Children Of The Bong - (Not Sirius)

Disco Gecko: 2023

I... remember a time... not so long ago... less than five years hence... I remember a time when Children Of The Bong material was rare. Super rare. Ultra rare, even. When their entire output was relegated to a lone CD, some assorted compilation material, and a few demo tapes more difficult to find than even Boards Of Canada obscurities. When I felt lucky and blessed that I'd stumbled upon a Discogs seller of Sirius Sounds, finally letting me hear the album properly, as I would have 'back in the day', or whatever. How could I have known they'd get the spiffy 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition treatment just a year later?

Now, I'm not saying I'm upset we've been inundated with new material from the Bong World. I'm quite happy they're finally getting their flowers, even if it's mostly within a still very niche scene of music. Surprised by the out-flooding is more apt. For sure re-issue Sirius Sounds bundled with the aforementioned strays, and even a live session on a spiffy CD3. Then I catch wind Misters Goganian and Henry were teaming up with Mr. Marks' Disco Gecko to empty their vaults of even more material, and you bet I was there to grab a copy (erm, this here release I'm technically supposed to be reviewing right now).

It hasn't ended with just Not Sirius though! They put out a second archival album called Sonic Ambulance, which they admit is mostly just early sessions of them dicking about with the gear they were still figuring out. Then this year, Disco Gecko commissioned a buffet of remixes, thirty tracks in all. Geez, and I thought some of those Banco re-issues were getting overstuffed with bonuses. I think I'll stick with the first bundle of unreleased material, thank you. There can be such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Honestly though, Not Sirius stands strong enough as its own entity, a supposed, honest-to-Jah, long lost b-side album that never materialized. While a couple saw some airtime at live gigs or commissioned soundtracks, the Bong Boys admit many offered here were tunes that didn't quite make the cut for Sirius Sounds. Some, like dubby, dreamy Feedback Returns, or 'rockin' U.V.F. (Ultraviolet Frequencies), definitely sound like rawer forms of tunes on the mother album.

Really, that's what Not Sirius mostly comes off as, a slightly less-evolved version of Children Of The Bong. Which isn't a bad thing by any stretch, the music that did initially see the light leagues ahead of much else of the time. It's like listening to Polygon Window after hearing a bunch of Aphex Twin: yeah, the sonic palette is still there, just not quite as dynamic as elsewhere.

Oh, and I'm not pulling that Richard D. James name-drop out of my ass, final (digital bonus) track Aphelion Force reminding me some of Aphex's crunchier moments. I'm sure the Bongers were just as inspired by him as everyone else.

Rockers Hi-Fi - Mish Mash

Warner Bros. Music: 1996

Seems ridiculous it's taken me this long to pick up something from Rockers Hi-Fi. As the kick-off artists of the seminal Ambient Dub series from Beyond Records, you'd think they were a shoo-in for top spots on my Want Lists. And indeed, their albums are reasonably cheap on most second-hand markets these days, so hardly difficult in procuring something from their lengthy history. Ah, that may be the kicker though, the bulk of their music coming out under this handle, whereas I was introduced to them by their original name of Original Rockers. That disconnect has always kept them out of my mind as O.G. Ambient Dub artists, even though that's complete and utter bunk.

And it's not like I couldn't have grabbed their first album as Original Rockers - Rockers To Rockers. After all, it got reissued under their upgraded handle of Rockers Hi-Fi a mere two years later once they jumped labels. Yeah, but I wanted the Original Rockers, because, um, purity of memory, or somesuch (original tracks with original uncleared samples too, heh).

Whatever, I'm here talking up their sophomore album, Mish Mash, because I spied it among a Discogs seller's wares while browsing other material. Just because it isn't Original Rockers doesn't mean I can't enjoy some downtempo dub jams. This even has Going Under on it, Glyn and Richard's stab at trip-hop, and their earliest collaboration with future running MC Farda P. And it got a big ol' remix package done by Kruder & Dorfmeister, the far more famous duo who cannot be denied having drawn influence from the Rockers' brand of dubby downtempo vibes. Granted, many future downtempo dub doods would be influenced by them – it pays to be among the first setting the template.

Mish Mash though... Well, it is a bit of a mish-mash of an album. Absolutely you have the reggae inspired tunes, including an eleven-minute opener in The 8th Shade. They also try getting fancy in their sampling, a gentle harp melody quietly playing in Uneasy Skanking before erupting with one of those distorted bass leads. There's even some dabblings of acid jazz with Now I Deliver and 90 Degree Fuzzwalk, including spoken word lyrics from Phoebe One (apparently a London MC of some note). Cool, but as mentioned, all kinda' rambly from an album perspective too, lacking something heavier to stand out from the quickly overcrowded downtempo scene of the mid-'90s.

So I was quite surprised and thrilled to hear Mish Mash go down more techno roads in the back end of the album. Aw man, do I loves me some '90s tribal reggae dub techno. While I wouldn't put Rockers' efforts above those of PWoG and Bandulu, cuts like breakbeaty Paths Of Life, deep groover One With Another, and jungly Queen Of The Ghetto (Ghetto Defendant) are worthy companions to that specifically niche style. Not so much the funk-sampling Copycat (Follafashiondropoffaconkatree) though, but I had to namedrop it here just so you could see how ridiculous the track's subtitle is.

N:L:E - Live Outside The City (with Kiphi & Yahgan)

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

Juan Pablo seems to have released every other kind of album, so why not a live one too. Three, actually, recorded over a half-year period throughout 2021. Coincidentally, around the time I believe most of the world was getting more lax about pandemic restrictions, though I haven't a clue how strict they were in Argentina about those.

Not that it would have made much difference for these sessions, as I'm fairly certain they weren't performed to a crowd or anything like that. Rather, Mr. Giacovino wanted to capture the essence of life beyond his urban settings, and what better way to do that than going to the source. Really soak in the ambience of your surroundings, connecting to open fields and unspoiled fauna. And hey, if it helps give folks who'd been cooped up indoors for nearly a year something to immerse themselves in as a bit of escapism from the Strange Days of the last number of months, all the better.

