Release data: Diatonis – Ambient Life CD, Private Release, 2003 The album “Ambient Life” is a 3 cd set by Stuart White, aka Diatonis, which contains 23 tracks. This is a smooth journey through soft atmospheric drones, which seem to be a dedication to life, trying to capture its essence, beauty, remoteness, warmth and profoundness. As for the music, Stuart…
Release data: Richard Bone – Saiyuji CD, Quirkworks Laboratory Discs, 2005 The press sheet states that “Saiyuji” (meaning Dawn), named after the ancient Buddhist temple in Singapore, is the last part of the trilogy begun with “Disorient” and “The Reality Temples”. Bone explains that the foundations of each track were created and shaped on vintage gear, and later some melody…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Music in Suspended Animation CD-R, Private Release, 2004 This is the last title in the trilogy that started with “Music for Cloudwatching”. On the concept of “Music in Suspended Animation”, Challoner states: “it looks towards the future, where everything is man made and synthetic, and so high speed that things seem in slow motion, like…
Release data: Peter Challoner – The Other Side of Time CD-R, Private Release, 2004 I formerly reviewed three other cd’s of the sympathetic UK-based ambient composer Peter Challoner, who’s intriguing soundscape music I cherish a lot. “The Other Side of Time” is a concept album meant to cleanse the mind from the frenzied mental assaults brought about by the impact…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Rooms CD, Arya, 2001 “Rooms” is a cd-box from this sympathetic German/Iran-based ambient musician, filled with 3 cds, and released in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies. The first pieces and ideas of this music were born in 1996, but have remained in Amir’s mind all that time, until it was time to finish…
Release data: Amir Baghiri – Exosphere CD, Bluebox / Databloem, 2005 “Exosphere” was created between January 2003 and June 2005. The album was already announced years ago by Amir Baghiri, but I guess he couldn’t find any proper label which was interested to release it, so he finally did it all by himself. “Exophere” offers ten tracks making up 68…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Cosmology CD, Groove Unlimited, 2003 On his cd “Cosmology”, Gregory Kyryluk alias Alpha Wave Movement moves into a grand way: the album sounds more massive, dynamic and orchestral than before, with a few references here and there to progressive electronic music of the ’70. Opener “Prologue Sequence” takes off with marvellous sounds and transitions…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement – Beyond Silence CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 2005 Gregory Kyryluk returns with his inviting new solo album full of energizing sequencing and rhythms, warm melodies and a beautiful drive all the way through. The cd features eleven tracks which combine elements of the old and the new Schools of electronic music, nicely pulled off by…
Release data: Alpha Wave Movement & Jim Cole – Bislama CD-R, Harmonic Resonance Recordings, 1999/2005 This is a re-release on cd-r of the album which originally came out in 1999. The difference with the first release, beside a new cover, is the addition of the 15 minute bonus “Bali Twilight”, which is a live track from 2002. Still, the music…
Release data: Nik Tyndall & Bernd Scholl – Dreamspheres CD, BSC/Prudence, 2005 This German duo already knew each other for quite some years through various encounters on festivals. They also did a live-set on the Klemdag 1997 in Nijmegen. According to the press-sheet, “Dreamspheres” (chill out in space) captures their best collaborative works. Well, anyone whose looking or hoping for…
Release data: Dwight Ashley & Tim Story – Standing + Falling CD, Nepenthe Music, 2005 “Standing + Falling” is the duo’s third album, which took eight years to accomplish. Their music is heavy as it finds and explores “aural space”. It rides the experimental, adventurous edge, and the outcome on this album is no exception. It sounds harsh, dark and…
Release data: Dwight Ashley – Discrete Carbon CD, Nepenthe Music, 2004 Dwight Ashley, who I only knew from the music he did with Tim Story, characterizes his work as experimental. This is his first solo-album, containing unreleased ambient pieces from 1999-2003. Although his compositions are rather dark, there’s also a certain expansiveness and intimacy found, as e.g. heard in “It…
Release data: Kelvin L. Smith – The Dreaming Mind CD-R, EMMA, 2005 With such a title one might expect a quiet, light atmospheric work, but things turn out totally different: the content roams in dark ambience and its nature is rather active and rhythmic. I don’t know what Kelvin was thinking while composing this album, but to me the outcome…
Release data: Thought Guild – Continuum CD-R/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Harmonic Resonance, 2005 “Continuum” is the second cd from Gregory Kyryluk (also known as Alpha Wave Movement) and his companion Christopher Cameron. On their debut album “Context” the duo already handled their analogue and digital synthesizers in an inventive manner. The result on “Continuum” turns out even better, offering 56 minutes of…
