LIGHT + SHADE

Once upon a time I had quite a taste for the kind of new-agey, pseudo-electronical music that Mike is dabbling in with this album... There are a few tracks which are absolutely sublime and a lot of others that are simply uninspired and uninteresting. I rather liked "The Gate" because for the moments when the sounds actually come together, there's a hint of something interesting to be had from the vocaloids - though there's a lot more work to be done before it emerges cleanly. The thing to note here is that Mike has completely turned his back on his roots with this album and gone straight into the digital world (computers now, not just electronic instruments) with complete abandon. This album playes rather like a demo set Mike put together while playing with and mastering all of his new toys.

Overall not much to get excited about, but it hints at interesting things in the future for Mike's next album. Given that he has created some of the most sublime and sophisticated progressive instrumentals in the genre, perhaps he will once again do the same but this time with completely electronic elements. Light & Shade would be a passable effort for most of the new-age artist crowd, but for those of us who know what Mike is capable of it's just comes off as simplistic with some rough edges.

The guitar work, as always, is exceptional.