The first, Live Outside The City, features two tracks – or rather, one long track split into two parts. And once again, if you're at all familiar with the works of N:L:E – which I'm very much so by now – this will be well-tread territory. I suppose there is more improvisational work going on than his usual album fare, and even his Caravan Of Healing Sounds had more structure than these, but then free-form music making is the point of these particular pieces. Don't worry about the destination, or even if there is one, just enjoy the scenery as it passes by. Among the gentle ambient pad tones and tranquil field recordings, charming acoustic melodies happily skip about, other times receding for some meditative moments. Somewhere around the forty minute mark of the whole thing, the softest of rhythms emerge but don't linger for long, returning more of those spritely harmonics.

If all that sounds far too mellow, then follow-up Live N' Chill Outside The City ups the pace a little. Yes, despite the name, the addition of brother Kiphi to these sessions brings his use of synth arps to the jamboree, giving everything a little more sense of urgency. It's still all very loose and free-wheeling as far as how these pieces are constructed, but does provide some extra spice to the usual N:L:E caravan formula.

And finally, the third Live Outside The City brings in Yahgan... which is just Juan Pablo under a different alias. At least, I'm fairly certain its Mr. Giacovino – I haven't found any info claiming otherwise, particularly on the Bandcamp page where it would be most helpful. Anyhow, this one offers a 'chilly' excursion compared to the others, with cooler harmonies and crisp percussion. Guess that makes sense, these sessions recorded during his winter. Not that Buenos Aires has the sort of freezing season the lands from which Yahgan's inspired by experiences. Probably another reason why Juan Pablo seems fascinated by the southern tip of his continent. They get snow there!

Martin Nonstatic - Ligand

Ultimae Records: 2017

The album that broke my 'buy everything Ultimae puts out' streak, for what that's worth. Which isn't much, sadly, but I won't beat around the bush on that factoid. Once I started consistently buying the label's CDs (sometime in the early '10s), I seldom missed a release once it dropped – if not right away, shortly after when I'd have the funds available (or the old Ultimae store would have a sale). Even as my interest in the label wavered, I was still pretty faithful to their output. Right up to Martin Nonstatic's Ligand, which I 'noped' out of without a second's thought.

Obviously I came around to getting it, otherwise I wouldn't be delaying a proper review of it within these paragraphs. Truthfully, I was itching to indulge in another Bandcamp bulk deal, and needed something to round the package out. Besides, maybe my earlier assessments of Mr. van Rossum's work had been too harsh, and he needed a second chance to win me over. Or would this be the third? Fourth? Well, whatever number, there had to be something I was missing to his work. After all, he wouldn't have become such a permanent fixture of Ultimae's recent catalogue if there wasn't. Right?

I guess, but if there's anything in his discography that'll give me that “ah-HAH!” moment, it ain't on Ligand. For sure there's fleeting moments, where I'll hear the kernel of a musical motif begging to get released, but Martin's fascination with glitchy sounds and overbearing reverb effects often snuffs them out before they can pick up steam. And I get it, really I do. It's so easy to get lost in the minutiae of what this particular plug-in can do, or how much delay you can layer on that sound, and absolutely there's an audience for that sort of thing. As for myself though, I kinda' prefer it when a lengthy track actually flows from beginning to end, not constantly be distracted by the technical wibble of modern production tricks.

There's still some things I can take away from this album though. As always, the Ultimae Mixdown™ remains top-notch – I may not be keen on all the glitchy interruptions, but I sure can still visualize them with a good pair of headphones. The backing pad work is generally nice, if at times vacuous. And those few times when something resembling a hook or melody does peak out, not just harmonic tonal dithering, it sounds nice enough. The end of Outermost Structure, for instance, or the subtle arps in Harmonic Mundi, and even the dubby acoustic strumming in Kepler's Laws.

Yeah, if some of these titles weren't a hint, Ligand is a very egg-headed sort of album (Parabolic View, Dendrictic Ice, Methodical Random, etc.). Which, given the sluggish, considered pace of all these glitchy effects explorations, makes thematic sense. Just gotta' be of a particular mindset to get much out of it. Say, one that consumes copious amounts of Autechre.

Circular - Kimono Kaleidoscope

Healing Sound Propagandist: 2023

One of the best Ultimae Records albums of the past decade! Except this isn't on Ultimae Records, instead Healing Sound Propagandist. I only learned of the digital print's existence by way of zakè, by way of his collaboration with 36. While in there browsing through the label's wares, I spotted Circular, with a (then) recent release, no less. Talk about being thrown for a loop. I'd thought they'd discontinued activity following Moon Pool.

Well, took a near-decade long hiatus at the very least. They may have remained active on the live circuit, or explored other projects in the meanwhile, or dealt with real-life things during the interim - any number of reasons to have such a substantial break between records. Trouble was, by the time they felt the itch to make more music, their style of opulent diversity was no longer so in vogue with the label they had previous made a home with. They couldn't return to the print where they made their '90s debut, the long since shuttered Norwegian Origo Sound (they of breaking Biosphere fame). Perhaps a return to Beatservice Records, then, the label where they'd been before getting the Ultimae nod? I don't know enough about them to figure whether they'd be a good fit – I imagine they went elsewhere for a reason.

Anyhow, here Circular are, seemingly out of the blue, with another full-length filled with the free-form music making their Future Sound Of London influence demands. Seriously, it has nearly everything you could expect from their “90s sampledelica meets '00s glitch-hop meets Ultimae widescreen sonics” style. Right, I'm pulling from a very limited sample source (mainly Substans and Moon Pool), but if you still have a hankering for that vintage Ultimae style, Kimono Kaleidoscope is that in spades. Real shame it didn't appear on Vincent's label but eh, not enough vacuous dub techno on it (re: none at all).

Particulars, then? Man, where do I even begin? If there's any critical fault to be had with this album, it's almost overstuffed with sonic goodies, but then that's been Circular's manifesto anyway. If the FSOL comparison hasn't worn out its welcome just yet, Kimono Kaleidoscope is rather like one of their Environments sessions, though more focused in singular songcraft among each track. It does still play out as one, long listening experience (or 'unfurled', should you get the single-track version), but each section is distinct from the other. Some of the transitions can be jarring – you're chilling to some nice ambience, then suddenly thrust into something bigger and bolder. And a clear thematic run-through isn't readily apparent beyond music making for its own sake.

I guess that makes Kimono Kaleidoscope not quite as good as Moon Pool, though I definitely rank it higher than Substans, a record I still have some trouble sinking fully in. Take that praise for what you will. Eh, compared to their earlier three albums? Haven't heard those so say if so. Maybe I should rectify that.

