September 2007

Label Spotlight: Databloem

 

With this month’s interview with Databloem founder Dennis Knopper, it seemed an appropriate time to do a Label Spotlight on them again, including their new sublabels. They are releasing so much stuff it is hard to keep up with it all.  It’s a difficult job listening to all this great music, but here at EAS we are up to the task.

 

Amir Baghiri “Planet X”

(www.databloem.com, 2006)

9 tracks, 76.45 mins

 

From the Bluebox sublabel of Databloem comes Amir Baghiri’s Planet X, a unique blend of modern and tribal influenced recordings from 2003-2005. “Oort Cloud” makes for a quite primitive beginning with very ethnic sounding chanting and percussion, although synths are deftly folded into the mix as well, until it catches a vaguely jazz-like groove. Baghiri has always had a unique take on electronic music, and that ability is on full display in this unusual but effective number. Behind the groove are wide open expanses of sound like one might expect from Steve Roach, not to mention the aboriginal sounds that return for a time. We do shift down into deep space mode for the last couple of minutes, more befitting the track’s title. The title track comes next, a low bubbly bass sequence moving things into a more traditional Berlin school sound, albeit on the mellow side. It sets a subdued atmosphere early on that really works, an outstanding track. We drift slowly off into deep space in “Halley” and “Varuna,” moving on soft sound pillows. It grows gradually darker through these two, turning black by the end of “Varuna.” “Acheron” adds tribal beats but remains amongst the distant stars, as does the epic 21-minute “Quaoar.” Incidentally, all these titles are quite fun to look up on Wikipedia and will increase your knowledge of both astronomy and mythology. Fans of deep space and dark ambient music should really enjoy Planet X.

 

 

Beta Two Agonist “Zero Point Field”

(www.databloem.com, 2007)

8 tracks, 52.04 mins

 

Databloem is so good at finding new talent in ambient electronica, and they have really outdone themselves this time in bringing listeners the fresh sounds of Beta Two Agonist. From the opening floating ambience of “Midian” you will be drawn right in. It is sparse and yet lush as pinging experimental noises move deftly across a bed of warm synth pads. The music manages to be highly organic and highly synthetic in the same breath. One-word song titles conjure vaguely scientific or sci-fi imagery. Whether “Horta” is named after a creature from one of my favorite Star Trek episodes I can’t say, but it’s a cool notion regardless. Strings add a bit more melancholia to this one. though the relaxed effortlessness remains. “Cesar” is a bit more random, scattered bits of electronics jumping out here and there, though it too settles down into dreamier tones. The music is pretty in its own way, despite the frequent lack of a distinct melody or rhythmic component. “Geode” is the sort of pleasant sonic abstraction that Saul Stokes might come up with in a mellower moment. A crisp, quirky loop forms the foundation for “Rainbow,” with lots of other electronic sounds layered in to keep it company. Even when there’s a lot going on though, the mood remains laid back, even calm. A narrative about the properties of rainbows runs through the background in the latter part of the piece. Things gets a bit more glitchy but not overly so during “Inkling” and “Mesm.” “Fontana” finishes Zero Point Field in relaxed fashion. Highly recommended.

 

 

Robert Davies “Primordial”

(www.databloem.com, 2007)

10 tracks, 64.15 mins

 

I loved Robert Davies debut Sub Rosa, and his new release Primordial is just as good, again exploring various sonic niches of minimal ambience. “Carboniferous Mist” seems on the surface to not do particularly much, but it is a lovely atmospheric piece full of nuance, calming and tranquil.  Even softer is “Encrusted Alcoves,” with just a dash of pretty to it, though one will hardly mistake it for new age. Track titles like “Peat Bogs and Lycopods” conjure up the intended images of a primitive world from millions of years ago, when life was abundant but quite different, even alien by comparison to modern day, and that carries across in the music. There is a smooth easy flow to all of it, though each track paints its own distinctive picture. I can almost see the warm steam rising on both “Serpukhoven Swamp Steam” and “Paleozoic Humidity Rising.”“Crustacean Lake” shimmers with warmth, as does “Of Fern and Conifer.” Discernible melodies and rhythms are virtually absent throughout, as the music is all about floating atmospheres. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

