Release data: Solitaire – Altered States CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1990 Solitaire is the brainchild of German synthesist Elmar Schulte, a project devoted to ambient/electronic music. For some albums and Solitaire’s debut “Altered States”, Schulte collaborated with the classically trained composer/musician Rüdiger Gleisberg. In 1989 Elmar and Rüdiger Gleisberg moved in the same house where they could work together on their…
Release data: Jeffrey Koepper – Momentium CD, Air Space Records, 2006 “Momentium” is the second release of Jeffrey Koepper, who’s beautiful release “Etherea” was quite a success a couple of years ago. Koepper’s musical adagio was and still is “to create the music of tomorrow with the technology of yesterday”, thereby referring to the bunch of vintage analogue instruments he…
Release data: Danna & Clément – A Gradual Awakening CD-R, Earthaven/Mirage, 2005 Originally released I 1977, this is the first time this Canadian classic album –“A Gradual Awakening”– is available on cd. It was privately released on cassette by both artists, then got a mc re-release on Fortuna Records in 1984. A third mc-release appeared on Chacra Alternative Music, which…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Winter CD, Eventide Music, 2006 It’s winter over here while listing to this cd, so it’s perfecty timed. Kevin states in the booklet this music has been in production for 2,5 years, and is meant as a restful, reflective soundtrack for the season. Opener “January Sunrise” is a soft glowing track with a strong laidback…
Release data: Richard Bone – Vesperia CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2006 The concept-album “Vesperia” certainly shows a new direction in the music of ambient composer Richard Bone. The album is a commissioned work made for vesper service at a Holliston church in Massachusetts. Containing only 40 minutes, it features four tracks with soft, sacred and overall flowing new age music,…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Glaciation CD, Private Release, 2007 The issue of global warming has entered the world of electronic music as Patrick O’Hearn’s album “Glaciation” was inspired by the otherworldly beauty of the northern latitudes and dedicated to all those who share respectful consideration for its future. On his site, Patrick says that the “simple 13 composition music-told…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Planet X CD, Bluebox, 2006 The cd “Planet X” (inspired by the exotic astrophysical phenomena of the 10th planet) is Baghiri’s second privately released cd on his own Bluebox-label. His former album “Exophere” was a very nice effort, and I’m more than happy to say this new one doesn’t disappoint either. It’s an in-depth ambient…
Release data: Liquid Mind – Relax – A Liquid Mind Experience CD, Real Music, 2007 The sales of the floating stress relief music of Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, surely will receive another boost as Real Music has decided to release “Relax”, a compilation album comprising seven tracks from his former albums and one new track (“I am Willing”). Liquid…
Release data: Robert Schroeder – SphereWare CD, Spheric Music, 2007 I lost track of Robert Schroeder and his music quite a long time ago, as I thought it had become mediocre and too predictable, although I saw him perform live a couple of times in recent years at jamsessions in Germany. “Sphereware” is his second release on Spheric Music (but…
Release data: Christian Høy Knudsen – Hav CD, Council of Nine, 2000 “Hav” is the second release of the UK –based ambient label Council of Nine, run by Simon Lomax. Its composer is the Norwegian Christian Høy Knudsen, who spent two years sculpting and refining the dark and compelling textural outcome making up the concept release. “Hav” (the Norwegian word…
Release data: Ti-Cal – Coriolis CD, Council of Nine, 2002 Coriolis is the third cd on the small UK-based ambient-label COFN, and it’s another gem to look out for. Tarl Broad-Ashman, aka Ti-Cal, formerly one half of the duo Innerise, says to be musically influenced by Pete Namlook & Global Communication. He aptly describes his creations as “favorite morning and…
Release data: Steve Roach – Kairos DVD, Timeroom Editions, 2006 After quite some different projects and efforts to combine his intensive music with visuals, Steve Roach has culminated things and pulled them to a new, spectacular level with “Kairos” – The Meeting of Time and Destiny. For the project, Steve collaborated with five excellent light, film, and digital artists (Lynn…
