Release data: Steve Roach – Rest of Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2023 The 134-minute “Rest of Life” is a release with a contemporary sound design celebrating calm, reflection, and introspection through arcs of immersive, textural music for which the composer consciously tuned into the soul tone of both “Quiet Music” and “Structures from Silence”. Steve himself refers to the…
Release data: Michael Neil – Adrift DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 As could be expected with such a title, Michael Neil´s “Adrift” takes its listeners into drifting oceanic sceneries. The four tracks -three clocking over 13 minutes- feature calm, warm expansive textural tapestries with an occasional Vangelis-esque touch that take the listener out in the open. Michael’s old symphonic, slightly…
Release data: State Azure – Nova Sonus DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Here’s another invitation to travel into future worlds where it is left to the listener to form his own images of the delicately moulded off-world ambiences. Calm and overtly lush imaginary soundscapes inspired by and/or rooted firmly in the rain-drenched, neon-lit world of Blade Runner make up the…
Release data: 2814 – Rain Temple CD/Mc/Lp/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Dream Catalogue, 2016 Being impressed by the duo’s “Birth of a New Day” made me search for their third album “Rain Temple”. Well, this recording proves a more intense and straightforward ambient/down-tempo release drenched in almost constant rain. It evaporates melancholy along a futuristic realm of overtly darker (as well as occasional…
Release data: Mikkel Rev – The Art of Levitation LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2023 Mikkel Rev is the alias of Norwegian music producer Mikkel Haraldstad who presents a melange of contemporary electronics, trance, and ambient on “The Art of Levitation”, as such moving through different moods and tempos. The pads used, in the 12-minute title piece especially, remind…
Release data: Three-Six (36) – Colours in the Dark CD/Digital Download, 3Six Recordings, 2022 36´s “Colours In The Dark” came to life after an extended period of complete musical inactivity as the composer suffered from depression for the first time in his life. As such this release is one of his most personal, an intense, beatless ambient journey from the profound…
Release data: Peter Mergener – New Horizons CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2023 With his previous release “Astronaut”, Peter Mergener was already inspired by the cosmos and the anniversary moon landing in particular. The 56-minute “New Horizons” (featuring a typical BSC/Prudence cover but released by Mr. Ringlage’s Spheric Music) continues the outer space concept pairing well-tempered, enticing sequences with pleasant melodic…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – A Walk in the Shadow Garden CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2023 Like almost all of Mr. Adrian´s previous releases, this recording had a long way coming. As usual, it involved a lot of (almost aimless) experimenting with sounds, note progressions, and keys to find the right one that would unlock the door to some…
Release data: State Azure – Cadwell’s Reach Digital Download, Private Release, 2022 State Azure is the nom-de-plume of talented UK synthesist/producer Patrick Unsworth who has built quite an impressive, lengthy discography by now. “Cadwell’s Reach” is a special one in there, featuring a beautifully rendered long-form (Blade Runner) soundscape -lasting for 1 hour and 45 minutes- that absolutely pleases the…
Release data: A.P. – Tidsmateria CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 This album was released simultaneously with David Parsons’ “Portal” in December 2022. Despite it being drifting, with minimal textural ambient, reviewing it took me quite a bit longer than I anticipated. A.P., Anders Peterson, is an accomplished sound designer, composer, and audio postproduction engineer who´s in charge of mastering almost…
Release data: Science of Sleeping, Spacecraft – Moons of Jupiter Digital Download, Valley View Records, 2022 Here´s a recording for all who enjoy floating ambient soundscapes that wander gently and slightly majestic through the womb of the universe. The 36-minute drifting journey -inspired by the moons of Jupiter that form a satellite system called the Jovian system and the vastness of…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Plector CD/Digital Download, DiN, 2022 Stark organic vintage electronics are at work on Bakis Sirros’ third solo release on Mr. Boddy’s DiN label, a release not suitable for the faint of heart. A sense of futurism and bleakness lurks around the corner on each of the eight dark atmospheric tracks made up of peculiar…