 

 

 

False Mirror “Chronostatic Scenes”

(www.databloem.com, 2007)

8 tracks, 63.06 mins

 

Databloem and dataObscura continue the label’s penchant for discovering new talent, in this case Germany’s Tobias Hornberger, who records as False Mirror. His debut CD Chronostatic Scenes is full of dark, primordial soup stuff of the sort that Robert Rich fans would do well to check out. “Plato’s Last Dream” sounds very much like the haunting lap guitar and deep organic drones that often open Robert’s albums. An effortless segue into “A Divine Passage” brings synths that wail plaintively. Colder and harsher is “Beyond the White Plainscapes,” the sonic equivalent of a cold dry desert wind.“The Tower of Deception,” is a gurgling heady brew of synthetic soundscapes. Strange softly clunking sounds appear in “Drift Towards Zero.” Water is a recurring theme, and appears prominently on “The Subterranean Border.” Rather than dripping or flowing, it sort of churns restlessly, becoming more active as it goes. “An Instant Drowning” adds white noise to the water, a seemingly monochromatic piece that is nonetheless fully engaging. The album is rich with textured sounds that are more like layered sound experiments than music at times, but the result is always interesting and in its own way quite soothing. Sometimes when I want to relax I want the music to be less intrusive, but more interesting than a simple drone, and Chronostatic Scenes fills the bill very nicely in that regard.

 

 

 

Mathias Grassow & Thomas Weiss “Insights”

(www.databloem.com, 2007)

5 tracks, 61.22 mins

 

On Databloem’s Practising Nature sublabel comes another new release from Germany’s Mathias Grassow and Thomas Weiss. Their Conscience CD was an excellent purely meditative CD, and Insights is equally good if slightly more active, though only relatively speaking. There is a surprisingly playful bouncing bass line in the undercurrent of “In,” the first track. But even the bass line is used in that repetitive, hypnotizing fashion that epitomizes Grassow’s style. More surprising is the appearance of sequencing as “Circles” fades in. Still, a choir hangs in the air saying “ah” into infinity, so this is still deeply trance-inducing stuff. And the loop is not your typical Berlin school fare, it has a quirky tribal yet modern percussive quality to it, very cool indeed. I still don’t know how they do it, picking a simple tone or phrase and making it so warm and soothing that it seems to echo forever, and you want it to. “Whole Pulse” arrives on a single drone after the various elements of “Circles” are gradually stripped away over its final minutes. The drone pulses slowly, and has a string sound that lends an orchestral feel, but it is a dark minimal symphony. Whereas “Circles” slowly evolved into distinct movements, “Whole Pulse” is only slight variants on itself over its 17 minutes, and as usual that’s just fine, perfect for contemplation or just tripping out. Brighter shimmers of sound herald “Language of Silence,” which adds just a bit of grit in the form of soft buzzes over the warm drones. Synthetic night sounds, almost alien, punctuate the air at the end. “Sights” is lighter than the rest, dreamy and ethereal, with gentle tribal elements as the disc draws to a close. As with many Grassow discs, you will be hard pressed to stay awake to the end, but you’ll be smiling while you dream. Grassow and Weiss make a winning team once again.

 

 

 

Off the Sky “Zero Point Field”

(www.databloem.com, 2007)

8 tracks, 52.04 mins

 

A child’s music box makes a conspicuous introduction to The Geist Cycles, the latest from Jason Corder aka Off the Sky. Ten short stories are told in electronics, samples, and glitch. In addition, Corder is joined by a host of others, apparently all from Lexington, Kentucky, united in a musical vision about “life in transit to afterlife.” Other instruments appearing include vocals, violin, cello, percussion and vibes, but all are carefully weaved into the whole so that individual contributions are not readily discernible. Corder’s approach makes experimental noise and fragments fit together like a unique abstract puzzle. The key is that the elements do come together into a cohesive sonic fusion. Some, like “Feather in a Needle,” are barely there, wisps of noise assembled quietly together. Others, like “The Persistence of Visions,” remain quiet but have bits that stand out more, in this case some punchy synthetic percussion. Percussion is even more prominent in “Of Acids and Angels,” but the modern electronica overshadows the tribal undertones; together they form a deep pulse that runs through it. Corder has a knack for making music that is both challenging and accessible, though I suppose the average person on the street might not think so – but if you are an EM fan at all, The Geist Cycles should not be that difficult to appreciate.

