Meditationen just sold out but a new order is on it's way.

I still have Spyra Headphone Concert in stock, but no more autographed copies.

 

 

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Here are reviews of both Headphone Concert and Meditationen.  Very different CDs, equally excellent.  Thanks for sending them.

 

Phil

 

Der Spyra “Headphone Concert:

Little Garden of Sounds II”

(Wydawnictwo, 2004)

5 tracks, 68.10 mins

 

Certain musicians cause me to run out of superlatives, and Spyra certainly falls into that category. Already producing music of high quality, it seems that since he teamed up with Chris Lang he just keeps getting better and better. Case in point is this live recording featuring the two of them and a cast of others. After introductions, a brisk little sequence gets us going on “Jeden,” followed by Robert Golla’s fast-fingered guitar playing, in a style similar yet distinct from Manuel Gottsching. Sometimes I find the guitar a bit too forward in the mix, and just a tad busy for the surrounding timbres, but for the most part the ensemble cast combines very effectively. Jo Mar Gardena’s violin balances the sounds and the mood perfectly, much like Klaus Schulze’s forays into blending classical and electronic music. Passing the eleventh minute the music comes alive with a pounding steady beat, forceful sequencing and bright swirling loops of sound. Jochen Krajewski’s synthesized voice is added, and I can’t decide if it works or not, but it’s brief. This energetic passage is followed by a more disjointed experimental section. Despite the abruptness of the change, I find it really works, once again in a somewhat Schulze-like manner, like “Sebastian In Traum” on his Audentity album. Golla plays kalimba to start “Two,” which evolves into an extremely pleasant synth, beats and bass affair, very much in the spirit of Spyra’s first My Little Garden of Sounds disc. “Drei” delves back into more experimental realms, a variety of odd sounds combining to make fresh, inventive music that defies easy categorization. Schulzian synth pads emerge later, along with a relaxed steady rhythm lending a jazzy flavor. The violin plaintively echoes in the background. At least two more distinct change-ups in sound palette and mood keep the music on the move before the track ends. “Czietyre” has the quirkiest beginning yet, seemingly random sounds from an unidentifiable instrument. But again the music doesn’t sit still for long, and eventually we’re up and running again with bass, beats, sizzling guitars, and violin, making a unique blend of classical electronica progressive rock. The brief “Quinto” brings things to a comforting conclusion. Adventurous, diverse, and strongly recommended.

 

© 2005 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space

 

Spyra “Meditationen”

(Manikin Records, 2005)

3 tracks, 71.03 mins

 

Wolfram der Spyra is one of the most versatile and talented musicians working in EM today. On the one hand, he can make tunes that you can tap your feet to and hum in your head all day long. On the other hand you have Meditationen, a set of three luxuriously long tracks that are velvety smooth, perfect chill-out music for winding down at the end of the day. “Mentalized (preloaded)” is full of gorgeous pads and choirs, little clicks of percussion, and Spyra’s trademark ambling bass line. Everything is placed just so, including the sparse piano that doesn’t appear until past the 22:00 mark. I would advise strongly against driving or operating heavy machinery while listening, as this music will lull you into a dangerously comfortable place, especially the soft twitters and water sounds at the end. “Composure” starts with Spyra’s always-skillful piano playing, lending a dramatic emotional touch. We then move seamlessly into pure synth textures, nearly silent at first. It develops slowly, patiently, living up to its name. In the eleventh minute, a beautiful crystalline sequence emerges, like Schulze’s classic “Crystal Lake.” Synth strings rise over the top, completing the hypnotic effect. For a few minutes near the end a different atmospheric passage appears, then the sequence returns, and finally the piano brings the track full circle. The word “masterpiece” may be overused, but it applies. Lastly, “Future of the Past Part II” whooshes in on the wind and a bubbly bass line. A warbly synth lead dances about brightly. After a melodic beginning, the music whirls briefly into a spacey tripped-out midsection before returning to the main theme. Drums and choirs take the mood from optimistic to melodramatic just like that, and then back again. It forms an upbeat finish to this great CD.

 

© 2005 Phil Derby / Electroambient Space