Release data: Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy – Planetary Elements CD-R, Space for Music, 2003 The two 30-minute pieces making up “Planetary Elements” happened live on the fly during two performances at the California’s Schreder Planetarium in 2002. It sees both musicians sketch out expansive and varied aural canvasses where a mélange of Berlin School sequencing and lush cosmic atmospheres…
Release data: The Elf Machine & Vir Unis – Tokyo Highway CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AtmoWorks, 2004 Here’s a work that has affinity with the fractal groove releases of Steve Roach, Vir Unis and the collaborative works they did together. “Tokyo Highway” incorporates “fractal” computer-generated beats, oriental/tribal percussion and high-tech electronics without much melody. The 44-minute/six-track release offers a myriad of clean,…
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 per l’inferno”, after he made three solo albums (two of them produced by Klaus Schulze) and then vanished from the…
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 van Rossum, aka Martin Nonstatic was one of them. The continuous set played can be regarded a totally spaced out…
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” is fully built around airy, warm and deep calming atmospheres and thick, foggy textures, dressed subtly with soft pounding beats…
Release data: Secondface – In the Distance DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 The five tracks making up “In the Distance” were played live in the studio with an organic approach in mind and only minimal editing to it afterwards. In addition, Danish composer Frank Vilbæk Jensen focused on achieving a relaxed atmosphere and mindfulness mood across the dub-downtempo and floating…
Release data: Ran Kirlian – Isolated Landscapes DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2001/2003 “Isolated Landscapes” is a 77-minute collection of early tracks, demos and unreleased long form ambient from 1999-2001 that Ran Kirlian released privately on cd-r’s or remained unpublished. The slightly tribal-infused album offers four expansive ambient pieces, the first two composed in 2001. The 27-minute opener proves the toughest,…
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 of guitar, creates contemplative, dreamlike and imaginary spheres where slices of melancholy creep in occasionally. Of the 12 tracks, I…
Release data: Altus – Innerspace DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 Canadian ambient composer Mike Carss, aka Altus, started out on “Innerspace” with his mind set to write something very slow-moving, very ambient/ignorable in nature. It turned out a bit different though, as every time he sat down to write, he somehow lost sight of that goal and came up with…
Release data: Nostalgia – Beyond Horizon CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Practicing Nature/DataBloem, 2007 With Nostalgia’s third album “Beyond Horizon”, German composers Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow present a new, more differentiated chapter of slow morphing and evolving deep ethno-ambient music with occasional choir samples. The 65-minute outcome -best listened to with headphones- blends expansive, subtle manipulated textural dronescapes (courtesy of Mr Grassow)…
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. Cyclic sequencer patterns are surrounded by haunting, yet otherworldly textural atmospherics with a mesmerizing hypnotic current running through. The fluid…
Release data: AirSculpture – Doom Bar CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2009 “Doom Bar”, recorded at a band retreat in Cornwall in the spring of 2008, is totally commited to abstract and more experimental ambient music lacking any of the band’s sequences. The 48-minute title track, recorded in one take, is a mysterious, slow morphing and evolving liquidish ambience of textures,…
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 still at the helm of their label Atmoworks. The continuous 58-minute outcome is one of tranquility and dreaminess, at first…
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 on the state of consciousness. While shaping and molding the album’s music in a later stage, ambient master Steve Roach…
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, imaginary, deep and introspective sound worlds. The rich, spiritual and immersive ambient journey travels through various layers in a most…
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 indeed proved to be) hard and demanding to work with. He even had the opportunity to use a huge Moog…
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, which made him decided to name his first son “Sebastian” as he loved the musical story about “Sebastian im Traum”,…
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 and still is the case for many releases in the EM-genre. Basically, it came together the simple way. Mario, an…
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 his retro-ambient spaced-out style, but is not always that accessible or easy at hand. The 52-minute cohesive sound design features…
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 occasionally. The album starts out painting grand, cinematic, lush and bright textural atmospheres without any rhythm on the first few…
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 quite a varied of styles, all dedicated “to reminding us of our elemental relationship with the planet”. It incorporates frantic…