 

All reviews © 2007 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space. Any reprint in whole or in part must be appropriately credited.

 

 

 

January 2007 Feature

The Best Electronic and Ambient Music of 2006

 

I always love looking back at the past year and reflecting on all the great electronic music, and 2006 is no exception. From minimal drone music to tribal to synth pop to my favorite Berlin school, there was plenty to choose from. Here’s the ones that stood out to me, in approximate order:

 

Electronic

 

Radio Massacre International – Lost In Space. This one should come as no surprise. A 6-CDR retrospective of my favorite EM band that had been in the works for a couple of years was finally released just before year-end. And I can say it was worth the wait, just a fantastic set from start to finish. My favorites are discs 3 and 4, but I enjoy it all. See the full review on this month’s Reviews page.

 

Spyra – Orphan Waves. Another musician consistently at the top of my list, Wolfram der Spyra easily makes this year’s list with another cool set of tunes with his unique style of EM, blending bits of jazz, lounge, electronica, Berlin school, and whatever else strikes his fancy at any given moment. Brilliant.

 

Ramp – Oughtibridge. As much as Stephen Parsick tries to eschew the Berlin school label, rarely have I heard a better example of it than this. He likes to call it doombient; I like to call it fantastic. Think of a darker RMI and you’ve pretty much got the idea. And yes, this was technically a 2005 release, but I didn’t hear it until 2006. My webzine, my rules.

 

Fanger & Schönwälder – Analog Overdose 0.9  Somehow this series just keeps getting better every time, even when they start counting backwards.

 

Jeffrey Koepper – Momentium. Jeffrey had an awesome debut in Etherea and he does himself one better with his sophomore release. Deftly handled EM compositions, carefully crafted. 

 

Ian Boddy – Elemental. Dave Law at SMD said this is his favorite Ian Boddy album to date. I agree.

 

Steve Roach – Proof Positive. A perennial choice on my ambient list, Steve has been delving more into the purely electronic side of things lately, and this disc was a great hypnotic heady brew of electronics.

 

Klaus Schulze – Irrlicht. I don’t usually include reissues on my list, but this is one of my favorite KS discs, and it had an excellent 24-minute bonus track as well.

 

The Omega Syndicate – Apocalypse. A late addition to the list, check out the review in the Feb. 2007 issue on the Reviews page. Great stuff, and possibly a landmark in that Dave Law tells me his Neu Harmony label may be going to all-downloadable music, no pressed CDs anymore. If this is the last physical product from them, it is a worthy way to finish an era.

 

Nattefrost – Absorbed in dreams and yearning. This one is a “sneaker” favorite, one that I originally found to be good but not great, but I find myself playing it more and more in recent weeks.

 

Frank Van Bogaert – One Out Of Five. Beautiful packaging, beautiful retrospective of his music.

 

 

Ambient

 

Steve Roach & Loren Nerell – Terraform. There is a difference between good minimal ambient and great minimal ambient. Viva la difference.

 

Forrest Fang & Carl Weingarten – Invisibility. This one really took me by surprise, though it shouldn’t have, given the superlative talent of these two. Put them together, and it turns out to be heaven. Ambient for active listening, as contradictory as that sounds.

 

Robert Rich – Electric Ladder. I played this to death for the first few months after I received it. Robert’s best work, and that’s saying something.

 

John Vorus – Transmuting Currents. John Vorus is easily my pick for favorite new ambient artist. A fantastic and daring debut, both the music and the packaging are stunning.

