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AMAZING SOUNDS No.138 / May 31, 2004
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CONTENTS:

NEWS

REVIEWS:
AT-MOOSS: "THE ARROW OF TIME" At-Mooss Records
GERT EMMENS & RUUD HEIJ: "RETURN TO THE ORIGIN" Groove Unlimited / Quantum
Records
PAUL ELLIS: "THE SACRED ORDINARY" Groove Unlimited
FRANK VAN BOGAERT: "COLOURS" Groove Unlimited
PETER MERGENER: "LOUNGE CONTROL" Prudence / BSC Music
DEBORAH MARTIN & CHERYL GALLAGHER: "TIBET" Spotted Peccary Music
AGNUS DEI: "GAIA" Indigo Music
ANTHONY PHILLIPS: "SOFT VIVACE" Astral
CAZENAVE: "ERA BUENA" Astral
ENTERPHASE: "SOLAR PROMENADES" AD Music

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NEWS

The composer Michael Garrison died on March 24, 2004, at the age of 47. His
memory will live on in the hearts of his fans.

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REVIEWS:

AT-MOOSS:
"THE ARROW OF TIME"
At-Mooss Records
In this album, the band At-Mooss succeeds in impressing us once again with
a risky artistic approach, as well as a technical mise-en-scéne brimming
with sound surprises. Exploring electronic music beyond the formal limits
that labels dictate, the artists fly in absolute freedom among different
trends, yet sculpturing a very coherent stylistic line which follows, in
quite a number of aspects, the path they opened with their album
"Cyclotron". One of the most characteristic traits in the album is its
mysterious air, at times openly gloomy, as already suggested by the Edgar
Allan Poe's quote displayed on the inner side of the cover. This funereal
halo hovers somehow over almost all of the music. At times, it is about
sepulchral melodies, icy, sharp, as if they were directly retrieved from
the nightmares of the collective subconscious. At other times, it's the
sequencer rhythms the ones that, writhing like threatening screams stemming
from maddened machines in factories, drags us towards the Terror of
Technology. All that is often wrapped into atmospheres rich in sounds that
simulate all kinds of machinery. The music almost always has an indefinable
nocturnal aroma, brimming with fog and smoke, and links with the darkest
side of Industrial Music, while at the same time incorporating gothic,
psychedelic and Dark Ambient traits, as well as the dynamics of Space
Sequencer Music. Showing a great command of sound, the musicians sculpt an
infinity of textures, arriving to passages where a classical orchestra
coexists with sequencers of a markedly cybernetic nature. Also, the
elaborated stereo panorama is likewise noteworthy, a panorama where, even
with earphones one can hear some particular sound coming from outside of
them, of "from behind".
JORGE MUNNSHE

If you wish to purchase this recording you only have to use this link:

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

GERT EMMENS & RUUD HEIJ:
"RETURN TO THE ORIGIN"
Groove Unlimited / Quantum Records
In this album, Gert Emmens and Ruud Heij have succeeded in creating a
window through which the listener can glimpse at faraway worlds, experience
adventures among the starse, and find himself face to face with the
transcendental enigmas every Human Being wonders about from birth to death.
Impressive music that spurs imagination. Best quality Space Sequencer
Music, rich in complex rhythmic architectures and suggestive melodies.
EDGAR KOGLER

http://www.groove.nl/

PAUL ELLIS:
"THE SACRED ORDINARY"
Groove Unlimited
An excellent sample of Paul Ellis's talent as a composer of a Space
orientation. In this well cared for album, he takes a route through unusual
life experiences, places and characters, which are described with an
impressive sharpness in the music. Thus, we find rhythmic passages which
are truly powerful, dominated by overlapping layers of accelerated
sequencers. And with slow pieces, rich in well-defined melodies, which
range with an exquisite uncertainty between the beautiful and the
enigmatic. Also remarkable is the collaboration of Rudy Adrian, the
keyboard magician from New Zealand, already well-known for his impressive
albums of Space Music. Famous synthesist Steve Roach, on the other hand,
collaborated in the post-production phase.
EDGAR KOGLER

http://www.groove.nl/

FRANK VAN BOGAERT:
"COLOURS"
Groove Unlimited
Frank calls his work "ambient synthesizer music", but it is probably much
more than that. Influenced by artists like Deep Forest or Beautiful World,
his contributions to the genre are indeed more electronic. He likes
sequencers (we too) so the results with them are excellent. There also
ethnic traits (listen to that voices), good rhythms, a wide sound palette
(including sounds from the nature), and charming melodies which you will
want to hear over and over again. Colours is one of the best works around
for this type of music. Please, listen to pieces number 2 or 3. They are
definitely great! The album contains 12 themes. Frank Van Bogaert composed,
arranged and produced them. He also plays all instruments.
MANUEL MONTES