N:L:E - Jungle Stories

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Not only did we kick off this 'J' block with three items from Mr. Giacovino, but we're now wrapping it up too. Yep, it's a complete Natural Life Essence sweep here, which probably isn't that impressive at first blush. 'J' words remain rather limited in the English vocabulary, much less to title one's album with. I've a few 'journey's, and if I was more of a Jazz Guy, Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 wouldn't stand so alone. You'd think I'd have more 'jungle' releases too, but Congo Natty's Jungle Revolution In Dub is about it. Or was, N:L:E's Jungle Stories now joining this jumping 'J' jamboree.

Wait, why don't I have more jungle releases with 'Jungle' in the title? I'll grant I mostly missed the genre's early wave, not cluing into the scene until it had morphed into the more marketable drum 'n' bass label. Yeah, yeah, you can make technical demarcations between the two sounds, but when it came to shoving CDs onto store shelves, d'n'b was what stuck, looking classier than all the renegade 'wude-boys' artwork adorning jungle releases. Does kinda' make me want to sift through Lord Discogs' marketplace now, seeing what cheapy '90s compilations I can find there. Gotta' be a treasure-trove of them!

Anyhow, this has precious little to do with Jungle Stories from Juan Pablo. Not that I couldn't imagine him indulging in some brisk, broken beat action somewhere in his massive discography – every producer gets an itch for the 2-step or Amen break at some point. Generally though, his preferred rhythmic lane is on the dubby downbeat, with the occasional sprinklings of spritely ambient techno.

So imagine my surprise when he actually brings something... well, not exactly d'n'b, but certainly at a higher BPM than his usual fare. Granted, it's just one track out of four on this tidy EP, but it's one track more than I've heard from a lot of N:L:E in a while (ever?). Epic Land does still skew closer to dub at that, but the beats are energetic enough to pull it ever so near the realms of atmospheric jungle. Lovely sweeping synths and a groovy bassline don't hurt either.

That's about it for 'jungle' related sounds on Jungle Stories. Sun And Shadows is more of Juan Pablo's twinkly ambience, Running Through The Jungle is more of his ambient dub. And Night In The Jungle is something of a combo of the two (gentle ambience, big bassline). At no point, however, do we hear any field recordings of equatorial rainforest fauna. No birds of paradise, no incessant insect chatter, not even a jaguar roar. Man, I know Mr. Giacovino originates from Argentina. Is it so hard to bring a giant microphone to the Amazon? Yes, just as easy as it would be for me to bring one to the Cambria Icefield.

Regardless, a nice little EP here, one I was honestly shocked by its shortness, after all those lengthy Jamming Caravan sessions.

N:L:E - Jamming Caravan / Digital Adventures / Live At Lofi Temple

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

Juan Pablo seldom posts notes or factoids regarding his releases, such things typically left blank on his Bandcamp pages. And I understand why, the music mostly self-explanatory by title alone. Here he was inspired by micro-fauna. This one by space. That one by ancient peoples. Another of space. Sometimes just a free-flowing composition with no particular aim beyond enjoying the process itself. Why bog the listener down with paragraphs of copy when such things are generally moot? It's clear Mr. Giacovino wears his artist's heart on his sleeve – what you hear is pretty much what he intends, no need for obscure, abstract concepts guiding you along the way.

So I was a little intrigued by the fact he included some liner notes for these Jamming Caravan releases. It was clear they were outside his usual norm, cover art featuring images of gear rather than naturalistic settings. Apparently he was just having fun with a few of his synths and such, nothing directly inspiring their use beyond whatever sounds he could make at the time. Maybe not the most luring concept among his many releases, but when you clearly have little filter in what gets uploaded to your webspace, what care is there in why the art was created beyond for its own sake. Surely some folks will like it, if not for the music itself, than for the gear used. Gear hounds love hearing their preferred tech-specs in action!

Oh, I guess I should actually mention what Juan Pablo used in these sessions, since he was so keen on sharing that info. One (1) Korg NTS1. One (1) Korg Volca fm. A Pocket Operator Pro 32 Tonic. Some NTS1 effects. “Many Other FM Virtual Synths.” How cool is that, eh? Eh? Okay, I can't fake that funk, my knowledge of gear rather limited – never got into it because good Lord is that ever an expensive hobby. I'm sure there's some folks reading this who'll be all like, “Pft, what amateur hour kiddie-toys this be, harrumph harrumph”, but scene snobs exist everywhere, no matter your niche interests. Let them be, and have fun with the toys and tools you enjoy.

And as for that all-important musical result of all this jamming? The first two Caravans feature two tracks apiece, each breaching half an hour in length (save Jamming Caravan 2, running a svelte twenty-five minutes). Yeah, these are jams alright, mostly ambient noodling with light pulsing melodies and sparse rhythms. Vintage Fax+ stuff, if you get my drift. It's pleasant enough as background music, but in being so freeform in craft, will likely only hold your attention intermittently before fading off again. The third session, Live At Lofi Temple, at least breaks things up into four parts (most lasting about a dozen minutes), each exploring different facets of the same basic musical motif. Doesn't hurt these lean more into psy-chill and dub than the lengthier outings, always good for keeping the reptile brain entertained, a fussy one to please.

Natural Life Essence - Hidrogenesis / Hidrogenesis 2020

CYAN/Liquid Frog Records: 2014/2018

Took a little longer than usual to find an N:L:E release in the 'H' block, eh? Or not, the Headspace box-set from Urban Meditation artificially inflating how many actual albums I have this go-around. There's just not that many 'H' titled records in my music collection compared to some other letters. Heck, on my initial run eleven years ago (holy cow!), I had just twenty-eight items. That number hasn't even doubled since, and believe me when I say that's hardly the case for other letter blocks ('X' has tripled!).

So Hidrogenesis is the first Natural Life Essence record. The first on his Bandcamp, the first entry on his Discogs page, the first of all-everything. A decade old now too, which means a ten year anniversary version is nigh? Wouldn't surprise me – he did do a '2020' variant, after all – but doesn't look like he's put one out yet. There's a couple [Color] Dots, an Uncharted Land 3, a Random Environments II, a Dune II, and a... Glowing Forest 3? Dang, I didn't even get a Glowing Forest one or two when I bulk-bought his entire catalogue. Relentless, that work rate of his.