Release data: Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook – Sleeps with the Fishes CD, 4AD, 1987 “Sleeps With The Fishes” is the excellent outcome of a collaboration between musician Pieter Nooten and ambient, experimental guitarist Michael Brook. The authentic tracks of this classic album were actually bedroom recordings by Pieter Nooten produced on a simple -at this time out of date-computer.…
Release data: Gandalf – More Than Just A Seagull CD, Seagull Music, 1988 This recording was originally composed in 1983 as the soundtrack for the multimedia-performance “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” in Vienna, Austria. It was one of the albums released on Heinz Strobl’s own label Seagull Music, and it also was his US debut. The music is a bit different from…
Release data: Steve Roach – Storm Surge – live at Nearfest CD, Nearfest records, 2006 “Dreamsurge” contains an unedited live recording of the concert Steve Roach performed at NEARfest on July 9, 2005. The 46 minutes of passionate, tribal-flavoured ambient music featuring pulsating rhythms, didgeridoo and Roach’s haunting soundscape textures. There’s also a new track to be found here: the…
Release data: Kelly David – Broken Voyage CD, Rocky Mountain records, 2001 “Broken Voyage” is the debut cd of the talented, Colorado-based synthesist Kelly David, which finds the listener in an overall adventurous landscape where you journey into unknown & mysterious territory. Strong ethno/tribal percussive beats blend together with darker sound textures, weaving a dense atmosphere in which you can’t…
Release data: Kelly David – Angkor CD, Rocky Mountain Records, 2006 Like Jeffrey Koepper, Kelly David also reelased his second cd in 2006. Same as Koepper, Kelly only uses analogue instruments for his music, which resulted in deep, darkening soundings on his debut “Broken Voyage”. “Angkor”, again mastered by Steve Roach, tells a bit of a different story with its…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Moontribe CD-R, ad21 Music, 2004 “Moontribe” contains a collection of previously unreleased tracks, meant for collaborative projects that finally did not happen, plus two brand new pieces. I must say it’s great Max didn’t put them on the shelf, as the music presented here is some pretty awesome stuff. It’s an impressive aural journey of…
Release data: Robert Carty & Brannan Lane – Dreamswirl CD-R, Private Release, 2006 “Dreamswirl” is the follow-up album to Carty & Brannan’s “Climatic Infusion”. Again it features deep ambient floating music, sounding melodic yet surreal organic as track after track goes by. As on their former album, the music of “Dreamswirl” is characterized by a smooth, continues flow. The sound…
Release data: Robert Carty – Suntales CD-R, Private Release, 2006 For years, Robert Carty is known for his highly atmospheric, moody and even spacy ambient music. Well, “Sun Tales” adds a nice chapter to his long list of releases. “Light Dance” kicks off in an inviting manner before “High Tales” takes us on an excellent, lush excursion through space. “Heart…
Release data: Robert Rich – Calling Down the Sky CD, Soundscape Productions, 2003 “Calling Down the Sky” is a live-cd by Robert Rich, clocking at exactly 74 minutes, offering all new atmospheric music. While heavy weather conditions followed Robert Rich during his tour in summer 2003, he gave a house-concert in Denver, where he was surrounded by a group of…
Release data: Between Interval – Autumn Continent CD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2006 “Autumn Continent” is the third cd of the Scandinavian musician Stefan Jönsson, and his second on the Spotted Peccary sub label Wanderings. Like his former recording this again is a great, highly cinematic ambient adventure built of well-crafted soundscapes. The ten mysterious, sometimes even darkening textural landscapes float…
Release data: Dene De Benedictis – A Lone Reply CD, Fateless Records, 2001 Dean is also known as the musician behind Surface 10, but the music on “A Lone Reply” is something completely different from the rather experimental output on his Surface 10 release “In Vitro Tide”. All recordings were realised between fall ’98 and spring ’99, and is a…
Release data: Brian Parnham – Between Here and There CD, Floating Point Records, 2005 This is the second release of the American ambient musician Brian Parnham, whose name popped up a few years ago on the Broadvista ambient-sampler “Passing Strange”. The first 8 tracks are taken from an un-released dvd–soundtrack, the other 2 tracks are earlier composed, unreleased tracks. Well,…
