Many of you are wondering when the next Sequences will be out. Well to cut a long story short , due to family problems over the last 6 months I've had to put the new issue on hold, also I moved towards the end of last year and there is much to do on the new house. Hopefully by the end of this new year we will be back, be patience and keep and eye on our website for our comeback.
In the meantime we will be putting some of the CD reviews on this page and keep you informed of any news in the scene that might be of interest to you all.
Starting our list of CD reviews is album from a musician whose music is a cut above the more retro style we seem to be swamped with and is one of my favourites of the year,
Psicodreamics
Ambiethernum
Psicodreamics is Spanish musician Salva Moreno’s who provides on this release a wealth of fine compositions from a catalogue of music spanning from the 90’s with nine albums to date.
His music combines the elements of New Age with ambient overtones and has an inner beauty in it’s structure. This can be found on the tracks such as “A Heaven in Your Eyes” were who hear the call of the angels and the shimmering lights of the cosmos, at the foot of a Galactic doorway. My favourite piece on the album, showing rare emotion.
“Labyrinth of Seduction” has those same heavenly sounds but with a rhythmic foundation of cestial chords, very uplifting. Again “Stakes and Garlics” & “The Crypt of Despair” have other worldy echoes from beyond the sphere of life and grabs you with their shear beauty. Another spacey track “Luminious” takes us into the mysterious sounds of the universe, sometimes dark and unnerving, yet totally absorbing.
“On the shore of Hell” has firstly the spoken words, sounded death to this track but gladly they only last a few seconds. This is an interesting piece with quirky voices, thunderous basses and disturbing breathing sounds. “The Beyond” is in a similar vein but has a much darker feel, with undertones of desolate landscapes in a world driven by the unknown.
Going with the same theme as the former “Malicious Children Delight” is much more experimental with all manner of percussive & industrial sounds, overlaid with a choral lead.
“Floating in the River of Souls” is a atmospheric piece woven with symphonic choral sounds, probably the most melodic piece on the album with added piano chords and
“Twilight Dream (Reverse)” the shortest track provides again soaring symphonic chords, retaining an enlighten quality.
So there you have it, a sample of the music from Psicodreamics, with it’s shifting textures and amazingly, beautiful, fluid, ambient sounds, will embrace you with it’s spiritual
well being, you will not be disappointed.
www.psicodreamics.com
(c) Sequencesmagazine 2008
BEKKI WILLIAMS/EDGE OF HUMAN
AD MUSIC 2007 - AD44CD
10 TRACKS - 47:38
I have to admit that I didn't know the music of Bekki Williams when I put on this CD. I remember reading about her in those old Voyager Magazines in the 90s, but I hadn't heard a second of her music until today. To be a woman in the very male-dominated world of electronic music is special in itself, and I had a feeling that Bekki's music would sound a bit like the romantic moods of an artist like Suzanne Ciani or Constance Demby. I wasn't particularly correct. This CD, her fourth album and almost seven years in the making, was a great positive surprise for this reviewer. Melodic, exciting, energetic and well-performed music, the 47 minutes on this disc were over pretty quickly. Of course AD Music is known for several high-quality releases, and that may have been a quality-sign in itself.
The disc starts with possibly the best track, the Twilight Mix of "Amber Dawn", originally a track from 1999. After what sounds like an Enya-like opening, a brilliant Jan Hammer-like mood sets in and a massive driving rhythmic melodic electronica piece develops. Williams shows how good she is with tunes and melodies, and that surely gives a plus in my book. "First Light" ("The Awakening") starts more down-tempo before it takes off with a rhythmic, powerful, symphonic part. Very filmic music that would function really well in a film - and not unsurprisingly she mentions on her site that film composers like Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Graeme Revell and Brad Fiedel belong to her favorites. "Firewalk" was originally written for a game, which explains the dramatic nature of the piece. Bekki surely has more talent than several other composers writing game music. Also the next two tracks, "Ephemeris" and "Where Times Collide" are from the game score. The first one has more of a melancholic mood, a nice guitar by Paul Barraclough and an inevitable Enigma-feel with the choir sounds. The second one is very brief and is even more dramatic with that sampled choir.
