An impressive and emotive sonic painting of vast landscapes of snow and ice, that’s what found on the Vangelis recording “Antarctica”. The latter is the 45-minute soundtrack to the 1983…
Release data: Gandalf – Journey to an Imaginary Land LP/CD, WEA Records, 1980 Here’s another journey down memory lane. “Journey to an Imaginary Land” is the fine instrumental debut by Austrian multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl (aka Gandalf) that would kick-off a…
Release data: Ethernet – Tanuki Dreams CD, Gterma, 2014 Ethernet is a project by Portland-based sound designer Tim Gray. Most of the hypnotizing, atmospheric and spacious outcome of “Tanuki Dreams” has been collected from the best tracks that appeared previously…
Release data: Karl Bartos – Communication CD, Home Records, 2003 “Communication” is the debut solo album under his own name by ex. Kraftwerk-member Karl Bartos, although he released several albums using the moniker Elektric Music previously. Sonically, the synth-pop of…
Release data: Dan Pound – Eros Thanatos CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 The ambient sonic art displayed on Eros has maintained the improvements already notable on Dan’s previous album “Spherical”. According the press-info, the outcome on “Eros Thanatos” is based…
Release data: Steve Roach – Structures from Silence (30th Anniversary 3-CD) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 Like the Roach-album “Quiet Music”, “Structures from Silence” is a classic for any listener who wants to submerge in a world of synthetic velvet…
Release data: Roger Eno – Between Tides LP/CD, Opal Records, 1988 The intimate moods found on Roger´s excellent debut “Voices” are continued on “Between Tides”, though it musically connects to contemporary chamber music simultaneously. While having Michael Brook producing the…
Release data: John Lyell – Reflection of Time CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 The fact that Minneapolis-based composer John Lyell has decided to devote more time to write and record ambient music has led to a rather quick follow-up to…
“The Fire and the Rose” is the second official album by Robert Fox, and a great follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut “Asfafa”. It’s a special album is many aspects, sonically and thematically, as it followed in the same year…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Cosmic Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 With the project Cosmic Ground, German synthesist Dirk Jan Müller decided to return to the origin of pure electronic music like he’d done in the early ’90s. In…
Release data: Sylvain Carel – Time and Tide CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2014 With his second album “Time and Time”, Sylvain Carel again integrates a whole range of exotic/ethnic flavors in his synthesized, lush orchestrated music. This time though, his…
Release data: Under the Dome – The Demon Haunted World CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony Records, 1998 UK-project Under the Dome is the brainchild of synthesist Grant Middleton, assisted by Colin Anderson on guitar and effects. The four tracks on their…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Clar0scuro CD, AD21 Music, 2014 Since quite some years, the piano has played an important part in the music of composer Bruno Sanfilippo. On “Clar0scuro”, he takes the next step in contemporary instrumental chamberrmusic, on…
Release data: Kitaro – Oasis CD, Pony Canon/Polydor/Domo Records, 1979 I’ve never been an avid Kitaro-fan, but have been quite fond of the releases Japanese composer Masanori Takahashi made at the end of the ‘70’s, “Oasis” being one of them.…
Release data: Roger Eno – Voices CD, EG Records, 1985 “Voices” is an album containing 40 minutes of moody, intimate and delicate piano miniatures marking the debut by the brother of ambient pioneer Brian Eno. The latter though helped out…
Release data: Skorneg – Foehn CD, Malignant Records, 2014 Skorneg is a dark ambient project by Frederic Arbour known from the Cyclic Law label) and Montreal-based ambient/experimental artist Christian Corvellec (aka Skinwell). Their debut “Foehn” is filled with 42 minutes…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Paradise Edition 2014 CD, Spheric Music, 2014 For the biggest part of this release I’d like to refer to the one I did on the original 1983 release, as the “2014 Edition” was not newly…
Release data: David Tollefson – New Eyes on the Universe CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1998 US-based ambient guitarist, David Tollefson is one half of Viridian Sun, a project he started in the ‘90’s with Hypnos label-owner Mike Griffin. On his first…
Release data: Klaus Schulze & Günter Schickert – The Schulze-Schickert Session LP/CD, Mirumir Music Publishing, 2013 Despite the fact the music on this album is definitely classic electronic music in classic Schulze-tradition, I shelved it for quite a while after…
Release data: Tuu – Terma CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1998 The eclectic tribal ambient music (inspired by the hidden teachings of Tibetan Buddhism) that’s found on “Terma” is made by TUU’s Martin Franklin and trance flute master Nick Parkin, a…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Atmospheres CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2014 It’s been about four years since the previous cd of New Zealand-based ambient composer Rudy Adrian was released. Those fond of his earlier textural releases “Desert Realms” or…
Release data: Christopher Franke – Pacific Coast Highway CD, Virgin Records, 1991 This is the first full-length release by ex-Tangerine Dream member Christopher Franke after he left the band in 1988 and started his own music business in the US…
Release data: Diatonis – Landscape of a Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2003 Hypnotic, subtle, evocative and deeply meditative soundscape music is what “Landscape of a Dream” is all about. Stuart Kelley White, aka Diatonic, composed the music between 1984…
Release data: Zero Ohms – Process of Being CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lotus Pike, 2014 This release might be a bit of a gamble for the label as it doesn’t really fit into its usual roster sonically, although there is a certain…
Release data: Robert Rich & Lustmord – Stalker CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1995 This classic recording is for all those ambient listeners who have a knack for haunting and challenging ambient spaces. “Stalker” is a collaborative album between Robert Rich…
Release data: Suspended Memories – Earth Island CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1994 “Earth Island” is the second and also last release by the trio Roach,Reyes and Saiz, which sonically complements its predecessor with another 50 minutes of dreamy and overall…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Timelines CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 More than on any of his latest albums, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo here attempts to combine acoustic elements with electronic elements sophisticatedly, while arranging the outcome in a cinematic,…
Release data: Banco de Gaia – Maya (20th Anniversary Edition) CD, Disco Gecko Records, 1994/2014 What I got here is an anniversary special edition of the first studio album “Maya” by Banco de Gaia, aka Toby Marks. It came out…
Release data: Stratosphere with Dirk Serries – In A Place Of Mutual Understanding CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 “In A Place Of Mutual Understanding” is a collaborative ambient project by two Belgium composers who’ve know each for over two decades.…
Release data: Ash Ra Tempel – Friendship CD, Manikin Records, 2000 In the year 2000, Manikin label-owner Mario Schönwälder released this fine, fully instrumental album. Klaus Schulze and his Ashra Tempel band mate Manuel Göttsching go back a long way,…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Echoing Delight CD, Extreme, 1993 For this ambient recording, released on the Australian Extreme label, we have to travel back to the first half of the ’90’s, to 1993 to exact. What still strikes me…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Trust CD, Deep Cave Records, 1995 Patrick O’Hearn’s album “Trust” followed after a four-year absence of solo album recording, a period in which he moved from California to North Carolina and was wrapped-up in composing…
Release data: Lightwave – Mundus Subterraneus CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom , 1995 “Mundus Subterraneus” is inspired by the life and times of the 16th century Danish astronomer and Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher. On their second album for the HOS/Fathom label,…
Release data: Olivier Briand & Bertrand Loreau – Interférences CD, Spheric Music, 2013 Now this is an example of two musicians trying to extend on the vintage BS-style, but failing rather big time. Coming up with a nice retro sequence…
Release data: William Gregg – Epiphenomenon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resources, 2013 Compared to Gregg’s previous album “Source of the Hardware”, the music on “Epiphenomenon” is a different story. The twelve tracks on the electro-acoustic outcome (all recorded during a four…
Release data: Steve Roach & Kelly David – The Long Night CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 Ambient composer Kelly David has been one of the kindred spirits of Steve Roach, who helped him out on the spacious and detailed sound…
Release data: Suspended Memories – Forgotten Gods CD, Hearts of Space, 1992/1993 For this release we have to travel back in time, to 1993 to be precise. Suspended Memories is a tribal ambient/shaman music project by Steve Roach, Jorge Reyes…
Release data: Dwight Ashley & Tim Story – Drop CD, Lektronic Soundscapes, 1997 I must say the front cover of the cd-booklet coming with “Drop” is quite alarming, showing a figure falling from a high building. It already sets the…
Release data: Pascal Languirand – Ishtar CD, Aspa Records, 1993 Many will know Canadian composer and producer Pascal Languirand of his well-known techno-project Trans-X or -even better- his classic EM-albums “Minos” and “De Harmonia Universalia”. “Ishtar” is his fifth solo-…
Release data: Hakobune – If it were to fade CD, Gterma , 2013 Hakobune is the alias of Kyoto-based musician Takahiro Yorifuji, who has quite a list of albums under his belt. The almost 79-minute “If it were to fade”…
Release data: Can Atilla – Hi Story CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 I don’t know that many albums by Turkish musician Can Atilla, but I found out this one came out about six years after “Concorde”, his previous album on Groove…
Release data: Steve Roach – At the Edge of Everything CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2014 The live-album “At the Edge of Everything” travels back to the Dutch E-Live festival 2000, where Steve Roach performed (what he likes to refer to…
Release data: Vanderson & Rudź – Remote Sessions CD, Generator.Pl, 2014 Many who love the school of classic electronic music will probably be familiar with the highly attractive and successful works of Polish synthesist Vanderson (aka Maciej Wierzchowski), which is…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Day After CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 Although “The Day After” still carries the distinct “Emmens signature”, it also reveals a new sonic approach of this talented Dutch synthesist. Still firmly founded and inspired…
Release data: Nisus – Electronic Medication CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Belgium has seen quite some new electronic music talents the last couple of years. One of them is Nisus, aka Evert Vandenberghe, who calls himself an architect of electronic…
Release data: Aqua Dorsa – The November Earth CD, Gterma, 2013 Listening to the dark ambient music on “The November Earth” is like entering an infinite world of shadows and deep caverns. Along the journey, lots of foreboding, organic and…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – Scorpius Rising CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lascaux21, 2013 It’s about ten years ago since I reviewed an album by Canadian composer Tim Gerwing. His fifth album “Scorpius Rising” (subtitled Music for the inner listener 5) is an…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Below Zero CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2013 Listening and reviewing music is all about discovery and (re)interpretation. With his fourth album “Below Zero”, accomplished US-composer Bryan Carrigan takes his instrumental eclectic/hybrid music into the territory…
Release data: David Parsons – Stupa CD, Gterma , 2013 It’s almost four years since the EM-community saw the last album of New-Zealand based composer David Parsons, which was due to circumstances at his former label. In the meantime, David…
Release data: Venja – Mode Zen CD/Digital Download, B-Wave, 2013 After a long break, 2013 saw the tenth release of Belgium-based composer Venja, aka Johan Geens, also the first album on the newly founded B-Wave label. The music (recorded between…
Release data: Ashen Simian – Spinal Staircase CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Retroduction, 2013 This second solo-instalment by Ami Hassinen is a very nice surprise, introducing its listeners to more rhythmic-oriented music with more sparse arrangements than heard from his band Nemesis. Presented…
Release data: Steve Roach – Spiral Meditations CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The title of this release implies an introspective journey into ambient music, and that’s exactly what the listener receives: a sequencer-based, slow morphing and highly minimal long form…
Release data: Loom – The Tree Hates The Forest CD, Viktoriapark, 2013 After two three live concerts, two Ep’s and a stunning live cd, it was just a matter of time before the first full-length album of Loom would surface.…
Release data: Alexander Saykov – Mistral CD, Gterma, 2013 “Mistral” was originally released as a digital-only album on Cold Tear Records in October 2012, but now received a proper factory-pressed cd release of which the content has been continuously mixed…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Slow Motion CD, Spheric Music, 2013 Since I started reviewing electronic music a long time ago, I also visited a fair share of music for the slow lane as counterpoint for the continuous rush time…
Release data: Robert Rich – Morphology CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Anodize, 2013 “Morphology” is a live album recorded during Darren Bergstein’s home concert series One Thousand Pulses on May 15, 2010. It’s been a while since I listened or reviewed any live…
Release data: Odyssey & We Are The Hunters – Odyssey & We Are The Hunters CD, Generator.pl, 2013 This release features Odyssey, aka Tomasz Pauszek (also known as RND) and We are the Hunters (aka the – Spanish? – duo…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Tamanoshima CD, Gterma, 2013 The almost 80-minute “Tamanoshima” follows in the footsteps of Mathias previous releases on Gterma, again travelling into deep, uncharted but still lengthy sonic environment. The meticulously crafted continuous waves and drone…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Presence (Harmonics Trilogy Vol. 3) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 With “Presence”, Andrew’s ninth release to date, we get to the closing part of the Harmonics Trilogy. Like its predecessors, it contains three expansive movements…
Release data: Synthex – Mirrorland CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 In my opinion, it was just a matter of time before this youngster would come up with his first mature, factory-pressed release, having heard his remarkable first steps that made up…
Release data: F.D. Project – Moments of Life CD, Private Release, 2013 One of the many things that always fascinated me on the accessible releases of Frank Dorittke, aka F.D. project, are its freshness and vibrant feel paired with a…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Somnambulistic Tunes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manikin Records, 2004/2007 For this release, Thorsten Quaeschning has chosen to compose a neo/classical work of cinematic music, all inspired by Robert Wienes (over 80 years old) silent vintage movie…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – Anatomy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 With their album “Anatomy”, the trio Pyramid Peak (aka Axel Stüpplich, Andreas Morsch & Uwe Denzer) show cast once more they still belong to Germany’s headliners of today’s contemporary…
Release data: Erren – Fleissig – Schöttler – Steffen – Ouddorp Takes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 Word about this album has been floating around in electronic music circles for a short while, as it seems to contain some nicely…
Release data: Steve Smith & The Tylas Cyndrome – Pools of Diversity CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 This trio gave a very nice act-de-presence at E-Live 2013, being part of the ViTaL concert (ViTaL is VoLt including Tylas Cyndrome and Lamp),…
Release data: Celer – Climbing Formation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Entropy Records, 2013 “Climbing Formation” is my second encounter with the ambient music of Will Long (aka Celer), who plays synthesizer, organ and tape loops on this release. Three lengthy and one…
Release data: Banco de Gaia – Apollo CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Disco Gecko Recordings, 2013 Banco de Gaia is UK composer Toby Marks, whose project is about mid-tempo trance-dance beats intertwined with ambient moods along world music samples and a slight new…
Release data: Havdis – Nightbreeze CD, Gterma, 2013 Similar to his previous album, the main inspiration of “Nightbreeze” is the immediate surroundings of the composer (a fisherman by trade) along his close connection to the sea and its nature. However,…
Release data: David Helpling & Jon Jenkins – Found CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2013 This is such a recording causing a rush of excitement already at first glance, although being the final episode of the duo’s trilogy. “Found” is…
Release data: Narcosis – Narcosis CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fairy Nuff Music, 2007 What I got here is a kind of forgotten but worthy album in the EM-genre. Narcosis is Steve Jenkins, a technical/stage manager for the UK Hampshire Jam series of…
Release data: Klaus Schulze – Shadowlands CD, Synthetic Symphony/SPV, 2013 This is a bit of an unusual review as I generally tend not to review releases by the bigger, better-known EM-artists, as they already get their share of attention through…
Release data: Marcomé – Seven Seas CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Rubicon Records/Marco Productions, 1996 The (sadly deceased) Canadian label Rubicon Records released the feel-good/new-age album “Seven Seas” in 1996, which is the debut-album by Canadian singer/songwriter Marcomé (written as Marco May on…
Release data: Jerome Froese –Far Side of the Face CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Moonpop, 2012 On the minimalist designed digipack release “Far Side of the Face”, Edgar’s son Jerome adds a new chapter to his existing catalogue of “guitartronica”. I find slightly…
Release data: Schiller – Horizon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Panorama/Deutsche Gramaphone, 2013 This is a bit of an unusual review, as it focusses on the album “Horizon” only, which is part of Schiller’s expensive and limited “Opus” Limited Ultra Deluxe Edition, (a…
Release data: Troika – Goddess CD, Enso Records, 1996 At first glance, the visuals of Troika’s debut album already evoke a dreamy, fairy-tale like feeling, something also found in the beautiful art and design gracing the albums of e.g. Amethystium…
Release data: Synaesthesia – Ephemeral CD, Zoth Ommog, 1997 Synaesthesia is one of the various projects by Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber, who are also the driving forces behind Delerium and Frontline Assembly. “Ephemeral” is their third (and also last)…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vir Unis – Blood Machine CD, Greenhouse Music, 2001 “Blood Machine” is the follow-up to “Body Electric”, and would also be the last full-length collaborative album of Steve Roach and John Strate-Hootman (aka Vir Unis).…
Release data: Sayer – Random Access Melodies CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, New Territory Records, 2013 After a long hiatus, American synthesist Sayer Seely re-surfaced lately, announcing a remastered version of his debut album as digital download only, along “Random Access Melodies”. The…
Release data: AirSculpture – Attrition System CD, Neu Harmony, 1997 “Attrition System” is an album assembling various tracks from the October ’95, November ’95 and March ’96 sessions, all happening after the EMMA#3 festival. Although featuring shorter bite sized pieces…
Release data: Lightwave – Tycho Brahe CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom , 1994 This concept album, named after Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, is made by the French collective Lightwave (aka synthesists Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman). It can best be classified…
Release data: Vidna Obmana & Sam Rosenthal – Terrace of Memories CD, Projekt Records, 1992 Terrace of Memories is a collaborative ambient effort between Sam Rosenthal (owner and founder of Projekt Records) and vidnaObmana (aka Dirk Serries). The five free…
Release data: G.E.N.E. – Flying Fish CD, Innovative Communications, 1995 G.E.N.E. (Grooving Electronics Natural Environments) is no single musician, producer, or influence, but several established musicians who have brought their own style and instrumentation to recordings. The overall concept behind…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Shadowplay CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2013 “Shadowplay” harkens back to the days when 36’s (pronounced three-six) debut “Hypersona” (2008) saw the light of day, made in a period when Dennis Huddleston was just having fun…
Release data: Budd/Garcia/Lentz – Music for 3 Pianos CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, All Saints, 1993 “Music for Three Pianos”, inspired by Morton Feldman’s multi-piano pieces, brings together the gifted minimalist piano players Harold Budd, Ruben Garcia and Daniel Lentz. It’s not full…
Release data: Various Artists – Oxycanta III CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2013 After two years of hard work, label manager and dj Mahiane (aka Sandrine Gryson) finally compiled a third volume in the fine, but still rather unknown “Oxycanta”-series (named…
Release data: Temps Perdu? – Terra Incognita CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timebase, 1995 “Terra Incognita” is the second ambient album by Temps Perdu?, aka French/German duo Dirk and Catherine Ledit-Grützmann. The music is highly inspired by extensive travels around the globe, bringing…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Transcendence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2013 With the tenth release of this talented Japanese musician, we enter the next level of the ethereal, expansive float zone. Once more sticking to a free form, textural outcome,…
Release data: Gastón Arévalo – Rollin Ballads CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf Records, 2013 Gastón Arévalo is a musician from Uruguay, whose album “Rollin Ballads” is a nature- inspired album featuring eight neo-classical and pop-ambient sound collages, evoking a certain aural and…
Release data: Frank Van Bogaert – Geographic CD, Groove Unlimited, 1999 With his second album “Geographic”, Belgium synthesist Frank van Bogaert takes his listeners on a journey to far-off places, a tasty melting pot of electronics, assorted world (percussion) instruments…
Release data: Harold Budd & Brian Eno – Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror CD, EG Records, 1980 I thought it time to lift out another ambient classic out of the collection. Being the second in Eno’s ambient series, “The…
Release data: Alex Farhoud – Nosso Nosso LP/CD, Racket Records/Rubicon Records, 1988/1992 In the fast days of modern society, we sometimes need some music to slide back to the slow lane of things. At the end of the ‘80’s/start of…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Little Things CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike Records, 2013 On his concept album “Little Things” (which is about uncovering and celebrating the wonderful little details that exist below the surface of our normal routines) Michael Allison has…
Release data: Vidna Obmana – Crossing the Trail CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 1998 Fans of minimal soundscape tapestries will really want to dig this gem by Dirk Serries, better known as vidnaObmana. “Crossing the Trail” offers a continuous 70-minute farscape…
Release data: Saul Stokes – Washed in Mercury CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hypnos Recordings, 1997 For its time, “Washed in Mercury” (the first cd-release on Mike Griffin’s newly founded label Hypnos Recordings back in the ‘90’s) offered an innovative, progressive sound in…
Release data: Benn Jordan – Pale Blue Dot (A Tribute To Carl Sagan) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AlphaBasic, 2008 Benn Jordan is a Chicago-based musician/producer who seems to be known under various other aliases (e.g. The Flashbulb) and for other types of…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Take-Off CD, Cue Records, 1992 “Take Off”, a concept-album on “Flight”, was released during the prolific days of German electronic music, and continues in the slipstream of his Mr Mergener’s previous two solo albums. Back…
Release data: Phelios – Gates of Atlantis CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Malignant Records, 2013 It’s time for another journey in dark ambient, this time executed by German musician Martin Stürtzer, aka Phelios, with his fine album “Gates of Atlantis”. The cinematic ambient…
Release data: Jonteknik – The Satellites Of Substance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Jonteknik Music, 2013 “The Satellites of Substance” is a concept-album by Jonteknik, aka Brighton-based musician Jon Russell, about and inspired by communications and satellite technology. From the press-sheet I learned…
Release data: Constance Demby – Æterna CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space, 1995 When we are talking about majestic and rich symphonic space music, the name of Constance Demby comes to mind. The contemporary orchestral style executed on the highly emotive…
Release data: Forrest Fang – The Wolf at the Ruins / Migration CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The last couple of years, quite some re-releases of older out-of-print albums have seen the light of day. This happened as single or…
Release data: Arc – Octane CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Something Else Productions, 1998 “Octane” is the remarkable debut album by UK synth-giants Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve, who know each other already since the start of the ’80’s. When the two founded…
Release data: Elektric Music – Esperanto CD, SPV, 1993 It’s time for some more up-beat, melodic-spiced music, for which I turn to the synth-pop of “Esperanto”. This debut album by former Kraftwerkian Karl Bartos (with some help of Lothar Manteuffel…
Don’t be deceived by the clinical sounding name of the artist or its cover-art, as the musician responsible for the very nice “Kontakt” (assembled from tracks made between 1996-1998) is no other then the talented Gerd Wienekamp, also known as…
Release data: Robert Fox – Still Waters CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 For the music of “Silent Waters”, Robert Fox was inspired by the culture and world music from the Eastern spheres, and more specific the Persian region. The continuous…
Release data: You – Electric Day LP/CD, Cue Records/Bureau B, 1979/2011 “Electric Day” is one of those classic analogue albums recorded at the famous Panne-Paulsen Studios, where also Klaus Schulze frequented a lot. The fine drumming on You’s debut album…
Release data: Steve Roach – Live Transmission CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 The music that landed on the double album “Live Transmission” was created, recorded and broadcasted live at the studio of internet radio station SomaFm, San Francisco, May 7…
Release data: Pete Namlook – Air CD, FAX, 1998 “Air” is the first solo-album and one of the many projects by the prolific German artist Pete Namlook, aka Peter Kuhlmann. It presents an inventive way of merging neoclassical, contemporary and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Early Man CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Manifold/Projekt Records, 2000/2001 “Early Man”, on Steve’s site described as primeval innerspace deep ambient, is a profound organic and highly atmospheric piece of sonic art, a 74-minute journey through excavated memories…
Release data: Tim Story – The Perfect Flaw CD, Hearts of Space, 1994 The string of emotive musical miniatures by Tim Story continues beautifully on the 45-minute “The Perfect Flaw”, containing 12 new-age compositions which blend feelings of desolation and…
Release data: Frank Van Bogaert – Colours CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ace Studio Editions/Groove Unlimited, 1998/2004 “Colours” is the remarkable debut album by Belgium composer/synthesist Frank Van Bogaert, also owner of the notable Ace-studio in Artselaar. From the liner notes we learn…
Release data: Synergy – Computer Experiments Vol. 1 LP/CD, Audion , 1981/1986 The following is taken from the release notes: “Computer Experiments Volume One” is a recording of three different executions of a microcomputer self-composing program. The program, called “Pink…
Release data: Pete Namlook & Wolfram Spyra – Virtual Vices CD, Fax, 1998 In the ongoing list of current releases, it’s also good to glance back once in a while on some nice releases of the past. “Virtual Vices” (the…
Release data: Ashtoreth’s Gate – Ashtoreth’s Gate CD, Gterma, 2013 Ashtoreth’s Gate (named after the goddess of love and war) is Lee Norris and Craig Murphy. Both have previously worked together as Solipsism & Nacht Plank, and sonically they firmly…
Release data: Zodiac – I.C. CD, Cue Records, 1995 Let’s make a trip back in time to the period in the first half of the ‘90’s when Ron Boots ran the Dutch part of Cue Records. In 1991, Ron already…
Release data: Ornah-Mental – Excursions CD, Gterma, 2013 Orna-Mental is a collaborative effort by German musicians Carsten Agthe (who some may know for his collaborations with Mathias Grassow) and Dirk Schlömer. “Excursions” is their sixth album by now, offering seven…
Release data: O Yuki Conjugate – Undercurrents (In Dark Water) CD, Staalplaat, 1992 “Undercurrents” is a classic (and nowadays very hard to get) ambient release by the UK-collective O Yuki Conjugate that even musicians like Steve Roach have added to…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Sonnenwende CD, Gterma, 2013 The double-album “Sonnenwende” is the spiritual successor to “Dämmerung” and follows the sun along her passage through the seasons, the seemingly endless journey between darkness and light. The release (clocking around…
Release data: Meg Bowles – The Shimmering Land CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Kumatone Records, 2013 “The Shimmering Land” is a 60-minute collection of lush and highly emotive ambient space music, smoothly morphing through tender, soft resonating spaces. The outcome is ambient/orchestral, but…
Release data: VelgeNaturlig – Húmus CD, Gterma, 2013 VelgeNaturlig is a Portuguese field/audio/soundscape project by Ivo Santos, who initially privately released “Húmus” on cd-r in 2004 Ambient treasure seeker Mr Rehn hereby re-issues the fully remastered album on factory-pressed cd,…
Release data: Brendan Pollard, Javi Canovas, Adrian Dolente & Michael Daniel – Two Roads CD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2013 “Two Roads”, a limited edition factory-pressed cd of just 500 copies, is one those unexpected (but boy, so welcome!) releases I…
Release data: Frozen Thoughts – Calm Before The Storm CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Glacial Movements, 2013 This is a typical album of slow morphing, non-rhythmic textural ambient, featuring five drifting movements clocking between 9 and 13 minutes. Biosphere’s “Substrata” comes to mind,…
Release data: Dead Beat Project – Samsara CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 The French multimedia project Dead Beat Project made quite an impression on me with their album “R’Évolution”, a nice blend of electro, world and ethnic flavors. Now here’s…
Release data: Mythos – Grand Prix CD, Sireena Records, 2013 “Grand Prix”, a classic Sky-recording from 1981, is the last album from Stephan Kaske’s 40 Mythos releases that finally sees a re-release on factory-pressed cd. On the occasion, two previously…
Release data: William Gregg – Source of the Hardware CD, Harmonic Resources, 2013 “Source of the Hardware” is a 60-minute album with electro-acoustic music by New York-based composer William Gregg, originally released on a (now out of print) 1990-recording. Only…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Discreet Charm of an Imperfect Symmetry CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.pl, 2013 According to the liner notes in the cd-booklet, the music making up “Discreet Charm of an Imperfect Symmetry” is fully improvised, and was accomplished during…
Release data: Shane Morris & Mystified – Emergence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2013 What I got here is the second installment of the “Inspired Evolution” , a triple concept-release about prehistoric time and evolution. As can be expected, the…
Release data: Yarek – Last Train to Berlin CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.Pl, 2013 While his previous release “Spirits of the Dust” left me rather confused, Yarek’s album “Last Train to Berlin” heads back to Berliner School inspired contemporary electronic music with…
Release data: Abandoned Asylum – Derelicts of Distant Hope CD, Malignant Records, 2013 Massive dark ambient drones drenched in the same sonic well as German composer Phelios. That’s what Polish artist Lukasz Czajka, aka Abandoned Asylum, brings his listeners, who…
Release data: Deepernet – One CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music/0E3, 2013 DeeperNet, is Oregon- based composer Andrew Miles, who hereby makes his debut on the Spotted Peccary sublabel 0E3. The first thought that came to mind when I heard the…
Release data: Remy & My Breath My Music – Sessions 2012 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2013 “Sessions 2012” is a special music session Remy Stroomer did together with four students from the “My Breath My Music” foundation in fall…
Release data: Phragments – New Kings and New Queens CD, Malignant Records, 2013 “New Kings and New Queens” is a 32-minute release (limited to 500 factory-pressed copies in oversized fold out packaging) by Slovakian ambient composer Matej Gyarfas, aka Phragments.…
Release data: Vangelis – Chariots of Fire: The Play CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Decca, 2012 Due to a vast amount of albums waiting for review, I now finally found time to listen to “Chariots of Fire: The Play”, although being almost a…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Pain/tings CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.Pl, 2012 A steady flow of releases by Mr Rudź keeps coming from the Polish Generator-label, with “Pain/tings” as his last effort in 2012. The lengthy outcome is a surreal affair with…
Release data: Code Indigo – MELTdown CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 Code Indigo’s album “MELTdown” premiered at E-Day 2013 in The Netherlands, where David Wright’s band hit the stage in a new line-up with lots of the enthusiasm. Founded back…
Release data: Richard Bone – Images from a Parallel World CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2013 After the nice retrospective release “Anthology”, AD Music hereby brings us a full-length album with all-new music by US composer Richard Bone. The outcome though…
Release data: Ron Boots – Signs in the Sand CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 Those who missed out on the concert Ron Boots gave in May in the St. Bavo Church in Haarlem hereby find the opportunity to hear it…
Release data: Klaus Schulze – Are you Sequenced? CD, Revisited Records, 1996/2006 This is the re-release of the double-cd recording that originally came out in 1996, but without the various non-Schulze remixes on the second cd. “Are you Sequenced?” is…
Release data: René Splinter – Modern Ruins CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 With his album “Singularities”, René Splinter showed a remarkable talent in the world of contemporary electronic music, although the music of Johannes Schmoelling and ‘80’s TD were (and…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Liverdelphia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2013 At first glance, I agree this is an odd name for an album, but it makes more sense when one knows this cd comprises parts of Ian’s live performances in…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Uttarakuru CD, Gterma, 1999/2012 “Uttarakuru” (the Sanskrit name for a continent in ancient Hindu and Buddhist mythology) is a double-album containing minimal ambient drone music and occasional flute recorded in April 1999 by Mathias Grassow.…
Release data: Parikrama – Manusyaloka CD, Gterma, 2013 “Manusyaloka” is the second full-length album of German composer Seetyca and his trusted sound technician Artin Mucht for the Scandinavian Gterma label. Sonically, it’s an extension of the fine ambient journey that…
Release data: Simon Lomax – Zone of Cold CD, Private Release, 2013 As Simon states, “Zone of Cold” had a long time coming, as his last effort “.74” (made under the Maitreya-moniker) hails back to 2004. Meanwhile, the Maitreya-project has…
Release data: James Johnson & Aperus – Ecotone CD, Geophonic Records, 2013 In the genre of organic-infused ambient music, ambient sound sculptors James Johnson and Brian McWilliams (aka Aperus) have made a new offering centred on deeply textured environmental sound.…
Release data: Schiller – Die Einlassmusik 8 & 9 CD, Sleepingroom Musik, 2012 The year 2012 has been very busy for Christopher von Deylen, aka Schiller. So it’s even more surprising he found time to compose not one, but two…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder – Earshot CD, Manikin Records, 2013 “Earshot” is a 46-minute release presented in cardboard sleeve on which Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock joins the Fanger & Schönwälder tandem for a sonic ride through Berliner School/vintage territory. Next to…
Release data: The Glimmer Room – Tomorrow’s Tuesday CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony, 2002 “Tomorrow’s Tuesday” is the fine debut-release of UK-based synthesist Andy Condon, aka The Glimmer Room. The album contains 13 instrumental tracks (plus one vocal piece) of rhythmic,…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Chiasmata CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2004 “Chiasmata” contains the music played live-in-concert at the planetarium of Leicester’s National Space Centre, UK, in November 2003. This is not your average planetarium music, as Mr Boddy combines abstract…
Release data: Steve Roach – Future Flows CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2013 “Future Flows” is the second part in a triptych that kicked-off with “Soul Tones” at the end of 2012. If you´re looking for any significant change in sound…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Lost in the Swamp CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Compared to their previous albums, the music on the concept-album “Lost in the Swamp” takes on a much spherical, lyrical and introspective approach,…
Release data: Enh – Body of Blue CD, Gterma , 2013 Enh is the moniker of Ian Handsley, who resides in an old hotel in a small fishing village on Japan’s Pacific coast. The full-length “Body of Blue” is assembled…
Release data: Mark Isham – Songs my children taught me CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Windham Hill, 1991 “Songs my children taught me” is an album by trumpeter, synthesist and (soundtrack) composer Mark Isham containing a set of four neo-classical suites, each intended…
