VARIOUS. Emit 2296

How many seasons have to pass before I attain the status of a seasoned reviewer, I wonder? If I have reached that milestone I should not be surprised by anything, yet I was. The latest signing to this label is Slim, a lady with an innocent natural voice who sings about leverage and lust. Beautiful though this is, shouldn’t they be exploritors of ambient music? The next track by Gas is a lot more familiar in style and a highlight of the album. The next surprise is by Dallas Simpson, who uses his own specially adapted binaural recording techniques on the track ‘Abha’, where real life ambiences are collated with great clarity and only reveal their true potential while listening oh headphones. Other notable pieces are composed by the International Peoples Gang, Miasma and the Voodoo Warriors Of Love. Another very good compilation from the ambient capital of the world - Nottingham. (Phil Brook)

THE SIDEWINDER. Colonized. Virgin Ambt 17

Another- interesting slice of music in the ambient electronic mode, where dark moody beats and distortion are placed side by side. The duo K - Mart and J.K. Flesh have chosen a more harsh vision over the 22 tracks on Colonized, titles like ‘Ballistic Loop’ and ‘Ten Ton Ghettoblaster’ are somewhat self explanatory and you’d be hard pushed to find any dub in ‘Scarification Dub’. Easy listening this is not, experimentation taken beyond the dancefloor, how chilled out do you need to be before this comes into focus? Whilst listening to this album on my Hi-Fi System, the distortion at times is so intense, the teeth are set on edge. Luckily most of the tracks are on the short side. I enjoy music probably more than most, but I have to admit that enjoyment was not easily achieved whilst indulging in the pulsating musical works of Sidewinder. With 70 mins of rather uncomfortable listening, may I recommend that you don’t turn the volume up to high in case you spoil your underpants. (Phil Brook).

HAWKWIND. Future Reconstruction Ritual Of The Solstice. Emergency Broadcast System EBSSCD 117

In those days when moog synthesizers were just glorified toys by today’s standards, Hawkwind were one of the few bands to explore their early use. I liked the music then and even saw them on stage in Huddersfield and now for the purists the unthinkable has happened. Modern ‘electronic’ bands have been allowed to unleash current computers and sequencers to ‘reconstruct’ ten of their famous songs. Salt Tank’s Master Of The Universe (techno version). You Shouldn’t Do That by Translucent (Hard Trance) and the Utah Saints (dance with scratching) doing their bit with the Silver Machine are all pressed into action. Optic Eye can always be relied upon to cut a groove above the norm and their stab at Forge Of Vulcan is superb. Astralasia, those impressive ambient-trance purveyors have two slices of remixes with Spirit Of Age and the brilliant Uncle Sam’s On Mars. The dub band Zion Train shows the way down Damnation Alley and the final track by Haggis of Sensor is the only mix that seems out of place with a heavy metal bent. This album is released with a number of organisations in mind, such as the Tibbet Support Group. A very welcome ritual with a highly commanded label. (Phil Brook)

HAROLD BUDD. Luxa. All Saints Records. ASCD 30.

Harold Budd is, for the uninitiated, a rather special composer. Sadly he’s been overlooked, well, he has as far as I’m concerned. For example, I ask, have you heard of Brian Eno? Of course you have. Budd is perhaps one of the best ambient piano players there is. He has a couple of albums on Virgin, a couple with the aforementioned Eno, Luxa is his new one for All Saints (not his first, either). This 16 track affair features some of the most vivid, almost spiritual music I’ve heard recently. He manages to invoke a superb inner peace and you have to be very careful, especially if you’re listening with headphones, that you don’t melt. The 16 pieces arrive in 4 sections - I won’t pick out any for favouritism as it’s just futile as they are all individual and superb. Drifting piano that has a certain mellow something, slightly out of focus, in the background. Luxa is an endless audio free fall through treacle...(obviously with breathing apparatus on!). (Dave W)

DAVID TOOP Pink Noir Virgin Ambt 18

His last two double albums have featured other artists in the exploration of the Ocean Of Sound, now it’s the turn of Toop to compose his own soundscape in a true ambient sense. Pink Noir delves into all types of music within this genre including a jazz tinged tenor sax on the title track. Musa Kalamulah provides a narration of Sierra Leone pigeon translation on ‘Mamba Point’, where his delightful voice is pitched onto a very rhythmic soundtrack. Although Toop plays most of the instrumentation including keyboards, guitars, flutes and a number of musical devices only a good dictionary would give a clue as to what they actually sound like. The overall effect is a gentle, slightly jazz oriented moody album where no two tracks are similar. A fine example is ‘Slow Loris Versus Poison Snail’ where Talvin Singh is to the fore with some fine tablas playing. True lovers of ambient music will be spellbound. (Phil Brook)

CARL STONE. EMIT 1196

This is about as far as ambient could possibly go. Lovers of unchallenging popular music will have great difficulty in understanding the 50 mins of compositions. The four sections of ‘Nyala’ was commissioned to accompany Kuniko Kisanuki ( a dancer ) and Satcru Shoji (a sculptor). The 40 min work was first seen in 1995, and in the conversion process to album, a new section was added and the final section was extended. the first track starts so quietly, there is a serious need to increase the volume by a hearty amount. You would need a 100 watt amplifier just to power your headphones! The volume and complexity of the first section slowly builds into a composition without any real form whilst retaining hazy smoothing passages of intrigue. After 12 mins, beware of the drum which startles and caused me to Jump whilst listening on headphones. He knows how to play with the senses. The third section is the longest at just over 20 mins, which allows the artist to use differing loops and samples that seen to be out of step with each other and yet somehow blend together in a strange hypnotic way. Stone is certainly an experimentalist, creating not a monster, but an album that challenges the boundaries of what is perceived as music. Absolutely fascinating. (Phil Brook)

MAIN. Firmament III. Beggars Banquet No. BBQMCD 179

The latest from the ambient world that is Main this comes in the wake of the remarkable series of “Hz” EP’s (6 in all) which got my vote for presentation/concept alone. If serious ambient is not your bag I suggest you move on at this point, as Richard Hampson who fronts the project has forever parted company with what passes for traditional rock. Main’s music demands engagement from it’s listeners but those willing to give it space will find rich rewards. The work (“music” somehow doesn’t fit the bill) features recurring patterns, whorls and motifs that drift through often austere tones and textures producing some alarming reactions and emotions in the listener. Main have been increasingly adding the clatter of life and day-to-day sounds to their recordings and so it is here; it works to good effect. The music, by Hampson’s own admission is not to everybodys taste, but I find it both fascinating and relaxing and continue to enjoy it albeit through my headphones - it really is the only way to listen to take it all in. A HIT. (Gordon Maxwell).

EAT STATIC. Science Of The Gods. Planet Dog. BARKCD029.

