Behold another mixed assortment of miscellaneous variety. Overviews are shorter takes on older Ambient/Electronic releases, self-releases, singles or other recordings which don't quite fall into those prescribed territories. It's like a catch-all/junk drawer for your ears! Biosphere: Substrata   (Thirsty Ear - 1997) (9.3) As evidenced by its Number One position on Jack the Tab's recently compiled Recommended Ambient List, substrata is considered by many to be an ambient classic, and rightly so. Norway's Geir Jenssen is Biosphere and consistently known as one of the finest. The disc opens with the spacious eco-industrial thrum of as the sun kissed the horizon (1:47), which becomes the ethereal melancholia of poa alpina. In these 11 pieces, a variety of haunting moods and styles (generally of vaporous, cyclical natures) are presented... from the gentle, strummy times I know when you'll be sad which becomes the electro-bio-mechanical slur of hyperborea, to kobresia's muttered Russian voice and symphonic string passages, to the elegantly cinematic swell of antennaria. download: the eyes of stanley pain   (Nettwerk - 1996) (8.3) Monstrous sonic distortions and threatening atmospheres are bludgeoned with fierce electrobeats in this gathering of notables (including cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy), Mark Spybey (Zoviet France, Dead Voices on Air), and contributed spoken vocals by Genesis P. Orridge). These wicked tracks would cause the average Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie fan to soil their diapers! And not just because of their dark electronic forcefulness, but because the subjects are often thoughtfully composed. For instance, separate gives a frightful examination of new twists in growth and devlopment in the misinformation age. At over 71 minutes, these 14 slices of chaos encapsulate modern industrial-strength angst. his name is alive: always stay sweet   (Opción Sónica - 1999) (8.1) Too much voice and guitar to be classified as ambient, but this "best of" is a collection of his name is alive tracks, which generally amount to experimental folk/pop songs with female lead vocals (sometimes dueting and/or multi-tracked). The early tracks tend toward gorgeously moody, lo-fi alterna-folk with tracks like Her Eyes Were Huge Things and How Ghosts Affect Relationships casting a sweet pall over the ear. The latter tunes up the "pop" factor with higher production values and more-polished she-vocals, but remain eclectic enough to avoid wallowing in the ordinary. Generally acoustic or light electric, but In Every Ford and The Dirt Eaters fairly well rock. Conversely, Man on the Silver Mountain acoustic-izes (and adds etheral female vocals) to Ronnie James Dio's metal tune to quite a pleasant effect. Odd little mixing and feedback effects are tossed in ocasionally. (Chances Are We Are Mad opens, then again closes, on the most strenuously binaural headphone experience; I felt as if my brain was being jerked out through one ear, then the other, repeatedly...). Licensed from 4AD, released on the Mexican Opción Sónica label, and can be found in Soleilmoon's catalog (under "Other Labels"). Keith Knudsen: Firedance   (Hollenden - 1998) (7.9) Guitar fans may want to give a listen to this little gem which shines with acoustic sparkles. Lovely Firedance is a strummy, tinkling, sweeping, only-slightly beaty haze brimming with a latent musical power. Guitar strokes paint a medieval pastoral in the etude, Fields (8:38). Denser electro/acoustic guitar sounds in another short piece Six Eight. One minor gripe: the short, sweet piano and guitar outing, Alien Landscape (1:35) is just too earthly to warrant its title; it takes more than some reverb to classify as otherworldly. Listen through your RealPlayer at Hollenden Records website, where you'll find more info. Ma Ja Le/Vir Unis: Imaginarium   (Mirage - 1998) (8.5) Paul Vnuk and Chris Short (collectively known as Ma Ja Le) joined with John Strate-Hootman (a.k.a. Vir Unis) to create what the liner notes refer to as "Tribal Groove Dream Scapes", with a little help from Steve Roach acting as ambient mentor and contributor. Ephemeral atmospheres are decorated by occasional neo-tribal touches, particularly in the area of primitive rhythmic sections. Passionate Lava sets the pace with flutey warbles and slow drumbeats