Release data: Meg Bowles – A Quiet Light CD, Kumatone Records, 2011 I had the idea classically-trained female synthesist fell of the radar about a decade or so ago, after she had composed some very nice cosmic albums. So what a nice surprise to hear she re-entered the electronic music scene at the start of 2011, at the same time…
Release data: Futureworld Orchestra – Regenerated CD, Goose Pimples Music, 2009 The duo Robert Pot en Gerto Heupink originally making up Futureworld Orchestra had quite some success in the first half of the ’80’s with their vocal and instrumental pop tunes, of which especially “Desire” and “Roulette” did a good job in the Dutch charts next to “Theme from E.T.”…
Release data: Richard Bone – Sudden Departure CD, Quirkwork Laboratory Discs, 2008 “Sudden Departure”, the 24th release on Richard Bone’s own Quirkworks Laboratories label, is another offering of emotive and calming ambient tracks. In their own way, each track seems an observation of moments in time and space, simply displaying a sense of reflection or mood. As always, there are…
Release data: Biff Johnson – Reading The Bones CD, Broad Vista Music, 1997 A quick look at red rocks on the cover of this cd would make you think this might be another release of vidnaObmana. “Reading the Bones” is actually the debut of American musician Biff Johnson on his own Broad Vista label, who received the kind help from…
Release data: Biff Johnson – Mirage at the Crossroads CD, Broad Vista Music, 1999 On his second album “Mirage at the Crossroads”, Sacramento-based composer Biff Johnson has decided to follow a bit of a new musical direction for his ambient music, as the outcome of debut album “Reading the Bones” almost sounded like a tribute to the desert music of…
Release data: Vir Unis & James Johnson – Perimeter II CD-R, Atmoworks, 2003 Two years after their succesfull double release “Perimeter”, a follow-up to this concept was released as “Perimeter II”. This time it’s a triple cd-r set packed in a dvd-case, of which the music oncemore is an sophisticated mix of fractal groove electronics and atmospherics outings, but overall…
Release data: Vir Unis & James Johnson – Perimeter CD-R, Atmoworks, 2001 “Perimeter” is a double cd-r release which sees fractal-groove king Vir Unis (aka John Strate-Hootman) collaborate with ambient composer James Johnson. The disc of 60 and 70 minutes each feature a blend of high-tech groove and pulse sequencer patterns and rhythms, loops, radiowave mutations and fractalizations to which…
Release data: Vir Unis – Aeonian Glow CD, Greenhouse Music, 2000 “Aeonian Glow” is a second chapter of introspective and inner body music by John Strate-Hootman, aka Vir Unis. The music was created in the seclusion of John’s In the Bubble studio, which at that time existed in the hectic city of New York. As John eluded in an interview,…
Release data: James Johnson – Environment 1: Chinatown – New York CD-R, Atmoworks, 2003 “Environment 1” is the first cd-ep from James Johnson environmental soundscapes series. This 28-minute cd-r carries the subtitle Chinatown – New York, and depicts a rather peaceful soundscape with only a few street sounds here and there. A drifting texture with faint melancholic elements, complemented by…
Release data: James Johnson – Echoes CD-R, Atmoworks, 2003 As Mr Johnson explains in the inlay sheet, “Echoes” is the outcome of an exploration of the process of “designed systems”: self-generated, always changing soundfields, melodies and floating textures, of which traces already could be heard on his former albums “Odyssee” and “The Butterfly Chamber”. Well, the introspective title-track leans towards…
Release data: Hoenig – Göttsching – Early Water CD, Musique Intemporelle/Spalax, 1995 “Early Water” is one of those classic gems in electronic music that found its origin in a jam session that took place in Berlin in the autumn of 1976 between Manuel Göttsching and Michel Hoenig. The “lost” recording remained on the shelf for about 20 years or so,…
Release data: Richard Bone – Beleagured Blossoms CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Quirkwork Laboratory Discs, 2010 “Beleagured Blossoms” contains 11 forgotten artifacts from Mr Bone’s archive. They’ve been composed between 1993-2009, and most of them are soundtracks from various film and video projects. Mr Bone’s versatile compositions walk the edge of combining the abstract with contemporary electronica. His music steps out of the…