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 is a classic, still intriguing album featuring two expansive pieces comprising surreal and hallucinogenic soundscapes of 23 and 32 minutes…
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 fine bunch of electronic-rock on which strong melodic themes and energetic rhythms take center stage. The studio versions are unleashed…
Release data: Ascendant – Source Transmission CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2014 Some cool, contemporary and fresh downtempo electronics make up “Source Transmission”, the full-length debut of Chris Bryant and Don Tyler who both hail from California’s Bay Area. Their 73-minute, positively tuned work of art (an exploration of the edges of reality through the cosmic dream-code) merges sequencer-driven, dreamy, ethereal…
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 sophisticated, compelling manner, logically continuing the sonic storyline where “Sferics” left us. While a bit awkward dance-techno kicks in on…
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 “Phaedra” and “Rubycon”. During the 75-minute cosmic ride its three expansive pieces -one live excerpt, two studio tracks- we find…
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 a complete spatial sonority while leaving space for arpeggiation and sequencers. Well, the 71-minute result offers a rich blend of…
Release data: Jacques Roman – Mélodie Boréale MC, Private Release, 1986 In 1986, Jacques Roman (co-founder and main synthesist of the French band Pulsar), released “Mélodie Boréale”, a cinematic, keyboard-based work of tranquil, harmonic-atmospheric and rather introspective-oriented music. It’s the slow evolving 17-minute title piece with its calm pads and added sounds that illustrates the album’s content best, roaming in…
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 (then) upfront percussion and profound dose of sequencing. Looking back on “Terraformer”, the follow-up to “Replicant”, can’t hide certain sounds…
Release data: Rick Miller – Starsong MC/CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Vital Body Marketing/Private Release, 1984 “Starsong” is a classic electronic spacemusic album by Canadian composer Rick Miller. Originally called “Limberlost” and initially only released privately on cassette, “Starsong” came about in or around 1981 to 1982 while Mr Miller was living in Toronto and was asked by his good friend Eli Bay…
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 about expansive and minimal sound worlds of breathing atmospherics and zen-like immersion spaces, all unfolding slowly. These most subtle and…
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. This debut by Russian musician Vladislav Isaev, aka Scann-Tec, was mastered by the talented Huby Sea and Aes Dana from…
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 it prominently. The concept album deals with transitions, referring not only to recent transitions in the composers own life, but…
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 Magnus Birgersson) on the French Ultimae label. The continous ride of atmospheric mood-techno without much melodies merges downtempo and IDM…
Release data: Colin Rayment – Beyond the Aurora CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SynGate, 2016 The album “Beyond the Aurora” by UK-synthesist Colin Rayment is inspired by sightings of amazing skies while travelling in the far north of Scotland during the summer of 2015. The emotive contemporary music filling the album is well constructed and layered, featuring great underlayments of thick sequencer patterns…
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 hypnotizing and haunting textural music (mainly based on a same-titled privately released cd-r in 1998 and for this new edition…
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 a blend 12 tracks, all travelling on the mystery road to places far away in the Mongol region. The music…
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 producer and host of the renowned radioshow Star’s End and also organizer of the many concerts in Philadelphia’s Gatherings Concert…
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 the record two years to produce, it also demanded a long journey to find a record label to release it.…
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 occasionally. Then again, Peter’s third album “The Violet Flame” fits in its own league of cinematic/orchestral electronic music, featuring surreal…
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 play music on a vast and impressive range of vintage gear such as the first ARP 2500, various Moog Modular…
Release data: Mindglide – Tangent DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Altera Orbe, 2010/2013 Rafael De Julián’s “Tangent” is an electronic space album with a slight Berlin School edge, the latter applying to the use of some sequencing. The 36-minute “Vast Dominion” kicks things off with lush but rather bare atmospherics, after nine minutes followed by some sequencers. It can be me, but I…
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 2015. I’m not familiar with Keller’s solo music, but it immediately struck how much more melodic, emotive and joyful this…
