DON PEYOTE - HEAVEN AND EARTH

STYLE                       

January 2013

Luscious chillout world and dance music.

Heaven and Earth elegantly weaves an enchanting tapestry of modern genres: colourful indigenous performance; meandering ambience; gutsy dub and electronica; sleepy global exotica. The range of sonic material is impressive, programmed arps and synthesisers are accompanied by electric guitar, bamboo flute and other acoustic instruments. But there is so much more: from such subtle touches as a single cuckoo and low-key reversed music samples to a soaring female Indian singer with accompanying drones and bows; echoing children's voices; lazy slide guitar and a veritable plethora of electronic effects. The tempo shifts pleasantly throughout the album yet always remaining in the lower bpm range - Dub the Magic derriere tripping along with a meditative dance beat of percolating sequencers and tablas; Crystal Skulls insistently plodding along with a ponderous live drum sound. Intros and outros linger pleasingly in some of the album's more evocative spots and there are plenty of spacious, unhurried interludes where rhythms to fall away into alluring musical clearings.

IN DEPTH                 

The album opens with a rippling electro-chime pattern and spacey synthetics that beckon a misty flute breathing across a drifting, gradually climaxing terrain. Indian hand drums beautifully complement the sense of earthy wonder, later fading away to be enhanced by a flickery digi-rhythm that reminds us that this is a very contemporary journey. The second track Bouroukou ventures now into the tangled roots of heaving tribal percussion, ethnic chants barking emphatically, a sinewy squelch bass line forging a path in pursuit of keening guitar and synth whispers. Further tracks maintain a mesmerising downbeat consistency; prowling, floating or bobbing restfully as the mood shifts. Bird calls and sibilant scrapers soften the nodding dub of Shake That Snake where the minimal melody is given a sense of peculiar wonder by a range of reverberating effects and light washes. From Above winds the album down with a wistful nostalgia - a swaying temple bell pattern buoyed up by distant, soft-focus clouds of sound and a mournful string melody that finally evaporates away into empty air.

ARTWORK     

 Heaven and Earth is a lush digipack release that really is feast for the eyes. The inspired graphics created by Andy Thomas picture the theme well: from the verdant depths of this gorgeous planet through the clouds to the starry expanse beyond. The front cover montage has a violet, blue and lilac cloudscape atop a muted shot of the globe in space fringed with a profusion of intriguing vegetation and fractals bubbles as if the viewer were looking out from among the greenery. Track titles are on the rear where the flora has intensified into a dense forest tangled with twisting roots clinging to the edges of a sharp fissure. Internal imagery continues this striking blue-green colour scheme - an explanation of the project and thanks are located here.

OVERALL                

Melbourne, Australia based Yvon Mounier returns with his fifth solo album as the dreamily psychedelic Don Peyote. Follow-up to the 2008 Peyote Dreaming album, Don continues his exploration of downtempo global music with Heaven and Earth released via his own Don Peyote Recordings label. Promotional material explains that "Don combines crisp production with intelligent arrangements, drawing upon indigenous, otherwordly and dub influences to create a soundscape where every moment counts." The nine tracks here certainly live up to that claim - see for yourself by visiting Don's Bandcamp page or discover more about the project via the official Don Peyote website.

ARTIST'S THOUGHTS  

This music project started out from a collection of song titles that I have collected over the years. Each of the titles chosen on Heaven and Earth reflects a personal event or experience at one time or another that has touched me deeply during my journey through this lifetime.

My desire is to share these personal encounters with you via a sonic voyage that draws from deep earthy rhythms with a blend of etheric and dreamy soundscapes, to inspire the experience of our shared existence... Don Peyote

STYLE
March 2012
Global psychill journey album.
Tranzworld Express is a transporting experience that whisks the listener away from home on a speeding dream train breezing across musical, cultural and technological borders. The pace is mid-tempo - a comfortable dance groove with a locomotive-like regularity suggestive of casual speed and passing vistas. Western soul sounds and club elements get the party going, but soon the scene has shifted and a Middle Eastern dub beat drives Peacedance further from home. The sense of the exotic is heightened as the album progresses: international instrumentation and diverse voices interwoven among bright recording effects, vocoder snatches and lush strings. "I know everything about nothing!" declares a lively voice at the opening of Virtually Enlightened; multinational hand drums and twanging plucked wires here juxtaposed against subtle sequences and brash brass flourishes. Peter Westheimer clearly enjoys a rich melting pot of music without the encumbrance of genre restrictions. China India (as you might deduce) fuses the colours of these two evocative Asian sources of mystique - bells trees and electronica; er-hu and sitar; expressive tablas and programmed beats; piercing pipes and soft female vocals. The binding factor for the album is the relatively consistent beat - wheels on tracks, hypnotic patterns, express rhythm.

IN DEPTH
Peter Westheimer brings a sense of global responsibility to his music, dealing with such important themes as the planet's growing population, finite resources and climate change challenges; East-West relations and the struggling of peace processes; religious enlightenment, fundamentalism and media control; ecologically friendly transport modes and natural energy sources. These serious concerns thread the music of Tranzworld Express with a dynamic urgency: stirring beats, driving basslines and insistent melodies. The tightly woven multinational instrumentation (Westheimer himself plays a wide range of instruments, ranging from keyboard to sitar, with much in between) highlights a vision of potential global harmony and cooperation. That said - this is by no means merely a gloomy presentation of cerebral ideals - the music is full of emotion: ranging from the blissfully ecstatic through lively, vivacious and inspirational to somewhat threatening and disquieting. The artist's website explains that he sees music as an agent of change - unlike much of today's 'worldbeat' music this is an album with an authenticity born from genuine passion and actual familiarity with many of the locations aurally conjured "inspired by travels through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA in 2009. Its' rhythmic energies and perspectives come from the moving scenery of contemporary communities both rural and urban, and a retracing of family history."

TRACK BY TRACK

CHANGE NOW
The album opens with a flush of multinational warmth - plucked strings, Western and Eastern, fusing together, leading into the traintrack beat that will draw the listener throughout the journey. As lush orchestral bowings flow in layers a female voice whispers, "Change the world" signalling Westheimer's underlying theme. The mood is upbeat, positive and lively - throbbing bassline driving the central section of the track. The melodic motifs are taken up in varying forms by different instruments - Eastern organic, Western electronic - with lush washes and pads behind.

DANCING HEARTS ORCHESTRA
Whilst maintaining the rhythm established by Change Now, this track has more of a Western soul dance floor vibe. Piano stabs, disco guitar chord flicks and deep synth patterns form the backbone whilst a female voice wordlessly soars and further piano melodies dance above. It feels as if we are still not so far from home, hints of the city still glimpsed through the window as the journey gets well under way.

PEACEDANCE
Here the beats shifts from the measured locomotion of the previous two tracks to a lilting dub rhythm - still at similar pace however - danceable and energetic. Opening with phased guitar and a blunt bass - Middle Eastern flavours soon start to appear. Inspired by the struggling peace processes in the Middle East - sonorous wiry scales twang against smooth synthetics; hints of Arab wails and a subtle female moan waft through the dance. A joyous piece of optimism.

CHANCES OF A LIFE
A low heartbeat drum introduces a rich bowed string melody, building rapidly to that now-familiar mid-tempo pace. Vocoder vocals and international chanting entwine upon tone shifting arpeggios and gutsy bassline; "I could have been born anywhere, somewhere, into times of novelty (innovation) or times of fundamentalism." Briefly the intensity dissipates, the heartbeat returning - more strings and we're off again hurtling further and further from home.