 

Between Interval – Autumn Continent. Another great new talent is Stefan Jonsson, who paints beautiful pictures both dark and light. From drones to softly structured Eno-esque soundscapes.

 

Rudy Adrian – MoonWater. More beautiful ambience with delicate melodies from this talented New Zealander.

 

Max Corbacho – The Talisman. Pure float, I love my ambient like this.

 

Steve Roach – Immersion : Two. Speaking of pure float, it doesn’t get any purer – or better – than this 74-minute loop.

 

Craig Padilla – The Light in the Shadow. The title of this 63-minute piece describes it perfectly, as light and shadow intertwine in supremely soothing fashion.

 

Dwight Ashley – Ataxia. Dark, complex, and compelling. 

 

Markus Reuter – Trepanation. Creative, original, intelligent music.

 

This feature © 2007 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space. Any reprint in whole or in part must be appropriately credited.

 

 

November 2006

 

Artist Spotlight:           

Mac of BIOnighT

 

It has been a couple of years since I did an Artist Spotlight on the music of the Italian duo BIOnighT. Mac is one of the more interesting and intense personalities I’ve “met” – via email, that is – in electronic music circles. In photographs he looks quite imposing, and reminds me quite a lot of Emperor Ming from Flash Gordon – which is funny because he loves to do music inspired by old sci-fi films. But in person he is nothing like the villain he might at first appear to be - he is a warm, sensitive individual with a big heart. Mac sent me a handful of his solo recordings from the past couple of years, so let’s take a look.

 

 

Mac “Black Light”

(www.syngate.net, 2006)

10 tracks, 60.26 mins

 

Though written during a dark time in Mac’s life, the music is typically upbeat and irresistible. “Inadequate” starts with warm synth strings much like AirSculpture often do, but within less than a minute a steady beat and cool sequencing picks up the pace. This mid-tempo piece has a wonderful groove to it. And while “Manmade Horrors” has a rather ominous title, it has wonderfully bright, brisk sequencing from the get-go. Though it reminds me of Dom F. Scab’s fast Berlin school style, it captures the classic BIOnighT sound as well. “A Deeper Pain” is equally incongruous, the bright optimistic tones belying the nature of Mac’s emotions when he wrote it. Again the sequencing, pace and melody are first-rate. “Waiting for the Winter to End” is softer and sadder, with pretty synth flutes. “Trying to Understand” starts slow but it too tends toward the brighter and more melodic end of the spectrum once it gets going. I love the really low bass sequence in “Scars,” balanced by high shimmering tones hanging above it. A lighter sequence takes up the middle ground, as does a soft synth lead. Intricately weaved synths, sequencing and rhythms form “If I Have To,” another fun one. And so it goes, well-arranged EM compositions right up to and including the title track to close things out strong. Good stuff!

 

 

Mac “A Deceitful Hand”

(www.syngate.net, 2005)

13 tracks, 54.45 mins

 

More bright and light tracks from the mysterious Mac from Italy. “Who’s Dealing the Cards?” makes for a subdued but engaging beginning. This is followed by the marching beat of “Walking Backwards,” an irresistibly catchy number, as is the even bouncier “The Right Place.” It would be hard if not impossible to be depressed while listening to these songs. Most of the tracks are bubbly and energetic, although “Some Drive” surprises by changing into a whooshing wind for the last minute. Softer and a little slower than the rest is “Not As It Should Be,” which is relaxed and quite pleasant. Though the light optimistic numbers are well done, a few more variances in the highs and lows such as this may have resulted in a stronger impact. Nonetheless, if you like upbeat melodic EM, there is plenty to appreciate here.

