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SONIQ THEATER

Crossover Prog • Germany


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Soniq Theater picture
Soniq Theater biography
Founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1999

SONIQ THEATER is a one-man band, presenting a mixture of progressive styles, mainly symphonic progressive rock with elements of metal, electronic and classical music, jazz, world music and traces of other styles. The music is composed, performed, recorded and mixed by Alfred MUELLER (Born June 2nd 1962) As it is a one-man-project, the music only exists on CDR's and is not planned to be played live. Nevertheless SONIQ THEATER has a big audience and the music is played in about 50 radioshows in 15 countries and through webcast worldwide (until February 2004) SONIQ THEATER is recommended to all open-minded progressive rock-fans and is appreciated as well by "normal people" with some musical education.

The most known influences are the great prog-bands of the 70's like YES, GENESIS, KANSAS, ELP, KING CRIMSON, UK, CAMEL, GENTLE GIANT, PINK FLOYD, MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND, the progressive rock of the 80s: SAGA, RUSH, IQ, MARILLION, German progressive rock of ANYONE'S DAUGHTER and ELOY, prog metal bands like DREAM THEATER, ENCHANT, SYMPHONY X, ROYAL HUNT, new prog bands of the 90s: MAGELLAN, CAIRO, EVERON, SPOCK'S BEARD, TRANSATLANTIC, INES, electronic music of TANGERINE DREAM, YANNI, Chris FRANKE and VANGELIS. Also, prog-related artists like: Rick WAKEMAN, Mike OLDFIELD, ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, Karl JENKINS (of SOFTMACHINE and ADIEMUS), Rupert HINE, Pierre MOERLEN's GONG, Steve MORSE, David ARKENSTONE, Pat METHENY, GANDALF, and classical music: symphonies and baroque music.

: : : Alfredo TAPIA CARRETO, MEXICO : : :

See also: RACHEL'S BIRTHDAY

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SONIQ THEATER discography


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SONIQ THEATER top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 8 ratings
Soniq Theater
2000
2.40 | 6 ratings
A Second of Action
2002
3.03 | 7 ratings
The Third Eye
2003
2.48 | 7 ratings
This Mortal Coil
2004
3.05 | 4 ratings
Pandromania
2005
3.02 | 3 ratings
Enchanted
2006
3.00 | 4 ratings
Seventh Heaven
2007
3.45 | 6 ratings
Life Seeker
2008
3.00 | 5 ratings
Vision Quest
2009
3.00 | 5 ratings
Unknown Realities
2010
2.98 | 9 ratings
Force Majeure
2011
3.50 | 8 ratings
Overnight Sensation
2012
3.24 | 9 ratings
Stardust Memories
2013
3.29 | 8 ratings
Heroes of the Past
2014
2.76 | 10 ratings
Guitarissimo
2015
3.05 | 4 ratings
Globaliced
2016
3.07 | 8 ratings
The Journey
2017
3.12 | 7 ratings
Squaring the Circle
2018
3.05 | 5 ratings
Brandenburg
2019
3.05 | 3 ratings
Fortune Tunes
2020
3.00 | 3 ratings
Time and Space
2021
3.09 | 4 ratings
Cinemagic
2022
3.13 | 4 ratings
Robotron
2023

SONIQ THEATER Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SONIQ THEATER Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

SONIQ THEATER Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SONIQ THEATER Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

SONIQ THEATER Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Robotron by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2023
3.13 | 4 ratings

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Robotron
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars Needless to say, at the beginning of this year Alfred Mueller sent out his latest release. I have often thought that Alfred must be a machine in that at the beginning of every year there is a new album, this being his twenty-third, and he must have been thinking along the same lines as musically this is very much a thematic release based on robots. Now, with no vocals or lyrics to carry the story it can be difficult to produce something which makes one think of a certain subject or style, but if I played this to you and asked you to listen all the way through and ask you what you felt it made you think of I am pretty sure you would answer "Robots". I do find it quite amusing in that "Robert Dance" makes one immediately think of Kraftwerk, as in many ways that was their intention, and there are times when this album also moves more into Tangerine Dream territory than normal, which again is probably not too much of a surprise given how much they have contributed to film scores.