VIRTUALLY ENLIGHTENED
"I know everything about nothing. I am totally light," an oriental voice announces upon a bed of twinkling synthetic arpeggio - weightless for a moment. Soon our train-like beat whisks us forward - hand drumming and programmed grooves in perfect tandem, the electronic arpeggios shifting and morphing, embellished by the hypnotic wires of the East. Virtually Enlightened builds into mesmerising regularity as the track progresses, trance-like and very rhythmically impelling. Brash brass phrases, electric guitar touches and the occasional return of the opening speaker hold the attention and deepen the colour.

iRAN
An electronically altered vocal wail introduces iRan - a dramatic, low chord beckoning the beat to roll in: a clatter of hand percussion, thumping kick and bright hi-hats. Middle-Eastern instrumentation again features here in keeping with the theme: "I ran from Iran. I ran and I ran and I ran." Westheimer's concern for the oppression and tight media control within the country lend this piece a slightly brooding tone - that said the album's over-riding sense of optimism is present here too especially within the cavorting leap of the beat.

KARMA THAN CHAOS
Playing with the words 'Karma makes me calmer!' Westheimer here develops a smooth East-West fusion where sitar phrases dance against reverberating gongs and soft female whispers. Dreamy and blissful, beaten strings and twanging plucks contrast rubbery bass lines and Western drumming. The gradual massing of layered synth pads toward the end of the track lifts the music skyward, fading into heavenly light.

TRANZWORLD EXPRESS
The title track opens with the voice of a station announcer and the clutter of environmental sound whilst a cycling arpeggio gradually builds, surrounded by atmospheric pads. As the arpeggios morph and flow a thudding bass and kick rhythm starts up and the train is on the way. Tranzworld Express has a somewhat more urban electro feel than much of the rest of the album - passing briefly though another station interlude before rolling on - environmentally concerned: clear, clean, fresh and transporting.

CHINA INDIA
Two ancient civilizations steeped in tradition and colour. Westheimer draws on the richness of the sonic histories of these two countries to paint his picture of cultural/political contrasts and shared beauty. The light boom of tablas and the trill of bell trees merge with subdued Western beat material. Chinese er-hu, Indian santoor, keening pipes and a range of other evocative instruments join with plodding bass in what is the most concentrated world beat track of the album so far.

RENEWABLE ENERGY
Opening to the heaving of waves, Renewable Energy soon rings with bright Indian strings then an upward fading marimba sequence and vocoder voice. Almost imperceptibly the marimbas are thickened with complimentary synth patterns - warm layers lifting the mood high. Double bass steps in at the low end, hand drums and rattling percussion take up the beat. The boom of thunder and atmospheric disturbances recall again the theme of this positive composition - "100 percent of the world's energy, for all purposes, could be supplied by wind, water and solar resources." The piece ends with the gentle trickle of water.

GHOSTS OF THE FUTURE
A dark echoing motif sets up a moody tone which is soon developed further by some shadowy synth waves laid down upon a booming Middle Eastern beat. The clatter and thump of Westheimer's, by now familiar, amalgam of percussion patterns takes a prominent role on this final recording - an interlude of resonant tablas, a squelching synthetic bassline and programmed effects broadening the rhythmic appeal - intense and urgent. Peter's website refers to the seriousness behind this composition "Toxic legacies of the future like nuclear waste dumps, extinct species and genocide leave ghosts that fade very slowly." A fitting conclusion to Tranzworld Express - something to think about - an infectious rhythm within which to become absorbed - plenty of international instruments and sparkling effects. The set concludes with a struck metallic bowl - its ringing tones fading away into light.


ARTWORK
To date I have only a downloaded promo copy of the artwork for Tranzworld Express. The front cover depicts a young woodland of muted colours and delicate slender birches as seen by a fleeting railway passenger. Faint reflections haze the view and suddenly the stark visage of a tribal mask looms in the lower right. Drawn to peer at the ghostly face a bird form is discerned, gliding vertically; eyes stare fixedly through arched curves in the wings.

OVERALL
Peter Westheimer delivers the aptly titled Tranzworld Express through Integrity Music Records as his sixth full length album and follow-up to the 2004 release Music Sculptures. Based near Byron Bay, Australia, Westheimer has embarked on supporting his music with multilayered videos of all tracks and performing audiovisual shows live incorporating his interests in video art, renewable energy, biodiversity & rail transport overall highlighting music as an agent of change and joy. A classical background in early life, performance with bands & theatre and recording material for soundtracks, documentaries and multimedia installations (to cover just part of the CV) provides a broad musical foundation upon which to draw. Thus Tranzworld Express has arisen "inspired by travels through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA in 2009." Promotional material explains that "Its' rhythmic energies and perspectives come from the moving scenery of contemporary communities both rural and urban, and a retracing of family history." The music is available for exploration at the Peter Westheimer website where, as well as the audio, verbal explanations of number of the recordings are provided.

PROMO BLURB
The Tranzworld Express is an imaginary train of the future seamlessly crossing borders, 'expressing' the rhythms, melodies, harmonies and politics of changing cultures. This album with its' eleven track music menu was inspired by travels through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA in 2009. Its' rhythmic energies and perspectives come from the moving scenery of contemporary communities both rural and urban, and a retracing of family history.

Zero Cult - Vacuum

STYLE
December 2011
Ambient chillout and blissful downtempo.
Vacuum is a delicate and sensitive album of lush, evocative electronica where languid beats and dream-like soundscapes support subtle melodies. These softly unfolding themes heave with hypnotic beauty, yet always retain plenty of complementary shade and dignity. Most tracks have extended, unhurried introductions where Zero Cult's ambient atmospheres can fully spread like multi-coloured mists before the rhythmic material sets everything in motion. There are also plenty of beatless interludes where the percussion falls away completely and sometimes the whole melodic framework too, leaving the listener gliding upon faint air currents ready, anticipating the second coming. Overall, Vacuum has a fine balance of light and shadow, delivering attractive compositions that feed the attention whilst neatly avoiding the clichés of the psychill mainstream.


IN DEPTH
Vacuum opens gradually with a hypnotic interplay of misty pads and lustrous echoing effects; sonic winds curl around ascending tones and a gentle rhythmic structure slowly coalesces: vibes, synth arps, bass pulse and, about three minutes in, a ponderous programmed groove. This track - Muse - establishes what the album is all about: saturated colour; serene harmonies and breezy beats. Heartworks sees the trance elements of Zero Cult's sound solidify around a bubbling bassline and measured beat, but this denser sound quickly evaporates as the next track once again takes on a more weightless approach. The album has at its centre the gorgeous Second Breath, this is a wonderfully transportational piece that revolves around a mesmerising motif that carefully evolves and repeats with a tender, insistent intensity. 8 Hertz introduces a more mechanistic tone arising out of dark drones and reverberating voice samples: here a sparse, thumping kick and grumbling bass line give the track a slightly sinister edge. For the most part this is a purely instrumental album, however, just before the end there is a track that casts a different spell: a soporific, meandering piece of hazy euphoria where an unusual female vocal hangs in the air, haunting the synthetics with a wistful song from New Zealand's Aviatrix.


