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. Although the music starts out in a very atmospheric and free form fashion on the first take, the recording reveals…
Release data: 12 Followers / Meteo Xavier Impulse OST DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 12 Followers/Meteo Xavier is currently a one man collective, semi-professional composer operating out of East Tennessee, who got and grabbed the opportunity to contribute some music to the spacey-puzzle game “Impulse”. The outcome is an ambient/experimental, rhythmic and sample-driven work that sure is not your (and…
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 lots of the composed music did match the conceptual idea one way or the other, Adrian also felt they simply…
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 and melodic synthesizer music accompanied by bubbling and otherwise tasty sequencing. His moody and at times spacy and symphonic music…
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. “Mystic Dawn”, his second full-length collaboration with Cadenced Haven (aka Laila Quraishi), is no exception to that rule. It offers…
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 Day On Earth”. The release features four generative, long-form tracks of cohesive, contemplative ambient, or intellectual/emotional sound collage, as Brian…
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 Rehn of the Swedish Gterma label did quite some troubles tracking down this meditative world music by the sadly departed…
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 label, it’s accompanied by a lavishly illustrated cd-booklet that proved to be the only good element. With a playing time…
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, also known as co-owner of the Lyon-based quality label that continues promoting panoramic music for panoramic people around the globe.…
Release data: Altus – The Sidereal Cycle 3 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 This freeform release marks the third chapter of “The Sidereal Cycle” series, which the composer regards the spiritual successor to his “Winter Embrace” concept series. The recording again features one track, the 55-minute “Orion”, which sees Mike Carss sophisticatedly weave perfectly layered velvet pads on the…
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. Bearing the subtitle “slow movements from the depths”, Mr Corbacho takes his listeners on an epic and stellar soundscape journey…
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, aka Indo, who thinks the release an important one as an artist (although it’s considered one of his most unpopular…
Release data: Sync24 – Ambient Archive [1996-2002] DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Leftfield Records, 2012 “Ambient Archive” is a backlog compilation by Daniel Segerstad, aka Sync24, containing unreleased tracks from 1996-2002. It showcases the early, rather raw and unpolished sketches that later on would lead to more mature, deepened and carefully moulded ambiences on his solo-albums. There’s also a rim of experimentation noticeable…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – Arctic Remixes DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2011 For “Arctic Remixes”, Norwegian-based Boreal Taiga (aka JimDe) composed various lush ambient electronic atmospheres that are profoundly influenced by the northern hemisphere and its arctic environments. Moreover, the album’s quite hypnotic, non-rhythmic music features beautiful slow flowing ambient soundscapes with occasional sequencers along organic undercurrents and a range…
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 addition, Robert here doesn’t stick to simple tunes and melodic songs only. The sparkling 11-minute title track is a great…
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 four tracks on the album, which Manuel considers an experiment with keyboards and synthesizer, all have a lovely warm feel,…
Release data: Synthex – Pythagoras CD-R, Private Release, 2012 Synthex, aka the 13-year old enthusiast Dutch synthesist Jeffrey Haster, is a most frequent visitor at Dutch Em-festivals. In addition, he loves twisting knobs on analogue gear (in search of a nice sound or effect) and is a big fan of the music of Jean-Michel Jarre. It’s no surprise the latter…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder –Analog Overdose – The Road Movie DVD, Manikin Records, 2012 “Analog Overdose – The Road Movie” is the long-awaited dvd comprising various live concerts performed by the German duo Fanger and Schönwälder in 2007 and 2008, accompanied by snapshots while being on the road. The 115-minute disc starts with the atmospheric/chill-out set they played in…
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 outcome found on “Without Retrospect, the Morning” (which is the final part of the water-themed trilogy of albums that included…
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 to transform quite a bit. “Falling Light” features a further shift to extensive use of bass and lap steel/slide guitar,…
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 venture into more of an ambient direction. The 60-minute outcome is what Mr Carrigan likes refers to as “eclectic adventures…
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 music, ambient-master Steve Roach returns to vast and quiet open spaces which flow and evolve naturally. The smooth curling and…
