Comments and reviews ....

We open with 'Phaeton'. Windy crashing sounds fade into the distance over cosmic twitters. 
A sequence can be heard low in the mix, rising to become an absolute corker! Sympathetic 
rhythms arrive along with slow blissful melodic pads- then in come the searing lead lines. 
This is simply amazing stuff! Like a cross between Mark Shreeve, Andy Pickford and (of 
course) The Omega Syndicate. The perfect combination of power and melody. It just has 
to be played loud and don't be ashamed of going completely crazy to it. The atmospheric 
sounds chosen for the beginning of 'Antares' are simply exquisite. A dreamy lead line calls 
out and is answered by a tinkling sequence. Then wallop, in comes another anthemic lead 
line using a sound that again reminded me of Andy Pickford at his most strident. 'Solar 
Wind 1' gets straight into more bouncy sequences and almost whimsical melodies. This 
time I was reminded me of Quiet Point. All of a sudden everything changes as we wind 
down to a foreboding grunginess. The contrast with how the track started is really quite 
disturbing but bloody inventive! Then all of a sudden normal service is resumed. How 
wonderfully bizarre! A forceful combination of sequences blast 'Part 2' underway and 
mutate wonderfully as things gain even more oomph. 'Sequential Haven' is perfectly titled 
as right from the first instant the pulsations and driving rhythms gain hold. It is when the 
lovely melodic mellotron refrains come in however that the full impact hits home. An 
echoing piano lead weaves amongst all the cascading notes adding a perfect foil to the 
overflowing energy. Birdsong calms things down for the title track, the serene feeling 
enhanced by lovely guitar and flute. What a stunningly beautiful piece of music this is. 

An oasis of tranquillity amongst all the wonderful high-energy pyrotechnics. 'Elemental Plane' 
gets us hurtling along at breakneck speed again as yet another superb sequence and rhythm 
combination get the whole body moving. The real highlight however is one of the most 
outstanding leads on the album which catapults this track to probably the best on the CD. 
Amazingly a second lead comes in and it is just as good as the first- bet it would be incredible 
live! 'Moonbase Ypsilon' momentarily calms us down once more with soft flute refrains but it 
isn't long before another excellent sequence, rhythm, tron and stabbing piano lead pick up the 
pace, again getting my whole body moving. This isn't all high energy mayhem however as one 
gorgeous melody after another are deployed, softening things around the edges. 

Another real highlight of an already stonking album. 'Star Walker' uses exquisite little piano 
touches and a flute lead to calm the senses. 'Mmm, Jazzy!' is the sort of title that couldn't 
be more designed to put off the vast majority of Electronic Music fans but don't despair as 
instead of meandering sax we are greeted with yet another excellent sequence. The piano 
melody could be thought of as slightly 'jazzy' I suppose but unless that term had been planted 
in my mind by the title it wouldn't have occurred to me. Stabbing bass pulses heighten a feeling 
of urgency, the rhythms are cranked up and a rather John Dysonish lead line reaches straight 
to the heart of my EM soul. To many this will be the best album of 2008 so far and indeed 
could remain so throughout the year. 

David Law / Synth Music Direct / MusicZeit