N:L:E - Ecovillage

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

Not very often we get an album focusing so specifically on the achievements of mankind from N:L:E. Juan Pablo tends to prefer exploring our naturalistic surroundings, from the micro to the macro, realms unconcerned with humanity's presence. Even Yahgan, a direct reference to a people living in the remote ends of Argentina, is more an homage to their nearly lost culture than an exploration of our species' presence in even the most inhospitable clime's.

And maybe its that concern for the often destructive nature of our adaptive abilities that got Mr. Giacovino feeling inspired by something a little more sustainable in co-existing within our environments. Make no mistake: for as remarkable as its been that we've bent mother nature to our will in service of our survival, its come with many fallouts too. No other animal has so radically altered its living spaces for its own benefit to such a degree as humans have. Even the engineering feats of the mighty beaver pale compared to our concrete fortifications. Heck, given how much Earth's atmosphere has changed during the Holocene Epoch, we just might give even cyanobacteria a run for its money! Okay, maybe not. They had a few hundred million years to do what they did, and we'll be lucky to make it to our first million years of existence.

Where was I? Oh, right, ecovillages. Yeah, that's one way we might stave off our inevitable doom. Dwellings making use of natural energy sources like solar power and windmills and rain floods. All good for small scale communities, absolutely, though you'd really have to dig that isolated trad life while you're at it. And hey, given the ever-increasing stresses put upon us by over-stimulation from ongoing world events, unplugging and retreating to the ass-ends of some corner of Earth does sound tempting. Still, take it from someone who did spend a spell living in one of those ass-ends of the Earth: shit gets real boring real fast. You gotta' be quite content with the humdrum life, because there ain't much else that'll get your jimmies rustled. Not for the ADHD inclined, is what I'm sayin'.

Anyhow, Ecovillage. As this is something of a more 'earthly' concept from Natural Life Essence, the music on hand gets quite groovy and dubby for much of its runtime. Saving Water even whips out the melodica for a jam over its ultra-lazy rhythms, while Chant adds some simulated throat singing (I assume, since it doesn't sound much like a sample). Elsewhere, Fire Storm Ritual ups the tempo to prog-psy levels, though retains rather mostly broken beats for its duration, all the while reminding me of AstroPilot in the process (whoo, acid!).

Overall, a generally uplifting, positive vibe is maintained, as though we're bearing witness to a community in high spirits going about their daily activities. Hey, you didn't have to sell the idea of an Ecovillage that hard, Juan Pablo. You had me at 'environmentally sustainable arable society' alone. How's the internet connection though?

Kiphi - Divine Flux

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Small point of order, an additional bit of info regarding this Kiphi project I've thus far neglected detailing. For you see, this is not just another alias of Juan Pablo Giacovino, one where he indulges in more melodic arps over his other projects. For sure that is an element of it, but there's another crucial tidbit of data that needs illuminating. A second gunman- erm, I mean, contributor to these electronic music pieces.

He's always been there, but for some reason slipped through my name-drops, assuming Kiphi was the same as Natural Life Essence, H:U:M, Spiritual Fields, Yaghan, and so on. Indeed, this particular person could very well be the primary creative force behind Kiphi, with Juan Pablo just hanging out in the same studio as sonic support. I certainly haven't seen the individual's name crop up elsewhere beyond some art and 'thanks' credits, but with a primary producer's role along side Juan Pablo, I have to assume as such. And this entity's name? Jose Carlos Giacovino. Brother? Father? Son? Spouse? Cousin? I haven't a clue, and haven't been able to find any more info. Not that it matters much, but y'know, gotta' be as thorough as one can be with these things. Lord Discogs gets mighty stingy if you submit releases to their database if you're not crossing all the 'T's and accenting all the 'É's.

I guess another reason I felt compelled to clarify the air over how many Giacovinos are contributing to these projects is because this is the first 'solo' Kiphi release I'm finally reviewing. I could kinda'-sorta' get away with assuming this was still all Juan Pablo when it was N:L:E & Kiphi, and such as, but no more! Unless Roberto Giacovino gets in on the act as well. So many Giacovinos running around Argentina. Just... so many.

Anyhow, you can throw that assumption on my part that Kiphi is strictly the 'N:L:E with arps' project, because there's a fair bit of diversity of style even with it serving as something of a rudder. Indeed, opener Ancient Mandala has them in a subtle fashion, but it's as much an ultra-chill ambient dub session with world beat overtones as anything synthy. Ooh, wouldn't that make this a Spiritual Fields jam instead? After World goes more psy-chill, while the titular cut settles into a layered ambient outing with dense, droning pads.

From there, the pace gets a significant boost, the arp work in Civilization far more propulsive than what's come before, while Prana gets into proper prog-psy territory, though is a little herky-jerky in execution. And what N:L:E record (adjacent or otherwise) would be complete without a two-part dub session? Incomplete, says I, so here's Antartica Interstellar 1 and 2, the first half the long ambient build, the second going full on into psy-dub territory. And wow, I've thus far heard plenty finesse with Juan Pablo's basslines, but does this one ever add some tasty stank throughout. I wonder if Jose Carlos was responsible for that?

N:L:E & Kiphi - Crystal Vision

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

After kicking off my block of 'C' albums with ten volumes of Caravan Of Healing Sounds, we had to wait until the end of this batch for another item of Juan Pablo's to appear again. Technically, there's two down here, Crystal Vision and Cycle, but the latter was already covered in the consolidation collection of N:L:E and Kiphi material Between Dreams Or Reality. Well, okay, there's one other track on the Cycle single, a shorter beatless version, but doesn't warrant any more attention than what I'm providing in this sentence. The original version is better, and I've done sorted that out. Let's stick to Crystal Vision here, and worry not about redundant releases. I've plenty more music from Mr. Giacovino as it is.

