Release data: Kurtz Mindfields – Synthr3 The Burning School Tape CD-r, FeverDog Music, 2020 Synthesist Jean-Luc Briançon was so fortunate to be chosen as an artist to test and musically develop Rémy Wasselin’s self-built semi-modular Synthr3, an instrument for both studio and live-on-stage performance. The latter is based on a modular patchable modulation matrix that can be stored in personal…
Release data: Juta Takahashi – Gems CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Lunisolar Records, 2021 Through the years, Juta Takahashi composed various tracks that appeared on compilation albums from various labels. These all -with the exception of the last track- have now been compiled on the 63-minute “Gems”. The six emotive pieces feel like a warm bath due to the overall spatial sound…
Release data: Cell – Live in Corfu DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Ultimae Records, 2020 This fine recording reminded me how much I miss the quality and lush down-tempo music that once came out for many years on the French Ultimae label (that nowadays puts out experiments in minimalist dub-tech soundscapes only). Well, the 70-minute “Live in Corfu” (of the eight tracks, four…
Release data: Brannan Lane – Lost Caverns of Thera CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, World Circle Records, 2000 The end of the ‘90’s and the first half of the 2000’s, marked a very productive period for US-composer Brannan Lane. “Lost Cavern of Thera” (inspired by the volcanic Greek island of Thera or Thira, but better known as Santorini) is a slow progressing dark-shaded…
Release data: Johan Agebjörn & Michael Ögren – Artefact CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 In 2017, Johan Agebjörn and Mikael Ögren impressed me a lot with their well-crafted debut “We Never Came to the White Sea”. From the press-info of this one, I learned “Artefact” is an “unofficial sci-fi soundtrack” inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel “Rendezvous with…
Release data: Martin Stürtzer – Temporal Paradox CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Echo Elberfeld, 2021 Here’s another fine release by Wuppertal-based synthesist Martin Stürtzer for those like like to to space out in rather bright celestial environs. It’s an overall gentle unfolding sonic journey which sees Martin merge slow Berlin School sequences with smooth textures and floating pads to drift-off, unwinding effect.…
Release data: Man from Mars – Mars Memory DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 Man from Mars is a project by two Serbian brothers who started listening to Vangelis at a young age, ending up producing trance and psy-trance music. A few years back they translated one of their trance tracks into a beatless electronic track. As the outcome was satisfactory…
Release data: Distant System – Infinite Continuum DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Many have been waiting for a second album of this American composer, who’s “Spiral Empire” gained lots of critical appraisal among fans of melodic chill-out, slow-trance and atmospheric down-tempo in a spaced-out fashion. Well, the wait is finally over. Tyler Smith’s “Infinite Continuum” continues the signature sound and…
Release data: Steve Roach – As it is CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 I confess I had various doubts about the clinical vibe and digital-ish sound design surfacing on some of Steve’s sonic creations of late. Fortunately, none of this is present or sensed on “As it is”, a work Roach describes as a simmering, churning, moving appointment with reality,…
Release data: Dino Pacific – Hallowed Ground CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 1999 Montreal, Canada-based Dino Pacifici has been active in music since 1984, with some forays into jazz. This “Hallowed Ground” is his fifth cd, filled with just under 70 minutes of distinct ambient. Opener “Solace” stands out most positively for my taste: 22 minutes of soft engaging ambient…
Release data: Stephen Parsick – Moon Musick DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Doombient, 2021 “Moon Musick” is an atmospheric work of ambient art of which the original music dates back to 2006/2007 when the idea surfaced for a cd to go with an illustrated picture book for children, something that didn’t happen in the end. Fortunately, Stephen rediscovered the music (featuring Markus Reuter…
Release data: Ghosts in Mirrors – Cold Dust CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Littl’ Antenna Records, 2020 The Belgium electronic music scene is expanding for years with own festivals (Cosmic Nights, B-Wave, AntennA/ Littl’ Antenna festival, Sonic Emissions), Belgian Neumusik, two labels promoting this genre of music thoroughly (Littl’Antenna and Wool-E Records) as well as the media Channel AntennA for Electronic Music. With…