This duo have been together since 1990 and their fascination with ufo-ology continues to inspire their creative musical minds into providing a procession of excellent tracks. They are not content with standing still (musically speaking) and have taken other influences such as drum ‘n bass and allowed these to pervade into some of their instrumentals. Careful control of the music is still retained to prevent following the latest fashion craze into a blind alley. So with trip hop and chemical beats to add to the vast array of selected styles, the band continues to make refreshing music for the adult mind. The second track called Interceptor is a fine example of drum ‘n bass, but when they go a little further down the experimental path, there are some wonderful inventive sounds to be heard on the other drum ‘n bass piece, Dissection. It’s one of the best of it’s type that I have enjoyed recently. Contact gets the blood pumping with a good rocking tune whilst still allowing those chemical beats to jolt at the heart of the mix. The final mammoth section entitled The Hanger starts with an ambient section consisting of harsh sounding tinny rhythms that eventually flows into much mellower riffs that demonstrate an ecstatic beauty which demands frequent playing. It’s probably true that more patience is needed to be totally acquainted with this album as the melodies do not lend themselves to be sung or hummed. Commercialism is not within earshot especially on the seventh track, which is a little similar to the output of Autechre and that should attract the attention of all serious audiophiles. It’s been a long journey since their first release, but Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton show no signs of slowing up, in fact the pace of change is increasing. Famed for their live apperances, this CD manages to live up to and exceed those expectations. (Phil Brook)

TEKNOTIKA - The Seductive Sounds Of. Eye Q Music. EYEUKCD014

The murky world of Detroit techno may sound to be a very specialist area where the music has been specifically written for the club environment. This is what should have happened but I was soon confronted with innovative expressions that did not fit into any pre-decided niche, yet still packed the musical punch of excitement. It’s not ambient, trance neither and generally lacks those cut up beats, so what is it? Teknotika is the work of Gary Martin who uses the seductive sounds to form wondrous, often melodic passages that holds the attention. Seemingly slightly off key, the method of compositions is all his own and the results are highly original and impressive. Some tracks contains 50’s or 60’s music brought right up to date with panache. The album’s opening track One Step Beyond is a succulent inviting instrumental to whet the appetite for the next eleven pieces. So often an album just does not have the staying power and runs out of steam and ideas. This simply does not occur in this case. Twinge is the title of the third track and is a most appropriate name. The following track could be Middle Eastern, the sixth is definitely minimalist techno. Interview With An Alien is just that, using dialogue from old si-fi footage that spells out the destructive effect man is having on the universe as seen through the words of an alien who always has the upper hand. The soundtrack is perfectly pitched to the woeful tale. This is immediately followed by a standard vocal dance track, well almost! The album finishes with The Aftermath which is every bit as good as the previous offerings. I can now reveal that I have been completely seduced by the sounds of Teknotika. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Sympathy In Chaos. Matsuri MP7

The title may just give the wrong impression, as this nine track compilation is not chaotic in any sense. The album is still firmly established in the trance section but mainly concentrating on less thumping compositions which incidentally allows for greater experimentation. It is compiled, effected, noized and mixed by Tsuyoshi Suzuki. The start is somewhat surprising for a cd as it seems to be taken from a scratchy vinyl coupled with distortion, but it is still a great 14 min track by UVX called 13 Floor Spectrum. The Liquid Dub Connection flavours the sound with a loose dub, whereas the following piece has the always impressive Eat Static stamp of approval. Merv Pepler gives Prana’s Geomantik a spacey ufo feel which results in the Fire Dragon mix being a classy interlude of the album. Tripitaka’s Monkey On A Cloud is a more ambient event and a very good one at that. The intriguingly titled Ju Ju Space Jazz is the band not the song and their Pizza is a bizarre part consisting of lots of spacey jazz/funk influences of a very way out nature. The last offering is by The Irresistible Force, where the Intergalactic Ambient mix of Space Is The Place is a most beautiful affair and conclusively proves this album is one should be one in your collection. (Phil Brook)

JEAN MICHEL JARRE. The Singles. Epic.

There’s a total of three extended cd singles (as far as I know) that feature so many variations of Oxygene Part 10 it’s untrue. Some of the mix artists include Apollo Four Forty, Sash, and Loop Guru. As you can well imagine, some of the mixes are very much in the trance/dance field, and many will be quite alien to Jarre fans, and likewise, some of the mixes are very ambient, and will alienate dance fans. Anyone with a fairly broad sense of taste will find the extreme tracks challenging, and it’s quite amazing how each mixer has almost rewritten the original, even to the point of hardly recognizing the original, buried deep within. The best ‘single’ to recommend has to be 664715-5 as it contains six different mixes, plus, the playing time is rather generous for a so-called single. (Dave W.).

JANSEN & BARBIERI. Other Worlds In A Small Room. Medium. MPCD4.

Comparisons aren’t exactly the most favoured method of reviewing, but here I just can’t help myself. Other Worlds is like a cross between Eno (both Roger and Brian), some of the ambient gear on the Recycle Or Die label, and, not surprisingly, the instrumental ‘bits’ of Japan and/or David Sylvian. The reason why I say it isn’t surprising is because both Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri are former members of Japan! Here’s a couple of the tracks, just sit back, and let the images roll of your mind - Remains Of A Fragile Illusion, Distant Fire, Light Years. A wonderful and satisfying collection of ditties. (Dave W).

TRAUMA CLUB. Headology. Just Create Records. JCRACD008.

Just another guy doing a few pieces of electronic music to pass the time perhaps? Definitely not!. There seems to be a wealth of talent out there and Mike Whitfield is just one who creates records of superior quality. His specialist skills are used to invent ambient/dub/trance, chilled reggae and even calypso dub on the dozen tracks of instrumental music that covers a much greater area than the majority of other releases. The title track is even better then the first with the glorious ambient riffs competing with the almost funky rhythms in a battle for supremacy. The eerie rainforest is one of the many headphone experiences to enjoy. This is only the fourth track and there are already four candidates for the best of the album! The following Touch Me features a house style chorus, singing along with music that is not in any way house, in fact it’s closer to chilled reggae. Seething Reel is another experiment that works, taking traditional folk music and blending it with electronics and a reggae beat. Unrational changes the format to scratching on a typical transGlobal Underground soundscape. The next track has choral singing and bell ringing on a dub beat where tabla playing is to the forefront, naturally this is entitled Wrequiem. The last piece has bangra type vocals on a laid back percussive theme. To recap, there are a host of variations existing within Headology, but can you get your head round it. I did. (Phil Brook)

PS. Don’t overlook the additional piece as part of the last track.

VARIOUS. Pondou Fever. Peyote. CD11

The mellower side of trance is featured in this eight track package mixed by DJ Dara-Lee, which not only stars some of the latest recordings, but also uses slightly older material dating back to 1993. Brighton seems to be one of the respected places for this type of music and the remixer is a resident at the Escape club there. The beautiful opener by Ohmega entitled Panacea is a dreamy number that slowly evolves into a magnificent emotional track that I will continue to return to. Is ten mins really long enough for this majestic epic - I don’t think so. The fourth excerpt is by Massimo Vivona and this is rhythm heavy with percussion to match and it matches very well. The next is Mendrum by Shiva Chandra which blends Indian influences onto the basic trance soundtrack. I have always been a fan of Juno Reactor and their Landing is more inclined towards the ambient sphere. This longish track is a truely wondrous and it is given a sci fi feel by the inclusion of words by Dr Stephen Hawking especially when listening in a comfortable room where the lighting is subdued and the music is loud. The final track by Menis is another choice cut and Rakebeat will be remembered as a very suitable way of rounding off a good album. This is the first release on cd by Peyote records and congratulations should be in order for achieving this beautifully balanced package. (Phil Brook)

BRIAN ENO. The Drop. All Saints. ASCD 32.

