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…
Release data: Parsick & Reuter – Lament CD, Gterma, 2012 The music of Parsick & Reuter’s second ambient release “Lament”, that both musicians consider a successor to the 2007 album “Ceasing to Exist”, was recorded between July and September 2010. It contains nearly 70 minutes/seven tracks of in-depth and lush textural soundscape drones, accompanied by processed/atmospheric guitar-strings and loop devices.…
Release data: Bertrand Loreau – Journey Through the Past CD, Spheric Music, 2012 Since long, Spheric Music owner Lambert Ringlage has had a good ear for fine (especially Berliner School-oriented or inspired) electronic music releases. As the title of this cd already suggest, “Journey through the past” by French composer Bertrand Loreau is another fine melodic recording fitting in the…
Release data: Various Artists – Euphony 2 CD, WWUH, 2009 “Euphony 2” is the second ambient collection published by the US public alternative radiostation WWUH, that this time turned out to be a double-cd. Like the previous sampler, it contains lots of unreleased goodies by established performers such as Steve Roach, Ron Boots, Forrest Fang, Dino Pacifici, and Alpha Wave…
Release data: Phobos – This Desolate Place CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Now here’s another strong piece of profound ambient music by UK-based composer David Thompson, aka Phobos, who already made a great impression on me with “Live on Earth”. “This Desolate Place” contains one longform piece, offering 68 minutes of highly atmospheric textural music. I gave the album several…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Airborne CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2012 Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Erik Wøllo already has a beautiful, extensive list of solo and collaborative releases under his belt, to which “Airborne” makes a great addition. Known for his highly emotive and sensitive approach, Erik again has incorporated minimal, contemporary and symphonic styles in his music that lend the melodic,…
Release data: Stephan Whitlan – Travelling Light DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Fairy Nuff Music, 2010 “Travelling Light” contains the live concert by Irish/UK synthesist Stephan Whitlan performed on October 17 at E-Live 2009 in Oirschot, The Netherlands. Those who saw him as support act to John Dyson & friends the previous year already witnessed a most skilled and enthusiastically playing musician. Stephan…
Release data: Johan Tronestam – Far Away CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, TeamQuasar, 2012 Danish composer Johan Tronestam played earlier in various music groups, but has for a long time concentrated on writing instrumental synth music. Created between 2011 and 2012 on the Åland Islands, an island in the Baltic Sea, the concept album “Far Away” (subtitled: a musical voyage beyond time and…
Release data: Ok Ikumi – Alpine Sequences DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/CASSETTE, Hel Audio, 2012 “Alpine Sequences” by Utah artist Ok Ikumi (aka Karl Jørgensen) is a collection of 12 short and simple ambient recordings. The latter are inspired by Utah geography and are built around procedurally generated and repeating sequences and looping melodies. The outcome is lush and spacious but also rather…
Release data: Steven Grace – Flow DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2011 Steve Grace’s release “Flow” is an ambient album made with the Avatar ST software synthesizer only. Mr Grace recorded it during four sessions in March 2011 mostly through improvisation, with some editing afterward. Contrary to his output under the Logic Gate moniker, the music made using his own name…
Release data: Jack Hertz – Time DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Free Floating Music, 2012 Ambient minimalism and (the impact of) the slow passing of time are core elements that mark the quiet and immersive music on the 76-minute “Time”. The longform and unhurried drone textures breath a similar kind of introspection, subtlety and profound stillness as found on Roach’s “Quiet Music” or…
Release data: Thomas Ronkin – Precursors CD-R, The Periphery, 2012 Some may know the previous two releases of US-synthesist Thomas Ronkin, “Within; Distance” and “Symmetric”. Both stand out for its classic, sequencer-driven, and Berliner School-influenced Em next to some fine, sophisticated and deep ambient tracks. Although I already had some unreleased studio recordings from Mr Ronkin from the ’80’s, the…
Release data: Alio Die & Yannick Dauby – Descendre cinq lacs au travers d’une voilé CD-EP, Aqua, 1998 This limited edition EP contains one 21-minute abstract/experimental soundscape with psychedelic undercurrents. Overall spiritual and meditative in nature, the sound collage of textures, electronic effects, water elements and Tibetan bowls is meant for deep listening as we travel through the veil into…
Release data: Project Earth – Tak Ze CD/12INCH, MFS, 1994 “Tak Ze” by Martin Stark and Christopher Hausmann, aka Projekt Earth, contains 36 minutes of overall mellow, spherical and highly textural spacemusic. Nowadays we would call these almost non-rhythmic, slow morphing cosmic soundscapes “Chill-out”, but in the days these three lengthy tracks where composed, the German duo already made an…