Release data: Spacecraft – Evening Star DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Valley View Records, 2021 A trip into textural, fluid space, a cosmic place of solace is what is awaiting you on the 48-minute “Evening Star” by Rishi Bhatia aka Spacecraft. There’s a calm, soft glowing atmosphere found on each of the 10 tracks unfolding in slow motion, best listened to on…
Release data: Altus – Sleep Theory Volume 4 CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 With this release Mike Carss brings his audience the fourth and final installment in the “Sleep Theory” series that was kicked off a decade earlier. If you’re familiar with the previous volumes you will find a nice continuation of them, but Session 10, 11 and 12…
Release data: Amongst Myselves – Still Life CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, RMC Records, 2000 Amongst Myselves is Australian ambient/space musician Steve Roberts whose “Still Life” appears to be his second full-length recording. The press-kit mentions, among other things, that the album reflects a quiet part of Robert’s life. The first half of the album consists of floating ambient music with a…
Release data: CC:Dome – Laurel CD/Digital Download, Ajna Music/Cursor Club, 2003 I personally feel the most interesting thing about this release, which comes as an attractive tri-fold digipack with nice cover-footage, is that it fulfils several plans that Garrett Parks of the US-label Cursor Club had in mind for the future, but wasn’t able to realize. The “Laurel” album contains…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Remixes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1999 This is a limited, hand-numbered album of 1,500 pieces featuring remixes -by one J.T.- of the tracks “V8” and “V13” taken from Crown Invisible’s first and second ep. As primal versions, both pieces have something catchy and very reminiscent of The Art of Noise’s engaging “Moments in Love”.…
Release data: Crown Invisible – CI4: Cinema CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 2001 This release was actually scheduled for the end of 2000, but due to the on and off rush of the holidays and the demanding production process at Cursor Club, it was not actually released until June 2001. It has finally become a full album (six tracks, 41 minutes),…
Release data: CC:Dome – Dream Furious CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 2000 “Dream Furious” is CC:Dome’s second release, an EP with 29 minutes of fine and attentively composed electronics. Compared to the Crown Invisible project from the same label, CC:Dome’s previous Ep already displayed a more adventurous approach, this time it’s even more captivating, profound enchanting and almost dreamy. The…
Release data: CC:Dome – Dome CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 CC:Dome is another enigmatic project from Garrett Park’s Cursor Club. Soundwise it’s episodic, rather minimal and, compared to the Crown Invisible-project on the same label, taking on a bit more adventurous approach. The creative process involves the incorporation of very slight Middle Eastern elements, drone pads and more. CC:…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Crown Invisible II CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 The main comments I made on “Crown Invisible” also apply to the “follow-up” Ep “Crown invisible II”. Once again it’s quite visual music and a great listen through headphones, sounding evocative in every possible way. Like its predecessor it holds three cool, ingeniously composed tracks (“V13”,…
Release data: Crown Invisible – Crown Invisible CD-EP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Cursor Club, 1998 Let’s journey back to 1998. That year I ran into something special for all those Em-enthusiasts always on the look-out for new diamonds in contemporary electronic music. It comes from the small Hollywood-label Cursor Club run by Garrett Parks. In general, Crown Invisible’s music is pretty melodic…
Release data: Jean-Michel Jarre – Amazônia CD/LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Sony Music, 2021 “Amazônia” is Jarre’s 52-minute musical score to the vision of Sebastião Salgado’s immersive exhibition about the Brazil’s Amazon with the attempt to approach the region with respect, relying on a poetic and impressionistic way. The ambient sound collage comes in 9 parts full of weird turns and twists, wrapping…
Release data: Kees Aerts – Slices of Time CD, Groove Unlimited, 1997 What I got here is the very first Groove Unlimited-release. With “Slices of Time”, Kees Aerts (at that time business partner of Ron Boots’ Groove Unlimited label) also presents his official solo-debut. His name appeared previously on various “Truth” cds. The album -dedicated to the function that allows…
