Steve Roach "Journeys To The Infinite" (2020)

Having spent a pretty penny on records this month, the availability of a free compilation was a welcome one. Once again the itch developed for some relaxing meditative music of which Steve Roach is both a master and pioneer. With this being a collection of eight tracks all from different projects, there was much to enjoy. All were new to me, with exception to one song rehashing a keen temporal melody off Structures From Silence. With such variety on display it is hard to comment on the particulars but I found myself in awe of the apparent ease and simplicity of his unfolding compositions, which are inherently deceptive as time silently ticks by.

The songs start in timid places. Simple arrangements of atmospheric synths or modulated synths, unimposing in stature, lure one into the fold. As the master does, the music grows patiently. Layers build and a thick atmosphere engulfs one with stealth. Later into these lengthy constructs one can be in awe of the density that amounts to such deep and spiritual insights. With eighty two minutes of finely crafted, temporal, meditative ambience peering into the mind, its easy to get lost in this record.

With such a plethora of music produced and continuing to create, it can be daunting to know where to go with his catalogue but it seems the musician has a constitute quality to his output. Maybe this compilation will serve as a jumping on point to another album as I find myself keenly curious by the soundscapes he forges. I particularly liked Skeleton Passage with its Tangerine Dream vibes and also the subtle world music ques akin to another classic Dreamtime Return on two of the songs. Fine music!

Rating: 7/10

Malcolm Horne "Infinity" (2020)

Immediately warm and welcoming, the smooth, soft jazzy beats at play feel right at home, pardon the pun. Infinity is a debut album loaded with seventy five minutes of breezy Jazz Hop instrumentals. Its subdued Hip Hop element gives rise to a colourful melodic that feels so reflective of many electronic and ambient artists in recent memory. Its of the times, a chilled out, carefully crafted set of songs with melodies learning in the Synth Pop revival direction with a touch of Anime theme song spice dazzling in a couple of song which also tend to be the better ones.

Originality is term thrown around too easily and although I don't hear anything that feels like a stone overturned, the particular fusion of glossy sounds and involved layers of notation has it steering into a combination of recent styles and sounds that feels like a little bit of everything and none of it all at once. This seems to be true of its better moments where the chemistry is ripe but over its broader cut of songs the threads that pull yield different results as the magic stems from this middle ground.

The breezy effortless dreamy arrangements, soaked in reverbs and oozing with summery vibes, get a little tired in the less involved instrumentation. At times the looped nature of the music shows its flaws as songs revolve with little beyond the initial temperament set. Equal to it though are these fantastic flushes of growth as some songs seem to evolve with a lead instrument acting as a voice. Losing You has a dynamic electric guitar solo illuminate an already captivating song.

Infinity's best feels loaded in its front. Save Me brings in a voice for collaboration I cared little for, the vocal didn't gel. Past this point It sounds like the less fleshed out ideas reside in the albums final third which drifts on. This plays up some of the production tricks as they become more noticeable, like wonky keys that flavour a little obscurity throughout. A couple of slow, dreary, dramatic and slow Post-Rock style songs end up here too. A niche touch but a little of key with the overall vibe.

This is a dense record given its runtime, some simple songs are given fair leeway on the repetitions yet on other tracks you almost don't want them to end with the amount of variety being unleashed. It all suggests a need for curation and focus on being more than a collection of beats because in its stride, it really hits the mark! Despite its chilled out nature and easiness, it can get dull in the forefront but It also provides an atmosphere which may just be right for rest and relaxation!

Favorite Tracks: Mercy, Losing You, Drown In The Stars, Los Pantalones, Infinity
Rating: 6/10

Global Communication "76 14" (1994)

Plucking a recommended "ambient gem" from an old playlist, I found myself in a moment of awe as I thumbed over the release date. All the many similarities and artists I could reference flew out the window as this vastly predates the likes of Carbon Based Lifeforms. Now its praise seems all the more apparent given what little that is similar Ive heard before the year of 94. Global Communication are an English ambient duo who have built a timely, beautiful experience here, embarking on seventy six minutes and fourteen seconds of entrancing ambiguity and Downtempo meditations. Its songs are all equally named in length, a combination of two numbers to say little more of the music, other than how long each chapter will last.

