AMBIENT/TRANCE/TECHNO, etc
SYNTH MUSIC
CROSSOVER ALBUMS:
CODE III: Planet Of Man CD
It's been a long time since I've seen - or heard, come to that - this album, a legend from the days of vintage "Krautrock" and famous for being one of the first and few albums to be released on the, then, surround-sound (on headphones) "artificial head system" and also notable for featuring a guest appearance from none other than Klaus Schulze on drums. The really daft part is that it sounds a whole lot better now than it did way back then, from 1974, showing just how ahead of its time the thing was. That said, it's a truly eclectic mix of music with classic building Krautrock style passages with just three tracks, one at 26 minutes, one at 17 minutes and one at 6. The 26 minute track, the one featuring Schulze, starts as a rolling thunderous Krautrock, almost like early Ash Ra Tempel only with more samples, the guitar used in a more restrained manner and Gille Lettman-like vocal that veers from soaring to space-whisper. About halfway through, the thing just stops, goes into this eerie cosmic section then into a more 'Cluster II 2'-type of stripped down but atmospheric space electronic music, for around 7 minutes or so, and then it's out of the black hole into the lightness of shimmering guitars, heavenly choirs, phased bass, ringing guitar chords and fuzzed electronics, all building into this climax that sees out what is a truly amazing track, all the more so for being 30 years old. The 17 minute track is predominantly cosmic but with a much more eerie and darker sea of electronics and samples, guitars and wordless vocals, than on something like the Cosmic Jokers albums. Overall, it's fantastic stuff that has stood the test of time superbly and for anyone wanting something seventies, original and different, but of its time, sounding stunning and oozing atmosphere, this is for you.
ENAM: Purple And Gold CD
Well, once you hear the opening track, then look at the name again, then hear more, you will see the overriding influence that pervades every corner of this album, come shining through - the influence that is Enya. Delivering an incredibly similar sounding range of layers and textures from massed ranks of heavenly synths, deep synth bass rivers, celestial keyboards and predominantly female solo vocal, harmonic, gorgeous and multi-tracked to infinity, this is an album that will leave you spellbound from the opening tracks alone. With its immensely expansive, masterfully arranged and produced, deep, atmospheric, and warm, full-sounding and, above all, so emotional vocal soundscapes and constructions, track after glorious track is a masterpiece of Enya-soundalike that this could be some kind of incredibly close tribute album, were it not for the fact that the music also has its own identity too, its own originality - not too much - which makes it so much more than "a clone". The 64,000 dollar question is, with this AND Enya in your collection, would you play it - to which the answer is an unquestioning "yes" purely by dint of the fact that this is every bit as cohesive and flowing, if nor more so, than the, admittedly more commercial, Enya offerings, and this album is almost guaranteed to find that place in your heart where few other albums can go - it's bliss, pure and simple.
NICK MAGNUS: Hexameron CD
Think of this as a journey. Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to start off, at first going through scenery you have not seen before yet which is somehow familiar, as the travelogue continues through more obvious points of reference, until, at the very end, the person or thing or place that you would have crossed deserts, rode oceans and flown skies for, finally appears. That is this album
Opening with a minute of gorgeous piano, it melts into piano and synth as the appearance of Jon Hackett on flute provides a wonderfully floating melody line above all this. Then, as the music becomes ever more symphonic, almost Tony Banks-esque, the icing on the cake appears in the form of a breathtakingly restrained and, sustained, electric lead guitar figure courtesy of Steve Hackett, as flute, guitar and electronic provide a thing of wonder. This is merely the beginning. Things increase pace and tempo on the near 9 minute 'Dancing On The Waters', again starting slowly with keyboards and synths, then in comes a heavenly wordless female vocal, rhythms, both electronic and percussive rise from below in chunky fashion, and the whole thing has a distinctly vintage Mike Oldfield feel to it. Around 6 minutes, the composition strengthens so that you hear organ, electric lead guitar from Geoff Whitehorn, Moraz-like synth soloing and soaring strings above the rolling rhythmic base to give a decidedly symphonic prog feel to the proceedings, towards the end sounding almost like 'Hairless Heart' from the 'Lamb Lies Down' album, with strings instead of guitar at the very end - a truly exquisite piece of music. It's on the 9 minute 'Marduk' where the transition from beauty to strength finally takes place completely, as a Supertramp-like piano-led melody begins over suitably solid, typically prog-rock rhythms, and immediately a