Have to admit, I'm surprised at seeing another 'collaboration' between these two aliases this far into Juan Pablo's discography. I thought he'd fully kept them separate at this point, finding enough distinct characteristics with his Kiphi project (specifically looping melodic arps) such that it didn't need the N:L:E bump helping it along.

Then again, he put out another N:L:E & Kiphi joint just this past December, Lights Between. And another prior in June called Floating Orbs. Hmm, maybe he just likes releasing them around solstices? *checks month of Crystal Vision* Oh, this one came out in May. Welp, so much for that theory. Also, I know I've said it before, but good God is this man ever relentless in his output. My last proper review of one his albums, Botanical Adventures, was late December, and he's added five more releases since. That makes for thirty more releases since I bulk-bought his Bandcamp catalogue! Almost makes me thankful I did buy in when I did.

Three tracks are the main feature of this EP, with alternate versions featured in the back-half. The titular opener certainly imparts visions of shimmering crystals, pulsing bright synths and angelic flowing pads building upon each other, eventually ebbing out for a little gentle piano playing. Follow-up Lifetime ups the energy some, bringing in a simple rhythms and soaring synth work that'll have it nestled nicely within the realms of AstroPilot psy-chill. The tune fades down, and while Ilusion is billed as a separate track, it essentially carries on from Lifetime with similar music themes, going more minimalist and groovy as it does.

And the rubs? Crystal Vision [ Retouched ] brings in an ambient dub groove, Lifetime [ NLE Version ] surprisingly goes beatless (isn't N:L:E the alias with the beats?), and Ilusion [ NLE Version ] extends out with a little Tubular Bells building before going full psy-chill itself. That one at least tracks.

That's another item out of Mr. Giacovino's catalogue covered, then. Still a long way to go before finishing his discography off, but take heart, intrepid readers, there's not a whole lot in the 'D' block coming up. At least, nothing where I'll have to 'cheat' again with a bevy of microblogging recaps.

N:L:E - W:O:O:D

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Yeah, yeah, get in your puns here, Beavis. I know you can't help chortling seeing two tracks titled Log, Butthead. I'll grant the dimwitted duo's commentary for the Christmas Yule Fire video is legendary, but not everything must refer back to that. Sometimes, a lump of fallen bark is just a lump of fallen bark. Still, I wonder if ol' Juan Pablo suspected some potential sniggering over titling an album Wood, hence breaking the lettering up with colons (“hehe, heh”). Also, he'd condensed 'Natural Life Essence' to N:L:E by this point, plus would soon adopt H:U:M for his space-leaning works, so maybe he was growing fascinated by the double-dotted punctuation. It must have been a brief flirtation though, as W:O:O:D is his only album released with such quirky titling. So far...

I feel well entrenched in Mr. Giacovino's particulars now, and there's little minutiae I can find surrounding this release. It seems, in his never ending quest to find inspiration in all the ferns and fauna of our realms, he finally found the forests with W:O:O:D. Why, then, does the cover art look like moss on stone? Gotta' save the tree beauty shots for the Caravan Of Healing Sounds series? Whatever the case, it's clear I'm dawdling to burn up self-imposed word count, so enough of that. Let's get into music proper-like.

Following a vigorous two-minute intro of shimmering synths, things get scaled back to chill-out territory on Ancient Echo, a calm, languid pace of digital dub. Eventually layers of bright synths emerge, though not as pronounced as the Intro. A gentle violin adds to the pleasant tone, and that's about it before a nice wind-down. Log gets dubbier with its rhythms, including all the traditional elements like off-beat pulses and endlessly trailing echo with flange thrown on. I've been digging these sounds the earliest ambient dub days, and ain't no way I've tired of them yet. Heck, the Walking Again Mix that closes the album even adds some philosophical dialogue, which is about as cliche as it gets. Ain't no bad thing from my end though.

Appropriately for a track inspired by the little skittering critters you find when you overturn said logs, Drill Bugs goes more minimal with sparse percussion and spritely melodies, while South Winds does the ultra-subtle psy-dub builder business. Speaking of psy-dub – or one-time psy-dub adjacent - Reforest [ Birds And Leaves ] sparks some vintage Ultimae Records vibes from yours truly, including the spacious dub effects that let you hear all the emptiness between bass throbs. Maybe not so widescreen as you typically hear out of Aes Dana's studio, but for a self-produced item, Juan Pablo comes remarkably close. Through The Cracks In The Wood gets back to the groovier ambient dub lane.

Yeah, groovier is a way I'd describe W:O:O:D, at least compared to the other N:L:E albums I've thus far covered. It's been a few since I've started on Mr. Giacovino's catalogue, but there's still a whole lot more to come.

Richard Stonefield - Stardust Aventure

AstroPilot Music: 2021

At first I thought I was dealing with another utterly unknown entity. Richard Stonefield has barely any presence on Discogs, this particular album not even submitted despite being nearly two years old now. I kinda' expect that when dealing with some random synthwave artist, but this came out on AstroPilot Music, a label that, while perhaps not among the upper echelons of psy-chill outlets, at least carries AstroPilot's pedigree. That Stardust Adventure would go unnoticed for such a length of time that I had to submit it to Discogs seemed odd indeed.