Release data: Changing Images – Vituality CD, Lektronik Soundscapes, 1992 Changing Images is the German duo Martin Kornberger (synths) and Volker Kuhn (synths and guitars), a project following the more electronic/sequencer-led progressive music of the ‘70s. They seem to have been working under this group name since 1991, having released the more symphonic-tinged release “The Castle” on the French Musea…
Release data: Akikaze – Fantasmagora CD, Criminal Records, 1996 “Fantasmagora” is the second cd-release of Pepijn Courant on which he reverts to old work from about 12 years ago that he has reworked and polished for this cd production. It features four long “parts” with a strong classical-symphonic as well as an unusual slant. We hear a lot of sampled…
Release data: Andreas Akwara – Solar Eclipse CD, Private Release, 2002 “Solar Eclipse” is the second effort by this German synthesist, and a concept album of space music. Those who think that the music can be laid alongside existing cosmic compositions will have to conclude that Akwara has managed to find a rather different sound and approach. Floating passages are…
Release data: Alio Die & Mathias Grassow – Expanding Horizon CD, Relapse Records, 2003 This is an ambient double cd by Italian/German ambient duo Alio Die (aka Stefano Musso) and Mathias Grassow. Beforehand I had a feeling it was going to be a hefty one, and it proved to be so with 2x 70 minutes of meditative drone music. Grassow…
Release data: Robert Rich – Sunyata Mc/CD/Digital Download, Soundscape/Hypnos Recordings, 1982/2000 Robert Rich’s 1982-debut “Sunyata” grew out of all-night concerts and was reissued on cd in remastered form. A student at Stanford University at the time, Robert was already concerned with the fact that music is capable of altering consciousness, and the intended psycho-active stimuli on “Sunyata” are a first…
Release data: Brannan Lane / Vidna Obmana – Deep Unknown CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Brannan Lane Music, 2002 One of the many cds that Brannan Lane had planned for 2002 is this collaboration with his Belgian colleague Dirk Serries. It’s not a full-length collaboration but one that is limited to the first three tracks. The overall atmosphere is misty, slightly mysterious but…
Release data: Simon Lomax – Notes from the Void, Vol. 1 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Council of Nine, 2021 The process creating the music for “Notes from the Void” turned out a little different than Mr Lomax used to do on previous recordings: a friend and personal mentor suggested a title as a starting point along an ambitious deadline for each track.…
Release data: Robert Rich – Below Zero CD, Side Effects, 1998 This deep dark-ambient compilation follows-up on Robert’s 1996 HOS/Fathom release “A Troubled Resting Place” presenting more abstract, foreboding and expansive soundscape work with a profound surrealist touch. The composer conceived “Below Zero” -a sonic narrative of infinite distance, inhuman scale and deep time- while recording each of the tracks…
Release data: Rudy Adrian – When Dusk becomes Night CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Spotted Peccary Music, 2021 What I got here is possibly the most tranquil and serene album yet from this talented New Zealand-based composer. The major part of the 58-minute “When Dusk becomes Night” (working title Dawn to Night) was created during a two-week lockdown in 2020. For the result…
Release data: S1gns of L1fe – The Age of Cymatics Digital Download, Synphaera Records, 2021 This project by Chris Bryant -started around 2013- keeps surprising with its well-designed vibrant contemporary electronics topped by excellent mastering and production. There’s a captivating emotive current and drive found in the fresh, spacious instrumentals pushing things ahead on all eight tracks where various down-tempo…
Release data: Robert Rich – Rainforest CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Hearts of Space, 1989 Back in 1989, the release of “Rainforest” marked a major breakthrough for Robert Rich, who actually made the album as an expression of despair and respect for our planet. Musically this “rainforest” recording tells a totally different story though, compared to e.g. the free form works of Thom Brennan…
Release data: The Adelaidean & Deepspace – Adrift DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Projekt Records, 2021 My first encounter with the music of TheAdelaidean a short while back was a pleasant one. For “Adrift” he now joined forces with his fellow countryman Mirko Ruckels (aka Deepspace), whose music I cherish quite a bit for years. Together they created a 65-minute atmospheric work of…
Release data: Rüdiger Gleisberg – Arabesque CD, Musique Intemporelle, 1991 The style of Paderborn-based composer and music teacher Rüdiger Gleisberg is no typical electronic music as it integrates lots of classical, impressionist and symphonic elements along some minimalist ingredients. Piano as well as various environmental recordings play a significant part in Rüdiger’s orchestrated spacious, atmospheric works of strings and woodwinds.…