There is the impression that this is a more light-hearted release than many of his, and there are some quite definite Eighties flavours throughout, with "Robot Food" again making one thing of the New Wave and synth movement which came out in the early Eighties. He is often moving more into a pop/dance/electro area than the normal progressive one, and the result is something which I more appreciate than enjoy. This album is much more for fans of his other works as opposed to something to delve in to see what his music is like, as for that I would turn instead to 'Cinemagic', but it is great to see that even after this many albums Alfred is still looking to surprise and experiment in new fields.

 Cinemagic by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2022
3.09 | 4 ratings

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Cinemagic
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars There are very few artists in the prog scene which one can rely on as much as Alfred Mueller, but at the beginning of every year we get a new album from him, and this one, released at the beginning of 2022, was his twenty-second. Sometimes he brings in guests, or revitalises tracks from his past, but more often or not it is all new recordings with Alfred the only person involved, and that is what we have here. Now, I would prefer him to be using a real drummer as opposed to programming but he does keep up to date on software which means that although it is not as good as if a human was there it also means it is not detrimental to the overall sound too much.

As one would expect from any musician who has been going as long as Alfred, he continues to grow and his music is far more complex and developed than it was on the earlier albums. There is a great concentration on melody, and it would be easy to imagine songs such as "Epic Movie' being played in an ELP-style trio and it is definitely a shame he has not been playing any of this material in that setting as I know that would add additional depths and layers to the sound. But I can't imagine him changing any time soon, and here he has managed to capture a sound which has obviously been influenced by both Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, with nice melodies and counter melodies. Alfred has always stayed very low key, producing CD-R's and downloads, and giving his music away for free, which means he has often been overlooked by many but this is yet another really enjoyable album for anyone who likes keyboards.

 Time and Space by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2021
3.00 | 3 ratings

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Time and Space
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars One thing that can be said about keyboard player Alfred Mueller is that he is incredibly consistent, both in terms of his music and output. Every January he releases a new album, both digitally and as a CD-R, saying that people can pay what they want for it. Now, in some ways this has meant he has stayed in the deepest bowels of the underground so that even those familiar with the scene either have never heard of him, or feel the quality of the music must be somewhat lacking in that he does not spend money on self-promotion or artwork, and does not even charge for people to download his music. I look at it in a different way altogether, in that Alfred does not make music because he wants to, he does it because he must. There is an inner driving force that demands he keeps putting his music out there, even though it is unlikely that many will hear it or write about it.

This is his twenty-first solo album, and I have reviewed every single one of them, as well as the group he was in prior to starting down this path, Rachel's Birthday. Since his self-titled debut came out in 2000 there has been an album a year, which sometimes has included guests, and sometimes not. Here we find Alfred working totally solo, layering his keyboards together in a manner which is often reminiscent of the more playful styles of Wakeman, or as the case with the title cut he moves far more into the area of Jean Michel Jarre. The sounds he uses are fresh, and these days the synthetic drums sounds are so far removed from the early days that I find them quite tolerable! It is a shame that this DIY outfit is not more widely known or appreciated as yet again we have an incredibly solid album which is far more enjoyable and entertaining than many might imagine. All his music is available free of charge, so what do you have to lose by jumping over to Bandcamp and giving him a listen? If you enjoy multi-layered keyboard instrumentals then you may well be in for a surprise.

 Fortune Tunes by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.05 | 3 ratings

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Fortune Tunes
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars Alfred Mueller is back with his twentieth solo album, and it sees him again performing all the music, which is something of a shame as I enjoyed the additional elements provided on the last album by guitarist Ralph Brandenburger, and it would have been nice to have heard more in the way of outside contributions. I have reviewed all of Alfred's albums over the years, and this is again what I expect to hear from him, namely Eighties style keyboard music which has been heavily influenced by Tangerine Dream, and to a lesser degree by Keith Emerson. Songs such as 'Tarot Cards' are full of drive, and he continues to produce music which contains a groove and power quite unlike many others within the scene.

However, this is pretty interchangeable with many of his other releases, and I do wish he would consider bringing a band back together like Rachel's Birthday, the group he was in prior to starting the Soniq Theater journey, as in that environment I feel he would thrive and it would allow him to move in different musical directions as opposed to producing music which has rarely changed in the years I have known him. That being said, I have always enjoyed his albums and along with his complete catalogue this has been made available for 'name your price' on Bandcamp so if you enjoy keyboard music and have yet to hear any of his material what have you to lose?

