Release data: Amin Bhatia – Virtuality CD, Private Release, 2008 Amin Bhatia’s new album “Virtuality” was released on May 23, 2008, the birthday of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog. It’s presented as a double concept album featuring a sci-fi trip inside the computer using a whole array of real and virtual orchestral instruments, while the second half contains an innovative realization…
Release data: Paul Hartzog – Faces CD, Cydonia Records, 1996 Only recently someone pointed my attention to this “forgotten” recording from American musician Paul Hartzog, which has remained the only one until now. The impressionistic idea Paul Hartzog wanted to put forth on “Faces” was a story of a cosmic traveller finding solace and illumination among the ruins of an…
Release data: Paul Speer – Oculus CD, Rainstorm Records, 2008 Some might know this musician from his collaborative works “Natural States” and “Desert Visions” with David Lanz. In a way, the music on this cd sounds vaguely familiar to that, still remaining more guitar-based than electronic. This cd is the sonic companion to the video album “Oculus”, creating a warm,…
Release data: Entheogenic – Flight of the Urubus CD, Universal Symbiosis Records, 2008 The electronic band Entheogenic, founded in 1999, are the UK-duo Helmut Glavar and Piers Oak-Rhind which seem to be known for their peculiar mixture of tribal instruments, Eastern and Western (sampled) vocals and creative doze of electronics. Furthermore I learned the Entheogenic project considers it their mission…
The contemporary instrumental album “Glow in the Dark” is the follow-up of Mr Bartlett’s 2003 release “Near-Life Experience”, which blends a varied mixture of emotional electronics with lyrical guitar work, again slightly following in the footsteps of Mike Oldfield. Kevin’s haunting, heartfelt musical style brings a whole array of progressive, symphonic and ambient elements together (overall breathing simple, straightforward honesty…
Release data: Fanger & Schönwälder – Analog Overdose 4 CD & DVD, Manikin Records, 2007 Fanger & Schönwälder’s “Analog Overdose 4” comes in a Manikin-style double-digipak holding an audio cd and a dvd. The cd contains three extended tracks of which the first one features a rather monotonous sequence on which improvised solo’s hover over a blanket of vintage textures.…
Release data: Picture Palace Music – Symphony for Vampires CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Picture Palace Music is a project by Berlin/Vienna based keyboarder Thorsten Quaeschning, who joins Edgar Froese in Tangerine Dream very often. His band’s goal is to reproduce the musical dynamic and experiments of old live accompaniment for silent movies and give them a modern soundtrack with nowadays-technical…
Release data: Immersion Theory – The [Icarus] Foray CD, Private Release, 2007 Those of you out there looking for a good release in the genre of deep ambient space music, should make sure to get a copy of this beauty. “The [Icarus] Foray”, holding a strong element of sonic story telling, is one of the several creative outlets by Los…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light of the Pleiades (Deep Skies 3) CD, Eventide Music, 2008 “Light of the Pleiades” is the third instalment in Kevin’s Deep Skies series, on which he attempts to capture the vast spaces, nebulae and shimmering stars from the cosmos into sound, and where the atmospheres and sonic textures take the place of melody to…
Release data: Steve Roach – A Deeper Silence CD, Timeroom Editions, 2008 Steve Roach continues his quest into the deep end of the soundcurrent, and has come up with “A Deeper Silence”. Reflecting back on his beautiful ’84 classic recording “Structures from Silence”, it’s a continuous playback recording of almost 74 minutes, about which Steve says it’s “minimal and infinite…
Release data: Bryan El – Out Of This World CD-R, AMAdea Records, 2008 Bryan El is a young musician hailing from Roeselare, West Flanders, who states the music of Amethystium, Vangelis, Ryan Farish, ERA, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren are among his favourites and a big influence. “Out of this World” actually contains ten tracks from his digital album “Secrets…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Interloper CD, Ultimae Records, 2010 Premiered live in concert at Stockholm’s Cosmonova Planetarium in November 2009, “Interloper” is the third full-length acid ambient album by the Swedish duo Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad. Although the duo initially had another album ready around May 2009, the two musicians decided not to release it and invest…