Eno’s latest album with a bigger selection than Dairy Milk! Seventeen tracks in all and I would go as far as to say that this is probably one of his most accessible albums in some time. Mind you, when I say accessible, I honestly find all his music this way! The Drop has all kinds of styles blending in and out of some superbly creative soundscapes. Jazz, ambient and almost pop all raise their respective heads as eno ploughs through 17 tracks. Swanky, Boomcubist, Hazard, Black Clack and Slip Dip are excellent examples of Eno’s craft. The Drop is his first album since Neroli, and that album was total ambience, an almost volteface to this. Well recommended for all. (Dave W).

VARIOUS. Galaxy Tribe:A Drum ‘N’ Bass Odyssey. Magick Eye. MEYCD20.

One of the major problems with the current drum ‘n bass craze is the standarised fast drum pattern, which in most instances leaves little room for variations to excite the music buying public. Various artists have realized that the time to break out of this musical straight jacket is long overdue and are now much more willing to expand the parameters. The opening track gives the first insight into the changes with Under The Honeytunnel - A collaboration between Swordfish and T.L. Palmer which results in the unexpected, subdued drum ‘n bass providing the beat whilst other evolving arrangements form a very gentle background that lacks the usual stark instrumentalisation. It’s taken from a very promising new album that I look forward to investigating in the near future. Children Of Dub’s This City Never Sleeps highlights what can be achieved by giving drum ‘n bass the dub treatment, whereas Background In Blue by UVX is a very laid back late night portrait on which muted ringing tone provides a looped sample and complements the beat. This is really different and also a very enjoyable offering. Nozmo’s contribution uses ambient style electronics and an electric piano effect to balance the lo-fi drums which makes a dramatic contrast before Indian percussion restores the aural picture. Full marks are awarded for Paradision. The Best in the galaxy is left to last, Astral Green World is another collaboration between Astralasia and Another Green World and their Loudest Whisper is where trance meets ambient piano and electronics whilst delving into drum ‘n bass territory. The final track presents the most melodic and accessible exponent of it’s type. This package is not designed for hardcore dancing fans, but for discerning listeners who derive pleasure from their hobby and it certainly has been a great pleasure to review this album. (Phil Brook)

DOG GOD. God Is Love. Ninth World Music. NWM007CD.

Music under the generic title of techno, this album leans more towards the electronic end of the spectrum. Pere Jorgens collaborating with Vagn Olsson, a percussionist and keyboard player in neo-jazz outfits like Cockpit Music. So there is the brief, what’s the music like? It is actually very enjoyable and the minimal soundscapes intersperse with full blown techno or ambient to provide a varied selection during the eleven tracks. It all starts with Love Energy (Theme In A Mirror) which pulls together many different sections under a light beat that ensures an exciting opener. On Going Down But Not Coming Up, stirring emotions are delivered on this ambient fourth track. Some of the pieces are unusual especially the seventh track The Essence Of Love Contained In The Sparkling Bubbles Of Champagne (The Presumption That There Is Another Life Of Rich And Full, Without Worries, Maladies Or Disbelief) Phew!. The Forest Triptych (Center); Romance; Animism Felt On The Spot is a shorter titled instrumental which uses a modified apparently simplistic beat that gives the impression of forever changing onto which non standard sounds are placed. The music flows from beautiful haunting melodic hook lines to random individual sounds that somehow manage to fit the whole rather than just the part. It is bizarre but it’s my favourite. This may be experimental music but it is not unlistenable and although I may have reservations about their name, I am very positive about their music. (Phil Brook)

O. LIEB - Constellation - Recycle Or Die ROD003

If you have the ability to appreciate the very best of the so called ambient scene, then you should by necessity be collecting the ROD series of albums. This innovative set has now reached number 11 with the excellent compilation called Backlash, which I reviewed recently for MD. Although I have still a number of gaps to fill, I did not expect to be given the opportunity to review ROD3. As I expected, the four tracks which are all ten mins plus epics live up to the reputation of being ambient masterpieces of differing moods. The sixteen minute opener Dimension X starts with a haunting yet ever so bubbly theme which entices a very personal experience to mature, perhaps an inner calm pervades the mind and body. It’s very impressive anyway. The even longer Secret Visitors is more subdued and a less happy piece, whilst not becoming too depressive the interplay between the sounds works very well. Spice Diving changes the mood again with rich sounding synths battling against tin can percussion to make a generous overall tone of delight. The relatively short Subsonic Interference (10.52) challenges the mind with a sumptuous collage of dense soundscapes to complete the constellation of sounds. This is a remarkable album for the ambient enthusiast and one I would recommend wholeheartedly, in fact it would be ideal for falling asleep to after the album has finished. (Phil Brook)

ALIEN MUTATION. DNA. Kinctix. KINXCD9.

An hour in the company of Alien Mutation may not be one of your first choices, but at least due consideration should be given to this instrumental ambient music. It's all the work of Jake Stephenson who possesses a fine ear for musical composition and can mix the hard with the smooth, the ambient with the trance. The opening track is very Orb-ish with added sections of Dread Zone and Dubula Technoid is in my mind just one of the many brilliant pieces available. In the seventies, great merit was made of 'getting into the music', now I can state that DNA is something that certainly benefits from much closer and often repeated aural examination. The rich and robust rhythms balance the more delicate samples to form very happy sounding music as found on both Exotic Dreams and Shimmer, The track titled Marijuana is one of the heavier sections that forms a pleasant smokescreen of trance. Sea Of Colours uses old dialogue perhaps from si-fi films to assist the overall picture where harmonising vocal type samples provide the basic melody before the percussion enters, not to disturb but to enhance. The finale called appropriately enough Water features plenty of the title sounds to entwine with the gentle theme. If you like to listen to the music of the Orb during their greatest adventures, then Alien Mutation have brought the music bang up to date. Ambient music better than this will not be easy to find. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Sympathy In Chaos EP. Matsuri. MP29.

If you can't afford the full album price, then this little beauty contains lots of ambient trance to whet one's insatiable appetite. It all begins with the jazzy trance overtones of Eat Static's Merv Pepler's remix of Prana's Geomantik and ends with The Liquid Dub Connection's Floating Through The Air On Gossamer Wings, which they describe as gentle jungle. In between are two Australian acts, Ju Ju Space Jazz's Pizza is psychedelic trance with a definite jazz flavour (imagine Brand X playing trance) and Tripitaka's Monkey On A Cloud featuring more high energy trance modified with an eastern feel to the proceeding sings. Branching out into the unknown, trance is still growing and developing into a many sided structure where diversity now appears to be the main aiming point. To find out just how far down the road this musical style has gone, then this is an ideal source of information. (Phil Brook)

The Mystery of The Yeti. Tip Records. TIPCD09

I was led to believe that TIP Records were a small independent label dealing with only dancing trance. How wrong can a reviewer be? This 57 min album takes a much slower pace and during the four parts finds a multitude of sequences they describe as extra terrestrial ambiences. The idea was born from flautist Raja Ram Rothfield who incidentally also did the arranging, and with the help of Simon Posford of Halluncingen, amassed a major work of fascination. The synths are played by Stephen Holweck, and Serge Souqueo did all the programming and rhythms. Some albums start with a very good piece to make the best possible impact whereas this starts quietly and does not instantly impress - it leaves that to a little later in the music, especially part three, which is aurally gorgeous. Part 1 includes The Call and The Journey where rain forest ambiences and chanting slowly gives way to electronic ambient in a most striking way. The final part concludes the Mystery. As a reviewer one can become a little hardened to music with the consequence of trying not to let a new album exceed expectations. I failed totally on this count. Magnificent. (Phil Brook).