 

 

Mac “Spaceship Deneb”

(www.syngate.net, 2004)

9 tracks, 60.47 mins

 

This album is subtitled Space Adventures Series Vol. 1, which is apropos. Mac loves old sci-fi movies, and this fits right in, right down to the eerie alien self-portrait photo. After a brief space intro, “Threatening Planet” starts low with a sense of foreboding. A metallic pulse ebbs and flows softly. This one develops very slowly and subtly, particularly for a Mac composition. No bouncy sequencing or cute melodies here. Very cool stuff. “Stars are Beautiful” paints a similarly stark sonic picture, mostly cool abstract sounds strung together. It reminds me very much of Dr. Fiorella Terenzi’s CD of deep space transmissions, Music From The Galaxies. It is daring minimal musical experimentation, and it totally works. Mac reaches further into the outer realms with “Starless Tunnel,” and one begins to wonder how deep into space we will go. Finally, some light at the end of the black hole appears in the form of “Universe’s Perfection.” While a touch melancholy, it seems bright by comparison to its predecessors, with softly rolling synthesizers forming a gentle melody. The next three tracks are much like the alien sound worlds created on Louis and Bebe Barron’s classic soundtrack to Forbidden Planet. The disc closes with a light sequencer-based tune, “Spaceship Deneb Theme.” This is a great thematic work, my favorite Mac solo album.

 

 

Mac “Aphasia”

(www.syngate.net, 2002)

21 tracks, 68.40 mins

 

Aphasia has 21 tracks, and it starts with a 3-minute gem called “Inward.” One of the coolest sequences I’ve ever carries it along, with understated synth work in the foreground. It hits a sweet spot from the first second. With so many tracks, it’s a fair bet the listener will find their own favorites. “The Whole Picture” is bouncy EM pop, and is a more than fair imitation, intentional or not, of latter-day Tangerine Dream. Bright piano and synth guitar sounds make a pleasing melody over a fast-paced steady beat. “Rachel” has a romantic feel to it without being too sappy. “Streetlamps” even has an element of cool jazz. There’s a bit of everything here, not only in terms of style but also in terms of Mac’s history, some of the tracks dating back to the mid-1980s. As such, it feels a little more like a sampler than a solo album. This could be a good starting point if you want a broad overview of the music of Mac.

 

All reviews © 2006 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space. Any reprint in whole or in part must be appropriately credited.

 

 

October 2006 Feature

 

Concert Review

by Brian Romer

 

Steve Roach

September 23, 2006

Tucson Arizona

Berger Performing Arts Center

 

Steve Roach performed his only 2006 concert in his hometown of Tucson, in this beautiful venue on one of the Arizona State University campuses. The concert was billed as a celebration of the release of Kairos, his DVD comprised of visuals of desert cinematography and computer animation, which is accompanied to music mostly from Core, Proof Positive, Possible Planet, and Light Fantastic. Roger King, who has worked with Steve in the past, manned the sound system and mixing board.

The doors opened at 6:30 and my wife I entered to the sounds of Immersion : Two filling the hall. Immersion : Two is an extremely minimal CD, but hearing it played softly on a powerful system really reveals how much is going on within it. On stage was Steve's set-up of keyboards, mixers, laptops, and other electronics. Not present were his usual array of candles and incense, which I've seen on stage in prior shows. Also on stage was a large screen and long rectangular hanging fabrics, with gentle swirling, floating lights projected on them. If you have not seen these before at his recent concerts, you can see pictures of them on Steve's site.

We took seats next to the mixing board, located at the center of the auditorium. About 7:30, the lights dimmed and Steve came out. After energetic applause, Steve sat down, pulled out a guitar, faded out Immersion : Two, and went on to layer waves of guitar sounds, creating a feel much like music from Streams and Currents, Midnight Moon, and his live recording from 2002, All is Now.

After about 10 or 15 minutes, Steve put down his guitar, looked up, and gave a quick nod to Roger King, who then started the Kairos DVD. Some brief technical problems getting the DVD started got sorted out just as the impressive thunderclap appeared. The sound was cranked up really loud so it was quite cool to hear such realistic yet crystal clear thunder! For the next 74 minutes, Steve accompanied Kairos with added textures, rhythms, and sequences. With a large projection screen and massive decibel level, Kairos is much more exciting and rich in person than on my TV screen and home stereo.