This lack of additional substance lets the music take on its own form with no suggestion of what the artists intention might be. For me, an experience both cosmic and spiritual, meditative and temporal, even a little funky and jazzed out in its lively spaces. The music can be whatever you like! Its overall quality is a sonic experience, soft and suggestive with lapses into beat and groove as its lengthy building passages of suspense find release in steady percussive sways. They muster a warm gusto of pace an indulgence into deeply relaxed and chilled soundscapes.

 The record starts with its mighty astral synths playing folly to whats ahead. It opens a portal for a lengthy expedition guided by whirling synths and stitched to reality with its remarkable, tembre tick-tock of a clock, marking time passing by, It seems all to meaningful somehow. The songs then sway between experimental soundscapes and rhythmic rooted tracks that lay down easy tempos and build a world around it with various electronic synth sounds and murmurous bass lines.

 7 39 builds up an appetite with light Industrial vibes and a denser web of interchanging sounds. Its potent melodies overall vibe fondly remind me of Devin Townsend's Project EKO. Its a stark transition into 54, mysterious foreign voices exchange some shared language of communication as spacious beeps and whirls give of an astronomic vibe. It plays into the experience as the foundations of rhythm and melody seemed to be pulled back into ambiguity on a frequent basis.

As the closing tracks returns to the heavenly astral synths heard in the opening, they act like a wrapper for two particular strains of music held together in the middle. Ambiguous experiments in temporal texture and Downtempo chill out tracks converting the electronic music scene of the 90s into ambient form. All of it is fantastic and the way in which it flows just makes for an effortless listen. I can see why its held in such high regard. Hearing what it must of influenced beyond its release has certainly taken the edge off a little but it makes it no less fantastic.

Rating: 8/10

Old Tower "The Last Eidolon" (2020)

The evolution of Old Tower has been a fascinating journey to follow. Always showing much promise the Dutch musician know as The Scepter has reached a peak. After the wondrous and deathly "dark alchemy" trilogy of mini records, the Last Eidolon arrives as a natural extension to those dark temporal and meditative sounds previously explored. Its three tracks, all lengthy epics feel like a mastery of structure, scale and aesthetic molded to command a chilling immersion within the listener.

The sense of scale and grandeur gets of to an almighty start. Lonely cries of a desolate synth call out across the vastness. Thunderous quakes and rumbles, gong strikes with an utterly devastating reverbs paint a impending sense of might and mystery. It steadily calms across the minutes to suddenly erupt with a deep pounding drum and ceremonial melody of ritualistic fever. Its swaying between these ideas in the closing stage will let the imagination run wild as this baron world finds density.

Reading the albums footnotes, one can see this vision of a world set ablaze by the corruption of mysterious magics and ancient rituals really come to life in the music. The minimalism in composure is oozing in this depth of tone and the mystique that comes with it is simply a dark delight. It revels and embellishes these lonely, ancient alluring synths and gothic choir voicing with a timeless quality as its long passages meander and break down the sense of forward momentum. It is a world unraveling.

Most of these record have been immersive in the moment but I have not frequented one like this. The experience is engulfing and I think the producer may of had a hand. I was surprised to read The Scepter had teamed up with talent Arthur Rizk, producer of Cavalera Conspiracy, Code Orange and Power Trip. To what extent he played a roll in bringing this incredibly deep and foreboding sound to the table, I don't know but this has been a giant leap forward for the Old Tower project and the best album to date.

Rating: 8/10

Yagya "Old Dreams And Memories" (2020)

Given my utter disappointment with last years Stormur, I almost let this one pass me by but alas I had to find out if the Icelandic musician Yagya would kindle his particular breed of calming magic again. I'm please to report the answer is yes. It is a return to form but also no measure of anything unheard before. After much consumption, it essentially confines Old Dreams And Memories to the playlist along with his other works when seeking the relaxing mood of his soft and dreamy atmospheres.

Toying a little with tense strings on occasional tracks, the usual remedy of dub baselines resonating slow club grooves below cloudy synths gets a little flavor to define it. Many of the usual tones, synths and drum sounds in his pallet resurface alongside these Classical elements, bringing about a sorrowful and saddening tone to otherwise carefree and indulgent sound. Its rainy, glum, yet entrancing and beautiful as  sombre violins usher in a seriousness on its select tracks.