Anyway, Hidrogeneis first came out on CYAN, the label Juan Pablo had made his home before they shuttered doors in 2020. It's kind of funny going this far back into his musical development, half expecting his style to not be as fully formed as later works. For sure it's not quite as developed or daring as Bioluminescent Forest or Ecovillage (two totally random examples!), much less the albums that got him that Neotantra bump (Organic Adventures and Dune, for the record). Having so thoroughly digested at least half his catalogue now though, I'm impressed at how solid for a debut this album is.

Right from the jump, Mr. Giacovino shows his hand in fascination for all things micro-organism, titling his opener Moss and all. It's a fairly meditative piece with harmonic bell tones and field recordings, a gentle melody soon sliding in while soft dub rhythms burble in support. Like, if that isn't the N:L:E stylee in a nutshell, then what have I been listening to this past year?

Things also play out in similar fashion as most of his albums, slowly building upon earlier elements such that it feels like you're listening to one long, transitional compostition. Well, if it weren't for all the fades between tracks. Seriously, m'man, just make a 'single mix' version available too!

Maybe he realized this was an issue as well, releasing a twenty-minute, twenty-second long version of Hidrogenesis, in 2018. Well, mostly just the first four tracks in a condensed, restructured form, and sans the low, rumbly bass dubs as heard in Underwater Caravan. A nifty addition if you wanted to hear Moss, Acid Fog and Swamp uninterrupted. As for the back-half of Hidrogenesis, it's even more ambient than the first, harmonies even subtler. Ooh, this could use that 10th Anniversary rejiggering treatment, I wager.

Groove Armada - Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)

Jive Electro: 2001

This may technically be Groove Armada's best charting album, but I contend it remains one of their most neglected, if not outright forgotten. Granted, that mostly only applies to North America, but I tells it as I remembers it, which comes with all the localized biases. It isn't so much a case of the music being bad or anything, though the deeper, soulful tunes didn't help it stand out after the peppier breakouts from Vertigo got their name out there. No, it's almost certainly due to the fact it came out the day before 9/11, after which the whole world went into a depressive, paranoid funk. Kinda' hard to get hype to club music after that.

Tom and Andy said they wanted Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) to be more upbeat than their previous effort. Can't say I blame them, so quickly getting pigeon-holed into the chill-out scene when their music was getting all the licensing deals. And when Superstylin' dropped, that change of focus seemed evident, the track something of a riff on Bassment Jaxx' brand of radio-friendly speed garage (da' yoots today would call this 'ragga bassline', or something). Now that I've listened to this record, however, it almost feels like an appropriate comedown to post-Millenial malaise.

This rest of this album, it's just so de-e-e-p, man, hardly the rabble-rousing hedonism promised. Fogma, the clubbiest cut on here, certainly has some funky shuffle going for it, but there's something rather... prog, about its production too, y'know? Raisin' The Stakes opts for some street-level funk-n-hop (Nile Rogers on the guitar, Kriminul on the rap), but it ain't super-hype either. Healing is another 'brisker-than-average' cut, but it's so minimalist, dubby, and de-e-e-p, you'd be forgiven for thinking it an early Swayzak b-side. And that's it for the 'club'. Well, and the opulent funk opener Suntoucher with Jeru Tha Damaja, but even that track settles into a deep, dubby groove two-thirds in (Drifted less so, which I kinda' prefer). So, graciously, six out of twelve tracks, and I'd really only claim three.

Not that I'm disparaging this album for false advertising or something ridiculous like that. If anything, Groove Armada still came correct for what their fanbase expected of them: more soulful, downtempo music, this time with heavier emphasis on the dubbier aspects of it. There's still moments for pastoral arrangements (Litttle By Little, Lazy Moon, Edge Hill) and funkier jams (Drifted, Tuning In (Dub Mix)), all performed in a classier, smoother fashion than similar sounds on Vertigo. Unfortunately, it also doesn't leave quite the same impression for the same reason all highly-competently produced music of this sort does, getting a little lost in the ability to make it over keeping things simple and to the point.

For that reason, I can understand why Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub) just doesn't get the same name-drops that Vertigo and even later albums do. Or maybe it really is that stupid 9/11 conspiracy after all. If its any consolation, I'm writing this on the eve of potentially saying goodbye to that country altogether!

Arctic Hospital - Going Sun

Lantern: 2012

Bought with the same bundle as that ultra-obscure early '90s techno compilation, in case you care. I bring it up as proof-positive that, even if the old standard of rummaging music shops becomes a bygone activity talked about in reverent tones along with our sensible fashions of the time, we'll always have the Discogs Marketplace. Unless it closes down. Or shipping fees becomes so stupidly expensive, we'll have to resort to a bay of buccaneers forever after. Eh, streaming options? Oh, you never know when that bubble will burst (and it will too).

Anyhow, the point I'm getting at is Arctic Hospital is another artist I likely wouldn't have have found any other way than a trawl of Discoggian saleable items. It's over a decade since Eric Bray was seriously active with the alias, or any other project for that matter (so sayeth Lord Discogs). If there was ever any hype behind him, it's far in the rear view by now. Given the scant number of individuals claiming to have a copy of this CD, I can't imagine there ever was. His Soundcloud is sporadically updated, but it's clear Mr. Bray's prime music making days are long behind.

Which is a shame because, dang, if this artist wasn't a sweet, unexpected find. I'll go into his other stuff at a later date, but this was the one that drew me in. Yeah, cool cover and all, but when I listened to a couple tracks, my instant thought was: “Hey, this sounds like The Field. Boy, it's sure been a spell since I last heard anyone try sounding like The Field. Kinda' makes me fond for that brief period of electronic music when a ton of people were trying to sound like The Field. Those endlessly loopy, dubby, shoegazey techno loops... good times.”

Seriously though, that's about the easiest review I can give Going Sun: if you like The Field, you'll like this. Not that Eric doesn't throw his own little spins on the formula. The titular cut has fun with screwing with time-signatures, such that the loops almost trip over themselves just when you expect things to lock in with spectrum-pleasing repetitiveness. Except even that soon settles in its own way. Friend Amplifier twists around piano house loops, Colorstream inches closer to the realm of whatever neo-trance was supposed to be (shoegaze prog?), and The Folding Tree gets joyous and full of soul as vocals are heavily filtered through so many layers of dub. Only dud I can find on this album is the closer Natural Parade, if only because Eric's tinkering with time signatures and drum loops actually do trip over themselves whenever there's a transition. Interesting as a sonic experiment, but after following the deliciously smooth, loopy music that came before, more of a stumble taking us out.