TRIAL OF BOW. Rite Of Passage. Relapse Records. RR 6950-2.

If I started this review with the words from the FILE UNDER section of the album, then you'd have a better idea as to what's on here. Experimental, World Music. or Ambient. To put it simply, these three categories are covered explicitly on this fine album. Rite Of Passage are two Australians and their work has drawn comparisons to Dead Can Dance, Love Spirals Downwards and Muslimgauze. The album kicks off with Father Of The Flower, and this is pulled straight from the ambient/World music drawer. To be fair, I really didn't know what to expect when I got this album as much is made of the fact that Trial Of Bow aren't easy to categorize (and oh, how many times have I heard that phrase, and it usually means, yes, mmm!). This time, it's true, and despite the somewhat horrible sounding mix of ambience and world music, you'll be pleasantly surprised - well, I was. Ten tracks that really do defy reviewers like me to come up with helpful pigeon holes. (Dave W).

VARIOUS. Trip To The Andes TUMI TXD CD2

Don't be fooled by the title will you. Were you expecting South American pipes contributing towards a soaring theme by indigenous artists? The music may have started as something along similar lines, but it has been drastically remixed into e by experienced performers and the results are breathtaking. To name check a few - Astralasia, T Power, Global Underground vie with U-Ziq and Youth to obtain the higher ground. Although the original from Inti Raymi's album Inca Queen which accompanies a TV documentary following a trip into the Peruvian Andes to locate descendants of the Incas. The source field recordings have been reworked into such styles as drum & bass, dub, trance and trip hop. Most of the album stands up to it's promises, especially the drum & bass production by Mr Psyche who has managed to capture those scary melodies into a very memorable piece. This would have been the best if the opening track by T Power had been omitted. This man can do no wrong at the moment and is certainly the highlight of the dozen tracks available. If you enjoyed Ambient Amazon, Turni dance's first release, then you will absolutely adore this follow up. (Phil Brook).

FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON. My Kingdom. Virgin VSCDT 1605

A 30 Min single consisting of five parts of very intelligent instrumental music. Although filed under soul and dance, this up ambient contains many influences from across the world and cleverly uses samples to great effect. There's light and dark; loud quiet; dramatic and sedate sections all wrapped together to form a quality product. The FSOL have rediscovered the true art and craft of professional music making. My Kingdom is my sort of music and is more than recommended. (Phil Brook).

CHILDREN OF DUB. ESP. Magick Eye MEYCD019

To make the second album in a band career must be the one of the most difficult times, as they will have had a comparatively long time to collate all the best material to make a hopefully impressive debut. This they did with ease. When the lights dim, the world of ambient dub can appear to possess magical qualities that seem to fit the mood rather well. On first hearing, I detected lots of samples that were featured and the first album and it was not until the final track that I realized that I was listening to a belter of an album. Perhaps my mind had been wandering too much, or I was expecting the impossible. This is not an album that can be played all the time, yet it retains some glorious moments especially the title track with it's Infectious groove caused by the deep bass and haunting melody. The recent single Greed is included with those wonderful ambient drum reverb patterns. As mentions earlier the final track Theme For The Cities is the stand out of a good album.The sheer inventiveness and the way the sound collage is assembled is truely amazing. Yes Children Of Dub are destined to provide lots of good music for the future and mass recognition can only be round the corner. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Backlash. The Recycle Or Die Compilation. Recycle Or Die ROD 011

I have been collection this series of albums and I thought these releases had finished after ROD 06. I am glad that I was wrong, as this is ambient heaven. Apart from the first four tracks, the rest are all remixes, although it does not say which albums they were originally included on. Tranquil at times, experimental instrumentals all the time, the ten pieces of electronica allows my mind to float in sympathy with the evocative production. To say I like this album is an understatement and it is a shame it is not a double. Backlash starts with Citation collection by Ralf Hildenbeutel, where sumptuous melodies combine with angelic voices and passages of acoustic guitar to give a dramatic opening sequence to the proceedings. La Lune Del Miel by #9 Dream is just brilliant and very reminiscent of the music of the Orb in their early years, whilst retaining a certain amount of maturity. Jazzie by B-Zet the Robert Goal remix is a fine slice of music and in fact I would have difficulty in finding a track that is below par. I have been looking for ROD 003 for a long time, now I wiLL have to add numbers 7 to 10 to my ever growing list of must have's! (Phil Brook)

SOLARIS. Empty Nature. Relapse. RR 6965.

Coming direct from the States, this new release from Relapse has definite echoes of David Sylvian and Robert Fripp - Gone To Earth comes to mind. Empty Nature is Solatis' debut and with the exception of maybe one or three tracks that feature a cheesy beatbox (well, okay, it's not as bad as early to mid 80s processed drums), but the soundscape that is weaved in and around the 7 tracks is simply quite amazing. The main man behind all these names and titles is one James Plotkin who's had namechecks from the likes of Michael Gira and John Zorn, on his experimental ability with the common or garden guitar. Ambient guitar with loads of results and very few pretentions. (Dave W).

TRANSAMBIENT COMMUNICATIONS. Moonmen. 3rd Stone STONE 025CD

Some albums grab the attention from the first track and this is definitely how I felt after the first 7.38 of Moonmen. I didn't think it would continue to happen through the other ten pieces. It's all the work of Anthony Tombling JNR who has taken the area of ambient and explored all the different directions available. From drum In bass to rack guitar drenched soundscapes, he assimilates all styles including the classic Gilmour sound combined with watery ambiences and scratching noises to fill a track entitled Are We Water. It is no easy task to single out the better compositions, but I will mention the wondrous Armstrong that represents all the highpoints of this record. Imagine a cross-over band consisting of the Cocteau Twin and the Orb, add a little Spiritulised and simply pour Into one body. That gives an idea of the musical potency of this man. In the final examination, the overall outcome is a guitar based ambient collection of distinction. This is his second album for 3rd Stone Records and only one ward can be used to sum up the aural Journey excellent. (Phil Brook).

JANSON, BARBIERI & KARN. Seed. Medium Productions MPCD 2.

This mini album is a must if you have enjoyed Slyvian's instrumental sections on Gone To Earth, or the more ambient side to Japan. Indeed, you can imagine Japan, here, without the Bowie/Ferry voclaisations of Sylvian. Track four, Prey, is straight out of the Japan school of music, with some superbly controlled fretless bass. There are four tracks, kicking off with a remix of Beginning To Melt, which is actually a remix, although I ain't heard the original so I can't compare. Track two is In The Black Of Desire, with The Insect Tribe, and the aforesaid Prey concluding. Around 23 minutes, it's actually not a bad mini album and if the price is right I suggest you seriously consider this as it could well open a few doors for you, like the Sylvian solo stuff. (Phil Brook).