Release data: Dan Pound – Spherical CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Pound Sounds, 2013 More than once, the music of Dan Pound has shown similarities to the sonic art of Steve Roach. The 74-minute “Spherical” reveals many improvements in that direction, as it…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – Phase Shift CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2013 “Phase Shift” is the third release by US synthesist Hollan Holmes, containing two long form compositions along three shorter takes found at the beginning. The outcome, a contemplative…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – Cenotaph CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synkronos Music, 2012 “Cenotaph” (the name for a monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere) is the follow-up release to Chuck’s beautiful album “MemorySpace” (2010). Sonically,…
Release data: VoLt – Particles CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 Work on “Particles” already started during the process of assembling and finalizing “Circuits”, a VoLt-release that turned out less accessible and much more adventurous in the end. “Particles” however, once…
Release data: Schiller – Sonne Live CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Universal Domestic, 2013 The double-cd “Sonne Live” by Schiller, aka Christopher von Deylen, contains the full performance played at Berlins O2 World in December 2012. As on previous live-albums, Schiller and band…
Release data: Solar Fields – Origin #2 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ulimae Records, 2013 With “Origin #2”, Solar Fields (aka Swedish composer Magnus Birgersson) presents the second chapter of retrospective tracks fitting in the atmospheric/downbeat/chill-out realm as the first one, this time…
Release data: Remy & Synth.nl – PrimiTiveS CD, Groove Unlimited, 2013 “PrimiTiveS” is the debut-album by the established Dutch synthesists Remy (aka Remy Stroomer) and Synth.nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen). Although they are both musically influenced by Jean Michael Jarre,…
Release data: Schiller – Sonnenwelten CD, Universal Domestic, 2012 Schiller’s album “Sonnenwelten”, only available in the Limited Ultra Deluxe package of “Sonne”, can be regarded as a kind of Einlassmusik-release. It’s a fully instrumental release featuring tranquil music that fits…
Release data: Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance CD/LP, Type Recordings, 2008 For as long as I review electronic and strongly related music, I always have had a fascination for intimate soundscape worlds that breath a soft mourning, sadening and…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Bloodmoon CD, Gterma , 2012 German drone-King Mathias Grassow is well-known for his extensive and deep textural music, and the exactly 76-minute “Bloodmoon” (compiled from various projects recorded in the autumn and winter of 2009…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Roots and Legends from the North CD, TeamQuasar, 2013 During the creation of the album “Roots and Legends from the North”, composer Johan Tronestam ended up in what he refers to as quite a turbulent…
Release data: Ethereal 77 – Landscapes CD, Basedaddy, 1999 Before composer Ulrich Schnauss started releasing music under his own name, he made one full-length album and an Ep under the alias Ethereal 77. “Landscapes” is the highly melodic and crisp…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – A Long Way to Fall CD, Scripted Realities, 2013 In his own words, Mr Schnauss describes his fourth release “A Long Way to Fall” as an album that would celebrate the synthesizer as the very…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Nostalgic Steps CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2013 On “Nostalgic Steps”, French synthesist Berrand Loreau offers another collection of vintage electronic music, paying tribute to the big names of the Berliner School and their recognizable sequencer…
Release data: Cell – Phonic Peace CD, Indica Music, 2005 I ran into this album by accident, not aware that Cell (aka Alex Scheffer) had released another full-length album before his “Hanging Masses” release on Ultimae Records and a whole…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – The Serenity CD, DataBloem, 2013 German/Iran synthesist Amir Baghiri already started work on “The Serenity” in 2009, but as Amir got further involved in the film music industry and had to deal with many deadlines…
Release data: Resonant Drift – Full Circle CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Flow Space Music, 2012 This album is entitled “Full Circle” because of various thoughts and ideas the duo Bill Olien and Gary Johnson had about returning, coming back and so on,…
Release data: Secondface – Vega Colony CD, Gterma , 2013 “Vega Colony” is an ambient/spacemusic extravaganza dedicated to the life and work of the late British science fiction illustrator and painter Peter Elson. Its mesmerizing futuristic music though is composed…
Release data: Nemesis – Living Statues CD, Retroduction , 2012 The beautiful designed and exceptionally packaged “Living Statues” is a concept album by the Finnish band Nemesis that was highly inspired by the life and art of Veijo Rönkkönen. To…
Release data: Uwe Gronau – Visions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Visions” is a 76-minute instrumental album by German composer Uwe Gronau, taking the listener on a summertime late-night journey through the (atmos)pheres of Paris. Uwe’s eclectic mix of dream-like…
Release data: Mathias Grassow & Carsten Agthe – Beyond the Silence (Live at Gut Saunstorf) CD, Gterma, 2012 What we got here is a double-album with music played during an extensive live-set by Mathias Grassow and percussionist Carsten Agthe, complimented…
Release data: Last Industrial Estate – Last Industrial Estates CD, Gterma, 2012 Extensive and sinister drone ambient is the game at play on the concept album “Last Industrial Estates”, an ode to the remnants of the industrial era. It’s one…
Release data: Steve Roach & Byron Metcalf – Tales from the Ultra Tribe CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012v During his musical career, ambient master Steve Roach once in a while always kept returning to the fusion of electronics with tribal/organic…
Release data: Mark Isham – Castalia CD, Virgin Records, 1988 “Castalia” is the fourth album by composer Mark Isham, whose title refers to the mythical spring Castalia on Mount Parnassus in Greece, that sees mark collaborate with quite a large…
Release data: Arcanum – Arcanum CD, Faria Records, 1997/2007 This is the re-release of the classic album by the German trio Mathias Grassow, Rüdiger Gleisberg and Amir Baghiri that originally saw the light of day in 1997 on the Italian…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Dämmerung CD, Gterma, 2012 Those familiar with the extensive discography by German multi-instrumentalist Mathias Grassow will be acquainted to his vast and deep-listening type of music. “Dämmerung”, depicted as one long flowing epos dedicated to…
Patterns of the Sky is a soundscape ambient project by Texas-based musician Glenn Matson that was originally founded in 2005 as an outlet for lush and old-style trance. Mr Matson designed it as well for refining sounds of pure bliss…
Release data: As if – Faraway Trees Standing Still CD, Gterma, 2012 As If is the magical soundworld project of Danish composer and visual artist Kenneth Werner (Jensen), which focuses on low-tempo, soundscape and the ambient/dub end of electronic music.…
Release data: Noryani – Southeast 225 CD, Generator.pl, 2012 “Southeast 225” is the second full length release in a series of four concept albums by Polish synthesist Adrian Noryani, and another emotive and well/composed work of electronic art. And although…
Release data: Otarion – Creator CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony, 2002 About a decade ago, German composer Reiner Klein, aka Otarion, made his third and also last album “Creator”. Until today, I regard it as a solid release featuring powerful, rhythmic…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Cadenced Haven – Mystic Dawn CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 If you’re looking for a moody, melodic and nicely sequenced music, one in general can’t go wrong with the music by successful Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens.…
Release data: Brian Eno – Lux CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Warp Records, 2012 “Lux” is a pastoral work by Brian Eno, marking a return to his earlier focus on ambient sound collage, while also being his first solo album since 2005’s “Another…
Release data: Peter Hennix – Ocean CD, Gterma, 2012 The album “Ocean” (a Rudra Veena meditation) originally saw the light of day in 2004 when it was released on CDr by the new age label Sangha Records. Treasure seeker Johan…
Release data: Nirmanakaya – Nirmanakaya CD, Gterma, 2011 “And now for something completely different”. That was the first thought I had when I was listening to this awkward mini-recording of the Swedish Gterma label. Like all their releases on the…
Release data: Aes Dana – Pollen CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 In the last month of 2012, the French Ultimae label treats its fans with another fine down-tempo release. It comes on the account of Vincent Villuis, aka Aes Dana,…
Release data: RMax Corbacho – The Ocean Inside CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD21 Music, 2012 After quite a quite a long hiatus, Spanish ambient composer Max Corbacho is back with double album of expertly crafted atmospheric ambient pieces, clocking over 140 minutes.…
Release data: Indo – Rupa Loka CD, Gterma, 2011 The Rupa Loka is the fine material world in Buddhist cosmology, the “residence” of higher life forms than us. It’s also the name of a concept-album by Hungarian composer Andras Kiss,…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Ferro Oxid CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2012 On his 28th album “Ferro Oxid”, Robert Schroeder pairs authentic sounds and the feel of nostalgic EM with nowadays contemporary music and technology in a beautiful manner. In…
Release data: Ashra – New Age of Earth CD, Virgin Records, 1976 When I look at the lengthy discography of Manuel Göttsching, Ashra’s debut-album “New Age of Earth” remains an all-time classic that beats his other releases by far. The…
Release data: Celer – Without Retrospect, the Morning CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Glacial Movements, 2012 Celer is an ambient/soundscape project by Will Long, who has an extensive list of releases under his belt made as Celer and various other monikers. The 52-minute…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Falling Light CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike, 2012 I remember the early music by multi-instrumentalist Michael Allison, aka Darshan Ambient, as pastoral and quiet textural synth music. Since a few years though, his musical approach has started…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Windows CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2012 For his third album “Windows”, accomplished composer Bryan Carrigan wanted to step away from the loops, rhythms and beats as mostly heard on his previous two releases, and instead…
Release data: Steve Roach – Soul Tones CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2012 “Soul Tones” is the first in a triptych of cds, featuring inner-connected pieces with space and time in between each. Filled with 74 minutes of warm, free form…
Release data: Schiller – Sonne (DeLuxe Edition) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Universal Domestic, 2012 The album “Sonne” adds a new chapter to the growing music catalogue of most successful Berlin-based composer Christopher von Deylen, aka Schiller. If you’re expecting something new though,…
Release data: Art of Infinity – Raumwerk CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, BSC Music, 2012 “Raumwerk” is the fourth album by Art of Infinity, a German project founded back in 1996 by Thorsten Sudler-Mainz and Thorsten Rentsch. I’ve never felt any affinity or…
Release data: Connect.Ohm – 9980 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 The French Ultimae label is one of the fine firms that’s able to amaze me from time to time, putting out new, fruitful collaborations next to their regular league of…
Release data: [‘ramp] Astral Disaster (live at Bochum Planetarium) CD, Private Release, 2012 “Astral Disaster”, the first proper [‘ramp] live album since the release of “Oughtibridge”, is a limited edition, factory-pressed cd by German composer and sound explorer Stephen Parsick,…
Release data: Sylvain Carel – Caravansaray CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2012 Melodic, cinematic and symphonic music with strong ethnic/oriental spheres, samples and vocal textures. These are the ingredients found in the detailed and transparent sounding music of Sylvain Carel’s “Caravansary”,…
Release data: David Wright – Connected CD/DIGITAL DOWNOAD, AD Music, 2012 UK-composer David Wright is well-known for his accessible electronic music that balances between strong melodic and more spacious oriented outings. “Connected”, his 24th release to date, is another appealing…
Release data: Craig Padilla & Zero Ohms – When the Earth is Far Away CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike, 2012 Three years after their previous collaborative recording “Beyond the Portal”, Craig Padilla & Zero Ohms (aka Richard Roberts) hereby return, adding a…
Release data: Various Artists – Gyalpo CD, Gterma, 2012 “Gyalpo” (“King” in Tibetan mythology) is a 77-minute concept album with deep atmospheric ambient music dedicated to the great protectors of our realm, a tributary to the Four Heavenly Kings, Caturmaharajika.…
Release data: Parallel Worlds & Dave Bessell – Morphogenic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 “Morphogenic” is another example of fine vintage electronics shining energetically and vibrantly, that this time sees Parallel Worlds (aka Greek synthesist Bakis Sirros) team up with analogue…
Release data: Robert Rich – Nest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2012 “Nest”, by Robert described as a revery of landscape and internal spaces, is one of the calmest and subdued releases I know by him. Incorporating lots of environmental and…
Release data: Liquid Mind – X: Meditation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Real Music, 2012 “Meditation” is the twelfth album release by Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, and another fine addition to Liquid Mind’s ongoing series of ultimate stress-relief and relaxation music. This…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Boundless (Harmonics Trilogy Vol. 2) CD, Private Release, 2012 The lush, the powerful and the spacious oncemore re-unite on the ambient/space extravaganza “Boundless”, the second installment in Andrew Forrest´s “Harmonics Trilogy”-trilogy. Again, there are three…
Release data: Northcore – Desatero CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music/OE3, 2012 Northcore is the UK-duo Carl Gibbons and Jana Tillotson, who compose impressionistic, alternative electronics with an organic and chill-out edge. “Desatero” contains ten intriguing tracks (half of them have…
Release data: Seetyca –Seetyca – The Luminous Deep CD, Gterma, 2012 “The Luminous Deep” is my second encounter with the ambient/space music of German composer Seetyca. Three long, uninterrupted pieces make up the 80-minute album, that was conceived as a…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Focus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2011 The 34-minute “Focus” is the second release by US-synthesist Bryan Carrigan, and almost seems an Ep to me. Like its predecessor “Passing Lights”, it contains ten emotive tracks of…
Release data: Sphäre Sechs – Tiefschlaf CD, Malignant Records, 2012 “Tiefschlaf”, containing the music performed live during a sleep concert in Wuppertal, Germany in September 2011, marks the formal debut of Sphäre Sechs, aka German ambient composers Martin Stürtzer’s (also…
Release data: Numina – The Deception of Reality CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2012 From the labels notes on Jesse Sola’s concept release “The Deception of Reality” I learned it’s about introspective escapism while balancing light and dark themes, with the music…
Release data: Paul Ellis – I Am Here CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike, 2012 In the words of the composer, “I Am Here” is a sort of a counterpart to his previous album “From Out Of The Vast Comes Nearness”, released on…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Wisdom of Fate CD, Gterma, 2012 For over two decades, German composer Mathias Grassow is known as one of the strong purveyors of deep and immersive ambient music in the genre. Not only for his…
Release data: Bryan Carrigan – Passing Lights CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Peonies Music, 2011 “Passing Lights” is the debut album by US-synthesist Bryan Carrigan, who’s also a most experienced synth programmer, sound designer, remixer, engineer and producer with extensive experience in records…
Release data: Parsick & Reuter – Lament CD, Gterma, 2012 The music of Parsick & Reuter’s second ambient release “Lament”, that both musicians consider a successor to the 2007 album “Ceasing to Exist”, was recorded between July and September 2010.…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Journey Through the Past CD, Spheric Music, 2012 Since long, Spheric Music owner Lambert Ringlage has had a good ear for fine (especially Berliner School-oriented or inspired) electronic music releases. As the title of this…
Release data: Various Artists – Euphony 2 CD, WWUH, 2009 “Euphony 2” is the second ambient collection published by the US public alternative radiostation WWUH, that this time turned out to be a double-cd. Like the previous sampler, it contains…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Airborne CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo already has a beautiful, extensive list of solo and collaborative releases under his belt, to which “Airborne” makes a great addition. Known for his highly…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Far Away CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, TeamQuasar, 2012 Danish composer Johan Tronestam played earlier in various music groups, but has for a long time concentrated on writing instrumental synth music. Created between 2011 and 2012 on the…
Release data: Alio Die & Yannick Dauby – Descendre cinq lacs au travers d’une voilé CD-EP, Aqua, 1998 This limited edition EP contains one 21-minute abstract/experimental soundscape with psychedelic undercurrents. Overall spiritual and meditative in nature, the sound collage of…
Release data: Project Earth – Tak Ze CD/12INCH, MFS, 1994 “Tak Ze” by Martin Stark and Christopher Hausmann, aka Projekt Earth, contains 36 minutes of overall mellow, spherical and highly textural spacemusic. Nowadays we would call these almost non-rhythmic, slow…
Release data: Nostalgia – Arcana Publicata Vilescunt CD, Relapse Records, 2002 Rich, gothic-like drone tapestries, tribal percussion and symphonic synth textures grace the intoxicating and rather dramatic music of “Arcana Publicata Vilescunt”, the debut release of the German project Nostalgia…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Angel CD, Lunisolar Records, 2012 After a hiatus of nearly two years, Japanese composer brings us his ninth album “Angel”. The recording is a 65-minute soundscape journey spread out over four lengthy tracks that once…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Indulge the Passion CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 “Indulge the Passion” is the second cd by Picture Palace Music on the established Groove Unlimited label containing 75 minutes of post-rock and contemporary electronica. Contrary to…
Release data: Gert Emmens – An Artist’s Stroke CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 For the concept album “An Artist’s Stroke”, inspired by the life and works of the late Russian painter Yuri Pugachov, Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens has composed some vintage…
Release data: John Stanford – TimeScapes (Official Soundtrack) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SouthWest Light Ltd, 2012 Now, 13 years after his debut “Deep Space”, New Zealand based composer (Nigel) John Stanford releases his second album “TimeScapes”. The latter contains the synthesizer soundtrack…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – New Frequencies Vol. 2 CD, News Music, 2012 “New Frequencies Vol. 2” is proof Robert Schroeder has further developed his own musical trademark of contemporary electronic music, merging melody with a whole range of groovy…
Release data: Urenga – After Rain CD, Gterma, 2012 Urenga is the youngest project of Hungarian sound-wizard Andras Kiss, that slowly but surely created its own existence from his other ambient experiments. Besides that and compared to those other projects,…
Release data: Indo – Winter in Zangla (A Tribute To Alexander Csoma De Kőrös) CD, Gterma, 2011 Indo is an older project of Hungarian soundartist extraordinaire Andras Kiss, that has been growing out slowly from his other ambient endeavours. The…
Release data: Nothing but Noise – Not Bleeding Red CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Future Noise Music, 2012 Nothing but Noise is a project of Front 242 founder Daniel Bressanutti assisted by former Front 242 member Dirk Bergen and Erwin Jadot. Don’t be…
Release data: Various Artists – Manikin Records Second Decade 2002-2012 CD, Manikin Records, 2012 This double album celebrates the 20th anniversary and second decade of Berlin-based Manikin label with 2x 70 minutes of brandnew and unreleased electronic music. Of course,…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Animism CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 On “Animism”, Forrest Fang’s ninth solo release to date, a large range of vibrant sounding acoustic instruments and a few synths are at play, melting the music culture of…
Release data: Sync24 – Comfortable Void CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 “Comfortable Void” is the second solo-release by Swedish musician Daniel Segerstad, also one half of the project Carbon Based Lifeforms. Back in 2007, he released his critically acclaimed debut…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Chronos CD, Sonic Atmospheres, 1985 The original soundtrack recording “Chronos”, a predecessor to the Imax-movie “Baraka”, is a classic space music album by Michael Stearns for which he once again used the (Mighty) Serge analogue…
Release data: Loren Nerell – Slow Dream CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 As some may know, the music of Los Angeles-based composer Loren Nerell always had firm roots in the music from Indonesia, especially when it concerns sounds that were…
Release data: Odyssey – Music for Subway (Symphony for Analogues) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Generator.Pl, 2012 The last couple of years have seen a large amount of recordings that are referring to or highly inspired by vintage electronic music and their classics.…
Release data: Solar Ocean – Enter Serenity CD, Gterma, 2011 Solar Ocean is an ambient drone project by a 19-year old Russian musician called Eugene, residing beyond the Urals. The 37-minute mini-album “Enter Serenity” ties emotion, drone textures and a…
Release data: Steve Roach & Dirk Serries – Low Volume Music CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2012 This year, it’s about 10 years ago Steve Roach and vidnaObmana did their last collaborative work. With “Low Volume Music”, Dirk Serries returns to re-energize…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Urbs CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hypnos Recordings, 2012 On “Urbs”, Bruno Sanfilippo introduces the listener in the amazing world of city soundscapes and its vast array of noises. Bruno tried to merge this mysterious alchemy from a…
Release data: Vanderson – Synthetic Breath CD, Generator.Pl, 2012 Already with the first track “A Tribute to Tangerine Dream”, Polish synthesist Maciej Wierzchowski (aka Vanderson) once more shows who has been and will remain the core inspiration for his music…
Release data: Sleepresearch_Facility – Stealth CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cold Spring, 2012 “Stealth”, a project commissioned for Cold Spring-label, is the long overdue project by UK sound sculpture Kevin Doherty, aka SleepResearch_Facility. It’s another deep ambient journey committed to the exploration of…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – Evolution CD, Private Release, 2007 With the studio-album “Evolution”, the German trio Andreas Morsch, Axel Stupplich, Uwe Denzer (aka Pyramid Peak) has composed another fine melodic and Berliner School inspired release. The distinct style of…
Release data: Undara – Traveller CD, Gterma, 2012 Undara (the name is derived from a track by Steve Roach & David Hudson that refers to the lava tubes of Undara, Australia) is a Portugese organic-ambient project founded in 2008 by…
Release data: Geodesium – Music from Space Park 360 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Loch Ness Productions, 2010 With “Music from Spacepark 360”, Mr Geodesium (aka US-synthesist Mark C. Petersen) invites his listeners to a quite different sonic ride than the stuff usually…
Release data: Nattefrost & Matzumi – From Distant Times CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 “From Distant Times” is the first full-length album by Nattefrost (aka Danish synthesist Bjørn Jeppesen) and Matzumi (aka German composer Kathrin Manz), realized between September 2010 and…
Release data: Pjusk – Tele CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Glacial Movements Records, 2012 Pjusk is a deep ambient project by Rune Sagevik and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik, both residing on the Norwegian west coast. The music of “Tele” (which is also Norwegian for…
Release data: Dead Beat Project – R’Evolution CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 “R’Evolution” is a soundtrack to a visionary instrumental opera and musical play to elevate your consciousness. The creator of this surprising and multi-faced electro-acoustic foray is Dead Beat…
Release data: Seren Ffordd & Oöphoi – The Martian Chronicles CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2011 “The Martian Chronicles” is a 74-minute longform album inspired by Ray Bradbury’s short science fiction story by the same name. It is the first collaborative album…
Release data: Parikrama – The Silent Bōn CD, GTerma, 2011 Parikrama can be translated as “the path surrounding a holy place”. It’s a collaborative project by German composers Seetyca (who has been doing experimental music since 1992) and his regular…
Release data: René Splinter – Singularities CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 On his previous albums, Dutchman René Splinter already proved he has a lot of talent to offer. So it came to no surprise, for me at least, that this release…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – TimeWaves CD, Racket Records/daMusic, 1986 “TimesWaves”, Robert’s eight release, is considered a worthy album within the Schroeder discography by many. It leads the German musician in a contemporary instrumental style in which new digital technology…
Release data: Kebu – To Jupiter and Back CD, Private Release, 2012 “To Jupiter and Back” is the debut album by Finnish musician Sebastian “Kebu” Teir. As a matter of fact, it made quite a surprising and succesful entrance at…
Release data: Caul – Let the Stars Assume the Whole of Night CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2012 Kansas City-based composer Caul, aka Brett Smith, is a purveyor of dark, cinematic ambient music. Some may know him from the 2004 collaborative effort…
Release data: Ron Boots & MorPheuSz – From the forgotten rooms of a lonely house CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 “From the forgotten rooms of a lonely house” is a limited edition album of only 400 copies, offered as a free…
Release data: Gandalf – Gallery Of Dreams • plus live! CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, BSC/Prudence, 2012 “Gallery Of Dreams • plus live!” is the anniversary edition of the classic album by Austrian multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl, aka Gandalf, that first came out in…
Release data: Solar Fields – Random Friday CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 AWith “Random Friday”, Mr Solar Fields Magnus Birgersson brings us an energetic album with music that continues where his 2007-release “[Earthshine]” left us. Although it opens atmospheric and…
Release data: Shane Morris & Mystified – Epoch CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2012 From the liner notes on the cd, I learned the four-part “Epoch” is the first installment of a trilogy entitled “Inspired Evolution”. The latter is a…
Release data: Craig Padilla – The Heart of the Soul CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2012 “The Heart of the Soul”, created during a series of major life-changing events, marks the return of American synthesist Craig Padilla into the world of…
Release data: Awenson – Saphonic CD, Dreaming/Musea Records, 2007/2012 “Saphonic” (released in 2007 as a privately released cd-r under the Awen-moniker) is the second album of Awenson, aka French composer Joël Bernard. It now sees a proper re-release as factory-pressed…
Release data: VoLt – Circuits CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 After a long wait of about four years, VoLt (aka Michael Shipway and Steve Smith) finally released its sixth album “Circuits” in April 2012. One might ask what caused the delay,…
Release data: Richard Burmer – On the Third Extreme CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, American Gramaphone, 1988 This album is another example of Richard Burmer’s visual mood music. There are some great pieces “On the Third Extreme”, such as the spine-shivering opener “Magellan”,…
Release data: Richard Burmer – Mosaic CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, American Gramaphone, 1984 “Mosaic” is the debut release by American synth-wizard Richard Burmer, who sadly passed away in September 2006. Considered a sparkling New Age release in his homeland, the almost 48-minute…
Release data: Richard Burmer – Bhakti Point CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Richard Burmer’s second album “Bhakti Point” contains eight compositions offering a fascinating musical journey to imaginary worlds. Next to vibrant and symphonic landscapes, Richard also excels in composing more…
Release data: Bill Vermette – Galaxies IV CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Horizon Music, 2012 “Galaxies IV” is a double album of cosmic and at times sequenced electronics by Chicago-based synthesist Bil Vermette. Bil has been playing electronic music for 30 years or…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Computer Voice CD, DA Music, 1994 The music on Mr Schroeder’s “Computer Voice” is a good example of still fresh sounding contemporary electronic music blending themes of space and earth into a lush and transparent…
Release data: Beehive Plains – Tape CD, Ad Inexplora/Xenophone International, 2012 The Swedish electro-experimental band Beehive Plains is a side project initiated by Twice a Man-member Karl Gasleben, who is joined by Peter Davidson and Olle Niklassen. The musical journey…
Release data: Geodesium – Stella Novus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Loch Ness Productions, 2011 “Stella Novus”, the tenth release by Geodesium (aka Mark C. Petersen), is an album filled with beautifully rendered cosmic music. Following in the footsteps of planetarium show music…
Release data: Raygun Ballet – World That Wasn´t CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Raygun Ballet is the persona of Los Angeles based creative director John-Mark Austin, whose name some may remember from Immersion Theory’s excellent space album release “The Icarus…
Release data: Lamp – The Three Towers CD, Groove Unlimited, 2012 Lamp is a collaboration of Michael Shipway (also known as one half of VoLt) with guitarist/friend Garth Jones. Michael and Garth are actually former work colleagues and after a…
Release data: Alio Die – Deconsecrated and Pure CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2012 “Deconsecrated and Pure” by Alio Die (aka Italian ambient-acoustic composer Stefano Musso) is a work of minimal sonic art where electronic music meets infinite loops, acoustic drones, sounds…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Lithea CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Records, 2012 “Lithea” is the third and final part of the triptych that 36 (aka UK-based ambient/experimental composer Dennis Huddleston) kicked-off with “Hypersona” and “Hollow” previously. The 77-minute album is an…
Release data: John Lyell – Eternity CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Six years after his first solo album “Dimensions”, Minneapolis-based -synthesist John Lyell (also known from two collaborative albums with Brent A. Reiland) brings us his long-awaited second album “Eternity”,…
Release data: Havdis – The Hidden Islands CD, Gterma, 2012 Havdis is an ambient project by Odd Jensen, who resides in the remote coastal area of northern Norway. If I’m not mistaken, “The Hidden Islands” is his second release, put…
Release data: John Stanford – Deep Space CD, White Cloud Records, 1999 “Deep Space” is an ambient-dub album by New-Zealand based composer John (Nigel) Stanford, released on Jon Mark’s small White Cloud-label (part of the Naxos classic brand). It contains…
Release data: Chronos – When Mars Meets Venus CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altar Records, 2012 Chronos is a project by Moscow-based musician Nick Klimenko who used analog gear and hardware synthesizers exclusively for this recording. Nick’s fifth album “When Mars Meets Venus”…
Release data: Cyber Zen Sound Engine – Cooperation CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, N-Light-N Records, 2011 “Cooperation” is the fourth album by Cyber Zen Sound Engine (CZSE), and the first one to feature their new line-up that adds British composer Tom Boon (known…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – D.MO Vol. 3 (Original Unreleased Recordings from the 80´s) CD, Spheric Music, 2011 More archival and shelved recordings are presented on Mr Schroeder’s “D.MO Vol. 3”, revisiting his typical and so much appreciated sonic excursions…
Release data: Steve Roach – Groove Immersion CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2012 The 74-minute “Groove Immersion” comes in four parts and is a mixed bag of “infinite” grooves, minimal percussion and mercurial soundworlds. Although the sounds on this album lend…
Release data: Ian Boddy & Erik Wøllo – Frontiers CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 There are many EM-albums that take the listener on an evocative journey with great sonic vistas passing by as the aural landscapes of sounds unfold. Mr Wøllo…
Release data: Various Artists – Greenosophy CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2012 “Greenosophy” (inspired by two outdoor Greenosophy parties in 2009 and 2010) is a mixed ambient compilation collected Mizoo (aka Swiss dj Cyril Miserez). It takes off gently and smooth,…
Release data: Various Artists – Lost in the Humming Air (Music inspired by Harold Budd) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf, 2012 “Lost In The Humming Air (Music inspired by Harold Budd)” is a thirteen-track compilation containing a collection of exclusive pieces by…
Release data: Steve Roach – Back to Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2011/2012 The double album “Back to Life”, presented in a beautiful designed 6-panel digipak, is a culmination of sonic events adressing a fantastic range of ambient landscapes and forms.…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Red CD, Manikin Records, 2012 The music that makes up the 67-minute BKS-release “Red” is no other than classic Berliner School music, but executed in a rather minimal structure and (in my opinion…
Release data: Berlin Heritage – Land of the Rising Sun CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Berlin Heritage is a newly founded Em project initiated by Hannover-based composer Robert Sigmuntowski. The latter released his debut album “Land of the Rising Sun” at…
Release data: Loom – Scored (live) CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2012 “Scored” contains the fantastic, full-length E-Live 2011 performance by Loom, aka Johannes Schmoelling, Jerome Froese and Robert Waters (aka Robert Wässer). All present then will remember the very professional, versatile…
Release data: Yagya – Rigning CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sending Orbs, 2009 Like the previous two releases, it will be most difficult to track down a physical copy of Yagya’s third album “Rigning” (Icelandic for “raining”), although it’s still digitally available through…
Release data: Void – Avoidance CD, VOID Records, 2011 Some might know the music of Void, aka Dutch musician Danyo Romijn, from his recent contribution to the EM-sampler “Dutch Masters”, although he made his first album back in 1997. The…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light from Andromeda (Deep Skies 4) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Eventide Music, 2012 Still hugely inspired by the mysteries and spectacular of deep space, UK-artist Kevin Kendle brings his listeners “Light from Andromeda”, his fourth installment in…
Release data: Sleepresearch_Facility – Dead Weather Machine / Dead Weather Machine Re:Heat CD, Manifold Records, 2004 “Dead Weather Machine” is the second release by SleepResearch_Facility, aka Scotland-based ambient musician Kevin Doherty. Those familiar with his more recent endavours “Nostromo” and…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Cygnus-A CD, Spheric Music, 2010 To much surprise, Robert Schroeder announced the cd-release of this album in 2010, that appears to be a well-done re-recording of the classic album “Galaxie Cygnus-A” from 1982. The biggest…
Release data: Ron Boots – Ante Oculos CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 The album “Ante Oculos” (“For Eyes”) was released on the occasion of the Bochum planetarium concert by Ron Boots and friends in December 2011. The six tracks offers a…
Release data: Dan Pound – Cocoon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, PoundSounds, 2011 The 65-minutes of tranquil music that make-up “Cocoon”, that depicts a sequence of events and transmutations of the life stages of a cocoon and chrysalis into a butterfly, once more…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Antimatter CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2012 It was great to see Berliner-based composer Bernd Kistenmacher re-emerge in the electronic music scene a couple of years back with “Celestial Movements”, followed by “Beyond the Deep”. With…
Release data: Yagya – Will I Dream During The Process? CD, Sending Orbs, 2006 If you’re looking for timeless quality-ambient music with that typical Northern touch, Yagya’s second album “Will I Dream During The Process?” for sure will be a…
Release data: Komendarek & Rudź – Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep CD, Generator.pl, 2011 The first impression of the music on “Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep” is one that connects progressive electronics with the TD sound of the ‘80’s, but…
Release data: [‘ram] Return CD, Doombient Music, 2011 For every project, Stephen Parsick has always found it a real challenge what means to use to create music and/or a specific outcome he envisioned, also when it came to the use…
Release data: David Wright – In Search of Silence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 For “In Search of Silence”, David Wright put everything he’d accumulated over 25 years into practice, both musically and technically, plus more of an awareness of…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Symphonic Arts CD, BSC/Prudence, 2012 For long, German composer Rüdiger Gleisberg had the wish to once make a production with a full orchestra or with a few orchestral members. With “Symphonic Arts”, that dream has…
Release data: Robert Jíša – Pět Tibeťanů (Five Tibetans) CD, LK/Nextera, 2006/2011 In 2006, Tjech-based composer Robert Jíša was asked to compose a simple, rather monotone album for relaxing and meditative purposes, that later appeared to sell over a 100.00…
Release data: Various Artists – Euphony 1 CD, WWUH 91.3 FM, 2008 “Euphony 1” is an electronic ambient release compiled by Susan Mullis of the US-based radio station WWUH, a public radio station broadcasting alternative programming from the University of…
Release data: MorPheuSz – Garden Gnomes & Goblins CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 For July 2011, Ron Boots was requested to play a concert at a garden party in Germany, but during its preparations his musical friends Eric van der Heijden,…