Release data: [‘ramp] Looking Back in Anger – a decade of misfits CD, Doombient, 2006 The Doombient-release “Looking Back in Anger” is 78-minute retrospective compilation by the duo Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski. It provides an overview of nine rare or elsewhere unreleased tracks spanning the first decade of [´ramp]´s work, which saw them collaborate with e.g. Stefan Kraft, Martina…
Release data: Gert Emmens – The Nearest Faraway Place Vol. 1 CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 This cd, the first part of a trilogy, contains the music Gert composed for the Gasometer concert-gig on November 10th, 2007 in Germany. The outcome is an uninterrupted 71-minute piece of music, for which Gert invited a guitarist to add a few fine guitars licks…
Release data: Rainbow Serpent – Live @ Liphook 2007 CD, Manikin Records, 2008 I lost sight of the interesting German band Rainbow Serpent, aka Frank Specht and Gerd Wienekamp, after Arndt Maschinski’s label Ardema Music (which released their music) discontinued back in 1999. Fortunately, the band is still live and kicking’, as they were able to re-release quite a number…
Release data: Klaus Schulze & Lisa Gerrard – Farscape CD, Synthetic Symphony/SPV, 2008 “Farscape” is a double cd containing the track “Liquid Coincidence”, which comes in seven different “Parts”, all ranging between 13 and 32 minutes. From the start, it becomes clear this for sure is a passionate, and at times even breathtaking album: it blends Schulze’s warm, flowing soundscapes,…
Release data: Various Artists – Texture -A Compilation of Minimal Ambient Guitar- CD-R, SloBor Media, 2003 “Texture” -A Compilation of Minimal Ambient Guitar- was the debut album of the SloBor media label, started by Matt Borghi and Jason Sloan in 2002. The 70-minute release offers a selection of (mostly previously unreleased) music from a global range of ambient artists. The…
Release data: W.A.dePhul – When aliens meet a drop of water CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Some might remember this musician from the short period he worked with Tangerine Dream back in the late eighties. Ralf, who nowadays works as freelance recording and sound engineer, states the music on this album was inspired by the tracks composed during TD’s ’88 North…
Release data: Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy – Analog Destination CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “Analog Destination” is a actually a live album, which finds the two American musicians in excellent musical shape. The cd, described by the duo as “a scorcher with our “Northern California-School style”, contains four live-recorded tracks, of which three were recorded at the Dancing Astronaut studio.…
Release data: [‘ramp] Oughtibridge CD, Doombient, 2005 “JaThe music of “Oughtibridge” was recorded live at Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory on June 23, 2001, containing 12 tracks of live, improvised and unrehearsed of music by Stephen Parsick and Frank Makowski aka [‘ramp]. “Dron(e) field” sets out with slow morphing soundscapes. The energetic second track “Ozone” is a great piece of music,…
Release data: Nattefrost – Transformation CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 “Transformation” is the third album on Groove Unlimited by Danish musician Bjørn Jeppesen aka Nattefrost. Clocking at exactly 56 minutes, it offers ten melodic, up-tempo sequencer tracks, with Robert Schröder collaborating on two pieces. “Decadence” is a great start with deep bass grooves, dynamic sequencing and a positive vibrating, Kraftwerk-like solo…
Release data: Adrian Beasley – Powerhouse CD-R, Private Release, 2007 Adrian Beasley is one of the members of the UK-band Air Sculpture, which has ran a bit out of sight since a couple of years, although they did perform several concerts and compose a few tracks for samplers. With this solo album, Adrian likes to share his passion and excitement…
Release data: Serge Blenner – Musique de Chambre CD, MdeC Editions, 2008 “Musique de Chambre” is the 17th album by the French/German musician Serge Blenner, who lives in Hamburg for quite some years now. The 12 tracks on the 24-bit audiophile recording are completely composed on a virtual chamber orchestra of electronics, for which Serge applied e.g. VSL Vienna Orchestra,…
Release data: Ron Boots – See Beyond Times, Look Beyond Words CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 After the impressive as haunting concept album “Acoustic Shadows”, Ron Boots returns with a “lighter” cd. It was inspired by his love for books and reading of all kinds, which initially started his lust for electronic and symphonic music. The latter genre certainly plays an…