Release data: Michael Meara – Timeworn DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Aural Films, 2016 When it comes to deep inner journeying, the somber and dark textural ponderings featured on Mr Meara’s dark ambient album “Timeworn” are just that. The two 20-minute explorations, created with processed guitar and synths, are slow morphing and slightly foreboding, drifting inward and descending into deep crevasses where daylight…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – Volume 7 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/CD-R, English Electronic Music Company, 2016 This disc features two lengthy pieces: a studio take from March 2009 and the last concert Pollard/Daniel/Booth played at UK’s Awakenings festival in September 2010. The 24-minute “Red Gryphon Dream State” starts out with psychedelic soundscaping followed by some lovely vintage sequencing surfacing around 8 minutes which…
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 piano ands warm synths, is a fine companion for quiet, reflective and thoughtful times featuring ten instrumental musings displaying rays…
Release data: Richard Bone – Aera USB-DRIVE/DIGITAL DOWNLOA, Quirkwork Laboratories, 2016 Electronica/ambient collectors out may be pleased to learn US-synthesist Richard Bone has released “Aera”, a 2-hour collection of 25 rare and obscure tracks released on an engraved rosewood USB drive limited to just 25 copies along a download-version. The work contains Mr Bone’s ambient work (“This Serene Life”), rather…
Release data: Purl – Evighet DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Eternell, 2016 “Evighet” is an Ep by Purl, aka Swedish composer and producer Ludvig Cimbrelius. The four atmospheric, minimalist-ambient dub/techno tracks feature warm, fluid, light-melodic soundscapes set in motion by deep but calming beats, while a slight groovy feel slumbers occasionally under them. Soundshaping and dynamics are in harmony in these unhurried sonic…
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- and electronic guitars, keyboards). Their album “Hypnotized” present 73 minutes of fresh melodic-instrumental music that connects the sound of classic…
Release data: Altus – The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow (Singles Collection Vol. 3) DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 With this almost 80-minute compilation, Mike Carss comprises six tracks written between 2011 and 2015 that were contributions to various netlabel compilations along three unreleased tracks. Opener “Such Fleeting Advancement” (Stoic Mix) kicks off with a much stronger, sequenced/rhythmic sound contrary his…
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 and created themes for live shows and advertising. During 2010 and 2013, Jos created his debut “Awaken”, of which the…
Release data: The Gateless Gate – Oceans are moving from the Arctic to the south reflecting the light DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2016 Allister Thompson’s “Oceans are moving…” is a 65-minute atmospheric and serene ambient journey with tasty use of field recordings. It kicks off with the beautiful 18-minute title track with most pleasant early Tangerine Dream/Pink Floyd influences and…
Release data: Andrew Lahiff – Suspended Twilight DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2008 The entrance to this album (“Unexplained Stillness”) is a very dense, most mysterious and clouded affair, fortunately shifting to gentle sparkling, spacious and more accessible textures after that. The recording offers a selection of tranquil meditations and slow evolving nocturnal soundscapes, wandering into melancholic lands occasionally. Of all…
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 of those positive exceptions. His second album “Empatia” recounts a personal vision of empathy with people and nature who still…
Release data: Kurtz Mindfields – Journey Through the Analog Adventure CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Nuage 7 Production, 2015 Kurtz Mindfields is a vintage synth project by Lyon-based synthesist Jean-Luc Briançon who started out as a jazz player initially. Nowadays he works for three records companies (Cristal Records, Warner, Feverdog Music) and owns a very large and versatile range of analogue hardware synths.…
Release data: Stephen Bacchus – The Keep CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deep Tracks/Oasis Productions, 2010 The 79-minute “The Keep” is a three decade retrospective featuring tracks by Canadian artist Stephen Bacchus, aka Grant Mackay. According the liner notes it compiles the best unreleased material of Bacchus’ career from 1979-2009, complimented by one new track (“Gratitude”) which is actually from a music soundtrack…
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 offers a full-length recording (his third album) on the same label, a cinematic downtempo soundscape aesthetic with a deep, detailed…
Release data: Radiant Mind – Sense CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, The Periphery/Timeroom Digital, 2012 The title “Sense” is most appropriate to this debut release by US artist Radiant Mind, which no other than Steve Roach helped nurture into being with skilled production and sonic contributions. Radiant Mind’s emotive ambient draws from space music and textures, offering long unfolding drifts and slow suspensions…
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 member of the band Streetmark, was one of the few female characters within the German progressive rock scene. The same-titled…
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 and violin. Stylistically, the release shows the composer’s preference for classical themes. The cinematic outcome resembles classic Gandalf, Richard Burmer,…