The voice of what I presume to be a Japanese woman crops up throughout the record. Her soft spoken word creates an intimate feeling of something serious. Given the nature of the music it has less of a manifestation into theme but adds a little mystery to the records vibe. All in all the new songs have provided the Yagya experience again but with nothing remarkable going on. As always this music is fresh on first listen but quickly its ambience and atmosphere confines it to the background.

Rating: 5/10

Örnatorpet "The Heathen Kingdom" (2020)

In the mood for a moody Dungeon Synth adventure, I picked up this pairing of fifteen minute treks through gloomy forests and stoic castles of fantasy, music steeped in heuristic mystery. Its a departure from the icy, snow swept minimalist atmospheres of Hymner Från Snökulla. The Heaven Kingdom has a more traditional sound, drifting through its moulded layers of Casio or Korg keyboard instrumentation, shrouded in a mystery thanks to its nostalgic production utilizing low fidelity aesthetics.

The songs themselves aren't particularly remarkable. They find a few passages that sparkle as layers of synth, culminate, often arising with glistening bells delivering spell bounding melodies. Its a friendly affair that doesn't drift into the available darkness. The air of gloom and grief taints the second track, it grows to quite the scenic song, its rich airy strings holding a sense of grandeur that never settles on steady ground. It may have a hint of menace of foreboding presence but doesn't delve into that avenue.

So both these songs establish mood and tone well. The Dungeon Synth sound is one I know all to well by now. Its a fun listen but little felt remarkable in the sense of rising up, grabbing ones attention or finding a climatic moment. The shifts in instrument pallet were common and well executed, the variety on hand decent but beyond background music it didn't accomplish much which may be more of a testament to my familiarity with the sound, which this record doesn't inch away from with any creativity. Solid, but somewhat predictable, lengthy winding songs that end up meandering on a theme.

Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "Seelenasche" (2020)

Alongside Drachenblut and Finsterströmung, the Dutch musician and Dungeon Synth master Old Tower completes the "dark alchemy" trilogy with this newest release. Once again its three songs of dark, spiritual, meditative music with an eerie and unsettled quality. My immediate enjoyment of Seelenasche had me pondering on my complaints around musicians or bands getting stuck on a sound, failing to progress. In this case the premise of a trilogy has firmly set expectation and they have been met. This was purposefully the musical experience I wanted, however it is the weaker of the three.

Seelenasche sounds rather reserved and less adventurous in comparison. The mystique and tension is loosened as its commonly reverberated instruments are paced at a slow tempo with soft, inviting melodies gracing the rather welcoming droning of base horns that make up the atmospheric backdrop. The Chasm Within plays out a more mysterious tone with its lead instrument sounding lost and lonely in the beginning as the song builds up its layers to then meander back into isolation. Its all fair however the sense of lurking evil or a coming event simply isn't in these tracks, they are far more pleasant, relaxed and inviting, which is fine of course.

As the final, title track, rolls around the tempo and spirit picks up, ushering in triumphant horns over a smiling base line. With a couple more layers its denser tone feels as if the sun has touched it. A sense of gleam and wonder arises, perhaps in the wake of light flooding the deep dungeons this music so often conjures. Maybe this warmer climate creates a nice conclusion for the trilogy, a final resting place. Either way I have enjoyed all thirds. I'm excited to see what Old Tower comes up with next!

Favorite Track: Seelenasche

Rating: 5/10

Bring Me The Horizon "Music To Listen To…" (2019)

Having announced a planned departure from the album format, the Sheffield outfit Bring Me The Horizon swiftly follow up on Amo within the same calendar year. It is their first EP, a format which they've announced will be the new norm and surprisingly its the groups lengthiest release to date clocking in at seventy five minutes. Its no serious affair, the eight tracks stack up the run time with two ten minute songs and another at twenty four mostly consisting of a glitched vocal snippet on loop with some accompanying rambling dialog. Its an experimental piece, unstructured output paired with a ridiculously long record title. Its song names too tend to steer to the obscure.

What's obvious on first listen is the lack of format, a lifting of restraints. Music To Listen To... plays more like a collection of jams and experiments from the studio, perhaps a window into the process before the real writing takes place. Mostly devoid of its metallic component, the groups influences from Electronic music and Ambient play out in experimental fashion, showcasing the more eclectic taste as musicians. A Devastating Liberation is simply the backing track to Why You Gotta Kick Me When I'm Down. How the two came together would be a fascinating learn. It holds up well as a dark, foreboding electronic, symphonic hybrid of monstrous magnitude.