 The Journey by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2017
3.07 | 8 ratings

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The Journey
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars German project SONIQ THEATER is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Alfred Mueller, a venture that started shortly after his former band Rachel's Birthday seems to have disbanded. A total of 19 albums have been released under the Soniq Theater moniker since then. "The Journey" dates back to 2017, and is the seventeenth of these. As with all other albums by this artist, it is a self-released one.

The Soniq Theater albums have a tendency to be something of a roller-coaster experience, with high peaks and deep valleys in terms of how interesting the individual compositions are. Most are well made in terms of melodies, harmonies, moods and atmospheres, while the end result can be anything from excellent to good to lacking and occasionally abysmal. Much depending on what type of sounds that are used and how well they fit the totality, and especially the quality of the emulated instruments used. But if an uneven album experience can be tolerated, and the thought of exploring an artist that blends symphonic progressive rock and progressive electronic music elements inside a framework of ambient music, this is an album that merits a check.

 Brandenburg by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.05 | 5 ratings

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Brandenburg
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars German project SONIQ THEATER has been the creative vehicle of composer and musician Alfred Mueller for the past couple of decades, and he has held a fairly steady pace in releasing one new album just about each year. "Brandenburg" is the 19th of these, and was self released at the start of the year.

Soniq Theater have crafted some of the finest moments in the 20 or so year long history of this project on this latest album, with contributions from guest musician adding depth and increasing the experience for the listener as well as, possibly, inspiring Mueller to be at his very best on those compositions. As a total experience this is on par with just about all previous albums, blending progressive rock and ambient music into compelling and enjoyable soundscapes, but with glimmers of brighter magic in the very best moments. For those unaware of this project, I'd recommend that those that tend to enjoy early 80's Tangerine Dream and music of a similar nature to lend and ear to Soniq Theater, and this album is as good a place to start as any other.

 Brandenburg by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.05 | 5 ratings

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Brandenburg
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars I think this is Alfred Mueller's 19th solo album, and I'm also pretty sure I have reviewed all of them over the years, so it is safe to say I understand his style and what to expect. Over that time the vast majority of his albums have been pure solo, just Alfred and his keyboards, but here he has taken a slightly different tack and has brought in guitarist Ralph Brandenburger who is a key component on three of the eleven songs (and I presume is also the reason for the album title). In some ways this is an excellent idea, but in some others has also caused an issue, as they work together incredibly well and this moves Alfred's music in a different direction. The first song on the album, 'Antartica', is one of those that features Ralph and I was immediately impressed as this was taking the music of Soniq Theater to a new level. The next song, 'Springtime In Siberia' is very much of Alfred's normal style, with bouncy keyboards up against some symphonic layers, very much in the vein of some of Rick Wakeman's solo material It is actually a really good song, really nice, but I kept wondering what it would be like if he had used 'real' musicians on this as well, and what would happen if he had a rhythm section that breathed as opposed to using electricity.

In some ways this feels like quite a disjointed album, just because there are so many styles on offer, and tracks with Brandenburger are so very different to the rest. However, there are also some gems to be found in the true solo songs, but as I said when reviewing his last album 'Squaring The Circle' it really is time for Alfred to get a full band behind him as it used to be in the Nineties when he was part of Rachel's Birthday. I actually think that in many ways this is his finest album yet, not just for the material with Ralph, but there is a lack of continuity within it. For the next one, even if it isn't a full band, it would be interesting to hear a complete album from them both as they complement each other with great interacting sounds.

 Brandenburg by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.05 | 5 ratings

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Brandenburg
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

3 stars Soniq Theater as the bio says, is a one man band, the project of Alfred Mueller. The album "Brandenburg" is his 2019 self- released album and is available as a FLAC download on bandcamp.com or on his self-released CD-R. The music is completely created electronically and on keyboards, but in the case of this album, there are 3 tracks that feature guitarist Ralph Brandenburger. These tracks are "Antarctica", "Brandenburg" and "Mariana Rift (guitar version)".

