PROGRESSIVE ELECTRONIC

— First review of this album —

I never really felt New Atlantis was as strong as their debut Where Are We Captain, although I started with New Atlantis first as that was the album I found first. It was inspired by the works of Francis Bacon. It came with an insert on how he predicted, in the 17th Century, the synthesizer, it was pretty clear what he was getting at, with how he could describe such an instrument in a 17th Century context. Make no doubt about that: a poem that prophesizes the synthesizer inspires an electronic album by some BBC Radiophonic Workshop guys (Brian Hodgson, John Lewis). The album is electronic as always, and there's no doubt "Salomon's House" is the best thing on the album, with great synth melodies, but much of the album seems a bit sparse and twee and at times I wished they put a little more energy in the album and less off the insipid side. Where Are We Captain? is a rather solid album, sure it was cheesy, but it was also quite engaging. I wished I could say the same about New Atlantis. I'd recommend Where Are We Captain? or the Zygoat album from 1974 as they were certainly stronger sets. New Atlantis isn't one of the better Progressive Electronic albums I've heard.

I've heard around 25 Schnitzler albums and this is one of the few tuneful entries in his entire catalogue. The 'Neue Deutsche Welle' style which was all the rage with bands like D.A.F. is what's on offer here, and it's none the worse for it.

'Con 3' is as close as old Conrad ever reached to a mainstream audience. That's to say - he had no chance of accumulating a captive audience whatsoever. Not a snowball's chance in hell.

Luckily I'm one of those guys who loves hearing Europeans singing in their mother tongue. It's far more convincing and puts you in the alien environment of Europe in 1981 from a British point of view. In that era we had Adam and the Ants (Woo Hoo!), Duran Duran and a host of New Romantic outfits. 'Con 3' is as cold and opposite to those bands as you could possibly imagine. Analogue synths are sliced and diced like a chef chopping onions. It's SO German. The icily treated vocals are very similar to the Stranglers 'Meninblack' from 'The Raven' released during the same year.

The drum programming is appealing in it's Kraftwerk-like style. I have to admit though, that Conrad sounds like he's the last guy standing at a party at 4.00am and has suddenly switched on all the electronics, with eyes lit up, and just for a laugh decides to record everything from that point on. Personally I love that kind of stuff. His ramblings of 'Coca-Cola and no water' on 'Coca' are almost easy listening with a (rub your eyes in disbelief) a tuneful dub bass and marimba played Jamaican style!

There's squelchy keyboard sounds and bendy bass tremblings throughout. A lot of it sounds quite tinny and amateurish but 'Con 3' captures that German electronic 'chill' from '81. It's without the production values of a Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream but hits all the right buttons in 2017 due to its inherently German coldness.

It's all shoddy robotic nonsense of course, and for that reason itself, makes it enjoyable. If I was listening to this in 1981 I would have smashed the vinyl into pieces in a rage of anger. Now, over 30 years later, I have a feeling of nostalgia and appreciation for a time where music was purely analogue and genuine.

— First review of this album —

Defining American prog-electronic/ambient artist Steve Roach returns at the half-way point of 2017 with `Long Thoughts', another of those slowly unwinding, ever-evolving, lightly psychedelic sound-collages that this master of the genres often delivers with impeccable precision and subtle taste. More along the lines of Roach's `Immersion' series of releases, his recent `Fade to Grey' work or his four-volume `Bloodmoon Rising' set, `Long Thoughts' is a lengthy single continuous electronic aural canvas that weaves a hypnotic spell and concocts a distinctly mesmerizing atmosphere where time seems to blur and stretch on forever.

With no obvious themes or percussive elements appearing throughout this seventy-three minute piece, `Long Thoughts' lurches to life as a drowsy and dream-like surreal electronic ambient soundtrack. An unceasing lulling drone at its core, eerie and lightly stormy thrumming reverberations are rippled with ringing crystalline shimmers and churning electronic caresses. Some moments take on an icy coolness, others a gentler lulling embrace, but all culminate in drifting pools of serenity and mystery, where the most minute of transitions happen so seamlessly they're intangible.