Fortunately, I dug a little deeper – say, Bandcamp deeper – and found Richard Stonefield is actually Richárd Kőteleki. Now, that name also appears on Richard Stonefield's main page, but provides nary a link to anything else. So deeper into Discogs I dug, and found a bevy of material! Oodles of singles as Ricardo Piedra, a hefty amount of collaborations with Krisztián Horváth as Quasar, and other assorted works released over the past two decades. And here I thought 'Stonefield' was just some plucky new guy with a heck of a sophomore album of prog-psy.

Nitpicks first, then? Sure, let's get those out of the way. Um, the mastering isn't up to snuff compared to, say, Ultimae Records quality? What's it take to get Aes Dana's touch at the console, huh? Okay, that one's totally unfair. I suppose there's a bit of a plastic sheen to everything, not quite as beefy as some of Altar Records' releases could sound, but I shouldn't go comparing the music released on Astropilot's label to the music Astropilot released on other labels, should I?

Besides, this may have more to do with the fact most of his chosen sounds are rather stock, the sort of things I've heard plenty in prog-psy for well over a decade now. Not that it's a deal-breaker for me, as I like these rubbery acid lines, rubbery psy rhythms, and the usual assortment of soaring synths and twee trance melodies. Richard writes prog-psy just as capably as AstroPilot, and I'm all for hearing more of it.

In fact, maybe there's too much of it? Stardust Adventure does offer some variety at the start, opener Arrakis getting in on that psy-dub action, while follow-up Realizer sounds like an attempt at something a little more dubsteppy, just without the 'wub-wubs'. Third track Here I Am rather reminds me of Banco de Gaia at his most sentimental, in a psy-chill sort of way, and laying it on rather thick, what with nearly eleven minutes to do so. Given the prog-psy adventure kicks in right after with the titular cut and lasts until album's end, these three tracks feel a bit out of sorts overall.

Maybe it's because the whole thing lasts ninety-five minutes, and would have likely been left on the b-sides floor had Stardust Adventure been released as a common CD album. What, cut some of the prog-psy tracks instead? But... they're so good!

Solar Fields - Red

Droneform Records/Sidereal: 2014/2018

Hah, bet you forgot I have a Solar Fields box-set to get through as well, didn't you! Right, it's not that big a box-set, containing just three CDs in all. And it's not like you can't get these coloured-titled compilations separately either, at least in their digital forms. Red / Green / Blue is only a box-set in the sense that it's a tidy consolidation of wayward collections of music, particularly for those who like having a physical medium on their shelves.

Of the three discs, Red is the most redundant to my own music collection, already having half these tracks elsewhere. In fact, three of them appeared on Fahrenheit Projects, but as Magnus was a regular contributor to that Ultimae series, it's only natural a significant chunk of track list space is taken by them. For the record: Union Light comes from Fahrenheit Project Part Four, OnFlow comes from Fahrenheit Project Part Seven, and Electric Fluid comes from Fahrenheit Project Part Two ...or does it? Wait a minute, something seems to be missing from this Red version, the bit of acid towards that track's end. Is this an early mix? *checks through Discogs* Ah, so it is, this version first appearing on a 3D Vision Relax compilation called Module 01. Huh, guess that makes the Ultimae cut, the superior cut, an exclusive to F.P.2.

Some other Ultimae exclusives include the ultra-subdued Combinations (On/Off Edit) from Oxycanta 2 (which I have), the Solar Fields At His Solar Fieldsiest Fiat Lux from Albedo (which I have), and Times Are Good (Sometimes Remix) from Imaginary Friends. I don't have that one. I don't know why I don't have that one. I guess the by-line of “audio poetry” had me thinking it some spoken word outing? Times Are Good is definitely not that, a pleasant slice of charmingly twee downtempo chill. Not the most mesmerizing Solar Fields tune out there – especially on a compilation containing Fiat Lux and OnFlow - but definitely a hint of things to come with Until We Meet The Sky.

Now the rest. Jeezlh comes from an Interchill Records compilation called Future Memories, a fairly standard bit of Solar Fields psy-chill with another winner of a melody at its peak. I'm more fascinated by Solar Fields appearing on Interchill at all though, especially rubbing shoulders with Eat Static and Phutureprimitive (Carbon Based Lifeforms and Cell also joined in). A different remix of Confusion Illusion appeared on a Suntrip Records compilation, adding operatic singing to his blissed-out chill atmosphere, while Compressed Universe goes a little more prog-psy with its uplifting vibes, which makes sense as it first appeared on a Spiral Trax CD. As for Velvet Reptile from the hopelessly obscure Stargate Recordings, it's fine as a tranquil transitional ambient piece within Red, and that's about all.

Still, a top grade compilation, Red is, with some of Solar Fields' best tracks on it. If you had to choose just one, I'd go with this (spoiler for Blue, I guess?).

Sync24 - Omnious

Leftfield Records/Sidereal: 2018/2019

Figured I may as well get this one too, complete the Sync24 collection and all. Yes, the entire four-album discography! I guess there's also that trio of EPs listed at Discogs, and an archive of Daniel's early ambient music called Ambient Archive [1996-2002]. Can't say I'm as interested in those efforts, though who knows how many sonic seeds lurk in those sessions that bore fruit in later Carbon Based Lifeform outings.

But yes, Omnious was indeed Mr. Segerstad's return to his solo project, often trotted out shortly after a CBL album dropped. My suspicion is there's only so many ideas he and Johannes can work into a project, leaving many off to the side for Daniel to make use of elsewhere. That ultra-minimalist ambient excursion titled Suspended Animation too sedate for World Of Sleepers? No problem, put on your own album! Dance Of The Droids just a little too chipper even for Interloper? No problem, put it on your own album! A Deep Sea Meditation Experience perhaps a bit overtly fairy-tale twee for anything released on CBL's new home of Blood Music (Blood Music!). Fret not, your fellow Ultimae Records alum Solar Fields has his own label now, where such music will fit right in!

