DARKHALF: 51st Room CD
Six tracks and fifty-one minutes of rhythm-free, dark, electronic cosmic music, but altogether quite different from most of its kind. For a start, it's a lot scarier, as the opening four minutes of track one will testify, almost like some classic horror film soundtrack. Shortly after the dark synths and deep bass blossom out into this sea of melody, mellotron-like synth and magic, as a combination of string synths, loping bass, percussive synths melodies and soaring backdrops, again continue the soundtrack feel of the music, as their world of darkness opens up to the light. But, at seven minutes, it closes once more in a subdued storm of synths and brooding, eerie, loud, menacing electronics then suddenly opening out to take the track to its conclusion - superb stuff. Track two opens on a river of flowing space synths and deep bass synth rumbles that resonate the speakers and rattle the windows, as the layers of string synth, percussive backdrops and the surround-sound electronic textures all rise up and form this dark horizon of cosmic bliss with layers of sound that glide and dive, slowly traveling, but all so wondrous to hear at the same time, darkness with a chink of light in the far-off distance, this is deep space music of the very finest kind. The track stays on this plane for its seven minute duration and is one of the very best slices of dark but optimistic ambience that you'll hear.
The ten minute track three has even more of a darker feel to it, this time the deep rivers of bass rumbling away at the bottom of the mix, over which the even denser soundscapes drift and drone as the sound rises up to fill every part of the airwaves with an electronic gloom intensity, only to stop - and into track four that opens with an altogether more celestial sea of synths, still with a strong bass presence down below, but this time with much richer and more harmonic space music layers and textures forming the main body of the sound adventure, over the intermittent bass depths, this time taking us into the far reaches of the universe on a sumptuous musical trip that is filled with gorgeous waves of cosmic electronic soundscaping.
The near twelve minute track five is a cauldron of simmering feedback, deep bass, squalling textures, glorious space synths as a film of pure darkness spreads itself over the layers to exquisite effect. Around seven minutes the feel drops and is replaced with an altogether stronger set of textures, slowly thunderous at the bottom, soaring layers of synth majesty on top, as the slow-motion electronic dinosaur lumbers its way through the seemingly impenetrable undergrowth, and yet another supreme slice of dark, rich, deep, bass-heavy cosmic music magic. The final tracks sees the album out on three minutes of more heavenly space music, but still that dark mood never far away, and a fine conclusion to one of the best albums of dark, deep, well arranged and assembled, superbly produced, accessible and enjoyable, electronic space music that you'll hear. An unqualified success.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Sanctum Sanctorum CD
What's the phrase - 'you know quality when you hear it' - well, if that's true then the opening minute of this album herald a quality the likes of which you will rarely hear on a synth music album. One immensely pleasurable, glorious sounding string/bass synth soundscape begins while over the top is added a gorgeous lead synth line and the most joyous choral refrain as the piece stops you in your tracks with its sheer, almost overwhelming beauty. But if that didn't get you, the next one is so spiritual that, if tears don't begin to well up in your eyes, you have no feelings at all, for this is the sound of heaven - church music like never before.
A galaxian string synth lead of gorgeous, emotive yet delicate qualities, rises up to fill the space inside and outside your head, while the male-female Gregorian choir-like refrains on top just add to the amazing strength and serenity of it all, putting you both at ease and utterly in awe of the music that you are hearing. It really is almost overwhelming, but one of the most beautiful musical experiences I think I've ever heard in this genre, thirteen minutes of absolute inner bliss. I wish I had the space here to go into more detail about he following four tracks, but believe me when I say that they follow a similar path to the first two, both spiritually, sonically and emotionally, with some of the most glorious heavenly celestial synth music and the kind of choral layers that sound like nothing else in creation. All I can say is that, when I die, if this isn't played at the funeral, then questions will be asked. For now, let me bask in its glories, for there is a lot of music out there to be lived, but few that truly touch the soul - this is one of the few.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Attunement CD
