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: 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: Three-Six (36) – Reality Engine Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Past Inside the Present, 2024 “Reality Engine”, the third and final vinyl in 36’s synth trilogy on the Past Inside the Present label, sees Mr. Huddleston continue the melodic, melancholy machine…
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: Three-six (36) – Cold Ecstasy Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2023 I´ve heard and reviewed quite a bit of 36 albums by now, seeing Dennis Huddleston shape and evolve his musical style on almost every new recording. This time…
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: Gunnar Jónsson Collider – S.W.I.M. LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2023 “S.W.I.M.” is the debut of Icelandic musician Gunnar Jónsson Collider on A Strangely Isolated Place with an expansive trip through six fictional environments. We are talking…
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: Mikkel Rev – The Art of Levitation LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2023 Mikkel Rev is the alias of Norwegian music producer Mikkel Haraldstad who presents a melange of contemporary electronics, trance, and ambient on “The Art…
Release data: 2814 – Birth of a New Day Lp/Mc/Digital Download, Dream Catalogue, 2015 Various random excursions into music of the vaporwave genre made me discover this (for many) classic ambient release, a sonic journey delving deep in dystopian, futurist…
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: 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…
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: Parallel Worlds – Dark Energy CD-r/12″/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Moatun 7, 2022 Bakis Sirros’ “Dark Energy” contains five 10-minute atmospheric ambiences, as usual, created through his analogue modulars along digital FM and virtual analogue synths sampling. Drony, minimalist textural landscapes…
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: Kurtz Mindfields – Flying from Berlin to Paris LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, FeverDog Music, 2022 The EM community was offered another view and approach to classic Berlin School-style electronics since Frenchman Jean-Luc Briançon started releasing his music as Kurtz…
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: 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: 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: Interconnected – Grainophonics CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/LP, Móatún 7, 2021 “Grainophonics” by Bakis Sirros and Ingo Zobel (aka Interconnected) is an ambient work full of surreal, adventurous atmospheres and organic soundscapes created with big analogue modular synths with granular,…
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: 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: 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: Damm – Nautical Dawn LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 “Nautical Dawn” (inspired by majestic cloud formations at nature’s finest hour when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon) is an electronic chill-out release by…
Release data: Nigel Mullaney – The Navigator LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Behind The Sky Music, 2021 Here’s a recording about (personal) exploration and discovery as well as seeing beyond the mind’s eye. “The Navigator” is a concept album inspired by the mythical…
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: Gadi Sassoon – Multiverse LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 Gadi Sassoon is a composer from Milan of Syrian and Italian heritage who published music under the aliases Memory9 and Aliens at Home previously. “Multiverse” (existing both as stereo mixes…
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: 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: 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: Quiet Places – Volume One LP/Digital Download, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 Quiet Places is UK’s seasoned electronic music producer trio Dennis White, Charlie May and Dave Gardner (best known as long-time collaborators with Sasha), now focusing on…
Release data: Gáston Arévalo – Terrain LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 Seven years after “Rollin Ballads” Uruguayan sound artist and musician Gastón Arévalo returns with “Terrain”, an exploratory-themed ambient album told and unfolding through the lens of an…
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: Wanderwelle – A State of Decrepitude LP/Digital Download, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 Meant as a soundtrack to humanity that once was, “A State Of Decrepitude” is a concept album by Amsterdam-based duo Phil van Dulm and Alexander…
Release data: Merrin Karras – Northwest Passage LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 What I got here is the second album of Irish electronic music producer Brendan Gregoriy, also known under the moniker Chymera. As the latter Brendan produced…
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: E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr – Non Plus Ultra LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Svart Records, 2020 No other than German Krautrock/Kosmische Musik legend Eroc has been in charge of mastering “Non plus ultra”, the third full-length studio album from the Finnish collective E-Musicgruppe…
Release data: Max Würden – Format LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2019 Fall and wintertime are most suitable to listen to quieting environment ambient, and this one fits in that category. “Format” by Cologne-based soundsculptor Max Würden is a contemporary…
Release data: Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri – Una Presencia En La Brise LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 “Una Presencia En La Brisa” (A Presence In The Breeze) by soundsculptors Leandro Fresco and Rafael Anton Irisarri is something…
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: 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: Three-Six (36) – The Lower Lights LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Past inside the Present, 2019 The 10 tracks making up the 59-minute “The Lower Lights” were previously released digitally through 36’s Audio Diary on Patreon.com between April 2018 and April…
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: 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: 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: 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: Tim Stebbing – The Atmosphere Factory (Cassette Recordings 1985-1991) LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ceres Motion, 2018 Synthesist Tim Stebbing was part of the league of UK’s DIY electronic music artists such as Kevin O’Neill, Greg Truckell, Paul, Nagle, Peter Tedstone, Michael…