CRYSTAL MOON. Temple. Kinetix KINXCD08

Information about Crystal Moon in the press release was very scant and the only thing I know is how much I like the instrumental music on this pre release cassette. It will only be released in the CD format and the eight tracks are purely designed for the ultimate chilled out experience and the gorgeous evocative tones are sheer beauty in themselves. No hard melodies, no discordant rhythms, Just happy ambient music with the allure of slowish thoughtful compositions of note. The inspiration of the music is taken from a number of cultures including Indian and various other tribal aspects in which percussion is important. There's not a note or harmony out of place and it is ideally suited to bringing the individual back to reality and ready for the next phase of REM. The way the swirling, atmospheric collage of samples are harmoniously bound together to form one of those instrumental pieces where the listener could really imagine themselves to be floating in space, Silent Pool is by any standard a major musical work that deserves to receive wider attention by the national music media. The cassette format does not deliver the true dynamics available from a CD, but even as a tape, it is very impressive. (Phil Brook).

PS Since writing my review, I have been informed that Crystal Moon is the work of Jake Stephenson of Optica and Shamanic Tribes On Acid. Good an yer Jake!,

KITARO. Cirque Ingenieux. Domo Records 71022-2

In and amongst winning five Grammies, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe award, Kitaro has been a busy man! Hence the awards. Cirque has been classed as his most ambitious album to date. It's actually a commission for a new American theatrical modern dance production, but, as it also rightly states, it's an amazing stand-alone piece. On this new venture, Kitaro has enlisted the help of Colleen Ryan on vocals, Nawang Kechog chanting, Keith Heffner on keyboards and Anastasia Patzer on violin - as well as many more. The album has 15 tracks, and lasts just under 70 minutes. If you're not familiar with Kitaro's music, then it's usually synth driven, often ambient but has usually very strong roots from his native Japan. It's a superbly subtle and beautiful album, filled with the above, plus the additional 'warmth' of 'proper' musicians, although you'd never dispute that Kitaro himself is a 'proper' musician. As well as the album, you (if you're quick) get a cd rom which abounds with details about Kitaro himself. Photos, videos and snatches of music from his previous work can all be sampled. Awesome. (Dave W).

MOBY. I Like To Score - Music From Films Vol.1. Mute. CDSTUMM168.

32 year old New Yorker Richard Hall received his nickname when he was a teenager, due to being related to the author Herman Melville who wrote the novel Moby Dick. His past musical history includes punk. speed metal, dance and now film scores. The dozen tracks are so different to his previous album Animal Rights mainly because that was a punk rock event which surprised many and left the dance fraternity perplexed. This will keep them much happier. Four of the dozen track have been re-recorded and therefore are not the same as the original motion film soundtracks. Moby as usual likes a challenge and he does it in style with the first track Novio from the motion picture Double tap by using heavenly choirs to lull us into perhaps a false sense of the musical ideas for the rest of the album. Most people should by now have heard the second track which his version of the James Bond Theme containing appropriate vocal samples and some may remember his Go which contained sections from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. The other tracks on the album range from the dance happy Ah-Ah where MC Shah-King provides the vocals to the film Cool Water which is one of the higher energy pieces to the rather beautifully orchestrated God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters from the picture Heat, which used a real symphony orchestra rather than one just out of a musical box and visits a number of styles in-between Another theme taken from a known film is Oil 1 from The Saint. The title piece features a wow-wow guitar lick on a driving rock beat and appears to be infectious and funky at the same time. The tenth track, Nash is from Double Tap and this short composition only features acoustic guitar. The only part of the album not written by Moby is New Dawn Fades which was originally done by Joy Division and admittedly his cover is suitably indie enough to make a change from the other types to be found here. He is not stuck in any musical genre and is always willing to experiment with anything, perhaps drum n’ bass will be his next project as it is one of the few that cannot be found on this album. The following First Cool Hive intro has a good riff haunting female harmonization and is very distinctive of his work. The finale Grace is from Space Water Onion and is a very ambient, just right to conclude a very good score. He excels at formulating musical ideas and transforming those thoughts into music we all can enjoy. This is probably the best album to date for non-Moby followers to get into the musical habit. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. SM:)LE MIX 3. A Breakbeat Odyssey. Sm:)e. SM80412

This cassette mixed by DJ DB comprises of 15 lessor known tunes that fit into a couple of distinctive styles. The first side starts with ambient drum ‘n bass before the breakbeats kick in with a tremendous mighty clout. The best known operators are the wonderful Omni Trio who contribute a couple of tracks including the aforementioned opener Alien Creed and Carl Cox who is also a main contributor to this particular sphere of music and he has remixed Rampant Prankster by Slab into a high energy number. The output of Melt is unfamiliar, but having listened to the two different versions of The Calling, I ought to put more emphasis into exploring other compositions of their’s. I really enjoyed the start of the second side by DJ Trance with the track Have You Know. It is very reassuring for an album to receive higher praise than it gained on first impressions. This release firmly establishes DJ DB as a noise above the rest. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Beyond Planet Dub. Planet Dog. BARKCD031

When I last interviewed Michael. Dog, the compiler of this new compilation, I asked him if he thought that dubby trance was moving away from the main specialism of ambient trance. His forthright reply was that it was only a natural progression and in no way was outside their area of operation. So now we have the second edition, it again is a double CD and the nineteen tracks positively glow with that uplifting feel to the music. There is probably more variety on here, with the dub becoming very muted on some of the tracks. The album features the known - Dub Syndicate, Eat Static, The Mad Professor and Zion Train, and the unknown - Beathead and V-Neck. For some, two hours in the aural company of dub may seem to be over excessive, but of course they would be wrong. There is a remarkable variation that engenders this album to this reviewer. Take my advice and buy this album, you know I would not lie to you. (Phil Brook)

K90. K90. Aquarius Records. AQUA CD5

Sitting nicely in that area between techno and trance, K90 bound into a full length album for the first time and produce an impressive collection of mixes. This is one of those CD’s that does not hit you in the face immediately and after listening to the album, the thoughts are of a competent job rather than something special. It plays much better the second time around and I would recommend at the very least three goes at attuning the brain into the intriguing music on offer. I have now educated my aural pathways to accept this inventive set of nine pieces and can say with distinction that the opener Sabre Tooth (Discovery Mix) after the ambient start is a tremendous stormin’ number. The following number Genesis( Teraform Mix) also slams into the room with plenty of heady beats. If the impression given makes you believe that K90 can only handle one type of music, then the third adjusts the mind with very catchy melodic hook lines before the techno takes over. On Overflow (Regeneration Mix), there is the stock bass phrases and cymbal occurrences to confirm the techno is in the ascendancy. The final two tracks are more in the ambient/trance mode especially the latter (Energia Cinetica) which is my favorite. So this is definitely one of those growers that will hog my CD player for some time to come. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Music For Films III. All Saints. ASCD04.

All Saints are the people responsible for releasing such classy albums by even classier musicians such as Eno, Budd, Laraaji, Bill Nelson and John Cale - mostly all the music being of an ambient nature. This album isn't a sampler of what’s on All Saints, rather an album of artists who are on All Saints (though, not all), and follows on from Eno's Music For Films series he did on Virgin. Artists on here range from Eno, both Brian and Roger, Daniel Lanois, Michael Brook, Harold Budd, and there’s even John Paul Jones. The fifteen tracks vary so much in their style and delivery, although most of them sit comfortably under the cover of ambience. End Theme From Creation is, I’m sure, one that’s been recently used for a car advert (it's stunningly haunting and rates as one of his best I’ve heard in ages). Jones’s 4 Minute Warning is quite violent yet effective. Theme From Opera by both Roger and Brian is a fine piece, hell, they all are. Released originally back in 1992, the material on here isn't just peerless, its timeless, which is more important. Stuff like this just never dates -ever. (Dave W).