Release data: Kelvin L. Smith – Reclining Music CD-R, Farfield Records, 2003 Kelvin L. Smith hails from South Wales. The cd-cover states that this is “a collection of cliché free ambient tracks for relaxation. Guaranteed free of whale-song and nose-flutes !”. “Reclining Music” is filled with eleven distinct tracks of minimal, sometimes rather abstract and slight drony movements. Things here…
Release data: Patrick O´Hearn – Beautiful World CD, Private Release, 2003 For “Beautiful World”, Patrick again invited his musical companion Peter Maunu, who adds some fine 6 and 12 strings guitar to his inspiring music. Clocking at exactly 48 minutes, the album still contains the distinct sounds & textures that have made his music a trademark over the years, starting…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Visualia CD, Neuronium Records, 2003 Bruno Sanfilippo is an Argentinean/Spanish composer and a close friend of ambient musician Max Corbacho, who established to have his new album released on Michel Huygen’s label. With his fifth album he attempts to make music that awakes images hidden in our memory, but which also corresponds to the fractal…
Release data: Sean Washburn – Wave Mantra CD, Private Release, 2000 “Wave Mantra” is by all means a very nice album by American ambient-artist Sean Washburn. It offers the listener a spiritual journey of introspective music, lasting for 73 minutes, offering lush drone/soundscapes in which you will encounter a perfect melting of electronic and acoustic elements. The ongoing vast soundworlds…
Release data: Wintherstormer – Woodwork CD, Bajkal Records, 2007 I hope lots of you will remember this Norwegian’s band’s extraordinary performance on E-Live 2006, which clearly showed what can be achieved through improvisation using analogue gear. “Woodstock”, featuring four tracks created on the same basis, is a hard-edged journey of not that accessible vintage music. The word “smooth” isn’t appropriate…
Release data: Richard deHove – Worlds Beyond Number CD, Private Release, 2006 It’s been quiet for a long while regarding new artists composing well produced space music. Well, this guy Richard DeHove sounds most promising on his cd “Worlds of Number”. The strong opening track “The Good Earth” has been used for as background music for a series of space…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Spiral Journey CD, Electrofine Music, 1998 “Spiral Journey”is the second cd of the Colorado-based American musician Jim Pietkivitch. The cd-cover looks very nice and invites the listener on an imaginary trip into the huge galaxy which surrounds us. The cover goes very well with the featured music on the album: here we get a good…
Release data: Jim Pietkivitch – Inner Worlds CD, Electrofine Music, 2004 Before I started listening to this cd, Jim let me know this new music has an “Inner” theme to it. In addition he explained it may not be as electronic or space sounding as the former one “Spiral Journey”, but the overall feel should be more consistent. The first…
Release data: Terran Spiral – Time to Slide CD-R/Digital Download, Private Release, 2001 Terran Spiral is mainly Robert Carpenter. He has set himself the goal to create cinematic, adventurous music, inspired by books, TV, film and even computer games. “Time to Slide” contains overall instrumental music, except for two vocal tracks, where Robert’s rather fierce guitar solo’s can be heard…
Release data: Waterbone – Tibet CD, IntentCity Records, 2003 Waterbone is a music project by producers/musicians Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendall Jones, who travelled all the way to Tibet to score a variety of raw source material. On “Tibet” (which is actually a re-release from an album from 1997)they combine them with worldbeat/trip hop dance grooves and hypnotizing rhythms. Well,…
Release data: Eirik Lie – 12 Bilder CD, Visuell Musikk, 1996 “12 Bilder” is the first release of this small Norwegian label. It contains a selection of music of the Norwegian musician Eirik Lie which he made for installations, theatre and videos. Upon hearing this cd, you’ll enter a strong eclectic, rather dark-shaped world of textures that at first reminded…
Release data: Mark Dwane – 2012 CD, Trondant/Orbian Music, 2007 I must confess I lost interest in Mark Dwane’s music after his first few albums (which in my opinion started to repeat itself more and more after his second and third release), but I’m happy to see he has further developed his musical style after all. “2012” is Mark’s ninth…
