Dark, atmospheric, theatrical, textural music from a composer that has always ploughed his unique furrow in a hellish field all of his own.
Recommended if you like Vangelis, Yes, Tangerine Dream, King Crimson

11 MP3 Songs in this album (49:05) !
Related styles: Avant Garde: Sound Sculpture, Electronic: Soundscapes, Type: Experimental

People who are interested in King Crimson Tangerine Dream Vangelis should consider this download.


Details:
EXPOSE MAGAZINE (Paul Hightower)
..... Most of these tracks feature vintage electronic keyboards, such as ARP synths and Solinas, the kind of thing people like Vangelis, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream were using in the 70's, though these recordings are not nearly that old. Hills has been enamored with the sound of these electronic and progressive pioneers and on his early albums set out to carve out a niche for himself. He possesses a keen feel for exotic textures and cultural music from South East Asia, extending well beyond the cliche motifs and scalar ideas one associates with Asian music. One can hear Tibetan, Thai, and Indonesian influences in Hills' melodies and - in particular - the percussion. Even though they are largely synthetic and electronic, the bells, chimes, gongs, cymbals, and hand drums are arranged and built into the songs with convincingly effective results. I'm reminded of Jon Anderson's lost solo album The Sky and His Shadow, plus the pioneering electronica of Eno and Tangerine Dream. A more modern reference might be early Karda Estra, though the feel of this material isn't as gothic. Hills has much to offer and for those who enjoy aural journeys into exotic realms you owe it to yourself to check this out.

PROGRESSIVE EARS
..... Hills may sound like he's on his own, but that doesn't mean his sound is small. On occasions he may sound as grand and big as Vangelis. Most of the times however, he focuses more on the minimalistic aspect of music. He takes a single melody and works on it throughout most of the song. The melodies are superficially quite simple, but there some difficult parts once you get below the surface.
The music is hard to pinpoint. One of the major influences was probably Vangelis. The music is mostly played on keyboards, with some assistance by percussion and guitar. On rare occasions there are also some vocals or spoken parts. You could really call this chill out music. It seems as if it was made to make you relax. Usually, the melodies are soft and soothing and have an ethereal character. There are a few times, though, when there is some aggression in the music as well and there are also a couple of darker passages. This is nice for richer variety. Another positive aspect is that he hardly ever uses programmed percussion and even when he does its not vexing. Best tracks: Romeo & The Beast, Dont Go Into The Apple Tree......

GNOSIS - (Richard Poulin)
.....this belongs to the ambient electronic genre, with mostly analogic synthesizers, a little guitar, and a little percussion here and there that adds interesting colors and depth to the sound. I would tentatively compare N.R. Hills' e-music to a crossover between Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana's âWell of Soulsâ and Tangerine Dream's âZeitâ (a pretty favorable place on my scale), but in a somewhat less transcendental vein. Unlike these last two masterpieces, where the listener is taken to totally abstract places and completely immersed in an alien, unlimited universe where no references to known objects or sounds are left, âEleven Nails...â is much more organic. There are for example several tracks that are decidedly Oriental-ized (e.g. âDon't Go Into The Apple Tree), and there are even spoken parts (e.g. âThey Call Me Shock-Headedâ) with esoteric Indian (or Indian-like) poetry read with an Eastern accent that really gives an âauthenticâ feeling to it, and they are certainly pleasant and soothing in a way......