One miss out of six ain't bad though (yes, these are long tracks too). Considering I'd never heard of Arctic Hospital before this chance encounter, I'd call that a win!

Natural Life Essence - Forms Of Life (Other Versions)

Liquid Frog Records: 2019

When I saw this was subtitled Other Versions, I thought I might have another skippable item from N:L:E on my hands. Not that there wouldn't be something worth talking about here, but with so much still to get through in this discography (just... so much), cutting corners has become a must. I figured if these were just remixes, I could refer back to them whenever I got around to covering the original tracks proper-like.

After checking through what material of his I did have, however, I realized I didn't have the original tracks! That... couldn't be right? I bought his entire catalogue as it existed on Bandcamp, they had to be there! This being an earlier release, there weren't many options they could be hiding, yet sleuthing through the comparatively scant items available, I found nothing. Could there be *gasp* other Natural Life Essence albums out there, that didn't even reside on his crowded Bandcamp?

Indeed there is, though far as I can tell, this is the only item that exists as such. I can understand why it wouldn't be among Juan Pablo's own catalogue though, one of those 'label rights' things that makes redistribution of one's own music at times a sticky situation in streaming circles. Heck, that might even be why he went about releasing this particular EP, artists doing 're-recordings' or 're-masters' or 're-mixes' that skirt around rights technicalities.

I have no idea if this is the situation surrounding the original Forms Of Life as it appears on Ovnimoon Records, but then I don't know much about that label to begin with. They seem to have a lot of material though, one of those multitude of psy trance labels that sprung up in the past two decades, and still going to this day. I can't say I recognize much of anyone on their roster though: a lone AstroPilot item here, a LemonChill there, and... yeah. Still, they were releasing CDs for a spell, so can't be all netlabel bunk, can it? Haha, oh, if you think that, then you really don't know psy trance labels very well.

Anyhow, I can't be bothered doing a compare-and-contrast between the original Forms Of Life, so here's what we get with Other Versions. Lapse (Little Snail) (Lucky Return Mix) does the N:L:E spritely ambient thing with a little pulse of a rhythm that invokes something more mysterious and Middle Eastern. Liquid Frog (More Rain Mix) does... Hey, that's where Juan Pablo got the name for his self-release label, isn't it! Cool. The track gets closer to the realms of ambient dub, which is pretty much a brand standard for N:L:E even this early in the project's lifespan. Nomad Dragonfly (Tranquil Wind Mix) is the most interesting of the lot, if you like your pure ambience with nice field recordings, sweeping synths, and deep meditative tonal harmony. And finally, Symbiosis (Insects Gathering Mix) gets back to the spritely ambient style as heard in Lapse. Yep, all par for the course.

N:L:E - Floating Garden

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

This was bound to happen sooner or later. An artist releasing this much music in such a short time span, mostly sticking to a dubby, downtempo and ambient aesthetic for his works, can't help but repeat themselves here and there. And that's fine, musicians exploring different facets of similar themes and all. How many blues singers or folk warblers basically rehash the same song structure over and over (not to mention the banal repetitiveness of pop country). What I hadn't counted on was hearing nearly a carbon-copy of a track!

Or at least, I thought I did. I swear, the opening track to N:L:E's Floating Garden - A Green Sunshine - I've heard before. Granted, it's sometimes hard parsing out which minimalist ambient piece differs from another, especially after the amount I've already heard from Juan Pablo. Towards the back half, though, a gentle, harmonic tone ebbs in and out, putting you into a meditative trance. It then has a rather abrupt fade-out at the end, but then starts right back up in follow-up track Nice Light For My Plants. It carries on for a little while, receding again for another round of ultra-calm ambient, then re-emerges later on. And damn if I haven't heard this exact sequence with that exact harmonic tone used elsewhere in Mr. Giacovino's catalogue.

Thing is, I actually checked the releases I've thus far covered, and didn't come across it again! Granted, I wasn't sifting through every track minute by minute to confirm – that's well over thirty items, including ten Caravan Of Healing Sounds. My autistic ticks only take me so far before giving up on some obsessions. Still gave it as good of a skim as is deemed sensible, and nope, didn't hear that sequence elsewhere. Did I somehow Mandela Effect myself into this? Maybe I happened to play Floating Garden out of sequence sometime in the past couple years since I bought the N:L:E discography? Really and truly bizarre.

If this all seems like a wild tangent, well, that's because I'm reviewing another Natural Life Essence album. There really isn't much else I can say about them beyond what particular style Juan Pablo opts to explore on a particular release, Floating Garden going deep in the lowercase ambient field indeed. Gentle melodic tones, relaxing field recordings, and all that tranquil stuff. Like one of his Caravans though, he does bring some dubby beats towards the end for Rain In The Floating Garden 2, then gets a little peppier with them in closer The Happiness Of A Floating Dandelion. Given they are the shortest cuts on this seven-tracker (titular piece runs over sixteen minutes), it's clear they're not a primary focus for Floating Garden. More like bringing you back awake in case you dozed too deeply for the past hour.

This definitely is one of the calmest albums I've heard from N:L:E. At least, I think it is, from recent memory. Man, this discography dive is already two years old...

Spiritual Fields - Fields Of Light

Liquid Frog Records: 2018

Wow, it's actually been a legit two months-plus since I last did a release from ol' Juan Pablo (which means he's released four more items during that period!). I'll grant half that time was taken up by vacations, and at least another third from the return of Fabric On A Budget. Still, any time I can put some space between these endless N:L:E items is a bonus in my books. Not that I've developed a distaste for them, just sometimes you need thoughts on an artist to marinate in your brain before diving into them again. Recharge the talking points, come fresh with new perspectives gleaned from real world events.

So getting back into the Liquid Frog catalogue anew, ready to tackle any and all items waiting alphabetically in my queue. Ooh, it's one of the Spiritual Fields items, the least active of Mr. Giacovino's side projects. Not only that, but this is the first such release he used the alias for, coming out quite early in his musical development. In fact, if the little blurb on the Bandcamp page is to be believed, Fields Of Light was crafted before he even started putting stuff out as Natural Life Essence. Okay, it states “an oldie rare crazy track”, but one doesn't typically call a tune of theirs such a thing unless it was made in the before-times of a career properly starting off. And since it doesn't quite mesh with whatever you currently are making hay off of, here's a unique handle for it so it's distinct from your main output. Maybe file that name for future reference, if something else strikes the muse feeding off of it.

