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The 90-minute “Tapestries” is an epic work inspired by Berlin and the electronic music that inspired Michael Neil to become a composer. The album’s music incorporates instruments familiar to the 70’s period of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze like the Mellotron, EMS VCS3 as well as software synthesizers developed by the German H.R. Fortune. Or better defined: it builds a bridge between past and present in terms of music and technology. The cd contains seven long form pieces, which melts expansive soundscapes, choir pads with some rapid, minimal sequencer lines, although there’s also a slight neo-classical rim to them all. There’s a certain improvised feel embedded in the music, which e.g. sees Michael play some nice mellotron flute on “Weaver”. “Submergence” is short gentle and melancholic vintage piece with beautiful soft mellotron textures, followed by the atmospheric “Ariadne’s Thread”. The free form “Magenta’s Lake” starts out rather experimental with echoing bell sounds and remains a 22-minute mélange of rather alienating and searching sound pads and effects, vaguely reminding of Schulze’s “Velvet Voyage”. Which brings us to the grand final of the album: the expansive “The Wide Blue Yonder” is an arc of lush and warm mellotron textures, string and choir pads smoothly stretching out. A swirling, mesmerizing sequencer pattern is added to them at the 4-minute mark, which slowly sets the whole piece in motion. Like almost all of Neil’s music, the album is available as digital download from MusicZeit. |
| Website: www.michaelneil.eu
You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Michael Neil artist page
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