The songs mainly showcase a variety of shades from the massive web of styles that is Electronic music. For the most part it plays well, in a laid back relaxed context. There is little in the way of direction that feels expressive or envisioned. It is mostly a mood, tone or temperament that is established and then droned out at length. Snippets, moments and textures shine like elements of the bands normal dense tone, however they are simply laid bare on their own. Its an interesting insight to the bands process and creativity but as a record it makes sense to not call this an album. I've mostly enjoyed each listen but with that lack of structure, much of the music just floats in the present, making little impact or birthing ear worms for the subconscious afterthought.

Favorite Track: A Devastating Liberation

Rating: 5/10

FKA Twiggs "Magdalene" (2019)

After a period of relative inactivity, FKA Twiggs returns with a monumental sophomore album. If I had more time with Magdalene, it could of well been my album of the year. Its a deep and dense record, the instrumentals revel in the Avant-Garde. Ambiguous synthetic noises and percussive abstractions forge beautiful songs through unconvention. Every spin yields magic yet each listen feels like I'm scratching at the surface. Some records are just like this, they let you know you'll be coming back for times to come and maybe one day all there secrets will be unearthed.

Of what I remember, Twiggs had a stunning voice and bags of talent but this time around her vocal articulation feels utterly exceptional. Commanding her chords like a truely classic singer, she is pitch perfect with this undeniable resonance of emotional meaning and outpour. Every note, word, inflection and gasping of her breath feels like an artistic vision manifested. The reverberations and sound design simply further expand her sweet but yet very vulnerable presence at the forefront.

That open wound is felt in her voice but more so in the words of this record which have a strong undercurrent of tragedy, heartbreak and loss bleeding into the moody, reflective atmospheres. The ranges she reaches with the emotive direction is sublime, particularly on the song Fallen Alien, the albums true crescendo. Across these nine songs, everything from these soaring peaks to breathy and ASMR alike voicings has Twiggs giving a remarkable performance that you wont be capable of forgetting.

The albums pacing and tempo is suspended in a limbo. Many of the songs feel like they are leading to something that never comes to fruition but that is simply its point. As a listener you are dangling in this ambiguous space, painted with an ambience that resists obvious melody. Even percussion is drawn to its minimal essential, dressed in echos and shadows. It does finds strides and musters growth on many occasions though, the pairing of Mary Magdalene and Fallen Alien is so satisfying as its brooding of one track bleeds into the next, erupting with claustrophobic climax.

The record does have a hitch with one track. Future turns up for a feature and his Mumble Rap autotune inflections and Trap beat dominates the vibe. It breaks up the flow and feels out of place. Other than that one hiccup, Magdalene feels like a complete experience, an artistic expression that's been meticulously orchestrated. Twiggs will mesmerize with her swaying voice and suck you in to this tender space that you can't look away from. I'm excited to know that this album is far from over, I feel like I'll still be discovering it again and again for years to come. Its magic!

Favorite Tracks: Home With You, Sad Day, Mary Magdalene, Fallen Alien, Daybed

Rating: 9/10

The Comet Is Coming "The Afterlife" (2019)

I'm struck with a sense of disappointment as an exciting discovery, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery, has been swiftly followed up in a matter of months by the London based Jazz Fusion trio. I was dead keen to get on this record, it kicks off with the familiar voice of featured collaborator Joshua Idehen who loaned his voice to Sons Of Kemet. He brings a hype with poetic cries of thought invoking rhymes but bellow him the murmuring base fuzz, spacious percussive grooves and Smooth Jazz saxophone fail to strike a nerve beyond the reasonable. From there the rest of these thirty minutes seem to fall into the same rut of mediocrity. Gone are the tantalizing grooves of obnoxious Metal and thumping EDM music, it recoils back to its roots, dissolving the spice that made this band so interesting and inviting. A dip in form may exacerbate my reaction but a closer analysis seems to further these feelings.

After its opening number, the next two tracks meander through the directionless wandering of low key playing on an ambient setting of bassy synths. Its great background music but little of the musics unraveling is captivating. The first half of Lifeforce has a similar sense of lurking in ambiguity, mustering some suspense for whats to come in the second half where temperate drum grooves and lively two note grooving intertwines with sparse melodies through the saxophone. Its just one song among sleepers. Its final piece reminds me of Vapourwave vibes in a good way, however it too is a sleepy track alluding to an atmosphere that just doesn't engage me. There is nothing bad here, the aesthetics are as gorgeous as before however the low key nature of the music itself turns the whole thing from a jam to a lull that didn't capture an ambient charm, which may have been their intention.