The cinematic mood continues with "The Azmara Variations" which segues into a rhythmic and melodic part and then closes with a nice piano solo. "Ever-Changing Calm" is up-tempo and almost housey, a really powerhouse melodic sequencer-tune thst Andy Pickfiord would have been proud of. Electronic music for the dance floor perhaps which again shows the composer's talent. "Xanthe's Garden" is almost radio-friendly pop music based on an oboe-melody that Bekki wrote more than 15 years ago, some rhythm guitar and clever synth solos. "The Human Edge", dedicated to her father who passed away in 2005, is another nice and melodic tune with a sampled violin that takes off and grooves seriously, a melodic gift that just *has* to be enjoyed. The last track is the Original Version of "Amber Dawn". It's a celestial melody but it misses the power of the Twilight Mix and goes a fine line in crossing into Richard Clayderman territory.
All in all "Edge Of Human" is a splendid album of melodic electronic music from the UK, highly enjoyable and fun to listen to. If the CD will stand the test of time is impossible to say though, and perhaps it's not an especially "deep" album - but it's good right now, and that's what counts the most.
http://www.admusiconline.com/
http://www.bekkiwilliams.com/
KARMACOSMIC & DARSHINI
SAT CHID ANANDA
PRUDENCE RECORDINGS - 398.6731.2
12 TRACKS - 56:56
I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical to this CD when I first saw it. Asian/new age/yoga fusion, I thought, not what I put on my CD-player each day to be honest. But a reviewer has to listen with an open mind, no matter what of course. After Karmacosmic's debut "Music For Mantra & Meditation", the three musicians Rudiger Gleisberg, Mathias Grassow and Carsten Agthe remained true to their distinctive style on this CD, but enriched their work with Darshini's mantra-singings.
"Incredible India" has an eastern intro with voice and sampled flute, then rhythmic percussion and ambience. A relaxing feel dominates the song which has traditional lyrics. Repeated vocals are featured on the next track, over percussion and flowing synths. Rather annoying to be honest, and probably too alien for most western listeners. More percussion and synths on "Enlightened Visions", which has an enjoyable mystical feel, but it's all too static, it doesn't have the melodic strength, rhythmic power or compositional skill of, say, a band like Deep Forest, although this music is probably more authentic. Track 4 has again the vocals at the forefront plus more percussion, sampled flute and flowing synth, a sad and melancholic melody that is soon forgotten. "Shiva Om Cafe" is an instrumental track, therefore more interesting. It's a rather nice and soothing melody based on the electronics from Gleisberg and Grassow. The next track has more of the traditional and rather strange indian vocals, although the lullaby-like song is quite nice.
"Lotus Space Lounge" features a surprising drum machine rhythm that quickly fades away, a rather different track. "Trip To Inner Landscapes" has a repeating synth phrase, it's mystical and quite good and reminded me mildly of Erik Wøllo. "Flight Over Kailash" has more of the mystical mood and slowly evolving synths over Carsten Agthe's percussion. Then, it's time for the best track on the CD, in my opinion: "Cosmic Pulse" is dominated by rhythmic real rock-drums over a catchy melody in the Deep Forest-vein - a very good song. "Wankido" features vocals by Thorsten Noack, it sounds a bit like Jarre's "Revolutions", but the vocals doesn't really work. The last track is based on endlessly repeated indian vocals over relaxing floating synths.
"Sat Chid Ananda" was better than I feared, but it's not something that will be frequently played in my house I have to say. Fans of the indian sound will find much to enjoy here though.
http://www.karmacosmic.de/
http://www.bscmusic.com/
RON BERRY.
Temples
CD009
The self-confessed 'contrary bugger' is back with another fine album, proving that his well of inspiration is in no danger of drying up. As has long been his work Ron mixes abstract & melodic elements with typically imaginative sounds & atmospheres, incorporating them into what is, at its heart, fairly accessable music. Thus the balance between easy-going melodies & expertly-realised, sultry atmospheres is maintained throughout, along with a constant exotic edge that effectively evokes its subject in a manner that shows a master craftsman at work, starting with the resonant bell that heralds the opening of "Forgotten Temples". This then builds through a dark, ambient soundscape before emerging into more melodic but still atmospheric realms where some effective electronic piano work is backed by good sequencing work although the abstract sounds do return to the surface from time to time.