Release data: Spyra – Gasoline 91 Octane CD, Manikin Records, 2008 Wolfram “Der” Spyra” continues his successful Berliner-School inspired sonic explorations with “Gasoline 91 Octane”, released April 4th 2008, which contains six wonderful electronic compositions. The almost 63-minute album is the first part of a trilogy inspired by Spyra’s many travels by car when he has to drive to concert…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – The Mystic & The Machine CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2007 On this release, Gregory Kyryluk departs his previous ambient excursions as Alpha Wave Movement, as the nine tracks on “The Mystic & the Machine” move into electronic based progressive rock music. It focuses on the classic 1970’s sound and feel created with modern day…
Release data: VoLt – HjVi CD, Groove Unlimited, 2008 This cd contains the music VoLt played at their concert at Hampshire Jam 6 at Liphook, UK, on October 20th 2007. The disc offers over 76 minutes of music, split in four lengthy tracks. The 21-minute “Primaeval” kicks off with great sequencing with xylophone-effect and uplifting synth pads to which engaging…
Release data: Tim Story – In Another Country CD, Eurock, 1982/1995 This album, the second full-length release by Ohio-based musician Tim Story, originally only came available on cassette, a year later followed by a vinyl release (for which two tracks had to be left out due to format limitation). The cd “In Another Country” (of which the title was taken…
Release data: Remy – This is Not The End CD, AKH Records, 2008 April 13th 2008 “This Is Not The End” saw he light of day at E-Day 2008. This new album by Remy Stroomer, aka Remy, opens the door to a new sound in his catalogue. My first impression of the musical content was it resembled the sculptured modern…
Release data: Numina – Shift to the Ghost CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2006 With “Shift to the Ghost”, Numina, aka Jesse Sola, brings us a one long form piece of carefully shaped and sculptured ambient music, which is subdivided in seven tracks. Free form, slow morphing, nicely layered space textures set out for a deep ambient exploration, which cocoons the listener…
Release data: Free System Projekt – Gent CD, Private Release, 2007 “Ja“Gent” documents a live performance of the trio Ruud Heij, Marcel Engels and Frank van der Wel, recorded on May 28th 2005 at the Backstage in Ghent, Belgium. The cd cover-image features a nice stage line-up of vintage instruments, which mirrors with the great retro feel contained in the…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Light Echoes CD, Neu Harmony, 2006 Although the title might suggest something different, the sonic content of “Light Echoes” is a spiralling, high-energy drive of vintage electronics. Like his previous recording “Impasse”, the 66-minute “Light Echoes” by Spanish musician Javi Canovas contains three lengthy tracks. The music on all three pieces features dynamic, up-tempo Berliner…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – One Times One EP, Eastgate, 2007 “One Times One”, a cupdisc, is the first of a new format from the TD-factory, offering 35 minutes of music offered for a lower price than a regular cd. The Ep holds six tracks, of which two are instrumental versions of previous released tracks (“Man” and “Loved by the…
Release data: Ulrich Schnauss – Goodbye CD, Independiente Music, 2007 The German musician Ulrich Schnauss, who now has settled down in the UK, definitely has reshuffled the cards for the music on this album. “Goodbye”, his first album in about four years, introduces further songwriting, more vocals (especially those of Judith Beck) and much multi-layered guitars. As Ulrich states, this…
Release data: Jerome Froese – Precooked Munchies EP, Moonpop, 2007 “Precooked Munchies” is a limited edition Ep containing 34 minutes/five tracks of music. The first two tracks are taken from his forthcoming second album “Shiver me Timbres”, and like on “Neptunes” the overall sound is mainly based on guitars. Well, the outcome really makes me look forward to the complete…
Release data: Jerome Froese – Shiver me Timbers CD, Groove Unlimited, 2009 October 29, 2007 finally saw the release of Jerome Froese’s cd “Shiver me Timbers”. It’s his second full-length album, on which he sonically further detaches himself from the TD-sound. His Ep “Precooked Munchies” already contained two tracks taken of the new album. On “Shiver me Timbers”, Jerome presents…