Those after a modern Roach release with more melodic and rhythmic qualities a little closer to a firmer prog-electronic sound should perhaps head to `Skeleton Keys', `Spiral Revelations' or his Robert Logan collaboration `Biosonic' first, alternatively those wanting a more approachable or varied example of the purer ambient styles he works in frequently these days might prefer recent discs like `Painting in the Dark' or `Nostalgia for the Future', released directly alongside this one.

But if you're a fan of Mr Roach's subtle and sedate long-form works, `Long Thoughts' is undiluted, pure ambient music that still holds weight and quiet intelligence, and it will prove to be a great reward for the most patient of listeners, a piece that reminds us to step back and slow down in this busy fast-paced blur of a time we live in.

Three stars for casual listeners, four stars for experienced ambient/electronic fans.

OSE was the project of French multi-instrumentalist Herve Picart. He plays moog, organ, guitar, bass and slide guitar. He also composed all the songs here. He brought in an Electronic legend and fellow country -man Richard Pinhas from HELDON who also plays guitar and moog but also sequencers and synths. Richard was responsible for arranging all of the electronic parts which of course is most of this record. Add drummer Francois Auger also from HELDON and we have an incredible trio.

This was released in 1978 the same year HELDON released "Interface" a similar album to this one but one I enjoy more for it's more powerful and dynamic sound. Same with HELDON's followup from 1979 called "Stand By", two albums I prefer to "Adonia" although the cover art for "Adonia" is one of the most beautiful pictures I've seen.

"Approche Sur A" opens with about 3 1/2 minutes of faint spacey sounds with twittering over top. This is tasteful as picked guitar joins in after 2 minutes. Before 3 1/2 minutes the song kicks into gear as we get this louder electronic beat which has a dramatic affect. The flavour changes slightly before 5 1/2 minutes. This is melodic and mid-paced and it's hard not to bob my head to this. It picks up before 7 1/2 minutes and becomes more serious sounding as the drums join in. The guitar arrives after 10 minutes ripping it up over the electronics and drums. So good! This continues almost to the end.

"Orgasmachine" opens with electronic beats as spacey synths come in over top. Slide guitar after a minute. Man this is good! Sequencers before 2 1/2 minutes as the guitar steps aside. Some brief guitar returns around 3 minutes. "29 H 08 MN" is my favourite song on here mainly because of the guitar. Solo moog to start as an electronic beat arrives a minute in and soon electronics twitter over top. The guitar arrives before 4 1/2 minutes then drums and it sounds incredible, like HELDON's two albums from this same time frame.

"L'aube Jumelle" opens with spacey synths blowing over the electronic soundscape. It's dark and melancholic. Relaxed organ joins in as the same mood continues. I think that's bass after 5 1/2 minutes as it trades off with the guitar as spacey sounds continue. Soon bass and guitar join forces in this relaxed and mellow tune. It does turn louder after 7 minutes. Beautiful stuff, quite moving.

"Retour Sur Adonia" ends the album as we get an electronic beat with spacey sounds over top. I'm not a big fan of that melody because it reminds me of something I don't like but it's brief although it is repeated later. An okay song to end it.

Not as adventerous or powerful as HELDON's two albums from the same period but man this is easily a 4 star album for me. I'm a sucker for guitar in Electronic music and the addition of drums is the icing on the cake. Just missing the mellotron(haha).

Nice to see this artist added here, though it's among those long-time semi-favourites I wasn't exactly expecting to be added (Clannad is another). Much of KITARO's work that I was familiar with in my teens, at the late 80's, frankly didn't feel very progressive, just like perhaps the majority of electronically produced music associated with the problematic term New Age. To some degree I have expanded my Kitaro discography in the latest ten years and have discovered some very good albums. But this one I bought as a vinyl in February 1988, and I still own it (which is a meaningful merit in my books, because so many vinyls - even pretty good ones - I used to get rid of in my early adulthood). So, in my case there's the nostalgia factor involved, but I daresay that The Light of the Spirit can be considered as one of Kitaro's finest albums. It must be also among those with the longest list of individual guest musicians and producers. Happily the (rather underlined) production had strong material to begin with.