ARTWORK
The cover artwork for Vacuum features a hi-key design where a complex tangle of synthetic grey-white thorns lies upon a smooth, pale, infinite plane. Like some hollow, plastic urchin or structure of artificial cactus spines this jagged, monochrome formation is in stark contrast to the curving, fluid music within. I don't yet have a physical copy of this album and so can't comment on other artwork except to say that I have had a number of Cosmic Leaf releases over the years and the graphic quality is of a consistently high standard.

OVERALL
Israel's Emil Ilyayev returns here with his sixth album of downtempo trance and follow-up to the 2010 release: Clouds Garden. Once more on Cosmic Leaf Records, Zero Cult delivers a maturing sound that luxuriates deep within the reverie of ambient chillout. The ten tracks here include two versions of the deliriously laid back Second Breath: an original mix and a second vocal radio edit featuring Aviatrix with the distinctive voice of Kerensa Stephens. Dying Dolphin has an accompanying video aimed at raising awareness of the plight of these endangered mammals. The footage displays some of the horrors of the 30 000 or so dolphins slaughtered around the world each year. You can further learn of Vacuum at the Cosmic Leaf website or you might like to visit the official Zero Cult pages at Myspace and Facebook.


ARTIST'S THOUGHTS
Vacuum is an album of almost two years of creation, it reflects my emotional experience
within that time. I advise listening to the album as one complete whole, then you'll get the fullest pleasure from listening to the music.

LABEL'S THOUGHTS
Release Info:
Zero Cult is back with his new 6th ambient chill album, Vacuum.One of the most selling and high feedbacked cosmicleaf artists.His wonderful trance influenced soundscapes that creates, combined with the mysterious downtempo melodies and rhythms, promising a great sound pleasure for the downtempo listeners.
Label Info:
Cosmicleaf is one of a new wave of labels from the global progressive and psy-trance underground that is reinventing dance music for the ambient zone beyond just stripping away the fast tempos. The global talent such labels are attracting is inspiring. Cosmicleaf releases have both darkness and light, familar genre sounds and strange new sounds, a mindset open to genuine variety and which understands "beautiful" is something profound, not cheesy or trite.
The ambient spaces between electro, trance, rock and world fusion are fertile ones, and the richness here suggests a group of artists diving headlong into them with passion, open minds and impressive programming skills.

Kamil Kowalczyk - Aurora

STYLE
June 2011
Minimal spacedrone, ambient abstract.
Aurora is made up of two longform recordings; dark, isolationist and spacey. The first of these beatless compositions fades in gradually as a single undulating thread of tone. Almost imperceptibly, additional elements trickle into the mix, percussive clicks and mechanical blip-click patterns thickening the sound. This relatively high pitch ambience alters little for almost eleven minutes before the central drone is joined by a deeper note an octave or two lower. Around the twenty two minute mark a second notable drop in pitch occurs. Gossamer electronic flutters dance faintly through the shadows and other distant sounds appear to hang deep within the music on the edge of hearing. Track two likewise fades out of nothingness to morph and evolve in ponderous, pulsing sparcity. Low beds of shifting tone writhe uneasily: clean and glassy here on 'plasma' as opposed to the more matt textured sound of 'model II'. The dominant texture-drones undulate in subtle rhythmic form, layered with surges and infusions of higher sound; pattered in places establishing partial cadence; atmospheric in others suggestive of faint nebulous colour.

ARTWORK
Artwork for Aurora is as minimal as the music: black and white graphics presented in a standard jewel case. The two-tone front cover image centres on the circling dots and blots of what appears to be a spiral galaxy. A second, more intense whorl is contained within two horizontal lines on the rear cover. Here beneath a repetition of the main title are track titles and brief website, email and writing/production details. The insert is a single sheet: the flip side repeating the letterboxed galaxy design with only the two track titles above.

OVERALL
Of Polish origin, writer/musician Kamil Kowalczyk currently resides in Scotland. An early interest in unusual audio and experimental synthetic sound led Kamil to begin recording his own music in 2002 resulting in a series of albums, six released in mp3 format on US Zenapolae net label. More recently he has begun taking on live performances and has established his own record label Prototyp Produktions Ltd. Aurora is Kamil's debut CD album on his own label, containing two long tracks, “model II” and “plasma” at thirty two minutes eleven seconds and twenty five minutes eight seconds respectively. Promotional material explains: "The main concept for album was conspiracy theory about Aurora – a top secret, ultra fast US Military aircraft, also called TR-3B, which has very advanced technology, and special engine driving by plasma… I have used almost exclusively Virsyn Tera for most sounds, which I create from scratch on this stunning synth."
You can hear the music at Kamil's record label website Prototyp Produktions Ltd.as well as purchase the CD.

ARTIST'S THOUGHTS
A debut CD album from sound artist/composer Kamil Kowalczyk. It contains two long tracks, “model II” and “plasma”. The main concept for album was conspiracy theory about Aurora – a top secret, ultra fast US Military aircraft, also called TR-3B, which has very advanced technology, and special engine driving by plasma…

Dan Pound - Medusazoa

STYLE
March 2011
Smooth, oceanic ambient electronica.
Medusazoa is an album of warm, fluid, mostly beatless synth environments. Drifting pads and velvety drones waft and mass around emergent pulse formations and rhythmic digital fragments. Liquid clicks and flecks trickle against synthetic vibrations or burble alongside repeating motifs; lazy scale patterns meander upward, downward; peculiar disturbances rustle and murmur and there are occasional sussurant flushes of turbulence. A downtempo beat arises midway through the title track, lazy and uncluttered; beguiling watery purring sounds cycling around. Some tracks centre mostly on the ponderous heave of layered drones, the flutter and flicker of rhythmic ephemera deep within. Others have subtle melodic elements: hypnotically repeating motifs; sparse piano phrases, electric guitar touches; these buoyant centres of regularity suspended in sequential tides or wandering afloat through ambient densities.

IN DEPTH
The title track opens with a luminous, repeating synthtic chime motif echoing upon an undulating low drone. Soon the melodic repetition drops off and an ambient bed opens out as if the listener has strayed into deeper water. Here a variation on the previous motif begins to well up with more of a piano sound, evolving and meandering until a second evaporation. Now a distinctly different liquid environment emerges that is more suggestive of surface water or at least of the presence of trapped air: laps and splashes rippling about a sybilant purring noise that recurrs in organic pairings establishing a loose rhythm. Drfiting piano notes once more provide intriguing melody, deep single tones and lazy higher runs. At around this mid point of the twelve minutes fifty three seconds of Medusazoa a serene beat fades in, simple hihats, programmed snare and lazy kick building around the nodding measure of the pulsing purr. For a while now this dreamy rhythmic pool of lilting piano melody floats in blissful reverie until the beat ebbs away at around the nine and a half minute mark. The purring remains a while upon a much more distant memory of percussion, reverberating piano phrases thinning out upon a low drone echoing the introduction until stillness. A very relaxing composition, highly evocative of the underwater environment Dan is summoning up and the delicate life forms upon which this album concentrates.

Gear List
Synthesiser.com analog modular system; Nord lead 2; Korg R3; Yamaha AN200, Korg Electribe; Dave Smith's Evolver; Roland XP-10, Fender Stratocaster, various effects, processors and sound shaping equipment..