THE FIREMAN. Rushes. Hydra. 12007

A three track vinyl giving a sneaky preview of the new album that inspires the mind. It commences with Fluid, where a looped piano intro is accompanied by wind chill noises and very subtle guitar plucking that has a mesmerizing ethereal effect which soon haunts the brain. This is even more chilled out than chill out music. The instrumental then flows into Appletree Cinnabar Amber, which continues the general theme with accompanying percussion. On the flip side is Bison (long one) which changes direction again and although tends towards the ambient sphere, there is an underlying unsettling aspect to the track especially when concentrating on the bass guitar playing. Are we looking at a major new talent I wonder? (Phil Brook)

AQUEOUS. Entertaining Angels. Hermetic. HERM5555

They simply consist of duo, Andrew Heath on acoustic pianos and digital synths and Felix jay who plays electric piano and analogue synthesizers. The elegant results are decidedly of an ambient nature yet never fall into the musical trap of going nowhere very slowly. The combinations provide at times a strikingly harmonious relationship between the players and there is also just a hint of something the lurks beneath those created harmonies. Last year, the duo played live in front of an invited audience and the edited highlights form this album. Using only the minimum amount of equipment, a very full sound is in evident. The twelve pieces deserve to be heard in the privacy of your home and to expect a car stereo or walkman to represent the true media for listening will spoil the potential enjoyment factor. It may take a little time to acclimatize to the ambient pieces, but the beauty is there if only you would listen. (Phil Brook)

CYBERNAUT. Hydrophonics. Magic Eye. MEYCD24

In the world of electronic music, there are those who wish to explore instrumentals at the ambient end of the spectrum and those like Cybernaut who wish to grab those ears and ram at full force a mighty cocktail of techno trance down that ear canal. There is little respite from the storming mode as most of the nine tracks are delivered at break neck speed. So if you wish to relax and play gentle music it has to be said this is not for you, but and there is always a but, if you wish to wake up and enjoy a fine collection of hi energy trance boarding on the psychedelic variety, then look no further than this. The furious pace is set by the opener Boo Meringue and even increased by the brain numbing Brain Drain. If you like your music to be performed at full pace with lots of excitement then Hydrophonics is the watery delight awaiting your full submersion. (Phil Brook)

MOBY. Run On. Mute.CDMute221

After a break, the man is back to create mayhem in the music world. Will his new album Play be dance, or thrash metal inspired? This single taken from the album comes in two parts and features three songs. He still retains the ability to surprise and make the music listener smile as he ventures from one extreme end of the spectrum to the other. Ever since the Go anthem that he released a long time ago, I have followed every musical move and generally appreciated what he was trying to do. From the commercialised title track to the ambient/beat/ambient Running, Moby proves that he can produce music well above the average. His new album Play is apparently a stunner and the quality of songs on this single certainly indicate the man has reinvigorated his performance and song writing skills. (Phil Brook)

FLEX 13. Paint My Legs. Liquid. LIQ013CDL

This duo consists of vocalist and instrument player Pete Hope and Charlie Collins on all the other instruments and they proudly proclaim on the back cover of this CD that this is "A recording of sonically degraded cinemorphic sidewinder blues". That is a fair description of these downtrodden dozen tracks. I must state that Hope's vocals are not sung in any accepted way as the grossly distorted sounds fill the spaces left by the weird instrumentation. All the songs (if they can be described as such) have a melancholy feel, and if happiness in music is what you demand then Flex 13 is very unlikely to find a home in your collection. At times the listening is uneasy. The score is very bold and imaginative yet as you may have already gathered it is very much an acquired taste, and an open mind is needed to accept this album. Even a person like myself who listens to a lot of experimental music did not find this an easy album to live with. There is no discourse or obnoxious music, it's just the lo-fi distorted vocals tend to mitigate any passion the music generates. By far the best track is the twelfth and it's a good ambient score. So more music and less of vocals in future and you'll be a fine recording duo. (Phil Brook)

THE HAFLER TRIO. Bang; Walk Gently Through The Gates Of Joy & Seven Hours Sleep. Mute Records Kut 1, 2 & 3.

All in all Mute have (or are) releasing six albums in total by the Hafler Trio. I'm not sure if anyone out there is familiar with Mute music? With the possible exception of Erasure (who, in essence, still have much of what's essentially Mute in their music). Mute are what can only be described as specialists in electronic/synth music rather than just electronic. The Hafler Trio perhaps epitomise the extreme and most experimental of the 'Mute' sound spectrum. Not really music, more samples and sound experiments that don't all work but those that do, work well. I won't review each album as such, as they are all very similar in style and experimentation although don't let me mislead you into thinking they are the same musically - they're not. Admittedly the albums do get progressively more accessible and played in order you can see the developments.

There's a whole range of samples used, ranging from what can only be described as a news cast, repeated several times, overlayed and superimposed until just a mash of sound forces itself towards you. Anyone familiar with the term tape loop (ala Fripp and/or Eno) will recognise the concept on all these albums although the Hafler Trio really do stretch and pull this idea to even beyond its own boundaries.

There is a deep and fundamental 'quest', for want of a better description, of what the Trio are about: The principles behind the experiments, the possible reasons. Indeed, one track on the first album contains an interview with Dr. Edward Moolenbeck (a member of the Trio) on what it's all about.

Some of the later material is very effective as ambient backdrop and as such works well but there is a lot of difficult material accompanying the early, first album stuff. Still, no matter what the first or middle reactions are, you can rest assured that the end result will be one of either intense satisfaction or intense frustration. (Dave W)

THE ORB. Peel Sessions. Strange Fruit. SFRCD 118.

These Peel Session albums are unique in several ways. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, they highlighted just what a diverse and eclectic range of music ol' Peely liked. Secondly, they aren't quite a live album, but then again, neither are they studio - they are both. A live studio album. Thirdly, they show how a band can play live, but without either an ego-boosting or soul-destroying audience. (Phil Brook)

The Orb were one of the first of the 'new' style ambient musicians who mixed the styles of Tangerine Dream, Schulze and Ashra with chunks of Eno and Gong. Time, they say, is cyclic, and so is music, but with all due respect to the Orb they never just rehashed the above styles, they improved and bettered some of them.

Whilst there's only three tracks on here, they last a while. A Huge Ever Growing etc., etc, plus Back Side Of The Street and Into The Fourth Dimension. Recorded in two separate sessions and it's a wealth of buzzes bleeps and legal headlifters.

MOBY. Everything Is Wrong. Mute.

Track one - quiet ambient music. Track two - hard techno with samples of rap. Then we have track three which is hard metal! Is it a compilation album by various artists to prove the diversity of music? No, it's the latest double cd by Moby. Add female divas, a thrash metal song, a trance selection and hopefully this conveys the contents which consists of an unbelievable variety of material. Every track, and I mean every track, is different, very different ranging from the exceptionally melodic to the hardest rawest music available. This guy called Moby is not frightened by experimenting.

Born in New York, the manic performer and author of the Twin Peaks inspired Go, has been described as the Iggy Pop of techno. That was yesterday - today his capabilities have exceeded the wildest dreams of most composers/performers or producers etc. Moby does it all and far more importantly does it exceedingly well. (Phil Brook)

BANCO DE GAIA. Last Train To Lhasa. Planet Dog. Bark 010CDS.

