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Various Artists: Ancient Alien (Waveform - 1998) The tracks on Ancient Alien may be recycled (having been repurposed as a backdrop for the Sony Music Video of the same name) but are a welcome return to some of the early-mid '90s releases which defined Waveform as a label which specializes in uplifting ambient with a beat. |
| The first five tracks (and also the 8th) are from 1995's Synaesthetic by A Positive Life, meaning that 2/3 of that disk is found here, recapturing the best tracks of a great release.
The Calling (5:10) seems to have a deeper low end to the dubby bassline, but swirls, bleeps, and gurgles with as much delerious verve as the original. Absolutely upbeat music and beautifully rendered, too.
Less energetic, but by no means sluggish, Warehouse 5AM sets a groove and sticks with it, percolating electronically, blending a children's chorus with its feel-good vibe.
Quiet "ahhs" float on the wind to open Bathdub (11:27), which evolves layer by layer, propelled by a (not surprisingly, by now) dubby bass and spritely percussion. Very electronic with loads of effects that don't bombard, but gel into a complex whole.
Blending electro-space and dance with a bit of a tropical feel Hypnosystem again demonstrates Stefan Pierlejewski's circa-1995 creativity. This track includes a bit of everything, including some electric piano bits. Ripples, drones and whispers give a darker, but hypnotic, shine to Pleidean Communication. Again the bass and beat pins down a cool rhythm around which everything else swelters and soars. A more mellow mood, though still plenty of activity, marks Triangle, from Sounds from the Ground's 1996 CD Kin. Saxophones blow over a pulsing backdrop, while gently persuasive drumbeats patter. Harkening back to 1994's One A.D. comp, Devotion by Pentatonik picks up the pace again, though bass isn't as prominent as on the APL tracks. A highly processed shamanic voice slips and slides between the rhythmic beats, with longs strands of silky synth. Trancey and fun! One more taste of A Positive Life with the infectuous Lighten Up!. Spacey ripples, female wails and breaths, dingling bells and hyperactively burbling accompaniment injected with a peppy tempo. And you gotta love that electro-drone! Silence becomes an angelic choir to open Starfire's Om (from 1997's Slumberland comp. Low-key e-percussion joins and thick layers of majestic synth build and swirl, placid yet active. A nice way to cool things down...
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| If you don't already own these tracks, Ancient Alien would be a great place to recap these electronic/ambient sounds. The A Positive Life tracks especially present dancey ambience which is upbeat without being sappy. It's a lot of fun! I'm ranking in at 7.5! (P.S. I'm looking forward to checking out the computer-animated video; you'll hear about it here). |  |