Release data: Tangerine Dream – Soundmill Navigator CD, TDI Music, 2000 “Soundmill Navigator”, a Tangerine Dream Classics Edition, contains a vintage live recording from 1976, where the trio Baumann, Froese and Franke performed a concert at the Philharmonics. The almost 42-minute track finds the musicians in good spirits, as the set features lots of mellotron and antique sound textures, which…
Release data: Colourform – Visions of Surya CD, Virtual Records, 2008 Colourform is an ambient project of Matt Hillier (aka Isqh) and the late Jake Stephenson. Like the previous two Virtual-releases “Visions of Surya” comes with a beautifully designed cd-booklet. Being in the works since 2002, it’s a 66-minute psychedelic chill-out album with a strong Eastern flavour. Rather otherworldly in…
Release data: Uwe Reckzeh – Altitude 30000 CD-R, Mellowjet Records, 2007 This is my first encounter with a full album of this musician, of whom I only knew a few single tracks from the E-dition sampler cds. Uwe Reckzeh’s fifth album “Altitude 30000” is an contemporary instrumental album of which the sound design and sequencing are strongly Berliner School-based. The…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Electric Fairytales CD, Bajkal Records, 2008 The Norwegian quartet Wintherstormer, playing analogue instruments only, recorded the “live-in-studio” music of “Electric Fairytales” in front of an audience. Although retro in vein, their improvised output always continued to contain a rough, surprising and unconventional edge, which is again the case here. The four lengthy pieces on this 77-minute…
Release data: Kettel – Myam James Part I CD, Sending Orbs, 2008 Kettel is the alias of the Dutch intelligent dance music composer Reimer Eising, of which “Myam James” is the first of a series of albums. His gear consist of software and a faithful laptop, on which he composes his rhythmic, wicked and quirky electronic pieces. Next to lots…
Release data: Robert Davies – Shadow Dreams CD-R, DataObscura, 2007 “Shadow Dreams” by graphic artist and ambient musician Robert Davies is a concept album dedicated to the strange worlds created by writers and cinematographers. It comes as a double cd, offering two hours of free form soundscapes and slow morphing drone textures. It’s a sonic painting which descents in shadowy,…
Release data: Brainwork – Ten CD, Cue Records, 2008 “Ten” is the tenth studio album by Cologne-based musician Uwe Saher, which he totally dedicated to the Berliner School. It was this style that ruled the genre when Uwe started off at the end of the ‘70s. The cd contains four lengthy, well composed pieces, featuring a very nice range of…
Release data: Richard Bone – Short Waves Short Waves CD-R/DVD-R, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2008 March 20, 2008 saw the release of Richard Bone’s beautiful packaged audiovisual project “Short Waves”, which was carefully crafted over the course of a year and a half. It is available as a limited edition cd, which contains the actual soundtrack of the dvd plus extended…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Sequentaria CD, Air Space Records, 2008 As the title suggests, the listener undergoes a sequencer-ride through vintage electronic music, for which skilled hands combined a whole bunch analogue gear with some modern instruments of today. While recording the music of his third album “Sequentaria” (of which Steve Roach again did the final mastering), Jeffrey remembered…
Release data: Phillip Wilkerson – Starjournal CD-R, Clinical Archives, 2008 “Starjournal” by ambient musician Phillip Wilkerson is a collection of 11 tracks, all composed around a series of field recordings made from a radio telescope. Those who are familiar with his gentle flowing soundscape music will be surprised, as the experimental oriented sonic content of “Starjournal” isn’t that easy to…
Release data: Carboneids – Synthsyg CD, Mellowjet Records, 2007 “Synthsyg” is Carboneids’ debut album on the German Mellowjet label, but it’s actually a re-release of the same album that already came out on HZ-Records in 2005. Carboneids are the Danish duo Bjorn Jeppesen (also known as Nattefrost) and Claus Holm Lynglund, presenting a fresh portion of synth-pop tracks. From the…
Release data: Kerry Leimer – Lesser Epitomes CD, Palace of Lights, 2007 The ambient music on this cd is a collection of modern chamber music made with electronics. Split in three long suites, it’s a textural free form piece of work. In the first part, the strongest of the three in my opinion, the flowing sound of the electronic instruments…