Release data: Erik Wøllo – Recurrence CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 It’s hard to keep up with the releases of Norwegian artist Erik Wøllo, who´s able to offer a dreamlike, cinematic journey on almost every recording, merging profound and timeless atmospheric paintings with processed acoustic/e-guitar, sequencers, and other assorted rhythmic components in a sophisticate, elegant manner. Like his previous works,…
Release data: ASC – Original Soundtrack CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2022 The focus of this ASC recording -written during the 2020 pandemic lockdown- centers around a more acoustic sound of looped piano dressed with melancholic, airy soundscapes. James Clements leads the listener through an introspective, dreamy, and calm aural landscape with sepia tones where a sense of nostalgia…
Release data: David Parsons – Portal CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2022 I’ve been following and enjoying the sonic adventures of David Parsons for over three decades now. Personally, I’ve been especially fond of his Tibetan-inspired/flavored works such as “Himalaya”, “Tibetan Plateau”, “Dorje Ling” and “Vayra”. That same aural path is found on “Portal”. Mr. Parsons though has never been fond of…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Elysian Lightships DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Valley Entertainment, 2023 This album had a long way coming, as already three of its tracks (also the first three on the release) were already released as “singles” with intervals in 2022. The 6-track “Elysian Lightships” is described by Mr. Serrie as “conceived using a combination of great sci-fi literary ideas,…
Release data: Axess – Time Traveller CD, Private Release, 2005 One actually can’t go wrong with the nicely shaped contemporary electronic music of Axel Stupplich, who’s also involved in the project Pyramid Peak. Compared to the previous releases, Axel’s third album “Time Traveller” turns out groovy, offering 74 minutes of peppy, rhythmic-driven and more powerful music dressed with the Berlin…
Release data: 2814 – Birth of a New Day Lp/Mc/Digital Download, Dream Catalogue, 2015 Various random excursions into music of the vaporwave genre made me discover this (for many) classic ambient release, a sonic journey delving deep in dystopian, futurist atmospheres similar to those encountered on Blade Runner. 2814 is a project between American composers Telepath and UK-sound sculptor HKE,…
Release data: Loneward – Fractional Dimensions Volume 2 CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2023 Here’s Mike Carss’s second chapter in this long-form series exploring slow-moving spaces for contemplation, meditation, and sleep. The continuous 65-minute ambient track entitled “Lacunarity” guides us into overall serene aural territory with broadening textural tapestries. A spacious aural cocoon awaits us featuring a gentle ebb and flow of…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – Floating Music edition 2023 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2023 It rather puzzled me what point is/was to publish Mr. Schroeder´s second album “Floating Music” for the third time since the vinyl release in 1980. I figure it must be a long-time wish from Spheric Music to complete the RS catalog. The original album had mixed…
Release data: Subdream – A Tale of Distant Stars DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Exophere Music, 2022 I´ve been following Chris Bryant´s Synphaera label and its sub-labels for years now which has proven a fine outlet for some quality electronic music. One of them is German musician Subdream (also joining Mr. Bryant’s Ambient Online community) who composes in various Em genres, the majority…
Release data: Spyra – Little Garden of Sound 2022 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Spyra´s “Little Garden of Sound 2022” (Monotonous Music For Stereophile Listeners) is a pure and honest dedication to classic Berlin School music and Klaus Schulze in particular. The work itself is a sonic art exhibition with interactive sound sculptures that premiered in July 2022 in Kassel,…
Release data: Tonal Assembly – Four Pieces for Sonic Solitude Digital Download, Private Release, 2021 I don´t fight in any sense against the overwhelming amount of electronic music around, but it’s a pity if you miss out on a quality recording that deserves recommendation to a wide audience. So I’m glad a trusted long-time EM aficionado and friend brought this…
Release data: Zuwe – SH40 CD/LP/MINIDISC/MC/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hiraeth Records, 2022 Zuwe is an Amsterdam-based musician whose musical background and experience include mainly (ambient) electronic music and environmental recordings. As his music evolved, he started implementing more instruments such as guitar and piano. Over the years he made and released music in various electronic genres under various aliases. Work on “SH40”…