Although only a single lasting just short of half an hour, it contains three different mixes of the title track from their forthcoming album. The 'radio edit' is a sanitised version of a fascinating blend of many musical cultures and unfortunately faded out just as the appetite had been whetted. The 'original version' is far better. This allows the music to develop into a coherent journey across the continents. The top of the bill is normally last and the 'extended ambient mix' provides a joyous sound leaving the listener begging for the full album.

Banco De Gaia (AKA Toby Marks) are loosely in the Loop Guru, Transglobal Underground sphere of music and he has taken the plight of Tibet (Lhasa is the capitol) as a major source of inspiration. Has my musical appetite been whetted? Definitely! (Phil Brook)

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS 76:14. Dedicated SHINECD 015

Use your imagination, states the sleeve notes, the numbers are chosen to identify separate tracks because names tend to bias the listener by pre-defining the images etc. Therefore all the titles refer to the length of the playing time. Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard have taken four years to perfect this double cd and they have seceded. 4.02 is a pleasant inoffensive opening and does not prepare for 14.31, which starts with a grandfather clock slightly modified by electronic treatment. Following closely by the sound of the sea which slowly develops into an amazing stylised sound. On first hearing this is brilliant, subsequent hearings even more brill! If the rest of the album consisted of the same calibre then this would be the best release of the century. Mainly ambient but definitely not minimal ambiences abound; slowish at times, thoughtful and haunting it maybe. The casual thinker may suggest that 76:14 mins would be far too long to expose the ears to this type of music. Why not try it as the music explores a wide variety of combinations including semi-choral works (12:18). The second disc contains 2 additional pieces and 4 different mixes of Maiden Voyage (original, Spiritualized, Grid and Brook). They have recorded under the following names: Reload, probably others, and Global Communication is their current name and I am certainly on the wavelength - Majestic. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. Ambient Amazon. Tumi TMCD1.

Tumi Music started a couple of years ago mainly dealing with South American artists, but have now branched out into the dance world with a remixed album of delight. Amazonian Rainforest chants by the Waorani people of Ecuador was released on Tumi 043 and this inspiration has provided Astrolasia, Bedouin Ascent and Timeshard with Scanner, Youth and Zion Train to allow their interpretations to be heard. Imagine, if you can, a Waorani Indians festival, complete with the archaic singing delicately placed on the latest technological ambient dub trance soundtrack, and this will give a flavour of the beautiful haunting effect achieved. The Suns Of Arqa displays a fine ear for sympathetic treatment and even more diverse is by Scanner, who combines mobile phone conversations with the ambience of the jungle. Sales of this record will go to support educational projects in the Amazon and if you, like me, cannot afford to visit this area, then do the next best thing - buy this album! (Phil Brook)

THE SHAMEN. Axis Mutatis. One Little Indian. TPLP52CD

The Shamen are back with a new double album to prove they can still hack the popular end of the dance spectrum. The clubs will just love the mix as there is some ideal music to dance to with the tempo matching the required beat. Axis Mutatis starts with Destination Eschaton, which is probably the weakest track and thankfully improvements appear thereafter such as the instrumental Persephone's Quest, complete with rich ambient textures that certainly cuts above the rest. Their songs are not all 4 minute compositions, they can tackle slower and more ambitious pieces that contain complex pattern loops and have a playing time in excess of 11 minutes. The final track on the first disc is also immensely enjoyable. The second limited edition disc, Abor Bona, Arbor Mala, features remixes by themselves, the Beatmasters and even Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy and is aimed at the past rave set. In many respects this is more musically fascinating than the first disc to trip out to. Yes, The Shamen return to form. (Phil Brook)

FORTRAN 5. Avocado Suite. Mute CDSTUMM 133.

Synths and samples abound on the Avocado Suite, the newest experience to emanate from their own place of musical worship, the Rubber Nurse Studio. David Baker and Simon Leonard provide the ideas and finger power with varying effect to literally dazzle the onlooker. Radman, an episode pertaining to the A&R department, contrasts with their cool efficient words and provides the opposite. Not the easiest track to listen to. Elephant is a welcome relief and shows the mellow side of Fortran 5, but don't become complacent as TV8 is staccato in the extreme. Domewitch allows the brain to rest before the ears are assaulted with a typical German hardcore drumbeat (MS20). The band then use samples of laughter mixed with a Tangerine Dream type sound that quickly builds into an impressive piece called Alan's Ex. VP330 has a beautiful though slightly weird sound and is consequently one of the highlights. The CD finally comes to rest with And Erm, one of the few tracks with 'vocals', although the singer sounds like Lurch from the Adams Family! Fortran 5 are not ambient, neither are they trance, but in that electronic category which cannot be quantified - music to expand the mind! (Phil Brook)

SUFI. Life's Rising. Virgin AMBT 9.

Rudy Tambala, songwriter with A. R. Kane, and M. A. R. R. S. extends his repertoire to the debut album by Sufi, and it holds one's attention. I can just see the accusations of attempting to follow Bjork's footsteps and not being of the same musical achievements. His sister's voice provides youthful innocence which really complements the backing music, but it's far more than that, at times it is very impressive. The Brian Eno influences are there to be heard along with sections of dub, ballads, jazz, soul and even techno. Thankfully, the instrumental tracks are allowed to develop into acoustic/ambient themes of substance, and I suppose it's ideal late night summer listening. Please give time for Sufi to rise into your musical life. (Phil Brook)

TERRY RILEY. A Rainbow In Curved Air.

Rereleased on Columbia's Rewind label, this is arguably the granddaddy of all ambience. Not only did it kick start all kinds of spin offs (Eno, Cage, Cale and possibly influenced the likes of Oldfield, and Tangerine Dream), it also gave Curved Air (the band) their name. Two tracks, yep, that's all, The eighteen minute plus title track, plus the rather crappy named Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band. Obviously A Rainbow has the edge, but exactly what is the music? Well, all I can say is imagine a steady backdrop consisting of regular chord and rhythm loops made by guitars and organs, with occasional changes to that rhythm brought about by the blast or double speed run up the organ keyboard then you're half way there. Once listened to you know exactly what all the fuss was (and still is) about, and you'll perhaps then appreciate what folks who know what they're talking about say that Riley was sadly the most overlooked composer in modern music. This guy built the first bridge across the gap of electronic and classical and meanwhile invented what later became known as ambient. (Dave W)

GLOBAL COMMUNICATION. Remotion. Dedicated. DEDCD 21.

In the vast melting pot of ambient, electronic, musicians, producers, DJ's, teat ladies, etc., Tome Middleton and Mark Pritchard are to be found amongst the best purveyors of modern music, where so many just blend into a malaise of okay or just passable, Global Communication compose music that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and can be enjoyed not only because of the technology. Admittedly, most tracks have appeared on other releases, such as the two pieces of remixed or perhaps totally reinterpreted phases of Chapterhouses's Blood Music. Their version of the Grid's Rollercoaster came out on the compilation Survival 2000, and Jon Andersons's Amor Real is on the Deseo Remixes LP. Most bands and indeed most reviewers would be happy to consider this album as a best of and as such, it's difficult to fault (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS 2295. Emit 2295.