Release data: Arrocata – In the Distance CD, Sonoran Winds Music, 2006 Arrocata is a project from Arizona-based musician Robert Straub, a long time resident of the Sonoran Desert. “In the Distance”, which draws inspiration from the expansive open spaces and deserts in the American Southwest, transports the listener to the very heart of the Sonoran desert where the timeline…
Release data: Altus – Rapid Eye Movements DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2008 Mike Carss, aka Altus, explains that this album is not meant as a sleeping aid, but as a sonic voyage through one’s dreams and the secrets they can reveal. Sonically, the seven flowing textural parts follow a rather darkening path that stretches out in the direction of his…
Release data: Static Flux – Minus (-) 6 CD-R, Oasis Productions/Akasa, 2006/2008 The first album under Oasis Productions’ “Sound As Music” concept on the Oasis label division Akasa is a release from Static Flux, aka the Canadian musician Jona Stuart. The sonic outcome is described as “ambient layers, created by sampling environments and objects with a stereo microphone, then modifying…
Release data: Origen – Electro CD, Private Release, 2004 “Electro” is the debut album of the Origen, aka Alexsey and Denis Zakharenko, a duo from the Ukraine who established the band in 1996. “Electro” is a collection of 13 melodic tracks which overtly roam in overall relaxing, strong new age kind of music. The cover is rather misleading, as those…
Release data: Kwook – Skywave CD, Blue Oasis/DataObscura, 2008 Kwook is an ambient project of the Australian musician Simon Bennett. Where his previous album UFO was quite outer-space themed, Bennett’s second album “Skywave” is a musical survey of shortwave radio. Sonically, a varied array of distorted signals are very nicely matches with sequenced parts and minimal, flowing melodic structures and…
Release data: M. Persson – Sounds: Strange Skies CD-R, Lunar Flower I discovered this excellent ambient release through a blog-message on the Altus website. Mats Persson is a Swedish composer who’s intimate sounding album Sounds: “Strange Skies” is intended on conveying a musical experience of complete immersion. Well, he succeeded very well, as the free flowing textures on the seven…
Release data: Konrad Kucz – Vita Contemplativa – Litania – CD, Generator.pl, 2008 This is the first release of the Polish Generator-label, and as the title already suggests, it’s a nice contemplative affair into symphonic ambient music. I got the impression “Litania” is part of a series of albums of Mr Kucz, as I found at least one other album…
Release data: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy – React CD, DiN, 2008 For me, these two talented and experienced musicians have already proved what they are capable of on their previous two studio albums. “React” is proof of their first ever live performance, which took place at the Star’s End radio show 30th anniversary celebration concert in June 2007, which…
Release data: Memory Geist – Funereal Cavern CD, Musica Maxima Magnetica, 2007 Memory Geist is a collaborative project of the Greek musician Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) and Australian composer Steve Law (aka Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission). “Funereal Cavern” is their debut album, for which Bakis send some soundscape recordings to Steve, which he proceeded to edit and process into…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Fuzzstars – music for planetariums Vol. 2 CD-R, Private Release, 2008 “Fuzzstars” is Parsick’s second release of planetarium music, again released as a limited edition of only 25 copies. As Stephen tells in the press sheet, the music is the outcome of a series of late night rehearsals and improvisations between November 2007 and January…
Release data: Craig Padilla – Below The Mountain CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2008 “Below the Mountain” is a beautiful ambient and deep space offering by skilled electronic musician Craig Padilla. Created on analogue synthesizers for the most biggest part, the concept album was inspired by the environments surrounding Mt. Shasta. This has led to seven pieces of carefully moulded in-depth…
Release data: Aquavoice – Cold CD, Generator.pl, 2008 From the first tracks of this carefully moulded and shaped ambient album, it becomes clear that the composer Tadeusz Luczejko has invested a lot of attention and time to the outcome. “Cold” is a gently morphing and flowing textural piece of work which comes in 13 “parts”, breathing a beautiful soft glowing…