|
Reviews and Comments
This is a double album set
containing (as far as I can work out) all previously unreleased material
(except for
probably the Entity track). We start with two of the best pieces of music.
First up is 'Omnicron' from The Omega
Syndicate's Xan Alexander. Lovely bright tones hang in the air gorgeously
fading into the distance, as if reaching
out. They are answered by an echoing sequence which just gets better and
better as it develops. A fantastic slow
melody rises from it like a gentle mist from a waterfall. The pace starts
to quicken with the introduction of another
superb sequence and rhythm. The lead line gains extra bite as we go. This
is wonderfully composed stuff- no
meandering waffle. I am very much reminded of a cross between Chris
Franke's 'London Concert' and 'Pacific
Coast Highway' albums. Yes - it's that good!
Brendan Pollard from Rogue Element
gives us 'Modac'. We start with windy 'War of The World' ('The Weed' I
think) sounds. A bright sequence emerges from the excellent atmospherics
accompanied by mellotron, in classic
Berlin School fashion. This really is a stonking piece which gets even
better with the introduction of a high hat line
and subtle little melodies. We keep in sequencer driven mode for René van
der Wouden's 'Mountain Steamer'. The
sequence itself is decent enough but we have to wait until just a couple
of minutes from the end before it is given
any real support, this time in the form of bouncing rhythm and lead lines.
Excellent they are too, I just wish we
they had been introduced earlier. Create contributes 'Saturn Dreaming of
Mercury (part 1)'. We get a beautiful
mellotron start and it is no surprise when a high register sequence enters
in the second minute. Another sequence
joins the first and they both seem to increase in pace as if racing each
other through the ether, the tron still doing
its own wonderful thing. Lead lines join in the fun. In the sixth minute
the sequences seem to stutter as if decaying
only to regroup and surge forward again accompanied by more lead lines.
Broekhuis, Keller & Schonwalder are
represented by a unique twenty-minute track called 'Another Mysterious
Concert Tape - Part 1'. To me these guys
are some of my favourite Electronic Musicians on the planet. Soft pads are
punctuated by ticking percussion.
Flutey synth adds to the serene atmosphere. Gradually we are brought to
wakefulness as a slow delicate sequence
rises to the surface. By the ninth minute a drum line in introduced and
the sequence starts to increase in pace as
the excitement builds. A wonderful delicate piano melody adds a
contrasting softness to proceedings, its
juxtapositions with the ever more energetic pulsations being devastating.
B,K & S must have been on more
Various Artist albums than any other EM musician but I would reckon that
this track is better than any of the
other tracks they have donated. Absolutely stunning.
Entity gives us 'Space and Time'.
A rapid sequence / loop does its energetic thing, starting to morph this
way and
that in the third minute but remains fairly aggressive throughout. We
finish the first disc with 'The Oligarch' by Vietgrove.
If you like your EM with a heavy dose of prog then you will no doubt be
well aware of the band already. Real sounding
drums (though I am sure they are not) mix with a lovely lead line then
blistering guitar. All a bit like instrumental early
Yes maybe but mainly it reminded me of Sheffield band Haze. Whatever, if
fairly heavy prog is your thing I am sure
you will love it. I know I did (took me back to being 17 again!).
The second disc kicks off with
'Clone' be Awen. There were some humorous vocal samples at the beginning
telling me
that I would now probably find it harder to become pregnant! We then get a
cacophony of noises then an explosion out
of which surges powerful dance rhythms. It certainly covers a lot of
ground in its five minutes duration. Probably the most
in ye face and non compromising track on the whole double album. I have
always had a soft spot for Mooch but they have
never been a big seller for SMD because they plough a somewhat different
path to that followed by our core customers.
'Flow- Thing (Flute Thing mix)' is initially rather abstract and full of
various percussive elements A four note loop becomes
the main focus before things take a more Eastern tinged, well out there,
psychedelic turn. Sounded all rather Gong like to
me. Modulator ESP has been refining his craft for some time now and is
getting better all the time (he is also one half of
Astrogator- along with Create). 'Time Running Out' begins with some rather
melancholy drift. Indeed it keeps a rather moody,
even menacing feel throughout. A sequence can be heard very low in the
mix. A bass one comes to join it but both are
rather restrained, biding their time. Rhythms then tron are added to the
slow build up. It is certainly an impressive track
but needed more than its nine-minute duration to really blossom.
Nattefrost is represented by 'Near UFO'. He goes for the
big epic massed strings type heavy drones over which meanders a brass
melody. A sequence is unleashed as laser fire
sonic blasts flash above. Both stylistically and sound wise it reminded me
very much of Synergy or even the first album
by Tontos Expanding Head Band. Then in the fourth minute it is all change
as we descend to an abstract organic gloop.
From that we move to twittery computer communication type effects - then
back to a sequence! Wow, what a trip! The
string pads return to join the pulsations - then back to abstract realms.
No chance of getting board here. Yet another
sequence is brought into play accompanied by echoing high register
embellishments. The sequence seems to gain
extra oomph all the time only calming down again just before the finish.
Altres is up next with 'Black
Point'. They create quite a complex collage of often seemingly
structureless sounds and
effects. Nearer the end things become more conventional with gentle
plucked strings. The Glimmer Room is a real class
act as is demonstrated by 'Fields Full of Poppies'. From a gently
syncopated beginning the most beautiful and heart
rending melody emerges. This is a stunning composition that is as ample a
proof as any that Electronic Music can be
anything but cold and unemotional. Terje Winther finishes this collection
with his twenty-one minute 'Green Light
Intervention'. It starts with the most wonderful deep reverberating throb.
Twittering effects surge then break. Sonic
whooshes explode almost like a warning siren. It is certainly an
uncompromising beginning! Buried very deep in all this
is a sequence. You really have to strain your ears to hear it at first,
but slowly. Oh so slowly, it emerges though never
rises to the top of the mix. A lead line is brought into play but to me it
spoilt the brooding mood somewhat. In the fifth
minute it is all change as some sonic stabs herald a full on rumbling
sequence. By the tenth minute another sequence
has been added and we are belting along in fine fashion. The lead lines
are again slightly oddball but if you liked Tim
Blake's 'Crystal Machine' you might quite like them. In the fifteenth
minute we return to spooky atmospherics only for
normal sequencer driven business to return soon after and blast us forward
right to the end. There is quite a variety of
music to be found on this 2 CD set, some real gems included.
David Law / Synth
Music Direct
|