ARTWORK
Medusazoa arrives in a jewel case with a single sheet insert. Artwork is all of saturated blue hues with soft-edged jellyfish forms hanging transparent in mid-distance. The front cover features a beautifully orange lit specimen, curling streamers and slender tentacles arcing in a graceful curve below. On the rear cover a number of the creatures form a loose cluster; some luminous and distinct, others vague, transparent. Track titles are here with times alongside, also website details and an email address. Within, the insert flip side presents an almost circular aspect with geometrical horseshoe shaped organs pinkly lit. A concise gear list sits here at the left foot. Behind the disc itself a veined close-up image, highlighting the inconsistent densities of these intriguing lifeforms.

OVERALL
US based Dan Pound has a discography as long as your arm and a musical resume to match. Having classical training for piano, guitar and double bass, Dan is an experienced composer for orchestra. He also has degrees in recording engineering and electronic music technology and currently specializes in producing music for film and multi-media. Dan works from his own studio and releases his music via his own recently established label Pound Sounds. This latest release, Medusazoa presents seven mid-length tracks ranging from the four minute six second Living Fossil to the fourteen minute plus Tentacles. Promotional material explains that this music was "made to accompany the fluid movements and colorful bio-luminescence of the jellyfish, flowing and drifting with the currents". Sound samples can be found on the Dan Pound website as well as a further description of the music.

ARTIST'S THOUGHTS
My personal feelings about this album are simply that this is exactly where I need to be right now musically and creatively. I finally feel like I have come into my own as an artist. No compromises or expectations. Just pure expression.
This is exactly the kind of music that I would listen to, even if it was not my own.

LABEL'S THOUGHTS
Get ready for your own liquid space aquarium music environment.
Based and built from analog modular synth drones, patches & effects, this is pure underwater dream zone music.
Made to accompany the fluid movements and colorful bio-luminescence of the jellyfish, flowing and drifting with the currents, the blend of sounds are surprisingly organic in their textures, and mix well with crustacean-like effects and poly-sequential, fractal rhythms & pulses.
Expansive, slow moving, aquarium-like environments are penetrated and felt deeply here.

Instruments used:
Synthesizer dot com modular system, Nord lead 2, Yamaha AN200, Korg Electribe, Dave Smith?s Evolver, Roland XP-10, Korg R-3, Fender Stratocaster, various effects, processors and sound shaping equipment.

Tracks:
1. Liquid Body 12:38
2. Under Her Spell 5:09
3. Living Fossil 4:06
4. Medusazoa 12:53
5. Tentacles 14:02
6. Bioluminescence 9:56
7. Currents 12:35

Inspired by the movements of fluidity and bio-luminescent colors of the jellyfish, this is an all out analog excursion of ambient liquid space.
Get ready for deep liquid space immersion with Medusazoa.

STYLE
March 2011
Downtempo psychill, lush electronica and acoustic performance. Inspirational Power opens with a gentle, beatless melodic piece built around a cycling, sequential pattern; distant male vocals hang wordlessly in the bright Autumn air; warm atmospherics; tranquil harmony. Chronos appears to be revelling in the beauty of digital sound on these tracks: gradual developments and expansive interludes in no rush to a final destination; beats that seem to inhabit the music rather than dominate; attractive melodic phrases and the intertwined twinkle of arpeggiators. There is a distinct sense of a musical journey to the album as the earlier restfulness develops into more climactic pieces with heavier grooves around the midway mark. Finally the music ascends spaceward via the synthetic sci-fi tones and philosophical musings of Optimistic Future and the meandering, ethereal, beat free concluder Forgiveness.


MOOD
The shifting mood here is often one of deep serenity and unhurried reverie. The intricacies of the beats are frequently offset by drifting ambient progressions and mesmerising evolving repetitions. There are spacey sections in places where the electronics take on a more sinewy, sharper-edged nature. Occasional global elements introduce touches of earthy exotica; most prominent on the folk remix of Sky Path: here flamenco style acoustic guitars juxtapose tribal drumming and Indian vocals before the track breaks wide open with an Irish reel played on distinctive uilleann pipes. There is even a progressive section with flute improvisation and a brief but distinct nineteen seventies vibe that arises during Deus Ex Machina.

ARTWORK
A jewel case presentation, Inspirational Power is fronted by a sharp graphic image of running figures upon interconnected cogs. Bold, black, dynamic - stare long enough and the whole things aches to move - set against a sleek icy grey ground that reflects the man machine in the foreground. The rear cover tracklist includes writing, production and collaborative credits laid out over greys and gears familiar from the flip side. Within, the double page spread of the insert is a rich presentation of photographs and text. There are performance shots highlighting the acoustic/electronic blend of Chronos' music with colourful instruments displayed and engrossed players at work. As well as the usual contact and technical details there is an interesting paragraph of background information on the artist.

OVERALL
Russian musician and sound designer Nick Klimenko delivers his third album as Chronos. Having collaborated back in 2009 with Catalizer on the Ajana release Quid est Veritas? he now follows up his debut solo of 2007 Steps to the Greater Knowledge. For Inspirational Power Chronos has turned to the Beats & Pieces label. There are ten tracks in all here that rise out of restful introspection gradually into dynamic downtempo psychedelia and global chill before floating right off through the stratosphere into infinite space. This album reveals Chronos to be a multifaceted project with both carefully crafted studio work and live performance aspects in evidence. The depth and colour of sound benefits from Nick's work developing virtual instruments and sound libraries as well as his collaborative relationships that give rise to some engrossing instrumentation threaded through the electronica.


WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Inspirational Power is one of those electronic albums that transcends the usual genre limitations; promotional material rightly claims that "it explores the paths between ambient, chillout, ethnic music and psychedelic hypnotic trance vibrations." Fans of colourful, deeply chilled psytrance will enjoy this release, so too will those with an interest in global dance music. The Beats & Pieces website holds listening material if you'd like to see for yourself.

Various Artists - Summer 2010 Collection

STYLE
Contemporary electronic chillout. The Summer 2010 Collection from Cymbidium is a warm album of lustrous synthetic glitch and electro-beat both vocal and instrumental. There are pieces here with something of a modern lounge vibe; others that have a fractured, experimental feel; moments where the electro-pop of the nineteen eighties is called to mind; slick jazzy montage sounds and relaxing, soulful female vocals. Sensuous, muted sax juxtaposes dappled light textures and tinkling metallics on Sleep Mode, the opener from Saine; an effected beatbox groove contrasts the dreamy male voice singing on MC Hossni and DJ God Wind's track Traveling. Kaneel's Loquace ranges from dreamy wobbling arpeggios against flickering clicky percussion to an intense zappy tremolo sound collage. Cut and paste sampled speech, languid piano and static texture, crunchy programmed rhythms and serene melody - this collection doesn't stand still for too long.


ARTWORK
Summer 2010 Collection features the cover artwork that you can see to the above left. A vibrant female portrait in shades of saturated orange where photographic elements blend with hand drawn line art and graphic enhancements. Since this is a digital release this crisp design by Oliver Cartwright is the only visual content.

OVERALL
Helsinki based independent recording company Cymbidium Records delivers a sharp compilation of electronic downtempo fleshing out an already well established discography (the label having been in action since 2005). The ten tracks here feature artists from Finland and beyond, some that have released albums of their own via Cymbidium as well as some less well established acts. The music has been chosen for inclusion by Costi, supervised by Saine and delivers a constantly changing eclectic chilled landscape with influences ranging from IDM, ambient groove and experimental electronica to urban abstract, jazz and funk. The album is a digital release and can be sampled in full both at Morpheus Music as well as at the Cymbidium website.