The tracks that stand out more are the more authentic sounding tracks, especially those that utilize the real (not processed or manipulated) electric guitar as these have a better feeling of authenticity to them. "Antarctica" is especially great and is the perfect opener. Even the drums sound real on this one, and it is more progressive sounding, but with an accessible sound. The guitar work and the keyboard work is perfect on this track. But immediately after this, you get "Springtime in Siberia" which sounds more like something from early Rick Wakeman albums, not that it's a bad thing, but it does feel very non- organic.

"Brandenburg" follows this and is the 2nd with the guest guitarist. Again, this has a more authentic feel, but the overall track is not quite as interesting as the first, but it is good enough anyway. It reminds me more of "Manheim Steamroller" even though that band uses real instruments, the overall tone of it is similar to some of their music. The next track is "London Town" and I must say that I really enjoy this track. The percussion is done very well and sounds quite real. The lead instrument on this is the organ and that also helps in that nothing here sounds like it's trying to be something that it's not. It has a great, solid beat and an interesting melody and structure. It was actually a very, nice surprise.

"The Cyclades" is a short track that is simply a chord progression both ascending and descending. Not much happens on this one. "Weekend in Morocco" is pretty good, but other than the funky bass sound here, the music is definitely electronic sounding. After this, things seem to get not quite so interesting as we get into shorter tracks. The music isn't as authentic sounding again and I start to lose interest. I did notice that "NYC" has some similarities to Keith Emerson, but it ends up being buried amongst the less interesting sounding tracks.

The last track is actually a re-imagining of a track released on a previous album. The track is "Mariana Rift" and has more of a professional feel to it along the lines of "Tangerine Dream" from around the late 80s, even down to the sometimes European and sometimes Oriental influences that appear. This is also the 3rd track to feature the guest guitarist. It seems more time was spent on these three tracks that feature the guitarist and they seem better developed.

I find 4 worthwhile tracks on this album that seem like they were more perfected than the others, ("London Town" and the 3 tracks featuring Brandenburger) and had all of the songs had the care that these tracks had, then this would have easily been a 4 star album. But because there are several tracks in between that seem to have not been given as much time or effort in their final sound, the album feels a little uneven. However, the music is mostly enjoyable and interesting, though it leans on the more accessible side than it does on the progressive side, I feel that 3 stars is a good rating, even though there are a few 4 star tracks on here.

 Squaring the Circle by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.12 | 7 ratings

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Squaring the Circle
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars Another year, another Soniq Theater album, and amazingly enough this is the eighteenth by keyboard player Alfred Mueller. I'm pretty sure I have heard all of them, along with the album he recorded with Rachel's Birthday, and for this one he has definitely taken a different tack. Often one would say that for the most part his playing is an amalgam of artists such as Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Rick Wakeman, but I was surprised at just how much like Wakeman the first few songs of this album come across as. By the end of the second track, "Circus Ponies On The Run", I was already thinking that this could well be his best album to date.

If he could just get hold of "proper" drummer instead of a machine then I am sure that some of these songs would be lifted to a whole new level. Although the complete album didn't quite manage to live up to the promise of the opening tracks, I do believe that this is his best album to date, quite a statement when one thinks how many he has released so far. Alfred has been working as a solo artist for many years now, but this release did make me wonder what it would be like if he could find some like-minded musicians to make this into a full band, now that would be something to hear. As it is, I really enjoyed the album, and it is available for "name your price" on his Bandcamp site so why not give him a try?

 Globaliced by SONIQ THEATER album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.05 | 4 ratings

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Globaliced
Soniq Theater Crossover Prog

Review by Windhawk
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars German project SONIQ THEATER is the ongoing creative vehicle of composer and keyboardist Alfred Mueller, and starting in 2000 he has steadily been releasing new material under that moniker. "Globaliced" is the 16th in the series, and was issued at the start of 2016.

Those familiar with the later works of Soniq Theater will get pretty much what they expect as far as this album is concerned. Well thought out arrangements and melodies, distinct moods and atmospheres, certain key instrument details used to emphasize the different aspects of the individual compositions, all wrapped up in and explored in instrumental music that draw inspirations from ambient and new age music just as much as the classic era progressive rock keyboardists and the sounds of artists such as Tangerine Dream. A compelling album on many levels, but suffering from the fact that everything has been worked out on and performed with synthesizers and keyboards exclusively.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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