Rating: 4/10

Tycho "Weather" (2019)

Laid back tempos, hypnotically chilled atmospheres and exotic summer melodies. All the hallmarks of American musician Scott Hansen's distinct sound remain intact on this newest project. It is however a clearly watered down version of his immersive sound that broke out with Drive. Softer synthetic tones and less of those dreamy waves of hypnotic sound, it marks a departure perhaps. In comparison the percussion is subdued and many of the gorgeous sounding instruments play on the leaner side, letting timely reverberations carry the atmosphere over building songs with dense melodic design. Its all sweet and luscious but the swells of thickening sound and driving tunes that once made this a very special project seem to be absent.

A lighter temperament of whats been done before is no bother but for me the record slips away with the inclusion of Saint Sinner. I don't like to dwell on negatives but I find her voice all to plain and vanilla for a record in need of an energetic swell. With a flat, soft and airy singing style she doesn't convey much emotive expression. A few inflections and whispering words break up a rather monotone approach. She fits in around the instrumentals but I feel nothing other than mediocrity from their chemistry.

In the shadow of former work the magic this new chapter just feels tamed with a lack of new ideas. The best tracks are undoubtedly those without Saint and with more room for expression some of his classic alluring melodic style illuminates but its often brief. This is a well produced record tho, with indulgent tones and aesthetics it could chill out anyone in the right mind, however the vocal aspect doesn't work out well. They span five of these eight tracks and clocking in under thirty minutes its really lacking any spark. As an introduction to Tycho's sound it would probably fare well but as a fan this direction just feels toned down, offering nothing new.

Favorite Tracks: Easy, Into The Woods

Rating: 3/10

Kate Tempest "The Book Of Traps And Lessons" (2019)

I was dead excited for this release, Everybody Down and Let Them Eat Chaos made quite the impact. Kate's heavy and burdensome poetry paired with impoverished Hip Hop instrumentals made quite a unique potion of the classic formula. This time around there is a clear shift in tone, the limelight lands firmly on Kate as the pace and foundation of drum beats are far between one another. The subtlety of dark ambience pianos, strings and atmospheric keys softly shade the space around her words.

It plays like a poetry piece mustering winds of momentum as the instruments occasionally pick up the musky tone and carry it along. Kate is otherwise quite the smothering ache of your attention. The bleak and quiet despair of mundane existence grasps her words as details of failed relationships, social pressure and societal observations manifest into spiraling thought worms. Occasional flickers of wisdom, conclusion or relief linger but the majority of this record is quite a weight on the listener.

The tenderness and vulnerability captured in her voice seals the authenticity of this expression. Wordplay, narrative and innuendo interweave as trains of consciousness collide with thawed out thoughts, articulated to an exhibit. Its undoubtedly deep and comes in waves of topics, feeling like a linear narrative that seems to fly all over the place. There is much to chew through here however its not quite for me.

The problem I have with this record is how doom and gloom the tone is. Both introspection and outwards reflection finds no light between the clouds. It becomes a downtrodden journey sucking away mood when the already quite instrumentals strip to a silence. Kate's words are inescapable in these moments and her words ring the alarms a degree to paranoid for my taste. These big topics tackled are done so with a bias for the depressing and despite a beauty in her language its path is one that brings you with it. The uplift and conclusion it ends with too feels in too much contrast to all that came before. Its an unsatisfying and forceful look into the shadows.

Favorite Track: Firesmoke

Rating: 5/10

Radiant Mind & Steve Roach "HelioSphere" (2019)

In need of indulgent ambiences and meditative music I turned to Steve Roach again, who has an large and extensive collection of records under his belt at now 64 years of age. Dreamtime Return had, excuse the pun, returned to my consciousness, setting a spiritual atmosphere for my yoga practice. Looking for a new flavor I picked out this collaboration with Radiant Mind. Eight tracks and sixty four minutes of calm and soothing, gentle streams of sound to evoke peace and reflection. Its all steady and linear, temporal music stripped of event and urgency. All chapters offer different pallets and arrangements of synths and reverberation conjuring safe and warm atmospheres that also feel a fraction of mystery as an astral component blesses the music. One can feel the stars graciously drifting by in the stillness it masters with its layers of yawning, hazy sound drifting in and out of focus, just a grasp away.