STYLE
Deeply chilled ambient electronic soundscapes. This latest compilation from the excellent Aleph Zero label pulls together some of the most cutting edge sounds in the world of drifting, glitch infested downtempo currently advancing over the horizon. The music ranges from intensely beautiful and dreamy to somewhat disconcerting and alien. Ovnimoon contribute a gorgeous track called Cajita De Sorpresas where buoyant hazy pads support a lustrous, fluid lead against an insectile, intricate beat. An interesting collaboration from Omnimotion and I Awake entitled Rebooting Daisy maintains the blissful, hypnotic floatational approach with a slightly dislocated groove lumbering aside sensuous female vocal layers and some delicately sparse melodic touches. Vataff Project's Owl is an example of the more disconcerting nature of darkness - a scratchy percussive track with a sequence of uneasy drones and sci-fi mechanisms. The album winds down with Shulman's One Step Closer; here remixed by Eitan Reiter and DJ Shahar. Maintaining the spacey vibe of the previous piece, this broad composition introduces a reverberating sax that luxuriates in the groove driven expanse before dropping away into a beatless pool of shifting synthetic currents. The concluding track is from Minilogue Feat. Inid Imman: a ponderous, gently thudding form with guitar manipulations and ample surface damage - light whispers and minimal melody - mesmerising light-headeness - heartbeat pump - fade to black.

MOOD
Dark Room Beats is an album full of brooding low-light atmosphere where periodic surges of warmth course through the night shadows and luminous colours twinkle and glow. The name is well chosen - this is certainly one for enjoying with a good sound system in a darkened room - or maybe for creating your own relaxing, dusky mindscape elsewhere during your day. Full of feeling, with an unhurried approach and ample room given over to building up mood and ambience.

ARTWORK
In keeping with the theme, artwork for Dark Room Beats is resolutely black across every panel. The front cover holds a simple image of a glowing lamp, yellow-orange and warm upon an infinite darkness. Flipping over, a tracklist is on the rear, set alongside a duplicate of the lamp. Turning to the insert, this opens out into three panels with a second tracklist on the outer first, simple logo on the central. Inside there is a section given over to thanks, a second with a more graphic representation of the familiar lamp form, contact details below, the third section presents an expanded tracklist, this time with writing credits and some additional performance information.

OVERALL
Aleph Zero compilations are always something of a delight. This one took three years of meticulous work to "design the room's sonic surroundings". The label is clearly intent on setting the standard for others to follow with this collection, Shahar and Shulman having selected thirteen pieces of visionary ambient glitch-chill that are of amazing quality and gratifying consonance. A number of Aleph Zero favourites are of course here: Shulman, Hibernation, Omnimotion, Vataff Project and Krusseldorf. Label head DJ Shahar brings his talent to bear in sharing with Eitan Reiter to remix the Shulman track One Step Closer. Other artists include Altair, Phasephour, Ovnimoon, I Awake, Good Rester, Alexander Daf, Aligning Minds and Minilogue Feat. Inid Imman. Robert Rich provides another highlight with Moth Wings: a lush, coruscating piece of sonic chiaroscuro featuring a meandering, sonorous flute.
Promotional material suggests "Come relaxed and open minded, turn off the lights, and let us take you somewhere else without ever leaving your room." Why not explore the eflier and see if you'd like to take up the invitation.


WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Dark Room Beats will appeal to downtempo fans that enjoy the more ambient side of the genre. This is a high quality release that the more discerning listener will appreciate. Aleph Zero and Ultimae seem to excel in this type of lush, glitchy chillout.

SOLAR CAMEL - TRAIN IN A RAINBOW (REISSUE)

STYLE
Warm, inviting new-age electronica with strong emphasis on melody and thematic development. Many compositions here, such as Sailing and Solemnis are formed around carefully constructed lead lines where the melodic arrangements take centre stage, whereas tracks like Hunting, for example, are more rhythmic at heart, allowing layered phrases and sequencial patterns to drive the music.With percussive content often to the fore, Train in a Rainbow sees each track unfold to a different programmed beat, most of which are bright, lively synthetic affairs of mid to uptempo pace. Sometimes, as with The Lake, grooves are accompanied by percolating arpeggios, other pieces feature fusion rhythms with ethnic percussion.

MOOD
Train In A Rainbow has a positive, light mood for the most part, combining the warmth and overt passion of new-age music with the electronic mechanism of much Berlin school electronica. There are some dramatic pieces with orchestral or string sections, whilst at the other end of the spectrum there are some dance tracks with something of an 80s synth pop feel. The liquid clarity of the sonic palette and the uncluttered nature of the arrangements give the album a rather high-tech sound with a peaceful, lucid quality.

ARTWORK
The updated album arrives in a jewelcase with single sheet insert. The front cover image features a colourful graphic locomotive apparently travelling along a twisting rainbow. This same image is repeated on the rear cover only here it is faded away into ghostly pallor with track titles overlaid. At the foot of this back panel can be found website details and an email contact address.

OVERALL
Agostino Mascarello's solo project Solar Camel released the Train in a Rainbow album (previously reviewed at Morpheus Music) in 2009. The disc has since been given an overhaul with attention paid to providing a more consistent track list focussing on electronic sounds. The classical side of Agostino's personality can be experienced through the Roots and Wings album also reviewed recently at Morpheus. Once again Agostino's digital piano/synth/vocals are accompanied by the voice of Brazilian born Déia. The new disc consists of no less than eighteen tracks and can be found at CD Baby or alternately you can sample some tracks and keep up with new developments at the Solar Camel Myspace page.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Train in a Rainbow is an album for lovers of synthesiser music with a new-age pop sensibility. Working a similar territory to Zer0 0ne, Vitaly and Mythos - this music might well be appreciatd by listeners enjoying gently energetic modern sounds with electro-groove beats. If you're wondering whether this is one for you - why not sample each of the tracks at CD Baby?

JAZZ COMPUTER.ORG - LIFE UNFOLDING

STYLE
Ambient synthetic instrumentals with jazzy influences. Life - Unfolding is a suite of six compositions that flow together into a unified whole. Spacey synths are central to the sound of this album - smooth, silken layers of tone that are used to establish an expanse, to suggest gentle undulating motion, to build entrancing harmonious drone beds and shifting sound clouds. Passages of beatless, floatation are set amongst sections of lazy, peaceful beats. Strongly effected lead guitar at times provides dreamy chord forms embellished by lustrous chimes such as Concealing Brightness. Air and Water Laps, on the other hand finds a far more dynamic lead style driving over a burbling synth sequence that seems to build almost imperceptibly from the atmosphere. In these more active moments Yves' appreciation of 70's prog rock can be noticed among the jazz based structures. The artist's own promotional material explains: "With intensive use of synths (and no samples or loops, except for the percussions which are sampled instruments), the jazz elements of this music are to be found in the harmonics and chords used, and the way guitar improvisations are played."!

MOOD
Life - Unfolding is a very restful album - whether drifting weightlessly on airy electronic wafts and currents or flowing with the greater urgency of the rhythmic portions of the music, the emphasis is primarily one of pleasant tranquillity. The music also has something of a sense of wonder - often a dreamy, natural optimism. There is a constant warmth that runs throughout the album imbuing the pieces with a glowing serenity that nicely enhances the relaxing nature of the harmonies.

