Release data: Numina – Live at the Inner Sanctum CD-R, Private Release, 2003 Jesse Sola, a.k.a. Numina, recorded this impressive live-document at the Inner Sanctum in Denver, Colorado on Mai 31 2003, and while listening I would have loved I had been there. The cd contains eight extensive tracks but works for me best as one single track, as it…
Release data: Numina – Sanctuary of Dreams CD, Hypnos Recordings, 2003 The music of Jesse Sola aka Numina has always been special to me, and with his album “Sanctuary of Dreams” he again doesn’t disappoint at all. As the title already suggests, this is sanctuary of ten great tracks filled with drifting and spacy synthesizer washes, an introspective sanctuary for…
Release data: Nautilus – In Search of Castaways CD, BSC/Prudence, 2004 I’m not familiar with this German band nor have I heard any of their music. It’s their fifth cd so far, but their third on the Prudence-label. First of all, the press sheet announces that the line-up of the band has changed: next to the original members Martin Ludwig…
Release data: Maitreya – From the Mothership CD, Council of Nine, 1999 “From the Mothership” is the debut-cd of Simon Lomax aka Maitreya, released on his own small ambient label Council of Nine. The cover states the album is “dedicated to the end of one life and the beginning of another”, some small letters elsewhere made clear that “the artist…
Release data: Jeff Greinke – Weather from another Planet CD, First World Music, 2003 “Weather from another Planet” is the second cd release by Jeff Greinke, but this one is quite different in both nature and sound compared to his Hypnos-recording “Wide View”. First of all, the album offers a daring and adventurous mixture of rather sophisticated beats and samples…
Release data: E=motion – Infinite Motion CD-R, Underwater Music/Syngate, 2002/2003 Electronic music from Polen made by one Jacek Spruch aka E=Motion. “Infinite Motion”” is his debut-cd, which was first released in private, but in 2003 it was re-released as a cd-r by Syngate. Well, fans of rhythmic, powerful and melodic music will surely find something here, as Jacek starts digging…
Release data: Carbon Based Lifeforms – Hydroponic Garden CD, Ultimae Records, 2003 Carbon Based Lifeforms is the Swedish duo Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Ringström of which some music already appeared on the Fahrenheit Project-samplers of the same label. Well, what we encounter here is down-tempo ambient from up north in which spacy textures and tribal ambient grooves are combined, shifting…
Release data: Kevin Bartlett – Near Life Experience CD, Aural Gratification, 2003 “Near Life Experience” is the awesome debut-recording of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Bartlett, offering over 73 minutes of evocative instrumental songs in which influences of Mike Oldfield, Enigma, Peter Gabriel and progressive/symphonic rock can easily be heard. The album kicks off with (my personal favorite) “Gayatri”, with a Celtic kindred…
Release data: AuReality – Sense CD-R, Private Release, 2003 The man behind Aureality is the Dutch ambient composer Paul Swennenhuis, of which “Sense” is his second album. On this cd he uses the Alesis QuadraSynth, Emu Morpheus en de NI AbSynth, and the outcome is above average. AuReality’s music contains nice melodic lines and mixes them quite often with ethnic…
Release data: Ashera & Brannan Lane – Sextant CD, Private Release, 2003 Anthony Wright and Brannan Lane join forces on this disc, offering 69 minutes of exquisite and delightful ambient music. “Sextant” offers five extended tracks of slowly morphing freeform textural ambient carrying a deep sense of introspection and solitude. The delicately shifting sound tapestries with some soft drony passages…
Release data: Atrium Carceri – Cellblock CD, Cold Meat Industry, 2003 Well, fans of dark ambient/industrial musiccan enjoy themselves with this heavy release of the Swedisch label Cold Meat Industry. Atrium Carceri, aka Simon Health, presents 43 minutes of creeping, gruesome and oppressive darkwave ambient, featuring deep drones, soundscapes and heavy fx’s. This is a total audiovisual experience on the…
Release data: Aperus – Tumbleweed obfuscated by camera failure CD-R, Mpath Records, 2003 The music of ambient composer Brian McWilliams -also known as one half of the creative brain behind Remanence -has taken a new shape by the name of Aperus. Aperus brings us a recording inspired by obscured photographs resulting from camera problems during a trip Brian undertook to…
Release data: Aperus – Hinterland EP, Mpath Records / Geophonic Records / Resonant Effec, 2004 “Hinterland” is a multimode EP which contains four alternative versions of tracks which appeared on the formerly released cd “Tumbleweed obfuscated by camera failure” plus one unreleased environmental sketch called “Kaskaskia Canyon”. Of course musically it doesn’t differ much of what was on the original…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Sacred Black CD, Private Release, 2003 “Sacred Black” is Steve Roberts’ third cd, who’s music caught my attention when I heard his (former) album “Still Life”. The album starts with the slow morphing soundwaves of “Dawn 1958”, delving into intimate reflection, riding the edge between dark and light. This is nicely followed by “Morning of…
Release data: Living Dreamtime – Exploring the Water Element CD, Origo Sound, 2002 “Exploring the Water Element” is an album by Living Dreamtime,a.k.a. the very talented Oslo-based musician Tor Linlokken. The album completely focuses on the world of water, its environment and its species. The album comes in a great looking fold-out digipack with full-colour booklet, presenting the ambience you’re…
Release data: Kwook – Unidentified Feathered Object CD-R, DataObscura, 2003 I wasn’t too fond to review this cd, as the Databloem-label releases some rather different electronic music than I usually prefer. I was wrong, as this Kwook-cd appeared to be more than enjoyable. Kwook, aka Simon Bennett, is an Australian musician who realms in the world of “dubbed ambient”. “UFO”…