Music and words by Alisa Coral. Guitar parts for tracks (1), (2), (4), (5), (8.2), (8.3), (8.6), (8.7) by Michael, for tracks (6), (8.1), (8.4) by Arjen, for track (7) by Steve. Solos on (6) by Michael

Recorded and mixed at KZI studio (Russia) during August 2002 - March 2003 by Alisa, Michael's guitars recorded at Alien Dream studio (Australia), Arjen's guitars and vocals recorded at "The Electric Castle" studio (Holland).

"Powerful... Intriguing....and very definitely 'OBSCURE'

Alissa 'Space Mirror's' new record could well be the opening she deserves , and a taste of yet more good "Things to come" ( That's also a Book by HG Wells !)" (c) Tim Blake & Gong Moon Weed

and this (courtesy of Andy G) is what the big interest in this album is all about............

"Alisa Coral's second album following the immense cosmic synth music splendors of the debut CD, but this is altogether different - and something very special. Recorded in collaboration with Michael Blackman (Alien Dream), four featuring Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) and one featuring Steve Youles, this is a space-rock album through and through, but also a consistently fine one too.
Opening with nearly six minutes of scene-setting instrumental cosmic-rock that sounds like it's comes from the middle section of an early seventies Hawkwind set, as synths, guitars, drifting, barely heard female voice, swooping space synths and bass all create a magnificent instrumental introduction that is classic sounding stuff. Then it's into 'At The Crossroads Of Worlds' with a driving space-rock rhythm, guitars firing off all around the place and synths soaring and swooping in between to create a tension-building, driving slice of space-rock that is just fantastic, and when the added bonus of this glorious glissando-like slide guitar figure emerges over the top, the effect is stunning. Then it all drops down to an eerie scenario of space synth swoops, heartbeat drums, distant guitars and more Hawkwind-style space synths all around and distant female vocals, before the rhythms kick in even stronger than before and the whole thing, slide guitars, electric guitars, synths, bass and drums, all cruise effortlessly upwards and onwards for nearly six minutes.
'A Trip Through Inner Space' is more textural instrumental stuff, with a more relaxed feel than on the first track, while the music, solid it has to be said, wafts and drifts throughout, synths and guitars creating some magical cosmic-rock moods. 'Your Soul's Been Sold' starts with a solid, chunky rhythm as the space synths and electronic backdrops soar from horizon to horizon, as the gorgeous female voice drifts around from the back while a new guitar lead emerges and gradually builds to provide a steaming slice of space-rock with more layers of synths and guitars than you can throw a comet at, yet all superbly produced and arranged, the guitar work really electrifying the proceedings as then synths fly and soar over the ever strong rhythmic motor. More layers are built with barely discernible voices, as the piece slowly dies to a spacey finale.
'Pale Ghosts' opens with a hail of guitars, fuzzed, wah-wah, lead and rhythm, as drums roll in, bass thunders below and synths fly all around, and another driving, mid-paced slice of space-rock magic blossoms into flower, the guitar really spiraling as the huge wealth of sound is built up and powered along, this all continuing for a mighty eight minutes. 'It's Cold Today In Underworld' is the album's first real song, with guitar and vocals provided by Lucassen, over the backdrop of driving space-rock rhythm guitars, space-synths and rhythms from the main conspirators, another spiraling slice of classic space-rock.
'Black Dragon' is another more spacious but full-sounding excursion from the synths and guitars, bass and percussives, into deep space and beyond, again building and layering as it goes, always changing, always sounding firmly "space-rock" in its approach and feel, and just wonderful music.
The album ends with the most driving track of all as 'Dark Jedi' features a pummelling drum rhythm, solid lead guitars, space synths flying all around, thunderous bass and the more distant vocals from Alisa as the guitar then rises to the surface and this lead blitz of soloing space-rock guitars, thunders out into the night skies, the sound so solid from top to bottom, then suddenly the rhythm decelerates as this monster cauldron of guitars, synths, electronic drums, bass and more guitars travels in juggernaut fashion through the airwaves, laying waste to anything in its path, gradually dying away, only to reveal yet another new twist as the synths, guitars, bass and drums, rise to an almost unbearable climax and the whole thing just drives unstoppably, taking no prisoners inside its awesome, multi-layered, intense sonic soup. Near the six minute mark it drops to acoustic guitars, flute-like synth lead, space-synths surrounds, bass rhythm backdrop as yet another new direction is brought in, working to an absolute treat. Just over eight minutes it changes again as a cosmic synths backdrop adds space-vocal narration over the top, briefly, then this huge mass of synths and electric guitars emerges from nowhere and the piece just takes off even more than it has so far, absolute space-rock bliss achieved to perfection, and just short of twelve amazing minutes of music, it drops down, only to re-emerge seconds later, drums and bass still propelling the synths and guitars as it all suddenly fades and all you are left is wanting to play the whole darned lot over again from the beginning. You can't argue with an album as good as this.

ALSO NOW AVAILABLE:
ALISA CORAL'S NEUTRON STAR: S/T CD£8.99
Formerly a CDR by Mirrors called "Neutron Star", this is now completely remastered and remixed to vastly superior quality, on every level, as well as having a near ten minute bonus track, taking its running time to over seventy five minutes.
From Russia, a simply fabulous CD of 'real' space synths music, featuring two lengthy tracks (nineteen and twenty-eight minuets respectively), four shorter tracks, the extra nine minute tarck, and all of it absolutely superb. Played and produced in a top quality manner, the album sets the scene before moving onto the two epic tracks, of which Neutron Star' at twenty-eight minutes, starts with a very full-sounding slice of lead synth flow below which assorted synth layers drone and glide, while on top the tones change from high register to more bottom-end as all the various layers intertwine, the composition constantly moving, with the subtlest of bass sequence style lines running underneath, as the lead synth line flies and soars in cosmic splendour. Throughout the rest of the track, the main, lone synth lead lines are kept simple and uncluttered with a sparse soundscape that conveys the feel of vast, deep space, but more the unknown rather than the familiar, after the half-way point becoming quite eerie and continuing the ever-darkening mood, as more sounds gather to convey the feel of the stark and the surreal. The other long track, 'Black Hole', at 19 minutes, follows and is another fantastic journey into the realms of the celestial and space synth music, with a variety of cascading and tinkling synth rhythms underneath as the main body of the piece slowly flies, drifts and glides, seemingly hanging motionless in the gloom at several points, but a classic slice of, again, more stripped-down sounding cosmic music, but, in this particular case, a track that will have you absolutely wrapt up in it for the duration of the piece, as before, the mood being one of combining dark with ethereal, the human touch always present. After this, the shorter tracks appear, 'Dying Star' having a stuttering sequencer line underpinning a most gorgeous and, again, simple, lead synth melody line, a neat idea that works a treat, while 'White/Black Quark' is a three minute track that starts with waves of full-sounding, dark synth soundscapes, beginning a travelogue that sees a variety of electronic sounds coming out over a deep bass synth undercurrent. 'Over Jupiter To Eos' is a 'more full-sounding space synths track that emulates the third epic track in many ways, with four minutes of shimmering stark synth space. The bonus track, 'PSR 0220+02' starts with warm flowing synth clouds that well up from below as bass rumbles sound along the bottom of the mix, the whole thing having very much a tranquil feel, and parts of it almost reminiscent of a track whose title escapes me from the album 'Zero Time' by Tonto, only here given a much superior space music makeover, the sonic delights slowly unfolding as the warmth allies with the cosmic to provide a richly textured, evolving, end track that rounds off a simply brilliant new take on cosmic synth music. In all, a fine debut album.

More to follow............
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