Release data: Richard Bone – The Ghosts of Hanton Village CD-R, Quirkwork Laboratory Discs, 2009 “The Ghosts of Hanton Village” marks the 25th release on Mr Bone’s label Quirkwork Laboratory Discs. It contains ten ambient/experimental compositions that have been inspired by the folklore surrounding Hanton Village, a mysterious commune in the northwest hills of Rhode Island, close to Richard’s home.…
Release data: Uwe Gronau – Midsummer CD, Private Release, 2011 Uwe Gronau is a German musician current residing in Bocholt, who created a range of progressive and New Age instrumentals for the double abum “Midsummer”. For the albums music, Mr Gronau based his ideas upon Wittgenstein’s studies on the relationship between reality and thought. What we got here is a…
Release data: Gandalf – Erdenklang & Sternentanz (Earthsong & Stardance) CD, Prudence, 2011 “Erdenklang & Sternentanz”, which comes in a beautiful 8-panel digipack, is a special project which celebrates Gandalf’s 30th anniversary as a stage performer. It actually contains the “life-symphony” music Gandalf performed with the Austrian Corso Orchestra, which at first glance makes one think of the “Symphonic Landscapes”…
Release data: Aes Dana – Perimeters CD, Ultimae Records, 2011 First of all, “Perimeters” sees a departure of the cd packaging and cover artwork known from all previous Ultimae releases. Musically, Vincent Villuis has taken the opportunity to thoroughly reinvestigate the core and sound of the Aes Dana project, which has resulted in an expansion in both sound and style.…
Release data: Bob Holroyd – Beachcombing CD, Private Release, 2011 “Beachcombing” (previously announced as “Glow”, which is also the first track of the album) comes in an environmental-friendly but still nicely looking digipack. This album by UK-composer Bob Holroyds contains twelve compositions which in advance has been depicted as “the perfect soundtrack to a film yet to be made”. The…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn – The Mountain Lake CD, LotusPike, 2011 After more than two years, Swedish composer Johan Agebjörn delivers his second album on the prestigious LotusPike label. It’s an example of fresh and catchy contemporary electronics with that typical but indefinable arctic rim. The influence of trance and dance is clearer on the 13 up-tempo instrumentals that fill…
Release data: Remanence – Lamkhyer 3-INCH CD-R, mPath Records, 2002 This is the third, again very nice and originally packed release of Remanence, aka the ambient-duo Brian McWilliams and John Phipps. Both who have been abled to take a prolific dive into the deep end of Tibetan-inspired music. In a way, this is what other musicians like to call in-the-moment-music:…
Release data: Darshan Ambient – The Zen Master’s Diary CD-R, Private Release, 2003 The initial idea for “The Zen Master’s Diary” by Darshan Ambient (aka Michael Allison) was born after the musician read A Buddist Bible by Dwight Goddard, a book on Zen and Yogic philosophies. The nine longform compositions on the introspective-oriented cd are a real treat for both…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Soniq Variants CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2011 As Gregory Kyryluk explains in the liner notes, the music of “Soniq Variants” is made on a few Ensoniq hardware synthesizers with slight computer assistance for compositional arrangement and audio recording. With these synths, known for their special timbral quality, Gregory mapped out eight fine tracks of…
Release data: moonbooter – Cosmologica CD, Mellowjet Records, 2010 Like “Cosmoclimax”, “Cosmologica” is another energetic release by Bernd Scholl, (aka Moonbooter) but the latter one offers a handful of very nice Jarre elements and effects thrown in the Moonbooter mix next to Schiller-esque trance/dance ingredients. The album (produced for and premiered live in concert at the end of December 2010…
Release data: Hollan Holmes – A Distant Light CD, Hollan Holmes Music, 2010 Hollan Holmes is a new name in the genre of ambient music, which recently introduced himself and his music on the electronic music forum Emportal.info around the end of 2010. “A Distant Light” is his a debut, which the composer describes as a deeply spiritual journey and…
Release data: Synthetic Block – Synthetic Block CD, Mindspore Records, 1998 What we got here is an interesting debut-cd that shouldn’t be missed by any serious listener of progressive electronic ambient music produced today. American musician Jonathan Block (who seems to have produced several cassettes before this cd came out) is the inventive guy behind the 68 minutes of intruiging…