The seventh track takes a slight and welcome detour from this construct. Ironically similar to Yagya, who's new Stormur release I recently covered, it has a pulse from start to end, a subdued dub beat gently droning its monotone pulse through the spine of the song. It adds a little pace and movement to the track as a key instrument lingers around the attention it draws, coming in and out of focus like the breath. Like the other songs there is little progression to the sound design yet the beat gives it a sense of presences the others don't have. It stands in contrast but works in the overall run time which is less about a bigger picture and more about minutes in which to loose your thoughts to the persuasive calmness. Its a simple and effective formula executed well enough to reach that space and feeling of inner peace.

Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "Finsterströmung" (2019)

From disappointment to delight, today we have a release Id been anticipating for some time. In the few days since its released Ive binged and enjoyed every moment of the mysterious and esoteric experience. It is the first new project from Old Tower this year and the second of the "grim alchemy trilogy"... Ill admit that made me chuckle for some time. The first chapter was Drachenblut and like it, three dark and meditative tracks are assembled for a short plunge into a conspiratorial loneliness of abandoned hallways and crumbling ruins where mischief lurks beyond the shadows.

There is a clearer sense of voicing than I remember, as the artist moves further away from the core styling of Dungeon Synth. Once again choral synths are woven in with deep reverberations and atmospheric vibrations. In the mix a monk like voice sounds lost in between layers of foggy sound on Saturn's Essence. It has a menacing pace as strikes of drums echoing from the deep create an unsettling presence lurking in the beyond, keeping one on edge. The following title track is my favorite, the construct is similar but a lighter tone dominates as bells and star like synth glisten with a dark magical energy. Given the trilogy name, it is this track I can most envision some musky robed magician hunched over a messy workbench of chemicals and jars of animal parts. Its not a striking image but it would suit the musics pallet.

Moonchamber sees out the short project on the most minimal of tracks. It builds slowly to the mid point where more voicing come into play as the monk returns. They are now cries from the depth lingering on a collapse into the darkness. The ambiguity here plays a fantastic roll in capturing a moment not fully immeresed in darkness and that is what I like most about Old Tower. How the evil in the music isn't overplayed, its used to explore a wider sense of mystery in darkness. This progression more towards Dark Ambient is fantastic and these three new songs are too, can't wait for the final chapter now!

Rating: 6/10

Yagya "Stormur" (2019)

Excitement and exception falls flat on its face as I rush to pick up a record without a pause to hear it first. Yagya has been a frequent "go to" for a particular mood, the steady pacing, ambient energy and dreamy atmospheres are blissful in the right setting, even calming. This time around the formula has changed, a pivot back towards roots in Dub, Techno and IDM music leaves us with a record more alike a Tangerine Dream album than Brian Eno. The opening couple of tracks have the distinctive soft and airy synths, cushioning the monotone beat and slowly melting into a dreamy atmosphere. It takes off where Sleepygirl left but not for long.

With each track the layer of warm and tranquil synths seem to slip out of focus as the underlying drive of Dub beats seem to become the main narrative. With an unhealthy amount of repetition the musics elongated moments seems to ploy around the microscopic details of the beat and its synths that latch closely. Inflection, tone and volume morphs and transmutes with the occasional kick removal offering up the only variety. Its at this point the songs drone on with that Tangerine Dream quality of winding meandering synths. Its dull, the record may possesses degrees of composure but its long strolls through winding beat manipulation suck out any magic it musters in brief moments. A real disappointment, not my cup of tea that is for sure.

Rating: 2/10

Örnatorpet "Hymner Från Snökulla" (2019)

I've held off from this record a while. Blodbad Och Efterspel was a great listen but I couldn't say the same of other Örnatorpet releases. Once I did get around, I was quickly whipped up into the majestic world of chilly cold atmospheres gleaming in the magical warmth of daylight. Its unsurprisingly a Fantasy, Dungeon Synth hybrid and its tone is identifiable immediately. It leans into pleasantries of simple melody and steady notation akin to the medieval sovereignty of Fief. Its pallet of icy bells, prestigious plucked strings and soft synthesizer creates a welcoming atmosphere of natural beauty, mystery and charm all within a chilling, snow setting fondly fitted by the records cover. Snowy trees on a warm day with a clear sky, it is that beauty.