Yeah, if the quirky cover-art with gathered characters from some indie platformer wasn't a giveaway, Omnious is a rather light-hearted affair. Ain't no wild TB-303 workouts as heard on the 'nighttime' follow-up Acidious, no sir. Well, okay, Bunnies On Mushrooms does feature some prominent acid as a lead, but it's sparse in use, casually bobbing along to a bouncy, psy-dub rhythm. Nothing ground-breaking where this sound is concerned, but a fun little knob-twiddler just the same. Lungs Full Of Clean Air is somewhat similar, though heavier in its use of ...side-chaining? Oh, wow, I thought that gimmick was long dead, but guess it can get trotted out for occasional service.

Mostly though, Omnious is all about tunes on the downbeat, when there's even a beat at all. Second track The Morning Before It All Happened gets on that cinematic ambient vibe that'll have all your vintage Ultimae triggers flaring – why is such a mellow tune at the number two spot though? The Tale Of The Lonely Apothecary gets widescreen with layered dub tones while a melancholy melody glides through, while Coffee Break In Orbit is exceptionally well-titled. Man, nothing but casual reflection while sipping a cuppa' over Callisto.

The final two tracks - That Boring Autumn Day and Wise Whispers In The Wind - really reach down through your aorta, tugging at the heartstrings with their tranquil, graceful melodies. It really makes you wonder why Daniel didn't make use of these for that CBL debut on Blood Music (B-L-O-O-D Music!!), at least until you remember what that label's name is.

Unfortunately, like Acidious, Omnious runs all too short at just eight tracks long, none breaching the six-and-a-half minute mark. Boy, could some of these use an extended remix or two.

Saafi Brothers - Live On The Roadblog

Iboga Records/Carpe Sonum Novum: 2014/2015

Yet another in a long, long, long (oh Gods, just so damn long) list of acts I've sorely neglected. By all accounts, Saafi Brothers are a group I should have dove into sooner. All the pieces are there for me to have checked them out at some point, members with discographies I've crossed with plenty of times.

Most prominent of these is, of course, Gabriel le Mar, who I have heard in scattered amounts over the years, and never been let down by his output. Another member is Luca Anzilotti, whom most probably don't know off hand, but have definitely heard in the past, being one-half of the famed euro-dance outfit Snap! Michael Kohlbecker isn't one I'm familiar with, though he's been active on the scene many decades, his Eternal Basement project probably his most recognizable alias. Alex Azary (of Aural Float and Elektrolux fame) was also with the group on its first album, so all said, quite the super-group of German producers here.

And what sort of music did these numerous talents create together? Why, nothing less than the invention of prog-psy, is what! Okay, maybe not quite, their works more of an ambient dub techno blend with wordly psy-chill, but tell me 1997 tracks like On Air and Internal Code Error don't predict that genre emerging in the coming century.

As you can imagine with a group containing so many busy-bodies, reconvening for an album session isn't the easiest endeavour for Saafi Brothers. It would explain the sparse discography (and my overlooking of said discography), the group seemingly disbanding after 2007's Supernatural, save live gigs. Still, such gigs seemed to inspire the trio to actually start recording some of those sessions, which they did, consolidating the best outings in the studio for this here Live On The Roadblog album. Initially released as a digital item on prog-psy outfit Iboga Records, it was given the CD treatment on Carpe Sonum Records off-shoot Novum. That isn't as strange of a 'worlds colliding' pairing as you'd think, what with Gabriel le Mar being something of a fixture with the sub-label.

Listening through Live On The Roadblog, you definitely get a 'live' feel for how these tracks were crafted, everything quite loose in arrangement. Still, with most hovering around the six-to-eight minutes mark, they seldom wander off in rambly jams, a clear structure in their progression. Just, y'know, not so stiff in execution as most studio works go. As for the types of tunes, you get dubby world beats (Infinity Is Reality, Ghosts In The Tree), prog-psy groovers (Running Free, In The Eye Of The Storm, Moving Crossroads), blissy chillers (Feeling Lone, Touched By An Angel, Moments Of Clarity), and... electro-dub bangers? Wow, where did How High Can You Get? come from?

The music is solid stuff for sure, but man, all the drippy-hippie spoken word bits, I could have done with less of. When the whole album's concept is 'following one's wanderlust' though, I guess it comes with the territory.

Unusual Cosmic Process - Between Continents

AstroPilot Music: 2016

It's been a spell since I checked out AstroPilot. Let's see what he's been up to! *clickity-clickity clack* Ooh, started his own label. With lots of artists getting rep' on it. Most of which I'm not familiar with in the slightest. Welp, better get to it. *zzi-i-i-ip* What? That's the sound of me opening my digital purse to splurge on some new music. Why, what'd you think that bit of onomatopoeia was?

So, Unusual Cosmic Process (or UCP from here out, because whoof, that's a mouthful). This is a project from Alexander Akopov, who's been making music in the psy sphere for the past decade. A few aliases had some traction on Ovnimoon Records (Optical Report, Psypheric), but UCP has been the most fruitful of them all (so sayeth Lord Discogs). Makes some sense, this alias being his primary outlet for music on the down beat. Of the twenty items Mr. Akopov has released as UCP, the bulk are LPs. His early ones floated about different labels (Ovnimoon, Uxmal, Sentimony, Gliese 581c), but has mostly settled in with AstroPilot Music for the last while. This here Between Continents was his debut with Dmitriy's print.