ARTWORK
The cover art to Life - Unfolding is a rather beautiful artificial landscape. Here a craggy mound juts out into a still body of deep blue water burnished with subtle ripples. The eye is drawn among the stark forms of the rocks to an elegant purple leaved tree at the crest of the crag. This unusual life form is lit by a bright shaft of sunlight that sets the clouds into chiaroscuro and bathes the central portion of the scene with a radiant glow. Complementary text picks up the hue of the foliage completing the prime design.

OVERALL
Jazz Computer.org is the work of Yves Potin a lover of progressive rock in the 1970s and later a great fan of jazz and jazz fusion. Yves is an accomplished jazz guitar player, having played since his childhood. He has also enjoyed working with computer based music since the early days of the Atari ST. Jazz Computer.org presents albums for free download via the artist's website, where currently you can discover six releases dating back to the debut album of 2006. Life - Unfolding sees the artists exploring a more deeply ambient soundscape than previously, wherein deft guitar improvisations play in concrete juxtaposition. The six pieces here owe a debt of inspiration to ambient master Thom Brennan that can be noted in the delicate softness of the multi-layered pads and drones.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Life - Unfolding is an album that straddles spacey ambient and jazz guitar genres, with a somewhat new-age relaxational vibe to it. This is music for listeners that enjoy the warm softness of layered synth drones with the additional interest value of electric guitar improvisation. Why not visit the official website and listen to the samples at www.jazzcomputer.org .

YUBABA - PARADISO

STYLE
Downtempo songs and instrumentals with a Brazilian flavour. Yubaba take a fairly freestyle approach to their music drawing on a variety of genres from dub and reggae to house and electro. Brass flourishes and trumpet playing from guest Dan Covan, guitars and a real drum sound give the band something of a 'live' sound which is further enhanced by the frequent lyrical content. Singers both male and female contribute vocal performances in different languages: collaborators Thailan, Blacklight, and Nathalia Faria providing the human touch. Bouncing bass lines and squelching synth-work intertwine acoustic guitars, sax phrases and well placed crunchy effects.

MOOD
Yubaba's sound is a crisp 'real' sound that relies less on programmed arpeggiation and digital mechanism than much current downbeat music. The collaborating musicians and singers do much to give the album a soulful, concert feel. There is also an underlying tropical atmosphere to the whole album, a relaxed exuberance and warmth that justifies the title.

ARTWORK
Paradiso arrives in a jewelcase with a two-panel fold-out insert. The front cover features a female figure against a bright beach scene. Sharp graphic curlicues and floral twists overlay the broad brown border and main image and scroll around the titles. The rear cover contains another beach photograph in a slim upright frame allowing space for track titles to run alongside to the right. Within, along with further seashore imagery is a second tracklist with credits, a generous section of thanks and brief recording details.

OVERALL
Yubaba deliver their debut album following a number of compilation album appearances and international live performances. Paradiso is released via Cyberset Records and can be found in CD format at such standard outlets as Juno, Arabesque, Psyshop e SaikoSounds. Brazil-based duo Pedro Gomide and Frederico Drummond combine their broad minded musical talents on this smooth eleven track release. Promotional material from Cyberset explains: "They joined their skills in this project where mixing influences from their roots, they touch the listeners recreating the eclectic and open minded mood you could only find in Brasil. Yubaba evolves from dub into lounge with a trip hop feeling and an electro taste.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
If you enjoy chilled music with a concert atmosphere and plenty of real performance elements this is an album for you. You listen to the album at the band's website: http://yubaba.info/

Fredrik Ohr - Falling Through The Earth

STYLE
Dreamy, glitchy ambient chillout. Fredrik Öhr has created one of the most individual sounding electronic albums that I have heard in a long time. Clearly carried somehow by the tides of current downtempo and psychill, Falling Through The Earth benefits from cutting edge digital sophistication, blissful glitchy beats and global interconnection - yet at the same time this music is delightfully different and idiosyncratic with beautifully beguiling atmospheres, brittle textures and unaffected honesty. Rich, heady flutes waft in contrast to the flicker and flutter of glitch-breaks; plaintive piano and Middle-Eastern pipes interplay over bright crackle on the beautiful, beautiful A Day For Great Deeds; jazzy sounds and forms arise alongside international song in subtle flavours such as the doped double bass and muted wails of Morning Ritualism - dappled synthetic lights playing behind. Vocal content is frequent, yet rarely dominant - poetic phrases in a wistful gated female voice, sampled chants from around the world, Fredrik's own singing, vocoder musings and the spoken word. Not an album of arpeggios and sequencer forms, not an album of overt melodic themes (although some sweetly delicate melodies are certainly present), Falling Through The Earth is the music of shifting textures, deft layering and beguiling beats.

MOOD
The dominant mood of Falling Through The Earth is one of enchanting, exotic serenity. Crisp, lustrous soundscapes of playful, abstract forms that at times are so light and airy as to almost float away. There is often the sense of relaxing somewhere hot and dry, not anywhere special, somewhere personal yet far off - contradictory mindscapes arising and morphing constantly - a testament to the evocative power of Öhr's music. The gorgeous water movements and tropical environmental elements of Return that are echoed in the subsequent bubbling electro/tabla-beat and idle vocalisations leave the listener floating far from shore on warm waters under a euphoric sun.

ARTWORK
As unusual as the music - Falling Through The Earth is fronted by a drawing of tightly crowded figures, clustered in the lower half of the panel. They could have started out as fingerprints - this little knot of faces has a primitive, tribal quality to it - full of aboriginal style patterns, short lines and dots. As the three panel insert is removed from the package these peculiar persons now hang from the upper half of the next panel as if gathered now at the opposite end of the earth. Behind the CD itself a darkened close-up of the same faces here fills the whole tray. The rear of the package presents a tracklist and a discussion of the project that introduces Fredrik Öhr himself and his music. Further sections of the insert carry instrumental credits, poetic sources and production details. Here too are website and email addresses along with a generous listing of thanks.

OVERALL
Stockholm based musician and producer Fredrik Öhr releases his debut album Falling through the Earth through the much respected Aleph-Zero label. Pursuing the label's interest in high-quality international electro-acoustic downtempo; this new album could hardly suit Aleph-Zero better. Fredrik Öhr both fits in like something eminently familiar, in keeping with the 'house sound' and simultaneously breaks mold, sounding fresh and unexpected. The fourteen tracks of the album have a pleasing, confident unity about them yet follow no obvious formula - each piece taking the drift of the album off in a new direction, a meandering journey of discovery that is constantly turning up new surprises. Collaborating artists bring soprano saxophone, acoustic guitar, quena, bamboo flute, double bass and percussion as well as vocal content to the mix. Promotional material describes the music as "a wonderful dreamy and fresh combination of North European atmospheres and textures interlaced with Asian influences, all dipped in 70s psychedelic delicate feel" - yes yes yes! I strongly suggest you explore the E-flier for this release wherein you can read information on the album and the artist whilst sampling every track.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
If you enjoy quirky downtempo with an international leaning - this could be one for you. Falling Through The Earth will especially enchant you if you aren't looking for a steady downtempo-trance beat; the rhythms here are delicate and fragile, not regular and thumping. Listen to the E-flier.

