ELECTRONIC REGIONS

Electronic prog, in general, is probably the "slowest burner" type of music within the progverse. It is often found boring by many music listeners. Add sequencers to this, and you understand why tons people find it bland. I, for one, am not much of a "taste acquirer". There are exceptions, for sure, but normally I have to find something alluring in a music on my first listen, in order to further my "relationship" with it.

And, this album granted me with this kind of allurement.

Terje Winther is a Norwegian musician who crafted music in various types, one of them being electronic.

Electronic Regions definitely showcases Mr. Winther's competence in "electromancy". Let's begin with combining the song titles of its first CD: "Time + And Again + I Feel My Life + Repeating (itself) + Over and Over (Again)". This, rather ironically, reflects how, many people assess such music: slowly burning albums that don't ever unfold into a blazing fire, even at their zenith. Yet, this album is far from being a parody. It was diligently and intuitively built. The initial alarming "sirens", followed by some distorted sounds feels like how a seemingly perniciously delicious wild trip was about to begin, but the bittersweet, often dull, modern reality proved it obsolete.

As one can guess, the rest of the 1st CD turns out to be relatively tame. But still, modern life is not that hopelessly uninteresting, nor is the rest of this album. We are the creatures that are blessed with imagination, after all. And this way, life is more safe & secure.

The 2nd CD opens with rather a "werky-craft" (vice versa) tune, and is followed by a very repetitive and hypnotic looooooooooong song. The final part is the most interesting one here, as it is adventurous, and sounds mysterious. Well, don't expect a wild trip here. It is like an astral travel where you're gliding over the glacial landscapes. The ennobling grandeur of wintry sceneries! Though be warned, there's some real tension here!

Terje's output brings nothing like a Trojan horse or a massive system update to the electronic table. So, if you're into prog electronic, you can listen to it and enjoy without being bedazzled, or if you're not, you might easily skip it.

The thing I enjoyed most about this album is the selection of the synth sounds. Not only there's an impressive plethora here, but also, and more importantly, they really flow seamlessly into my ears. Even the percussive synths didn't disturb me in the slightest. They, otherwise, can sometimes be really like a "piercing" to the ear, and I'm not a big fan of that. Hahah. Of course, I'm talking about the nature/character of the sounds used. Otherwise, the album has some really bewildering and slightly unsettling moments.

Well, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk... the influence thingies. I frankly believe that any album that is totally groundbreaking and cleverly and also masterfully crafted will/would be appreciated, sooner than much later. OK, it may not be MJ's Thriller, but would at least not be as "nameless" as a regular dragonfly. I mean, this album is really enjoyable, but I'm not surprised that it is this recondite. I wouldn't assume that Mr. Winther sacrificed all his sanity, spirit, and fortune; or sold his soul to the devil for creating this work. Come on, he is a smart musician. It can be deduced from his musicianship. He should be earning his life by producing more accessible stuff!

My rating is 3/5, as I'll give 4 and 5 stars to the albums under specific conditions; being groundbreaking/original and extraordinarily interesting/enjoyable are the pivotal ones of them.

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