Release data: Robert Cory – Point Of Origin CD, Private Release, 2003 Robert Cory is an Arizona-based musician and soundengineer who already has three other solo albums under his belt and who successfully worked several times with contemporary music composer Chris Spheeris. Well, “Point of Origin” didn’t disappoint me at all as it offers a nice blend of instrumental music,…
Release data: Robert Carty – Ethereal Deserts CD-R, Private Release, 2003 Utah-based Robert Carty has come up with a another atmospheric work called “Ethereal Deserts”. The album features seven longform tracks in which a delicate blend of soundscapes and textures are folded together with some slight percussive and tribal elements scattered over it. This music actually takes you on a…
Release data: Steve Roach – Space and Time: An introduction to the soundworlds CD, Space and Time, 2003 For all those out there who are new the world of ambient and spacemusic, this cd surely is a good start. “Space and Time” features and overview of music by ambient legend Steve Roach made in the past 20 years or so.…
Release data: Steve Roach – Texture Maps CD, Timeroom Editions, 2003 “Texture Maps” presents volume 3 in the “Lost Pieces”-series. This time (as the title suggests) we take a dive into vast textural landscapes which –by whatever reason- were shelved in Steve’s Timeroom studio. These eight tracks give a further insight on how his music has developed through the past…
Release data: Richard Bone – Alternate Realities Although I gave this cd several spins in my cd player, I have to confess these 49 minutes of music are not my taste, but still not bad. Richard Bone, an “ambient musician extraordinaire” already managed to catch my attention and touch me with his previous albums “The Spectral Ships”, “Ether Dome” and…
Release data: John Broaddus – 4 at 18 CD, Parnassusnump Records, 2003 I had the privilege to have been a demo-listener for this recording while it was in progress. The music then had some hard edges and coulduse some more depth, but now that the cd is released officially one can discern he did some further fine-tuning of the soundsculptures.…
Release data: Thom Brennan – Signals in Moonlight CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Raingarden Music, 2003 It took well-respected ambient musician Thom Brennan quite some time to solve some troubles regarding the album “Signals in Moonlight” and the distribution of it after its actual release. Nevertheless, the album, composed and performed in 2002 at his Seattle-based Raingarden studio, is another gem in his…
Release data: Cold Sun – Four Patterns CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2003 “Four Patterns” is the 3rd cd of UK-based musician Simon Slator which smoothly follows the path taken by his predecessors “6am” and “Antarctica”. The outcome (a non-generative ambient piece where almost everything is based around the number 4) is a very relaxing album full of delicate atmospheres and…
Release data: Jon Hopkins – Opalescent CD, Just Music, 2001 On Jon Hopkins surprising debut-album “Opalescent”, a welcoming, bright and relaxing atmosphere is set from the beginning, as we start with the chill-out track “Elegiac”. This seductive, melodic sphere continues as the other tracks unfold gradually. While listening, the same ovewhelming feeling which dominated Global Communication’s legendary album “76:19” takes…
Release data: Deep Sky Divers – The New Fast Lane CD, Any Robinhood, 2003 An album filled with exactly 60 minutes of chill-out music, the soundtrack for a life less hectic. This description comes from the UK-duo Jon Short and David Jones, aka Deep Sky Divers. They’ve transformed and reworked some compositions of their previous (superb) album “Highlands and Skylands”…
Release data: Constance Demby – Set Free CD, Hearts of Space, 1989 One of the accomplishments of female synthesist Constance Demby has been to merge electronic space music with the New Age genre. Did she leave an unforgettable footprint with the landmark recording “Novus Magnificat”, “Set Free” presents an almost profound style of ethereal cosmic music. The sweeping orchestral/symphonic anthems…
Release data: Michael Stearns – Within – The Nine Dimensions CD, Earth Turtle Music, 2000 Mr Stearns always had a great ability to connect the celestial with the real world experience through his sophisticated ambient music. “Within”, graced with beautiful psychedelic fractal computer art on the cd-booklet, is commissioned music Michael made for a “channeled” workshop by one Barbara Hand…
