SURYA KRIS PETERS

Especially for the 15-minute opener 'Angels in Bad Places', the subgenre might have as well been Krautrock instead of Progressive Electronic. The music is very, very trippy. Popol Vuh and Klaus Schulze are mentioned as influences in the artist bio, but unlike with those, in this music the electric guitar and percussion are central. However, the ever present synth carpet is very thick and layered, in the style of Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Düül II or even the early Tangerine Dream.

Most of the 53-minute album's ten tracks are roughly between two and five minutes. The title piece has some New Age -like meditative spirit in the slow tempo synth washes. The rhythm pattern of the acoustic percussion creates a hypnotic feel, and the electric guitar is used sparingly. If you removed the slightly distorted guitars, the faster-paced and more drums-heavy 'Beyond the Sun' could serve as an instrumental backing track for an early 80's synth-pop artist. Six minutes' length is perhaps more than enough for this. The album keeps operating between psychedelic Krautrock and electronic music, at times reminiscent of Tomita, at times the poppier side of Jean Michel Jarre. Also a psychedelic Pink Floyd influence can be heard. The guitar is present to a varying degree. In the heart of the 2½-minute 'Wizard's Dream' is an improv-styled guitar playing. One negative notion I have about this album is that the guitar sound tends to stay rather similar all the way: a bit gritty and distorted, typical for stoner rock. A good thing is that the latter half of the album shifts the emphasis more on synths and and electronic music, further from Krautrock.

The relatively catchy, synth-centred 'Gemini IV (The Sky Is Open)' contains astronaut's voices. 'Sleeping Willow' also concentrates on synths, this time with a slight Vangelis resemblence, and 'A Fading Spark' (1:56) is rooted on a sharp- toned synth riff. The closing piece 'Atomic Clock' (8:14) makes me think of the latter half of the Tangerine Dream track 'Through Metamorphic Rocks' (on Force Majeure, 1979). Due to the increasing variety in style, my 3½ stars deserve to be rounded upwards.

In some way this 35+- minute EP actually takes off around track 3: Sleepless City- An inventive & ethereal urban/electronic composition. The previous tracks just kind of set the mood even though track 2: The Legend Of Raja Shakuu (the longest track of this EP) promises much in its intro but stays kind of short of a very good "Kraut/Blues" idea.

Track 4: Chandra Luna is faithful to the feel of his 2016 The Hermit, a kind of electro/acoustic pagan ritual feel by the way.

Moonstruck Serenade, which follows, is a strange but creative merge between acoustic piano and a leading creepy sounding organ surrounded by electronic quirks and noises. An unorthodox poetic blend which oddly works out.

The album closes with La Morriña another strange mixture between acoustic guitar alongside a kind of Theremin sound which has no mention as an intrument on the instruments listing, if anything, this track is interesting and fun.

For an EP what is good could have been more and some good ideas stay short of their own possible outcome.

***3 PA´s stars.

Surya Kris Peters´ The Hermit, 2016, is, opposite to my expectations, quiet a relief. No monstrous influences overshadowing the sonic experience and even better than that intelligent and enticing melody lines with gorgeous multi-instrumental foregrounds & backgrounds some intimate acoustic guitar based electronically adorned compositions and subtle ethnic flavors scattered around in the right amount.

This release is actual proof of how it is not the instruments which outdate music but the lack of fresh and creative ideas! And Surya Kris Peters is full of these in this release. The deeper you travel into this auditive experience the more you get hooked and surprised.

This album is Bright/Dark beautiful without intention just sheer great instrumental electronic music composition with perfect pitch arrangements and the perfect dose of experimentation. The weak spot, in comparison to its siblings, is track 7-Chandra Luna which is a 3.5 stars track.

As I write this review I don´t know how this album is rated in PA but I HOPE there are other PE reviewers and followers with the same hunger for non Klaus Schulze & TD (or any other famous name) voluntary or involuntary copycats.

****4.5 PA stars.