Whenever a producer starts their own label, the tendency is to cultivate artists of similar style, so I wasn't surprised that UCP would sound somewhat like AstroPilot. I didn't expect his sonic palette to go quite so opulent though, exceeding even the cosmic grandeur of the Solar Walk series. Mr. Akopov says this album's meant to be something of a sight-seeing tour, taking in various vistas of our planet from its highest regions to its deepest depths, carried along by acoustic airships. Sounds like fun, and opener Acoustic Levitation certainly holds little back in its lift-off, wide-screen synth pads with spritely treatments such that even 36 would get weak in the knees. A psy-chill rhythm joins the action midway through as the track keeps building and building until... oh, it just kinda' ends on pads, a bit abruptly at that.

Wendall Sea carries on with the extra-ultra backing pads, with a heavier beat in support, but mostly plays out like the opener. Sekki opts for something a little more mysterious (bathyscaphe submersion will have that effect), while Atolla Wyvillei... gosh, this sure sounds a lot like Weddell Sea again, the same beat and everything. Granted, the psy scene often recycles rhythms, but this is practically a copy-and-paste here. Not that the tracks are bad, it's just a very apparent thing with two so close together in an album.

As Between Continents plays out, it never lets off the gas pedal in sonic splendour – even the Ambient Remix of The Clouds has an aggressively groovy bassline. It's almost too much, if I'm honest, seldom letting the listener take a breather, save at the start of every track. Imagine the tour-guide insistently telling you how awesome all these sights are, when I sometimes just want to lay back and take them in at my own leisure.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - The Path

Blood Music: 1998/2018

I'd heard whispers of music out of the Carbon Based Lifeforms camp that existed before they landed on Ultimae Records, but never felt much need to explore for it. I figured these early productions were simply lost artifacts of a duo still finding their feet, any choice material from those sessions eventually called into service on later albums. I had no idea their start reached all the way back into the tracker scene, from which evolved into acid techno as Notch. Along with Mikael Lindqvist, they released a couple albums of such on MP3.com, but they had aspirations for something grander, the sort of genre-bending, music-fusing, epic LP that might be said in the same breath as such classics like Lifeforms, U.F.Orb, Chill Out, 76:14, and whatever other under-heralded records you wish to throw in there (more love for Journey To The Sun, yo'!).

Okay, I'm overselling the story some, but compared to what the trio was doing prior, The Path does come off almost over-ambitious, full of ideas and influences but not quite able to pull it off. It's certainly fine for a debut from artists getting their feet wet, but compared to where Misters Segerstad and Hedberg went in the following decade, comes off strangely dated too. Still, even with Carbon Based Lifeforms and Sync24 their focus, The Path floated about the digital domain for those who were interested in hearing it, where it remained for two decades. Like, no way Ultimae would re-issue it into a spiffy CD. That Blood Music though... (Blood Music!!)

After a three-track intro that, honestly, should have been left on the cutting floor (those tracker roots really showing there), things kick off proper on Rise To Tomorrow, a moody little number of graceful pads, subtle vocal samples, dubby rhythms, burbling acid, wormy synths, and didgeridoo. Getting some serious Planet Dog vibes off it. Same with Sinful Things and Or Plan B. Meanwhile, Machinery and Submerged feel more in line with vintage Fax+, Dreamshore Forest goes pure dreamtime ambient, while Contaminated Area and Last Breath... Um, well, like I said, still figuring things out on the production front.

As for any musical hints of future CBL tunes, you can't hear Station Blue without immediately thinking their breakout MOS 6581. The subtle bassline, dubby beats, and distant samples are of the same genetic backbone, just not really explored much further. Station Blue is like a simpler, evolutionary step to the heights that MOS 6581 would soar to.

Which kinda' sums up The Path, to be honest. In a vacuum, it holds up pretty good as a lost artifact of '90s psy-chill, but can't hold a candle to CBL's future works. I'm glad Blood Music finally gave this a proper CD release, as there are a few gems that deserved unearthing. Just don't go into it expecting Ultimae levels of production. I don't think even Aes Dana's immaculate mixdowns could have rescued some of those piano tones.

Cosmic Replicant - Echo Light

Melusine Records: 2017

Y'know, I'd almost forgotten that Cosmic Replicant was a psy guy. Which seems silly considering how many of his albums have come out on Altar Records, a psy-chill label through and through. I suppose it's because my initial introduction to him was not strictly psy, Mission Infinity leaning closer to the realms of ambient techno and all things robotic. Then he started releasing dub techno EPs, and pure ambient long players, showing a far wider range of musical interests and influences than his first few psy albums would have suggested. So you'll forgive me for being a little stunned to hear a regular ol' psy-chill and prog psy outing such as Echo Light, thinking Pavel had moved on from this and all.

It does leave me wondering where this album actually fits within the greater Cosmic Replicant discography. Sure, Lord Discogs says it came out in 2017, but that was two years after his last outing with Altar Records, Pulsar Activity. That album was more a return to prog-psy after Mission Infinity, but considering he followed it with Landscapes Motion (the dub techno one on Pureuphoria Records), I can't help but figure Pavel was already exploring other sounds in the intervening years. Did he have these tunes on hold for some future date? Or was this a favour to the relatively young Melusine Records, a little extra suitable content for their catalogue? Speaking of, hoo-boy, but did E-Mantra ever find himself a home there.