Release data: Synth.nl – Apollo CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 After a beautiful and well-rendered sonic journey into the sea, Synth.Nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen) takes his listeners into the fascinating aura and wonders of space with his fourth album “Apollo”,…
Release data: Wave World – Hieroglyphs CD, Virtual Factory Records, 2011 After a five-year period of silence, the Dutch multimedia project Wave World resurfaced in the fall of 2011 with two new albums, “Hieroglyphs” being one the them. The cd…
Release data: Wave World – Tableaux CD, VFR Records, 2011 At the same time as their album “Hieroglyphs” came out, the Dutch trio Wave World also released “Tableaux”. The latter contains 15 single tracks composed exclusively for the art exhibition…
Release data: Vanderson – Visions CD, Generator.pl, 2011 If I’m not mistaken, “Visions” is the very first factory-pressed cd by Polish composer Vanderson, aka Maciej Wierzchowski. This cosmic album pairs the classic sound of Germany’s vintage EM-years with nowadays modern…
Release data: Solar Fields – Until we meet the Sky CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2011 Almost on the brink of 2012, Ultimae Records released Solar Fields 10th album “Until we meet the sky”, a title that suggests quite a spacious…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – The Farthest Fringes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Out of the blue, Texas-based electronic musician and computer graphics artist Hollan Holmes surprised the electronic space music community in 2010 with his debut “A Distant Light”.…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – The Sculpture Garden CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 I won’t spend many words on this concept album, inspired by the Sculpture Garden of the Dutch Kröller-Müller Museum, as the experienced duo Emmens/Heij…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Live Long and Prosper CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Bluebox, 2011 After an absence of five years, German/Iran ambient composer Amir Baghiri fortunately re-enters the electronic space music scene with “Live Long and Proper”. The 76-minute release, dedicated…
Release data: Geodesium – Arcturian Archives CD, Loch Ness Productions, 2011 Mark C. Petersen, aka Deodesium, belongs to the select group of musicians such as Kevin Braheny and Jonn Serrie who composed custom-made planetarium music in the early ’80’s. “Arcturian…
Release data: MoonSatellite – Missing Time CD, Dreaming/Musea Records, 2011 As far as I know, this is the first factory-pressed album by French composer Marc Perbal, aka Moonsatellite, beyond a series of privately-released, home-brewed cd-r’s. The music on the 65-minute…
Release data: F.D. Project – Water and Earth CD, Private Release, 2011 Since several years, German composer Frank Dorittke (aka F.D. Project) is quite succesfull in his efforts to fuse melodic contemporary styles and vintage electronics with some poignant and…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Resonance (Harmonics Trilogy Vol. 1) CD, Private Release, 2011 Despite the hard times to survive by putting out hard copy releases nowadays, independent electronic sound painter Andrew Forrest once more has found the faith and…
Release data: Stormloop – Snowbound* CD, Glacial Movements, 2011 “Stormloop” is an ambient project by one Kev Spence who hails from Leeds, England. “Snowbound*” (which found a home on Alessandro Tedeschi’s Italian label Glacial Movements) is a winter ambient release…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Dream in Blue CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, LotusPike, 2011 The music for “Dream in Blue” by Michael Allison (aka Darshan Ambient) was highly inspired by the music of jazz giants Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In addition,…
Release data: Eric van der Heijden – Dal Segno CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 Eric van der Heijden is one of the purveyors of passionate and quality electronic music from our lower lands. On “Dal Segno”, his fourth release, Eric continues…
Release data: Jamie O’Callaghan – The Quiet Poet CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Happy Willow Productions, 2011 Eindhoven-based performer, teacher and composer Jamie O’Callaghan was born in the United Kingdom, but states he has his roots in both Wales and Ireland. A fascinating…
Release data: Yagya – Rhythm of Snow CD, Force Inc. Music Works, 2002 The creative mind behind Yagya is Islandic producer Aalsteinn Gumundsson. His debut release “Rhythm of Snow” is a 78-minute deep house/ambient kaleidoscope. It reflects the ice cold…
Release data: Triple S – Poles CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Pleasure Sound Music, 2011 Triple S is a new German electronic music project bringing three established musicians together: Max Schiefele (aka Maxxess), Erik Seifert and Cologne-based Joseph Steinbuechel. With Erik Seifert at…
Release data: Janne Hanhisuanto – Circles in 3D CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Auraltone Music, 2011 The creative mind behind “Circles in 3d” is Finnish musician Janne Hanhisuanto. From the press-sheet I learned “Circles in 3d” was inspired by the beauty of circles.…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo & Max Corbacho – Bioma CD, ad21 music, 2011 Bruno Sanfilippo’s and Max Corbacho’s second collaborative album “Bioma”, the name for a large community of plants and animals that occupy a distinct region, is another fine…
Release data: Van Zyl & Gulch – Regeneration Mode CD, Synkronos Music, 1994 “Regeneration Mode” is an album by the duo Chuck van Zyl and Peter D. Gulch (both known from the project The Nightcrawlers) filled with vintage, but most…
Release data: Ron Boots – La Caída de Hormigón CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 As some may know, Dutch musician Ron Boots has a great passion for history next to composing electronic music. It’s something he previously adressed on “Acoustic Shadows”,…
Release data: Various Artists – Ambrosia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2011 “Ambrosia” is a compilation album by the Lyon-based Ultimae label, selected and compiled by Fishimself (aka Haris Papadimitriou), deejay and the driving force behind IT records and Freeze Magazine.…
Release data: Remy – The Great Church Trilogy CD, Deserted Island Music, 2011 This 75-minute album, the second factory-pressed release on Deserted Island Records, comprises music performed during three different concerts by Remy (aka remy Stroomer) in 2007, 2008 and…
Release data: Pyramid Peak – 5Vor12 CD, Private Release, 2011 Pyramid Peak’s album “5vor12” (named after the bands habit to finish a project or concert preparation just in time) was released on November 22, 2011 when the band played their…
Release data: Chad Hoefler – Quiet Glow CD, LotusPike, 2005 “Quiet Glow” is Chad Hoefler’s second album and again a concept release, this time dealing with “simplicity” and “light”. In addition, it’s classified by the label as “intelligent electronic music”…
Release data: Robert Rich – Medicine Box CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2011 Referred to as “a sonic tincture of shamanic energy, at once ecstatic and shadowy, fragile and surreal, fluid and psychedelic”, to me the ancient meets the modern while…
Release data: Chad Hoefler – Twilight in the Offing CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2004 “Twilight in the Offing” (mastered by Robert Rich) is the debut album of US-synthesist Chad Hoeffler. According to the composer, it’s a concept album on inevitability, the…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – Time and Tide CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2011 All those who were present at the unique live Loom concert on E-Live 2011 will remember the great and enthusiastic musicianship displayed by Johannes Schmoelling during this performance.…
Release data: Paul Vnuk Jr. – Silence Speaks in Shadow CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2001 Paul Vnuk Jr’s is known as one half of the ambient project Ma Ja Le, who hereby presents his first solo release of long-form and so-called…
Release data: Justin Vanderberg – Synthetic Memories CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2011 To me, Justin Vanderberg is a new ambient musician, but the press sheet learned he already released an album back in 2007 called “In Waking Moments”. “Synthetic Memories”,…
Release data: Sam Rosenthal – The Passage CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt, 2011 “The Passage” is a foray into the realms of pure textural ambient from Black Tape For A Blue Girl founder/songwriter Sam Rosenthal, also known as owner of the Projekt…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Metropolis Poetry CD, Eastgate, 2010 “Metropolis Poetry” is another cinematic concept album by Thorsten Quaeschning, inspired by Frits Lang’s classic non-verbal movie “Metropolis”, realized in 2005, 2008 and 2011. Once more, their electronic-post-rock stays…
Release data: Awenson – Wizard CD, Dreaming/Musea Records, 2010 Awenson is the new artist name of French musician Joël Bernard, previously known as Awen. I don’t have a clue why he switched to this new moniker, but the lovely crafted…
Release data: Mazmoneth – Music by Mirrors CD, DiN, 2011 Mazmoneth is a new name in both the DiN catalogue and in the Em-genre. It’s a project in search of new sonic horizons without borders initiated by Nigel Mullaney and…
Release data: Loom – 100 001 CD EP, Moonpop, 2011 “100 001” is a 4-track/19-minute Ep by Loom, a music project created by Jerome Froese, Johannes Schmoelling and Robert Waters, specially produced for LOOM’s first live show on October 15th,…
Release data: Keller & Schönwälder – Long Distances CD, Manikin Records, 2011 “Long Distances” is another typical Berliner-School inspired release from the German duo Keller & Schönwälder, for the biggest part made up of shelved recordings from a few years…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – The Endless Season CD, Eastgate, 2010 “The Endless Season” is the fifth (and final) part of the Five Atomic Seasons album series. Quite some of the overall mellow music on the album remembers me of…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Transitions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 According to Patrick O’Hearn, the music of “Transitions” intentionally hails back to the sounds of his first Private Music albums, sticking to the formulae of simple melody, harmony and…
Release data: Polaris & Krzysztof Horn – Collision CD, Ricochet Dream, 2011 “Collision” contains 52-minutes of improvised live music played by Jakub Kmieć (aka Polaris) and Krzysztof Horn at The Richochet Gatherings event 2011, that took place in Berlin. Spherical…
Release data: Steve Smith & The Tylas Cyndrome – Phoenix Arising CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 In the electronic music community, synthesist Steve Smith is best known as one half of the UK band VoLt. “Phoenix Arising” is actually a project…
Release data: Geigertek – Soundtrack for City Living CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 “Soundtrack for City Living” is Geigertek’s sonic sketch of the varied feelings and moods encountered in the vibrant nightlife of an imaginary city. The opening piece “Beyond…
Release data: Al Gromer Khan – Music from an Eastern Rosegarden CD, Aquamarin Verlag, 1989 “Music from an Eastern Rosegarden” by Al Gromer Kahn is a highly spiritual piece of sonic art that will appeal to ambient music fans who…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Twentythree CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 For this album, the duo Segerstad/Hedberg have chosen to turn the wheel and head into a different music direction, away from the down-tempo stuff of their previous releases. The…
Release data: Transceive – Transformation 88:98 CD, Alles Klar Productions, 2006 The music by Transceive, aka Steve Nelson, is typical English melodic power-EM, so expect lots of pumping sequencing and fierce, rattling rhythms. “Transformation 88:98” is what Steve calls a…
Release data: David Wright – The Spirit of Light (Best of Volume 2) CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 The 79-minute “The Spirit of Light” marks the second volume in the “Best of David Wright” series, featuring another selection of smooth-melodic,…
Release data: Numina – Subterranean Landscapes CD, Numina Music, 2011 Jesse Sola’s “Subterranean Landscapes” (inspired by the alien landscapes of the American desert Southwest) is a project of dark-oriented and longform ambient dronescapes, presented in seven imaginative tracks. While ambient…
Release data: Nebulæ – The Path of White Clouds CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003/2011 “The Path of White Clouds” is the second release of Nebulae, an Italian/German ambient project lead by Oöphoi, aka Gianluigi Gasparetti. The version reviewed here is a…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – Afterglow CD, Private Release, 2011 “Afterglow” (also the featured album on the Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound website during July 2011) is the seventh album by UK musician Bob Holroyd, musically turning away from…
Release data: Steve Roach – Quiet Music (The Original 3-Hour Collection) CD, Projekt, 2011 It’s finally here: the entire release of “Quiet Music”, Roach’s classic ambient release of the mid ’80’s, presented as a triple cd-set. For a description of…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Esthétique CD, Spheric Music, 2011 Since Robert Schroeder showed up again several years ago after a long period of silence, he kept up a steady schedule of new releases as if he started a second…
Release data: Temps Perdu? – Athanor CD, Timebase, 1992/1993 Temps Perdu is an ambient/industrial project by the Dusseldorf-based French/German duo Dirk and Catherine Ledit-Grützmann. Their debut and privately released album “Athanor” is strongly influenced by modern life at the start…
Release data: Radio Massacre International – Time & Motion CD, Cuneiform Records, 2010 Many Em-fans will haved loved the first batch of albums by the UK-trio Radio Massacre International along several of their privately brewed and released cd-r’s. On those…
Release data: Robert Scott Thompson – The Silent Shore CD, Oasis/Mirage, 1996 “The Silent Shore” is an album of US-composer Robert Scott Thompson, who is associate professor at Georgia State University, School of Music. His electro-acoustic music, split in three…
Release data: You – Laserscape LP/CD, Cue Records, 1986 “Laserscape” is the fourth and last album by You, aka the German duo Albin Meskes and Udo Hanten, from the ‘80’s period. Initially released on vinyl in 1986, only few copies…
Release data: Michael Shipway – Voyage to Venus CD, MSL Music, 2011 Most fans of electronic music will probably know Michael Shipway as one half of the successful UK project VoLt. Since their last album “HJVI” they both have spend…
Release data: Steve Brand – Avatara CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2011 If you’re looking for a contemplative ambient release with a minimal framework, Steve Brand’s “Avatara” (inspired by the various avatars of various ages and cultures) could be an appropriate choice.…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Ground Connection CD, Bajkal Records, 2011 For me, expect the weird and unexpected has always been the case when I encountered a recording of the Norwegian quartet Wintherstormer, led by Terje Winther and Erik Stormer. The…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Silent Currents (Live at Star’s End) CD, Projekt Records, 2011 Those who have seen Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo perform live know that he is able to create impressive and highly cinematic spheres with a symphonic/prog-rock…
Release data: Bernard Weadling – Out of Time CD, Private Release, 2009 French artist Bernard Weadling started playing electronic music at the age of 14, using a Korg MS 10 as his first synthesizer. When he was 16 years old,…
Release data: Robert Fox – Short Stories CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2011 The music captured on “Short Stories” proves Mr Fox is further continuing the sonic path taken on his album “Evergreen”. The outcome again is a tad lighter and…
Release data: A Produce & Loren Nerell – Intangible CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2011 “Intangible” is the outcome of a collaboration between Barry Craig (aka A Produce) and Loren Nerell, both known as skilled ambient composers for many years. Composed between…
Release data: Paul Ellis – From Out Of The Vast Comes Nearness CD, LotusPike, 2011 About two years after his last hard-copy release “Last Hiding Place of Beauty”, synthesist Paul Ellis brings us the 74-minute “From Out Of The Vast…
Release data: Numina – Dawn of Obscurity CD, Numina Music, 2011 After being absent for a while in the electronic music scene due to personal circumstances, Colorado-based musician Jesse Sola (aka Numina) fortunately brings us not one but two brand…
Release data: Robert Fox – Asfafa -a journey- CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, FXMusic, 1991 Many consider “Asfafa” as the debut album of UK-composer Robert Fox (a drama teacher in daily life), but it was actually preceded by no less than two albums…
Release data: Tuu – Mesh CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1997 For “Mesh”, the UK-band TUU consisted of Martin Franklin, Mykl O’Dempsey and Nick Parkin along two guest stars. The band were able to get their album released in the flow…
Release data: John Flomer – Night in the Vapor Jungle CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1999 “Night in the Vapor Jungle” is the second release of visionary artist and sound designer John Flomer, that again is marketed as an album filled…
Release data: Grindlestone – Tone CD, Noh Poetry Records, 2011 Grindlestone, founded in 1999, is an ambient/experimental project that brings together US-musicians Don Falcone and Douglas Erickson. Their release “Tone”, mastered by Robert Rich, offers nine minimal-oriented sonic creations with…
Release data: Optical Image – Treasure Point CD, Bargain Productions, 1993 Optical Image is a project by Dutch composer Tom Habes, who developed quite an original, cinematic and overall fresh sounding style of electronic music. Tom refers to the music…
Release data: Arnold Mitchem – Desert Dreams CD, ADM Music/Earthsong, 1998 The instrumental music on the album “Desert Dreams” by guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Arnold Mitchem is inspired by the national treasures and overall beauty of the American desert Southwest. At…
Release data: Tim Story – Shadowplay CD, Hearts of Space Records, 2001 Ambient musician Tim Story doesn’t need a lot of introduction, being an accomplished contemporary instrumental composer of ambient chamber music for many years. While bridging old and modern…
Release data: Santé – Into Light CD, Santé Music, 2000 Stephanie Santé belongs to the very small league of female musicians in the genre of electronic music. With her debut “Into Light” she offers an emotive and accessible album, nicely…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Baktun CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1993 “Baktun” by German synthesist Rüdiger Gleisberg musically follows a classical approach. Here, Gleisberg displays a nice range of dynamic, overall creative sonic creations that mix classic strings and orchestrations with…
Release data: Emmanuel Tuts-Schiemsky – Rust voor de Stilte CD, Arya, 1996 Belgian musician Emmanuel Tuts-Schiemsky was part of the range of ambient musicians who were offered the possibility to release their music on the Italian Amplexus-sublabel Arya. “Rust voor…
Release data: Enterphase – Phase One CD, AD Music, 1994 On “Phase One”, Enterphase is an electronic space project made up by the American duo Fred Becker and Jeff Filbert. The duo came with the group of import electronic music…
Release data: Nebulous – Synthetica III CD, Private Release, 2000 “Synthetica III” is -according to the musicians site- the official (and final) cd release of Synthetica material, created by the Canadian musician Jared (Nebulous) Brookes. For years, the latter designed…
Release data: Dweller at the Threshold – No Boundary Condition CD, Eurock, 1996 Dweller at theThreshold is a retro-project founded by Paul Ellis and Dave Fulton, helped out by Jeff Vasey. The project’s music, firmly rooted in the classic Berliner…
Release data: Harold Budd – The Serpent (In Quicksilver) / Abandoned Cities CD, Opal, 1991 This cd-release comprises two albums made in 1981 (“The Serpent”) and 1984 (“Abandoned Cities”) respectively. “The Serpent” is actually a 20-minute Ep containing six short…
Release data: Anandra Nidra – Blissful Sleep CD, Projekt, 2011 “Blissfull Sleep” –subtitle: two sensual meditations for awakening ecstacy- is the first meditation cd on the US-Projekt label. Inspired by a traditional Tantric practice known as Yoga Nidra, the double-cd…
Release data: Tom Habes – Sudden Exposure CD, Optical Image Records, 1995 Tom Habes is a Dutch composer who started making music in the middle of the ‘80’s. Many may know him as as the guy behind the Optical Image…
Release data: Paul Sauvanet – Time Dreaming CD, Les Volies Dór/Oreus, 1991 Recorded at the Centre International de Recherche Musicale in Nice, “Time Dreaming” (officially entitled “Le Songe Du Temps”), offers two lengthy tracks and one short piece of reflective…
Release data: Harmonics of Frequency Modulation – Vibe’s CD, Katharsis, 1997 The musician behind Harmonics of Frequency Modulation is the Island-based musician Marteinn Bjarnar Thordarson. He writes the music of “Vibe’s”, which is dedicated to the human spirit, should not…
Release data: Robert Jíša – The Egyptian Book Of The Dead CD, NextEra, 2011 The concept-album “The Egyptian Book of the Dead” is based on the fascinating collection of ancient documents contained in the famous book of the same name.…
Release data: Jerome Froese –Nightshade Family (live) CD, Moonpop, 2011 “Nightshade Family” is a release put out by the Moonpop label after a long period of popular demand for a live document, here presented as a complete live set with…
Release data: Jeff Pearce –The Hidden Rift CD, Ancient Sun Music, 1996 When you talk about quiet, atmospheric ambient music, the name of Indiana-based space-guitarist Jeff Pearce most certainly should be mentioned. Having previously collaborated with the Vidna Obmana on…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – Tenderness and Fatality CD, Windchime Music, 1993 “Tenderness and Fatality” is the self-released debut album of Indiana-based composer Jeff Pearce, who later on would get known for his highly atmospheric ambient music. While using no…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Cadenced Haven – Life in Cosmic Highway CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 It was just a question of time before Gert Emmens & Cadenced Haven (aka Laila Quraishi) would join forces on a full-length album. Besides…
Release data: Sverre Knut Johansen – Distant Shore CD, Origo Sound, 1994 As far as I know, “Distant Shore” is the debut album by the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Sverre Knut Johansen, who proves he’s also one hell of a composer in…
Release data: [‘ramp] Steel and Steam CD, Doombient Music, 2011 Again based on and inspired by collaborations with other musicians, “Steel and Steam” sees Stephen Parsick expertly pursue the quest of [‘ramp] through the vast landscapes of energetic vintage electronics,…
Release data: Ken Elkinson – Music for Commuting Volumes 1 – 6 CD, August Son Productions, 2011 Now here’s a peculiar release of a Los Angeles-based musician who decided to try his efforts in the ambient music genre after he…
Release data: Frederick Rousseau – Abyss CD, Origins, 1997 After two concept albums about woods, the French composer Frédérick Frederick Rousseau now turns to the mysteries and isolation of the ocean deeps. Regarding the content of “Abyss”, Rousseau refers to…
Release data: Astropilot – Solar Walk CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altar Records, 2010 AstroPilot is the artist name of the Russian composer Dmitry V. Red’ko. Over the last few years, his music mainly appeared as single tracks on various down-tempo/chill-out compilations, most…
Release data: Various Artists – Fahrenheit Project Part Seven CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 The French Ultimae-label brings the Fahrenheit Project Collection to an end with the 76-minute “Fahrenheit Project part seven”, offering a last bunch of fresh, contemporary and progressive…
Release data: Redshift – Colder CD, Distant Sun Production, 2011 “Colder” comprises six energetic and exciting tracks of all-new music by Redshift (Mark and Julian Shreeve assisted by the trusted Ian Boddy) which the trio confidently executed live at the…
Release data: Bas B. Broekhuis – The Escher Drawings CD, Synteam/Groove Unlimited, 1991/2004 Bas Broekhuis belongs to the Eindhovense School of electronic musicians such as Ron Boots, Eric van der Heijden, Niko Olofsen and Ad van Gerven. Together with Ron…
Release data: David Parsons – Dorje Ling CD, Fortuna records, 1992 The sonic fabric on Mr Parsons “Dorje Ling” continues very nicely in the realm of mystic Tibet and the Indian culture. The release was inspired by David Parsons subsequent…
Release data: Tim Blake – Blake’s New Jerusalem CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Egg/Mantra Records, 1978/1992 Synthesist Tim Blake (of Hawkwind, Crystal Machine and Gong fame) is one of those “dinosaurs” responsible for some classic electronic music made at the end of the…
Release data: Brain Laughter – In the Land of Power CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1989 The focus of the Brain Laughter-project, started by label owner Howard Givens, was to create a “grand collaboration” of artists from the Spotted Peccary label…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Rivers Gonna Rise CD, Private Music, 1988 On his third album “Rivers gonna rise”, Mr O’Hearn implements a good portion of frettless bass to his fine alchemy of electronic sounds. The sound of the ten…
Release data: David Parsons – Yatra CD, Fortuna records, 1990 The double album “Yatra” is due to Mr Parsons’ ongoing passion for India and his personal interest in the physics of sound creation, which he was able to transform into…
Release data: David Parsons – Tibetan Plateau + Sounds of the Mothership CD, Fortuna records, 1980/1982 This 74-minute cd release from 1991 comprises the music from the cassette releases “Tibetan Plateau” and “Sounds of the Mothership” (only the 27-minute track…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Indigo CD, Private Music, 1991 After Patrick O’Hearn turned up a different musical alley on his previous album “Eldorado”, his fifth album “Indigo” wanders into darker and mysterious flavoured but most fascinating spaces. At times,…
Release data: David Parsons – Himalaya CD, Fortuna records, 1989 The ethno-electronic music on “Himalaya” reflects the beauty and impact of Indian and Tibetan culture music. As the previous albums, it was inspired by David’s ongoing contact and extensive stays…
Release data: Various Artists – Electronic Music For Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2011 Due to the devastating earthquake, followed by a tsumani and a nuclear disaster that hit Japan in March 2011, the seed was planted to produce a…
Release data: Kevin Braheny – The Way Home CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1978/1984 “The Way Home” was one of the first releases on the Hearts of Space records. The first draft of this classic space album (originally called “Perelandra”,…
Release data: Mychael Danna – Sirens CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1991 The debut album “Sirens”, initially only released as cassette, offers a 46-minute collection of minimal orchestral/symphonic electronics by Canadian Mychael Danna, who later on established himself as a…
Release data: Neuronium – Chromium Echoes CD, Tuxedo Music/Private release, 1982 For me, “Chromium Echoes” is a classic album of Spanish synthesist Michel Huygen, aka Neuronium, who got some great assistance of Carlos Guirao. The sound of this album is…
Release data: Steve Roach – Journey of One (The Tribal Ambient Era, Live 1996) CD, Projekt, 2011 As many Steve Roach fans will know, the start of the 1990’s marked an uprise of profound tribal-ambient electronic music, a genre Steve…
Release data: Danna & Clément – The Best of Danna & Clément CD-R, Earthaven/Mirage, 2005 This is a 70-minute compilation album by the Canadian duo Danna & Clément who made several ambient releases together which all have been unavailable for…
Release data: Tim Story – Beguiled CD, Hearts of Space, 1991 Those who love melancholic instrumental and somewhat eccentric music are at the right spot with the contemporary ambient music of Tim Story. On “Beguiled”, Martha Reikow joins Mr Story…
Release data: The Black Dog – Radio Scarecrow CD, Soma Recordings Limited, 2008 The Black Dog is a techno-ambient project from the UK consisting of Ken Downie and the brothers Martin and Richard Dust. The output of “Radio Scarecrow”, mixed…
Release data: Mychael Danna – Skys CD, Hearts of Space, 1992 “Skys” is a concept album by Mychael Danna, inspired by the big cold Canadian skyscapes through the year. The rich electro-acoustic music, by Mr Danna describes as orchestral romantic-minimalism,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Live at SoundQuest Fest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Timeroom Editions, 2011 This album documents the first 74 minutes of the concert Steve Roach and friends performed at the first SoundQuest music festival held on October 23, 2010.…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – The Zoo of Tranquillity CD, Viktoriapark Records, 1988/2010 Until today, I always had quite some trouble enjoying Johannes second album “The Zoom of Tranquility”. The version reviewed here is the original 1988-tapes remastered of the…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Cerulean Legacy CD, Generator.pl, 2011 After finishing his previous trilogy, Polish synthesist Przemysław Rudź brings us a new concept album of progressive electronics, in which the technology theme remains a core element. At first the…
Release data: Rasalhague – Rage inside the Window CD, Malignant Records, 2011 The musician behind the dark/experimental ambient project Rasalhague is one Kerry Braud, hailing from Indiana. The concept album “Rage inside the Window” (inspired by a true criminal event…
Release data: Barbelo & Jorge Reyes – Ethnoaural CD, Barbelo Music, 2008 Barbelo is the Mexican, Monterrrey-based duo Rodolfo Garza (aka Arkha Nous) and Daniel Trevino (aka Xak) who have joined forces with Jorge Reyes (who sadly passed away in…
Release data: Marsen Jules – Nostalgia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Oktaf, 2011 Marsen Jules is a project by the German musician Martin Juhls, who is composing music since 2005. Presented as the “long awaited continuation of his classic “Herbstlaub”, the overall flavour…
Release data: Ishq – Skyspaces CD, Virtual Light, 2011 “Skyspaces” is the first album on Virtual Light, a new series adapted by Ishq (aka Matt Hillier), of which all releases will have an emphasis on space, light and minimalism rather…
Release data: Ian Boddy & Parallel Worlds – Exit Strategy CD, DiN, 2011 The Ian Boddy and Bakis Sirros album “Exit Strategy” (the 37th physical DiN-release, limited to 600 copies) is a profound energetic and analogue affair with a strong…
Release data: Steve Roach & Erik Wøllo – The Road Eternal CD, Projekt, 2011 “The Road Eternal” is the second collaborative album by Steve Roach and Erik Wøllo, following up their 2009-release “Stream of Thought”. The framework and fundament of…
Release data: Noryani – Northeast 117 CD, Generator.pl, 2011 (Adrian) Noryani is a new name introduced by the Polish Generator-label that again proves to have a good eye for fine, and above all fresh sounding contemporary electronic music. Noryani’s debut…
Release data: Kubusschnitt – Entropy’s Evolution CD, Private Release, 2010 After a long hiatus of about eight years or so, Ruud Heij and Tom Coppens have decided to revive the Kubusschnitt-project oncemore. For “Entropy’s Evolution” they invited synthesist Gert Emmens…
Release data: The Black Dog – Music for Real Airports CD, Soma Recordings Limited, 2010 The title of this release immediately makes you think of the fine “Ambient #1” album Brian Eno once made. This is something really different though,…
Release data: Kerry Leimer – Degraded Certainties CD, Palace of Lights, 2010 “Degraded Certainties”, Kerry Leimer’s ninth album, uses reprocessing as the core technique in determining the music’s timbre and form. Mr Leimer continues his ongoing efforts to experiment in…
Release data: Gert Emmens – Metamorphosis CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 Marking his tenth release on the established Dutch Groove Unlimited label, Gert Emmens decided to stick to the use of old vintage gear without MIDI for the 73-minute “Metamorphosis”. For…
Release data: Remy – I-dentity CD, Deserted Island Music, 2011 I personally find it interesting Remy Stroomer has chosen the titel “I-dentity” for his latest release, as I always found that this musician created his own realm of identity and…
Release data: Eric G – Conclusion CD, Elmuced Records, 2001 Many musicians have been influenced by the classic electronic music of the Berlin school. The music contained on Eric G’s “Conclusion” features compositions made between 1978 and 1999, and shows…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Arctisonia CD, Air Space Records, 2011 Mr Koepper describes the outcome of his sixth privately released album “Arctisonia” as “loaded with analog synthesizer music- textural-sequencer driven-atmospheric”, which according to the album sleeve is inspired by…
Release data: Free System Projekt & Gert Emmens – Legacy CD, Private Release, 2011 The factory-pressed cd “Legacy” comprises three concert recordings made at two different locations. The almost 50-minute “Heritage”, recorded at The Ricochet Gathering in October 2010, kicks…
Release data: Chuck Van Zyl – MemorySpace CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Synkronos Music, 2010 With “MemorySpace”, American musician and radio host Chuck van Zyl delivers an intimate and reflective work of electronic ambient music, firmly rooted in the analogue domain. Not only…
Release data: Elektronische Maschine – Kampf CD, IntraPop, 2010 After seven years of work, the Dutch band Elektronische Maschine (by many associated with Kraftwerk) managed to put out their fifth album “Kampf “ (mastered by Eroc) at the end of…
Release data: Various Artists – Dutch Masters CD, Groove Unlimited, 2011 Now here’s a very nice art concept album initiated by Synth.nl (aka Michel van Osenbruggen), aptly called “Dutch Masters”, meant to further promote the Dutch synthesizer music scene. Ten…
Release data: Anthony Paul Kerby & Tomass Weiss – Distant Shadows CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DataObscura/Construct, 2011 Canadian composer Anthony Paul Kerby (APK) has produces many ambient recordings under the names Lammergeyer, Nunc Stans, and The Circular Ruins. Sonic architect Tomas Weiss…
Release data: Resonant Drift – Passages CD, Flow Space Music, 2011 Bill Olien and Gary Johnson, aka Resonant Drift, nicely follow up to their previous album “The Call”, bringing more inspiring desert soundscape music to us. “Passages” features sophisticated ambient…
Release data: Time Being – A Dimension Reflected CD, LotusPike, 2011 Ambient composers Jourdan Laik and Philip Wilkerson have joined forces using the musical moniker Time Being. With “A Dimension Reflected” they deliver their first tour-de-force release of ethereal and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion Five: Circadian Rhythms CD, Timeroom Editions, 2011 Meant to explore a new direction for the immersion experience, “Immersion Five – Circadian Rhythms” nicely continues the series with two long form tracks of 73 minutes…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Forrest Fang’s Sans Serif: Unbound CD, Projekt, 2011 “Unbound” is the second release of Sans Serif, aka Forrest Fang, of which the ambient music was assembled from an assortment of lost and found microscopic sounds…
Release data: Brian Vassallo – Memoirs of a Lifetime CD, Private Release, 2010 December 31, 2010 saw the release of “Memoirs of a Lifetime” by Maltese composer, sound designer and producer Brian Vassallo. It offers the listener a sonic companion…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Subliminal Pulse CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2011 “Sometimes, the poetic language of music reveals what cannot be seen. It shows a reality that has nothing to do with words. With my electronic instruments I take…
Release data: Ron Berry – Osiris CD, Ron Berry Music, 1985/2002 I’m not familiar with the English musician Ron Berry, one of the many on the Brittish Isles who established their own style and musicianship from the mid ’80’s on.…
Release data: Meg Bowles – A Quiet Light CD, Kumatone Records, 2011 I had the idea classically-trained female synthesist fell of the radar about a decade or so ago, after she had composed some very nice cosmic albums. So what…
Release data: Futureworld Orchestra – Regenerated CD, Goose Pimples Music, 2009 The duo Robert Pot en Gerto Heupink originally making up Futureworld Orchestra had quite some success in the first half of the ’80’s with their vocal and instrumental pop…
Release data: Richard Bone – Sudden Departure CD, Quirkwork Laboratory Discs, 2008 “Sudden Departure”, the 24th release on Richard Bone’s own Quirkworks Laboratories label, is another offering of emotive and calming ambient tracks. In their own way, each track seems…
Release data: Biff Johnson – Reading The Bones CD, Broad Vista Music, 1997 A quick look at red rocks on the cover of this cd would make you think this might be another release of vidnaObmana. “Reading the Bones” is…
Release data: Biff Johnson – Mirage at the Crossroads CD, Broad Vista Music, 1999 On his second album “Mirage at the Crossroads”, Sacramento-based composer Biff Johnson has decided to follow a bit of a new musical direction for his ambient…
Release data: Vir Unis – Aeonian Glow CD, Greenhouse Music, 2000 “Aeonian Glow” is a second chapter of introspective and inner body music by John Strate-Hootman, aka Vir Unis. The music was created in the seclusion of John’s In the…
Release data: Hoenig – Göttsching – Early Water CD, Musique Intemporelle/Spalax, 1995 “Early Water” is one of those classic gems in electronic music that found its origin in a jam session that took place in Berlin in the autumn of…
Release data: Uwe Gronau – Midsummer CD, Private Release, 2011 Uwe Gronau is a German musician current residing in Bocholt, who created a range of progressive and New Age instrumentals for the double abum “Midsummer”. For the albums music, Mr…
Release data: Gandalf – Erdenklang & Sternentanz (Earthsong & Stardance) CD, Prudence, 2011 “Erdenklang & Sternentanz”, which comes in a beautiful 8-panel digipack, is a special project which celebrates Gandalf’s 30th anniversary as a stage performer. It actually contains the…
Release data: Aes Dana – Perimeters CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 First of all, “Perimeters” sees a departure of the cd packaging and cover artwork known from all previous Ultimae releases. Musically, Vincent Villuis has taken the opportunity to thoroughly reinvestigate…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – Beachcombing CD, Private Release, 2011 “Beachcombing” (previously announced as “Glow”, which is also the first track of the album) comes in an environmental-friendly but still nicely looking digipack. This album by UK-composer Bob Holroyds contains…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn – The Mountain Lake CD, LotusPike, 2011 After more than two years, Swedish composer Johan Agebjörn delivers his second album on the prestigious LotusPike label. It’s an example of fresh and catchy contemporary electronics with that…
Release data: moonbooter – Cosmologica CD, Mellowjet Records, 2010 Like “Cosmoclimax”, “Cosmologica” is another energetic release by Bernd Scholl, (aka Moonbooter) but the latter one offers a handful of very nice Jarre elements and effects thrown in the Moonbooter mix…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – A Distant Light CD, Hollan Holmes Music, 2010 Hollan Holmes is a new name in the genre of ambient music, which recently introduced himself and his music on the electronic music forum Emportal.info around the…