CONSTANCE DEMBY: Faces Of The Christ CD
It's been a long while since we heard from one of the leading female synth musicians (actually so much more than just a synth musician) of the eighties and early nineties, whose album "Novus Magnificat" can lay claim to be one of the finest USA synth music albums of the eighties, and yet whose repertoire of music could also encompass more ethnic or acoustic meditative/rhythmic scenarios. Now, for 2001, she's come up with not one, but two brand new albums and they are both equally worthy of the description 'classic'.
On the surface, "Faces" is the more immediate album, being one near hour-long track of cosmic/space music distilled to its purest essence, but with so much more in its layered splendours than the musician's description of being 'good for meditation or background atmosphere' would have you believe. It's the sort of music that crosses all the boundaries between dark and light without losing any listeners at either extreme end of the space music spectrum. Realized purely on synths and electronics, this is the sound of the universe calling as you are transfixed by something you don't understand and yet are in absolute awe of hearing. It needs no more than for you to buy it, play it and be spellbound, for that is surely what will happen.
"Attunement" is more varied, in the sense that there are more textures and layers to the music and the fact that there are tracks ranging from three to nearly fifteen minutes in length, will testify to this. However, if you take time to listen to it as a whole piece, in one sitting, you will realise the majesty and grandeur, the feel and atmosphere, the playing and composing talent - in fact the very heart and soul - of a master musician at work. The opening fourteen minute track is one of the finest of her career to date, as the scene is set with glorious synths and textures flying all around, making you believe that there's a real group at work and not just one person, the clarity of sound and production, as on the other album, being second to none. Track eight, with its lead organ sound, is one of the most gorgeous such compositions you'll hear, and for those of a religious bent, I can but liken it to that feel you had as a child when, at the end of a service, you would file out of the building to the strains of, not a tune, but just some blissful music that would somehow strike a chord in your heart, something that stays with you and is re-awakened here. The rest of the album is both multi-layered, cohesive and consistent, and really you end up warming as much to the delights of this as the previous one, and I get the feeling that this will be the one that will see the more activity on my player in the long-term as a sit-down, serious-listening affair, a voyage through space and time that's as good as it gets.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Light Of This World - The Best Of Constance Demby CD
As the sleeve indicates, 'a compilation showcasing thirteen pieces from albums recorded since 1978', and in it you will find the entire universe of this musician with space music, ethnic touches, heavenly vocals, orchestral synths, cosmic synths, harps and zithers, percussion and electronics all illustrating the breadth and depth of this musician's talents, and as fine a place as any to start to get into the wide range of music she is capable of producing.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Set Free CD
Originally, from '89, this is a 32 bit remastered reissue, complete with one bonus track, of her instrumental album that showcases a variety of styles within the synth space music genre, opening with a pastoral symphonic track that could almost have been a cross between Synergy & Synchestra, while track two is altogether more ethno-ambient in many ways, with sprightly melodies from percussion and wordless heavenly vocals overhead in the distance. Track three is different yet again, with more of an anthemic feel as orchestral sounding synths create melodies and tunes, again almost classical in feel, but surprisingly uplifting for that. The story of the album overall is one of deep, rich, warm and symphonic melodic space music that possesses a textural quality of quite celestial proportions, and a highly recommended release for those that like their space music on the lighter, more melodic side.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Skies Above Skies CD
An album of 'devotional songs' which has more instrumental space than you might think from such a title, with a more electronic feel than yuo might think, but overall it's pretty much a mix of melodic, meditative and shimmering as acoustic and electronic instruments back her, admittedly quite beautiful, voice, all very well if you're in the right frame of mind for this sort of thing, but not as much for your everyday listening as the others reviewed here.