Some of the tunes on Echo Light had appeared on other compilations, but for the most part, this is all original material. Nothing too fancy about it either, fairly standard as far as psy-chill and prog psy goes, but Cosmic Replicant always was among the stronger producers in this field, especially when stacked against his Altar Records brethren, making his lack of CDs downright criminal. Seriously, The Nature Of Life really deserved a hard-copy option.

I wouldn't go so far as to say this album is as good as that one though. As mentioned, Echo Light basically hits all the usual markers this genre offers. The chill opening cuts, the gradual build in tempo as the album plays out, including some tasty slow breaks coupled with a groovy basslines and spaced-out synths (so good in Drop Sens!). By the time the proper prog psy shows up mid-album, we're well warmed up for some steady beat action in Road To Home, with synths gradually building layer upon layer. It's honestly just 'Prog House Techniques 101', but if it ain't broke, etc.

Puls Of Life ups the tempo about as high as Cosmic Replicant ever goes (it's almost goa!), and an ambient piece finishes off Echo Light. Yeah, at only eight tracks, this album breezes by, with little in the way of surprises or genre dalliances. I wouldn't go so far as to say Echo Light is 'half-assed', Pavel still quite good at making psy-chill and prog-trance. Just don't go in expecting anything else of it.

Cell - Live In Corfu

Ultimae Records: 2020

The past. Wasn't it better? Remember when door cover was a ten-spot, the Federal NDP had a fighting chance, and the charts was filled with great music (okay, maybe not that one). Remember when Ultimae Records released albums filled with melodies? I do – I have many of their first-run CDs. Nowadays, Aes Dana has turned his label into something of an exercise in sound design, releases sounding big and vast, a sometimes polite way of saying 'empty and flavorless'. By the time of the double-LP compilation Polarity, their journey to the dub techno side was complete, folks wondering if anything resembling a tune the milkman could whistle would ever return.*

Fortunately, there's been a few hinting signs of a return to the wide-screen, cinematic music of years past. Not a massive step, mind you, as the heavy-duty melody makers of Ultimae's formative years have mostly all moved onto other labels and ventures, but it's something to latch onto. Still, what we need for a real buzz-worthy talking point is someone from that O.G. Fahrenheit Project rosters coming back. Even a James Murray or a Circular would be nice. Wait, Cell is the one that's come out of hiatus? He'll do.

Not to downplay Alexandre Scheffer making a reappearance, it's just I thought him essentially retired. His last LP under the Cell guise was the 2009 Ultimae album Hanging Masses, while providing barely a peep of anything else since the 2012 Ultimae album 9980 with Hybrid Leisureland. A lo-o-ong gap in significant music making, is what I'm saying, enough to declare a project presumptively dead, which would have been a shame. His track record from those peak mid-'00s days was a well-spring of potential, one that felt criminally cut short for whatever reason. Thankfully no more, returning with another live album of fresh material, plus inclusions of assorted compilation-only items. Ooh, I see Take Off in this tracklist, the tune Nick Warren used in his mini-Ultimae showcase for The Masters Series. (yes, really)

Still, it's recommended going into Live In Corfu with tempered expectations. Even at his most upbeat and melodic, the Cell project was rather subdued compared to his Ultimae contemporaries. There's even a touch of the ol' minimalist dub techno glitch in Security, though as that track appeared on the second Greenosophy compilation, within the height of Ultimae's fascination of navel-lint sounds, it's not surprising to hear such a thing crop up.

So Live In Corfu isn't quite so pumpin' as Live At Kumharas, but still mostly works a steady, proggy rhythm throughout (save a track or two of blissy downtempo), with plenty of gradual building melodies throughout. Some, like Spinning Whale and Intimate Removals even hit upon those subtle highs of glory days of Ultimae's past. I seriously could imagine the latter as a perfect capper on one of the Fahrenheit Projects. It's that damn good! Not to mention yet another promising step in the label's hoped return to prominence.

Cosmic Replicant - The Nature Of Life

Altar Records: 2013

This is about where I feel Cosmic Replicant truly came into his own as an artist, which is funny considering it, too, lacks much of style that initially drew me to Pavel's project. Who knew when I started digging deeper into his discography there'd be so much more to discover? He almost reminds me of another Altar Records alum, AstroPilot, in how diverse his various albums have been. Of course, in this early portion of his career, Mr. Shirshin is still playing by the usual psy-chill rules, but even here there are hints of the paths he'd later take.

For instance, the bleepy ambience that had me swooning over Mission Infinity pops up in the track Technological Era. Yeah, it's an appropriate title, definitely of a colder, harsher nature compared to the rest of an album quite fixated on the wonders of organic life. Where else am I gonna' get my acid fix though? Still, those expecting the sophomore effort from Cosmic Replicant to be more of the same as Future Memories had to be caught off guard by that sonic detour. Perhaps, but probably not so much as with Microscopic Structure, which dabbles in that trendy dub techno genre the lads at Ultimae Records were all on about. Hey, a one-off cut's not such a bad thing on an album clearly stretching beyond the norms of one's current scene, but a full record of it wouldn't fit well with the Altar manifesto. Just as well, then, he hooked up with Pureuphoria Records to scratch that particular itch on Landscapes Motion. Uh, nothing here suggests the pure prog-psy outing of his self-released Soul Of The Universe album though. Guess Altar wasn't having any of that from Cosmic Replicant one way or the other.