song begins with Tony Patterson doing a sterling job on vocals, more a sort of Steve Hackett/Mike & Mechanics way of doing things than anything, but with distinctly Alan Parsons-like tendencies in the vocal harmonies, while, at just over 3 minutes, a scorching guitar solo from Whitehorn soars out of nowhere, only to be followed by an equally class mini-moog-type solo from Magnus, as the rhythms stumble in pure prog fashion, choirs are heard in the distance, a brief mellotron appears and then the vocal goes slightly upper register and you are transported into late Gabriel-era Genesis - superb. More classic organ and synth work over the solid rhythms until it subsides and female vocal emerges to give a rich contrast to what has gone before, electric guitar swirling away out the back and the whole thing now rising up to give the feel of a grand finale that you love from many a prog album gone by, only here probably more epic and yet emotive than most. It's a testament to the arrangement that something like this can be followed by, and made to work perfectly, just under 6 minutes of what is essentially Enya-meets-Sally Oldfield style celtic-flavoured prog, as the beautiful vocal of Siobhan McCarthy just rises majestically over a backdrop of synths, flute (Jon Hackett again), violin and strings to create a most gorgeous song that barely leaves a dry eye in the house, so warm and yet so strong. Then there is a 2 minute instrumental from acoustic guitar, flute and violin, tasty for sure, but, while it is a thing of beauty, it's almost having the effect of a track like Hackett's 'Horizons' in that it's a precursor of what's to come - and what's to come is simply breathtaking. Even though it's three tracks, it plays almost as one track, and that is the final part of the album - nearly 16 minutes of music that starts with a song, moves through a fantastic muscular slice of atmospheric and driving prog-rock to end with choirs, guitars, synths, bass, drums as the triad comes to an end. More detailed this means that you start with a solid prog-rock song, the vocals of Pete Hicks suitably purposeful and multi-layered over a backing that rises in most emotive fashion as synths, drums and the high-flying electric slide guitar from Melvyn Hiscock create a song that is so enjoyable and really gets into your head and under your skin, joyous if anything. It ends with a wonderful slice of choral mellotron leading directly into this awesome passage of string synths and a veritable showcase for some of the most gorgeous electric lead guitar work from Steve Hackett that you've heard in ages, as the synth bass booms in, the drums start a rolling rhythm, the synths rise up and a steaming electric guitar solo spreads itself wide and far overhead - just a fantastic 5 minutes that will have you utterly riveted. Again, this ends with a more eerie, brooding feel as deep synth bass and bass choirs emerge down in the mix, a brief pause then you hear this wondrous choral passage that is just heavenly - almost literally - as a female vocal rises above, synth strings appear all around the mix and the feel is positively spiritual. This then changes to flute and strings, before Steve Hackett's electric guitar lights up the skies and the whole piece takes off, only to fall back to piano, synth strings and flute, again very Banks/Parsons-esque, and then with a single symphonic sweep, the track rises up as the electric guitar of Hackett joins once more, the choirs re-enter and the piece builds to an awe-inspiring climax that will leave you jaw-dropped - and that's it. As an example of symphonic prog, it's in a class of its own - and you can't argue with that.
NASH THE SLASH: View From The Gallery - One DVD
The most important thing here is that you're getting 50 minutes of all-new instrumental music from Nash. In its own right, for that alone, this is an essential purchase for Nash fans. However, this DVD really is something very special. It's a set of tracks, set to and inspired by, the paintings of Robert Vanderhorst, and the way the paintings have been photographed for this DVD, is nothing short of riveting. Now, I've never thought myself to be a particularly good judge of art, but these paintings just exude atmosphere and movement, so beautifully done, so soft and yet so strong. But the way the camera focuses on parts of and aspects of the paintings, making them come alive in front of you, with movement and shots panning in and out, will have you hooked to this DVD. The music is a perfect reflection of and companion with the visual feast, working so well on its own, but with the visuals, something of great emotion and beauty. In addition to this, you get separate features where you'll find biographies of both the artist and of Nash himself, a separate track that has a Nash commentary to the DVD and finally an exclusive, professionally shot, 8 minute recent clip of Nash live in concert. All in all, this really is one stunning DVD that you really will watch again and again - you have to see it to se what I mean - and the music is just sublime - Nash at his most atmospheric, joyous and peak playing and compositional genius - essential!!!
