UNEXPLORED SECRETS OF REM SLEEP (WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK & PRZEMYSLAW RUDZ)

Leave it to Przemyslaw Rudz to create some of the most interesting progressive electronic music of the 21st century. But, as the cover of this album would suggest, Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep is not a solo affair; it is instead an equal collaboration between Rudz and Wladyslaw Komendarek of the esteemed Polish progressive rock group Exodus, which he played keyboards for. Upon first hearing about this collaboration, I was unsure about what the artists would sound like when teamed together, but I have an amount of respect for Przemyslaw Rudz for consistently creating wonderful albums and I didn't really have any doubt that this album would be another great addition to his current discography. But remember, this is an equal collaboration. Mr. Komendarek is a veteran of the progressive rock world, and his experience pays off well in the sound of Unexplored Secrets of REM Sleep.

Like REM sleep usually is, this album is quite eclectic and features textures both light and dark, both vastly empty and complexly dense. A large chunk of this album is mid- to fast- tempo beat oriented electronic music with furious and virtuosic keyboard soloing, but the relaxing spacey synthetic soundscapes that I've come to love from Mr. Rudz's previous albums are still intact. In fact, this album sounds pretty much like what I've come to expect from this artist, but something also is very different; I believe the partnership with Wladyslaw Komendarek has pushed Przemyslaw Rudz into increasingly progressive territory than on previous albums, and it works wonders. For fans of electronic music looking for something entirely progressive to listen to, this album leaves very little (if anything at all) to be desired, not to mention that this album clocks in at about 73 minutes. Unexplored Secrets of Sleep is undoubtedly the most progressive album under Rudz's name, and has also turned me into an eager fan of Komendarek as well, and I greatly look forward to future collaborations between the two masters as their chemistry is undeniably a perfect match.

It's hard for me to compare this album to another that I've heard, but I were pressed to then I'd have to say that this album kind of reminds me personally of Marsbeli Kronikak by Solaris with Phaedra-era Tangerine Dream and Mirage-era Klaus Schulze influences, but with increased amounts of whatever "epic" is measured in. For fans of the above albums, this should be on your Christmas wish list.