Most of the time Steve sat and twiddled knobs. On a few occasions I did see him play one his keyboards, and it was quite cool because he really was very expressively bending, forcing, carving, or coaxing the notes out of the keys. Unlike other concerts, he did not play any exotic percussion instruments, though twice he brought out the didgeridoo, which is always impressive to hear with its deeply earthy yet unearthly rumblings.

As Karios ended, Steve faded the music down low, stood up, everyone applauded, and he left the stage. After a few minutes of continuous applause, he came back, twiddled some knobs, then left again. The lights went up and the concert was over, 90 minutes after it started. It was sort of an odd ending to the concert. It would have been great to see another set or at least an encore. Maybe next time.

 

Thank you Brian, for giving us this great review and letting us get a taste of what the show was like!  -PD

 

 

 

August 2006

Artist Spotlight #1: Steve Roach

 

Already incredibly prolific over his career, Steve Roach continues to excel at his craft in both quality and quantity. In the span of just a few short weeks, he has released 5 music CDs and a DVD. Two of the CDs, Kairos and Storm Surge, include largely familiar music, arranged in fresh new ways. The other 3 are entirely new, covering the full spectrum of electronic music, from the energetically paced Proof Positive to the minimal floater Immersion : Two. Best of all is a fantastic collaboration with Loren Nerell, Terraform. Finally, the DVD version of Kairos, included with the music CD, is a feast for both the eyes and ears. Enough with the introductions, it’s time to dive in and take a closer look at all of them.

 

 

Steve Roach & Loren Nerell “Terraform”

(www.steveroach.com, 2006)

4 tracks, 73.48 mins

 

When I heard that Steve Roach and Loren Nerell were going to be releasing their first true collaboration, I was excited at the prospect, but I also had a preconception of how it would sound. Given Nerell’s penchant for gamelan music, I was expecting Indonesian influences, something tribal perhaps. Instead, Terraform is a wondrous work of subtlety, as soft and as smooth as the beautiful sandstone pictured on the DVD-sized cover and the three large postcards within. It is difficult if not impossible to tell who contributed what to the gorgeous textures and atmospheres. Starting with “Cavity of Liquids,” immediately we are treated to a feast for the ears as soothing walls of sound wash over the listener. This abstract sound painting includes hints of crickets, sounds vaguely suggestive of water, and deep otherworldly echoes. There is no melody, no rhythm. The feeling is cool, relaxed. There is darkness, but there is warmth as well. Can it be both cool and warm? Yes, it can. “Ecopoiesis” moves into a deeper fuller drone, but with interesting background noises skittering lightly about. Like Steve’s Possible Planet, this track creates a unique, alien world. “Texture Wall” is brighter, with smooth metallic resonance. The night sounds move forward in the mix, and we spend the next 28 minutes immersed in the artificially formed yet highly organic environment. “Paraterra” wraps things up with more of the same, yet different. One of the best ambient albums of 2006.

 

 

Steve Roach “Storm Surge”

(www.steveroach.com, 2006)

10 tracks, 46.01 mins

 

Steve was only given 45 minutes to show the audience at NEARfest what he could do, so he made the most of it with this set. Very much like On This Planet, it covers a wide variety of his recent material. Unlike that release, this one is the real deal, unedited, as it happened, not a studio reinterpretation. The visceral power is there, from the thunder-charged opening of “This Planet” to the softly fading didgeridoo at the end of “Darktime.” In between, the music is all familiar, representing Core, Mystic Chords, Possible Planet, Light Fantastic, even all the way back to Stormwarning. However, the arrangements and the flow are different enough that Steve Roach fans will most likely want to include this in their collection. It is worth noting that the CD that accompanies the Kairos DVD is similar musically, and runs considerably longer at 74 minutes. However, if you want to transport yourself into the concert setting and have been unable to make it to one of Steve’s shows, this is the next best thing to being there.