SMOKE & MIRRORS: The Perfume Of Creosote CD
Now it's not often that I'm flummoxed, but this thing's got me beaten - what on earth category do you put it in? Is it prog-rock - or psychedelic - or ambient - or contemporary - or what? It's got all those and more across a staggering twenty-three tracks over 78 minutes of instrumental music. Bearing in mind I don't have the time to do a track-by-track breakdown, it's then very difficult to describe it as a whole. First off, it's rhythmic throughout, with chunky drums and deep bass that you'd find on something resembling a mix of Can, Banco de Gaia & early Ozrics. Then there's the melodies - lots and lots of layers of synths, keyboards and guitars, all presented in easily digestible chunks that are incredibly addictive, tunes like prog, atmospheres like ambience, powerful like Krautrock and heady like psychedelia - yet all so clean and full-sounding in terms of arrangements and production. I have to say that I loved every minute of it, but who out there is going to buy it without a great leap of faith in my - and others - review, I really couldn't say. Something so different shouldn't be this good - but it is.
TEK-SAN: Radio Tek-San CD
Don't you DARE ask me to "pigeon-hole" this album - I wouldn't know where to start - and I can categorise most things!! What is it? Well, sort of prog in a Crimson-ish vein, psychedelic, Krautrock, ambient, jazzy - I mean, that's just part of it. The first track, 'Bosphorus' is quite atmospheric but with electronic drum rhythms as squalls of electric guitar, echoed flute, effects, layers and textures are all added to create this bubbling cauldron of ambient-psych-jazz-Krautrock that is fantastically brooding and out of this world, totally unlike anything else around. But if that was good for starters, wait till you hit 'Transmolecularization Dub' as this IMMENSE Tony Levin-like bass rumbles away on the bottom, aided by some chunky drum programming, and over which this echoed trumpet squall soars and dives like some mental seagull, while all around more electronic textures are layered. Then, if that wasn't enough, this Hillage-like echoed guitar figure comes out of nowhere then disappears, the drums becoming ever more chunky, the bass still rumbling on, the sound still full of subtleties and nuances., but so beefy as to be untrue. All of this, guitar and all, continues to fire up as it goes, creating a piece that will surely take your breath away, time after time, ten minutes of heaven. 'Hieroglyphics' begins with more sampled rhythms of an electronic drum-sounding nature, only this time the bass is altogether more restrained but no less funky, while all around the sonic arena, carefully crafted effects, guitar figures, sampled voices and more give the whole piece an almost ambient-world-prog-Kraut feel, as the rhythms chug away, the soundscapes are stripped bare and the almost alien nature of the music is left, highly rhythmic, very atmospheric and positively tribal, slowly building the layers as it resumes its travels. After this, each of the further four mid-length tracks revolves around setting up a myriad of soundscapes and textures above, behind and around the central core rhythmic framework that is created on the sampled, programmed drums and electronic drums, the whole effect being absolutely mesmerizing, original and simply excellent music, nothing challenging, but nothing obvious at the same time. The signpost to "new music" will have a copy of this CD's cover firmly stapled to it.
TRACTOR: Beyond Deeply Vale DVD
It's a difficult thing these days - so many bands that you worshipped in your youth are either still going or reforming, often with mixed results. Sometimes it's bad enough having to listen to them try to recapture that old magic, but, when you consider age, looks and visual impact, even worse having to watch them do it - I'm no oil painting, but I've seen enough DVD's recently of ageing (and not so ageing) rockers that, without a good light show, stage show or visual impact, just leave you empty inside watching a bunch of old me re-create their youth.
Tractor are no oil paintings either - but, hell, this is good stuff - I mean, seriously good stuff.