And now I feel bad because I feel like I've already run out of things to say about The Nature Of Life. What else can I say? As mentioned, it's Future Memories, but better. It has the bookened ambient pieces, the opener Somewhere Beyond more on a dub-drone tip, the closer Rebirth Of Nature opting for the Solar Fields happy feel-good bliss-times vibes. In between those you have the usual assortment of psy-chill (Living Particles, Molecular Compound) chill psy (Song Of The Forests, Morning Horizon), and whatever Sunnarium is. It almost sounds like it wants to be IDM, but just can't quite shake free of the psy shackles. Gosh, makes me wonder whether Pavel started exploring that domain in his more recent releases. Guess I'll find out soon enough!

Oh yeah, as with Distant System, I went and purchased the near-entirety of the Cosmic Replicant digital discography as found on Bandcamp. He's remained quite active since his last album on Altar Records, four items released since 2015. I suppose I could listen to them now and confirm any new developments in his songcraft, but I prefer savouring the anticipation. There aren't many artists left that make it worth my while to wait a little longer, y'know.

Distant System - Lost Sequence / Pupillary Response

self release: 2009/2010

Everyone's got that hotly anticipated item that seems perpetually postponed. The world of fantasy literature has George R.R. Martin's latest entry in his Game Of Thrones saga. The world of music has Dr. Dre's Detox. The world of music guides has Ishkur's Guide To Electronic Music V3.0. The world of video games has [checks notes]... Star Citizen now. Huh, does that mean folks have finally given up hope on Half-Life 3? Guess it can't be anticipated if it was never officially started in the first place.

Anyhow, while the above undoubtedly have had tonnes of folks hanging on every drip-fed update for years now, the bane of my anticipation remains hopeless obscure. Indeed, if Last.fm stats are anything to go by, it's not even a blip on the spaced-out psy-chill scene, as micro-niche of a scene as they get. Small wonder that Tyler Smith has kept a second Distant System LP in cryostasis for so long if the interest simply isn't there compared to his Androcell project. Dammit though, Spiral Empire remains one of the most captivating examples of this extremely specific sound tickling my limbic system that I've being craving another hit ever since. Others can have their additional songs of fire and ice, I wants my Spiral Empire 2: Revenge Of The Spiral!

While there's been small murmurs and rumblings Mr. Smith may finally dust the project off (again), I figured the best way to keep tabs on developments was to spring for the full Distant System discography on Bandcamp. Yes, I even re-bought Spiral Empire, the only time I'll likely re-buy a CD I already have in a digital format. Meanwhile, that allowed me to finally nab the two compilation-only tracks I'd missed out on way back when, Lost Sequence and Pupillary Response.

Speaking of Lost Sequence, holy cow, what's up with its scrobbling data? The track's outpaced everything else in the Distant System discography by a factor of five, and even has a whole two bars beside it on Spotify. Was the compilation it appeared on, Vampire Sunrise, really that popular? Hm, with a name like that, I wouldn't be surprised. Still, I suspect a shared link on some influencer's blog helped it along.

Anyhow, the track feeds me exactly what I crave in my Distant System fix (directly into my veins!). The epic synth pads painting the cosmic grand, the steady chugging prog-psy rhythm that makes me feel like I'm cruising on an interstellar craft, the touches of sci-fi bleeps and glitch as though I'm receiving sparse transmissions from the depths of the galactic core, all that good stuff. Pupillary Response, initially released on the far-less known Vital Signs compilation (which Tyler himself pieced together) is a more chill affair, almost meeting in the space where Distant System ends and Androcell starts. Not a whole lot happens that I haven't heard in this project before, save a chord change midway that melts my head, heart, and spleen. Sometimes the simplest tricks are the best.

Nova - Albedo

Ultimae Records: 2005

If I'm gonna' break my oath and buy old-school Ultimae releases in a digital format, I might as well do it for all of them, right? I can still hold out hope for hard-copy re-issues of items like Distances, Earthshine, and Memory Shell, but really, I'm only denying myself by not going the digital route with the rest. Besides, it's not like there's many Ultimae CDs I haven't gathered. My collection of their releases is remarkably thorough, especially considering it was 2009 that I started buying in earnest (what humble-brag?).

Albedo came out quite early in Ultimae's lifespan, around that transitional point after the label had properly established itself with a few core acts and a solid, continuous compilation series. Time to take that next step, then, and expand the roster, release extra content on other formats (not vinyl tho', no one buys that stuff), and launch additional compilations, broadening your exposure beyond the lucky few within the psy-chill community who'd already stumbled upon your work. Albedo was the first volley into this wider world of scene dominance, with nothing less than a bold step into the domain of conceptual compilations.

Okay, I'm over-selling a little, but for as much choice music the Fahrenheit Project provided, they generally remained regular ol' compilations showcasing Ultimae's manifesto. As one of the label's primary DJs, Massimo Terranova undoubtedly had his own ideas on how to curate the various gathered muses, and he was given the opportunity with Albedo, technically Ultimae's first DJ mix CD, though still in the 'partially mixed' form their other discs do.

Still, 'Nova' got to indulge in more of a focused musical narrative, and have himself a clutch of all new, exclusive music from most of Ultimae's main players: Dana, Hol, CBL, and, of course, Mr. Fields, dropping yet another utterly sublime piece of music in Fiat Lux, making me cry to the heavens that this guy can do a 'toss-off' track with such ease. Some scene vets like Ishq and Vir Unis also contribute, while a couple cats get their start here as well (Between Interval, Antonio Testa).