STYLE
Rhythmic and ambient electronica. Chikatetsu is a subtle album of constantly shifting emphasis - opening with a pattern of high pitched delicate notes and steady drone, the album gets under way with a sense of unhurried class. Building into a restfully throbbing bass groove this initial track features the kind of tuneful, freeform harmony and artfully layered human-artificial structures that dominate the album. Barely discernable station voices and subway sounds occasionally inhabit the somewhat abstract musical forms that run in narrative flow. Some passages have a strongly mechanical rhythm suggestive of fleeting motion - rolling sequencer forms driving light melodic phrases. Other sections reveal a jazz influence, with lustrous vibes and muted chimes dancing among the synth voices. The music features Tim Gerwing on keyboards, guitars, bass, electronics, vocals and drum programming with musicians Besart Hysniu delivering keyboards, programming, remixing, electronics, David Picking ride cymbals and Terry O'Brien guitar, guitar synths. There is often a mesmerising sense of detachment about the music as if the listener were a lonely observer among busy meandering crowds - at rest among the currents of urban activity.

ARTWORK
Chikatetsu comes in a sharp card wallet (these really are so much nicer than jewelcases) of saturated colour. The front image is a motion blurred train caught momentarily passing through a station - broad black borders making the night-time hues appear to positively glow. The reverse holds a tube map layered upon a carriage interior - here are a series of evocative, descriptive terms that might help the potential listener to imagine something of the nature of the music. Within, the two panel sleeve holds track details on the left and additional information on the right. Instrumental and technical credits along with thanks and download details.

OVERALL
Born and based currently in Canada Tim Gerwing has been interested in music since early childhood. Having studied classical piano, Tim branched out to explore jazz, electronic, new age, progressive rock/pop, and Middle and Far Eastern styles. He has been releasing music as a solo artist since 2002 when his debut Being To Being was released under his own record label. This current disc contains thirteen tracks that that work around the theme of Japanese subway travel and experience. Promotional material explains Chikatetsu as 'the “underground iron”, the subway system that is the heart of public transportation in the large cities of Japan'. Further wording suggests "ambient textures -> electronic musical maps -> hyper-cultural leitmotifs -> fractal audio perspectives -> psycho-emotional sonic imagery. The beautifully designed website contains sound samples and further information if you'd like to check it out at http://www.lascaux21.com/chikatetsu/

FIELD ROTATION - LICHT UND SCHATTEN

STYLE
Beautiful electronic glitchscapes with various acoustic elements. Field Rotation is a project with a rare sense of elegant beauty. The subtle classical threads that twine through these digital arrangements imbue the music with a dignity and grace that immediately lifts Licht und Schatten above the norm. The melodic content is relatively minimal, yet these sparse soundtracks are highly emotive, heavy with atmosphere and most inviting. Melancholy acoustic guitar hangs over heaving synthetic pads in melodic calm, whilst in other passages tense string swells ebb and flow in dramatic shadow. Plaintive piano and transmission fragments alternate with string snatches upon a bed of sonic breeze, the crunch of footfalls rises and falls behind days-end glow, faint arpeggios morph across rhythmic electronica. Once the understated beats roll in, the music almost sighs at times with a restrained serenity. Click-ridden scratchy rhythms and soft crackle adorn the more regular beats that drive some of the recordings, some pieces have no beat for the most part or none at all.

MOOD
Licht und Schatten has an otherworldly quality about it, a sublime soft focus warmth. Most pieces have a gentle solemnity, a wistful nature - that beautiful sadness that tugs at the heart. This sense of quietude, however, is not all pervasive - dark moments, ominous regions have their places. Tiefflug has something of a sci-fi theme - bubbling bassline cycling beneath acidic synth motifs.

ARTWORK Fluid Audio have excelled with the packaging of this special edition EP. The disc comes in a four panel tray presented in a hand stitched fabric sleeve. A full colour poster, badge and an additional surprise (I won't spoil it) are all included in the set. A paper slip enwraps the sleeve bearing the title of the album - everything tasteful and with that feel of something special. This might all be a bit suspect if it weren't for the quality of the music - Fluid are not trying to sucker listeners in by means of package overkill - rather this is a fantastic limited edition item that feels special through and through.


OVERALL Violinist, pianist, composer and producer Christoph Berg s based in Kiel, Germany and began the Field Rotation project in 2008. This limited edition EP of only 100 signed and numbered copies is the stepping stone for Field Rotation to make the leap from compilation appearances to full length album. The Fluid Audio label anticipates a complete album sometime in 2010 - meanwhile this release whets the appetite for a project that seems set to sit among the front runners of the genre. The digital version of Licht und Schatten holds only four of the seven pieces found on the CD so don't wait - get in quickly and experience the whole thing. You can hear the music on the Fluid Audio website as well as getting a chance to see the presentation of the limited edition if you need to.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
This is a quality EP that will appeal to fans of both the electro-neo-classic and minimalist chillout genres. Fans of Deaf Centre, Ultimae, Bersarin Quartett and the likes will love Licht und Schatten.

TERRA DEL SOL - THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION

STYLE
Global electronic chillout instrumentals with occasional female vocals. The tracks here are a mixture of instrumental and vocal arrangements. Smooth synth strains and atmospheric pads drift across deftly constructed airy beats that feature some smooth drum and bass patterns as well as languid downtempo dance grooves. Organ patterns, sax meanderings and electric guitar phrases provide thematic content on a number of tracks whilst soft feminine phrases waft on the breeze creating a tranquil lounge feel. In other places international instrumentation creates a more distant exoticism oriental gamelan underpinning Indian violin work or Chinese erhu and hand drumming alternating with rich synthetic chimes. A somewhat higher tempo and bass throb accompany sensuous spoken words of the club oriented Je Danse, however, for the most part the beats are restful and deeply chilled sometimes even giving way to the night time ambience of crickets.

MOOD
The mood here is mostly one of Mediterranean sunshine chill although Indian and oriental elements tug the mind further eastward at times. There is a pervasive relaxed dreaminess that calls to mind warm shores and fresh air, Terra Del Sol eminently true to the title. The Terra Del Sol title tracks fuses some tribal percussion and dance beats introduced by a montage of African choruses and solo vocals.

ARTWORK
The promotional package that I have includes front cover artwork built primarily around the Terra Del Sol title itself. Below the blocked font a tangled procession of tinted aquatic forms rolls in pastel hues, curling tentacles entwined. On the reverse is a tracklist running down the right with associated timings for each piece, writing credits listed below. On the left half are three small photographs of the artists footed by details of their contributions to the project.

OVERALL
Terra Del Sol is the music of musician and label manager Alberto Hauss on keyboards and Spanish guitar and Christophe Garnerone providing percussion and harmonica. The Essential Chill Collection features the vocal talents of Maria Sanchez and Lalu. This current release is delivered via the UK's Tantajo Records, label subsidiary of German based Tantajo Studios, known for its ambient, downbeat and lounge output. This is a quality album of intense chillout music that would work well as a blissed out backdrop to that perfect evening or equally, Terra Del Sol provide sufficient detail and melody to reward headphone experience.


WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
This album seems most ideally suited to fans of balearic chill. If you enjoyed Alberto Hausse's La Tienda Mediterranean Ambiance then this will be right up your street. Cafe Del Mar lovers will likely enjoy the vibe here too.