Release data: Synthetic Block – Synthetic Block CD, Mindspore Records, 1998 What we got here is an interesting debut-cd that shouldn’t be missed by any serious listener of progressive electronic ambient music produced today. American musician Jonathan Block (who seems…
Release data: Robert Cory – Point Of Origin CD, Private Release, 2003 Robert Cory is an Arizona-based musician and soundengineer who already has three other solo albums under his belt and who successfully worked several times with contemporary music composer…
Release data: Steve Roach – Space and Time: An introduction to the soundworlds CD, Space and Time, 2003 For all those out there who are new the world of ambient and spacemusic, this cd surely is a good start. “Space…
Release data: Steve Roach – Texture Maps CD, Timeroom Editions, 2003 “Texture Maps” presents volume 3 in the “Lost Pieces”-series. This time (as the title suggests) we take a dive into vast textural landscapes which –by whatever reason- were shelved…
Release data: Richard Bone – Alternate Realities Although I gave this cd several spins in my cd player, I have to confess these 49 minutes of music are not my taste, but still not bad. Richard Bone, an “ambient musician…
Release data: John Broaddus – 4 at 18 CD, Parnassusnump Records, 2003 I had the privilege to have been a demo-listener for this recording while it was in progress. The music then had some hard edges and coulduse some more…
Release data: Jon Hopkins – Opalescent CD, Just Music, 2001 On Jon Hopkins surprising debut-album “Opalescent”, a welcomcoming, bright and relaxing atmosphere is set from the beginning, as we start with the chill-out track “Elegiac”. This seductive, melodic sphere continues…
Release data: Deep Sky Divers – The New Fast Lane CD, Any Robinhood, 2003 An album filled with exactly 60 minutes of chill-out music, the soundtrack for a life less hectic. This description comes from the UK-duo Jon Short and…
Release data: Constance Demby – Set Free CD, Hearts of Space, 1989 One of the accomplishments of female synthesist Constance Demby has been to merge electronic space music with the New Age genre. Did she leave an unforgettable footprint with…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Within – The Nine Dimensions CD, Earth Turtle Music, 2000 Mr Stearns always had a great ability to connect the celestial with the real world experience through his sophisticated ambient music. “Within”, graced with beautiful…
Release data: Biosphere – Substrata CD, All Saints Records, 1997 All who love to immerse and linger in Arctic-flavoured ambient music is at the right spot with “Substrata”, a classic soundscape recording by Geir Jenssen, aka Biosphere. While listening, one…
Release data: Michael Stearns – The Lost World CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1995 The 54-minute concept album “The Lost World” is a gem of cinematic ambient music which sees accomplished ambient sound painter Michael Stearns deliver another stunning piece of…
Release data: Harold Budd & Brian Eno – The Pearl CD, Editions EG, 1984 For many years, the album “The Pearl” by Brian Eno and Harold Budd is considered a classic in the tranquil ambient genre. The music is simple…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Izu CD, Eastgate, 2010 Despite being old now, Edgar Froese keeps up a steady schedule of releasing studio albums while also going on tour. “Izu” is a double cd which contains the music played live…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Aurora CD, DiN, 2002 Since Ian Boddy started his own DiN-label, he always looked for ways to extend his electronic sound by e.g. mixing his beloved vintage analogues with software synths and other creative sound…
Release data: Unique – Movie without Pictures CD, Nocturne Records, 1998 “Movie without Pictures” is the second album the German brothers Andre and Frank Standke. Again, the two musicians offer an original kind of instrumental electronic music, which is cinematic…
Release data: Claudio Merlini – The Colours of Music CD, AD Music, 2010 Claudio Merlini is an Italian synthesist who released his debut album “Flight of Fantasy” in 2008 using the moniker Sound Experience. The contemporary instrumental music contained on…
Release data: Solar Fields – Origin #01 CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 With “Origin #1”, Solar Fields aka Magnus Birgersson brings us the first chapter in a series of four albums, of which all music is derived from his studio archive…
Release data: Australis – Sentient Genus CD, Essential Noises, 2010 Toward the end of 2010, Oscar Aguayo brings us his third release, “Sentient Genus”, of which the composer mentions in the press sheet it explores some of humanity’s many levels…
Release data: Steve Roach & Brian Parnham – The Desert Inbetween CD, Projekt Records, 2011 Both Steve Roach and Brian Parnham are known for years as purveyors of the sound of deserts and expansive, remote places. As the press sheet…
Release data: Schiller – Die Einlassmusik 6 CD, Sleepingroom Musik, 2010 This album contains the 52-minute instrumental music Christopher von Deylen especially composed to entertain the waiting audience during the “Atemlos” tour in Spring 2010. The instrumental music starts out…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Silence CD, Lunisolar Records, 2010 Fans of calming and immersive textural ambient will find lots of their liking in the music of Jutaro Takahashi. On his release “Silence”, Juta has further improved the quality of…
Release data: Schiller – Lichtblick (Ltd. Super Deluxe Edition) DVD & CD, Universal Domestic, 2010 In Spring of 2010, Christopher von Deylen (aka Schiller) released “Atemlos”, the follow-up to his highly succesful album “Sehnsucht” (“Desire”). Like most of his previous…
Release data: Herion – Out and About CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2010 “Out and About” is the debut release of the Italian trio Herion, and at the same time also marks the first release in digipak format on the Hypnos label.…
Release data: Axess – Fusion CD, Spheric Music, 2010 On “Fusion”, German synthesist Axel Stupplich (who many will also know as member of Pyramid Peak) continues his quest of composing energetic and exciting Berlin School inspired music. Nonetheless, the music…
Release data: Odyssey & Remote Spaces – Ypsilon Project CD, Generator.pl, 2010 The music on this album is made by Tomasz Pauszek (aka Odyssey) and the duo Konrad Jakrzewski & Krysztof Rzeznicki (aka Remote Spaces), of which I heard more…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Self-Replicating Intelligent Spawn CD, Generator.Pl, 2010 Przemysław Rudź album “Self-Replicating Intelligent Spawn” is the final chapter of a trilogy (which started with “Summa Technologiae“), which tells the story of mankind in the 21st century. The…
Release data: Kenneth John Parsons – Tribute to Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris CD, Private Release, 2010 Kenneth John Parsons is a UK-based audio creator/composer who started his own little indie record label Inexplicata Music to release his music under the motto:…
Release data: The Nexion Project – Land of Dreams CD, Private Release, 2000/2010 The Nexion Project is Zoltán Török, a Hungarian composer who’s a skilled guitarist and pianist. Until now, he has released several works in different genres ranging from…
Release data: Asura – 360 CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 Asura is a one-man project by Charles Farewell who continues his quest in the genre of down-tempo electronics with his fourth album “360”. The typical Asura-style is almost immediately present, blending…
Release data: Ron Boots & Synth.nl – Refuge en Verre CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 The foundation of the music heard on this release was laid down as Ron Boots and Michel van Osenbruggen (aka Synth.nl) and their families had a…
Release data: Food for Fantasy – Fresh Food CD, Spheric Music, 2010 As there was no possibility to continue the Double Fantasy, Robert Schroeder decided to continue the project on his own using the Food for Fantasy moniker. I missed…
Tripswitch is a down-tempo project by English composer Nick Brennan. The press sheet revealed “Geometry” is the long-awaited follow-up of his 2005-release “Circuit Breaker”. “Geometry” offers fresh, overall moody, airy and above all intricate electronic compositions with a great flow.…
Release data: Harald Grosskopf – Synthesist 2010 CD, Mellowjet Records, 2010 The year 1980 saw the release of Harald’s classic recording “Synthesist”, of which especially the title track gained a lot of attention within the Em-scene due to the fact…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – A Day within Days CD, Lotuspike/Spotted Peccary, 2010 I’ve been following the music of Michael Allison, aka Darshan Ambient, since he started out making sophisticated textural soundscape music under the Darshan moniker around 1998 or…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – In Repelen CD & DVD, Manikin Records, 2010 “Repelen” is the first dvd from the trio Broekhuis/Keller/Schönwälder, which sees them perform in familiar location, the Church in the German village Repelen where they…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Essence CD, Private Release, 2010 With “Essence”, New-Zealand composer and visual artist Andrew Forrest brings us another chapter for “inner journeying to multi-dimensional realities” as he likes to call it. From the start, the subtle…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Midsummer CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 All who attended the band’s concert at “E-Live 2010” could hear a good portion of this album, which was played enthusiastically, very loud and in high-rocking mode. At that…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Phonetic Society CD, Prudence/Cue Records, 2010 Over a decade or so ago, I lost interest in the music of this sympathetic and skilled German musician, as his output had become far too cheesy and uninspired…
Release data: False Mirror – Derelict World CD, Malignant Records, 2010 False Mirror is a project of the German composer Tobias Hornberger, of which “Derelict World” is the third album. The album is of a highly ambient-drone nature, bringing to…
Release data: Nattefrost – Dying Sun / Scarlet Moon CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 The fine electronics Bjørn Jeppesen aka Nattefrost presents on “Dying Sun/Scarlet Moon” album are of a groovy but also spatial nature. The album offers a nice assemblage…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Cream CD, Spheric Music, 2010 The music of “Cream” sees Robert Schroeder return to the musical style he was popular for in the early ‘80’s, and blending it with fresh contemporary electronic sounds. Their’s a…
Release data: Airsculpture – Before the Moon CD, Ricochet Dream, 2010 “Before the Moon” is a limited edition, factory-pressed digipack cd-release, previously released as a double cd-r in 2006, offering some fully improvised Berliner School-inspired space music by the legendary…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Stranger CD, Manikin Records, 2010 With the long awaited album “Stranger”, the German duo Gerd Wienekamp and Frank Specht has delivered an outstanding album of contemporary and vibrant electronic music which I’m sure will be…
Release data: MorPheuSz – Days of Delerium & Nocturnal Nightmares (Chapter One) CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 MorPheuSz is the Dutch/German music collective Ron Boots, Eric and Harold van der Heijden and Frank Dorittke (aka FD Project). “Days of Delerium &…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Fragments CD, Private Release, 2010 Previous to the release of “Fragments”, Steve Roberts aka Amongst Myselves did a good portion of experimentation with his synths, e-guitars and electronics between March 2008 and April 2010 with…
Release data: David Parsons – Akash CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2010 With “Akash” (meaning sky or ether in the Sanskrit language), New-Zealand based musician David Parsons returns to highly spherical and overall quiet sound worlds, trying to evoke “an expansive sky-like…
Release data: Dave Bessell – Analogue CD, Manor Records, 2010 “Analogue” is the debut release by Dave Bessell (one of the four members of he legendary band Node), made almost 15 years after the band’s initial and same-titled recording. For…
Release data: Mathias Grassow & Tomas Weiss – Farewell – In Hommage To Klaus Wiese CD, Musical Philosophy, 2010 “Farewell” is a tribute and dedication to the German ambient musician Klaus Wiese, a former member of Popol Vuh who sadly…
Release data: The Icarus Kid – The Icarus Kid CD, Electrowookie Records, 2010 The Icarus Kid is an electronic dance music act initiated by Seattle-based musician Dan Crowdus, who cites his major musical influence has been Nobuo Uematsu, the composer…
Release data: Clifford White – Atlantis CD, MG Music, 2010 “Atlantis” is Clifford White’s second album in 2010, a musical and imaginary journey inspired by the lost advanced civilisation of Atlantis and its ancient culture. The album takes off with…
Release data: Dream Jungle – Lucid CD, Third Ear, 2007 Dream Jungle is an electronic-ambient-groove project founded by North Bay Area artist and musician Dwight Loop. The latter invited vocalist Taressa Bell to join him on the band’s debut album…
Release data: Wolfskin feat. Last Industrial Estate – Stonegates of Silence CD, Malignant Records, 2010 The US-based Malignant label has occasionally been sending me some of their heavy, dark ambient releases for quite a while now, to which the arrival…
“Deep Roots, Hidden Water” is the second album by multi-instrumentalist Deborah Martin, which is now re-released as an authentic 24-bit remaster, 3-panel digipak with a new cover. The detailed restoration has lifted the sensitivity and grace of the original music…
Release data: David Helpling & Jon Jenkins – The Crossing CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2010 “The Crossing”, released three years after their critically acclaimed “Treasure“, is the third album by the talented musicians and sound designers David Helpling and Jon…
Release data: Yen Pox – Blood Music CD, Malignant Records, 1995/2010 Yen Pox is a project by Michael JV Hensley and Steven Hall. “Blood Music”, according to the press sheet to be a benchmark recording of experimental/dark ambient music, was…
Release data: Steve Roach & Mark Seelig – Nightbloom CD, Projekt Records, 2010 “Nightbloom”, Projekt’s first album released in an eco-friendly but still very beautifully designed 6-panel cd wallet, is a deep release that’s been in-progress for nearly two years.…
Release data: Colin Towns – Full Circle CD, Kock Screen, 1977 Colin Towns is an English composer who was a member of the Ian Gillan Band in the mid ‘70’s. His first film score for Richard Loncraine movie “Full Circle”…
Release data: Elve – Emerald CD, Virtualworld, 2010 Elve is one of Matt Hillier’s alter egos, of which “Emerald” is the second album. One might say the stage for the “green” music on this 64-minute release is set in a…
Release data: Free System Projekt, Brendan Pollard, Hashtronaut – Mind Out of Time CD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2010 Due to the success of the previous album“Time Out of Mind”, Brendan Pollard, Free System Project (aka Ruud Heij and Marcel Engels)…
Release data: Mystical Sun – Primordial Atmospheres CD, Private Release, 1996 “Primordial Atmospheres” is a classic ambient debut album by Mystical Sun, aka Richard Plom, of which the beautiful designed cd-booklet doesn’t provide any further information. The cd contains a…
Release data: Meg Bowles – Blue Cosmos CD, Kumatone Records, 1996 Classically trained flutist and composer Meg Bowles hails from Connecticut, USA, and was one of the few female musicians in the electronic music scene in the ‘90s. Her third…
Release data: Laocoön – Immersion CD, Parnassus Nump, 1998 Laocoön is an ambient project of San Francisco-based musician John Broaddus, who released his debut album “Immersion” on his own private label. The music of “Immersion”, a concept album dedicated to…
Release data: Solar Fields – Altered (Second Movements) CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 Word has been in the air for a while “Altered” would contain remixed and reworked versions of the music, which ended up on the previous album “Movements”. Well,…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Paradise CD, Racket Records, 1983 When experiencing the sonic content of “Paradise”, the fifth solo album by German synthesist Robert Schroeder, one could consider its outcome as a kind of future music. Not in the…
Release data: Greg Klamt – Fluxus Quo CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1997 On his second album “Fluxus Quo”, American synthesist Greg Klamt takes things to a higher plan with a fine combination of symphonic-flavoured electronic music with a neo-classical touch.…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Distant Stars CD, Lotuspike/Spotted Peccary, 2010 After another long two year wait, LotusPike finally brings us a new album of New-Zealand artist Rudy Adrian, which at first glance is similar in style to that of…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Brain Voyager CD, Racket Records, 1985 The album “Brainvoyager” is the film soundtrack which Robert Schroeder composed for the German movie “Glücksgedanken”. It is in fact one of my favourite albums of this musician until…
Release data: Michael Neil – Maisema CD, Private Release, 2008 The album “Maisema” (the Finnish word for landscape) is a project conveying Michael Neil’s experience of living in Finland for almost a year, which affected him enormously. The 55-minute album…
Release data: Martin/Klamt/Rownd – Convergence CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2002 “Convergence” is the imaginative outcome of live concert performances of three accomplished musicians who all release their music through Spotted Peccary Music: Deborah Martin, Greg Klamt and Mark Rownd. The…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Passage in Time CD, Cue Records, 1991 After his first successful solo-album “Creatures”, Peter’s second album – which followed very quickly after his debut cd- is again one dealing with a concept. The musical story…
Release data: Various Artists – Joint Efforts – The Album CD, EM Productions, 2010 Joint Efforts- “The Album” is the outcome of an idea born several years ago on the EM forum emportal.info. I’m personally not a fan of compilation-albums,…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Hollow CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2010 “Hollow” is the second studio album by 36, also marking the second part of a trilogy (as the cd cover states Part 2 of 3) which was started by…
Release data: Kinesis – Beyond the Galaxy CD, Morningstar/Geomagnetic Records, 2010 Kinesis is a Psy-Trance project by Salvador, aka Dj Salva, an artist of Spanish origin who initiated the project in 2005. “Beyond the Galaxy” is his second release, and…
Release data: David Michael Matuch – Before Reality CD, Infinite Monkey Productions, 1997 “Before Reality” is David’s second album, bearing the well-chosen subtitle “Mind Movie Music and other Ambient Electronic Experiments”. And yes, cinematic electronic dreamscapes we sure get on…
Release data: Mike Andrews – Time & Science CD, Neu Harmony, 2002 “Time and Science” is one of the only two factory pressed cds by synthesist Mike Andrews, who currently seems to reside in The Netherlands. The release actually contains…
Release data: Tom Hackl – Terra Australis CD, Blue Sunshine, 1992 While running over my cd-collection, I stumbled upon this album by Australian musician Tom Hackl, which I remember I bought from Joerg Strawe’s Cue Records. The cd lacks any…
Release data: Peter Mergener – Creatures CD, Cue Records, 1991 I’m glad German musician Peter Mergener decided to start a solo career after he quit the collaborative project Software with Michael Weisser. I I always found the overall sound of…
Release data: Phaenon – His Master’s Voice CD, Malignant Records, 2010 First I’d like to mention the beautiful and evocative but also rather disturbing and scary cover art that graces this 6-panel digipack release. It seems this nightmare scenery doesn’t…
Release data: Human Metronome – The Child Set Free CD, Private Release, 2010 Human Metronome is Eindhoven-based ambient musician and visual artist Eelke van Hoof. In his opinion, composing music is a spontaneous, etheric process which can be a means…
Release data: A Produce – Urbanisation CD, Generator.pl, 2010 Aairria (whose motto I read is the insignificance of time) is a project by the Polish ambient musician Marcin Drabot. He already put out several minimal and longform releases through various…
Release data: Megabyte – Powerplay CD, Innovative Communications, 1987 This is, in my opinion, one of the most peculiar electronic releases put out in the second half of the ’80s. Megabyte is Billy Byte and Amanda Mega, but the actual…
Release data: Yanni – Keys To Imagination CD, Private Music, 1986 This instrumental album is the debut release of Greek-born American musician Yanni (aka Yiannis Hrysomallis) on Peter Baumann’s Private music label. Although clocking at only 38 minutes, the cd…
Release data: Mark Shreeve – Thoughts of War CD, Champagne Lake Productions, 1981/2000 Mark Shreeve’s album “Thoughts of War”, was released in 2000 on cd in a limited and numbered edition of 300 copies, although the original came out on…
Release data: Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon CD, EG Records, 1985 The long form music on Brian’s Eno’s “Thursday Afternoon” (composed as the soundtrack to an art installation video of the same name) is by many regarded as one of…
Release data: Mark Dwane – The Monuments of Mars CD, Orbian Music, 1988 Going through my collection, I stumbled upon this classic recording of Ohio-based synthesist Mark Dwane, which I purchased right after its release in 1988. The 39-minute “The…
Release data: Greg Klamt – Fulcrum CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1993 “Fulcrum” is the debut album of American synthesist and visual artist Greg Klamt, which offers a rich blend of symphonic-flavoured, cinematic music with occasional powerful percussive elements. Created from…
Release data: Schiller – Atemlose Klangwelten CD, Universal Domestic, 2010 “Atemlose Klangwelten” is the bonus album which comes only with the Limited Ultra Deluxe Edition of Schiller’s “Atemlos”, and in a way you might compare it with the “Einlass” cd-series…
Release data: Stefan Erbe – Driver CD, Erbe Music, 2010 This is my first encounter with the music of German synthesist Stefan Erbe, who describes the music as “a soundtrack for a special night drive”. From the cd booklet, I…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Winter in Hiroshima CD, Eastgate, 2009 This cd marks part four in the five atomic seasons, and musically sees a continuation of the Nagasaki/Hiroshima story of Mr. H.T. Solely composed and played by Edgar, the…
Release data: Remotion – Between Fiction and Reality CD, Groove Unlimited, 2001 Remotion is the Dutch duo Richard Stuij and Arjan Steenbergen, who recorded the music of this album live in the studio without using computer sequencers. Richard took care…
Release data: Cadenced Haven – Peregrination CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 Cadenced Haven is a project by Bangladesh-based female artist Laila Quraishi, who got some great help from accomplished Dutch synthesist Gert Emmens on her debut-release “Peregrination”. The CH-project itself is…
Release data: Michael Whalen – Nightscenes CD, Alchemy Records, 1996/2004 This cd, on the original release subtitled “Music for the Evening”, is made by the accomplished American musician Michael Whalen. This Emmy award winning composer and music supervisor has made…
Release data: Stephan Whitlan –Stephan Whitlan – Map Reference CD, Fairy Nuff Records, 1996 With “Map Reference”, Irish synthesist Stephan Whitlan delivered his debut album on his private Fairy Nuff label back in 1996. Looking back, it’s a great example…
Release data: Rogier – From the Shadow to the Sun CD, Quantum Records, 2004 “From The Shadow to the Sun” is the first official record by Dutch professional composer, arranger, producer and musician Rogier van Gaal, aka Rogier. The outcome…
Release data: Astrovoyager – Symphotronic Lunation CD, Dreaming-Musea, 2010 AstroVoyager is a project by French electronic musician Philippe Fagnoni, whose sonic art (according to the press-sheet) seeks connection to contemporary soundtrack composers such as Hans Zimmer, Eric Serra on one…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Cosmological Tales CD, Generator.pl, 2010 With “Cosmological Tales”, Polish synthesist Przemysław Rudź present us his second album, a recording graced with a fresh, melodic, vibrant and well-produced sound. The cd fires off with a fine…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Beyond the Deep CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2010 After many albums dedicated to or inspire by outer space, “Beyond The Deep” takes a dive into the inner space world and wonders of sea life. The…
Release data: Steve Roach – Sigh of Ages CD, Projekt Records, 2010 With “Sigh of Ages”, ambient master Steve Roach brings us a grand and highly reflective work or art, a soft dweller into spacious textural realms. To compose the…
Release data: Callisto – Nyx CD, AD Music, 2010 “Nyx” is the long overdue second album of Callisto, aka David Wright and Dave Massey. The 76-minute factory-pressed disc offers four long pieces ranging between 17 and 22 minutes. They pair…
Release data: Nattefrost – Live in Germany CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 The last couple of years, Bjørn Jeppesen aka Nattefrost has established himself as an accomplished electronic musician, which was even “accelerated” when he was contracted by the established Groove…
Release data: Daniel Bloom – Event Horizon CD, Ricochet Dream, 2010 Daniel Bloom is a Polish synthesist who has been joining Vic Rek’s Ricochet Gathering meetings since a few years, and he also showed up on the “Keep On” tribute…
Release data: Spyra/Lang – SeQuest CD, Ricochet Dream, 2010 “SeQuest” is a 66-minute album by Chris Lang and Spyra assembling four lengthy live tracks played on different occasions. The outcome though follows nicely in the footsteps of Spyra’s latest releases,…
Release data: Brian Parnham – The Broken Silence CD, Floating Point Records, 2000/2010 This edition of “The Broken Silence” is an expanded version of the originally cd-r album, which was released in 2000. That one was put out as privately…
Release data: Dan Pound – Interlace CD, Pound Sounds, 2010 With “Interlace”, California-based musician Dan Pounds adds another chapter to his series of ambient electronic, shamanic space music, which he likes to call musical medicine for the soul. The outcome…
Release data: Ricochet Gathering – Keep On CD, Ricochet Dream, 2010 “Keep on” is a limited edition release featuring a live and improvised recording in Transylvania on 11 November 2008, marking the Silver Anniversary celebration of Michael Mann’s cult-movie “The…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Nearest Faraway Place Vol. 3 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2010 This final chapter of the “Nearest Faraway Place” trilogy is brought to an end in a fashionable, but also expected manner. For many years, Gert’s…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – Early Beginnings CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2008 The anthology “Early Beginnings” comprises a range of previously unreleased recordings, rough drafts and demo’s Johannes Schmoelling recorded between 1979-1985, giving a nice insight in the musician’s process on…
Release data: Ben Swire – From Here to There CD, Preservation, 2010 “From Here to There” is the first full-length release of San Francisco-based composer Ben Swire, who I knew from his “Equilibrium”-Ep, out in 2002 on The Foundry. The…
Release data: Irezumi – Endurance CD, Snowblod, 2008 This album has been on my wish-list for quite some time, as I just knew it would be right up my alley. Irezumi is a project by the young French composer Manuel…
Release data: Arkha Nous – Tria CD, Arkha Sound, 2009 Arkha Nous is musician and composer Rodolfo Garza, hailing from Monterrey, Mexico. In the past years he collaborated with ambient musician Jorge Reyes (who sadly passed away 2009). As Barbelo,…
Release data: A Light Beacon – Music for the Patient CD, Private Release, 2002 The cd-booklet of this album “Music for the Patient” contains five slightly abstract artworks made by the artist Ian Helwig who gave them to the musician…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Cambrium – music for protozoa CD, Private Release, 2009 No, this is not the same album as the one previously released as a limited edition of only 25 numbered copies. Stephen was offered the opportunity…
Release data: Arc – Church CD, DiN, 2010 After the download-only release “Rise”, “Church” is a factory-pressed full-length cd featuring five extended tracks played live during Gatherings Concert Series in November 2009. The recording offers some highly energetic, powerful, state-of-the-art…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Hoellenengel CD, Private Release, 2005 With “Hoellenengel”, recorded between November 2000 to November 2004, German synthesist Stephen Parsick brings us his second solo recording. The music on this album features the unique and beautiful sounds…
Release data: Hyios – Consuetudines CD, Malignant Records, 2009 Hyios is a one-man project from Leipzig, Germany. “Consuetudines”, which is his debut album recorded between 2007 and 2008, contains seven expansive cold ritual drones textures in which metallic objects and…
Release data: Rudolf Heimann – Tide CD, Spheric Music, 2010 “Tide” is the fifth album by German synthesist and producer Rudolf Heimann. Mr Heimann has been around in the genre since 1990, but took a long break after the release…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Gateway CD, Projekt Records, 2010 For years, Erik Wøllo is known for his expert skills in building highly imaginary and emotional music, building a bridge between grand symphonic realms and gentle, serene atmospheres. On “Gateway”,…
Release data: Stu Jenks – West of the Fire (Soundtracks for Photographs Vol. 2) CD, Fizziweg Music, 2005 In comparison to his beautiful debut album “The Three Surrenders”, the ambient music on “West of the Fire” (Soundtracks for Photographs, Volume…
Release data: Matthew Florianz – Maalbeek CD, H/S Recordings, 2008 Years back, I got to know some of the fine crafted ambient music of The Hague-based musician Matthew Florianz. In 2008, he released the concept album “Maalbeek”, which again shows…
Release data: Schiller – Tag und Nacht CD, Universal Domestic, 2005 Schiller’s stunning album “Sehnsucht” made me decide to investigate his back catalogue a bit further, which brought me to “Tag un Nacht”. Again, this album presents a balanced mix…
Release data: Collapsar – Beyond the Event Horizon CD, Malignant Records, 2009 ans of well-produced dark ambient music will find much of their liking on “Beyond the Event Horizon”, a project by the French musician Thibaud Thaunay, aka Collapsar. This…
Release data: Alio Die & Parallel Worlds – Circo Divino CD, Hic Sunt Leones, 2010 “Circo Divino”, which comes in very nicely designed digipack, is a collaborative project between Alio Die (aka Italian ambient composer Stefano Musso) and Greek vintage…
Release data: Stu Jenks – The Three Surrenders (Soundtracks for Photographs) CD, Fizziweg Music, 2003/2010 “The Three Surrenders” (Soundtracks for Photographs, Volume One) is the debut album of Tucson-based photographer Stu Jenks, who composed the music as a sonic backdrop…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo & Mathias Grassow – Cromo – piano & drones CD, ad21music, 2010 For this work of art, Mr Sanfilippo and Mr Grassow have teamed up a second time, together creating a smooth and quiet sonic soundscape…
Release data: Phelios – Astral Unity CD, Malignant Records, 2010 Phelios is a dark ambient project by German musician Martin Stürtzer, who’s an acquaintance of Stephen Parsick. With the latter, Martin collaborated on “It always rains in Wuppertal”. “Astral Unity”,…
Release data: Clifford White – The Healing Touch (Ascension II) CD, MG Music, 2010 “The Healing Touch” is the follow-up to Clifford White’s new-age album “Ascension”, a landmark release in the genre of new age music back in 1985. Clifford…
Release data: Yarek & Friends – Spirits of the Dust CD, Generator.pl, 2010 “Spirits of the Dust” is the third album of Polish synthesist Yarek (aka Jaroslaw Degorski), for which he revisited some shelved electronic pieces from the past. For…
Release data: Byron Metcalf, Dashmesh Khalsa & Steve Roach – Dream Tracker CD, Dr Bam\’s Music, 2010 The organic music of “Dreamtracker” is a culmination of high spirits, contemporary and ancient trance-induced shamanic rituals and groovy world music, or in…
Release data: Przemysław Rudź – Summa Technologiae CD, Generator.pl, 2010 Przemysław Rudź is a Polish musician living in Gdansk, who’s “Summa Technologiae” is a musical interpretation of Stanislav Lem’s book translated into a language of synthetic and mysterious sounds. After…
Release data: Hybrid Leisureland – Scroll Slide CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 Hybrid Leisureland is the alias of Tokyo-based musician Hidetoshi Koizumi, who made his first steps into music around 1995. While he made his debut on the Ultimae sampler “Oxycanta”…
Release data: Chad Kettering – Voices of the Ancients CD, Soniclayers Music, 2010 After two years of hard work invested in sculpturing, layering and refining music for his second release, Chad Kettering has come up with a great successor to…
Release data: moonbooter – World of Apes 1 CD, Mellowjet Records, 2010 “World of Apes 1” is a very personal and thought-provoking concept album by Bernd Scholl, aka Moonbooter, addressing the nuclear treat, cold war activities and related themes which…
Release data: Epiphany – Sonica CD, LB Music Production, 2007/2010 After a leap of almost 10 years, Epiphany (aka Erik Teljeur) finally brings us a new album with imaginary, dark ambient electronics. Erik describes the outcome as his most intimate…
Release data: Schiller – Atemlos CD, Universal Domestic, 2010 Schiller impressed me with his previous album “Sehnsucht” (“Desire”), which was followed by the even better double dvd of the “Sehnsucht”-tour. So expectations among his fans were high for the new…
Release data: Cell – Hanging Masses CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 “Hanging Masses” is the second full length release by French musician Cell, aka Alexandre Scheffer. Cell previously contributed single tracks to various compilations in the genre of down-tempo electronica, but…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Repelen 3 CD, Manikin Records, 2010 After more than 15 years and a lot of live recordings, the trio Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder comes up with “Repelen 3”. The outcome was recorded at…
Release data: Robert Rich – Ylang CD, Soundscape Productions, 2010 After several collaborative albums, Robert Rich returns with the sonic perfume project entitled “Ylang”, a rather complex album which sees him blend “languid polyrhythms with infusions of South Indian Karnatic…
Release data: Steve Roach – Live at Grace Cathedral CD, Timeroom Editions, 2010 In June 2007, Steve was given the opportunity to play an ambient concert in the sacred space of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. This allowed him to use…
Release data: Andymian – In the Garden of the Rainy King CD, Private Release, 2005 “In the Garden of the Rainy King” is a (sponsored) album by Polish musician Andrzej “Andymian” Miersynski. I did do some troubles to find some…
Release data: Glenn Main – Ripples CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2012 This is in fact my first encounter with the output of Norwegian synthesist Glenn Main, aka Glenn Henriksen, who hereby delivers an almost 59-minute album displaying a…
Release data: Nemesis – Gigaherz CD, Origo Sound, 2010 After a long struggle, the definite and official version of “Gigaherz” was released on January 10th, 2010 by Origo Sound. Initially, only a few pre-release copies of it were made available…
Release data: Thamnos – WIR CD, Sound Claim, 2009 Thamnos is a music project of musician/producer/composer Tomas Weiss and UK-based singer-songwriter Annemarie Borg, started in 2007. “W I R” (World In Remission) is another recent album that expresses its worries…
Release data: Remy – Exhibition of Dreams (10th anniversary edition) CD, AKH Records, 2010 With the release of “Exhibition of Dreams”, fans of Remy Stroomer’s music are given the opportunity to hear the remarkable musical development this Dutch musician and…
Release data: Pillion – Halcyon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2006/2010 Pillion’s “Halcyon” is an album that was shelved after it was recorded in 2006, taking another two years before it was remastered. The concept album tells a story about the…
Release data: Erik Seifert – Core CD, PleasureSoundMusic, 2009 “Core” is a concept album on the Large Hadron Collider (a huge particle accelerator in Switzerland used for high-energy physics research), which took Erik Seifert three years of work to complete.…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Sustaining Cylinders CD, Earth Turtle Music / Groove Unlimited, 1978/2001 The music on “Sustaining Cylinders”, originally released on the Continuum Montage label in 1978, belongs to the earliest recordings by ambient musician Michael Stearns. Its…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Lyra (Sound Constellation) CD, Earth Turtle Music/Groove Unlimited, 1983/2001 Originally released on lp and cassette on the Continuum Montage label back in 1983, “Lyra (Sound Constellation)” is another (but this time far more extreme) ambient…
Release data: Fripp & Eno – Evening Star CD, EG Records, 1975/2008 “Evening Star”, the second album by the duo Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, can nowadays be regarded a classic album in the genre of minimal drone ambient. The…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – New Frequencies Vol. 1 CD, Spheric Music, 2010 The flow of Schroeder-releases is still strong at Spheric Music, as February 2010 brings us “New Frequencies Vol. 1” after two other albums in the previous year.…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – A Thousand Times CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2009 The first impression the music on “A Thousand Times” left on me is that it contains many beautiful TD references of the ‘80s. This isn’t strange, as Johannes…
Release data: René van der Wouden – Numerus Fixus CD, ReWo Records, 2009 “Numerus Fixus” by Gouda-based electronic musician Rene van der Wouden, is a concept album dedicated to the various interlinked ecosystems on our blue planet. The fact that…
Release data: Shaped Signs – Nature’s Odyssey CD, Invisible Shadows, 2004 “Nature’s Odyssey” is the debut-album of the German duo Volker Kaufmann and Ron Grahnert. Some rumours shortly after the release spoke of instrumental Mike Oldfield-like music. Well, what we…
Release data: Jon Jenkins & Paul Laekey – Continuum CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1995 “Continuum”, the only album to date by Jon Jenkins and Paul Leakey, comes in a stunningly beautiful fantasy cd-cover. Shortly after its release, Dream’s Word magazine…
Release data: Sayer – 1st Encounter CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 “1st Encounter” is the first commercially released and factory pressed cd of US-musician Sayer, who’s also dealing with various other dance, techno and other electronica projects (such as Dream Quest).…
Release data: John Flomer – Mysterious Motions of Memory CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1996 “Mysterious Motions of Memory”, a concept album on genetic memory, is the debut-release of Minneapolis-based “visual musician” John Flomer on the prestigious Spotted Peccary label. To…
Release data: Christopher Franke – Epic CD, Earthtone Records, 1999 Christopher Franke is best known as a former member of Tangerine Dream, a band he joined from 1970 until 1988. After that, he moved to the United States to pursue…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Ancient Leaves CD, Earth Turtle Music/Groove Unlimited, 1977/1999 “Ancient Leaves” is Michael’s first self published vinyl release and fits into what’s nowadays called drone music with an experimental edge. The foundation for the music was…
Release data: APOSTOLIS ANGELIS (2A) Hologram CD, Apoapsis Records, 2009 “Hologram” is the contemporary electronic music debut of self-taught music composer and mixing engineer Apostolos Angelis, aka 2A, who lives in Trikala, Greece. Although referred to as fitting in the…