Release data: Parallel Worlds – Dimensional CD-r/12″/Digital Download, Móatún7, 2021 For this release, following in the footsteps of Bakis Sirros third collaborative album “Phosphenes” with Dave Bessell, Bakis used analogue sequencers and synths only along analogue shift registers, quantizers, trigger delays, rotating clock dividers, clock multipliers, harmonic oscillators, granular processor & more. In the process of moulding and composing neither midi…
Release data: Jessica Saves – Travelling without moving Digital Download, Seven Village Voyage, 2020 Ok, let’s turn to some more easy-going electronics. “Travelling without Moving” is the debut release of Jessica Saves, a project by Barcelona-based DJ and producers Steve Ferrand and Bradley Telleria (aka Tres Manos). The chill-out and lounge-oriented outcome , kicking off with the nice ethereal “Translunar”, invites…
Release data: Siddhartha Barnhoorn – Celestial Spaces Spacetones DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 “Celestial Spaces”, offering one continuous 59-minute track, is an immersive and enchanting journey into the deep end of the galactic expanse that I strongly recommend to experience with headphones. Here, the velvet soundcapes and smooth drift Siddhartha explored on the pinnacle track “Santuary” from his “Structures of…
Release data: Max Corbacho – Nocturnes III CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SilentSun, 2021 With “Nocturnes III”, Max Corbacho brings his audience the last chapter of the trilogy started in 2017 featuring music inspired by the vast and desolate night landscapes of Spain’s Aragon and Extremadura. Hardly any people live out there, as such being one of the few remaining places in Europe…
Release data: Robert Rich – Offering to the Morning Fog CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Soundscape Productions, 2020 The music of “Offering to the Morning Fog” was created on-demand as it was made in response to various requests from listeners who had asked Robert if he had any unreleased music that could offer a quiet place for them to breathe for a while.…
Release data: Penterakt – Conquest of the Moon CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E- Discs, 2021 Penterakt is a new collaborative project by Andy Bloyce and Tom Coppens, who some might know from the EM-collective Kubusschnitt. The 60-minute “Conquest of the Moon” -still made with analogue gear only- features a successful blend of their individual styles along some Berlin School signatures, offering four…
Release data: Steve Roach – Into the Majestic CD/Digital Download, Timeroom Editions, 2021 Here’s a floating soundscape from ambient master Steve Roach that shows he once more has found his way back time into an expansive space of embracing warmth and comfort. “Into the Majestic”, featuring two lengthy pieces is rich in sound as it reveals its inner sanctum of…
Release data: Simon Slator – Chameleon DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 After quite an extended break from music-making, British musician Simon Slator recently started up again and released “Chameleon”. From the liner notes I learned the underlying theme is how, like a chameleon, some change their outward appearance to blend in with their surroundings, yet inside they feel anxious and…
Release data: Don Slepian – Electronic Music from the Rainbow Isle CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Don Slepian Music/Numero Group, 1978/2000 This compilation-album, released in September 1978 on a privately-released cassette, contains early electronic music made during the 10 years Don Slepian lived on Hawaii. The original cassette featured 6 tracks, while the re-release from 2000 on cd-r by the artist himself has…
Release data: Paralle Worlds & Dave Bessell – Phosphenes CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, DiN, 2021 The stark, surreal and gothic are most present on “Phosphenes”, the third abstract-ambient effort of Bakis Sirros and Dave Bessell, who share a passion for vintage instruments and the powerful, in-depth sounds they can produce. The eight tracks centre on cinematic and haunting atmosphere building, intriguing analogue…
Release data: Brendan Pollard – Prologue CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Acoustic Wave Records, 2020 The 65-minute “Prologue” -featuring music created in 2019 and 2020- sees the light of day some 13 years after Brendan’s last solo album. And another time around Mr Pollard does what he’s best at: through three lengthy tracks we journey through the old school of cosmic electronics, most…