Release data: Creation VI – Beringia CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cryo Chamber, 2019 Once in a while, I like to dig through the large pool of dark ambient created globally. Creation VI, founded in 2006, is an ambient/drone project by Ukrainian-based sound artist Tim Six. For “Beringia” -the land and maritime area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia- he…
Release data: ASC & Sam KDC – A Restless Mind 12″/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Auxiliary, 2020 Since I discovered ASC´s ambient work I´m fascinated by this artist’s talent to explore spellbinding, deeper aural worlds through (mostly) texture. “A Restless Mind”, accomplished in the first phase of the corona pandemic, sees Mr. Clements collaborate with British fellow artist Samuel Wood (aka Sam KDC).…
Release data: David De Michele – Passage Through the Central Sun DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Indigo World Productions, 2001 David de Michele, formerly known as David White Dove, is a Colorado-based musician composing music for transformation since 1994. “Passage Through the Central Sun”, offering four spontaneously performed extended tracks, can surely be categorized as ambient space music. The cd booklet explains the…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Atmospheric Twilight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2022 Expansive, gracious, and awe-inspiring textural landscapes have been a trademark of Max Corbacho since I ran into his music around 2000. Every release he put out appears as an invitation to explore a new dimensional space carved out of rays of pastel colours. The realms we encounter are vaporous,…
Release data: Klangwelt – Here and Why CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spheric Music, 2022 On his fifth album, of which large parts were created during the tiring, most difficult global corona pandemic and lockdown, Gerald Arend addresses global themes and worldly affairs through his music. Compared to his previous releases, the sonic narrative of the 78-minute “Here and Why” is dressed quite…
Release data: Altus – Hidden Realms and Vacant Spaces CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 Altus’ “Hidden Realms and Vacant Spaces”, inspired by Stephen King’s immensely popular “The Dark Tower” saga, delves into the undiscovered wheres and whens beyond our imagination. The recording sketches out a vast cinematic aural canvas with sets of lush, haunting, and dramatic-infused textures filling the stage.…
Release data: Eternell – Imagined Distances CD-r/Digital Download, Sound in Silence Records, 2020 It’s good to know there’s music (like this) around to escape to, a place of repose far away from the complex, fast-forward racing, and demanding world around us. Swedish musician Ludvig Cimbrelius, aka Eternell, has created a distant aural world, existing somewhere across the horizon where utter…
Release data: Futureworld Orchestra – Mission Completed XL/Turning Point XL CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, FutureWorld Records, 2022 Some 40 years after their initial release, these two classic synthpop albums -based on the original Dureco releases- are now finally available in full. It’s all due to the relentless and persistent efforts of Robert Pot. The latter -who always had the strong belief music…
Release data: ASC & Inhmost – Dimensional Shift CD-r/Digital Download, Auxiliary, 2021 The discovery of their very nice second collaborative album “The Moons of Saturn” prompted me to track down their debut “Dimensional Space”. The latter proves a calm, serene, spatial ambient-textural affair exploring the farthest reaches of space and beyond during its 70-minute playing time. Distances as well as…
Release data: Exuviae – A Place Among Everything DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 It must be over a decade or so since I listened to another work from Brooks Rongstad aka Exuviae, who -in his own words- creates ‘ambient alchemy through synthesis and sound design’. The 57-minute “A Place Among Everything” features a minimal compositional approach overall and involves some…
Release data: Thom Brennan – Mist CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Space for Music/TMB Soundworks, 2000/2022 “Mist” is part of a series of albums released after a total rebuild of Thom’s studio, between 2000 and 2001. It features Mr. Brennan’s interpretation of his first of many visits to the Quinault and Hoh rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state through four extended…
Release data: Beyond Berlin – Live at Awakenings CD/Digital Download, Groove Unlimited, 2022 In hindsight, I feel there may have been moments during the last 1,5 years I have pushed Martin and Peter a bit too hard on getting the sparkling music of their 2014 Awakenings live performance out as an official release. On the other hand, it is too…