The first few spins were magical, the absence of this music in my audio habits made for a returning wonder that didn't stick around as much getting deeper into the record. Its pacing, tone and structure is very one dimensional. Instruments often operate at the same temperament and tempo, looping simple arrangements with little in the way of progression or event. It quickly becomes a linear journey, serving better in the background, casting a stellar mood and tone that seems plain on closer inspection.

The gorgeous pallet of instruments and whirling, windy synths that bustle in the background really props up the music that has little in the way of progression. Every song seems to end where it starts and although a couple peer into a more mysterious and distant angle, the music mostly resides in a safe and consistent setting. Only one song musters a little sorrow and darkness but it is the albums dullest. Buried in the fifty minutes are a couple of dazzling melodic arrangements but they too hide within the musics stiff arrangements. Its a really good listen but simplicity holds it back.

Rating: 6/10

Steve Roach "Eclipse Mix" (2017)

In the mood for more meditative music I stumbled onto a free, hour long release from Ambient master Steve Roach! It is initially quite the uneventful and hard to pin down record as its soft alluring drones of calmness continuously perpetuate the stillness of space. The spacial humming murmurs illusive creaks of notes that fall like a blanket, one big blur of rising sound that makes a moment feel eternal. The knobs and dials of Steve's synthesizers are tweaked to that magic tone where the reverberations ooze into one another as gleaming synths seem to turn over each other without collision. It grows in intensity, its repeating elements building up and then unwind.

The calm, inviting space carved in the beginning of the track gives way to a darker shift as the twenty minute mark passes. Eerie, uneasy synths bring disharmony to the forefront with buried, disjointed melodies and reverberations that sound reversed to unsettle the listener. Whenever enjoy the relaxing music in the background, it doesn't take long to notice this shift in tone as one feels on edge in its presence. Beyond this phase the music rears itself on an icy path, the warmth and fire of the two opening phases seem distant, the tone is of limbo, as the new setting holds hints of these differing dynamics yet is suspended between them all.

It lacks the distinct and consistent tone of the opening, always unsettled by subtly shifting and allowing for big, glacial synth tones to rise, melt and flood the soundscape. It may be devoid of obvious melody but it becomes quite eventful in the final phases as big brooding sounds revolve around each other and cut the stillness like passing monoliths, inanimate but massive in scope and presence. All in all its a really enjoyable hour when in the right mood. I sought something out and got exactly what I was looking for! Best of all it was free on Steve's bandcamp page!

Rating: 6/10

The Young Gods "Data Mirage Tangram" (2019)

I believe it was David Bowie who once gave props to the Swiz group The Young Gods as a big influence on the Industrial Metal sound. That led me to their TV Sky album and since then I had not explored further. After nine years of silence the trio return with an interesting record that stumbles into pacing issues midway as its quirky atmospheres of subtle psychedelia, dialed down industrialism and lifeless abandon pivot into dull, quiet and lengthy iterations of its initial ideas. The first few tracks birth a sense of calm and obscure loneliness, a soundtrack to isolation on an alien planet. No threat is insight but madness lurks on the horizon of ones mind as the stillness oozes a soft eeriness. Erupting slabs of buzzed out distortion guitars ignite heightened event in moments of upheaval but otherwise the music is very laid back.

Steady downtempo beats set pace for elongated scenic synths to conjure a mood as buzzing baselines and subtle glitched electronic noises make a lining to the structure of its sound design. On Moon Above much of this structure looses ground as the percussion dissipates in a slippery audio collapse. Off beat drum strikes are slowly enveloped by tape stretching sound effects and glitched noises that break apart the song, reaching a dissipating conclusion. Its after this point that the album loses its stride. Going into an eleven minute drone of minimalism, it takes to long to reach its climatic eerie synths being roared upon by assailant, imposing guitars that cut the intended tension with a menacing shrill high frequency distortion.

After this dull escapade the charm returns a little with looping reverberations hooking in psychedelic vibes from the lead guitars in the second phase of You Gave Me A Name. It grows and emboldens with captivating style but it is one passageway in another dull stretch of lucid music. If it had stayed on track this album would be a keen contender for king of its niche vibe but with this lapse of pace in the second half it ends on a snooze. I don't wont to dwell too much on that issue, the opening music is interesting, indulgent and fantastic but as an album it cuts itself short of a fuller experience, dialing the energy down as the album progresses and failing to build on its initial ideas which are impactful when putting the record on for a spin. It has songs I will come back for, but not as a whole.