Cool then, some pre-N:L:E material, which should be solid enough if Juan Pablo felt confident to release it regardless. Wait, it's only two tracks? Well, one, as this honestly comes off like an extended jam session like so many of those Caravan Of Healing Emotions did. Combined they do break the twenty-minute mark though, which is enough music for me to come up with something worth writing about ...I hope.

Heck, Fields Of Light Part I almost reminds me of a Caravan session, in that it uses similar, sweeping synth pads performed in an exultant fashion. There's also a lot of busy, dubby rhythm going on, mixing things up here and there in a freeform way – honestly sounds rather like playing about with sample packs, but it's all nicely crafted regardless. There's barely a pause between the two tracks, an ambient fade marking the start of Fields Of Light Part II. The longer session, there's more interesting sounds and melody on display here, but it does kinda' meander about too, in that classic post-Orb sort of way much ambient dub did. Like, you know the more dithering portions of Orbus Terrum? That, but without the eventual conclusion those tracks eventually arrived at. Hell, Part II seemingly ends at various points, only to start right back up again for a few minutes more.

Q-Burns Abstract Message - Feng Shui

Astralwerks: 1998

Michael Donaldson's project always felt bigger than it actually turned out. Maybe it's because his early tracks were appearing on several noteworthy labels via compilations and mixes, FFRR the most prominent of the lot. Also showing up on OM Records, Wall Of Sound, and even Mo Wax (kinda') didn't hurt in selling Q-Burns Abstract Message as an artist with an ear to the ground with what was hip and shakin'. However, he was seldom ever tidily pigeon-holed into any particular scene. Was he acid jazz? Trip-hop? Dubby breaks? Big beat? Balearic chill? A bit of everything, really, and coming up in a time when an eclectic style at least got you noticed.

Q-Burns got his proper break with Astralwerks, consolidating his wayward tracks onto a 'debut' comp' called Oeuvre. Oh my, doesn't that come off just a tad pretentious. If so, then titling his proper debut Feng Shui won't help. I get it though, this being the late '90s, and alternate interior design all the hipster hype. Yes, let's use Far East spiritualism as a guiding principle in how to arrange wall shelves. I jest, some practical use in 'feeling' how one's living environment should flow just so. Titling an album upon it though...

Actually, it makes sense, his music rather free-flowing in of itself. In fact, I can't help suspect Mr. Donaldson was reigning himself in. The sort of artist brimming with ideas, fully capable of crafting pieces exploring them, but also realizing not everyone would be down for an ultra expressionist outing for a debut. Gotta' lure in folks with traditional dance tunes, hook them in with the familiar, then throw them for a loop when you go off on a little key-change solo two-thirds deep.

That's the general approach to Feng Shui, but obviously each cut offers something different from the other. Opener He's A Skull does the big, funky breaks thing with a quirky vocal sample. Follow-up Solar Car goes even funkier in a Euro-hop, skippity sort of way. Jennifer gets on that chill-out vibe by way of French pop getting so very popular at the time (thanks, AIR). Some tracks are more catered to showing ear-wormy contorted sounds or samples (New Patterns, the titular cut). Others are just an excuse for him to jam things out (A.S.T., Talking Box). And in case you did come to a Q-Burns album looking for more of the acid jazz vibes, Kinda Picky and There Must Be Something have you covered.

It all sounds like a solid record (and I really dig his bass tones in several tracks), so why isn't Feng Shui brought up in talks of Very Important 'Electronica' albums of the '90s? Honestly, I think things are played almost too safe. It's a good album, but the decade was spoiled for great albums, good ones gaining fans who find them, but few of the plaudits that entrench it within the lingering scene consciousness. Which kinda' sums up the Q-Burns Abstract Message story in a nutshell.

Rapoon - Fallen Gods

Staalplaat/Abstrakce Records: 1994/2021

Jumping all around Rapoon's catalogue has yielded plenty of interesting items now, but man, I just can't help but keep returning to Vernal Crossing the most. Something so primal, so instinctual ...so, dare I say, erotic. I keep wondering is there anything else like it in Mr. Storey's storied career, when the answer is so bluntly obvious, I'm astounded it took me this long to realize it. Or maybe I was subconsciously biding my time for a digital remaster to emerge. Sure, let's go with that, a seductive, subliminal message lurking within Vernal Crossing Revisited suggesting I bide my time before returning to this era of the Rapoon tale.

While there's plenty to be said about most of the early Rapoon records, I feel like Fallen Gods gets a little overlooked. It doesn't have that 'new concept' freshness the debut Dream Circle does (an album that's seen a triple-LP reissue!), which follow-ups Raising Earthly Spirits and especially Vernal Crossing maintained. If anything, because Fallen Gods came out the same year as Vernal Crossing, it couldn't help but get bypassed, the post-ecstatic glow of the former record still permeating upon the public consciousness. Whoa, reign in the hyperbole there! It's a cool album, f'sure, but only a highly niche audience would be aware of it back when, much less today.

Still, I'm a little surprised Fallen Gods didn't get at least a little more attention outside the abstract ambient sphere – say, the tribal techno sect? Obviously it sounds little like what you'd hear out of the PWoG camps, but compared to the pure, loopy nature of his previous works, Rapoon has added something more of a propellant rhythmic pulse to all the sampled drums and primal sounds.

Opener certainly seems to build upon the Vernal Crossing formula, but feels more minimalist and dubby. Meanwhile, second track Iron Path is almost mechanical, its rhythms rather jerky and coerced into its loop – and still, all performed rather spaciously, as though letting the drums be the dictating force. Rapoon had always used rhythmic loops before, but seldom such that they were the dominate feature, preferring to focus on the general atmosphere of his compositions. And as if to put an exclamation mark on this different direction, the titular cut features drum work that is almost thunderous, as though the sky spirits themselves are descending upon the populace below.

If Fallen Gods was primarily of this tone, I could see it having more attention over the years, but it kinda' waffles after. There's pure ambient drone pieces (Breathing Gold), tracks that sound like left-overs from the Vernal Crossing sessions (Sacrement, Valley), and a dalliance into what I assume is a Bulbul tarang solo: one mostly unmanipulated, followed by a more 'traditional' Rapoon loop session. All neat stuff, absolutely, but doesn't leave the album with a dominate aesthetic compared to his other works. Which may explain why Fallen Gods didn't get the 'revisited' remix treatment either. Nothing left to further explore here.