Release data: moonbooter – Cosmophonica CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Mellowjet Records, 2012 With “Cosmophonica”, German synthesist Bernd Scholl, aka Moonbooter, brings his fans another highly accessible and melodic release that I’m sure will appeal to many. While taking his audience on a trip through the cosmos, he aptly pairs and mixes (atmo)spheric sound paintings with symphonic and up-tempo outings. The 10-minute title-piece…
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, the outcome on his seventh studio release makes quite clear that’s not the case. Once again, Schiller sticks to the…
Release data: Broken Harbour – The Geometry of Shadows CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Relaxed Machinery, 2012 Originally, the music for the concept-album “The Geometry of Shadows” was composed under the title “Ansible” (which is now the last track on this album) in 2009, but was shelved when Blake Gibson (aka Broken Harbour) decided to take a break from music. Last year 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 emotion in the band’s mainstream electronic music, and the poppy tunes making up this 55-minute release once again make me…
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 artists. Connect.Ohm is such a newbie, introducing the debut album by label-artists Alex Scheffer (also known as Cell) and Tokyo-based…
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, who once more offers his fans a great and most exciting treat. It contains six new pieces of music composed…
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”, an accomplished and skilled French composer. “Caravansary” is a evocative instrumental songbook containing 22 short tracks blending an assortment of…
Release data: Soft Note – Music Book Vol. II DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ambione Foundation, 2012 Soft Note is a textural ambient project by Siberian composer Philipp Kalchuk, created with hard and software synthesizers. The 46-minute “Music Book Vol. 2” is an rather unpolished soundscape journey with an overall raw/adventurous edge were quite a bit of experimentation is going on. In this…
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 and varied work of sonic art, assembling both the sequencer/melodic angle and the cosmic side of his music. What I…
Release data: Phobos – Moments in Sound DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 “Moments in Sound”, a collection of released and unreleased music, is a release by the UK composer David Thompson (aka Phobos) who already impressed me a lot with his in-depth ambient albums “This desolate place” and “Darker”. Besides the fact this album of this very talented musician is…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Sediments -music from 1989 to 1994- CD-R, Private Release, 2008 I must say it’s always nice to hear the “roots” of an EM-artist, especially when he or she has gained its own share in the genre in better and worse times. “Sediments” is a compilation album containing the best tracks Stephen Parsick’s first two cassettes…
Release data: Lyonel Bauchet – The Secret Society DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2012 This is one of the many digital download-only releases that had to sit too long on my harddisc due to an overflow of music for review. Now that I’m finally giving the album several spins, I much regret I didn’t find time to dig this nice and well-crafted…
Release data: Spiraleye – Ramelion CD-R, Private Release, 2011 “Ramelion” is the third release by Spiraleye, a project of contemporary improvised electronic music by UK-musicians Peter Challoner (synths) and ambient guitarist Neale Haddon. The 70-minute album contains eight spontaneous crafted compositions, where emotive sound design and textural ambiences merge with groove-based soundscape music. The spherical outcome sees the composers play…
Release data: Dave Luxton – Music From The Firmament DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2011 In the last couple of years, I’ve reviewed quite a few cosmic albums by US-ambient composer Dave Luxton, who’s also the owner of the Wayfarer Records label. Those who are still not familiar with his music hereby get an excellent opportunity to do so after all.…
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 third chapter of gentle cosmic music to their release-sheet. Richard and Craig explain they both did not add parts to…
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. The accompanying 12-page cd-booklet is graced with beautiful photos from the neighbouring Ladakh province in India. Label manager Johan Rehn…
Release data: Altus – The Sidereal Cycle 2 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 “The Sidereal Cycle 2” is the second installment of cinematic music on time and the change of the seasons by Canadian ambient composer Mike Carss. The recording contains one lengthy track, the almost 55-minute Andromeda”, in which one can “see” and “feel” the change of colours…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Psychedelic Voyage DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Psychedelic Voyage”, inspired by psychedelic images, movies and sounds, sees a continuation of Javi Cánovas’ classic electronic music style for which he applied his usual gear such as the Andromeda A6, Roland Juno D, Novation XIO along some soft synths. This time though, Javi tried much harder to…
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 soul-mate and Node-member Davell Bessell from the UK. The latter also delivered some tasty guitar and textures with his trusted…