Release data: Stand Alone Complex – Music for Suicides DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Arctic Waste Records, 2010 Stand Alone Complex is multi-instrumentalist Michael Lewis from Winnipeg, Canada, who founded the project in 2008. His debut album “Music for Suicides” is presented as a neo-classical, industrial and down-tempo electronica soundtrack for the mind, a complex, mind-altering, trance-inducing sound experience representing a journey through…
Release data: Biosphere – Substrata CD, All Saints Records, 1997 All who love to immerse and linger in Arctic-flavoured ambient music is at the right spot with “Substrata”, a classic soundscape recording by Geir Jenssen, aka Biosphere. While listening, one can almost feel the chilling cold evaporating from its 60-minute long form atmospheric tone textures. Rich in detail and featuring…
Release data: Michael Stearns – The Lost World CD, Hearts of Space/Fathom, 1995 The 54-minute concept album “The Lost World” is a gem of cinematic ambient music which sees accomplished ambient sound painter Michael Stearns deliver another stunning piece of sonic art. Inspired by a trip into The Lost World of Venezuela, this highly textural work is acts as a…
Release data: Dave Luxton – Dark Moon CD-R, Wayfarer Records, 2010 The cinematic impact and mysterious vibrations embedded in the ambient music of David Luxton always have had a quirky twist. That doesn’t change on “Dark Moon”, an instrumental album that takes its audience on a gentle journey into new sonic frontiers out there. The cosmic pieces of smooth atmospheric…
Release data: Harold Budd & Brian Eno – The Pearl CD, Editions EG, 1984 For many years, the album “The Pearl” by Brian Eno and Harold Budd is considered a classic in the tranquil ambient genre. The music is simple and but effective, pairing a pleasant sense of melancholy with spaciousness by aptly mixing treated Satie-kindred piano with electronics. The…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Izu CD, Eastgate, 2010 Despite being old now, Edgar Froese keeps up a steady schedule of releasing studio albums while also going on tour. “Izu” is a double cd which contains the music played live at Pennisula Izu (Japan) on 5th September 2009, Metamorphose ’09 Festival also available on Dvd. The release features the complete…
Release data: Ian Boddy – Aurora CD, DiN, 2002 Since Ian Boddy started his own DiN-label, he always looked for ways to extend his electronic sound by e.g. mixing his beloved vintage analogues with software synths and other creative sound design. This to compose a more abstract, impressionistic and more adventurous kind of (ambient) music. One might say the outcome…
Release data: Daniel & Booth – Mutiny CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, English Electronic Music Company, 2010 Next to the vintage project PDB with Brendan Pollard (which has now come to an end), Michael Daniel and Phil Booth often have been together jamming and experimenting in their own way. From the sessions in Bleakhouse Studio in Kirkby and the Inhouse Studio, parts have…
Release data: Pollard/Daniel/Booth – Live at Awakenings 18-9-2010 CD-R, Private Release, 2010 This album contains a recording of the final live concert that the trio gave at the Awakenings festival held in fall of 2010. For the last time, fans of vintage electronic music were given the chance to take a 54-minute trip into an energizing pool of retro sounds,…
Release data: Mark Jenkins – iPad Album CD-R, Private Release, 2010 Next to the “IpaDream” release, Mark Jenkins also put out the “iPad album”, an eight-track cd-r for which he applied the following iPad apps: iSequence (sounds and drums), Jasuto Pro (modular synthesizer), FunkBox (drums), ihicket (touch responsive sounds), SoundyThingie (touch responsive sounds), MorphWiz (Theremin-style sounds), SoundWarp (sampled sounds), OrbNote…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Memories in Widescreen LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, 3six Recordings, 2010 “Memories In Widescreen” is the first vinyl-exclusive album from 36, aka UK-sound designer Dennis Huddleston, offerings 13 ambient tracks spanning 70 minutes of material. Again, it’s a dreamy and celestial recording, featuring expansive dreamy (drone)soundscapes in a minimal style, culminating in intense and highly imaginary ambient music.…
Release data: 33 Tetragammon & Human Metronome – Universal Ripples CD-R, Private Release, 2010 “Universal Ripples” is the third collaboration between Dutch musicians Human Metronome (aka Eelke van Hoof) and 33 Tetragammon (aka Wasili Papadopoulos). According to the musicians, the outcome is their deepest album so far, as the previous releases sounded lighter. It consists of an intense journey, best…