Release data: Wave Walkers – Kronos21 CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2021 Wave Walkers is a newcomer from Belgium. It’s a collaborative effort of Jurgen Vitrier and Germain Ghys who express their love and enthusiasm for the sound of classic ‘80s Tangerine Dream “with the aim to catch its spirit without copying”. Well, they do so with two long tracks of…
Release data: Transceive – Frozen Circuitry CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Alles Klar Productions, 2020 After a six-year musical hiatus Steve Nelson returns with the album “Frozen Circuitry”, described as ‘derived from the technology used to create the soundtrack to a cold atmosphere’. The seven compositions with classic EM influences produced in a trance style unveil a high energy album from start to…
Release data: Rhea – 108 Minutes -that changed the world- CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Wool-E Discs, 2018 Rhea’s “108 Minutes” -a three track/65-minute sonic tribute to Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space- is a nicely accomplished travelogue for all who love to dwell and space-out in cosmic environs. Synthesist Mark de Wit takes his listeners deep into a minimalist,…
Release data: Altus – Trailhead: Singles Collection Volume 4 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2019 Since his debut “24 Hours” (2001), Canadian Mike Carss has proved a skilled ambient composer of emotive textural landscapes full of elegance and drama. In addition, expansiveness, deepness as well as a symphonic component lies at the core of his albums and single tracks. With “Trailhead”,…
Release data: Skyscaper – Atmospheric Stratification [Reshape] CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 2020 This release was put out simultaneously with Mathias Grassow’s “The Dreamquest Sessions”. It’s made by label-owner, sound designer, composer and audio postproduction engineer Anders Peterson, also known for his mastering expertise found on almost all Gterma releases. [Rescape] is a reinterpretation of the original “Atmospheric Stratification” album (originally released…
Release data: Ron Boots & Synth.nl – BorkHavn CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Groove Unlimited, 2020 Many will recall Ron & Michel’s fine debut album “Refuge en Verre” based on music drafts made during a vacation of both families in Belgium. A decade later “BorkHavn” sees the light of day, distilled from live improvised music made in a similar setting a few years…
Release data: Gadi Sassoon – Multiverse LP/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020 Gadi Sassoon is a composer from Milan of Syrian and Italian heritage who published music under the aliases Memory9 and Aliens at Home previously. “Multiverse” (existing both as stereo mixes and as an immersive multichannel experience) though is the first record he releases under his own name and is the…
Release data: Kyoto – Squares & Triangles DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Microcosmos Records, 2020 Once in a while I enjoy listening to some ambient-chill music, a genre where this one fits in for sure. Kyoto is the moniker of Russian musician, dj and producer Vitalii Zenkov who’s been active for some 15 years in various electronica genres. “Squares & Triangles” features over…
Release data: Brain Ballet – Aquarium of the Deep Sea CD-r/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Magnanimous Records, 2004 I feel ambient music celebrating the magic and beauty of the water element is something special. In this respect chasing “Aquarium of the Deep Sea”, an obscure release by Hidemasa Kondo -aka Brain Ballet- is worth the effort. The 41-minute/8-track outcome is a calm, introspective,…
Release data: Kloob – Cryptic Interactions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Private Release, 2020 The sonic world of Spanish ambient sound sculptor Kloob I’m accustomed to so far is one of deep invocation, and his “Cryptic Interactions” (inspired by various weird encounters with ‘suspected entities’ that mankind has had throughout history) is no exception. Dark, dense expanses, spacious environs and ancient mystery shake…
Release data: Lost Radiance – Marly Digital Download/CD-r, Sense/Net Neu Harmony, 2016 “Lost Radiance” is a project by the Russian trio Alexander Asimov, Roman Rogov and Yuriy Miller. “Marly” (a character in William Gibsons cyber-punk novel “Count Zero”) is a 47-minute outing into retro Berlin School territory with minimalist touches featuring energetic, tight and driving sequencers. It strikes even higher on the…
Release data: Mathias Grassow – The Dreamquest Sessions CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, Gterma, 1998/2020 At the end of 2020 Gterma surprised its fans and followers with the release of “The Dreamquest Sessions”, an ambient work of art Mathias Grassow created in 1998 for which he asked Klause Wiese to contribute the pure, clean soundings of Tibetan Singing Bowls. The recording is in fact the third…