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: Parallel Worlds – Tonal Paintings LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lost in It Records, 2018 Travelling back to and investigating the early years of a musician is always something special, in my opinion at least. “Tonal Paintings” is a vinyl featuring unreleased…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Ego Death DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/LP, 3Six Recordings, 2018 November 2018 marked 10 years since Dennis Huddleston’s finished his (still) excellent 36 debut-album “Hypersona”. From there his highly emotive and most captivating ambient music evolved step by step…
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: 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: Wanderwelle – Lost in a sea of trees LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Silent Season, 2017 Imagine a lone traveler entering a dark, ancient forest, being lured deep into the woods by something not of this world as he enters uncharted…
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Kai Harster – Return to Nature & Other Delights LP/CD-R, Private Release, 1985/2011 The self-produced “Return to Nature & other Delights” by German composer/painter/lyricist Kai Harster (which received some critical acclaim from Hubert Bognermayer of Erdenklang fame) welcomes…
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: 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 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: 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: 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: Three-Six (36) – Seconds & Forever LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3Six Recordings/Mystic & Quantum Records, 2016 “Seconds & Forever”, part-influenced by the late 70’s Tangerine Dream style lp’s, features two 18-minute pieces. Sonically a cross between the 36-releases “Sine Dust”…
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: Three-Six (36) – The Infinity Room LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2016 This time around, UK sound sculptor and ambient artist Dennis Huddleston, aka 36, presents us another lovely mellow project to please the ears. Sonically, “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: 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: 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: 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: Kurtz Mindfields – The Dreaming Void LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Nuage 7 Production, 2016 The 41-minute “The Dreaming Void” by Kurtz Mindfields (aka French synthesist Jean-Luc Briançon) is meant as homage to early Berlin School EM. The outcome sees him…
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: 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: Purl & Sinius – Oceans of Sound LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AM4 Productions/Eternell, 2016 The cinematic aural world with deep attention to detail investigated on “Oceans of Sound” (conceived in 2012, completed in 2013 and released in 2016) is one…
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Von Hallgath – Easterfield DIGITAL DOWNLOAD EP, Private Release, 2015 von Hallgath is a side project of Jörg Erren and Jochen Schöttler, both members of the fine German quartet Erren-Fleissig-Schöttler-Steffen. “Easterfield” is a four-track EP with mature, Berlin…
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: 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 – 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: 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: 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: Johan Agebjörn – Notes LP/CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Paper Bag Records, 2015 Those who know the previous music of Johan Agebjörn (Swedish songwriter and producer of Sally Shapiro) will hear a different sound on “Notes”. The almost drumless 47-minute album,…
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr – Spiralo LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Svart Records, 2014 The sonic content of Spiralo extends on the German Kosmische Musik which already inspired their album “Kometenbahn”. What started as an improvised live set that Pertti Grönholm, Jaakko…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Sonar LP, Fruits de Mer Records, 2014 “Sonar” is Craig Padilla’s the second album for the Fruit de Mer label, released as limited edition double LP colored vinyl. It’s a compilation of recordings by Craig…
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Pascal Languirand – De Harmonia Universalia LP, Minos/Polydor, 1980 I personally feel “De Harmonia Universalia” is still the best album by Canadian/French composer Pascal Languirand before he would be drawn into New Age territory and wrapped-up in the…
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: Rhea – Crescent CD-R/LP, Rhea Music, 2013 Rhea is a project of Belgian synthesist Mark de Wit, who some might know as one half of Purfoze or as one of the founding members of B-Wave, the Belgian electronic…
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: 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: 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: Craig Padilla/Sendelica – Strange Fish 1 LP, Fruits de Mer Records, 2013 The shared release Strange Fish 1 is a very limited edition coloured vinyl record, part of the 6-lp set “Strange Fish”. The latter is a series…
Release data: Tonefloat:Ikon – Streams of Consciousness (Series) LP, Tonefloat:Ikon, 2013 Only recently, Belgium-based sound forger Dirk Serries (better known as vidnaObmana, fear falls burning) has made the return to the highly textural and most successful music he once created…
Release data: E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr – Kometenbahn LP, Svart Records, 2013 E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr is a cosmic music collective from Finland comprising the talents of Pertti Grönholm (synthesizers, sequencers and samplers), Jaakko Penttinen (synthesizers and sequencers), Kimi Kärki,(guitar, e-bow and…
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: 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: 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: Three-Six (36) – Memories in Widescreen LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2010 “Memories In Widescreen” is the first vinyl-exclusive album from 36, aka UK-sound designer Dennis Huddleston, offerings 13 ambient tracks spanning 70 minutes of material. Again, it’s a…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Galaxie Cygnus-A LP, Innovative Communications, 1982 In my opinion, the cosmic symphony “Galaxie Cygnus-A” is the most remarklable project German synthesist Robert Schroeder did in the ‘80’s. In it, visual artist Michael Weisser (who later…
Release data: Mako – In Other Regions LP, Seagull Music, 1986 Mako’s second album “In Other Regions” sees a continuation of the compelling symphonic tone poems as heard on his debut “Meeting with the Sea“. This time, the 42 minutes…
Release data: Mako – Meeting with the Sea LP, Seagull Music, 1984 Mako is the alias of the Austrian musician Manfred Batko, who used the first and last two letters of his real name for his artist-name. The concept album…
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…