Release data: TM Solver – Axon DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Syngate, 2010 TM Solver is an electronic music project by Berlin resident Thomas Meier. His third album album “Axon” features four long tracks which in their own way pay tribute to the classic Berliner School style of Klaus Schulze. From the press-info I learned the well-done 27-minute title track was made with…
Release data: Geigertek – Endless Night DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2010 On the Ep “Endless Night”, synthesist Neil Fellowes aka Geigertek implements his own vocals into his electronic compositions. This makes the outcome nicely venture in the electro-pop/songlike area with a slight techno-style rim. The 30-minute ep contains six tracks which Neil prepared for UK “Artificial 01” electronica concert performance…
Release data: Ramsaygee – Exotique DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, AD Music, 2009 Ramsaygee is a project by English digital artist, digital musician and vocalist Gareth Ramsay, whose states he takes a visionary approach to anything he creates. This is his second release “Exotique”, that involves a strong flavoured tribal/Middle Eastern style of electronic music. Smooth guitar licks, flute samples and an assortment…
Release data: Unique – Movie without Pictures CD, Nocturne Records, 1998 “Movie without Pictures” is the second album the German brothers Andre and Frank Standke. Again, the two musicians offer an original kind of instrumental electronic music, which is cinematic and unpredictable in fashion. This time, the music relies a bit more on rhythmic structures although there’s still enough room…
Release data: Paul Ellis – Dark Machine Generation DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 With “Dark Machine Generation”, US-synthesist Paul Ellis brings us a full ambient trip made up of one continuous track, which initially began as an experiment in manipulating sound. To quote Paul on the making of the album: “it also really has no melody or harmony to speak…
Release data: Claudio Merlini – The Colours of Music CD, AD Music, 2010 Claudio Merlini is an Italian synthesist who released his debut album “Flight of Fantasy” in 2008 using the moniker Sound Experience. The contemporary instrumental music contained on “The Colours of Music” takes the easy-going road despite the interesting gear list. This doesn’t mean the album is filled…
Release data: The Amnis Initiative – Distant Dreams DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 The Amnis Initiative (which aims to excite the imagination, stir emotions and stimulate the brain with evocative, yet soothing instrumental music) is a one-man project by Dennis Lodewijks, an Eindhoven-based musician and huge Vangelis fan whose album “Distant Dreams” is his full-length debut. “Distant Dreams” is a…
Release data: Edward Rizo – Soundscapes Volume One DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 This album comprises the first ambient excursions by Edward Rizo. From the start, there’s a desolate veil hanging over Rizo’s slow morphing textural dronescapes, as they drift and curl along in smooth elegancy. The gradual ebb and flow of the synth washes on each track creates an…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Deep Time DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, ad21 music, 2010 With the album “Deep Time”, Spanish sound designer and musician Max Corbacho invites us to travel far back in time with a textural work, made up of an assortment of “primal sounds next to an almost palpable sense of the first formings of Order from the chaotic soup…
Release data: Altus & TRX – Crossroads DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2010 The album “Crossroads” fulfills a wish Mike Carss (aka Altus) had for years: to compose a beat-oriented album in the style as he wrote them in the 90s, but he hadn’t done so as he considered his beat programming was always lack-luster. Through the internet, he got to…
Release data: Solar Fields – Origin #01 CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 With “Origin #1”, Solar Fields aka Magnus Birgersson brings us the first chapter in a series of four albums, of which all music is derived from his studio archive of the last ten years. The release (which comes in a two parts digifile, a kind of budget cd-release) takes…
Release data: Australis – Sentient Genus CD, Essential Noises, 2010 Toward the end of 2010, Oscar Aguayo brings us his third release, “Sentient Genus”, of which the composer mentions in the press sheet it explores some of humanity’s many levels of existance. It’s already at the start of the album that one clearly hears this is another very nice instrumental…