Both vinyl sides have four tracks between roughly 4½ minutes and 7½ minutes in length. 'Mysterious Encounter' is a gorgeous opener full of moods and cinematic, Vangelis-like sonic elegance. The role of acoustic percussions is even bigger on 'Sundance'; its majestic melodies could rival classic Symphonic Prog of Yes or Renaissance, except that the track sadly doesn't evolve very much. 'The Field' is a delicate electronic mood piece, followed by a romantic and slightly pompous title track that features two ladies on a central vocalise role. A wonderful dynamic arc on this vinyl side, and the second, slightly less tight side sort of imitates it.

'In the Beginning' starts Side Two in a rather similar manner as 'Mysterious Encounter'. One of Kitaro's strengths has always been the ability to fill the melodies with passion. 'Moondance' is naturally more nocturnal and serene than its solar opposite. This track of peaceful tempo and simple, repetitive melodies resembles the Silk Road music. The lack of more progressive structures in compositions may easily bring down your listening experience if you let it do so. 'Howling Thunder' resembles 'Sundance'. The percussion on both tracks sounds very good. But at 7½ minutes this one really ought to contain some more progress. 'Journey to a Fantasy' (7:08) has the passionate majestic feel of the title track in less sugared form.

This album would be an excellent introduction to Kitaro for (female?) music listeners that appreciate emotional aspects and accept even sentimental pompousness. Who knows, that might also be a step towards Symphonic Prog with similar ingredients, in your girlfriend's music taste! But for a seasoned prog listener this music, as Kitaro in general, may wear out its power pretty soon. 3½ stars rounded up for excellent production.

Cold, but not silent. Far away, but not forgotten. From the first small melody played on electric piano, Sister Moon is darkly captivating.

Moog sequencers like TD collide with deep, angry, almost Industrial sounding bass tones hurtled towards synth string sounds playing something like what you might hear from Dead Can Dance in the mid-1980s.

The shifts in tone, timbre, and pace all very natural while the instrumentation is very far from being organic. Indeed, very far from being easing. There will be no new age ambience here. No, flute sounds here mean business, the kind that you won't forget.

Sirens wail, relentless and solemn. Troops march from the darkness into a calm landscape, but that refuge could only last so long. There is still so much to explore.

Here the whole is certainly greater than any individual part of this 1 hour piece of music.

Derivative? Absolutely, and shamelessly done too. This is space music greatly improved, but owing so much to the musical form invented by the electro-pioneers of the 1970s.

This is progressive; this is a masterpiece. 5 stars.

A cheesy but enjoyable live set from Tangerine Dream. Some sections of the epic Logos would crop up here and there in other work over the 1980s - for instance, there's the beautifully dramatic bit about 20 minutes in which was memorably used in one of the most unforgettably dramatic scenes of Michael Mann's The Keep. If you cannot stand the polished, cinematic style of 1980s Tangerine Dream, it probably won't be for you, but if you do it's a treasure trove of electronic playfulness and a welcome break from the occasional sterility of their studio albums of the era. Three and a half stars.

If the debut album by Redshift has a flaw, it's that it accomplishes its goals too easily and shows little ambition to exceed them. Redshift play Berlin School-style progressive electronic music in the style of early Klaus Schulze or mid- 1970s Tangerine Dream, and they certainly hit the nail right on the head - but precisely because they are so beholden to that style, they don't do very much that's original or different with it, and nor do they give the impression that they were especially trying to. It's a fun album highly recommended to anyone who can't get enough of this style, but at the same time if you aren't keen on Phaedra-era Tangerine Dream you probably wouldn't enjoy it very much.

This was love at first listen. ZANOV was the project of one Pierre Zalkazanov out of France and this was his debut from 1976. This is one of those Electronic albums that ticks all the right boxes for me. I really like the melancholic mood throughout and how darn spacey it is. We do get sequencers too at times but man this is just the perfect Electronic album for me. It's interesting how I have never been able to get into the more famous French Electronic artist in Jean- Michel Jarre, I find his music is light and poppy in comparison to this dark beauty, and I'm not surprised Jarre is more popular because of this.

"Green Ray" certainly starts off on the right foot with those spacey winds blowing over top of the other synths that form a base here. Sequencers kick in at 3 minutes giving this a different vibe for sure as the spacey winds die down. This is still really good though and those spacey winds do return.

