3.5

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 of all adventurous and future electronic music.
It’s cosmic music pur sang, now and then briefly tapping in the heritage of the Berliner School style of the early ’70’s while taking the listener out on a 60-minute atmospheric trip through the vast unknown.

The highly cinematic outcome though is less traditional. A deep sense of mystery already announces itself on the strong, almost 30-minute album opener “Sector Zero Zero One”. It’s a beautifully moulded sonic sci-fi story through dense soundscapes with quite some turns and twists along the ride.

The album continues with four shorter pieces that keep immersing in darkening, dense atmospheric moods. Its compelling and robotic-like sound design stays away from the comfort mode, as alienating effects and quite some some industrial elements pass by. On “The Automatons”, its like Patrick Kosmos is shortly taking over the control panels.

All in all, “Regeneration Mode” is outer space music with stark textures and a firm high-tech rim, making a fascinating sonic travel guide to possible future worlds beyond.

You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Chuck Van Zyl artist page