Release data: Kees Aerts – If One Door Closes CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “If One Door Closes” is the second full-length cd of Kees Aerts, released after a hiatus of almost ten years, and which (is my impression) would never…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Infinite Octaves CD, Private Release, 2009 After a long hiatus of seven years, Andrew Forrest finally brings us the “final” chapter of his “Star- System Trilogy”, which is actually not the third but the first…
Release data: Odyssey – X – Space Odyssey CD, Generator.pl, 2009 Tomasz Pauszek describes this album as a “mixture of “fine-tuned” sequential electronics, organic ambient music and dynamic electronic rock-pop”. Well, with “X – Space Odyssey”, Generator.PL bring us a…
Release data: Redshift – Wild 3 CD, Distant Sun Production, 2009 With “Wild 3”, Mark Shreeve shares another fine bunch of Redshift exclusives with the fans, kicking off with “Redshift 08”. On this excellent live track, Ian Boddy joins Mark…
Release data: Terje Winther – Electronic Regions CD, Bajkal Records, 2009 “Electronic Regions”, a concert album with varied expressions spread out over two discs, took Norwegian musician Terje Winther a long time to complete, almost five years to be more…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Celestial Movements CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2009 It seemed Bernd Kistenmacher had retired from electronic music after 2001, having previously comprised most of his privately released music in the box-set “My Little Universe”. In 2008…
Release data: Free System Projekt, Brendan Pollard, Hashtronaut – Time Out of Mind CD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2009 Brendan Pollard, Free System Project (aka Ruud Heij and Marcel Engels) and Hashtronaut (aka Michael Daniel) belong to the group of consistent…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Blue CD, Manikin Records, 2009 As the trio explains on the cd-cover, Blue marks the second part of their “Theory of Colours” series (the first was “Orange” in 2007), of which the music…
Release data: Freud – The Journey CD, Tantajo Records, 2006/2009 Freud is a project by German keyboardist Ingo Hauss and Dublin-based singer Cora O’Donovan. “The Journey”, their second release on which Maria Sanchez joins the duo, fits in the genre…
Release data: Ron Boots – Derby! CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Early September 2009, Ron Boots travelled to Derby in the UK, accompanied by his faithful drummer and best friend Harold van der Heijden and Mr “F.D. Project” Frank Dorittke to…
Release data: Stephan Whitlan – Triangulation CD, Fairy Nuff Music, 2009 Irish musician Stephen Whitlan joined John Dyson & co. on E-Day 2009, for which he performed a short solo concert as an introduction. Shortly after the show he was…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures 2 CD, ad21music, 2009 In 2007, Mr Sanfilippo presented us the first volume of “Piano Textures”, now followed by a second chapter of gentle, overall elegant, contemplative but not too soothing piano-atmospheres. These…
Release data: [‘ramp] Debris CD, Private Release, 2009 “Debris” is a deep, strong organic flavoured ambient journey coming in four sections. It’s composed solely by Stephen Parsick, as he and Frank Makowski parted ways a while ago. As Stephen explains,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion: Four CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 In the “Immersion”-series, Steve Roach has arrived at number four, which –like all previous ones- contains only one longform piece clocking over 70 minutes. As can be expected, the…
Release data: Tomasz Zawadzinski – Saved as CD, Generator.Pl, 2009 The music which is presented by Polish musician on his album “Saved As” is a musical painting that in its own way pays tribute to the sounds of classic Berliner…
Release data: Steve Roach – Afterlight CD, Timeroom Editions, 2009 “Afterlight” is a companion work which ambient musician Steve Roach composed in the Spring of 2009, in addition to the long-form releases “Destination Horizon” and “Immersion: Four”. Again, we find…
Release data: Daniel Dorobantu – Knock on the Sky and listen to the Sound CD, Private Release, 2008 Daniel Dorobanthu is a musician from Romania, whose “Knock on the Sky and listen to the Sound” is a peaceful, dreamy journey…
Release data: Spyra – January in June CD, Fax Records, 2009 Although the rumours on this recording said quite the opposite, Wolfram Spyra delivers a fine melange of inventive electro-acoustic music with “January in June”. This especially applies to the…
Release data: Synth.nl – Oceanography CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 “OceanoGraphy” is the third release of Synth.nl, aka Michel van Osenbruggen, who got inspired by the earth ocean’s and the many sea creatures living in them. The 12 cinematic and melodic…
Release data: Jeff Greinke –Virga CD, Lotuspike, 2009 “Virga” is the 18th release by Jeff Greinke, and his second one on the LotusPike/Spotted Peccary. The character and shape of the music sees Greinke return to an ambient and textural approach…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Thousand Star CD, New World Music, 2009 After a hiatus of a few years, space music veteran Jonn Serrie returns with “Thousand Star” (which was formerly named “Radii”). Like its predecessor “The Stargazer’s Journey”, the…
Release data: Robert Rich – Michael Somoroff’s Illumination CD, Soundscape Music, 2007 The music on this concept cd is the sonic companion to Michael Somoroff’s multimedia installation “Illumination”. The seven tracks, acting as a background soundtrack, weave an expansive tapestry…
Release data: Richard Burmer – Invention CD, American Grammophone, 1992 In a way, the music on “Invention” continues in the style Richard Burner displayed on his previous three albums. He still uses lots of warm and intimate synth textures, although…
Release data: Various Artists – Imaginary Friends CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 “Imaginary Friends” is an audio poetry album collected by Nova, flowing up on the 2005 compilation cd “Albedo”. The narrative-driven compilation offers eleven tracks by various artists, offering a…
Release data: Remy – EoD CD, AKH Records, 2009 As Remy explains, “EoD” is the first part of the 10th anniversary of his debut release “Exhibition of Dreams”, containing newly recorded versions of a selection of the original tracks from…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper –Quadranteon CD, Air Space Records, 2009 “Quandranteon”, by analogue synth-wizzard Jeffrey Koepper, contains four extended parts in which he succeeds in stretching the boundaries of his vintage gearand their lovely, warm sounds a bit further. Not…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Curriculum Vitae I (The Aside Ones) CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 June 2009 saw the release of “Curriculum Vitae I”, a compilation cd by Picture Palace Music, the music project by Thorsten Quaeschning (from Tangerine…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent / Fanger & Schönwälder – Elektrik Cowboys CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 “Elektrik Cowboys” comprises live improvised music, recorded live during the Ricochet Gathering in Montana in August 2007. The 63-minute album is nicely kicked off by…
Release data: Jamie Craig – Illumination CD, Private Release, 2008 Jamie Craig is a Detroit-based synthesist and keyboardist who previously was a rock ‘n roll bassist for many years. “Illumination”, his second release, contains instrumental music with a high easy-going…
Release data: Robert Schroeder 30 Years After CD, Spheric Music, 2009 After a brand new cd in the Spring of 2009 (“Taste It”), Fall 2009 sees the release of “30 Years After”, a sort-of retrospective album by Robert Schroeder. One…
Release data: David Parsons – Jyoti CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2009 David Parsons’ release “Jyoti” (which is, like all of his music, inspired by Indian music) is basically the “sister” album to “Earthlight”, although slightly darker sound wise. David recalls in…
Release data: Jon Jenkins – Flow CD, Spotted Peccary, 1998 “Flow” is the second release by synthesist Jon Jenkins, which sees him use the metaphor of water to create an introspective ambient world of beauty wonder. The outcome is a…
Release data: Steve Roach – Destination Beyond CD, Projekt, 2009 With “Destination Beyond”, Steve Roach brings us another longform journey of expansive, beautifully rendered sonic vistas. It’s not as quiet as one might initially suspect, as Steve somewhat heads in…
Release data: Mythos – Gallery Concerts CD, Mellowjet Records, 2009 As Stephan Kaske, aka Mythos, explains in the press sheet, “Gallery Concerts” is a live-recording of a concert performed on August 29th 2009 in the Grugapark in Essen, fully done…
Release data: Deborah Martin & Erik Wøllo – Between Worlds CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2009 “Between Worlds” is a collaboration album of American musician Deborah Martin and the talented Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo, which let us hear the voices of…
Release data: F.D. Project – T & Y CD, Private Release, 2009 With “T & Y” (Today & Yesterday), Frank Dorittke continues his path along the avenue of melodic instrumental EM, which seems to contain pieces and ideas going back…
Release data: Blüchel & von Deylen – Bi Polar CD, Edel Music, 2003 Unlike the music on “Mare Stellaris”, only two of the eight tracks on “BiPolar” are original compositions by Christopher von Deylen and Harald Blüchel. The other six…
Release data: Blüchel & von Deylen – Mare Stellaris CD, Sony Bmg, 2004 “Mare Stellaris” is the debut album of the German musicians/producers Christopher von Deylen (better known as Schiller) and Harald Blüchel (aka Cosmic Baby). Although the openings tracks…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Planetary Unfolding CD, Sonic Atmospheres, 1981/1985 Fans of deep space music shouldn’t miss out on the immersive journey into the depths of the cosmos which is presented on the state-of-the-art “Planetary Unfolding”. The album was…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Morning Jewel CD, Groove Unlimited, 1979/2000 “Morning Jewel” is a digitally remastered and optimized re-release of Michael’s original 1979-album “Jewel”. Containing two extended ambient pieces of 27 and 23 minutes, it’s also Michael’s first work…
Release data: O-Head – Steps Across the Cortex CD, Centaur Discs, 2005 “Steps across the Cortex” is the second album by English musician David Hendry, who hereby steps forward with a nice album of powerful contemporary electronics complimented with a…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Floating Whispers CD, Earth Turtle Music/Groove Unlimited, 1987/1998 “Floating Whispers” contains music that appeared to be the predecessor of space music that would later end up on “Planetary Unfolding” and “Chronos”. It’s one of the…
Release data: Kitaro – Impressions of the West Lake CD, Domo Records, 2009 For over a decade, I’ve been out of touch with the music of Kitaro, so this release may be a good opportunity to catch up on his…
Release data: Alex Theory & Daniel Pinchbeck – Emergence 2012 CD, Sounds True, 2009 “Emergence 2012” is a rather peculiar ambient release by San Francisco-based ambient-sound technician/sound healing visionary Alex Theory and philosopher-journalist Daniel Pinchbeck. Inspired by Baktuns, the cycles…
Release data: Outer Space Alliance – Outer Space Alliance CD, Holy Feather Productions, 1998/2009 Outer Space Alliance are Arto Koivisto (electronics) Jari Pitkänen (electronics) and Tommi Björk (guitar/keys), an electronic music collective from Helsinki. This same-titled cd is actually a…
Release data: Raphael – Angels of the Deep CD, Hearts of Space, 1995 “Angels of the Deep” is the third album by Raphael, an Hawaiian-based spiritual teacher and musician. The uplifting, smooth atmospheres and themes captured on the 62-minute “Angels…
Release data: Steve Roach & Robert Rich – SoMa CD, Hearts of Space, 1991 “SoMa” is the follow-up to the duo’s strong debut “Strata”, offering another 57-minute blend of fine tribal ambient music. A gentle wash of organic and shamanic…
Release data: Mako – Forms of Life CD, Seagull Music, 1991 Mako’s third album “Forms of Life”, which took him three years to finish, is the only release of this Austrian musician that made it onto cd until now. This…
Release data: Robert Rich – Humidity CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2000 “Humidity” is a triple cd-release containing three different live concerts which Robert Rich performed in 1998. For the most part, the release contains new music, except an occasional existing track…
Release data: Tim Clark – Tales of the Sun People CD, Hearts of Space, 1990 “Tales of the Sun People”, composed by American planetarium composer and versatile musician Tim Clark, can be classified as one of those “forgotten” electronic albums…
Release data: Klaus Schulze & Lisa Gerrard – Dziekuje Bardzo CD, Synthetic Symphony/SPV, 2009 The triple-cd set “Dziekuje Bardzo”, recorded live during concerts in November 2008 in Warsaw and Berlin, is the next chapter in a cooperation between Klaus Schulze…
Release data: Serge Laporte – Sea of a Thousand Stories CD, Edge Music/Rubicon, 1996 Serge Laporte is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost composers, next to being a renowned guitarist, producer and sound engineer. The 47-minute “Sea of a Thousand…
Release data: Paul Lawler & Paul Speer – Wonders CD, Rainstorm Records, 2009 “Wonders” is a 67-minute musical journey “to awe inspiring places on planet earth”, which sees a collaboration of UK-based musician Paul Lawler, and US-based musician Paul Speer…
Release data: Vincent Clarke & Martyn Ware – Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle CD, Mute Records, 2001 The cover of this cd is pure white with a bar code right in the middle of it, which is actually the spectrum mentioned in…
Release data: Emerald Web – Nocturne / Lights of the Ivory Plains CD, Fortuna Records, 1989 The project Emerald Web was founded in 1978 by the Florida-based duo Bob Stohl and Kat Epple, both experienced flautists. This cd comprises the…
Release data: Forrest Fang – Phantoms CD, Projekt Records, 2009 A couple of years ago, I was impressed by the album Forrest Fang made with Carl Weingarten, so it’s nice to see him now show up with a solo album,…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – Fluidity & Structure CD, Soundscape Music, 1993 “Fluidity and Structure”, of which the sonic content has been inspired by travels to Africa and Asia, was originally the soundtrack to an audio visual art exhibition Bob…
Release data: Yarek – Organix CD, Generator.Pl, 2009 Jaroslaw Degórski , aka Yarek, did leave a good impression on me with his previous recording “Noc Na Zamku”, and it’s great to see him continue the same path on “Organix”. The…
Release data: Aquavoice – Memories CD, Generator.pl, 2009 The cover of the cd shows a picture of a totally ruined building, a metaphore for the disturbing, uneasy ambient music presented here. Composer Tadeusz Luczejko, aka Aquavoice, takes the hard way…
Release data: Solitaire – Plains and Skies CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1992 On their second album “Plains and Skies”, Solitaire is reduced to German duo Elmar Schulte who heads for a sonic, tribal-flavoured journey into barren, desolate and desert landscapes (something…
Release data: Steve Thomas – More People have been to the Moon CD, Heliotrinox Records, 1997 I recently rediscovered this peculiar album in my cd-collection, which made me decided to give it a few good listens again and a review…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Views from a Red Train CD, Eastgate, 2008 It seems “Views from a Red Train” has been announced for a couple of years as a solo-album of Edgar Froese, but now has seen the light…
Release data: The Redundant Rocker – Heart CD, Unsung Records, 2009 “Heart” is the second album by Bernhard Woestheinrich, aka The Redundant Rocker, who puts forward a progressive electronica album with the emphasis on both song and emotion. Although I’m…
Release data: Dan Pound – Living Planet CD, Private Release, 2009 Mr Pound states the album “Living Planet” is a companion disc and sequel to his formerly released release “Esoterica”, one filled with ambient electronic, Shamanic space music for the…
Release data: The Nebula Project – In Search of Converging Sounds CD, UFO Music Productions, 2008 The Nebula project is a collaboration of the US-based duo Dennis Young (bass and guitars) and Rick Coffee (synthesizers and guitars), who have been…
Release data: Terra Ambient – Wanderlust CD, Lotuspike, 2009 After a hiatus of five years, Jeff Kowal, aka Terra Ambient, returns with “Wanderlust”, described by Jeff as an emotional sketchbook of some major changes in my life. In more than…
Release data: Aes Dana – Leylines CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 “Leylines”, the fourth release by Vincent Villuis, presents ten ambient downtempo tracks of “luminous darkness”. The music of the 78-minute concept album, named after the invisible lines of forces that…
Release data: 3 Seconds of Air The Flight of Song CD, Tonefloat, 2009 “The Flight of Song” is the debut album by the Belgium project 3 Seconds of Air, aka Dirk Serries (also known as vidna Obmana and Fear Falls…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Chronicle 1986 – 93 CD, Ardema Musik, 1994 “Chronicle 1986-1993” is a limited edition, numbered and autographed release by classically trained German synthesist Rüdiger Gleisberg (known as one half of the ambient project Solitaire). It’s…
Release data: Robert Haig Coxon – The Silent Path CD, R.H.C. Productions, 1995 Robert Haig Coxon hails from Canada, and gained quite an international reputation with the “Cristal Silence” trilogy, produced by Steve Roach. “The Silent Path” is a musical…
Release data: Sanjiva – Initiation CD, NinetySix Sounds, 1997 Sanjiva is a groovy trance-like ambient project by Berliner-based musician Vartan M. Quack, who tries to implement the lessons of the Zen philosophy into his music. “Initiation” contains five tracks, in…
Release data: Paul Sauvanet – Tristesse CD, Hearts of Space, 1995 “Tristesse”, subtitled five adagios for times of sorrow, is a contemplative, neo-classical oriented work of tenderness and contemplation, composed using a digital chamber orchestra of synthesizers. The five lengthy…
Release data: Paul Sauvanet – Eleusis CD, Les Editions Rubicon, 1993 “Eleusis”, inspired by the works of Carlos Castaneda, by French synthesist Paul Sauvanet was initially released on the Canadian label Rubicon Records in 1993, and later re-released in 1998…
Release data: Vidna Obmana & Jeff Pearce – True Stories CD, Mirage, 1999 The concept album “True Stories” features a full collaboration between ambient musicians vidna Obmana and Jeff Pearce (who already worked together on Vidna’s 1997 album “Crossing the…
Release data: Ron Boots – Beyond the Boundaries of Twilight CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Musician Ron Boots did several planetarium concerts in the past seven years or so, but it never came to a cd-release. “Beyond the Boundaries of Twilight”,…
Release data: Frank Van Bogaert – Air Machine CD, ACE Studio Editions, 2009 “Air Machine” by Belgian composer, producer and musician Frank Van Bogaert is a privately released cd, which sees him collaborate with Erik Wøllo on a few tracks,…
Release data: F.D. Project – Mountainway CD, Private Release, 2005 Since he started out making and releasing music as F.D. Project, Frank Dorittke has gained quite a large amount of fans worldwide, which isn’t that hard to understand when one…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Nearest Faraway Place Vol. 2 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 The second chapter of this concept cd, which was released and played live at “E-Day 2009”, continues the musical road with analogue, romantic flavoured electronics,…
Release data: Kettel – Myam James 2 CD, Sending Orbs, 2009 This is the second and last chapter of the “Myam James” concept by laptop musician Reimer Eising. Presented as a far cry of the first part, the moody cd…
Release data: Resonant Drift – The Call CD, Private Release, 2009 After meeting each other in 2008, original solo-member Bill Olien has invited multi-instrumentalist Gary Johnson to join him in his project Resonant Drift. Together, they developed a natural synergy…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Hypersona CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2008 “Hypersona”, produced over a span of three years, is an ambient soundscape work by an English independent musician who prefers to stay anonymous, being part one of a trilogy.…
Release data: Lemonchill – Sentant CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 Lemonchill is an ambient chill-out project hailing from Israel, made by one Idan Or. The eight instrumental pieces on “Sentant” offer a clear sound spectrum, featuring a balance of downbeat rhythms,…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Booster CD, Eastgate, 2007 The ongoing list of new contemporary electronic music and re-released/reworked cds put out by Edgar Froese under the Tangerine Dream-moniker has increased rapidly over the last five years or so. Sadly…
Release data: Christophe Bailleau – Air Resort CD, Soundscaping Records, 2008 “Air Resort” –which comes in beautiful designed, large-size digipack format- is the first album of the Norwegian label Soundscaping Records. The music is composed by the Belgium-based (but from…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Auralspace CD, ad21music, 2009 Presented in a beautifully designed digipack, “Auralspace” marks the 12th album of Bruno Sanfilippo. The cd, which took nine long months of preparation and intense composing, offers a 71-minute spacious ambient…
Release data: ModularWhite – Alpa CD, Private Release, 2009 The four guys of ModularWhite have chosen for a more futuristic and contemporary approach for their album “Alpa”, which already becomes apparent by the science-fiction cover art on the cd booklet.…
Release data: Robert Rich – Trances / Drones CD, Extreme Special Editions, 1983 At the start of the ‘80’s, while graduating in psychology at Stanford University, Robert Rich had a special interest in microtonality and the effects of music on…
Release data: 33 Tetragammon & Human Metronome – Resonating Earth CD, Private Release, 2009 33 Tetragammon (aka Wasili Papadopoulos) and Human Metronome (aka Eelke van Hoof) are two composers hailing from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, who played several live sets during…
Release data: Circular – Substans CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 With “Substans” (which as all Ultimae releases comes with expert photo footage in the cd-booklet), the Norwegian duo Bjarte Andreassen and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik aka Circular, deliver their long awaited fourth…
Release data: Gandalf – Sanctuary CD, Real Music, 2009 “Sanctuary” is Gandalf’s fifth release on the American Real Music label, the latter being a haven for contemporary relaxation and wellness music for many years. Over one and a half decade…
Release data: Mark Isham – Film Music CD, Windham Hill, 1985 Composer Mark Isham is regarded as skilled synth programmer, a pioneer in electronic music, as well as an accomplished trumpet player, but most of he has become an important…
Release data: Airwaves – Second Shift CD, Opcion Sonica, 1995 This album is the second and (last?) release by Oscar Menzel, aka Airwaves. Having enjoyed his first one, “Ambient Tracks”, it’s nice to hear Mr Menzel has further explored his…
Release data: Paul Ellis – The Last Hiding Place of Beauty CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Those who love rather complex and dynamic sequencer music with an acoustic edge and an occasional high-tech feel should check out the music Paul Ellis’…
Release data: moonbooter – Cosmoclimax CD, Mellowjet Records, 2009 With “Cosmoclimax” by Moonbooter, aka Bernd Scholl, adds another chapter to his growing catalogue of what he likes to call “hybrid electronic music”. With one exception, the whole cd features the…
Release data: F.D. Project – Timeless CD, Private Release, 2006 F.D. Project is a project of the German musician Frank Dorittke, whose accessible instrumental music has proven to be quite a success until now. “Timeless”, his fourth release if I’m…
Release data: Uwe Reckzeh – Unnatural Light CD, Mellowjet Records, 2009 The accessible music of Uwe Reckzeh’s “Unnatural Light” (of which all tracks were composed and arranged between 2007 and 2009) is still firmly rooted in the style of the…
Release data: Steve Roach – Dynamic Stillness CD, Projekt Records, 2009 Steve Roach has brewed another inner sanctuary of quietetude which has ended up as the double cd “Dynamic Stillness”, which has been in the works in his Timeroom studio…
Release data: Free System Projekt – Narrow Lane CD, Private Release, 2008 The album “Narrow Lane” by Free System Project contains two long vintage pieces, both played live in the UK. The 29-minute “Narrow Lane Part I”, recorded in 2006…
Release data: Paul Sauvanet – Nomad CD, Hearts of Space, 1997 This is the third cd of the skilled French musician Paul Sauvanet, of which both the cd-cover and overall atmosphere are slightly similar to the album “Nomadic Impressions” by…
Release data: Create In the Blink of an Eye CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Stephen Humphries’ (aka Create) “In the Blink of an Eye” contains five long tracks, of which two are live-in-the-studio improvisations, making up almost 70 minutes of retro-inspired…
Release data: Odyssey – Syntharsis CD, Generator.pl, 2001/2009 Odyssey is a project of the Polish electronic media artist and contemporary electronic music producer Tomasz Pauszek, who previously published the track “The Space Inside” on the “Awakenings 2007 vol. 1″ compilation.…
Release data: Scamall – A World behind the Silence CD, Generator.Pl, 2009 Scamall is a project of Jakub Kmiec, who found the main inspiration for this album in desolated places in Sweden and Ireland. “A World behind the Silence” is…
Release data: John Dyson – Darklight CD, Soddett Hall Music, 2009 After a big hiatus, John Dyson returns one more time to the EM-community to bring a final (?) album featuring his distinct, gracious and accessible style which comes as…
Release data: Between Interval – The Edge of a Fairytale CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2009 After a hiatus of three years, there’s finally another album by Between Interval, the musical moniker of Stefan Jönsson, who as of November 2008 is…
Release data: Syndromeda – The Twilight Conjunction CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 “The Twilight Conjunction” is the 18th album by Belgian electronic musician Danny Budts, aka Syndromeda, released as a limited edition of 300 copies. The 18-minute “Inside the Lophophora”, a…
Release data: Antrilon – Mind Erase CD, Dead Earnest, 2008 Antrilon is a project of American musician Greg Kozlowski, whose also guitarist of the progressive and spacerock bands Architectural Metaphor and Secret Saucer. His debut album “Mind Erase” is a…
Release data: Airwaves – Ambient Tracks CD, Opcion Sonica, 1994 Due to the kind gesture of Gregory Kyryluk I was able to get to know this album of quiet ambient/space music, which was composed by the (Mexican?) composer Oscar Menzel,…
Release data: H.U.V.A. Network – Ephemeris CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 H.U.V.A. Network, aka Magnus Birgersson (also known as Solar Fields) and Vincent Villuis (aka Aes Dana) have come up with another collaborative project, in which their ambient sound architecture keenly…
Release data: Romerium – Pharaoh’s Immortality CD, Private Release, 2008 “Pharaoh’s Immortality” is the debut album by Rene Montfoort, aka Romerium, who’s a member of the Dutch electronic project Modular White. All tracks were composed, played, mixed and mastered between…
Release data: Ideation – Adrift CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 “Adrift”, the 40th release of the label Ricochet Dream, is a collaboration between Paul Nagle and Pete Ruczynski (of Air Sculpture), aka Ideation, who’s motto is to compose music “to float…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper –Radiate CD, Ricochet Dream, 2009 “Radiate” is the first live cd of “AnalogueJeff” Koepper, documenting the concert he did at The Gatherings on 14th April, 2008 in Philadelphia. Well, the outcome is an 71-minute energetic, analogue…
Release data: Schiller – Sehnsucht CD/DVD, Universal Domestic, 2008 Schiller, named after poet Friedrich Schiller, is the musical moniker of German electronical composer and producer Christopher von Deylen. Von Deylen is inspired by electronic bands like Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk and…
Release data: Various Artists – Shapes and Phases of Ambience CD, Ghost Sounds, 2008 This peculiar, limited edition compilation (which seems to be the first one in a series) by the Scandinavian label Ghost Sounds, comprises music from three different…
Release data: Dan Pound – Esoterica CD, Private Release, 2009 “Esoterica” is the first release of ambient musician Dan Pound in 2009. What this album especially reveals for me, is the fact that Dan has been further refining and shaping…
Release data: Azul y Negro – Deja Vu CD/DVD, Vaso Music, 2008 “Déjà Vu” is a limited edition cd/dvd release by Spanish musician Carlos Vaso, aka Azul Y Negro, containing electronic synth & techno pop music created between 2005 and…
Release data: Craig Padilla/Zero Ohms/Skip Murphy – Beyond the Portal CD, Lotuspike, 2009 February 10th, 2009 saw the release of “Beyond the Portal”, which is the follow-up album to the 2005-cd “Path of Least Resistance”. This time, Craig’s collaborator Skip…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Between Two Worlds CD, Private Music, 1987 “Between Two Worlds” is the second album of contemporary electronic composer and musician Patrick O’Hearn, whose debut album “Ancient Dreams” received lots of airplay and positive responses from…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – Ancient Dreams CD, Private Music, 1985 “Ancient Dreams” is the debut album by bassist and synthesist Patrick O’Hearn, which would soon become a favourite of many fans in the electronic music genre, together with its…
Release data: Patrick O’Hearn – So Flows the Current CD, Private Release, 2000 After being out of sight for quiet some years (except being a contributor to Steve Roach’s concept cd “The Ambient Expanse”), composer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick O’Hearn shows…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Shade CD, DiN, 2009 “Shade” is the fifth release of Greek electronic musician Bakis Sirros, aka Parallel Worlds, which is the studio follow-up to the album “Obsessive Surrealism”. Bakis himself considers the outcome as his…
Release data: Various Artists – Soundscape Gallery 2 CD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1998 This is the second instalment of the small American Lektronik label, which nicely follows in the footsteps of its predecessor. The outcome is a well-balanced collection of ambient/space…
Release data: Various Artists – Soundscape Gallery Series One CD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1996 “Soundscape Gallery Series One” comprises some excellent, not previously released ambient/space tracks by Jonn Serrie, Todd Fletcher, A Produce, Giles Reaves, Vidna Obmana, Robert Rich, Tony Gerber…
Release data: Michael Garrison – Point of Impact CD, Windspell Records/ Garrisongs Music, 1983 I personally feel the album “Point of Impact” is the best and most versatile album by Oregon-based musician Michael Garrison, who sadly died on March 24,…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vidna Obmana – Cavern of Sirens CD, Projekt Records, 1997 “Cavern of Sirens” is the follow-up of the duo’s previous album “Well of Souls”, again nicely packaged in a fold-out digipack containing beautiful artwork by…
Release data: Steve Roach – On this Planet CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1997 After several collaborative albums, “On this Planet” is a solo-release by Steve Roach, whose goal it was to capture the live-spirit and “on-the-edge concert explorations” in the…
Release data: Claude Chemin – Esthésies CD, Crystal Lake, 1994 This is one of the two self-released releases by the French electronic music community Crystal Lake. “Esthésies” offers eight long form tracks of slightly experimental oriented ambient music in which…
Release data: Steve Roach – The Magnificent Void CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1996 “The Void,” wrote metaphysician Stanislav Grof, “exists beyond form of any kind. While being a source of everything it cannot be itself derived from anything else. It…
Release data: Polaris – Background Stories CD, Ricochet Dream, 2008 Polaris hails from Poland, and is an electronic music studio project by Jakub Kmieć. The accessible and overall energetic music of his fourth album “Background Stories”, which is released as…
Release data: Slow Dancing Society – Priest Lake Circa ’88 CD, Hidden Shoal Recordings, 2008 Slow Dancing Society is a project of Washington-based musician and producer Drew Sullivan, who’s music is released through the Australian independent music label Hidden Shoal…
Release data: Steve Roach – Pure Flow CD, Timeroom Editions, 2001 “Pure Flow” (Timeroom Editions Collection 1), the seventh release on Steve Roach’s own label Timeroom Editions, offers “an essential flow of atmospheric soundscapes” made over the years. Initially provided…
Release data: Steve Roach – Structures from Silence CD, Fortuna Records/Projekt Records, 1984/2001 “Structures from Silence” was recorded in 1983 and 1984, a time that Steve Roach was living in Culver City, California. The mood music on this classic recording…
Release data: Steve Roach – Darkest before Dawn CD, Timeroom Editions, 2002 The press-sheet described this music as a “minimal, immersive sound environment” and “a deep zoneworld of glacial movement and magma-like flow”. In my opinion it most of all…
Release data: Constance Demby – Novus Magnificat CD, Hearts of Space, 1986 In the middle of the ’80s, classically trained female composer Constance Demby made a major work of contemporary classical spacemusic that is still regarded a monumental work in…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Taste It CD, Spheric Music, 2009 Since a couple of years, composer Robert Schroeder has found a new publishing home at Lambert Ringlage’s Spheric music, which releases both his solo releases as well as the…
Release data: Monolake – Hongkong CD, Chain Reaction, 1997 In the middle of the ‘90’s, Monolake (aka the German duo Robert Henke Gerhard Behles) released the album “HongKong”, which had been out of print for quite a while. Put out…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vidna Obmana – Spirit Dome / Live Archive CD, Projekt, 2009 This value-priced double album is a re-release of two recordings which have been unavailable for quite a while. “Live Archive” was originally released in…
Release data: Clifford White – Ascension CD, New World Music, 1985 “Ascension” is the debut release of UK-based musician Clifford White, who composed the music when he was 17 years old. Until now, it sold over 50.000 copies worldwide, making…
Release data: Solar Fields – Movements CD, Ultimae Records, 2009 Swedish producer Magnus Birgersson, aka Solar Fields, wrote his sixth album “Movements” in the same period when he was composing a score for the interactive in-game score for Electronic Arts…
Release data: James Murray – Where Edges Meet CD, Ultimae Records, 2008 “Where Edges Meet” is the debut release from British composer James Murray. James Murray is a London-based electro-acoustic sound artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who’s productions weave together elements…
Release data: Mind over Matter – Indian Meditation II CD, da Music, 2006 As the first album “Indian Meditation” was a big seller for the label, a second album under the same moniker was compiled Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock. Apart from one…
Release data: Mind over Matter – Indian Meditation CD, da Music, 2005 The music of Mind over Matter, aka Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, has always been heavenly influenced by the music from India, a country he travelled a lot. “Indian Meditation” offers…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Luminosity CD, Air Space Records, 2009 On the threshold of the new year, I received the fourth album of “AnalogueJeff” Koepper which is due for mid-January 2009. With “Luminosity”, Jeffrey Koepper wanted to explore ambient…
Release data: Axess – Voices of Dawn CD, Spheric Music, 2008 If I’m right, “Voices of Dawn” is the fourth album by German synthesist Axel Stupplich, aka Axess, who’s also known as a member of the band Pyramid Peak. The…
Release data: Dave Luxton & Aaron Gates – Futurus CD, Wayfarer Records, 2008 “Futurus” is a concept album of electronic musicians Dave Luxton and Aaron Gates, which initially started with the goal of creating musical representations of prominent themes that…
Release data: Australis – The Gates of Reality CD, Essential Noises, 2008 It took Australis, aka Oscar Aguayo, three years to compose a follow-up to his debut-album “Lifegiving”. For the new project, Oscar collaborated with young poet Virginia Luna, Andean…
Release data: David Parsons – Earthlight CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2008 About “Earthlight”, David states there’s nothing particularly special about the music, as its just a continuing evolution of what he does. He had, of late, preferred to use synthesisers almost…
Release data: Numina – Sound Symbols CD, NuminaMusic Recordings, 2008 The first shapes of this album were put down almost three years ago as the “Almost Live” project for the Ambient Ping download project. Over the years, Jessa Sola (aka…
Release data: Brunette Models – Last Poem CD, Generator.pl, 2008 The musican behind Brunette Models is one Piotr Krzyzanowski of which “Last Poem” is his fifth release. It’s a work of edgy atmospheric ambient with crispy elements, offering a strange…
Release data: Robert Fox – Evergreen CD, AD Music, 2008 I was very impressed by Robert’s previous album “Adonai”, so I had high hopes for “Evergreen”, a 65-minute concept album inspired by his homeland England. What we got here is…
Release data: Steve Roach & Erik Wøllo – Stream of Thought CD, Projekt, 2009 “Stream of Thought” is the long-awaited outcome of these two skilled musicians, of which the first drafts were already put down in 2007. Spanning exactly 70…
Release data: Tomasz Zawadzinski – Follow Me CD, Generator.Pl, 2008 The Polish Generator PL label must have a lot of faith in the music of Thomasz Zawadzinski as “Follow Me” is the musician’s second release this year. On the other…
Release data: David Helpling & Jon Jenkins – Treasure CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2007 “Treasure” took over six years in the making, but is certainly worth the wait as it offers the best of both worlds from these skilled musicians.…
Release data: David Helpling & Jon Jenkins – Beyond Words CD, Deep Exile Music, 2008 “Beyond Words” -subtitled “rare live treasures”– contains six tracks originally from the duo’s 2007 release “Treasure”, but now recorded at a live concert on August…
Release data: Max Corbacho – BreathStream CD, Private Release, 2008 “BreathStream” is the first of a series of releases made available as digital download only. The sonic content is described by the Max Corbacho as “seven atmospheric spaces built out…
Release data: Redshift – Turning Towards Us CD, Distant Sun, 2008 Those who know or own the previous Redshift releases will be surprised as the cd-cover has been completely overhauled for the bands 10th release, for which the typical Redshift…
Release data: Bluetech – Phoenix Rising CD, Somnia, 2008 Bluetech is a project by Evan Bartholomew, whose last release under that monniker came out in 2005. Referred to as a sort of “mini album”, the exactly 51-minute “Phoenix Rising” is…
Release data: Enya – And Winter Came CD, Warner Music, 2008 November 7th, 2008 saw the release of Enya’s seventh studio album “And Winter Came”, an album reflecting the feel of the winter season. Don’t expect anything new here, as…
Release data: Patrick Schouten – Soul of the Mountain CD, Private Release, 2007 Patrick Schouten is a Dutch sound designer, composer and producer. “Soul of the Mountain” is a moody (“emotionally charged”) ambient release, which explores airy environments, on which…