 

 

Steve Roach “Proof Positive”

(www.steveroach.com, 2006)

5 tracks, 73.54 mins

 

Steve continues to rediscover the fun of analog modular synthesizers on Proof Positive. “Westwind” gets the disc up and running quickly and stays that way for about half of its 22 minutes. The brisk sequencing calls Stormwarning to mind, albeit in a somewhat mellower fashion despite the speed. By the twelfth minute the sequencing has faded away and we drift dreamily along to the end. Perhaps the biggest surprise is “Living the Pulse,” which sounds eerily similar to some of Klaus Schulze’s output in recent years. I half expected an operatic vocal sample to appear (well, not really). There is a jazz flavor to it, and though the rhythm and the sounds used are clearly Steve’s, it is yet another style to add to his already stocked sonic arsenal. It crossfades into “Essential Occurrence,” which serves as a reminder that when Steve uses a sequencer it doesn’t sound retro, it sounds fresh and new. Yes, I have heard Berlin school bands with a sequencer loop similar to the one featured here, but not quite, and not with the subtle ambient textures surrounding it. “Adreno Stream” starts soft but soon takes off in similar fashion to “Westwind” although it has a percolating sound like the main theme in Klaus Schulze’s classic “Totem” from 1973’s Picture Music. But again, that’s not to say that Steve has gone retro. He continues to build on his wealth of experience to continually create anew. The 33-minute title track keeps the rapid pace but manages to instill a laid back feel such that it is a long, relaxing ride to the end. The disc is proof positive that Steve continues to excel at his craft.

 

 

Steve Roach “Kairos”

(www.steveroach.com, 2006)

DVD + CD, 8 tracks each, 74:46 + 73.27 mins

 

Handsomely packaged, Kairos makes an excellent DVD follow up to Steve’s Day Out Of Time. At first, it appears it will be very similar to the nature scenes of its predecessor, as a blood red sun rises and then we see desert sands. But this gives way in short order to an array of stunning visuals from a variety of cutting-edge artists. Some are murky billows of soft smoke; others are sharp sci-fi graphics, including the now-familiar dazzling yellow, purple and orange hues and curves from Steve’s Body Electric CD with Vir Unis, art courtesy of Steven Rooke. Musically, the set is quite similar to the recent Storm Surge release, but in a significantly expanded version. The mind-altering visuals are like having your own laser light show at home. If you like staring at the graphics on Windows Media Player while playing your music, you should really enjoy stepping up to the next level with this. Aside from the excellent compilation of music and visuals, as an added treat there is a bonus feature called Live Montage, a series of images from several Steve Roach concerts with musical accompaniment that is perfectly synched with the video. Though less than 15 minutes long, this is my favorite part of the DVD, as it serves to remind myself what it was like at the two shows of Steve’s that I have had the good fortune to attend. In a big plus from Day Out Of Time, which had separate releases of the music-only CD and the music-plus-visuals DVD, Kairos includes both at a very reasonable price. Excellent visuals, excellent music, cool bonus features – what more could you want?

 

 

Steve Roach “Immersion : Two”

(www.steveroach.com, 2006)

1 track, 73.29 mins

 

If you liked Immersion : One, it is no stretch of the imagination to virtually assure that you will like volume two in the series. And if the title “Artifact Ghost” sounds familiar to fans, it should – a shorter version appeared on Texture Maps. And in another cross-reference, the beautiful violet and teal cover art is courtesy of John Vega, whose trend-defying graphics appear on Steve’s Kairos DVD. While the first in the Immersion series was quite minimal, a sort of softly undulating white noise almost, this one has just a bit more going on. Oh, there’s still no discernible melody and no rhythm to speak of, but there are more shadings in the depth of the various sonic textures – some are deep and resonant, others are feather-light wisps of sound, all gently rolled into one delicate decanter. Though familiar musical phrasings meander throughout, subtle and yet distinctive changes do occur. Sometimes dark drones slowly roll in like thunder, at other times the sound plays more like slender intertwining tendrils. And while this ghost definitely has a haunting quality about it, there is considerable warmth as well. Another one to immerse yourself in as we look forward to volume three.

 

All reviews © 2006 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space. Any reprint in whole or in part must be appropriately credited. Thank you.