Favorite Tracks: Tear Up The Red Sky, Figure Sans Nom, You Gave Me A Name

Rating: 5/10

Jean Michel Jarre "Equinoxe" (1978)

In the mood for more of this nostalgic, imaginative yet primal electronic music, I picked up French composer Jean Michel Jarre's following record from the classic Oxygene. In the two years elapsed since, the music has advanced with a subtle refinement in composure and the evolution of bold and sharp, chirpy synths. In the brightest appearances they become reminiscent of Chiptune and 8-Bit tones in passing. The records use of environmental sound, wind, waves and the like are far more complimentary and overall the visions conjured resist any detraction from the quirkiness off these experimental noises, although blurbs, beeps, blips and barbs talk like an alien voice on Part 4 inbetween the sounds of limbs slashing through air like hasty karate chops.

It seems that in its beginning Equinoxe leans more so into the dark, paranoid and dystopian realm. With decades of music between this and now, what once may have been quite the shock now sounds more ambiguous and open to interpretation in the wake of progressively evil music. It has its upbeat and cheerful tunes too, Part 5 being a particularly playful, the soundtrack to an interplanetary cosmic fairground. These adventurous, chirpy melodies continue into the next part and then the record slowly finds its way to a darker setting before the roar of thunder and patter of rain leads us to the present with the sounds of French fairground music panning the stereo. It ushers in a contrasting conclusion to the record with more spacey, galactic wonder.

Equinoxe is seemingly a step up in production but it mostly spins similar ideas to its predecessor, which has quite the impact on first listen. Its an enjoyable record, the atmosphere and adventure is ripe and vivid but also novelty too. I can't help but feel I'll enjoy each record less as the wonder of a fresh stylistic pallet subsides. I spend a fair amount of time with these records, maybe ten or more spins before I write these blogs and Its music like this I'm sure you can form strong bonds with if it fills a gap in your musical experience or arrives at the right time. For all my listenss little has stuck with me in terms of its key melodies, they mostly fall back into the tapestry of instruments that make up its atmosphere.

Rating: 6/10

Jean Michel Jarre "Oxygene" (1976)

Early synthesizer music has always fascinated me, the likes of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream have been a pleasure for years so its always a delight to stumble onto some of these old records where electronic music sounded vastly different from today. Retro synth tones and soundscape ideals, an embracing of ambience and the imagination make these records starkly different from what else was available at the time, Its a true fascination to hear these early artists and their emerging visions. French composer Jean Michel Jarre certainly had a finger on the pulse and this forty minute classic is a delightful work that still holds up well to this day.

Its six songs flow like a river. The whirl of layered looped synth cycles buzz out entrancing and repetitive indulgences that subtly expand and contract as its various elements slowly shift over the songs. The droning constructs give way to lead tones that play out like a guitar solo on a couple of particularly engaging passageways. Its percussive edge is varied from track to track. A range of synthesized emulations, hi hats, kicks and snares, sit softly in the background holding tempo and for large parts of the record drops down to a construct of two or three hits as it ebbs and flows into its different degrees of intensity, complimenting the mood and tone of his synths.

What sticks out like a soar thumb but certainly works is its use of rampant, rolling laser zap sounds and other "gimmicky" synthesized noises that are hashed in. The chirps of birds, calls of dolphins and husky whispering electronic waves wash into the music with a firm boldness that add to the atmosphere despite being clunky in nature. Its the underlying melodies that rise up from a repetitive foundation that make the music transformative, giving it sparks. Within the lure of chilled out, indulgent atmospheres, mysterious, new age synth tones played with curiosity, always emerges a lead instrument, sometime two in tandem, to follow and make sense of the scenic sounds.

Its a marvelous listening experience that visits six distinct chapters, of which four was immediately recognizable. It dives straight into a memorable lead melody that was very familiar. I couldn't find any movie soundtracks I suspected I might know it from but it did feature in the GTA IV soundtrack so perhaps that is where the familiarity extends from. All in all its just a fantastic gem of a record that any lover of electronic, retro or ambient music should take the time to check it. Its entrancing, indulging and full of vivid imagination birthed through sound.

Favorite Track: Part IV, Part V

Rating: 8/10