CONSTANCE DEMBY: Sunborne CD
When she gets into cosmic mode, there's few finer when it comes to the more celestial and sparkling end of the space music spectrum. With more fire down below than most who inhabit this area of music, she creates, develops expands some of the most gorgeous layers of electronic music, with a feel that illustrates her '80's beginnings in the American space synth fraternity to stunning effect. This album, one of her most underrated works, features five tracks over 47 minutes, the first two of which consist entirely of flowing cosmic synth textures and melodic cascades, while for track three, she adds acoustic percussion, harp-like sounds and rippling strings, as her beautiful voice soars overhead in spectacular fashion, creating a sort of eastern-tinged ambience that was actually ahead of its time when it first came out. The 14 minute fourth track takes the previous as a spacey template, adds more synth, takes away the acoustic touches in the main, but around the ten minute point, the spell is broken as the drums and a light sequencer rhythm kick in, lead synths swirl around the mix and, around the eleven minute point the final touch is added as her light and airy vocal flies on top of the rising layers of electronics, piano, drums and synths, all highly emotive and quite delicious.

EVERYTHING MUST GO: Hall Of Mysteries CD-R (100 Ltd Edition)
From two of the synth musicians behind the incredible USA group Escapade, this album features just two long tracks over a fifty-two minute running time, and travels through some pretty varied landscapes along the way. It's got more than a passing touch of Escapade's other offshoot synth group, Oranj Climax, as cosmic, rhythmic and downright weird multi-synth landscapes are created. Nothing is ever cliched, but neither is it unfamiliar, as sequences, rivers of synths and layered passages of multi-synth meanderngs reveal tracks that build in a similar way to the way Namlook & Schulze created a lot of the "Dark Side Of The Moog" albums only with the 'Berlin School' feel largely absent. Despite the presence of rhythms, it has the appearance and pleasure of a warm and flowing cosmic album, but one with a decided sense of musical adventure, entering strange and isolated black holes of space never before travelled by the hand of any previous musician. It's great but it's an experience, so those who want it to sound like everything that's gone before, should beware.

EVERYTHING MUST GO: Unfold CD
Just two tracks - 'Eon' at thirty-four minutes, and 'Ion' at thirty-two minutes - and it's electronic music, the likes of which you've not really heard before. It's all synths and electronics, it's space music, it's rhythmic, it's even multi-layered, sometimes to a degree as to astound. It's accessible, verging from the serene to structured chaos, and there are long passages where the atmospheres are positively awe-inspiring, despite the fact that nothing is ever allowed to wander without some kind of "edge", some kind of weirdness, something dark and eerie lurking in the shadows. It is not dark space music, or simply just space music - it's far too busy sounding for that - it's more of a science fiction adventure in sound, with all sorts of other-worldly landscapes emerging out of the cosmos, as the rhythms tend to be those that are more for dynamic and flowing, textural effect, rather than rhythmic in the way you'd term it. It's unusual, positively unique, admittedly not something you're going to get on with in just one hearing, but stick with it, and you'll find a very different listening experience unfold.

FARFIELD: Dust And Glass CD
The reason this is cheap is because it's bizarre - and the people behind it know this. There are eleven tracks in fifty-five minutes and the only way to describe it is as "experimental space music" the likes of which you've probably rarely encountered. It's a simmering cauldron of space synths, electronic drifts, rippling keyboards, string synths, crisp percussion, deep, occasionally dubby, bass, resonant soundscapes, electric piano-like melodies and stacks upon stacks of samples - voices, field recordings, you name it - all in various combinations, stitched together to produce a sea of music that should be a nightmare but is actually a dream, something so strange yet attractive that it holds your attention throughout - I was riveted to it just to try and take it all in, find out how it would develop, and once I knew, I wanted to repeat the experience all over again. Possibly the weirdest album of electronic-based music I'll review this year, but original, fresh and adventurous - you have to hand it to someone - creativity is not dead yet.

GLIMMER ROOM: Tomorrow's Tuesday CD
Ahhhhh……………….the rise of the third wave of UK synth music continues apace with the emergence of another major talent who is not only unafraid to conform to any particular synth music style or era, preferring to produce an album that relies totally on a mix of melody, atmosphere, accessibility and layers to succeed, and one that does so with such ease, you'd think it was his fourth of fifth release, never mind his first. With fourteen tracks in sixty-two minutes, both for listener and reviewer,it is one of those rare albums that you shouldn't, and indeed would not wish to, dissect into its component elements to give a track by track review, for it is something that has to played, experienced and enjoyed from start to finish. Like the T-Bass UK album before it, we are talking music that is essentially commercial, yet, also like their second album, one that is not really comparable to any other band or musician, yet whose music is solid, flows, and ends up a superbly played and produced set of compositions that come across with ease and yet in which so much is happening. More languid yet no less strong than the T-Bass UK album, if anything I suppose, more symphonic/progressive, this is an album of melodies like ice cream; they feel so wonderful, ultimately disappear leaving you with just the memory of what was, and the earnest desire to experience it all again at the first available opportunity. With swathes and layers of flowing, sliding, gliding synths, soaring leads, a solid drumming foundation, deep synth bass and more musical ideas than the Euro-mainlanders have over a dozen albums, this is a staggering achievement and one that is a signpost in how to produce a commercial set of synth music tracks without ever conforming to cliché or meandering from its chosen path. It's original, has its roots in the most unlikely areas, features mellotron sounds, synths, percussives and is one of the finest UK synth albums around to day - an essential purchase.