First off - content. It's long - very long - two and a quarter hours. You get two concerts. Both are the band playing live in 2003, one at the tail end of the year, one at the beginning. After that you get archive footage of the band's history, a photographic look-back at the Deeply Vale festival itself, a promo video of the band, the band playing live in a field and more. But it's the concert footage that is the meat of the DVD.
Shot professionally, the quality of music and visuals is superb - great sound for sure. The first thing you notice is how much guitarist Jim Milne looks like Clive James, and you realise you're into ageing rocker territory, but it's OK - I didn't mind that a bit. Drummer Steve Clayton is behind this arsenal of drums and percussion, and his looks don't really come into it as his playing performance throughout is addictive, for sure. So, lights, picture quality, visuals - all OK - then the next shock. You realise pretty soon on that the tracks you knew and loved from the seminal self-titled album that John Peel eulogised all those years ago - many of which are here - are being performed on - acoustic guitar. Just as you think it might turn into and electric fest, no such luck - however, there's something more to surprise you - it works - and it works superbly. Milne's lost none of his vocal prowess and, unusually but most welcoming, it sounds pretty close to the vocal performance as evidenced on the original album. It's the interpretation here of those tracks, and the passion with which they are delivered, not to mention the awesome drum and percussion work of Clayton, that keep you hooked to the performance - not sure you'd be hooked so much if you didn't know the albums first, but then you probably wouldn't buy the DVD first, so, again, immaterial. Through delights as 'All Ends Up', 'Little Girl In Yellow', 'Make The Journey' and more, it's a riveting little concert, visually and sonically. But the next one, repeating tracks admittedly, from the end of the year, is even better. Milne "goes electric" a lot sooner, and half way through they are joined by a female hand drummer that provides extra rhythmic force and some superb drumming duelling on this concert's 'Make The Journey'. Overall, if the first one was the starter, this is definitely the main course, as the band show they really have lost none of their magic. Not only works, but a DVD I will watch again, pure nostalgia trip admittedly, but it works and that's the point. The archive and promo footage is, as in most cases, seriously interesting first time around, but not sure you'd want to repeat watch it that much. But, overall, a DVD worth every penny if you're a Tractor fan, and, if you're not, then you really need that album called 'Tractor' in your life - one of the few albums of its time by a little-known band that truly does deserve the status of "legendary".
V/A: Let It Rock Vol 2 DVD
There are an awful lot of seventies-era DVD compilations coming on to the market right now, many of them containing several things of interest, but, as with most things of this nature, lots that don't. So, in our scouring of the genre to find something good, it's a pleasure to report that this one's at the top of the tree if you want '70's music of a rockier, bluesier nature. First off, the quality and sound of all the tracks is superb, most things emanating from European TV broadcasts. Secondly there are 22 tracks that will delight any broader-minded '70's music fan, and to be honest, there was nothing on here that made me want to go for the "fast forward" button, with even the tracks by groups I don't normally get on with that well, looking and sounding great, in a couple of cases even if only for archival gorping. So, what do you get - well, Cream open up proceedings in the first of a couple or so of black and white visuals, with a strident rendition of 'I Feel Free', while The Who are up next powering through 'Magic Bus'. From there on it's on and on through live performances from Humble Pie, Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, Mott The Hoople, Redbone, Stone The Crows, Pat Benatar, Doors, Iron Butterfly & Spooky Tooth, all great to watch and hear - but the best ones come from the likes of Free (with a fantastic version of the seminal 'Mr Big' and guitarist Paul Kossoff showing you how real men wear beards!!!), Motorhead & Girlschool with an awesome version of 'Please Don't Touch' (with Motorhead doing their self titled track a couple of numbers further on - and it's hot hot hot), Ten Years After and Johnny Winter (separately) never failing to please with a couple of sizzling blues tracks, Deep Purple, ELP delivering a searing version of 'Knife Edge' while prog fans are even more delighted with a neat rendition of 'All Good People' from Yes, a steaming early version. Overall, it's great stuff and one I'll watch again and again, proving that if you can get a good one of these, it's worth every bit of the asking price.