It's evident that the listener is in for an absorbing listen here & this continues during "Gateway To The East" where the authentic-sounding flutey synth adds to the mysterious & tense mood that is later embellished further by the sinuous lead soloing that takes the track to new exotic heights. The initially dark mood that seems appropriate for "Temple Of The Night" is later balanced by some brighter chords to lighten the mood a little while, later still, a barely audible pulse that seems to echo one's own heartbeat provides just enough impetus to underpin the atmospherics that Ron so expertly lays down. The exotic air is then heightened still further by the superbly languid & gently flowing melodics that grace "Pilgrim's Track", ably evoking a hot, sultry climate while "River Passage" soon proves to be one of the most infectious & instantly memorable tracks on the album with the flutey synths that very much to the fore bringing to mind Phil Thornton circa Forever Dream &, while Ron ably manages to avoid any potential 'new age' hazards, the lighter mood that graces "Temple Of Restless Souls" did initially sound a little too light for comfort. However, the track's real emotional flavours save it from such an ignoble fate before "White Water" again plays to the album's stengths, invoking more ethnic elements on yet another absorbing track that engages your senses almost without you realising it. Similarly, the soaring, uplifting climax of "Deep Into The Mountain" sets the scene nicely for the gently melodic "Before The Altar Of Light" & the more abstract "Gate To Eternity" to end the album on a more reflective &, despite their differences, nicely complimentary note that sees Ron on his usual fine form, proving that he still has much to offer the EM world.
http://www.ronberry.freeuk.com
Carl Jenkinson
M.A.S.S.
Mysteria
Membran Music 224083-372
I was surprised to learn that not only is former Mythos mainman Stephan Kaske (whose 'Gran Prix' is something of a forgotten classic!) still making music but had received Schwingungen awards as recently as 2005.
This lavishly-packaged 3CD box set (with a smart booklet, too!) is his latest offering, containing 15 tracks of rather fine rhythmic melodic synthmusic of the sort that is a rarety these days & Kaske's melodic skills mean there is plenty of worthwhile music to be discovered here, as proven by 'You Are Evil', where some imaginative vocoder effects are absorbed into the melodic framework or the 14-minute 'Hawai Iniki' which is even better, setting off from an immediately infectious sequencer backing that is returned to, to good effect, throughout the track. It's also one of the few longer pieces that doesn't sound like it goes on for too long, thanks to the greater variety on offer although others are not so lucky. 'Dynamic Relaxation', for example, is another 14 minute job & is far too repetitive, saying all it needs to in half that time which does dilute somewhat the impact of the otherwise quite enjoyable melodics. The 'uniformity' that is evident in the backing rhythms doesn't help in this regard, either, although his melodic skills, for the most part, compensate for this with 'Adrenalin Hunters' boasting a nice contrast between the bright & breezy sequences & the dynamic main theme or 'Easy Rotations', where the offbeat, almost rusty-sounding sax adds a down-at-heel jazz feel & it's no bad thing to see an EM musician looking beyond the usual realms for inspiration, is it?
Elsewhere, some wordless vocals add to the already uplifting mood of 'Passione Totale' which opens disc three &, although I'm not too sure about the title, the similarities between 'Pimp Your Guitar' & TD's late 80s work is actually quite enjoyable, with some almost mind-bending guitar work adding a sharper edge to the pleasant melodics. As the collection nears its end the overtly happy feel of 'Fourthreetwoone' is tempered slightly by a nicely abstract middle-section before 'Kirikaeshi' brings out the analogue drum machine for one last hurrah, along with the kind of ethnic effects that were 'in vogue' about 10 years ago but they basically sound OK here, bringing to a conclusion this fine release that's well worth discovering.
www.membran.net
ACHILLEA.