Release data: Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij – Higher Ground CD/Digital Download, Private Release, 2022 Following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed and very well-received triple cd releases “Galaxis” and “Lost Tracks” it still must have been a huge challenge for Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij to put out this 6-CD box. Both known for their excellent musical skills…
Release data: F.D.Project – Distance CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2022 There’s not much to say about the fine batch of contemporary electronic music making up this release. The rhythmic-driven, not-too-busy-sounding “Distance” continues in the footsteps of its predecessors, blending well-tempered as well as sparkling sequences with warm synth pads and Frank’s e-guitar soloing. At the same time I can’t deny…
Release data: Patrick Kosmos – The Visitor 1988 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 1988/2022 During his career, Belgian synthesist Patrick ‘Wille De Wael’ Kosmos did a lot of quite memorable, visually attractive live concerts. Some of them were recorded and made it onto cassette in the early days. Patrick had the firm belief that the synthesizer was made for the sake…
Ian Boddy – Axiom CD/Lp/Digital Download, DiN, 2020 When darker, colder days are upon us, I always sense a great need to listen and immerse in melancholic, more profound electronic music. Mr. Boddy’s 2020 release “Axiom”, which I listened to through headphones, proved to fit in there perfectly. With a playing time of just over 41 minutes, the vintage, smoothly…
Release data: Rolf Trostel – Narrow Gate to Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Musique Intemporelle/MiG, 1995/2022 In spring 2022 I suggested the German MIG label consider re-releasing “Narrow Gate to Life”, the classic fourth album by Berlin-based electronic musician Rolf Trostel. As they hadn’t heard of him nor weren´t able to track him down, I helped them make contact with him with…
Release data: Wolfgang Düren – Eyeless Dreams Lp/CD, WPL Records/MIG, 1980/2022 Most people might know Wolfgang Düren as the chairman of Waldorf Music. Before founding that company he collaborated with Wolfgang Palm (the man behind PPG) and distributed his synths in the late seventies till the fall of PPG in the mid-’80s. At the end of the ‘70-s Mr. Düren…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg & Mathias Grassow – The Seer CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 Next to being good friends, German musicians, Rüdiger Gleisberg & Mathias Grassow have pursued their own solo projects as well as collaborated in various constellations, such as Karmacosmic and Nostalgia just to name a few. So it’s no surprise Mathias and Rüdiger are almost constantly…
Release data: Axess – Chamaeleon CD, Invisible Shadows, 2003 When it comes to quality German electronic music, bands like Rainbow Serpent and Pyramid Peak come to mind. One of the members of the latter is Axel Stüpplich, who kicked off his solo adventure as Axess in 2002. “Chamaeleon”, his second release under that moniker, offers thoughtful-made, accessible and rhythmic-driven…
Release data: Various Artists – Bhogavati CD/Digital Download, Gterma, 2022 This beautifully rendered concept release – marked as an ambient nocturnal abyssal tapestry – is built up in-house to tell a story from the label’s own mythos and features specially commissioned art that the label owner has been sitting on for a while (a theme he hopes to expand…
Release data: Frank Klare – Solodreams CD-r/Digital Download, Syngate, 1986/2012 Here’s a nice (re)discovery coming from the German Syngate label offering the EM-audience a full album of cosmic electronics in vintage, end of the ’70s Schulze-style. Pete Farn gave his very best in the remastering process of the original tape while maintaining its warmth, feel, and identity. Based on…
Release data: Venja – Unfolded CD/Digital Download, Art for Ears, 2021 One of the things I appreciate most about Johan Geens´ music is the range of intrinsic emotions he´s able to convey through his works. At first glance, he doesn`t do anything less on this album, but overall it turned out more superficial than I anticipated. The opener “A…
Release data: Basic Principles – Colours CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Deserted Island Music, 2022 Well, I bought this very moody double album at E-Day 2022 from the artist himself at the label’s booth, but unfortunately, it had to wait until recently before I found time to dig it properly. Listening attentively to it now, I can say the music of Haarlem-based musician/painter Wladimir…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Redes CD/Digital Download, AD21 Music, 2022 When it comes to emotive music, the works of Bruno Sanfilippo always had a special charm for me. Instead of previous piano-led compositions, things now settle around sophisticated synth sounds, processed female vocal pads, and (string)textures making up the 48-minute “Redes”, a concept album addressing the extensive way we…
