LANDFORM

UK project COMPUTERCHEMIST is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Dave Pearson, and from his current base in Hungary he has released a number of albums from 2006 and onwards. "Landform" is his third full length production, and was issued through his own Terrainflight label in 2008.

As far as style and inspirations go, this is a production that will have an instant appeal for fans of Tangerine Dream. The use of electronic percussion with melodic intent, also described as sequencers by those more familiar with this type of music than I am unless I'm much mistaken, is a strong identity mark throughout and utilized in a fairly similar manner as the aforementioned legendary German band. An additional trademark feature are mournful digital strings of a kind I tend to associate with the Mellotron, with various effects and synth motifs coming and going as supplemental details alongside regular drums and guitars.

Despite the use of the latter two this is an album that can and should be safely regarded within an electronic music context however, to be placed somewhere pretty close to the accessible parts of the Berlin School movement.

Indeed, opening track After The Eclipse is careful and smooth enough to give rise to new age associations as well, and while that slight touch of an even gentler stylistic expression is a standalone feature on this album it does indicate that those more fond of minimalistic, challenging endeavors may not be a key audience for this production.

Tracks like Darklight Drive and in particular Landform explores the light and dark toned duality in a nice and effective manner, maintaining tension and drive through careful contrasts that crafts mesmerizing moods with ease, and while final composition Geoid with it's jazz-tinged subservient details doesn't manage to intrigue quite as much this one too is a pleasant specimen of it's kind. The one creation not yet mentioned, Cave Search, is more of a yin and yan affair. The opening half a splendid constellation of mesmerizing sounds that gels perfectly together to form just about the most intriguing few minutes I've come across by this artist so far, then shifts to explore a musical landscape that never rally managed to catch my attention. The roller-coaster ride of this production.

All in all this is a well made album, sporting a fair few examples of music that should have a strong appeal amongst fans of Tangerine Dream in general and amongst those among them fond of the melodic and accessible part of that band's repertoire in particular.