Dub_Connected - Electronic Music

Liquid Audio Soundz: 2001

Amazingly, astoundingly, incredulously, this is the first electronic music album I've gotten that's simply titled Electronic Music. You'd think with a music collection of some two-thousand plus items, it'd have come up more often. Yet I've far more records simply titled Genesis than I do Electronic Music. Hell, in the 'E's, I have eight variations of Earth, three Eternals, three Everythings, and somehow three Elephants. I'll grant an electronic music artist titling their album Electronic Music may be a little too on the nose – even as early as the '70s, synth wizard Synergy had the good sense to name his debut Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra. And who knows, maybe there are several out there that I simply haven't stumbled upon. Some early-ass compilation series, right? I dunno', just figured it would have come up at some in my music gathering endeavours than another collection of dubby techno tracks from a Gabriel Le Mar side-project.

In case you missed my first Dub_Connected review, here's the recap: ol' Gab' was gettin' real busy at the turn of the century, releasing mucho music across several aliases and collaborations. Saafi Brothers was probably the most well recognized of the lot, having an all-star cast of artists on hand, but he was making inroads on all forms of dubby jams among other works too. Dub_Connected was the one that went just a little more techno than others, with a compilation of works released in Vol. 1 – Mind The Gab! This is the follow-up, billed as a proper album since its all fresh material mostly exclusive to this release.

That said, a good chunk of Electronic Music does sound like the leftover tracks from those earlier sessions. Not so much opener The Soul Takes A Flight, a brisk, smooth groover with a little vocoder action, the sort of track I could see Swayzak playing at peak hours back in the day. Following that though, we're deep in that gritty, dirty, dubby techno stylee folks would sooner associate with Bandulu or Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, though with heavier emphasis on dub music's Jamaican roots. Which hey, I'm all for – it's what got me into those acts in the first place, and given the utter dearth of such jams out there, I'm glad Mr. le Mar had his stab at it too.

Then things get really interesting. No Vemba practically sheds all roots influence and aims straight for the streets of MegaCity District Detroit. After that, Tribal Sunset gets deep in the thumping minimal techno vibe while throwing some extra stank on d'at bassline, while Auto Mobilee gets as minimal as I'm sure Gabriel could ever allow. And just in case this hasn't been Detroit enough for you, closer Something Happened Here Last Night takes us out in fine electro or a moonlight setting fashion.

So an album of two halves, where despite coming in wanting the first, I left more satisfied with the second. As a good LP should.

The 13th Sign - Da Story Never Ends

On Delancey Street: 1996

You want music rabbit holes, you got 'em!

The 13th Sign is a name I recognized via exactly One (1) compilation, the acid-jazzy, trip-hoppy CD from Waveform Records titled Frosty. You might remember it for its distinct cover shot of an ice-encrusted buffalo. Chill-out music indeed. The track included of theirs, Take Me To A Distant Bass, definitely fit the bill of an acid-hop, trip-jazzy excursion, one of those vintage 'nothing's off the table' '90s tunes of sampledelic dub vibes. I quite liked it, but not enough to dig much further into the artist, assuming it just some one-off project by an unknown individual. Well, I was half-right.

The 13th Sign definitely was a one-off, but Chris Bangs is far from an unknown. Or at least, to those well-versed in the UK acid jazz scene. I'm not, only having a passing familiarity with the label Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson built (and all that followed from it), but as I said, it's a super-massive rabbit hole one can get lost down for quite some time. Shit's over thirty-five years old now!

Anyhow, Chris Bangs was a major contributor for them, releasing multiple albums and singles under multiple aliases and group projects. Names like The Quiet Boys, Break 4 Jazz, Original Soulboy, Extasis, Mr. Electric Triangle (hey, another Frosty track!), Boogie Boy, Galaxy 21, Two Dam Hot, and Yada Yada. When acid jazz' popularity started waning after the turn of the century, he tried getting into the garage and deep house scene (including starting a label called Dadhouse (!)), but that seemed to fizzle out, and he seemingly retired from production after. Oh, and in the middle of all that, he released a trip-hop, illbient-leaning record under the guise of The 13th Sign, as was the style at the time.

This is another one of those albums that deservedly flew under the radar, as trip-hop was getting quite overdone by '96, but ain't half-bad in its own right. Mr. Bangs was far from a slouch in the producer's chair, knowing exactly what sort of samples worked best with what sort of beats and solos, slickly produced with little fuss. Very meat 'n' potatoes stuff, is what I'm saying, that sounds solid as it plays, leaves a nice little impression upon your afternoon, but doesn't really spark much discussion about after. Perfect compilation fodder, is what I'm sayin', and so did Thievery Corporation for their DJ-Kicks CD.

Chris does mix things up though, offering some welcome spice to all the the street-level grooves. Come Off This Trip gets on some freestyle action, Someday gets brisk in its beatcraft hovering near jazzy d'n'b (with acid!), and Back In The Day raids funk's fathers for the b-boy throwdown. Elsewhere, Anthea Clarke gives us the soul singin' in Pressures, while Travis Blaque gives us the conscious rap in 90 Infinity (hmm, I wonder where he got that from?). Again, all solid stuff, but I'm not surprised few know of The 13th Sign's existence.

George Issakidis & Speedy J - Collabs 400 & 401

NovaMute: 2005

Th'ar be the acid! Just took a French touch to get there. TB-303 action aside, I have to say these Collabs with George Issakidis are the most interesting of the lot, and not just because they stray far from the regular techno workouts as already heard from Jochem's pairing with Adam and Chris. Okay, it's almost entirely because of that too, because in accommodating Monsieur Issakidis' aesthetic into his own, it resulted in some of most unique sounds out of Jochem's discography ever. Which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise considering the former Micronaut was also responsible for the Superior Version of Block Rockin' Beats.

As for how this pairing came about, I assume George was itching to get involved in the 'proper techno' scene after splitting off on his own – anything to escape the big-beat stigma. Some chance meeting with Jochem resulted in the two discovering shared mojo in working on music together, and here we are.

The first cut out of this, Looks Something Like You, is a ten-plus minute outing of steady, noisy bedlam. Really, it sounds like an extended jam session, the two playing all manner of filter and effects over the bare-bones acid house lurking underneath. While of a much lower BPM than the other tracks thus featured in the Collabs series, the intensity is no less gratifying. Hell, some of the percussion could very well be industrial, rattling off like machine gun fire and all. That may just be something for the 'old heads' though, as what was truly blowing up at the time in Francophone lands was sleazy, filthy, abrasive acid, so here's that in the form of Understand What I'm Saying on the flip of Collabs 400. Holy shit, how can this thing go for nearly eleven minutes, and never grow weary or repetitive? The warped vocals are fun enough as it is, but throw in all the distorted, clanking percussion along the way, and you have the closest thing to Speedy J going Ed Banger you'll ever hear!