Release data: Solar Fields – Leaving Home CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 “Leaving Home” is the third album by the Swedish musician Magnus Birgersson aka Solar Fields. It contains almost 80 minutes of high-tech down tempo groove music with occasional some floating textural electronica, although also veena and sitar are applied in the second track “Time Slide”. The third and fourth…
Release data: Steve Roach – New Life Dreaming CD, Timeroom Editions, 2005 The seed for creating “New Life Dreaming” began to germinate in December 2004 as Steve Roach started remastering his epic album “Dreamtime Return” (DR). This new album contains 5 extended tracks, all beautiful examples of freeform dreamy and quiet ambient sound painting, nicely kicked off by “Perfect Dream”.…
Release data: Solar Fields – Extended CD, Ultimae Records, 2005 The album “Extended” is actually a limited edition companion to “Leaving Home”. It’s an almost 80 minute atmospheric extension coming close to space music. The three tracks were used at a Swedish art installation. Overall it sounds very laid back and spacy in nature, and I must say I prefer…
Release data: Off The Sky – Gently Down The Stream CD, DataBloem, 2005 This is my first encounter with the music of the South California-based Off the Sky, aka Jason Corder. He’s one of the new protégées on the Databloem label of which this is his sixth album. The twelve tracks on this minimal sculptured (at times) album consist of…
Release data: Robert Rich – Electric Ladder CD, Soundscape Productions, 2006 The music on “Electric Ladder” is a smooth and sophisticated blend of vintage analogue synthesizers and acoustic tonalities. The latter are created on lap steel guitar, flutes, bassoon, soprano sax and acoustic guitar, played by either Robert or the two skilled session musicians who are his accompanists. I would…
Release data: D Loop – Mystery´s River CD, Ear Waves, 2004 D Loop, aka Dwight Loop, hails from Sausalito and has been performing electronic music since the late 70s in both solo and ensemble settings. Dwight is also a long-time radio host of “Earwaves,” a new and experimental music public radio program heard on public stations in New Mexico for…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Light from Orion (Deep Skies 1) CD, Eventide Music, 2003 In the days of the former Dutch Em-fanzine KLEM I reviewed a couple of cds by this UK-based musician, who’s music was often categorized as New Age. ” Light of Orion” is the first in the Deep Skies Series, focussing on space music. Next to…
Release data: Cosmic Hoffmann – Electric Trick CD, Heart and Mind, 2005 The album “Electric Trick” is the sixth cd of Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock aka Cosmic Hoffmann. It features recordings made between 1978 and 2003. Stephen Parsick joins him on several tracks of what is described as a 70 minute vintage/psychedelic ride through time and space. The album offers a nice…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – Being to Being CD, Lascaux21, 2002 “Being to Being” is the debut album of the Canadian autodidact musician Tim Gerwing who’s cd offers a simple but very nice looking cover, stating that the musical content concerns “mystical ambiences in the 4th world”. Well, Tim’s approach is quite unusual and very difficult to find the proper…
Release data: Tim Gerwing – The Butterfly Effect CD, Lascaux21, 2004 I must confess that it’s a challenge to listen to this second release (which took over two years to complete) from the Canadian ambient musician Tim Gerwing. Listening to it is an adventure in itself, as it investigates deeper worlds and their meaning. The first five tracks are accessible,…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alpha ~ Omega CD, Private Release, 1998 The cd “Alpha~Omega” is the final chapter of the Star-System trilogy, released in the year Andrew Forrest permanently moved to New Zealand. The album contains seven tracks making up 74 minutes of ethereal heavenly music. At times a bit reminiscent to the floating works of Michael Stearns, the…
Release data: Diatonis – Highway 1 CD-R, Private Release, 2005 The album “Highway 1”, inspired by journey’s Stuart White aka Diatonis undertook travelling California’s Highway 1, was conceived between September 2004 and July 2005, and was realized using highly processed synthesizers and guitars. The mesmerizing ambient music is overall relaxed and intimate, reaching out to and reflecting deeper emotions. Melancholy…
Release data: Blue Stone – Breathe CD, Neurodisc, 2006 Blue Stone is a new project on Neurodisc, a label which already released the accessible and successful music of Amethystium and Ryan Farish. Knowing this, one definitely hears clear echoes of these two in the electronic, rather laid-back pop music of Blue Stone, aka Robert Smith (also known as the driving…
Release data: Streamline – Beyond the Horizon CD-R, Private Release, 2005 The man behind Streamline is the American musician Gary Mulford. The album starts off in a dreamy, floating manner with “Ptolemy’s View”, followed by the shorter space track “Adrift”. The music evolves in moody, relaxed way. Overall, the album contains some interesting smooth space ambient and a bit more…