Release data: Abandoned Toys – The Witch’s Garden CD, Mythical Records, 2007 Abandoned Toys is a one-man project of American film music composer Brett Banning. “The Witch’s Garden” contains nine tracks, of which the style shifts between new age, contemporary…
Release data: Dan Pound – Night Watch CD, Private Release, 2008 Mr Pound keeps up releasing music in quite a high tempo, as November 2008 saw the release of “Night Watch”, music made for inner transformation and mind expansion. The…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Journey CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 The sound of the duo’s previous two vintage albums continues on the follow-up “Journey”, nicely venturing in more interesting corners of the Berliner School style. The 8-minute…
Release data: AirSculpture – TranceAtlantic CD, Neu Harmony, 2005 After “Fjord Transit” and “Quark Soup”, the English trio Adrian Beasley, Peter Ruczynski and John Christian aka AirSculpture treats its fans with another live album. “TranceAtlantic” documents two different live appearances…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Desert Realms CD, Lotuspike, 2008 Finally, two years after his nice ambient album “Moonwater”, New Zealand-based musician brings us the follow-up “Desert Realms”. The music of the cd is inspired by a weekend Rudy spent…
Release data: Byron Metcalf, Mark Seelig & Steve Roach –Nada Terma CD, Projekt, 2008 “Nada Terma” is the second collaborative effort between Byron Metcalf, Mark Selig & Steve Roach after their successful album “Mantram” (2006). “Nada Terma” (meaning: the world…
Release data: Robert Rich & Faryus – Zerkalo CD, Faria Records, 2008 “Tangential glimpses remotely echoed, untethered from touch. No time nor place, no past nor future, internal, external. Sculpting from energy, clouded motion vaguely slipping. Evanescent vibration, without meaning…
Release data: Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder – Live @ Dorfkirche Repelen 2 CD, Manikin Records, 2008 This release by the well-known trio Bas Broekhuis, Detled Keller and Mario Schönwälder is a double live album, which sees the musicians play with…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Silent Witnesses of Industrial Landscapes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2008 This is the fourth release of the duo Emmens & Heij, which was officially released on September 20th, 2008 at Electronic Circus…
Release data: Synth.nl – AtmoSphere CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 October 11th, 2008 saw the release of the second album of Dutch synthesist Synth.nl, aka Michel van Osenbruggen, a concept-cd inspired by the layers of air in the atmosphere surrounding our…
Release data: Cosmic Hoffmann – Outerspace Gems CD, Manikin Records, 2008 This is the second release of vintage rarity recordings (1978-1985) from Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock, aka Cosmic Hoffmann, now put out as a pressed cd on the established Berliner-based Manikin label.…
Release data: Ron Boots – Mea Culpa CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “Mea Culpa” is the unexpected, quick follow-up to “See Beyond Times, Look Beyond Words”, the latter being released in Spring 2008. Although the music on this new album shows…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Vostok CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2002 I remember playing and reviewing this album at the time it came out in 2002. At that time, I was kind of disappointed by its outcome, finding it rather…
Release data: Emanuele Errante – Humus CD, Somnia, 2008 Emanuele Errante is a Napoli-based Italian ambient composer, of which “Humus” is his second album. The cd contains 11 tracks, forming a slowly unfolding symphony of quiet soundscapes and carefully crafted…
Release data: Near the Parenthesis – L’Eixample CD, n5MD, 2008 Near the Parenthesis is the musical (dis)guise of San Francisco-based musician Tim Arndt, of which “L’Eixample” is his third full length release. Arndt himself describes his compositional style as “melancholic…
Release data: Food for Fantasy – Fruits of Fantasy CD, Spheric Music, 2008 This cd is the third album release of Food for Fantasy (of which each album release has a certain fruit as a theme). Food for Fantasy is…
Release data: Mythos – Surround Sound Offensive CD, Private Release, 2008 Mythos, aka Berlin-based musician Stephan Kaske, has come up with the idea to revive surround sound, which was introduced several years ago in hifi-world, but also rather quickly abandoned…
Release data: Dan Pound – Trance Meditation CD, Private Release, 2008 This version of “Trance Meditation” is actually a re-release of most of the music from the same album, which California-based ambient composer Dan Pound put out in 2006. This…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn – Mossebo CD, LotusPike, 2008 The album title “Mossebo” is named after the house where the actual music was composed and recorded. Composed and played by Swedish electronica producer Johan Agebjörn, it marks his ambient debut,…
Release data: Various Artists – Din 30 Index 03 CD, DiN, 2008 For the third time, label owner Ian Boddy has put together an almost 74 minute compilation, on which he has nicely cross-faded and mixed two tracks of titles…
Release data: Gandalf & Friends – Live in Vienna CD & DVD, BSC/Prudence, 2008 The material contained on this release celebrates the 20th anniversary of Austrian multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl, aka Gandalf, as a performing artist. The nicely designed and documented…
Release data: Thom Brennan – Stories from the Forest CD, TMB Soundworks, 2008 “Stories from the Forest”, is the long awaited tenth release of Thom Brennan, which was delayed as material was not hitting the mark Thom had envisioned. As…
Release data: Steve Roach – Empetus CD, Projekt, 1986/2008 This is the long awaited re-release of the classic album from 1986, which now comes as a collector’s edition double cd with brand new artwork. The first disc contains the original,…
Release data: Ian Tescee – A Traveler’s Guide to Mars CD, Private Release, 2007 “A Traveler’s Guide to Mars”, Ian Tescee’s fourth release, was inspired by the same book by space scientist and friend William K. Hartmann. The writings of…
Release data: Mark Rownd – Painting Twilight CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1998 The title of this 1998-release on the ambitious, high-quality label Spotted Peccary, pretty well describes the overall atmosphere and feel of the music. The type of music covered…
Release data: Create – Lost on an Island of Adventure CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 As Stephen explained in a previous interview, he wanted to push the Create sound further and offer something new whilst at the same time making sure…
Release data: Harold Budd – The White Arcades CD, Opal Records, 1988 “The White Arcades” is the follow-up to Harold Budd’s critically acclaimed album “Lovely Thunder”, offering 42 minutes of soothing ambient bliss. Especially the opening (title) track and the…
Release data: Harold Budd & Clive Wright – A Song For Lost Blossoms CD, Darla, 2008 “A Song for Lost Blossoms” (74:52) comprises the best music composed between 2004 and 2006 by minimal ambient musician Harold Budd and guitarist Clive…
Release data: Giles Reaves – Wunjo CD, MCA, 1986 Giles Reaves has working in the music business in Nashville since 1984, mostly in the studio. Around 1986 he was a staff engineer at a studio where country music was being…
Release data: Giles Reaves – Sea of Glass CD, Hearts of Space, 1992 This classic space music recording by Nashville-based synthesist Giles Reaves is one of those milestones that can stand the test of time for decades, as it still…
Release data: Ruben Garcia – Colors in Motion CD, Close Tolerance Music, 1992 “Colors in Motion” is the debut album of New Mexico-based minimalist composer, self-taught pianist, engineer, and producer Ruben Garcia, whose also a close friend of A Produce.…
Release data: Green Isac – Groundrush CD, Spotted Peccary/Wanderings, 2001 “Groundsrush”, the second release on Spotted Peccary’s sublabel Wanderings, is made by the Norwegian duo Andreas Eriksen and Morten Lund, aka Green Isac. The cd-box has a sticker with the…
Release data: David Wright – Dreams and Distant Moonlight CD, AD Music, 2008 Although I’m not into the music of David Wright nor his side project Code: Indigo, I had a pleasant introduction to his music when I encountered his…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – From Pale Hands to Weary Skies CD, Spotted Peccary, 2008 This cd by Michael Allison, aka Darshan Ambient, is a positive, uplifting work of both rhythmic and free form textural ambient, initially inspired by the…
Release data: Mathias Grassow & Jiří Mazánek – Inner Path CD, NextEra, 2008 As the press sheet to this meditative album explains, the idea of the music was “combining pure hand played acoustic instruments with modern electronics, samples and nature-sounds.…
Release data: Amethystium – Isabliss CD, Neurodisc, 2008 Almost four years after Øystein Ramfjord concluded his Dragonfly-trilogy, he now returns with “Isabliss”, which sound wise was to travel in a new direction. More concise sound experiments and sketches have been…
Release data: Robert Jíša – Space Voices CD, NextEra, 2007 This cd is a continuation of a series, as I found out on Robert’s website he previously released albums such as “Sea Voices”, “Forest Voices” and even “Rain Forest Voices”.…
Release data: Chris Armstrong – A.I. Awakens CD, Private Release, 2007 This is the first album in the Spaceage Furniture Music series by L.A.-based musician Chris Armstrong. The concept album on the evolution of artificial intelligence contains furniture music, a…
Release data: Ishq – Timelapse in Mercury CD, Virtual, 2001/2007 “Timelapse in Mercury” is the fourth release on the UK-based Virtual-label and the first in a new deeper series called “Virtual Space” which is all about deeper and more outer…
Release data: Resonant Drift – Flow Mingled Down CD, Private Release, 2006 Resonant Drift is a music project of the USA-based musician Bill Olien, who mentions in the cd-booklet he was inspired by Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Jonn Serrie, Paul…
Release data: Various Artists – Dreams of My Space Vol. 1 CD, Spheric Music, 2008 This compilation is an initiative of Robert Schroeder to promote some artists from MySpace, with the aim to attract the attention from record labels. The…
Release data: Steve Roach – Landmass CD, Timeroom Editions, 2008 The music on “Landmass” was especially composed and played live in the studio in May 2007 by Steve Roach for Chuck Van Zyl’s Star’s End radio program. In Steve’s words,…
Release data: Robert Jíša – Signs of the Zodiac CD, NextEra, 2007 Musician Robert Jíša, a graduate from Berklee College of Music, hails from Prague, Chech Republic, and has established himself as a mature soundtrack composer for the last couple…
Release data: RON BOOTS Derby! CD, Hearts of Space Records, 1988 As Michael explains in the cd booklet, this album –subtitled a journey in the key of space- is the first to focus on space as a theme, while his…
Release data: David Wright – Momentum CD, AD Music, 2008 Next to being one of the driving forces behind the successful project Code: Indigo, Suffolk-based musician David Wright is also pursuing a solo-career since 20 years. “Momentum” contains a studio…
Release data: Jon Mark – A Celtic Story CD, White Cloud, 1995 “A Celtic Story” is Jon Mark’s fourth album, this time released on his own White Cloud label. In just an hour, the listener is taken on a sonic…
Release data: Jon Mark – Land of Merlin CD, Kuckuck Schallplatten/Celestial Harmonies, 1992 Paying another tribute to his English heritage, Jon Mark’s “Land of Merlin” descends a level deeper, exploring the “time” of his stunning debut album “The Standing Stones…
Release data: Jon Mark – Alhambra CD, Kuckuck Schallplatten/Celestial Harmonies, 1992 Concept wise, this third album by New Zealand-based musician Jon Mark, takes a different direction compared to the previous two concept albums “Standing Stones of Callanish” and “Land of…
Jon Mark is best known as one half of the Mark-Almond band, session guitarist and producer, who now resides in New Zealand. Situated on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, the Callanish Stones (also called the Stonehenge of…
Release data: Paul Haslinger – Planetary Traveler OST CD, Third Planet Entertainment, 1998 This is the original soundtrack album former TD-member Paul Haslinger composed for “Planetary Traveler”, the brainchild of two-time Emmy award winning director/producer Jan C. Nickman, noted for…
Release data: Synco – Evolution of Events CD, Cue Records, 1991 The Berliner band Synco (short for SYNthesizer COoperation) was founded in 1984 by Frank Klare and Mirko Lüthge. In 1985 Werner Brandt (nickname Chaos) joined them. “Evolution of Events”…
Release data: Evan Marc & Steve Hillage – Dreamtime Submersible CD, Somnia, 2008 “Dreamtime Submersible” features the exiting collaboration of Tech House project Evan Marc (aka Evan Bartholomew, Bluetech,) and Steve Hillage (System 7). Released in strictly limited edition of…
Release data: Andrew Thomas Wilson – Carnarvon – Rain Forest CD, EMI Japan, 1984 “Carnarvon” is a Japanse import album by Australian composer, producer and musician Andrew Thomas Wilson, who describes the concept of the album in the linear notes…
Release data: Charles Crevier, Francois Kiraly & Jean-Francois Crevier – Music from the Sky CD, Disque Rubicon, 1987 This is the debut album of the trio Charles Crevier , Francois Kiraly, and Jean-Francois Crevier, all hailing from the Canadian Quebec-area.…
Release data: Francois Kiraly & Charles Crevier – Calypso CD, Disque Rubicon, 1989 “Calypso” is the second release by the Canadian duo Francois Kiraly and Charles Crevier. It’s a slowly evolving album of ten tranquil, slowly passing, occasionally slightly sequenced…
Release data: Xolotl – Procession CD, Erdenklang, 1982/1993 This classic album by the German Erdenklang-label is a re-release of the Bernhard Xolotl album that originally came out back in 1982. For this occasion, the 18-minute bonus track “Saturn Return” was…
Release data: Xylon – Mooncafe CD, Hypnotic/Cleoplatra, 1995 “Xylon is a German ambient duo consisting of Alfred Gregl and Torben Schmidt which originally released on Aural X-Perience in 1994. “Mooncafe” is a moody electro-ambient and chill-out trance release which could…
Release data: Max Corbacho – The Resonant Memory of Earth CD, Space for Music, 2002 After a long search, the talented Max Corbacho has found a new home at the US-label Space for Music. “The Resonant Memory of Earth”, of…
Release data: Steve Hillage – Rainbow Dome Musick CD, Virgin Records, 1979 The music captured on this classic blissed-out ambient album was recorded for the “Rainbow Dome” installation at the festival for Mind-Body-Spirit at Olympia London April 21-29 1979. The…
Release data: Nono Orchestra – Angels Breakin’ CD, Aurora/Amplexus, 1999 Nono Orchestra is an ambient project by Klaus Wiese, Mani Reisser and Rick Rummler, of which “Angels breakin” is their second release. As the cover explains, the central idea behind…
Release data: Hagen – Logos CD, Private Release, 1993 “In my opinion, this privately released recording by Bonn-based German musician Hagen is a remarkable one. The cd itself contains very little additional info, stating that ARP, Hohner, JEM, MFB Moog,…
Release data: Michael Stearns & Ron Sunsinger – Sorcerer CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2000 “Sorcerer”, Michael Stearns’ fourth album in 2000, is a concept album made in collaboration with Ron Sunsinger (“Kiva” and “Singing Stones”). The cd is dedicated to…
Release data: Rob Essers – A Lizards Walk CD, Cue Records NL, 1997 Those familiar with Rob’s very nice debut album “Raincolors” know TD’s music from 1973-1985 holds a special place in his heart. The linear note on the cd-sleeve…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Vestiges CD, Free Records, 1999 “Vestiges” is the beautiful debut album by Spanish ambient musician Max Corbaxo, who later would start his own label ad21Music with his friend Bruno Sanfilippo. More than once, he has…
Release data: Catalin – First Breath CD, AD Music, 1999 “First Breath” is the debut album by Catalin Marin, of which the overall sound carries distinct flavours of Vangelis. The nice booklet contains several Biblical phrases, which lends a certain…
Release data: AirSculpture – Fjord Transit CD, Neu Harmony Records, 1999 “Fjord Transit” came out rather unexpectedly at E-Live ’99. It contains the music the English trio played at the second Eurosonic Festival on the Swedish island Valo. In all,…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – The Healing Lake CD, White Cloud Music, 2000 The music of Rudy Adrian’s atmospheric recording “The Healing Lake” is rather similar to “Twilight”. The album features nine reflective tracks (making up 57 minutes of music)…
Release data: Yarek – Noc Na Zamku CD, Generator.pl, 2008 “Noc Na Zamku” (which can be translated as “A Night in the Castle”) by Yarek, aka Jarek Degorski, is the fourth release of the Polish Generator-label. This seems to be…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Lanzarote Concert CD, NO-CD Records, 1995 The double cd “The Lanzarote Concert” is a live recording with basic–tracks from DAT, documenting Mathias’ live performance in the “Cueva de los Verdes”, Lanzarote, on October 18th,…
Release data: Wave World – Cloudseeder CD, VFR Records, 2003 “Cloudseeder” is a double album by the Dutch trio Gert van Santen, Harry Kessels and graphics designer Rolf van Slooten. It’s a pity it isn’t graced with such a beautiful…
Release data: Klaus Wiese – Perfume CD, NextEra, 2006 “Perfume”, released as a limited edition digipak of 1019 copies, contains 12 electro-acoustic recordings using Tibetan singing bowls, chello, tabla, keyboards and nature sounds from ocean and wind. Gliding, warm atmospheric…
Release data: Tomasz Zawadzinski – Sounds like Pictures CD, Generator.Pl, 2008 According to the press info, Thomasz Zawadzinski’s “Sounds like Pictures” is a highly cinematic sonic experience whose sound is deeply rooted in the Berliner School sequencing tradition. The almost…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder – Analog Overdose 4+ CD, Manikin Records, 2007 This is my first encounter with the music of this duo, although I know the music of each of these established musicians is thoroughly rooted in the…
Release data: Konrad Kucz – Railroad Paths CD, Generator.pl, 2008 “Railroad Paths” contains lots of beautifully rendered vintage sounds and choir textures, fx’s and sequences, which almost immediately made my mind wander back to the great analogue days of the…
Release data: Robert Scott Thompson – Poesis Athesis CD, Lens Records, 2008 “Poesis Athesis” by composer Robert Scott Thompson is his debut release on Lens Records. Robert and Chi Kung Master Terrence Dunn worked together in the mid-80’s, and contacted…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Traces of the Past redux CD, Private Release, 1998/2007 This version of “Traces of the Past” is a reworked, improved version of the album that originally came out in 1998 on Spheric music. It comprises…
Release data: I Awake – The Core CD, Ultimae Records, 2008 The musician behind I Awake is the Stockholm based sound designer, soundtrack producer and musician Thomas Huttenlocher. “The Core” comes in a deluxe digi-pack with great digital art work…
Release data: Natural Frequencies – Tranquility in Motion CD, Ozella Music, 2007 Natural Frequencies is an ambient/chill-out project from the late Andreas Leifeld, who sadly passed away on February 1st 2006, only 50 years old. The music on “Tranquillity in…
Release data: Robert Fox – Adonai CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2008 The concept album “Adonai”, originally created for theatre, is Robert’s evocative sonic telling of the Easter Story and a remarkable man from a human point of view. Assembled of…
Release data: Amin Bhatia – Virtuality CD, Private Release, 2008 Amin Bhatia’s new album “Virtuality” was released on May 23, 2008, the birthday of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog. It’s presented as a double concept album featuring a sci-fi trip inside…
Release data: Paul Hartzog – Faces CD, Cydonia Records, 1996 Only recently someone pointed my attention to this “forgotten” recording from American musician Paul Hartzog, which has remained the only one until now. The impressionistic idea Paul Hartzog wanted to…
Release data: Paul Speer – Oculus CD, Rainstorm Records, 2008 Some might know this musician from his collaborative works “Natural States” and “Desert Visions” with David Lanz. In a way, the music on this cd sounds vaguely familiar to that,…
Release data: Entheogenic – Flight of the Urubus CD, Universal Symbiosis Records, 2008 The electronic band Entheogenic, founded in 1999, are the UK-duo Helmut Glavar and Piers Oak-Rhind which seem to be known for their peculiar mixture of tribal instruments,…
The contemporary instrumental album “Glow in the Dark” is the follow-up of Mr Bartlett’s 2003 release “Near-Life Experience”, which blends a varied mixture of emotional electronics with lyrical guitar work, again slightly following in the footsteps of Mike Oldfield. Kevin’s…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder – Analog Overdose 4 CD & DVD, Manikin Records, 2007 Fanger & Schönwälder’s “Analog Overdose 4” comes in a Manikin-style double-digipak holding an audio cd and a dvd. The cd contains three extended tracks of…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Symphony for Vampires CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Picture Palace Music is a project by Berlin/Vienna based keyboarder Thorsten Quaeschning, who joins Edgar Froese in Tangerine Dream very often. His band’s goal is to reproduce…
Release data: Immersion Theory – The [Icarus] Foray CD, Private Release, 2007 Those of you out there looking for a good release in the genre of deep ambient space music, should make sure to get a copy of this beauty.…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light of the Pleiades (Deep Skies 3) CD, Eventide Music, 2008 “Light of the Pleiades” is the third instalment in Kevin’s Deep Skies series, on which he attempts to capture the vast spaces, nebulae and…
Release data: Steve Roach – A Deeper Silence CD, Timeroom Editions, 2008 Steve Roach continues his quest into the deep end of the soundcurrent, and has come up with “A Deeper Silence”. Reflecting back on his beautiful ’84 classic recording…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Interloper CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 Premiered live in concert at Stockholm’s Cosmonova Planetarium in November 2009, “Interloper” is the third full-length acid ambient album by the Swedish duo Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad. Although…
Release data: [‘ramp] Looking Back in Anger – a decade of misfits CD, Doombient, 2006 The Doombient-release “Looking Back in Anger” is 78-minute retrospective compilation by the duo Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski. It provides an overview of nine rare…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Nearest Faraway Place Vol. 1 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 This cd, the first part of a trilogy, contains the music Gert composed for the Gasometer concert-gig on November 10th, 2007 in Germany. The outcome…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Live @ Liphook 2007 CD, Manikin Records, 2008 I lost sight of the interesting German band Rainbow Serpent, aka Frank Specht and Gerd Wienekamp, after Arndt Maschinski’s label Ardema Music (which released their music) discontinued…
Release data: Klaus Schulze & Lisa Gerrard – Farscape CD, Synthetic Symphony/SPV, 2008 “Farscape” is a double cd containing the track “Liquid Coincidence”, which comes in seven different “Parts”, all ranging between 13 and 32 minutes. From the start, it…
Release data: W.A.dePhul – When aliens meet a drop of water CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Some might remember this musician from the short period he worked with Tangerine Dream back in the late eighties. Ralf, who nowadays works as freelance…
Release data: Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy – Analog Destination CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “Analog Destination” is a actually a live album, which finds the two American musicians in excellent musical shape. The cd, described by the duo as “a…
Release data: [‘ramp] Oughtibridge CD, Doombient, 2005 “JaThe music of “Oughtibridge” was recorded live at Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory on June 23, 2001, containing 12 tracks of live, improvised and unrehearsed of music by Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski aka…
Release data: Nattefrost – Transformation CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “Transformation” is the third album on Groove Unlimited by Danish musician Bjørn Jeppesen aka Nattefrost. Clocking at exactly 56 minutes, it offers ten melodic, up-tempo sequencer tracks, with Robert Schröder collaborating…
Release data: Serge Blenner – Musique de Chambre CD, MdeC Editions, 2008 “Musique de Chambre” is the 17th album by the French/German musician Serge Blenner, who lives in Hamburg for quite some years now. The 12 tracks on the 24-bit…
Release data: Ron Boots – See Beyond Times, Look Beyond Words CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 After the impressive as haunting concept album “Acoustic Shadows”, Ron Boots returns with a “lighter” cd. It was inspired by his love for books and…
Release data: Spyra – Gasoline 91 Octane CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Wolfram “Der” Spyra” continues his successful Berliner-School inspired sonic explorations with “Gasoline 91 Octane”, released April 4th 2008, which contains six wonderful electronic compositions. The almost 63-minute album is…
Release data: VoLt – HjVi CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 This cd contains the music VoLt played at their concert at Hampshire Jam 6 at Liphook, UK, on October 20th 2007. The disc offers over 76 minutes of music, split in…
Release data: Tim Story – In Another Country CD, Eurock, 1982/1995 This album, the second full-length release by Ohio-based musician Tim Story, originally only came available on cassette, a year later followed by a vinyl release (for which two tracks…
Release data: Remy – This is Not The End CD, AKH Records, 2008 April 13th 2008 “This Is Not The End” saw he light of day at E-Day 2008. This new album by Remy Stroomer, aka Remy, opens the door…
Release data: Numina – Shift to the Ghost CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2006 With “Shift to the Ghost”, Numina, aka Jesse Sola, brings us a one long form piece of carefully shaped and sculptured ambient music, which is subdivided in seven…
Release data: Free System Projekt – Gent CD, Private Release, 2007 “Ja“Gent” documents a live performance of the trio Ruud Heij, Marcel Engels and Frank van der Wel, recorded on May 28th 2005 at the Backstage in Ghent, Belgium. The…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Light Echoes CD, Neu Harmony, 2006 Although the title might suggest something different, the sonic content of “Light Echoes” is a spiralling, high-energy drive of vintage electronics. Like his previous recording “Impasse”, the 66-minute “Light…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – Goodbye CD, Independiente Music, 2007 The German musician Ulrich Schnauss, who now has settled down in the UK, definitely has reshuffled the cards for the music on this album. “Goodbye”, his first album in about…
Release data: Jerome Froese – Shiver me Timbers CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 October 29, 2007 finally saw the release of Jerome Froese’s cd “Shiver me Timbers”. It’s his second full-length album, on which he sonically further detaches himself from the…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Soundmill Navigator CD, TDI Music, 2000 “Soundmill Navigator”, a Tangerine Dream Classics Edition, contains a vintage live recording from 1976, where the trio Baumann, Froese and Franke performed a concert at the Philharmonics. The almost…
Release data: Colourform – Visions of Surya CD, Virtual Records, 2008 Colourform is an ambient project of Matt Hillier (aka Isqh) and the late Jake Stephenson. Like the previous two Virtual-releases “Visions of Surya” comes with a beautifully designed cd-booklet.…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Electric Fairytales CD, Bajkal Records, 2008 The Norwegian quartet Wintherstormer, playing analogue instruments only, recorded the “live-in-studio” music of “Electric Fairytales” in front of an audience. Although retro in vein, their improvised output always continued to…
Release data: Kettel – Myam James Part I CD, Sending Orbs, 2008 Kettel is the alias of the Dutch intelligent dance music composer Reimer Eising, of which “Myam James” is the first of a series of albums. His gear consist…
Release data: Brainwork – Ten CD, Cue Records, 2008 “Ten” is the tenth studio album by Cologne-based musician Uwe Saher, which he totally dedicated to the Berliner School. It was this style that ruled the genre when Uwe started off…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Sequentaria CD, Air Space Records, 2008 As the title suggests, the listener undergoes a sequencer-ride through vintage electronic music, for which skilled hands combined a whole bunch analogue gear with some modern instruments of today.…
Release data: Carboneids – Synthsyg CD, Mellowjet Records, 2007 “Synthsyg” is Carboneids’ debut album on the German Mellowjet label, but it’s actually a re-release of the same album that already came out on HZ-Records in 2005. Carboneids are the Danish…
Release data: Kerry Leimer – Lesser Epitomes CD, Palace of Lights, 2007 The ambient music on this cd is a collection of modern chamber music made with electronics. Split in three long suites, it’s a textural free form piece of…
Release data: Arrocata – In the Distance CD, Sonoran Winds Music, 2006 Arrocata is a project from Arizona-based musician Robert Straub, a long time resident of the Sonoran Desert. “In the Distance”, which draws inspiration from the expansive open spaces…
Release data: Origen – Electro CD, Private Release, 2004 “Electro” is the debut album of the Origen, aka Alexsey and Denis Zakharenko, a duo from the Ukraine who established the band in 1996. “Electro” is a collection of 13 melodic…
Release data: Kwook – Skywave CD, Blue Oasis/DataObscura, 2008 Kwook is an ambient project of the Australian musician Simon Bennett. Where his previous album UFO was quite outer-space themed, Bennett’s second album “Skywave” is a musical survey of shortwave radio.…
Release data: Konrad Kucz – Vita Contemplativa – Litania – CD, Generator.pl, 2008 This is the first release of the Polish Generator-label, and as the title already suggests, it’s a nice contemplative affair into symphonic ambient music. I got the…
Release data: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy – React CD, DiN, 2008 For me, these two talented and experienced musicians have already proved what they are capable of on their previous two studio albums. “React” is proof of their first…
Release data: Memory Geist – Funereal Cavern CD, Musica Maxima Magnetica, 2007 Memory Geist is a collaborative project of the Greek musician Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) and Australian composer Steve Law (aka Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission). “Funereal Cavern” is…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Below The Mountain CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2008 “Below the Mountain” is a beautiful ambient and deep space offering by skilled electronic musician Craig Padilla. Created on analogue synthesizers for the most biggest part, the…
Release data: Aquavoice – Cold CD, Generator.pl, 2008 From the first tracks of this carefully moulded and shaped ambient album, it becomes clear that the composer Tadeusz Luczejko has invested a lot of attention and time to the outcome. “Cold”…
Release data: Chad Kettering – Into the Infinite CD, Soniclayers Music, 2008 Chad Kettering is an electronic ambient artist from Texas, USA. He started out as a professional trumpet player, and for many years he performed with various orchestras and…
Release data: Pantha du Prince – This Bliss CD, Dial/Kompakt, 2007 Don’t be fooled by the title, as this album features instrumental minimal-techno music by German DJ, producer and composer Hendrik Weber, who operates under the alias Pantha du Prince.…
Release data: Evan Bartholomew – Secret Entries into Darkness CD, Somnia, 2008 “Secret Entries into Darkness” is the second sonic storytelling by Portland based musician Evan Bartholomew (aka Bluetech) on his newly founded Somnia-label. Like it predecessor, it’s a limited…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo & Mathias Grassow – Ambessence – piano & drones CD, ad21 Music, 2008 After his introspective solo album “Piano Textures”, Spanish composer Bruno Sanfilippo collaborated with German ambient musician Mathias Grassow to create the transparent, sedate…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – D.MO Vol. 2 CD, Spheric Music, 2008 Back in 1998, Cue Records released volume 1 in this series of unreleased original recordings 1978-1982, and I remember that one sounded and looked rather amateurish. February 2008…
Release data: Hol Baumann – [Human] CD, Ultimae Records, 2008 “[Human]” is the first cd of Lyon-based sound designer and musician Hol Baumann, aka Olivier Orand. To me, Baumann’s peculiar form of down-tempo music is rather different from the usual…
Release data: Spyra – High Phidelity CD, Ricochet Dream, 2007 I’ve always considered it a pleasure to discover the new musical adventures of German musician Wolfram “Der” Spyra, who now brings us his double album “High Phidelity”. It offers over…
Release data: David Parsons – Surya CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2008 After a very long wait, we can finally welcome “Surya”, an album which nicely continues the deep atmospheric realms which David explored on his album “Inner Places” release. For the…
Release data: Various Artists – Ricochet Gathering Mojave 2003 CD, Ricochet Dream, 2004 The outcome of this double cd was realized during sessions recorded live on April 25-29, 2003, in the Mojave Desert in California. On this occasion, several musicians…
Release data: Alio Die & Martina Galvagni – Eleusian Lullaby CD, Projekt, 2008 “Eleusian Lullaby” is a harmonious, serene collection of acoustical improvisations with voice, psaltery, zither, cithara, bells, metals and field recordings by Alio Die, aka Stefano Musso. Music…
Release data: Michael Stearns – The Storm CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2001 The content of this album by ambient master Michael Stearns is not as new as one might think. In fact, half of the twelve tracks on the album…
Release data: Jeff Pearce –Bleed CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2002 With “Bleed”, his seventh album on Hypnos recordings, ambient guitarist Jeff Pearce present us a very personal piece of work. Inspired by recently-revisited entries to his teen-age journal, the outcome represents…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – The Light Beyond CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2001 “The Light Beyond” is a live album, recorded at Chuck van Zyl’s Star’s End radio show after string master Jeff Pearce did a concert at The Gatherings in…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – Vestiges CD, Private Release, 1998 “Vestiges”, the third album of the skilled American ambient musician Jeff Pearce, comes in the typical trademark cover of Hypnos recordings. Pearce composed and recorded all music at night with…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – To the Shores of Heaven CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1999 “To the Shores of Heaven” is the fifth album by Indiana-based ambient musician Jeff Pearce, by many better know as composer of “spacious music for strings”.…
Release data: Mantaray – Numinous Island CD, Silent Records/Demon Tea, 1995/1999 This is in fact a re-release of an album that already came out in 1995 on Silent Records, but I found out it was also re-released in 2003. Mantaray…
Release data: Galactic Anthems – Galactic Anthems CD, Private Release, 2002 The musician behind Galactic Anthems is Glenn Adams. He attended Berklee College of music for several years and later on graduated in music composition at California State University. This…
Release data: Force Majeure – Total Eclipse CD, Periferic Records, 1999 Force Majeure, aka Laszlo Kovacs and Zsolt Vidovenyecz, hails from Hungary. “Total Eclipse” is their debut cd, dedicated to the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999. The music shows…
Release data: Various Artists – Future Memories CD, Interchill Records, 2008 “Future Memories” is the first Interchill release of 2008 and continues in the musical tradition as the previous compilations such as “Interior Horizons”, “Infinessence” and “Bliminal”. The cd, compiled…
Release data: John Foxx & Harold Budd – Translucence & Drift Music CD, Edsel Records/Metamatic Records, 2003 Ambient fans who love to listen to delicate, introspective music should make sure to find a copy of this brand-new delicacy. Packaged in…
Release data: Art of Infinity – Dimension Universe CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 Art of Infinity is a German band founded by Thorsten Sudler-Mainz and Thorsten Rentsch. The concept album “Dimension Universe” is their second release, described as their endless journey into…
Release data: Cyber Zen Sound Engine – Moonscapes: How Stones become enlightened CD, N-Light Records, 2000 “Moonscapes” is the debut album of the Houston based duo Cyber Zen Sound Engine, aka the anonymous duo GraceNoteX and Smith6079. The music contained…
Release data: Cyber Zen Sound Engine & Matt Borghi – The Intercepted Transmissions CD, N-Light Records, 2001 For their second cd, the duo CZSE have successfully worked together with Houston-based ambient composer and writer Matt Borghi. The overall music gives…
Release data: Cyber Zen Sound Engine – Ausländer CD, N-Light Records, 2002 “Ausländer” is the third album of the mysterious American duo Smith6079 and GraceNoteX, aka Cyber Zen Sound Engine. The concept album is “dedicated to everyone who know how…
Release data: Paul Avgerinos – Muse of the Round Sky CD, Hearts of Space/ Round Sky Music, 1992/2002 This album by Greek bass player Paul Avgerinos has stayed unnoticed for many for a long time, but when it was given…
Release data: Paul Avgerinos – Words Touch CD, Round Sky Music, 2001 “Words Touch” is the follow-up to Paul’s album “Sky of Grace”, which again blends soft-symphonic and tribal-kindred ingredients. It’s done in a keen way, as things stay overall…
Release data: Paul Avgerinos – Sky of Grace CD, Round Sky Music, 1998 Greek/American musician and producer Paul Avgerinos hails from Redding, Connecticut, where he started his own professional analogue/digital Unicorn studio in 1984. Some might know him from his…
Release data: Jeff Pearce – Lingering Light CD, Private Release, 2005 Back in 1993, ambient musician Jeff Pearce released his first album “Tenderness and Fatality”, after which he continued to impress me by releasing beautiful, floating and meandering ambient music…
Release data: Erik Seifert – Astronomical Unit CD, Spheric Music, 2008 “Astronomical Unit”, Erik Seifert’s fourth album (but his first on Spheric Music), was officially released February 8th 2008, and actually is a live album. The music of the concept…
Release data: Various Artists – The Other World CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1998 Hypnos owner Mike Griffin again has succeeded in a great effort: he managed to select an extraordinary cast out of today’s best ambient- composers, who contribute to this…
Release data: Hans-Joachim Roedelius & Tim Story – Inlandish CD, Grönland/Rough Trade, 2008 I’ve never been a fan of the rather experimental sounding works of former krautrock musician Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and I also had a rather hard time after Ohio-based…
Release data: Vangelis – El Greco – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD, Universal Music Greece/Polydor, 2007 December 2007 saw the release of the soundtrack “El Greco” to the motion picture by Iannis Smaragdis, for which Vangelis collaborated with The Choir…
Release data: John Lakveet – The Force of Reason CD, Groove Unlimited, 2004 John Lakveet’s “The Force of Reason” contains some vintage electronic music, presented in shorter tracks than is common in the genre, in which the sequencer plays an…
Release data: Heavenly Music Corporation – Lunar Phase CD, Silent Records, 1995 The musician behind the project Heavenly Music Corporation is sound designer and musician Kim Cascone, who founded his own label Silent Records around the mid ‘80s. For “Lunar…