Amadas Estrella
Prudence Music 398.6727.2
The brains behind this album is one Jens Gad who spent many years working with Enigma &, in terms of influence, the apple hasn't fallen very far from the tree as Gad has taken pretty much the whole Enigma sound on board, monastic choirs, relaxing ambient rhythms, sensuous vocals, you know the score, & made them the main ingredients of his own music, even down to the sultry female vocals, courtesy of one Luisa Fernandez's exotic voice, that, along with the widespread accoustic guitar, do prevent this being a total Enigma rehash, by including more obvious Spanish flavours, thus giving the album a more parochial feel (gad's studio is based in Ibiza). Yes, it does sound rather cliched now, like the relics of a past generation (which could well attract the tag of 'new age bollocks' from the mainstream music press) so the fact that it's actually a surprisingly enjoyable listen must qualify it for Guilty Pleasure status.
Despite a few little touches such as the imaginatively effected voice that crops up during 'El Alma Herida' Fernandez who gives the album most of its character & while she mostly speaks huskily over the, it must be said, effective musical tapestries Gad lays down, it's when she lets rip & sings with a full-throated joy on the latter halves of 'Amor-Parte 2' & 'Alas Del Aguila', the latter seeing her carrying on where some effective monks' choir samples left off (nobody said cliches weren't effective in the right place!). Either of these pieces have the potential to be massive hits if this were on anybody's minds & Fernandez is, without doubt, a star in the making as her undoubted expertise really adds to the music's majestic qualities. And if all this sounds a bit too soft the heavy guitar that adds real majestic power to 'Atacame' should serve to calm any such doubts, bearing a resemblance to some of Shamall's later works, which is no bad thing. In fact, if you can overlook the fact that this music belongs to ten years ago it actually manages to sound simultaneously uplifting, relaxing & quite romantic which is actually no mean feat!
www.bscmusic.com
Carl Jenkinson
KLANGWELT. XOIO
Spheric Music SMCD 6102
With the EM currently drowning in a sea of retro/improvised/sequenced dross artists such as Gerald Arend, who know the value of composing & feeling in music are becoming more & more important. That it was voted as album of the year in the Schallewende/Syngate/Schingungen poll is well-deserved & it possibly means that some EM fans have had enough of the old skool & yearn for a return of proper compositions; interesting, that, don't you think?
Alongside the sequences & melodics Arend makes good use of unusual voice effects which first crop up right at the beginning of the 10 minute opener "Okzident", adding a nicely offbeat feel to a track which, thanks to some fine melodic work, has a sultry Eastern promise about it. The voices also add an unexpected edge to the ethnic elements, soaring leads & deeply resonant chords that, between them, make "Spirits" the totally uplifting & expansive piece that it is.
While this is a slightly more laidback album that its predecessors Arend still plays very much to his strengths with many highlights to be found. Foremost among them is "Fun-Fair" where the leads accurately evoke the feeling of a carousel in motion although the offbeat & tense edge hints that not all is at it seems, like the rictus smile of a spooky clown while the title track is given extra bite by the meaty synthleads that sit atop an expertly constructed tapestry of sequences. Some equally strong melodic work adds an extra fruity element to "Bed Of Clouds", in unison with some seriously chilled floating sax, each making an important contribution to the blissed-out mood while the genuinely touching "Rive" will really play on your heart, thanks to some excellent piano work & a poignantly bittersweet feel. "La Bella" could have enjoyed similar acclaim were it not for the happier mood that makes this a little overly sweet & while some of the sounds that grace the rhythmic "No Response" sound like some half-hearted attempt to go trancey it does at least build up a reasonable head of steam, enough to keep things interesting, at least. It is, however, left to the closing "Fade Away" to really get proceedings back on course. Starting in a more restrained manner it then builds in quite superb fashion with more excellent leads adding real bite & drama before subsiding into a brooding & tense ending that slowly fades away to bring the album to an end.
That he's still producing the good on his third album can only be an encouraging sign that there's still plenty of goodies to come from this genuinely talented German musician.
www.sphericmusic.de
Carl Jenkinson