"Machine Desperation" has this electronic beat with some incredible spacey sounds over top. That beat becomes more of the focus 3 minutes in as the spacey sounds continue over top. This is dramatic, then the loud beats calm down a minute later. I really like those spacey winds but as I listen closely I dig how it continually changes slightly over it's 10 minute length.

"Running Beyond The Dream" is the almost 20 minute side long closer. Distant sounds pulse, twitter and drift as it builds. It settles back but then turns louder after 4 minutes. After 5 1/2 minutes it's quiet, too quiet, but this song continues to evolve and change. Another quiet section 10 1/2 minutes in then it's louder at 15 minutes. I love how spacey it gets 17 minutes in.

This ranks right up there with some of my favourite RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL albums, it's that good.

— First review of this album —

After COIL released their debut album "Scatology" in 1984, they quickly released a collection of their earliest primal and mind- altering sonic experiments from the early 80s from the brief time when they would be closely connected with yet another errant electronic band Zos Kia, a project of John Gosling which was an offshoot of John Balance's Psychic TV. The two groups were essentially the same at this point separated in identity only by name showing the complex revolving door policies of the early industrial sound collage movement in the early 80s. These tracks on this only album to be released with the ZOS KIA moniker attached contain some of the most horrific sounds ever to be recorded onto tape with bombilations so utterly unsettling that i can not think of another album that exudes the primal essence of fear and so successful delves deep into the psyche of the listener to locate the ultimate sonic methodology for evoking intense discomfiture.

Originally released by Nekrophile only on the cassette format, the collection would finally find a home on CD in 1997 (with a different track order) by Threshold House and in 1998 Eskaton would reissue a vinyl edition. Finally in 2016 these rough drafts of soundtracks for nightmares would undergo a remastering and released by Cold Spring with two bonus tracks that were recorded by the pre-ZOS KIA noisemakers AKE and show a glimpse of the live underground event played at the Equinox event on June 21, 1983. TRANSPARENT is a bona fide history lesson in the errant nihilistic origins of COIL when they existed side by side on various Rising From The Red Sand compilations with other avant-garde electronically leaning artists like Nurse With Wound, Attrition, Konstruktivists, Lustmord and the Legendary Pink Dots. Likewise these recordings point to the antecedents of COIL's rather eccentric and occult interests and how they relay them in sonic form which continued throughout their multi-decade career which include wax cylinder recordings of Aleister Crowley and inspiration from his disciples especially Austin Osman Spare.

After the somewhat synthpop oriented debut "Scatology" that showed a slightly normal side of COIL, the collection of tracks on TRANSPARENT is downright frightening in comparison. Although some tracks like "Rape" (titled "Violation" on original release) would find their home in a new packaging on a future album (can't pinpoint it), most of these tracks are non-musical and focus more on rhythmic bursts of noise punctuated by intense spoken manifestos or psychotic keyboard deliveries that makes most horror soundtrack music seem like a walk through Disneyland. In sync with the chaos that is the discography of COIL, some tracks are solely credited to COIL, some solely to ZOS KIA and others to both while the bonus tracks are credited to the earlier KIA outfit AKE. Often referred to as monochrome psychedelia, TRANSPARENT even utilizes of all kinds of freaky everyday noises to scare the bejesus out of you. The track "Silence And Sorcery" for example is nothing more than a background of rhythmic crickets chirping with industrial noises randomly jumping from the abyss to signify their presence.

Listening to TRANSPARENT is a journey into the darkest recesses of the mind that captures the most disconcerting sonic amalgamation of factors that create an aura of shock and awe. While COIL would continue on to add more musical elements to their unique style of psychic torture, they would continue to employ many of the same non-musical elements that were laid out at this early stage with some of these tracks being cannibalized and used for sound effects in later offerings. TRANSPARENT is an interesting historical artifact that clearly lays out the antecedents of COIL's ascension into the industrial underground and also displays the less than clear delineation between all the affiliated groups and sub-groups that existed in the fluid world of John Balance and Peter Christopherson. TRANSPARENT is a must for those who crave the shadowy sonic expressions of the underground industrial world of the early 1980s when strange new unthinkable sound combinations were codifying a new "musical" movement that would find more prominence a decade later but for the uninitiated this could be considered a sonic assault that may leave them shivering under their sheets for days.

3.5 rounded down