Release data: John Lyell & Brent A. Reiland – Synthetic Universe CD, Private release, 2002 “Synthetic Universe” is the second cd of this Minneapolis-based duo that made quite an impression in the scene with their debut-cd “Wormholes” in 1998. This is another fairly strong effort in traditional spacemusic, but John Lyell & his musical companion Brent A. Reiland also dare…
Release data: Maitreya – Telluric Waves CD, Council of Nine, 2003 It took Simon Lomax a.k.a. Maitreya four years to present us with this, his second album, but I must confess that the end result more than makes up for that. The sound of Maitreya has matured, pushing the boundaries in a most surprising way. The quiet “Night Vision” starts,…
Release data: Still Life – Volume Two CD, Private release, 2005/2006 Stiff Life is the duo Nelson Foltz and Tom Lynn, who state on the simple green cd-cover that no electronic instruments were used in this recording. This seems to be there third album (formerly they made “Volume One” and “Interlude”), featuring a sound experience which doesn’t emerge from silence…
Release data: Brannan Lane – Submerge CD-R, Ambient Circle Music, 2006 The album “Submerge” contains thirteen uninterrupted tracks of rather dark-oriented ambient music, freeform for the biggest part. There are quite some bell-like sounds scattered all over the album. “Part 8” features some heavy percussion accompanying the freeform ambient textures before things take a bit of an spooky turn on…
Release data: Numina – Symbiotic Spaces CD, Gestalt Records, 2007 In my opinion, Numina (aka Jesse Sola) has always been a rather extraordinary ambient musician composing delicately crafted ambient space music. The beautifully designed “Symbiotic Spaces” is a double-cd containing rare and unreleased tracks from 2000 till 2007, featuring music of which I’m more than happy it’s now available. Listening…
Release data: Sync24 – Source CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Sync24 is a project of Swedish composer Daniel Ringström, one of the members of the Scandinavian down-tempo project Carbon Based Lifeforms. After several loose tracks on various samplers, “Source” is Daniel’s first full-length solo release. Listening to “Source” is kind of a deep and gliding experience, as the overall music with…
Release data: Anomalous Disturbances – The Spirit Molecule CD-R, Private Release, 2002 On his debut album “The Spirit Molecule”, musician Terry O’Brien uses the sedating, hypnotizing effects of repetition and loops while using electronic devices. His deep breathing soundscapes created through electronically modified looping guitar might make you think of Jeff Pearce, but here some different angles are taken. The…
Release data: Sonic Metro – Six Dregrees of Separation CD-R, Private Release, 2007 “Six Degrees in Seperation” is the debut album of Sonic Metro, aka the Dutch musician Peter Leijdsman. He formerly played guitar, drums and piano bit before he decided to switched to electronics. A whole new musical world presented itself, opening up totally new horizons. The instrumental album…
Release data: Steve Roach – Quiet Music CD, Fortuna Records, 1986/1999 “Quiet Music” (QM) is a collection of pieces ambient master Steve Roach created in respect for silence between 1983 and 1986. It is dedicated to the passing time and the experience of watching particles in sunlight. The recordings were originally commissioned for several healing arts programs such as the…
Release data: Kevin Rees – Pools of Instability CD-R, Private Release, 2003 Kevin Rees hails from Hampshire, England, but now lives in Osaka, Japan. This album was composed almost entirely on a Korg Trinity with only occasional use of classic and acoustic guitar. The recording stands quite on its own, although a typical Japanese flavour is apparent in the first…
Release data: Steve Roach – Proof Positive CD, Timeroom Editions, 2006 Steve’s Roach’s re-discovery of pure analogue instruments has led to another album of excellent “spontaneous impulse”, to quote the sleeve note of the cd. The 21-minute track “Westwind” kicks off with great minimal pulse sequencing and delicate soundscapes before the tantalizing vintage sequences from “Living the Pulse” show up…
Release data: Bruno Sanfilippo – Piano Textures CD, ad21music, 2007 “Piano Textures” is an introspective album which offers center stage for the processed sounds of a Grand old piano from 1923, accompanied by some synthesizers, duduk and samples of strings. All eight tracks have a more or less cinematic impact, their sounds tap from some kind of subconscious source, breathing…