Okay, maybe that was all a bit much for the techno purists out there, so on Collabs 401, the pair slow things way down on Overblaak, a quite minimalist piece where the TB-303 gets the most shine. Even here though, just the little things, like a mint, crunchy skippity-shuffle on the beat, has you hanging on every minute of its near-fourteen worth. Kaalbrevo, meanwhile, decides to get dubby on the distorted acid vibes, the duo providing a track that would fit snugly in a vintage Swayzak set. This, too, breaches a dozen minutes in length, but somehow holds your attention with every flange and filter effect thrown in. Not that I'd expect anything less ol' Issakidis.

Which is what I should say, if I'd actually heard more of his work outside this and early Micronauts. Time to do some more diggin' and he's got a rather skint discography after all. Mm, well, at least it won't take as long to sift through as Gerd's.

N:L:E - Bioluminescent Forest

Liquid Frog Records: 2020

When I think of a 'bioluminescent forest', I think of the out-wordly foliage of those Avatar movies. Which, y'know, makes one-hundred percent sense, since the alien world of Pandora does feature all manner of indigenous fauna that glows in the dark. It's like James Cameron wandered the woods of an outdoor psy trance party and thought, “This, but naturally grown.” Come to think of it, ol' Jim's been fascinated by bioluminosity since at least The Abyss, a movie featuring an entire underwater realm of beings bespeckled in shimmering lights emitting from their metabolisms. I'm sure its his motivating factor in all those deep sea dives, hoping to stumble upon a true Atlantian civilization hidden within oceanic depths so far uncharted. Eh, we've done an adequate job surveying the abyssal plain thus far – ain't much down there after all.

Where was I? Oh yeah, Bioluminescent Forest. I bring all that Avatar business up because the Pandora forests are what I associate with such a title. Why, then, is the cover art of Natural Life Essence's album so drab and grey? I mean, it's a nice picture of a meadow at dawn, but hardly a forest, much less of a bioluminescent variety. Then again, there aren't any naturally occurring plants that glow in the dark as it is, so it would be a heavy ask for Juan Pablo providing cover art of such a thing. Plus, given the track names of this album, the cover art does make more sense. One doesn't think of shimmering lights when reading titles like Cold Thick Fog, Night, and Rainy Day. Methinks the theme may be a bit muddled here.

The first half at least sets out as it means to, The Autumn Ritual opening with some nice field recordings before settling into a nice, dubby jaunt of glittering synths and groovy rhythms. I wouldn't call this psy dub, but it does remind me some of Sync24's works, just without the added acid. Follow-up Tree Reunion slows things down, even invoking some Amazonian rain-forest vibes ...a vibe I just realized has been noticeably absent from Mr. Giacovino's work considering he resides in South America. True, Argentina ain't equatorial, but y'know what I mean.

Anyhow, as the album plays out, I can't help but feel we're mostly exploring similar ideas over various styles. The three-track run of Night, And, and Day lasts well over thirty-five minutes, and is practically the same musical piece, just progressively more minimalist and ambient. It's neat after a fashion, but rather feels out of place among all the other tracks, especially since the almost chipper reggae-dub of Cold Thick Fog precedes it. More than that though, many of the backing, whispery synth pads sound like they're in the same key, leading to the whole album sounding rather samey throughout. Still, hearing the gentle pitter-patter of percipitation in closer Rainy Day as gentle synths bip and bop about, how can I have negative thoughts about Bioluimiscent Forest? I simply cannot.

N:L:E & Yahgan - Antarctica

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

What, you thought I was done with Mr. Giacovino? It's only been two months since I last talked him up, a not-insignificant gap of time for sure, but not so long as to grow forgetful. I only just started this discography back in early June, and we've a long way to go indeed before finishing it off. Hell, that Lucette Bourdin box-set took nearly two years to complete, so ain't no way we're wrapping up Natural Life Essence and all his various aliases in due haste. There will just be alphabetically imposed lean times, is all, just as I'm sure there will be with all those Suntrip CDs. I'm sure...

This particular release has a little something extra to talk about though, in that it features both N:L:E and Yahgan, Juan Pablo's project that references the peoples native to the southernmost tip of South America. Naturally, music with a more frigid, arctic theme tends to follow this handle, but sometimes you gotta' get in a little extra pep with those vibes – keep the toes toasty with the tap-dancing, and whatnot. At least, that's what I assume is going on in combining the two projects for this release: a typical N:L:E jam-out, but with something thematically colder than his usual assortment of earthly sounds. I feel like we're cutting the differences between all of Mr. Giacovino's projects down to the slimmest of margins here.

I can't deny having some difficulty discerning the difference between N:L:E and Yahgan with these lengthy pieces. Antarctica features two twenty-minute plus tracks, and a 'bonus' cut of ten-minutes. The first, Antarctic Sun, does capture the feeling of a brightening dawn emerging over a frozen wasteland, chilly pads and glistening synths sparkling layer upon layer. With plenty of time to stretch things out, the piece is well past half-over before a dubby bassline and soft rhythm joins the chill party. Beyond some backing pads growing more prominent, however, Antarctic Sun doesn't really shoot for a rousing climax. Would seem out of place for such a generally tranquil track.

By contrast, Glacial Night keeps things strictly on the down-low and mysterious, the only hint of rhythm being sparse synth heartbeats. While there are similar elements at play as in Antarctic Sun, they're performed so subtly, it truly does impart a feeling of being locked in eternal night. Right, we're not talking dark ambient levels of dread, the shimmering nature of Juan Pablo's music providing too much relative bliss. Think more the twinkling of southern stars, or glistening ice on iceberg-clogged waters. There is a build of rhythm towards the end of Glacial Night, as though the long twilight is coming to an end, but doesn't amount to much on the whole.

Speaking of icebergs, Wandering Icebergs (Hypnotic Trip Mix) closes this album out, though it's just more of the same lengthy, loopy ambient pulses we've heard already, with some added echo and field recordings for flavour. It's fine, just feels like the 'bonus track' its designated as.