http://www.groove.nl/

PETER MERGENER:
"LOUNGE CONTROL"
Prudence / BSC Music
This work is a fresh combination of influences coming from Atmospheric Pop,
Synth-Pop, Ambient and Trance. The melodies usually are warm, soft, with a
certain romantic air. The rhythmic structure of the music tends to be based
on the percussion typical of Pop as a general rule, as well as on
sequencers. These latter ones contribute some traits of Space Sequencer to
the music, although the general outline here described is the predominant
one. The electronic orchestrations contribute in a remarkable way to
recreate the landscapes suggested by each piece. The album also includes
elements typical of the most symphonic side of the New Instrumental Music.
ALEJANDRO HINOJOSA

http://www.bscmusic.com

DEBORAH MARTIN & CHERYL GALLAGHER:
"TIBET"
Spotted Peccary Music
Sensibility, majesty and warmth would perhaps be the most adequate words to
refer to this work. Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher offer us an
excellent sample of what they are capable of doing. The artists fuse
Melodic Ambient and New Instrumental Music, with certain touches of World
Music with a Tibetan flavor. The result is a precious collection of
melodies with a romantic air, sometimes happy, sometimes melancholy, not
lacking in some occasions a suggestive aura of mystery.
PASCUAL JURADO

http://www.spottedpeccary.com

AGNUS DEI:
"GAIA"
Indigo Music
Gerald Krampl, a keyboardist with a Classical background who began into
music in the 1970's within Symphonic Rock, formed the duo "Agnus Dei" with
his wife Hilde. Gerald was the musical member of the duo, whereas Hilde
wrote the poetic texts in the booklet accompanying the CDs. She sadly died
in 2002. "Gaia" is, in some way, a homage to Hilde, the Gerald's muse and
artistic partner, and a good sample of the special artistic chemistry
between both of them. The general style of the work, based on the piano and
electronic keyboards, can be described as New Instrumental Music with some
classical traits. The music is usually romantic, warm, dynamic, with a
certain melancholy touch. In all, "Gaia" is a wonderful album which
deserves to be listened to by any follower of the New Instrumental Music.
VIRGINIA TAMAYO

http://www.indigomusic.at/

ANTHONY PHILLIPS:
"SOFT VIVACE"
Astral
"Soft Vivace" by the ex-Genesis Anthony Phillips, is an impressive album
which captures the attention of the listener from the very beginning.
Anthony Phillips is a highly talented composer, guitarist and pianist, and
his music shows his very personal style. The artist develops an excellent
collection of fresh, expressive pieces that basically range around New
Instrumental Music and Space Music in its most melodic, symphonic side.
Some pieces, as for example "Majestuosas ballenas" have a majestic air, and
help to evoke, in the imagination of the listener, voyages to exotic places
and impressive experiences. Other themes have some classical elements and
some touches of Rock Ballad. In a few words, this is a magnificient album
that will not leave us indifferent to it.
JORGE MUNNSHE

http://www.arrakis.es/~astral/

CAZENAVE:
"ERA BUENA"
Astral
Guillermo Cazenave paints convincing soundscapes that lead the listener to
let imagination fly freely through the musical universe this expert
composer suggests. With majestic orchestrations, of a heavenly hue,
ethereal melodies are being carefully woven. The synthesizers, performing
the music in a crystaline, atmospheric way, provide the music with its
quality of magic, unearthly feeling. The talent of this artist is not only
obvious in the composition of the melodies, but also in the careful
selection of sounds. "Era Buena" is a magnificient album of Space Music,
brimming with emotional melodies of a great strength, and warm synthesizer
atmospheres that emphasize the ethereal aspects of the music.
JORGE MUNNSHE

http://www.arrakis.es/~astral/

ENTERPHASE:
"SOLAR PROMENADES"
AD Music
Through beautifully developed pieces of a varied character, Enterphase take
us into wondrous soundscapes. Eleven compositions of a fresh air, where
rhythm and melody are very well combined. The basic style includes Space
and New Instrumental traits, with a strong protagonism of the synthesizers.
The music turns out to be dreamy, oniric, at times soft, at times lively,
with some melancholy touches, with warm textures and crepuscular colors,
always bringing to the mind of the listener the vision of magic universes.
In this album, Enterphase (Fred Becker and Jeff Filbert) are accompanied by
David Wright, Dean de Benedictis and John Dumitru.
EDGAR KOGLER

http://www.admusiconline.com

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Sounds.

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