The Emit collectors series is a bold step into a new musical world where the RSS 3D CD is there to spacially expand the sound from horizon to horizon. The technical quality achieved is remarkable, not just because of the care taken, but the system makes the sound appear to be coming from outside the normal listening environment. The music is just as exciting on this compilation cd as 11 different artists/bands attempt to involve the listener for well over the hour. It's electronic ambient at times, jazz rediscovered, scary moments and unfathomable musical interludes that seem to challenge the observer. Amongst the best are Symmetrics, Coco Steel & Lovebomb, Woob, Scanner, Bad Data, P-Eye-Eye, Gas, Miasma, Thomas Koner, Strawberry Girl... In fact the only track I'm not convinced about is the dead pan delivery of the Psychologist Celia Green. Her thoughts are provoking, but her style does not quite fit the rest of the cd. So, ten good marks and one uncertainty. Time to become a collector! (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. 5595. Emit 5595.

Until recently I had not heard of this label from Nottingham. They are part of Time Recording, who feature electronic music that pushes out towards, and many times beyond, regular boundaries. Ambient music it may be, but the structure is so very easy to comprehend. The cohesion between sounds are very important to maintain the effect and the whole thing gels together without the minimal spikes and jolts of frenetic loops that some desire. A far more spacious mix has been achieved by using a Roland Sound Space 3D sound imaging system. This cd would be wasted in the car. The artists featured include the International People Gang who provide a musical interlude to a game of pool (as the Orb did); The Voodoo Warriors Of Love use a dub style beat, Miasma has a FSOL sound to it and the final track by Carl Stone is spectacular. If you were in any doubt, yes I am impressed and I will look forward to reviewing some of the other albums in this series. It's a long recording, lasting over 74 minutes and I suggest you give them your time. (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS. 110 Below Volume 3. No Sleeve Notes Required. Below 3CD.

Below is part of the Beechwood group who specialise in all things ambient-techno. To assemble a compilation album featuring the Future Sound Of London, Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart and Brian Eno gives the very strong impression of an important release. The quality of instrumental music is exceptionally high, especially the FSOL's Smokin' Japanese Babe, which features samples of string bass and trumpet. The opening track by Muslingauze (Khan Youmis) is brilliant. The small print in the notes mentions a couple of well known remixes such as Andrew Weatherall (Sabres), and Moby who remixed the Brian Eno piece. Since this is the third in the series, I wonder if the previous albums are as good, because if they are only half as good, then buy them. Fancy winning a copy of this little gem? Then turn to the competitions page - now. (Phil Brook)

THE SABRES OF PARADISE. Sabresonic II. Warp Records CD34.

If you have not yet heard the Sabres Of Paradise, then it's about time you tuned into the music writing capabilities of Weatherall, Kooner and Burns. There are three different versions of Smokebelch II including a David Holmes mix to aurally savour in this 77 minute up to date ambient techno journey. The style varies from haunting melodies to a more harsh sound. You may perhaps know the excellent track Wilmot, sadly it's not on this release but can be found on Haunted Dancehalls - a cd MD would like to review in the future. The Sabres and Andy Weatherall are probably the most sought after remixers on the business and listening to this album is easy to understand why. Super Sabersonic Too! (Phil Brook)

AUDIO ACTIVE & LARAAJI. The Way Out Is The Way In. All Saints Records ASCD 26.

Music is becoming more diverse as we approach the millennium with collaborations between previously unthought of musicians and performers. In the past Andy Partridge and Harold Budd, Brian Eno and Jah Wobble have created their own interpretations and now it's the turn of New York based composer Laraaji to team up with four Japanese dj's to offer something that's rather special. Taki 244, 2DD, Masa the Al-Tanyran and Nanco are the quartet who make Audio Active so interesting, and coupled with guests such as Bill Nelson's heavy guitar on the 2nd track, Music & Cosmic. Laraaji doesn't really sing but speaks his words of poetry (a little like Zappa) above the reggae-dance-dub soundtrack in a laid back style. This partnership has certainly worked. Rock ambient is not the way out, but the way in. (Phil Brook

AS ONE. Reflections On Reflections. New Electronica ELEC23CD.

Their last album (Celestial Soul) is more than worthy of purchase and an opportunity to review their back catalogue was not to be overlooked. As One's first album entitled Reflections has been remixed by eleven such luminaries as Autocreation, BIZ, Carl Craig and Scanner etc. As One's not yet heard the reflections CD, it's difficult to compare to the original, but the modern electronics tribe will be guaranteed pleasure. 'Meridian' reflected by Max 404 has a deep dub type bass, piercing hi-hat and assorted ambient sounds to make one great piece of music, whereas Mihara by Autocreation is loud, brash techno. Between these extremes, Meridian by Blue Binary is as gentle as they come and the instrumentals change with the passing of each track into the final semi-orchestrated episode by Scanner, and the whole of the album's clarity is outstanding. (Phil Brook)

BRIAN ENO/JAH WOBBLE. Spinner. All Saints Records ASCD 23.

Jah Wobble has musically dabbled in many areas and does not wish to be trapped as a stereotyped musicians who can only play his bass guitar in just one style. Who better than Brian Eno to provide a different perspective and a joint album must raise an eyebrow or two. Eno produced the original recording and Wobble, a former PIL member, adds his developed skills. The music was originally designed to fill in those non-dialogue moments of Derek Jarmain's last film, Glitterbug. Yes it's typical Eno - slow moving ambient in parts, yet the sound is souped up in a complimentary manner with guitars and drums. Wobble suggests listening to Spinner on headphones whilst walking alongside the Grand Union Canal. I just suggest you listen! (Phil Brook)

VARIOUS 3394. Emit 3394.

The more I listen to this series of experimental spacially recorded electronic music, the more beholden I become to Time Recording Ltd. Not only is the quality of sound truly awesome, the music is even better. Eight artists perform a single track each of approximately eight minutes duration to exemplify the diverse nature of up to date electronics even though this cd was released towards the end of 1994. Sine 'Asks' What's On Your Mind' is the best possible way to open any album for no other reason apart from I like the music and to close with the superb Miasma who's clever use of piano with other sounds leaves a lasting impression. The offerings by Bad Data, Gas, International Peoples Gang and the excellent Voodoo Warriors Of Love retain the high standards set by the first track.

Some purists go for unrhythmic, discordant noise, you won't find any here, just plenty of joyous gentlish melodic tunes to while away the night hours. If you wish to sample the current rends in ambient type music then 3394 displays the highly recommended tag. (Phil Brook)

INTERNATIONAL PEOPLES GANG. EMIT 3395. Emit 3395.

The coding system now becomes clear! The first digit refers to the release number, the final two digits, the year. So if you have not yet cracked the code then this is the 4th release of 1995 (the first would be 0095!). The first impression is of the amazing quality obtained especially on the headphones and it's also very gratifying to be able to proclaim the misc lives up to the recording. Written and produced by Martyn Watson and Ric Peet, the ambient type instrumentals vary from light easy to appreciate pieces (Aeroplane) to the more sinister (Diagonal). 11 moods exist to feature all sides of mental expression including the time recording 4pm-4am which will keep you awake for 14 and a half minutes. For an ambient album, IPG can surprise with quite up-tempo sections of heavy bass or dance type beats. It's one of those albums that starts good and gets even better. Music you should never tire of. (Phil Brook)