Release data: Phobos – Darker CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 Phobos album “Darker”, his third private release to date, is another treat for ambient fans who love longform, overtly dark and intense soundscape music meant for headphone listening. With four overall dense and at times rather abstract sound paintings, the composer really takes his listener to the next level down…
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 natural sounds made in Australia, the continuous, overall contemplative music has a strong soothing effect. Long drifting and slow evolving…
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 is overall smooth and profound velvet soundscape music containing a deep sense of grace. A full-size neo-classical orchestra and worldless…
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 lengthy movements, each clocking over 20 minutes, featuring some very nicely rendered twinkling sequencing beyond immersive, velvet soundscapes. Andrew perceives…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – Complex Silence 23 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Tree Trunk, 2012 Mr Wilkerson states the outcome found on “Complex Silence 23” was born out of extreme emotional pain along a kaleidoscope of personal experiences of life and ruminations on them. The music conveys his personal sense of profound loss and anguish, but also his faith that love and…
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 vocals) offering an unusual but exciting blend of contemporary electronica. Its 41-minute peculiar sonic canvas blends ethno-ambient with down-tempo, experimental…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – re:ambient DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2012 “Re:ambient” is part a series of occasional releases by Bob Holroyd which aims to revisit, reinvent and reinterpret some of his previous output. Three of the nine instrumental tracks received laid-back and spacious remixes by Mr Holroyd, while the other six were handed over to Mogwai, The Album Leaf,…
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 longform reconstruction of Seetyca’s soundtrack to the same-titled short animated movie by Amy Scott-Murray and Kevin Adams. The latter is…
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 up-tempo, instrumental and moody electronic music. This time though, Mr Carrigan has put in a bit more hidden and straightforward…
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 known as Phelios) and Christian Stritzel. The 55-minute recording consists of six phases, making up a continuous tapestry of massive,…
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 transporting the listener to wherever they wish the music to take them. Jesse’s previous two albums already opened the doorway…
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 the same label. The concept album and its music is inspired by the Chinook tribe of Native Amaricans who once…
Release data: Boreal Taiga – yg:drasil DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wayfarer Records, 2012 “yg:drasil”, subtitled “Modern Interpretation of Northern Sounds”, is Boreal Taiga’s fourth release with Wayfarer Records and also his first double album. The recording, clocking over 2,5 hours, features ambient and deep space tracks on the first cd that explore the vast regions of our Arctic environments. On the second…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Eolian Reflections CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Periphery, 2012 “Eolian Reflections” makes a great addition to the ever expanding collection of high-quality ambient/space music by Gregory Kyryluk, aka Alpha Wave Movement. Gregory states the outcome is a purely unconscious follow-up to the 2000 release “Drifted Into Deeper Lands”, as it is oncemore inspired by the timeless arid…
Release data: Har & Altus – Shadow District DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Earth Mantra, 2012 At the beginning of 2012, Mike hinted at a collaboration that he’d been working on since 2011 with ambient guitarist/bassist/Chapman Stickist Har. The outcome is “Shadow District”, a dense and mysterious affair triggering the imagination. It’s an intense journey through abstract soundscape netherworlds of dark, gloomy ambience…
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 solo releases, but also his extensive, fruitful collaborations with other kindred spirits around the globe, most notably in Italy. The…
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 and post production under his belt. He e.g. did a wonderful job on Raygun Ballets “World that wasn’t” but also…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – Highlands DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 “Highlands”, mastered by Ben Cox (one of the guys behind the Lotus Pike label), is a 66-minute narrative soundscape journey into higher and peaceful spheres, split in four long form compositions. These free form and rhythmless textures are the doorway to a tranquil and balanced world beyond where…
Release data: Within Reason – Subtle Shift CD-R, Periphery, 2012 Within Reason is a most interesting side-project by skilled synthesist Gregory Kyryluk (known as Alpha Wave Movement and one half of Thought Guild) that focusses on spacy dub-electro. The excellently produced outcome consist of eight tracks and is overall lush with lots of groovy undercurrents, carrying a smooth pulse and…