Release data: Soundician – Seven Sisters CD-R, Private Release, 2004 “Seven Sisters” is the fourth album by the English duo Odette and Kit Johnson aka Soundician. The music tracks were written as a suite, inspired by a Neolithic burial site near their home with seven trees on top of the mound (which were used as the title of the album).…
Release data: Steve Roach – Immersion One CD, Projekt, 2006 “Immersion: One” is the first of an ongoing series of infinite playback recordings from Steve’s Timeroom studios intended to be played at low volume. The press-info describes it as steady state “zones” created specifically as tone meditations for the living space. Like the former albums it contains one uninterrupted track…
Release data: Steve Roach – Possible Planet CD, Timeroom Editions, 2005 “Possible Planet” is the zone world album which came to life while Roach was revisiting “Dreamtime Return” before re-mastering it. The outcome is a long-form living-breathing soundscape album with a solid organic foundation, composed on analogue instruments only. The album has three extended tracks, all featuring slowly morphing and…
Release data: Nostalgia – The House on the Borderland CD, Arsbenevolamater, 2005 “The House on the Borderland” is the second cd of Nostalgia, aka Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow, and on this project they are accompanied by the Italian musician Luigi Seviroli. The latter delivered the album concept to the duo, although he already prepared the framework and foundation of…
Release data: Luminous Dimensions – Luminous Dimensions DVD, Numinations, 2004 Well, fans of the ethereal ambient music of Jeff Pearce can rejoice this unique animation video combining the animation of Michael DuBois and Jeff’s transparent soundscapes. The animations on “Luminous Dimensions” attempt to represent the majesty and mystery of worlds within. The main course is the almost hour-long “Luminous Voyage”,…
Release data: Mark Mahoney – If Dreams were Clouds CD-R, Private Release, 2004 Mark Mahoney is one of the members of the ambient space band The Amaranth Signal, who’s album “If Dreams were Clouds” is his solo debut. Although free form and sounding rather chilled-out, there’s also a slight surrealistic/experimental veil penetrating the flowing soundscape music on this album, which…
Release data: Jan Nemeček – Through the Planetary Void CD-R, Private Release, 2005 Jan Nemeček is a native of Belgrade, Serbia, where he works as sound designer and television/film soundtrack scorer. “Through the planetary void” was conceived as a soundtrack to a complete ambient space journey. The free form textural music, with accompanying effects, touches unearthly ground as it goes…
Release data: Kevin Kendle – Lagoon of Eternity (Deep Skies 2) CD, Eventide Music, 2004 This is the second cd from Kevin’s Deep Skies series, on which he attempts to create unique sound landscapes that reflect this feeling of swirling movement. As on the first album, some glissando guitar is once again used, but this time it’s not overdone. The…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Starseed CD, Private Release, 1997 Andrew Forrest is a visual artist and musician from Cornwall, UK who lives in New Zealand since 1998. “Starseed” is the soundtrack to the esoteric film “Merkabah, Voyage of a Starseed”, and the second part of the Star-System trilogy, a concept-project which was started in 1992. The music on “Starseed”,…
Release data: Karmacosmic – Music for Tantra & Meditation CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 Karmacosmic is a project of Rüdiger Gleisberg (Solitaire), Carsten Agthe and Mathias Grassow. Well, don’t expect this album to be that quiet, as some live- recorded rhythms are implemented into the music. The trio presents an hour of oriental flavoured music, which, for the most part, is instrumental.…
Release data: Peter Challoner – Abstract Ambient Form CD-R, Private Release, 2005 I previously reviewed an ambient trilogy of this English composer, who’s freeform music I like a lot. “Abstract Ambient Form” contains six “Formations” featuring an ongoing flow of warm freeform textures. Each of the compositions seem constantly evolving, but track 2 seems to be a bit lightweight and…
Release data: Andrew Forrest – Alchemy CD, Private Release, 2002 The year 2002 saw the release of “Alchemy”, Andrews first album after 4 years after finishing Star System Trilogy. The album contains four long tracks all between 15 and 20 minutes and which heads a bit more towards New Age Music. The first track starts with some pleasant piano before…
Release data: U. Kay Hytz – An Acute Sense of the Absurd CD-R, Private Release, 2006 A couple of years ago, in 2002 to be exact, this UK-band released the impressive album “Ambients”, an ambient album next to their more poppy/alternative music. Last year the band unfortunately lost their drummer Nigel Vargeson, which made things very unsure as to whether…
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…