over a densely surging haze. Light guitar noodling is heard in Imaginarium. Spiritual Diving is done in a murky pool of resonating synth slur and intermittent clunks. Less earthy and more astral, Incomprehensible Love (10:41) soars on long, wafting swells with no hard edges of any sort. Perfect for primal-izing your surroundings in a shapeless, timeless, aboriginal groovequest of your own newly dawning era. Deborah Martin: Under the Moon   (Spotted Peccary - 1996) (8.2) 10 tracks add up to 38 minutes of semi-symphonic new age sounds. Most invoke a synth-orchestral sense of ambient majesty with little or no saccharine aftertaste. Floating with a skywardly rising keyboard lilt, the dreamily delicate title track is a solo piece,while several contributors join on other songs (including Spotted Peccary regulars Jon Jenkins and Howard Givens, and King Crimson-ite Tony Levin). A few tracks venture into ethno-tribal ambience; adrift on fluty breezes, Gray Sky (5:37) receives hushed spoken words in the Apache phrasings of Edgar Perry (who also appears on the Deborah Martin/Steve Gordon disc, Ancient Power) as well as softly sung passages from Beverly Malone. Master of Dreams also gets the indigenous treatment by way of slowly pattering Native American drums, and flutes. See Deborah's Exclusive AmbiEntrance interview for further insights. Scientist Sam: Scientist Sam   (Self Released Cassette - 1999) (7.7) I envision Scientist Sam's audio lab as a chaotically arranged yet serious workspace, piled high with electronically preserved samples from all over the place... at least that's what it sounds like. Beat-heavy, home-based plunderphonics done well, this cassette contains 15 tracks like Top 40 Experiment and Giant Ant Invasion which liberally borrow from hundreds of sources. Some of the more obvious inclusions are tiny, altered snippets from Steely Dan, the Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few of the mainstream tidbits thrown into this often crazily pounding assortment. Spoken samples are used to good effect as well as dozens of stylistic twists and turns including ventures into jazz, rap and dance territories. Adamant about his artful cacophony, the tape is not for sale... Sam is seeking trade material. (Probably looking for more sources for some future experiment; I'm interested in seeing his development) Contact him at messiah070@aol.com. Skylab: Skylab #1   (Astralwerks - 1994) (9.0) Considered by many to be a classic, and certainly ear-opening at any rate, the 13 tracks of Howie B's 1994 outing deliver more than 76 minutes of inspired audiohallucinations. Cool urban grooves flow through River of Bass and Seashell, pumped by light beats and jazzy musical explorations. Like a surreal western soundtrack, Depart is all burbly, gurgly guitar sounds accented with crazy electronic flutters. Next is like a 1950's symphonic lounge album, but all blurred and weirded out. My personal favorite is the expansive Indigo, a most lovely blend of acoustic guitar, rhythmic effects and shimmering electrodrift (or would it be Exotika which blossoms from a radiant hum into an entrancing cycle of beats and a galaxy of sonic visitations?). While occasionally laden with too many aggressively oddball effects (spoken samples, warbles, yodels, strange rhythms and assorted distortions) to be truly be listened to "ambiently" (except the extremely quiet Shhh, Tokyo and Tokyo Elevator), Skylab #1 is absolutely an impressive and varied sonic assemblage, eclectic and quirky as it may be. Various Artists: Berlin 1992: Tresor Kompilation   (Tresor/NovaMute - 1992) (7.7) Whether listened to as a personal reminiscence of the "old days" of '92 or (if you weren't listening then) as a retro-roots search into the development of electronic music, these techno tracks are the real thing. Phuture 2 by Futurhythm simply embodies the best things techno should be. While still quite envigorating, these pieces already seem somewhat dated; particularly in the irksome dance diva/piano sounds of Microglobe's High on Hope (The Long Hot Summer Mix), or more charmingly so with Cosmic Cubes by Cosmic Baby. I imagine this is out of print, but worth a listen if you come across it in the used bin, as I did. Posted June 23, 1999 | 1999 Overviews Index

AmbiEntrance © 1999-97 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).