Release data: Javi Cánovas – Slow Light CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Neu Harmony, 2020 In the last few years, it´s become clear this Spanish synthesist has been struggling in various ways, one of them will be the lack of recognition as well as sales of his music. Besides that, it doesn’t help either in my opinion when his music is released in a…
Release data: ASC & Inhmost – The Moons of Saturn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Auxiliary, 2021 As a fan of free-form deep space music, I already explored quite some releases by ASC, but it appeared this guy also did some collaborations, “The Moons of Saturn” being one of them. That album is the second one done between James Clements and Simon Huxtable (aka…
Release data: Cosmic Ground – Isolate CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Tonzonen Records, 2022 It`s not hard to imagine the album´s music and its title may have a connection to the human condition during the extended period of Covid that hit the globe severely for over 2 years. Mysterious and haunting semblances surface on and off in the dark, at times drony-oriented pure vintage…
Release data: Frank Beissel & Steve Roach – Nautical Twilight CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundquest Music, 2022 “Nautical Twilight” is the debut release of Steve Roach and New Mexico-based synthesist Frank Beissel, a highly in-depth atmospheric ambient journey into immersive soundscapes. From the promotional blurb, I learned most of the 71-minute outcome came to fruition during real-time sessions at Mr. Beissel’s studio…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Dark Energy CD-r/12″/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Moatun 7, 2022 Bakis Sirros’ “Dark Energy” contains five 10-minute atmospheric ambiences, as usual, created through his analogue modulars along digital FM and virtual analogue synths sampling. Drony, minimalist textural landscapes of an exploring, quite adventurous nature are mapped out here creating evocative waves of bliss. The CD-R and download edition…
Release data: [‘ramp] – happy days are here to stay CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2022 Since I came to know his intriguing music I dare say Stephen Parsick has a sarcastic view on the world as well as mankind, something he on and off expressed through his Doombient music art. The first glimpses of an upcoming new cold war as well…
Release data: Terminus Void – Interstellar CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Terminus Void´s impressive “Origins Unknown” prompted me to investigate his debut “Interstellar”, a recording released during the Covid pandemic. From the first notes, it’s clear this emotionally charged album is another winner and therefore wholeheartedly recommended to any deep space music aficionado. Smooth textures and melancholic CS-80 pads on…
Release data: BySenses – MonoCHROOM CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 “MonoCHROOM” is the fifth release by Didier DeWachtere who’s artistically known by his nom-de-plum BySenses. The recording features two long-form tracks of 30 minutes each that both reveal a progressive approach toward electronic music. Don’t be put off by the harsh industrial beats that take off at the start of “Monos”,…
Release data: Jonn Serrie – Starmoods Mc, Future Music, 1984 Let´s turn the wheel of time and join me on a trip back to 1984. That year would see the cassette release of “Starmoods”, the debut of one of the finest electronic space music composers around who started out exploring Lightship adventures with musical outcomes from there on. In my search…
Release data: Deepspace – Deep Blue Universe DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 The ambient spaces explored by Brisbane-based composer Mirko Ruckels have the ability to resonate in the air long after the music has faded away, at least for me. The drifting textural planes making up the nine compositions on his 11th release “Deep Blue Universe” seem to increase the immersive,…
Release data: Perge – Mutually Assured Destruction CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2022 What a great title for an album mirroring the state of the world, one of constant turmoil! As Perge (aka Matthew Stringer & Graham Getty) initially started out to create electronic rock in the classic 70s/80s TD-style live bootleg concerts after the Tangerine Tree project was cancelled, Matthew Stringer…