Sounds From The Ground: Terra Firma Sounds From The Ground: Terra Firma (Waveform - 2000) Was it only 1996 when Sounds From The Ground released their debut album Kin, and were appearing on the seminal Waveform comps that practically defined warm beaty ambient electronics? Well, it seems a long time since then, which makes Terra Firma all the more a welcome revisitation. Mellow vibrations and easy beats are stirred into a tasty reggae-flavored mix, courtesy of Elliot Morgan Jones and Nick Woolfson. The dubby bass and drums of Treasure are accented with a lattice of synthnotes, occasional guitar strums and a few spoken samples. Mellow lounge-style chimes trickle and Shine (5:20), punctuated by rapid (though relatively non-intrusive) d'n'b beats and willowy female vocal strands. Nice stuff. More islandic rhythms (and a little saxophonics) buoy Mineral with their feel-good vibes. Jones and Woolfson make The Cut with another jazz-inflected number, backed by subtle waves, vocal manipulations and a boppy tempo. Gull sounds add locational atmospherics to the dreamy beats of Bodega Bay, while buzzy synth drones add streaming warmth to the groove The soft spoken documentary-style words of Drugstore are the disc's closest thing to social commentary; slightly eerie synthwaves swirl over a steadily pattering beatsystem. Mysterious mists are coming through Rye, as do echoey percussion, bubbling basslines and entwined synth riffs. The groove-factor is upped for the sweet, sweet muzak of Marshmello; more energetic bass and a clanging rhythm prop magically dancing synthworks and wafting retrostringsounds. Spacy special effects are at the root of Planted (9:54), growing into a psychedelically expanding lifeform of energy and sound. Hypnotic keyboard sequences and horn-like overtones meet with bass and beats for this perky closing track. While their feet may be rooted on Terra Firma, Elliot Morgan Jones and Nick Woolfson will put your head in the clouds, where you can float in the sunny luxury of Sounds From The Ground. Catch some rays with this 8.6 disc, simultaneously cool and warm. For more info, get down to the official website. This review posted June 28, 2000 AmbiEntrance © 2000-1997 by David J Opdyke (except CD cover art, rights retained by original owners).