SOLAR CAMEL - TRAIN IN A RAINBOW

STYLE
Melodic instrumental synth music with occasional vocal sections. Train in a Rainbow is a collection of bright, electronic music with strong beats and clear themes. Multi-layered tuneful phrases, string sounds and burbling/twinkling sequencer patterns form the backbone of Solar Camel's sound on this release. The chosen sound palette is one of clean, traditional synthesis, voice loops and pianos. Drum beats are primarily composed of programmed grooves built around real drum sounds, yet digital hits and ethnic percussion elements also are employed broadening the mix. On the title track, male and female voices with distinct European accents sing/speak in a style reminiscent of Kraftwerk, in other places strongly effected vocal strains act in a more instrumental manner.

MOOD
Train in a Rainbow has an upbeat sound that brings together elements of measured Berlin synth music, new age optimism and the clarity of eighties synth-pop. In places there are dramatic passages with stirring pace and processional grandeur. Other tracks take a more relaxed approach often with the trademark restraint typical of European synth-pop.

ARTWORK
The album arrives in a jewelcase with single sheet insert. The front cover image features a colourful graphic locomotive apparently travelling along a twisting rainbow. This same image is repeated on the rear cover only here it is faded away into ghostly pallor with track titles overlaid. At the foot of this back panel can be found website details and an email contact address.

OVERALL
The Solar Camel project consists of Italian Agostino Mascarello on digital piano/synth/vocals and Brazilian born Déia on vocals/arrangements. Currently the duo is based in the south of France - the project takes its name from Agostino's surname in anagram form. There is a second project that goes by the name of Polar Camel focusing more on pop/classical sounds. If you'd like to hear what is on offer, why not check out the Solar Camel Myspace page or alternately their CD Baby page where tracks can be previewed and purchased individually or as an album on CD. Solar Camel acknowledges the influence of such major acts as Jean-Michel Jarre, Ennio Morricone and Vangelis.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Train in a Rainbow is an album for lovers of synthesiser music with a new-age pop sensibility. Working a similar territory to Zer0 0ne, Vitaly and Mythos - this music might well be appreciatd by listeners enjoying gently energetic material.

Longing For Orpheus - OtherSong

STYLE
Relaxing new age and chilled melodic instrumentals. OtherSong has a lush serenity about it that increasingly absorbs the listener as the album unfolds - laid back beats combining programmed grooves and acoustic enhancements propelling dreamy melodies. The mellow themes are primarily of well selected synthetic sound, multi-layered lines buoyed upon smooth pads with additional multi-national samples sensitively entwined. Pianos, flutes, harp, erhu and pipa along with other exotic instruments constantly grab the attention and keep the colours bright and strong. Ethnic drums such as djeme, bodhran and shakers are employed to bring emphatic levels to the beats, the occasional electronic glitch and subtle sequencer pattern adding further depth.

MOOD
For the most part the mood here is one of optimistic tranquillity - even when the tempos lift somewhat, the hypnotic nature of the music remains. The album explores a range of genres from the balearic slant of EverSoul through the more overtly worldbeat NeverTale and UmbraStory to the progressive electronic ForestWake. That said - the listener would likely not spot any obvious shift in style since the whole package has a strong unifying identity that runs throughout the whole album.

ARTWORK
OtherSong comes in a jewelcase with single sheet insert. The limited palette of liquid blue and lilac creates a tasteful front cover - smooth sky and sharp blossom with simple title font. The rear cover presents a similar sky, this time with faint puffs of white cloud, bright copper leaves in foreground. The tracklist runs down the right side. Flipping the insert over; the thematic content is maintained with more vivid flora alongside a second tracklist. Here too are brief credits and website details with a suggestion that album notes can be found at the artist's site.

OVERALL
Longing For Orpheus is the solo project of classically trained US musician Derek Smootz. With its origin back in 2003, the project experimented with music influenced by the likes of Enigma and Vangelis. A debut album was released in 2006 entitled Skye making OtherSong the second full length CD currently on offer. According to the official website Derek is also involved in various side projects such as Artificial Emotion (dance-oriented) and Ice Queen Alias (synthpop). He performs with various choirs and theatres in the Austin area, and maintains the "After Enigma" online guide to Nu Ambient music. The new album can be heard at the Longing For Orpheus website.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
This is music for forgetting your cares and enjoying the moment. OtherSong has that fairytale dreaminess found in Amethystium and will likely appeal to fans of enigmatic music. Well suited as background sound - but a joy to experience on headphones too.

ECHODUBDIRECT

Echodub are launching a series of brand new releases.
Enter your email address at the Echodub site and you can have them all for free.

http://direct.echodub.co.uk/

What?
Echodub are going to be putting out a series of free EPs from our producers. This will be brand new material, and seperate to the regular releases you can pick up on iTunes, Juno or Beatport.

When each release is ready, it will be released to everyone who signs up, and you will recieve an email with a download link and a bit of information about the release.

Why?
Echodub value the people who enjoy our releases, and we like to give something back with a bit of exclusivity, so this is our way of saying "Thanks for digging our music".

You can find out more information by getting in touch with echo@echodub.co.uk
http://direct.echodub.co.uk/

ZAUM vol.1 compilation with Netherworld and other Italian artists

A selection of Italian ambient works, specifically composed for the release, compiled by Enrico Coniglio and Emanuele Errante. The album features music from internationally much-admired artists such as Netherworld (Glacial Movements label owner), Oophoi, Arlo Bigazzi (Materiali Sonori label), Alturo Stalteri, Luca Formentini, Illàchime quartet, Con_cetta, as well as other brilliant unreleased artists.

A stunning mix of beat and non-beat pure Ambient tunes, that shift between isolationist and glacial atmospheres. For fans of Pole, Biosphere...


Tracklisting:

01 Netherworld - 'Jostedaal'
02 Aquadorsa (E. Coniglio & Oophoi) - 'Daylight Fading Into Evening Silence'
03 Dario Antonelli - 'ZX-21 Part I'
04 con_cetta Vs Antartica - 'Thank You'
05 Arlo Bigazzi & Arturo Stalteri - 'Stregatto'
06 -ON- - 'Last Love Inside Love'
07 Massimo Liverani - 'Primavera'
08 Emanuelle Errante - 'Egostasy'
09 Illàchime Quartet - 'Terminali (Source 1.0)'
10 Luca Formentini - 'Avaaz'
11 Zoo Div Vetro - 'Amaliadiesis'

i have few copies available for selling only.If you are interested please ask me before to order.Otherwise you can contact directly:

www.psychonavigation.com/zaumvol1.html

Open Canvas - Travel By Sound

A pan eastern musical journey influenced by the rhythms and instrumentation of the Asian subcontinent, Middle East and Jamaican dub. Electronic music that moves both mind and body within a cinema of sound.

Travel by Sound is an electronic excursion into the the melodies and rhythms of far eastern lands. Where the intertwining electronic pulses of synthesizers and melodic wind blown and hand plucked instruments of India and the middle east meet in a peaceful dance. A sonic tapestry where the percolating rhythm's of the tabla and dumbek meet dub infected basslines and the distant chants of the muezzin. Sit back close your eyes, open your mind and ears its time to travel east. Travel by Sound is the continuing musical saga/exploration that began with the debut release Nomadic Impressions and followed by Indumani.