Release data: Peter Mergener & Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock – Visions of Asia CD, BSC/Prudence, 2006 These two experienced German musicians already contributed on one track of each of their former albums. This is their first full-length release for which Hoffmann-Hoock did all the sound design, but one can clearly hear that each track carries a stronger signature of one of them.…
Release data: Amethystium – Odonata CD, Neurodisc, 2001 “Odonata” is a special and great looking cd from the Norwegian musician Øystein Ramfjord. It is almost all instrumental music which nicely features some influence of Enigma, but next to that also elements of the music of Synaesthesia, John Stanford (trance/dance-feel) and David Parsons (Tibetan/ethnic flavour)can be heard. Very nice deep bas-loops,…
Release data: Psicodreamics – Mythomusic (remastered) CD-R, Private Release, 1997 A while back, Spanish musician Salva Moreno aka Psicodreamics came up with the idea to revisit his album “Mythomusic”, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its creation. He gave the music a thorough remastering to make the music stand out even more. To a certain degree, the 13 neo-classical tracks on…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Obsessive Surrealism CD, DiN, 2007 “Obsessive Surrealism” is the fourth full-length release of musician Bakis Sirros aka Parallel Worlds, one continuing the path of innovative dreamy atmospheric electronics since he started his music project in 1998. In a way he again succeeded in surprising me as Bakis reaches new heights with the eleven tracks featured…
Release data: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy – Lithosphere CD, DiN, 2005 This is the second collaborative album of Rich & Boddy, released as a limited edition of 2000 copies. It’s the outcome of ten days of hard work in Rich’s studio. Compared to its predecessor “Outpost”, the sound and overall feel of the new album is more organic, energetic…
Release data: Soundician – Memorophilia CD-R, Private Release, 2006 “Memorophilia” is the fifth cd of the English duo Odette and Kit Johnson on which they continue the musical path of its predecessors. Soundician’s output always had a rather unique style and sound, and on this recording the duo further investigates the boundaries of their minimal oriented rhythmic/melodic style. Although dedicated…
Release data: Jonathan Badger – Metasonic CD, High Horse, 2006 The cd “Metasonic” (lasting only 29 minutes!) is a live recording by the Baltimore- based musician Jonathan Badger. The music is all done with guitar with no studio overdubbing. In what he calls “a diverse sonic palette”, Badger applied use of pulse to bring rhythm to the ambient form. “Code”…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – Moonwater CD, Lotuspike, 2006 “Moonwater” is Rudy’s first release on the rather ambitious Lotuspike-label. As explained in the booklet, the start of the music was more or less accidental as some of his main studio equipment broke down. Nevertheless, the outcome is a beautiful collection of relaxed and moody ambient music carrying some distinct elements…
Release data: Projekt Erde – Mysterious Vibrations CD, CMS/4U, 1992 Musician and sound specialist Christoph Hausmann had a 24-track studio in the late 80s and early 90s. It had nearly all of the state-of-the-art synthesizers available at that time such as CMI Fairlight, Oberheim Matrix 12, Emax I and II and Sequential’s Prophet VS. Christoph met sound technician Martin Stark,…
Release data: Asura – Life 2 CD, Ultimae Records, 2007 Rather quick after the former great release “Source” from SYNC24, July 7th saw this release of Asura, the musical moniker of one Charles Farewell. The album starts out with drones, Aramean tribal rhythms, vocal samples on “Golgotha”, before a acid/dance sequence, fx’s and grand textures kick in on the glowing…
Release data: Jack Wood – Lighthouse CD, Private Release, 2007 “Lighthouse” is the beautifully designed second album (his debut “Per Ankh” came out in 2002) of the American visual artist Jack Wood. He uses the subject of the lighthouse to reflect his ideas, thoughts and visions from the lighthouse keeper’s point of view, investigating its various intrinsic and emotional elements:…
Release data: A Produce – Land of a Thousand Trances (special 2-cd edition) CD-R, Trance Port Special editions, 1994/2007 The last couple of years, Barry Craig aka A Produce has invested quite some works in revisiting & re-releasing some old recordings from the past. March 2007 saw the re-appearance of the 13-year old “Land of a Thousand Trances”, now available…