Release data: Something Completely Different – The Last Gate CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 Due to the big amount of releases in foreign countries I would almost forget their’s also a lot of interesting electronic music produced almost next door. There’s…
Release data: Something Completely Different – Book Of Love CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 Almost around the same time as “The Last Gate” was released, the album “Book of Love” also came out on the same label. This cd contains 78:30…
Release data: Steve Roach – Arc of Passion CD, Projekt, 2008 Although Steve Roach has been around such a long time in ambient space music, he’s still able to suprise me after all these years. The origins of the double…
Release data: Markus Reuter & [‘ramp] – Ceasing to Exist CD, Doombient, 2000/2007 The album “Ceasing to Exist” is what I would call a beautiful but intensive journey into the darkening lands of ambient music. For this 63-minute release, Frank…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Wind Journey CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2001 This is Erik’s second cd on Spotted Peccary’s sublabel Wanderings, and this time the content is much more electronic. “Wind Journey” contains 70 minutes of beautiful instrumental music,…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Guitar Nova CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2000 “Guitar Nova” came out in the middle of October 2000 and is the first release of the Norwegian musician Erik Wollo on Spotted Peccary’s sublabel Wanderings. As the…
Release data: Deep Sky Divers – Momentum CD, Any Robinhood, 2001 Deep sky Divers are the Scottish duo John Short and David Jones, who have previously released three other albums (“Natural Power”, “Every Generation” and “In the Northern Sky”). “Momentum”…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Phaedra 2005 CD, Eastgate, 2005 For this project, father and son Froese took the music of the classic “Phaedra” album and reworked and remixed (read: tangenitized) it to make it fit in a more modern…
Release data: John Lakveet – Epikus CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 The Spanish musician John Lakveet is one of the members of the band At-Moos, who decided to pursue a solo career like his band companion musician Dom F. Scab. “Epikus”…
Release data: Various Artists – Fahrenheit Project Part 3 CD, Ultimae Records, 2002 This is the third compilation from the small French label Ultimae, which continues releasing some fine “panoramic music for panoramic people”. The cd contains “a selection of…
Release data: Frank Klare – Digitalic CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 Frank Klare describes “Digitalic” as the musical successor of the his album “Analogic”, containing six recordings made between 2003 and 2007. Mr Klare has an energetic way of composing electronic…
Release data: The Nightcrawlers – Traveling Backwards CD, Manikin Records, 1997 The Nightcrawlers was a US-band from New Jersey, consisting of Peter and Steve Gulch and David Lunt, who by now are regarded as composers of classic electronic music. The…
Release data: Spyra – Excerpts 1 CD, Ricochet Dream, 1992/2004 “Excerpts 1” comprises eight tracks Wolfram Spyra composed between 1986 and 1992. This version is actually the cd version of an album which originally was released as a limited edition…
Release data: Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene (New Master recording) CD & DVD, EMI/Capitol, 2007 To celebrate the 30th anniversary of his classic album “Oxygene”, Jean Michel Jarre had the plan to completely re-record the original music with the original…
Release data: Steve Joliffe – Poland CD, Ricochet Dream, 2006 What I got here is actually a live recording made at the Ricochet Festival in September 2004. “Poland” contains three long tracks, kicked of by the strange mixed bag “Spring…
Release data: Robert Fox – Touching the Serpent’s Tail CD, AD Music, 2007 By whatever reason, I lost touch of the music by the English musician Robert Fox after his third release or so, although I liked his music quite…
Release data: Various Artists – Oxycanta – Winter Blooms CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 “Winter Blooms” is the second compilation under the Oxycanta-monniker, compiled by labelmanager, musician and dj Mahiane. It features over an hour of new, modern electronics by the…
Release data: Inade – Aldebaran CD, Cold Spring, 1996/2007 I received this cd together with the re-release of Sleep Research Facility’s “Nostromo”. “Aldebaran” appears to be the debut album of Inade, aka the German duo Knut Enderlein and René Lehmann…
Release data: Sleepresearch_Facility – Nostromo CD, Cold Spring, 2007 “Nostromo” is actually a re-release of an album by Sleep Research Facility, aka Kevin Doherty, which was already put out in 2001. It’s a concept album inspired by the spaceship Nostromo…
Release data: Solar Fields – EarthShine CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 November 2007 saw the the release of the fifth Solar Fields album “EarthShine”. This time, the Swedish composer Magnus Birgersson presents eight lenghty tracks which are firmly rooted in atmospheric…
Release data: Evan Bartholomew – Caverns of Time CD, Somnia, 2007 “Caverns of Time” is the first release on the new Somnia-label, founded by Evan Bartholomew, aka Bluetech. Evan explains the music “explores a mythical journey into subconscious realms, and…
Release data: Deep Sky Divers – Highlands & Skylands CD, Any Robinhood, 2002 “Highlands & Skylands” by David Jones and Jon Short, aka the Brittish duo Deep Sky Divers, is a haunting album filled with highly cinematic music inspired by…
Release data: Kerry Leimer – The Useless Lesson CD, Palace of Lights, 2007 Mr Leimer explains this cd is comprised of constructed and deconstructed pieces juxtaposed to disclose the contrasts and commonality of organizing and recognizing sound into music. Well,…
Release data: Sunya Beat – The Jelenia Gora Sessions CD, Ricochet Dream, 2005 The music of this cd was recorded live in Jelenia Gora, Poland at Teatr Jeleniogorski during the Ricochet Gathering September 10, 2004. It features Harald Grosskopf and…
Release data: Mark Jenkins – This Island Earth CD, Ricochet Dream, 2006 The 66 minute cd “This Island Earth” comprises music recorded and composed on analogue and digital equipment on various locations on our globe, presented in three suites. For…
Release data: Conrad Schnitzler – Conviction CD, Ricochet Dream, 2006 “Conviction” is a limited edition cd of only 300 copies, released on the American label Ricochet Dream. It’s my first encounter with the hypnotizing, industrial sound experiments of Mr Schnitzler,…
Release data: Telomere – The Stellar Sea CD, Evenfall, 2007 Six years after his second release, Christopher MacDonald aka Telomere presents us his long awaited album “The Stellar Sea”. Like the previous recordings, it is merely composed with the Serge…
Release data: Eric van der Heijden – Da Capo CD, Groove Unlimited, 1998 After seven long years of waiting and ongoing requests from fans for new music, October 1998 finally saw the release of Eric van der Heijden’s second album…
Release data: Eric van der Heijden – Cosmic Flight No. 3 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 “Cosmic Flight no. 3” is Eric’s third album, which was released five years after his great cd “Da Capo”. It actually premiered on E-Live 2003,…
Release data: Eric van der Heijden – Universal Time Zone CD, Synteam/ Groove Unlimited, 1991/1998 Musician Eric van der Heijden is a close friend of Ron Boots, who met each other at the Klemdag 1989, which actually was the start…
Release data: Thomas Ronkin – Symmetric CD, Tristissima Records, 2009 Four years after his very nice debut album “Within: Distance”, Thomas Ronkin presents us the double cd “Symmetric”, featuring strong musical contrasts and nice stereo effects. It also reflects the…
Release data: Thomas Ronkin – Within; Distance CD, Tristissima Records, 1997 Thomas Ronkin hails from Manhattan Beach, California, who’s music was recommended to me by “Mr A Produce” Barry Craig. Thomas, who seems to have worked with Steve Roach at…
Release data: Free System Projekt & Dave Brewer – Ricochet Gathering Okefenokee 2000 CD, Ricochet Dream, 2007 This is actually some kind of re-vamped edition of the same titled cd which was released in 2000 on Groove Unlimited. It now…
Release data: Hypnosphere – Magnetism CD, Spheric Music, 2007 This is my first encounter with the music of the German project Hypnosphere, aka Lambert Ringlage (electronic musician and owner of Spheric Music) and Wolfgang Barkowski (aka Alien Nature). The duo…
Release data: GoGooo – Long, lointain CD, Baskaru, 2007 GoGooo is a music project of the French composer Gabriel Hernadez. “Long, Lointain” (“Long, far”) is a peculiar ambient release with miniature ambient music, assembled with what I would call a…
Release data: Ololiuqui – Other Side of Odra CD, Ricochet Dream, 2007 The beautiful designed “Other Side of Odra” contains a live recording from Ololiuqui, aka the German musician Volker König, at the Ricochet Gathering Poland 2004. The album was…
Release data: Syndromeda – A Day in the Fields CD, SinSyn, 2005 Syndromeda (The Synthesizer Syndrome of Andromeda) is the moniker of Belgium synthesist Danny Budts. “A Day in the Fields” is a concept album, which was commissioned by the…
Release data: Cymphonic – Strataradialis CD, DataBloem, 2007 “Strataradialis” is the second album by Cymphonic, aka the Dutch ambient sound sculptor and musician Stanley Swinkels. I must confess it took me quite some time and several extra spins in the…
Release data: Vincent Bruley – Dauphins et Baleines CD, Origins, 1997/2004 “Dauphins et Baleines” is no. 14 out of the series “Collection Oxygène”, which mixes nature sound with electronic music. The cd contains four long tracks, making up for 48…
Release data: Vincent Bruley – La Nature s’endort CD, Origins, 1997 Well, most of the description of the album “Dauphins et Baleines” also applies to music on “La Nature s’endort”, which is no. 7 of the series “Collection Oxygène”. It…
Release data: Brain Laughter II – Not Far from a Distant Sun CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 1995 This is the long-awaited second album of Brain Laughter, a project of Howard Givens who’s assisted by nine guest musicians, which includes Steve…
Release data: Kevin Braheny – Galaxies (Original Soundtrack Music) CD/MC, Hearts of Space, 1988 Kevin Braheny composed this soundtrack for the Hansen Planetarium-show. “Galaxies” offers some great floating space music which a lot of fans of the genre will like.…
Release data: Ron Boots – Liquid Structures in Solid Form CD, Groove Unlimited, 2002 “Liquid Structures in Solid Form”, which comes in special metal cd-case, marks Ron’s return to overall analogue sounds. Put in his own words: “it’s like going…
Release data: Ron Boots – 80’s Box CD, Groove Unlimited, 2000 This six cd-box “80’s Box”, which comes with an extended booklet with lots of information and photo’s. It contains five long out-of-print cassette albums by Dutch musician Ron Boots,…
Release data: Ron Boots – Area Movement CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 The music of the 2003-album “Area Movement” is the outcome of 1,5 year of hard work. Again, it was assembled, composed and produced in Ron’s own Dreamscape Studio, although…
Release data: Ron Boots – Detachment of Worldly Affairs CD, Cue Records NL/ Groove Unlimited, 1994/1999 For Dutch musician Ron Boots, the album “Detachment Of Worldly Affairs” is a very personal one. The origins of the music go back to…
Release data: RON BOOTS Acoustic Shadows CD, Groove Unlimited, 2006 “Acoustic Shadows” is an amazing concept album by Ron Boots on the theme of war, different war periods and the various reasons which caused them. It is also a tribute…
Release data: Ron Boots – Different Stories and Twisted Tales CD, Cue Records NL/ Groove Unlimited, 1993/2004 Ron Boots always had a great interest in fantasy and the stories of Tolkien in particular, which partly became a source of inspiration…
Release data: Ron Boots – Ghost of a Mist CD, Cue Records NL/Groove Unlimited, 1991/2002 After the tremendous success of Ron’s debut cd “Dreamscapes”, lots of fans had been eagerly waiting for his next album. “Ghost of a Mist” inhabits…
Release data: Ron Boots & Friends – By Popular Demand CD, Cue Records NL/ Groove Unlimited, 1993/1999 “By Popular Demand” is the first live cd by Ron Boots and Friends, which contains photo’s on the cd-sleeve taken by yours truly.…
Release data: John Kerr & Ron Boots – Offshore Islands CD, Synteam/New World Artists Music / Groove Unlimited, 1990/1998 “Offshore Islands” is a classic album released on Synteam/New World Artists Music in August 1990. On this concept cd, the classic/symphonic…
Release data: Ron Boots – Tainted Bare Skin CD, Groove Unlimited, 1998 “Tainted Bare Skin”, released in October 1998, comes in a yellow cd-case with some very nice photography of Ron’s wife Monique on the cover. The disc contains 70…
Release data: Markus Reuter & Robert Rich – Eleven Questions CD, Unsung Records, 2007 “Eleven Questions”, which comes in a Super Jewel Box packaging, is a collaborative album of ambient musician Robert Rich and ambient guitarist Markus Reuter. The cd…
Release data: Steve Roach – Fever Dreams III CD, Timeroom Editions, 2007 This is the closing chapter of the “Fever Dreams” project, a double album on which Steve Roach taps another time into the pool of ambient sonic scenery. On…
Release data: Bernd Kistenmacher – Un viaggio attraverso l’Italia CD, BSC/Prudence, 2001 “Un Viaggio attraverso l’Italia” is the outcome of several visits Bernd Kistenmacher made to Italy during spring and summer 2000. The album contains his performance, which at first…
Release data: Ron Boots –Ron Boots – Current CD, Cue Records NL / Groove Unlimited, 1997 The album “Current” was presented at the “Truth or Dare” concert of Ron Boots and friends on September 13, 1997 in Eindhoven. The cover…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Drifted Into Deeper Lands CD, Groove Unlimited/ Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2000/2007 The music of “Drifted Into Deeper Lands” was inspired by Gregory’s dreams and journeys into the Great Southwestern deserts of Arizona and New…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Transcendence CD, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 1995/2007 “Transcendence” is actually the first cd by Gregory Kyryluk, aka Alpha Wave Movement. It contains 50 minutes of beautiful, well composed, sculptured and refined electronic music which journeys…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion: Three CD, Projekt, 2007 “Immersion: Three” is the next chapter of the Steve Roach’s Immersion-series. It’s a triple cd released in a very nice looking fold-out dvd digipack limited to 1000 copies. Like the…
Release data: Project Two Point One – Hydrythmix CD, Groove Unlimited, 1996/2004 The two musicians behind Project TWO Point ONE are no other than Ron Boots and Bas Broekhuis. This first cd-version of the same titled double mc from 1989,…
Release data: Richard Bone – Infinite Plastic Creation CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2007 September 10th 2007 saw the release of “Infinite Plastic Creation”, which comes with a beautiful designed cd booklet. The press–release describes it as an exquisite new work…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – Far away trains passing by CD, Domino, 2001/2005 This is the first release of the skilled German ambient musician Ulrich Schnauss. Listening to the stunning music on “Far Away Trains passing by” is a great…
Release data: Mark Biehl – Landscapes CD, Acuity Soundworks, 1999 “Landscapes” is the debut cd from the American composer/multi-instrumentalist Mark Biehl. It embraces the mind travel theme, which serves to take listeners on an invigorating musical journey to distant lands…
Release data: Ron Boots – Too Many Secrets CD, Groove Unlimited, 1994 “Too Many Secrets” was originally released as a cd-r in 1994. It was a limited edition of only 50 copies by Nik Tyndall on his Real Space Music-series,…
Release data: Ron Boots – Screaming Whispers CD, Cue Records NL, 1996 The music on the album “Screaming Whispers” marks a change in the style of music Ron Boots has followed until now. The overall sound is more daring, adventurous…
Release data: Richard Bone – The Spectral Ships CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1998 As far as I know, this is the ninth cd of the American musician Richard Bone, but his first release on the dark ambient label Hypnos. “The Spectral…
Release data: Richard Bone – The Eternal Now CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 1996 Richard Bone’s fully instrumental album “The Eternal Now” is divided in two parts: “Zone” and “The Millennium Pages”. The musical approach is rather industrial/ambient, and I wouldn’t…
Release data: Chris Bocast – Through the Airlock CD, Private Release, 2004 “Through the Airlock” is described as a sci-fi ambient minimalist journey” by Colorado-based musician Chris Bocast, who utilizes e-guitar, ebow, piano and moog. The twelve tracks shapeshift from…
Release data: Michael Thomas Berkley – Arctic CD, Numinous Records, 2000 This is the second cd by Mr Berkley, who’s debut album “Images from Earth” impressed me a lot. “Arctic” is a concept album inspired by the Canadian Ellesmere islands,…
Release data: Sleepresearch_facility – Deep Frieze CD, Cold Spring, 2007 I actually discovered this album through a recent electronic newsletter of Steve Roach, who recommended it a lot. After I heard it, I absolutely agree with him. “Deep Frieze” is…
Release data: Centrozoon – Lovefield CD, Unsung Records, 2007 “Lovefield” is an ambient/experimental album by Centrozoon, aka Bernhard Wöstheinrich (fm synthesizers) and Markus Reuter (guitar), which seems all about improvisation. This is not an easy album, as the five tracks…
Release data: Can Atilla – Ave CD, EAT, 1999 “Ave”, which came out in Spring 1999, is the work of the Turkish musician Can Atilla. The album was privately released on the EAT-label (Essers Audio Tools) by the Dutch musician…
Release data: Ashera – We Gaia CD, Private Release, 2002 “We Gaia” is the fourth tour-de-force of Australian-based ambient-composer Anthony Asher Wright. His both peaceful as intimate music still holds strong influences of Harold Budd and Brian Eno, and that…
Release data: Ashera – Cobalt 144 CD, Private Release, 1999 “Cobalt 44” is Ashera’s second album, on which Antonia Asher Wright nicely continues the same kind of music he presented on his debut “Ambient Selections”, as the strong influence of…
Release data: Ashera – Ambient Selections CD, Private Release, 1997 Ashera is the artist name of the Australian musician Antonio Asher Wright. “Ambient Selections” is his great looking debut album, a double cd, which comes as a digipack. It contains…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – DM 2.1 CD, Moonpop, 2007 Jerome Froese was responsible for the production of all ten tracks on “DM 2.1”, the first ever compilation of the “Dream Mixes” series. This part, mine is a special edition…
Release data: Arcane – Alterstill CD, Neu, 2001 “Alterstill” is the third album by Arcane, aka Paul Lawler, and again it’s a great one. The fantastic retro style has remained, featuring engaging melodic sequencer music in which echoes of TD’s…
Release data: Alquimia & Rüdiger Gleisberg – Garden of Dreams CD, BSC/Prudence, 2005 “Garden of Dreams” is a collaborative effort of the female singer Alquimia and German symphonic keyboarder Rüdiger Gleisberg (known from Solitaire and his solo-albums). It’s a poetic…
Release data: AirSculpture – Quark Soup CD, Neu Harmony, 2001 This is a double cd from the English trio Airsculpture, which only contains live material. What they acchieve live-on-stage is always something surprising, as their Berliner School inspired music relies…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Dreamresources CD, Neuronium Records, 2002 On “Dreamresources”, released on Michel Huygen’s (aka Neuronium) Spanish label Neuronium records, Amir Baghiri tried to melt relaxing, rather strange and mystic natural (re)sources of sound into a kind of…
Release data: Amir Baghiri & Mathias Grassow – True North CD, Arya-Amplexus, 1998 On this concept cd, Amir Baghiri joined forces with his musical pal Mathias Grassow, who already made music together on the nice album “Arcanum”. Mr Grassow is…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Time CD, Arya-Amplexus, 1998 “Time” is the second solo cd from Amir Baghiri. Again, the outcome is an interesting one, proving he’s not a one-day fly. His tribal ambient music is often compared to the…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Cages CD, NO-CD, 1997 “Cages” is the debut album by German/Iran musician Amir Baghiri. I remember I’ve seen his name appear as guest musician on a Solitaire album, beside the fact he made the impressive…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Bluebox Collection CD, Arya-Amplexus, 2000 “Bluebox Collection” is the long-awaited cd box from the sympathetic German/Iran ambient musician Amir Baghiri. It contains four cds, all clocking over 70 minutes, which all reflect their own character…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Winterscape CD, NO-CD, 1999 For “Winterscape”, Amir again has chosen the ambient-oriented path in which he succeeded in reminding me of some tribal/soundscape material of Steve Roach’s “Dreamtime Return” in some parts. “Winterscape” has an…
Release data: Stephen Bacchus – Pangaea CD, Oasis Productions, 1990/1991 “Pangaea” is the debut cd of Stephen Bacchus on the Canadian Oasis-label. Stephen, who plays synthesizers, is joined by quite a list of fellow-musicians (one of them is Ron Korb…
Release data: Stephen Bacchus – Ambient Origins CD, Oasis/Mirage, 1998 This cd, subtitled “Collected early works 1983-1987”, was released in The Time Capsule Series of the ambitious Canadian Oasis sub-label Mirage. It’s an retrospective work out of the kitchen of…
Release data: Michael Thomas Berkley – Images from Earth CD, Numinous Records, 1998 To me, the 26- year old Michael Thomas Berkley who hails from Oregon, is a new name in the genre of contemporary instrumental and electronic music. It…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Flux Echoes CD, Private Release, 2007 “Flux Echoes”, the second release of Brendan Pollard, premiered at “E-Live 2007”, which again is prove of a solid recording. Fact is, that all who love TD’s great analogue…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Kinetic Flow (Sequencer Sketches Vol. 1) CD, Groove Unlimited, 2000 Rudy’s two sequencer pieces on his previous overall atmospheric album “Twilight” must have made quite an impression at Groove Unlimited , as they have released…
Release data: Nathan Youngblood – Asunder CD, SteveRoach.com, 2007 This the second cd in Steve Roach’s series devoted to bringing high-quality essential cd releases from the deep end of the soundcurrent. It is composed by one Nathan Youngblood, who got…
Release data: Brian Parnham – Mantle CD, SteveRoach.com, 2007 “Mantle” is a 73 minute atmospheric ambient work from talented ambient musician Brian Parnham, which music has been privately released by Steve Roach, and who also did the refined, exquisite production…
Release data: A Produce & M. Griffin – Altara CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1999 After quite a period of radio silence, Barry Craig (aka A Produce) re-enters the ambient stage with “Altara”, a collaborative project with Hypnos owner Mike Griffin. Well,…
Release data: David Parsons – Shaman CD, Celestial Harmonies, 1999 This world/ambient project had been announced for long time, fortunately in the same form as David Parsons originally had it mind. The album, inspired by the major shamanic traditions on…
Release data: A Produce – White Sands CD, Private Release, 1995 This cd bears the subtitle “An Anthology 1988-1994”. It contains a nice selection of tracks taken from his previous four albums, to which five unreleased and slightly changed pieces…
Release data: A Produce – Smile on the Void CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2000 This is the first solo release from Barry Craig, aka A Produce, since four years (his previous album “Inscape and Landscape” came out in ’96), although 1999…
Release data: A Produce – Reflect like a Mirror, Respond like an Echo CD, Trance Port, 1997 This cd by A Produce, aka Barry Craig, is a special re-release from his first album from 1992, which comes with a cd-cover…
Release data: A Produce – Inscape and Landscape CD, Private Release, 1996 First of all, the “post-processing & digital preparation” of “Inscape and Landscape” was in the capable hands of no other than Robert Rich. A Produce’s chosen concept for…
Release data: Create – Space Time Continuum CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 Stephen Humphries, aka Create, explains in the booklet he found it time to release an album of shorter tracks as the previous two cds contained only very long tracks.…
Release data: Vir Unis – The Drift Inside CD, Greenhouse Music, 1999 This is the second release of the new Minneapolis-based ambient soundscape label Greenhouse Music, made by John Strate-Hootman aka Vir Unis. Since his fantastic collaborative projects with Steve…
Release data: Steve Roach & Vir Unis – Body Electric CD, Projekt, 1999 With the cd “Body Electric”, a new chapter was opened in the ongoing list of co-operations Steve Roach has done with various kindred musicians through the years.…
Release data: Various Artists – Analogy 3 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 This is the third volume of the “Analogy”-series, which started about three years ago as sort of “fun project” on EMForum. Since the first album, it appeared there were…
Release data: Steve Roach – Slow Heat CD, Timeroom Editions, 1998 Here’s another fine addition of ambient wallpaper intended for infinite playback. The continuous 71-minute soundscape making up “Slow Heat” is inspired by the desert environment and severe heat conditions…
Release data: Dan Hartman – New Green Clear Blue CD, Private Music, 1989 A while back, my long-time review colleague Bill Binkleman pointed my attention to this release, which appeared to be sadly out-of-print since quite some years. I think…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Ron Boots – Harold van der Heijden – Phase 3 CD, Cue Records / Something Else Records, 1997 “Phase 3” (of which the actual working title was “Bad Boys”) is a live recording of over…
Release data: Hemisphere – Liquid Mirror CD, Musique Intemporelle/Groove Unlimited, 1991/1999 “Liquid Mirror” is the first album of Hemisphere (aka German musician Ralph Knappe Heinbockel), which originally came out years ago on Bernd Kistenmacher’s label Musique Intemporelle. The original version…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Emotional Landscapes CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2003 “Emotional Landscapes” is Erik’s third cd for Spotted Peccary’s-sublabel Wanderings, and again it’s an excellent one. In the first few minutes you remember the overall impact of his…
Release data: Zhu – Inner Sanctuary CD, Private Release, 1998 According to the press-sheet, “Inner Sanctuary” is the second release of the Vancouver-based Reiki master & musician Robert Jennings, aka Zhu. Subtitled as “soothing music complementing the healing arts”, the…
This follow-up to Char-El’s critically acclaimed debut album “Worlds Without End” is divided in two sections: a space-trip and an overall symphonic tour-de-force. “Heaven” offers more capturing space music in the tradition of Charles’ former album, moving further on into…
Release data: Char-El – Worlds without End CD, Private Release, 1996 “Worlds Without End” is the debut cd of Ohio-based musician Char-El aka Charles Thaxton. He is convinced that his music has a positive influence on both spiritual health and…
Release data: Telomere – Astral Currents CD, Evenfall, 1998 Well, well, here we have a cd which features some music which is perfectly in line with those made some years ago in the classic tradition of spacemusic. The musician behind…
Release data: Telomere – Zoetosis CD, Private Release, 2001 “Zoetosis” is the second cd of space-music composer Christopher MacDonald, inviting the listener to another fascinating virtual trip into space. Like his previous album “Astral Currents”, “Zoetosis” is primarily made on…
Release data: Mark Mercury – Music of the Domes CD, Private Release, 1992 Mark Mercury is an American composer of electronic music with a strong cinematic feel. The music on this cd is actually real planetarium music, split into five…
Release data: Mark Mercury – Music from the Cycles of Spheres CD, Private Release, 2001 This album is actually a rebuilt version of the “Deep Spaces” album that space and planetarium composer Mark Mercury had in the works for quite…
Release data: Ashera – Colour Glow CD, Private Release, 2000 “Colour Glow” is the third album from Australian-based ambient musician Antonio Asher Wright aka Ashera. Again,the same two female vocalists on his former album contribute in a marvelous way to…
Release data: Rob Essers – Raincolors CD, Groove Unlimited, 1994/2002 Rob Essers debut album “Raincolors” was originally released in 1994 on Cue Records NL. A couple of months before that, Rob gave me a demo of the album, which resulted…
Release data: Kees Aerts – Slices of Time CD, Groove Unlimited, 1997 What I got here is the every first Groove Unlimited-release. With “Slices of Time” Kees Aerts (at that time business partner of Ron Boots’ Groove Unlimited label) also…
Release data: The Circular Ruins – Empathy Test CD, DataBloem, 2003 I’m not that familiar with the music of Anthony Paul Kerby, aka The Circular Ruins, although I’ve heard his album “Confluence”. In a different way than usual, his organic-flavoured…
Release data: Brian Vassallo – Beyond CD, Private Release, 1998 Well, what is got here is electronic space music from the Maltese (!) musician Brian Vassallo, who steps forward with an album he already seems to have released back in…
Release data: Steve Roach – Fever Dreams CD, Projekt, 2004 A short outtake of this cd (announced as part one of a trilogy) could already be heard on the sampler “Space and Time” from end 2003. Well, “Fever Dreams” contains…
Release data: Rasal.Asad – Space.Scape CD, Thisco, 2002 “Space.Space” comes in a simple, single-sleeve envelope, containing electronic soundscape music without rhythm made by one Fernando Cerqueira from Portugal. Fernando is owner of the Tisco-label and has made at least ten…
Release data: Rasal.Asad – Asuna CD, Thisco, 2003 “Asuna” is the second album of the Portuguese electronic project Rasal.Asad, aka Fernando Cerqueira, which contains eight quite active, repetitive and slow evolving soundscapes. In a way, you might call it almost…
Release data: Randel Osborne – Celestial Mechanics CD, Redshift Digital Audio, 1995 Randel Osborne is a recording studio manager of Redshift Digital Audio, hailing from Connecticut, who’s also half of a band called Parallax. The cd begins with the heavy…
Release data: Redshift – Last CD, Distant Sun, 2007 “Last” features music which Redshift played live on Hampshire Jam 5 in October 2006. For this concert, Redshift performed as a trio, as no other than Ian Boddy joined Mark and…
Release data: Loren Nerell – Taksu CD, Soleilmoon, 2003 As far as I know, this is the sixth cd of Loren, his previous cd (“The Venerable Dark Cloud”) was released on Amplexus in 2000. “ Taksu” contains one uninterrupted, cinematic…
Release data: M. Griffin – Sudden Dark CD, Hypnos Recordings, 1997 Mike Griffin, owner of Hypnos recordings, hits the spot with his first solo effort “Sudden Dark”. The beautiful cd cover (which later on would become a trademark of the…
Release data: Laudanum – Laudanum CD-EP, ArcHana, 2001 “Laudanum” is a cd-ep by the German duo Amir Baghiri and Rüdiger Gleisberg, aka Laudanum, which was released on ArcHana, a sublabel of Stefano Gentile’s Amplexus-label. Rüdiger already had the idea for…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – Rüdiger Gleisberg – Amir Baghiri – Arcanum CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 Rüdiger Gleisberg must have had quite an exhausting year, as he also found time to compose a solo-cd next to a cd of Solitaire.…
Release data: Magic Sound Fabric – Uplift Drift CD, Spiralight, 2002 This is the second cd from the American musician Cameron Akhunaton, who hails from Virginia, which carries the subtitle “hifi downtempo ambient groove”. The cd contains nine tracks offering…
Release data: Klangwelt – Weltweit CD, Spheric Music, 2002 Weltweit” is the debut cd of the near Hamburg residing German musician Gerald Arend a.k.a. Klangwelt, who puts forward a both intriguing as attractive album. The album offers 77 minutes of…
Release data: Ishq – Orchid CD, Interchill Records / Dakini Records, 2002 Ishq is the ambient chill-out project of the English musician Matt Hillier, who has traded his guitar in ’91 for a synthesizer, after which he made music using…
Release data: H.U.V.A. Network – Distances CD, Ultimae Records, 2004 H.U.V.A. Network is the “North-South collaboration” of Sweden’s Magnus Birgersson (aka Solar Fields) and Vincent Villuis (aka Aes Dana) from France, resulting in 78 minutes of downtempo-ambient. Within eleven tracks,…
Release data: Jeff Greinke – Wide View CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2002 Ambient-landscape music is made in various forms, and on this new recording of Jeff Greinke (known from both his solo and collaborative efforts for many years) we find a…
Release data: Matt Coldrick – Music for a Busy Head CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Absolute Ambient, 2002 Matt Coldrick has established to taking a turn in his career after being founder of a trance band. Next to composing for film and Tv,…
Release data: Ashera – Enviro CD, Private Release, 2001 “Enviro” is the fifth album of Anthony Asher Wright aka Ashera. It continues where his former albums already took him. In addition to his former albums, this one features the Hammond…
Release data: Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express CD, EMI, 1977 In the period between the pioneering “Autobahn” and the band’s breakthrough-album “The Man Machine”, Kraftwerk road the edge with the cool avant-garde album “Trans-Europe Express”. The lyrics on this album…
Release data: Kraftwerk – The Man Machine CD, EMI, 1978 “The Man Machine” was released in May 1978 and is still regarded as one of the best recordings of Kraftwerk. The cover features the four musicians in red outfit looking…
Release data: Various Artists – Ambienism Volume 1 CD, Spiralight, 2004 This great looking Spiralight-sampler offers a 74 minute collection of tracks by known and not-so-known ambient musicians. The first two tracks by Zero One and Mystical Sun set a…
Release data: Synth.nl – AeroDynamics CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 The musician behind Synth.Nl is the Dutchman Michel van Osenbruggen, who started recording music for his concept album “AeroDynamics” in 2006. Although I can’t say the cd-cover to it is that…
Release data: VoLt – Nucleosynthesis CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 The duo Michael Shipway and Steve Smith continue their grand tour of accessible and attractive sequencer-based electronic music with “Nucleosynthesis”. The cd contains three long tracks, on which the typical UK…
Release data: Synthetic Block – Sonic Approach CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003 There has been quite a gap between the release of Jonathan’s second release “The Opposite of Staring into Space” and this one. Nevertheless, “Sonic Approach” (eight tracks, almost 60…
Release data: Liquid Mind – VI: Spirit CD, Private Release, 2003 Like its predecessors, the sixth Liquid Mind-album “Spirit” sounds very relaxing and well-balanced. It is typical music that turns you inward within a few minutes. Warm, encompassing textures surround…
Release data: UK Heights – Ambients CD, Private Release, 2002 UK Heights (also on the cd written as U. Kay Hytz) is a UK-based band of three musicians whom have been making music since 1991. “Ambients” as such is the…
Release data: Arc – Fracture CD, DiN, 2007 This cd and its music premiered at the E-Live 2007 festival on October 13 in Eindhoven, where Mark Shreeve and Ian Body, aka Arc, also performed a great concert. Like the previous…
Release data: Emergence Music – EveryOne 432 CD, Private Release, 2002 “EveryOne 432” expresses the joy of life in a way of a symphonic-oriented instrumental poem which lasts for over 70 minutes. The composer, one David McCarthy from Washington State,…
Release data: Ron Boots & Friends – Joie de Vivre CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 Actually, this is the second live cd of MORE (Music Of Ron and Eric) and in that sense the successor of the very succesful MORE cd…
Release data: Revival – The Longest Dream CD, Private Release, 2000 “The Longest Dream” is an extraordinary release of the Canadian-based composer Sorin Pavelsco, his secondone until now. The concept deals with dreams, there impact and the different angles it…
Release data: The Omega Syndicate – Analogue Waves CD, Neu Harmony, 2004 The Omega Syndicate is a band from Northern England which consists of Xan Alexander and David Gurr. Well, the title of the album already states what profile their…
Release data: Aetopus – Memories of the Elder CD, 12 Ton Productions, 2002 AeTopus is multi-instrumentalist Bryan Tewell Hughes from Washington. The album opens with a dynamic piano-sequence (sounds a bit like Frank Van Bogaert) but also reveals some classic…
Release data: Ryan Farish – Beautiful CD, Neurodisc, 2004 This is the first commercial release of the English composer Ryan Farish who previously built quite a name on MP3.com. Well, the instrumental music on “Beautiful” is very accessible and will…
Release data: Starseed Transmission – Metamorphic Illumination CD, Nova Zembla, 1994 The Australian band Starseed Transmission are Steve Law and Andrew Orion, the latter calling himself Andrew Orion on the album. The duo initially met in 1988 through a Melbourne…
Release data: Steve Roach – Stormwarning CD, Timeroom Collector Series, 1999 This is the second re-release (but the “third” version now available as 24 –bit remaster) of Steve’s live-album “Stormwarning”, a dynamic live document that originally contained two long tracks.…
Release data: The Glimmer Room – Grey Mirrors CD, A-Frame Media, 2004 If I’m correct, “Grey Mirrors” is the second release of Andy Condon, who calls himself “a bedroom recording artist, keyboard fetishist and convicted technophile”. As I had never…
Release data: Gandalf – Colors of a New Dawn CD, Real Music, 2004 The music of the Austrian multi-instrumentalist Gandalf, aka Heinz Ströbl, has always been something special to me. But after his switch from Sony to the Sattva label…
Release data: Steve Roach – All is Now CD, Timeroom Editions, 2002 This, beautifully packaged, double live-cd comprises outtakes from the long list of intensive concerts Steve Roach gave during his US-tour in 2002. Concerts included Sedona Arizona, Oakland, San…
Release data: Steve Roach – Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces CD, Projekt, 2004 Steve wrote that the first ideas for this box-set came to life around 1996. From then on, it was accomplished and polished bit by bit, culminated to…
Release data: Steve Roach, Byron Metcalf & Mark Seelig – Mantram CD, Projekt, 2004 This tribal album is referred to as “eight parts in a continuous flow”, “grounded in a reverence for the slowing of time which allows the natural…
Release data: Steve Roach – Holding the Space: Fever Dreams II CD, Timeroom Editions, 2004 “Holding the Space” is the second chapter of the Fever Dreams-trilogy. Steve is accompanied by Byron Metcalf on assorted percussion and drums, and Jennifer Grais…
Release data: David Parsons – Vajra CD, Groove Unlimited, 2004 After several years of silence and only the sampler “In Retrospect”, fall 2004 finally saw the release of “Vajra”, a new album inspired by the extensive journey’s Parsons undertook in…
Release data: Mind over Matter – On the Wings of the Wind CD, Heart & Mind, 2004 “On the Wings of the Wind” is the first Mind over Matter- cd on Klaus’ own Heart & Mind-label. The concept of the…
Release data: Deborah Martin & Cheryl Gallagher – Tibet CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2004 Multi-instrumentalist Deborah Martin and world class harpist Cheryl Gallagher made a trip to Tibet in 1999 in search of the spiritual and musical heart of the…
Release data: Liquid Mind – VII: Reflection CD, Real Music, 2004 Chuck Wild aka Liquid Mind found a new home at Real Music, which now releases and distributes his whole catalogue from now on. The Liquid Mind concept is all…
