Space new age electronic

3 MP3 Songs
ELECTRONIC: Electronica, NEW AGE: Space

Show all album songs: Far Canal Songs


Details:
Volt - "The Far Canal" is this?" you might ask & you'd be quite right as this CD from Steve Smith & Michael Shipway will easily appeal to all those who can't get enough improvised sequencer-based EM.

There are just three long tracks to be found here, starting with the 14 minute Part one which will easily delight all those who enjoyed Chuck Van Zyl's CD releases on Centaur. Of course this is very familiar EM territory but they do it as well as anyone else you could name. The atmospheric drum loop that makes the lion's share of Part Two reminds me of some of CHAOS' improvised works & this does have some slightly abstract touches cropping up throughout although the beginning is again very spacey, a feel which is ably adhered to throughout.
Part three weighs in at over 24 minutes & builds up an impressive head of steam through solid sequencing & some well tasty leadlines, you could almost imagine the musicians giving it all they've got on this one. The ethereal chords are still present of course & these help keep the spacey atmospherics intact.

I'm sure you'll already have decided is this is for you but if you're a sequencer nut then this fix comes well recommended.
2003. Carl Jenkinson



This CD from 2003 features 60 minutes of modern Berlin School electronics.
Volt is: Steve Smith and Michael Shipway, a pair of Brits who exhibit tasty talents rooted in the retro, Berlin School sound.
Let's visit Mars. Look--the tour is taking us to examine one of the Martian canals, those immense chasms that mysteriously crisscross the surface of the Red Planet.

The sonic journey begins softly, with a passage of ethereal atmospherics. This nebulous definition is swiftly swept into masterfully sequenced melodies that radiate with power and surging riffs. Cycled chords encircle us, while electronic textures establish a hazy backdrop of twinkling starfields and the somber darkness interplanetary space. Intricate keyboard patterns emerge, swimming in an aerial ballet that provides its own rhythms without the application of percussion.

Sweeping arcs of sparkling sound descend toward the crimson landscape, bringing us within touching distance of the great terrain. These dreamy tonalities are punctuated by unhurried synthetic beats which decelerate our plunge, imbuing this section with a heavenly grandeur that evokes the majesty of this desolate locale with a gradually accreting sonic density. The final track commences with a flurry of space-age effects, blending gurgling radio signals with the rising hiss of a jet exhaust.

After a stretch of quasi-romantic expression delineated by pleasantly shrill synthesizers, this trajectory transports us into a thick nest of active electronics and nimble-fingered keyboards. The sequencers produce a lush tapestry of engaging riffs peppered with upwardly-mobile locomotive tempos generated by rapidly compressed keyboard notes. The tune becomes more vigorous with insistent melodies and soaring embellishments of bubbling consistency. The crescendo is certain to dazzle us with its sonic strength and emotional prestige. Of the CD's three tracks, the first two are in-studio creations, while the third (and longest track, at 24 and a half minutes) was recorded live.
Although comprised of improvised performances, this music exhibits strong coherence and impulsive melodics that evolve into quite stirring experiences.
2003. Matt Howarth