GRAVITY HILL: Monkeys On The Moon CD
Five tracks in seventy-one minutes, a quintet of two percussionists, synths, keyboards and guitar/guitar synth, three tracks that range from sixteen to twenty-six minutes in length, and an overtly electronic music album that breaks the mould, in that it sounds like none of the musicians you might expect it to bear similarities with, and yet at the same time it does sound so heartwarming and familiar, you'd swear you'd been to that far-off place before now. I suppose the nearest comparison might be Steve Roach, but even this is deceptive as the opening twenty-five minute track shows, as gentle percussion, flowing, warm waves of synth layers and interweaving space synths all combine to create a magical and at the same time, melodic, effect, so that it's cosmic but it doesn't drone, it's percussive but hardly really rhythmic, with the percussion largely absent for the middle, more richly textured section, before returning with more force for the uplifting multi-synth space music finale, all totally hypnotic and utterly absorbing listening.
A delicate and multi-textured slice of melodic space music follows as nearly seven minutes of deep resonance and soaring synth music is touched by sprinkles of percussion and restrained guitar work, all quite immaculate and beautiful. Rather than retread old ground, the near seventeen minute 'Mobius 78' charts new territories in terms of synth textures and percussive touches from what has gone before, as a whole new but still largely space/cosmic/melodic universe of sounds is created, the spellbinding atmosphere maintained throughout, the use of hand drums towards the end providing just the right amount of strength drive home a marvellous sea of previously space-only music layers.
Following a three minute track, the album ends on its strongest statement yet as the guitar comes into its own more than texturally for the first time on the album and a near twenty minute piece of percussive-driven synths/guitar music develops, full of whooshing space synths, an eastern flavour, the first real seventies influence on the CD, and a real atmosphere that's full-sounding, still warm, still varied, still melodic and a touch symphonic, all making for the most melodic and tuneful track on the CD, full of deep layers, strings, shaken percussion and space effects. As I said, this is a wholly new approach to what is almost not a genre at all in their hands, and the sort of album that is both accessible yet unfamiliar, one that needs time to develop and grow.

JUPITER 8: Songs From The Engine Room (Part 1) CD
A lone synths musician, three tracks and fifty-six minutes of music - and a UK musician, at that. Intrigued? Well, I was. 'Fifth Blob From The Sun' is remarkable - it is a track buolt upn a foundation of solid, swirling, cyclical, constantly evolving, hypnotic, atmospheric and strong sequencer, synth and electro-percussive rhythms, with a soaring sea of distant synths drifting away in the bacground, no real melody other than what is implied in the rhythm structure, and yet a stunning sense of purpose, structure, depth and delight, the actually hypnotic qualities keeping you hooked as the track travels a cyclical yet evolving path to its eventual goal, for all the world sounding like something Namlook might have cooked up at some time in his Fax life, but, at sixteen minutes, a track that engages you throughout its multi-layered journey. The fourteen minute 'Sea Of Tranquility' starts off altogether starker, more eerie and stripped down as space atmospherics begin to unfold. From below, a rhythm starts to unfold, initially slightly cyclical, bass-synth led and resonant, as gently sequenced synth rhythms and assorted space soundscapes are overlaid, creating a magical atmosphere, but one which is quite dark in its own unique way, but very substantial, as before, and by no means vacuous or empty. The final track, 'Red Spot', is twenty-six minutes long and an absolute gem of a track. In the early part of the track it sees flowing synth scapes and assorted space effects flowing along atop a shuffling, resonant and solid rhythm pattern of shuffling drums and undulating bass synths, as a drifting, droning lone synth line soars away in the background. The feel is very much that of modern Mooch mixed with touches of Namlook, as cyclical melody lines emerge to glorious effect as the track develops and evolves, the rhythms slowly changing shape, phased at times for even greater effect, new melodic and atmospheric synth layers added all the time. Around the fifteen minute mark, the rhythms take an altogether stronger path and come right upfront as the surging sea of electro-percussive and sequencer strength takes centre stage to sublime effect, eventually tailing off into darkness as a much darker atmosphere is created, only to reappear perfectly as the mood changes, rumbling bass added at the bottom end, a more string-like lead synth line added at the other, all taking us to the stripped-away finale at the end of a simply incredible, highly atmospheric but equally solid epic track.

CONTINUED>>>>

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