Release data: Terra Ambient – The Gate CD, Lotuspike, 2004 “The Gate” is the second cd of Jeff Kowal aka Terra Ambient, which took him over two years to complete. In the meanwhile Jeff also established the brand new label…
Release data: Steve Roach – Life Sequence CD, Timeroom Editions, 2003 As Steve states in the cd-booklet, this album chronicles five unreleased pieces recorded between 1988 and 2003 which re-visit his roots in analogue sequencer style music. The cd nicely…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Genesis CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2004 US-synthesist Craig Padilla already brought us the very nice album “Echo System” with Paul Ellis in spring of 2004. Well, he’s not done yet, as his second Spotted Peccary…
Release data: Isaiah Toran – Whispering Quietly CD, Private Release, 2004 This is the second release of this Ohio-based musician, of which I found his debut album “Another Way Home” rather mediocre. “Whispering Quietly” (another journey exploring the self interior)…
Release data: Isaiah Toran – Another Way Home CD, Private Release, 2003 “Another Way Home” is a new age cd with warm textural atmospheres. It is designed to evoke self awareness, made by the Cincinnati-based musician Isaiah Toran. This debut…
Release data: Solar Fields – Blue Moon Station CD, Ultimae Records, 2003 I hadn’t heard before of Solar Fields aka the Swedish ambient soundsculpter Magnus Birgersson, of which “Blue Moon Station” is his second album. Well, this one is impressive,…
Release data: Steve Roach – Places Beyond: The Lost Pieces 4 CD, Timeroom Editions, 2004 This is the fourth collection from Roach’s Timeroom-cavern, offering a nice cross-over collection of fractal and organic groove music next to deep end atmospheric and…
Release data: Robert Rich Open Window CD, Soundscape Productions, 2004 In the period after “Calling Down the Sky”, Robert Rich took a necessary brake before he could sit down and make up his mind about “Open Window”, an album filled…
Release data: Dino Pacifici – The Float Zone CD, Private Release, 2004 Dino Pacifici has been around in electronic music for quite some time. By whatever reason it took longer before this new album saw the light, as the last…
Release data: Maitreya – .74 CD, Council of Nine, 2004 Simon Lomax aka Maitreya has already impressed me with his former albums “From the Mothership” and “Telluric Waves”, and it was also great to meet him and art designer Kama…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Soundscape CD, Private Release, 1996 Electronic music from Down Under from a musician named Lance Lenehan. According to some photo’s on his site, Lance has a private studio with a nice collection of analogue and…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Analogue Days CD, Private Release, 2004 “Analogue Days”, released in January 2004, is a compilation of archived tracks from the period 1983-1988. It contains music Lance Lenehan composed using quite a bunch of analogue equipment,…
Release data: Lance Lenehan – Ambient Spaces CD, Private Release, 2004 My first encounter with the music of the Australian musician Lance Lenehan was back in 1996 with his album “Soundscape”, which couldn’t convince me. Now he’s back with this…
Release data: Matthew Florianz – The Tone T(h)ree CD, H/S Recordings, 2004 “Jack This is the first cd from this Dutch ambient musician, whose music I hadn’t heard until now. “The Tone T(h)ree” is a collection of older tracks recorded…
Release data: Brian Eno – Music for Civic Recovery Centre CD, Opal ltd, 2000 This is another chapter in the series of ambient music Brain Eno is known for. The cd (part of Eno’s “Quiet Club” series) contains a 44:52…
Release data: Various Artists – Devil in the Detail CD, Interchill Records, 2007 “Devil in the Detail” is a downtempo breaks and bass compilation from the Canadian Interchill records, containing what the label describes as “a heavy dose of chunk,…
Release data: Goldmund – Corduroy Road LP/CD, Type Recordings, 2005 “Corduroy Road” is the debut album of Keith Kenniff, aka Goldmund, featuring a collection of 13 most pastoral, intimate piano-based miniatures and a slice of acoustic guitar inspired by the…
Release data: Christian Welde – Fairytales CD, Private Release, 1998 This is a great cd filled with dreamy music in the best tradition, but not so soft that it runs into new age. This remarkable music is able to reflect…
Release data: Wave World – The Falls of Varnal CD, One Records, 2004 This is not a new cd from the Dutch multimedia project. It’s a compilation album released by the Russian label One Records. They selected seven tracks of…
Release data: Glen Tarachow – Waterclock CD, Burning Water Rebellion, 2004 Glen Tarachow seems to be a well known guy in the US-commercial music industry as a composer for television. “Waterclock” is his first full-length instrumental ambient cd, one with…
Release data: Steve Verity – TimeStar CD, Private Release, 2004 Some may have heard of this American musician, who released his debut album “Digital Planet” back in 1994. The cd begins with the 18 minute title track, a soft flowing…
Release data: Robert Rich – Echo of Small Things CD, Soundscape Productions, 2005 “Echo of Small Things” is a collection of sounds and image from a collaboration between ambient pioneer Robert Rich and his friend and photographer David Agasi. In…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Epiphany – Meditations on Sacred Hymns CD, Valley Entertainment, 2005 The subtitle of this cd didn’t make me that curious to liste to it. That is, something gave me the shivers this might be like…
Release data: Alby Potts – Dreaming for Real CD, Private Release, 1999/2004 “Dreaming for Real” is the debut album of one Alby Potts, an American composer and pianist who works in many musical genres including musical theater, chamber music and…
Release data: Numina & Caul – Inside the Hollow Realm CD, Gestalt Records, 2004 The first impression I got from this collaborative recording is that it seems to move in some of the same beautiful realms which made Numina’s solo-album…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Slow Time CD, Private Release, 2005 On his completely self-crafted release “Slow Time”, Patrick O’Hearn turns his heals towards relaxed ambient, at the same time also leaving behind some of his typical sound. The overall…
Release data: David Parsons – Inner Places CD, Celestial Harmonies, 2005 The music of this album was made over two years ago, but by whatever reason shelved by the Celestial Harmonies label. The music is a counterpoint to the rhythmic,…
Release data: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre – The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre CD, Tadlow Music, 2006 October 2nd 2006 saw the release of this double cd featuring the Jarre’s major works presented in a classically, orchestral setting. All music…
Release data: Jon Jenkins – Beyond City Light CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2005 “Beyond City Light”s the second cd of Jon Jenkins, who already made a favourable impression in the early days of the Spotted Peccary label with his album…
Release data: Ben Cox – On Water CD, Lotuspike, 2005 According to the press-information, ambient composer Ben Cox has been a musician for twenty-five years and a recording engineer for fifteen years. He’s also on of the founders of the…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – Autumn´s Apple CD, Lotuspike, 2004 Until now, I’ve heard quite nice ambient music from Darshan Ambient, aka Micahel Allison. For example, listen to his last album “The Zen Master’s Diary”, from 2003. In 2004, he…
Release data: Continuum – Volume 1 CD, Soleilmoon, 2005 Continuum is the duo Vidna Obmana and Steve Wilson, of which “Volume 1” is the first in a series of limited edition releases scheduled for the coming years. Fans of freeform,…
Release data: Wave World – The Winds of Laax CD, VFR Records, 2005 I must confess I absolutely enjoyed the first three albums of this remarkable band, but after that I got rather confused by the direction of their music,…
Release data: Michael Whalen – Like Rain Through My Hands CD, Alchemy Records, 2004 I already knew Mr Whalen’s music from his very nice ambient album “Nightscenes”, which was re-released by the same label in 2004. A strong feeling of…
Release data: Various Artists – Waterhaven CD, Earthaven, 2001 The Canadian concept-album “Waterhaven” is a kind of celebration of the water element. Relaxing ocean sounds and seascape environmentals meet with quiet electronic compositions on five tracks. Two tracks are by…
Release data: Various Artists – Wilderness Mysterium CD, Earthaven, 2001 “Wilderness Mysterium” does the same thing as former concept album “Waterhaven”, but now focusses on the beauty and grandeur of the remote Canadian wilderness. Again there’s music of Stephen Bacchus,…
Release data: Various Artists – Albedo CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 “Albedo” is another beautifully packaged concept-cd of the French Ultimae-label featuring “11 ambient refractions and kaleidoscopic grooves” by the same number of bands. he cd starts of with a quiet,…
Release data: Sonic Adventure Project – Exergonic CD, Starmill, 2004 For quite a while electronic chill-out music is around, to which we now also can add the band Sonic Adventure Project, alias the Austrian duo Peter Köllerer and Thomas Vieböck.…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Expansion CD, Private Release, 2005 “Expansion” is the debut cd of Brendan Pollard, one half of the vintage band Rogue Element, which released the much acclaimed album “Premonition” last year. In their music they use…
Release data: Alio Die & Jack or Jive – Mei Jyu CD, Projekt, 2005 “Mei-Jyu” is a concept album inspired by Zen practice, composed by Alio Die (aka Stefano Musso) and the Japanese duo Jack or Jive. The rather serene…
Release data: Dolores Castro – Fifth Dimension CD, Musea Records, 2005 As we know since a lot of years, female musicians form a minority in the world of electronic music. To them we can now add Dolores Castro from Spain,…
Release data: Cyclotimia – Wasteland CD, StateArt, 2002 Cyclotimia is the Russian duo Maks K. and Leonid M., who describe their cross-over soundscapes as “L’Electronique Mondial”. Experiencing the content of “Wasteland” is like entering a world of dark, cold atmospheric…
Release data: Dene De Benedictis – Salvaging the Past CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2005 This album by ambient musician Dean de Benedictis was composed between 1992 and 2005. The sleeve notes on the concept album state the music is not…
Release data: Australis – Lifegiving CD, Private Release, 2005 Australis is a project of Oscar Aguayo, established in the middle of 2004, which is described as the natural expression of the human heart beyond languages, cultures and distances. Well, “Lifegiving”…
The Spotted Peccary label already proved to have a good nose for fine ambient music. But this time they really have done a great job by releasing an album by Between Interval, aka the Swedish musician Stefan Jönsson. “Secret Observatory”…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Anthology CD, Neuronium Records, 2005 Bruno Sanfilippo’s “Anthology” comprises previously released tracks composed between 1991 and 2004. The tracks are taken from the albums “Sons of the Light”, “The New Kingdom”, “Solemnis”, “Suite Patagonia”, “Visualia”…
Release data: Luis Alberto Naranjo – Total Eclipse CD, At-Mooss Records, 2004 Luis Alberto Naranjo hails from Murcia, the south of Spain. He started making his own music in 1993, which led to seven demo releases, so far. Nowadays he…
Release data: Tom Heasley – Desert Triptych CD, Farfield Records, 2005 This cd carries the subtitle “three meditations for didgeridoo, voice and electronics”. It contains three live recorded extended soundscapes from 2003, all mixed by Robert Rich. It indeed is…
Release data: Global Communication – 76:14 CD, Discotheque, 2005/1994 I thought it might a good idea to focus, again, on this album (originally released in June 1994) as an expanded, remastered version of this classic album came out a short…
Release data: Richard Bone – Saiyuji CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2005 The press sheet states that “Saiyuji” (meaning Dawn), named after the ancient Buddhist temple in Singapore, is the last part of the trilogy begun with “Disorient” and “The Reality…
Release data: Diatonis – Ambient Life CD, Private Release, 2003 The album “Ambient Life” is a 3 cd set by Stuart White, aka Diatonis, which contains 23 tracks. This is a smooth journey through soft atmospheric drones, which seem to…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Exosphere CD, Bluebox / Databloem, 2005 “Exosphere” was created between January 2003 and June 2005. The album was already announced years ago by Amir Baghiri, but I guess he couldn’t find any proper label which…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Rooms CD, Arya, 2001 “Rooms” is a cd-box from this sympathetic German/Iran-based ambient musician, filled with 3 cds, and released in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies. The first pieces and ideas of this…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Cosmology CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 On his cd “Cosmology”, Gregory Kyryluk alias Alpha Wave Movement moves into a grand way: the album sounds more massive, dynamic and orchestral than before, with a few references…
Release data: Nik Tyndall & Bernd Scholl – Dreamspheres CD, BSC/Prudence, 2005 This German duo already knew each other for quite some years through various encounters on festivals. They also did a live-set on the Klemdag 1997 in Nijmegen. According…
Release data: Dwight Ashley & Tim Story – Standing + Falling CD, Nepenthe Music, 2005 “Standing + Falling” is the duo’s third album, which took eight years to accomplish. Their music is heavy as it finds and explores “aural space”.…
Release data: Dwight Ashley – Discrete Carbon CD, Nepenthe Music, 2004 Dwight Ashley, who I only knew from the music he did with Tim Story, characterizes his work as experimental. This is his first solo-album, containing unreleased ambient pieces from…
Release data: Solar Fields – Leaving Home CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 “Leaving Home” is the third album by the Swedish musician Magnus Birgersson aka Solar Fields. It contains almost 80 minutes of high-tech down tempo groove music with occasional some…
Release data: Solar Fields – Extended CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 The album “Extended” is actually a limited edition companion to “Leaving Home”. It’s an almost 80 minute atmospheric extension coming close to space music. The three tracks were used at…
Release data: Off The Sky – Gently Down The Stream CD, DataBloem, 2005 This is my first encounter with the music of the South California-based Off the Sky, aka Jason Corder. He’s one of the new protégées on the Databloem…
Release data: Robert Rich – Electric Ladder CD, Soundscape Productions, 2006 The music on “Electric Ladder” is a smooth and sophisticated blend of vintage analogue synthesizers and acoustic tonalities. The latter are created on lap steel guitar, flutes, bassoon, soprano…
Release data: D Loop – Mystery´s River CD, Ear Waves, 2004 D Loop, aka Dwight Loop, hails from Sausalito and has been performing electronic music since the late 70s in both solo and ensemble settings. Dwight is also a long-time…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light from Orion (Deep Skies 1) CD, Eventide Music, 2003 In the days of the former Dutch Em-fanzine KLEM I reviewed a couple of cds by this UK-based musician, who’s music was often categorized as…
Release data: Cosmic Hoffmann – Electric Trick CD, Heart and Mind, 2005 The album “Electric Trick” is the sixth cd of Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock aka Cosmic Hoffmann. It features recordings made between 1978 and 2003. Stephen Parsick joins him on several…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – The Butterfly Effect CD, Lascaux21, 2004 I must confess that it’s a challenge to listen to this second release (which took over two years to complete) from the Canadian ambient musician Tim Gerwing. Listening to…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – Being to Being CD, Lascaux21, 2002 “Being to Being” is the debut album of the Canadian autodidact musician Tim Gerwing who’s cd offers a simple but very nice looking cover, stating that the musical content…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alpha ~ Omega CD, Private Release, 1998 The cd “Alpha~Omega” is the final chapter of the Star-System trilogy, released in the year Andrew Forrest permanently moved to New Zealand. The album contains seven tracks making…
Release data: Blue Stone – Breathe CD, Neurodisc, 2006 Blue Stone is a new project on Neurodisc, a label which already released the accessible and successful music of Amethystium and Ryan Farish. Knowing this, one definitely hears clear echoes of…
Release data: Steve Roach – Possible Planet CD, Timeroom Editions, 2005 “Possible Planet” is the zone world album which came to life while Roach was revisiting “Dreamtime Return” before re-mastering it. The outcome is a long-form living-breathing soundscape album with…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion One CD, Projekt, 2006 “Immersion: One” is the first of an ongoing series of infinite playback recordings from Steve’s Timeroom studios intended to be played at low volume. The press-info describes it as steady…
Release data: Nostalgia – The House on the Borderland CD, Arsbenevolamater, 2005 “The House on the Borderland” is the second cd of Nostalgia, aka Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow, and on this project they are accompanied by the Italian musician…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Lagoon of Eternity (Deep Skies 2) CD, Eventide Music, 2004 This is the second cd from Kevin’s Deep Skies series, on which he attempts to create unique sound landscapes that reflect this feeling of swirling…
Release data: Karmacosmic – Music for Tantra & Meditation CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 Karmacosmic is a project of Rüdiger Gleisberg (Solitaire), Carsten Agthe and Mathias Grassow. Well, don’t expect this album to be that quiet, as some live- recorded rhythms are…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Starseed CD, Private Release, 1997 Andrew Forrest is a visual artist and musician from Cornwall, UK who lives in New Zealand since 1998. “Starseed” is the soundtrack to the esoteric film “Merkabah, Voyage of a…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alchemy CD, Private Release, 2002 The year 2002 saw the release of “Alchemy”, Andrews first album after 4 years after finishing Star System Trilogy. The album contains four long tracks all between 15 and 20…
Release data: Solitaire – Altered States CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1990 Solitaire is the brainchild of German synthesist Elmar Schulte, a project devoted to ambient/electronic music. For some albums and Solitaire’s debut “Altered States”, Schulte collaborated with the classically trained composer/musician…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Momentium CD, Air Space Records, 2006 “Momentium” is the second release of Jeffrey Koepper, who’s beautiful release “Etherea” was quite a success a couple of years ago. Koepper’s musical adagio was and still is “to…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Winter CD, Eventide Music, 2006 It’s winter over here while listing to this cd, so it’s perfecty timed. Kevin states in the booklet this music has been in production for 2,5 years, and is meant…
Release data: Richard Bone – Vesperia CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2006 The concept-album “Vesperia” certainly shows a new direction in the music of ambient composer Richard Bone. The album is a commissioned work made for vesper service at a Holliston…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Planet X CD, Bluebox, 2006 The cd “Planet X” (inspired by the exotic astrophysical phenomena of the 10th planet) is Baghiri’s second privately released cd on his own Bluebox-label. His former album “Exophere” was a…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Glaciation CD, Private Release, 2007 The issue of global warming has entered the world of electronic music as Patrick O’Hearn’s album “Glaciation” was inspired by the otherworldly beauty of the northern latitudes and dedicated to…
Release data: Liquid Mind – Relax – A Liquid Mind Experience CD, Real Music, 2007 The sales of the floating stress relief music of Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, surely will receive another boost as Real Music has decided to…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – SphereWare CD, Spheric Music, 2007 I lost track of Robert Schroeder and his music quite a long time ago, as I thought it had become mediocre and too predictable, although I saw him perform live…
Release data: Ti-Cal – Coriolis CD, Council of Nine, 2002 Coriolis is the third cd on the small UK-based ambient-label COFN, and it’s another gem to look out for. Tarl Broad-Ashman, aka Ti-Cal, formerly one half of the duo Innerise,…
Release data: Christian Høy Knudsen – Hav CD, Council of Nine, 2000 “Hav” is the second release of the UK –based ambient label Council of Nine, run by Simon Lomax. Its composer is the Norwegian Christian Høy Knudsen, who spent…
Release data: Steve Roach – Storm Surge – live at Nearfest CD, Nearfest records, 2006 “Dreamsurge” contains an unedited live recording of the concert Steve Roach performed at NEARfest on July 9, 2005. The 46 minutes of passionate, tribal-flavoured ambient…
Release data: Gandalf – More Than Just A Seagull CD, Seagull Music, 1988 This recording was originally composed in 1983 as the soundtrack for the multimedia-performance “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” in Vienna, Austria. It was one of the albums released on…
Release data: Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook – Sleeps with the Fishes CD, 4AD, 1987 “Sleeps With The Fishes” is the excellent outcome of a collaboration between musician Pieter Nooten and ambient, experimental guitarist Michael Brook. The authentic tracks of…
Release data: Kelly David – Broken Voyage CD, Rocky Mountain records, 2001 “Broken Voyage” is the debut cd of the talented, Colorado-based synthesist Kelly David, which finds the listener in an overall adventurous landscape where you journey into unknown &…
Release data: Kelly David – Angkor CD, Rocky Mountain Records, 2006 Like Jeffrey Koepper, Kelly David also reelased his second cd in 2006. Same as Koepper, Kelly only uses analogue instruments for his music, which resulted in deep, darkening soundings…
Release data: Between Interval – Autumn Continent CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2006 “Autumn Continent” is the third cd of the Scandinavian musician Stefan Jönsson, and his second on the Spotted Peccary sub label Wanderings. Like his former recording this again…
Release data: Robert Rich – Calling Down the Sky CD, Soundscape Productions, 2003 “Calling Down the Sky” is a live-cd by Robert Rich, clocking at exactly 74 minutes, offering all new atmospheric music. While heavy weather conditions followed Robert Rich…
Release data: Dene De Benedictis – A Lone Reply CD, Fateless Records, 2001 Dean is also known as the musician behind Surface 10, but the music on “A Lone Reply” is something completely different from the rather experimental output on…
Release data: Brian Parnham – Between Here and There CD, Floating Point Records, 2005 This is the second release of the American ambient musician Brian Parnham, whose name popped up a few years ago on the Broadvista ambient-sampler “Passing Strange”.…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Visualia CD, Neuronium Records, 2003 Bruno Sanfilippo is an Argentinean/Spanish composer and a close friend of ambient musician Max Corbacho, who established to have his new album released on Michel Huygen’s label. With his fifth…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Beautiful World CD, Private Release, 2003 For “Beautiful World”, Patrick again invited his musical companion Peter Maunu, who adds some fine 6 and 12 strings guitar to his inspiring music. Clocking at exactly 48 minutes,…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Inner Worlds CD, Electrofine Music, 2004 Before I started listening to this cd, Jim let me know this new music has an “Inner” theme to it. In addition he explained it may not be as…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Spiral Journey CD, Electrofine Music, 1998 “Spiral Journey”is the second cd of the Colorado-based American musician Jim Pietkivitch. The cd-cover looks very nice and invites the listener on an imaginary trip into the huge galaxy…
Release data: Richard deHove – Worlds Beyond Number CD, Private Release, 2006 It’s been quiet for a long while regarding new artists composing well produced space music. Well, this guy Richard DeHove sounds most promising on his cd “Worlds of…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Woodwork CD, Bajkal Records, 2007 I hope lots of you will remember this Norwegian’s band’s extraordinary performance on E-Live 2006, which clearly showed what can be achieved through improvisation using analogue gear. “Woodstock”, featuring four tracks…
Release data: Sean Washburn – Wave Mantra CD, Private Release, 2000 “Wave Mantra” is by all means a very nice album by American ambient-artist Sean Washburn. It offers the listener a spiritual journey of introspective music, lasting for 73 minutes,…
Release data: Mark Dwane – 2012 CD, Trondant/Orbian Music, 2007 I must confess I lost interest in Mark Dwane’s music after his first few albums (which in my opinion started to repeat itself more and more after his second and…
Release data: Eirik Lie – 12 Bilder CD, Visuell Musikk, 1996 “12 Bilder” is the first release of this small Norwegian label. It contains a selection of music of the Norwegian musician Eirik Lie which he made for installations, theatre…
Release data: Waterbone – Tibet CD, IntentCity Records, 2003 Waterbone is a music project by producers/musicians Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendall Jones, who travelled all the way to Tibet to score a variety of raw source material. On “Tibet” (which…
Release data: Maitreya – Telluric Waves CD, Council of Nine, 2003 It took Simon Lomax a.k.a. Maitreya four years to present us with this, his second album, but I must confess that the end result more than makes up for…
Release data: John Lyell & Brent A. Reiland – Synthetic Universe CD, Private release, 2002 “Synthetic Universe” is the second cd of this Minneapolis-based duo that made quite an impression in the scene with their debut-cd “Wormholes” in 1998. This…
Release data: Numina – Symbiotic Spaces CD, Gestalt Records, 2007 In my opinion, Numina (aka Jesse Sola) has always been a rather extraordinary ambient musician composing delicately crafted ambient space music. The beautifully designed “Symbiotic Spaces” is a double-cd containing…
Release data: Still Life – Volume Two CD, Private release, 2005/2006 Stiff Life is the duo Nelson Foltz and Tom Lynn, who state on the simple green cd-cover that no electronic instruments were used in this recording. This seems to…
Release data: Sync24 – Source CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Sync24 is a project of Swedish composer Daniel Ringström, one of the members of the Scandinavian down-tempo project Carbon Based Lifeforms. After several loose tracks on various samplers, “Source” is Daniel’s…
Release data: Steve Roach – Quiet Music CD, Fortuna Records, 1986/1999 “Quiet Music” (QM) is a collection of pieces ambient master Steve Roach created in respect for silence between 1983 and 1986. It is dedicated to the passing time and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Proof Positive CD, Timeroom Editions, 2006 Steve’s Roach’s re-discovery of pure analogue instruments has led to another album of excellent “spontaneous impulse”, to quote the sleeve note of the cd. The 21-minute track “Westwind” kicks…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures CD, ad21music, 2007 “Piano Textures” is an introspective album which offers center stage for the processed sounds of a Grand old piano from 1923, accompanied by some synthesizers, duduk and samples of strings.…
Release data: Amethystium – Odonata CD, Neurodisc, 2001 “Odonata” is a special and great looking cd from the Norwegian musician Øystein Ramfjord. It is almost all instrumental music which nicely features some influence of Enigma, but next to that also…
Release data: Peter Mergener & Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock – Visions of Asia CD, BSC/Prudence, 2006 These two experienced German musicians already contributed on one track of each of their former albums. This is their first full-length release for which Hoffmann-Hoock did…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Obsessive Surrealism CD, DiN, 2007 “Obsessive Surrealism” is the fourth full-length release of musician Bakis Sirros aka Parallel Worlds, one continuing the path of innovative dreamy atmospheric electronics since he started his music project in…
Release data: Projekt Erde – Mysterious Vibrations CD, CMS/4U, 1992 Musician and sound specialist Christoph Hausmann had a 24-track studio in the late 80s and early 90s. It had nearly all of the state-of-the-art synthesizers available at that time such…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Moonwater CD, Lotuspike, 2006 “Moonwater” is Rudy’s first release on the rather ambitious Lotuspike-label. As explained in the booklet, the start of the music was more or less accidental as some of his main studio…
Release data: Jonathan Badger – Metasonic CD, High Horse, 2006 The cd “Metasonic” (lasting only 29 minutes!) is a live recording by the Baltimore- based musician Jonathan Badger. The music is all done with guitar with no studio overdubbing. In…
Release data: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy – Lithosphere CD, DiN, 2005 This is the second collaborative album of Rich & Boddy, released as a limited edition of 2000 copies. It’s the outcome of ten days of hard work in…
Release data: Jack Wood – Lighthouse CD, Private Release, 2007 “Lighthouse” is the beautifully designed second album (his debut “Per Ankh” came out in 2002) of the American visual artist Jack Wood. He uses the subject of the lighthouse to…
Release data: Asura – Life 2 CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Rather quick after the former great release “Source” from SYNC24, July 7th saw this release of Asura, the musical moniker of one Charles Farewell. The album starts out with drones,…
Release data: Klaus Schulze – Kontinuum CD, SPV/Synthetic Symphony, 2007 I wasn’t that impressed by the music on his former album “Moonlake”, although I liked the first few minutes of the opening track very much. Well, the first track of…
Release data: Forrest Fang & Carl Weingarten – Invisibility CD, The Foundry, 2006 While listening to this fine cd, one almost has to think of some form of Fripp/Eno project, but then in a more spaced-out, floating manner. Mr Weingarten…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion Two CD, Projekt, 2006 This is the second chapter in the Steve’s Immersion-series, aptly subtitled “Artifact Ghost”. As with all former infinite playback recording, the disc features one uninterrupted track of over 70 minutes.…
Release data: Projekt Erde – 11:11 CD, CMS/4U, 1991 Approximately six months after the German duo Hausmann & Stark had finished “Mysterious Vibrations”, the two musicians made a journey to Egypt. After their return they did the same kind of…
Release data: Amethystium – Emblem CD, Neurodisc, 2006 The album “Emblem” is a compilation-cd aptly subtitled “Selected Works I”, comprising tracks from his former three very successful albums “Odonata” (2001), “Aphelion” (2003) and “Evermind” (2004), which form the so called…
Release data: Johannes Schmoelling – Images and Memory CD, Viktoriapark Records, 2007 May 31, 2007 saw the release of this beautiful retrospective album, an anthology of Johannes Schmoelling’s work comprising a well chosen list of tracks from 1986-2006, also featuring…
Release data: The Lab – Homodigitalis CD, Neuronium Records, 2003 “Homodigitalis” is the debut-album of the Spanish duo The Lab, aka Miguel Lázaro & José Corredera, assisted by image-expert Bernardo Rivavelarde. The latter was responsible for the nice visuals on…
Release data: Ad van Gerven – Hatching CD, Cue Records NL, 1992 Ad van Gerven was one of the electronic musicians living in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, who participated in the KLEM subsection KLONE at the start of the ‘90. In…
Release data: Lisa Walker – Grooved Whale CD, Private Release, 2001 Canadian-born musician Lisa Walker has a peculiar fascination for humpback whales and their natural environment. So she made lots of recordings with a hydrophone, capturing the amatizing, broad repertoire…
Release data: Various Artists – Analogy 2 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2006 In 2005 under the title “Analogy, Volume 1”, a compilation cd came out with unreleased material from a lot of interesting electronic musicians. The assignment was to create a…
Release data: Geodesium – A Gentle Rain of Starlight CD, Loch Ness Productions, 2007 I must confess that although I’m a long-time space music fan I’ve never laid my hands on nor have I heard any music of Geodesium aka…
Release data: Seamus – Forever CD, Silentes, 2005 Seamus is a collaborative project of Amir Baghiri and Stefano Gentile: Amir composed all music while Stefano created the concept and made all photo’s. The music can be categorized as minimal ambient…
Release data: Various Artists – Floating Point 3 CD, Iboga/Sofa Beats, 2006 In the world of electronic music it’s always nice to discover new names by means of samplers. This one comes from the Danish Iboga’s sublabel Sofa Beats and…
Release data: Brian Vassallo – Flashback CD, Private Release, 2006 In 1999 this Maltese musician released the very nice atmospheric space album “Beyond”. His new album “Flashback” chooses a new direction as the music (all tracks were composed in 2001)…
Release data: Richard Bone – Experiments ’80-’82 CD, Quirkworks Laboratories, 2007 A while back ambient musician decided to revisit some 25- year old cassette tape recordings (composed with a Mini Moog, Korg MS10 and a Roland SH1) and restore them…
Release data: Amethystium – Evermind CD, Neurodisc, 2004 With his third album “Evermind”, Amethystium a.k.a. Øystein Ramfjord continues his tradition of accessible, ethnic infused fairy-tale music. For the new album, the third instalment in the “Dragonfly Trilogy”, he invited a…
Release data: O Yuki Conjugate – The Euphoria of Disobedience CD, Private Release, 2006 After a hiatus of over ten years, the English band OYC shows up again in their 3rd reincarnation, made up of original members Andrew Hulme, Roger…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Etherea CD, Air Space Records, 2006 Jeffrey Koepper has been making electronic music since 1985 and has played in two groups, Pure Gamma and Immortal respectively, before starting this solo-effort. During these years he has…
Release data: Dave Peck – Endo-Spectra CD, Private Release, 2003 I found Peck’s name on one of the many playlists of the US radio stations who broadcast electronic music, and got intrigued by the name of the album. Dave Peck…
Release data: Bekki Williams – Edge of Human CD, AD Music, 2007 Those who love accessible & highly melodic music can surely grab this cd, as it holds all strong keys to become a success in the genre of general…
Release data: RON BOOTS Dreamscape CD, Groove Unlimited, 1990/2003 This album always held a special place for me as it marked the real kick-off for Ron Boots into the world of electronic music. In addition, the recording is a perfect…
Release data: John Lyell – Dimensions CD, Private Release, 2006 The music on “Dimensions” is one about the stillness of outer space and its mysteries. Being an musician since 1984, John Lyell formerly made two others space music albums (“Wormholes”…
Release data: Arroniz – Contacto CD, Private Release, 2007 “Contacto” is the debut cd of the Mexican musician Miguel Arróniz Castrillón. The eight tracks on this album, which last over 75 minutes, almost all have a sequencer-based up-tempo character. The…
Release data: Various Artists – Chasing the Dawn [Ultima Thule Ambient] CD, Ultima Thule Media, 2006 After a very long delay of over three years this long-awaited sampler finally saw the light of day in the middle of 2006. The…
Release data: Gert Emmens – A Boy’s World CD, Groove Unlimited, 2007 On the concept-album “A Boy’s World”, Gert Emmens tries to capture a bit of the world, ideas, dreams and fantasies of his up growing son Frank. The albums…
Release data: Syndrone – Blind Date CD, Cuel Records NL, 1996 After a three year break, the album “Blind Date” was released in fall of 1996. The nine tracks on it were recorded during several jam sessions between 1994 and…
Release data: Syndrone – Being There CD, Cue Records NL, 1993 It was somewhere in 1992 when André Theelen and Harold Teunissen, aka Syndrone, payed me a visit. In those days, I was write reviews and other articles for KLEM,…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Auburn Silhouette CD, Private Release, 2007 Amongst Myselves is Australian ambient musician Steve Roberts who’s “Auburn Silhouette” (released April 10th 2007) is his fourth album. Like his former album, it’s accompanied by a dvd featuring…
Release data: Amethystium – Aphelion CD, Neurodisc, 2003 This is Øystein Ramfjord’s second cd, which again features a great cover. I can be short about the music as its continues where the former album “Odonata” ended. From the opening track…
Release data: Deborah Martin & J. Arif Verner – Anno Domini CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2007 This release is made by two long time artists of the Spotted Peccary stall. With such an album-title one expects a bit of a…
Release data: Klangwelt – The Age of Numbers CD, Spheric Music, 2003 This is the long-awaited, great looking second cd of Gerald Arend aka Klangwelt. For those who enjoyed his former cd, well prepare yourselves for a treat. Ingenious, catchy…
Release data: Numina – Sanctuary of Dreams CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003 The music of Jesse Sola aka Numina has always been special to me, and with his album “Sanctuary of Dreams” he again doesn’t disappoint at all. As the title…
Release data: Nautilus – In Search of Castaways CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 I’m not familiar with this German band nor have I heard any of their music. It’s their fifth cd so far, but their third on the Prudence-label. First of…
Release data: Maitreya – From the Mothership CD, Council of Nine, 1999 “From the Mothership” is the debut-cd of Simon Lomax aka Maitreya, released on his own small ambient label Council of Nine. The cover states the album is “dedicated…
Release data: Jeff Greinke – Weather from another Planet CD, First World Music, 2003 “Weather from another Planet” is the second cd release by Jeff Greinke, but this one is quite different in both nature and sound compared to his…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Hydroponic Garden CD, Ultimae Records, 2003 Carbon Based Lifeforms is the Swedish duo Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Ringström of which some music already appeared on the Fahrenheit Project-samplers of the same label. Well, what…
Release data: Kevin Bartlett – Near Life Experience CD, Aural Gratification, 2003 “Near Life Experience” is the awesome debut-recording of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Bartlett, offering over 73 minutes of evocative instrumental songs in which influences of Mike Oldfield, Enigma, Peter Gabriel…
Release data: Ashera & Brannan Lane – Sextant CD, Private Release, 2003 Anthony Wright and Brannan Lane join forces on this disc, offering 69 minutes of exquisite and delightful ambient music. “Sextant” offers five extended tracks of slowly morphing freeform…
Release data: Atrium Carceri – Cellblock CD, Cold Meat Industry, 2003 Well, fans of dark ambient/industrial musiccan enjoy themselves with this heavy release of the Swedisch label Cold Meat Industry. Atrium Carceri, aka Simon Health, presents 43 minutes of creeping,…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Sacred Black CD, Private Release, 2003 “Sacred Black” is Steve Roberts’ third cd, who’s music caught my attention when I heard his (former) album “Still Life”. The album starts with the slow morphing soundwaves of…
Release data: Living Dreamtime – Exploring the Water Element CD, Origo Sound, 2002 “Exploring the Water Element” is an album by Living Dreamtime,a.k.a. the very talented Oslo-based musician Tor Linlokken. The album completely focuses on the world of water, its…