So the music is all panoramic and lush, as you know it would be from a mid-'00s Ultimae release. As a set though, Nova does a good job in showing off tonal contrasts, with the early sections featuring something of an urban, technological bent (so much radio static in Between Interval's Wishful Thinking), gradually going full-on nature by set's end. While there are clear sections within Albedo (hoo, does Fiat Lux ever mark the end of one), everything flows smoothly throughout, like chapters of the story Nova wishes to tell. Still, as these are essentially tunes made for Nova's mix and not their own albums, it's not the crème de la crème of their respective discographies. Yes, even the ridiculously wonderful Fiat Lux. Thus, if I'm to be honest, I can't say Albedo reaches those upper echelons of Ultimae's catalogue, but it sure does push up against that impossibly-high ceiling.

Mahiane - Oxycanta

Ultimae Records: 2006

After years (a decade!) of ducking, dodging, denying, and diatribing, I've finally relinquished. Oh, you knew such a time would come wherein I'd go back on my word, my proclamation, my mantra. The ceaseless thrust of progress demands sacrifice, tossing the norms of old into the tempestuous Cauldron Of Change (defeat a Level 72 balrog to attain said cauldron!), including a music collector's steadfast ideology that if a physical copy of an item exists, he shall not buy the digital version. What is said music collector to do, though? There exist artifacts of old that, while attainable, are financially unfeasible to procure. Maybe a time will come when such items work their way out of the over-inflated collector's market, and into the more practical used market, but so long as the demand exists, so too do the scalpers. And out-of-print Ultimae CDs, the demand is high indeed.

It is thus, under such circumstances, that I sprung for the digital releases of a few such select items in their catalogue. I choose them sparingly, logically, knowing the odds of them seeing any sort of re-issue at this late point is nil. The albums, they all have some chance of resuscitation, but the second-tier compilations, what hope have they? None, common sense tells me, so it is with defeated resignation that I finally complete my Oxycanta collection with the digital version of the first in the series, released a year before I knew the label even existed.

Still, I get some small sense of rhyming the circle, or echoing my mirror, or whatever cliche you prefer. It was the second Oxycanta – Winter Blooms, that truly lured me into Ultimae's fold and all the wonderful, panoramic sonic delights the label could offer. It makes sense I finish the path I started with as I embark upon another undiscovered country.

As this is mid-'00s Ultimae, you know you're in good hands music-wise, the label really hitting its stride. Music includes all the main players of the time (Asura, Solar Fields, Aes Dana, one-half of CBL), plus a couple future luminaries to grace their discography (Cell, Hybrid Leisureland). Kind of disappointing that some of their tracks have appeared elsewhere, making Oxycanta a tad redundant for the Ultimae completist, but you also get a couple exclusives from these dudes too, so all balances out. Scope out the compilation to find out which I'm referring to!

As for the rest of the tracklist, it includes some rather unknown ambient composers (Between Interval's Aerolith reminds me of Space Ace's Sea Of Japan - now that's an obscure call-back!), the Ultimae office posse (Vincent, Mahiane, Dessaeaux) collaborating for a tune as Subgardens, and a track from Omnimotion. Wait, the same Omnimotion that appeared on Waveform Records? Why, so it is! Small world, eh? His ultra-blissed ambient piece Magic Tree's a wonderful meditative closer to Oxycanta, with sounds like a tall, creaking tree slowly swaying in the wind as you chill among its branches. Gravity never felt so irrelevant.

Circular - Nordic Circles: live Nuit Hypnotique #4

Ultimae Records: 2013

In yet another move showing Ultimae was shaking up their release options, the label made available a series of live recordings taken from the Nuit Hypnotique #4 festival, emphatically proving their digital-only game was just as strong as any other psy-chill print on the market. Okay, maybe not those exact reasons, but three sets from the event ain't nothing to sneeze at, Scann-Tec and Hol Baumann also part of the series with Circular. Uh, one point of contention though, in that nearly the whole Ultimae roster of 2011 performed there, including three of the big four in Aes Dana, Solar Fields, and Carbon Based Lifeforms (plus their associated side projects). I appreciate giving the roster's second-tier acts some shine from the event, especially as most of 'em were between albums and could have used more material out there so their names wouldn't fall by the wayside, but man, who wouldn't like to hear a CBL live session too, eh?

And yeah, once again, I'm loosening the leash that is buying digital-only items, as it's clear some will never see a physical option appear, so why deny myself? Now, if I fold and buy something that does have a CD out there, then you know I've gone past a point of no return. Until then, however...

Still, even when it was brand new, Nordic Circles was such an alluring temptation, more music from a group whom I'm fairly certain I enjoy. Like, that Moon Pools album was great, and there were moments from Substans that stuck with me too, so odds were good another collection of tunes from the Norwegian duo would have ace material as well. Also, that cover art, it's so... I'm not sure what it is, but it's eye-catching, that's for sure. Probably part of the visuals from Nuit Hypnotique.

While Nordic Circles contains tracks that are new, about half of them were previously released on Circular's sophomore album Divergent. Wait, sophomore? Didn't they have only one album out on Ultimae at that point? Ah, yeah, I neglected to mention Misters Andreassen and Gjelsvik had three albums out prior to joining the Ultimae roster; quite an oversight on my part. Though let's be honest, getting the Ultimae bump undoubtedly helped their exposure a fair deal (sorry, Origo Sound).

The older compositions mostly consist of minimalist ambient, the sort of music clearly inspired by fellow Norwegian Biosphere, and though Deeper's haunting melody serves as a nice opener, the rest work best as they appear in this set, transitional moments between the more upbeat tracks. Well, 'upbeat' in relative terms, tracks like Top Dive, The Circuit, and Cube Snooze still on that Ultimae psy-chill wavelength. All pale compared to the closer though, Glassy thirteen minutes of groovy, uplifting bliss that will get all your Solar Fields triggers flaring. Man, I say that at least once per Circular review, don't I? There's just something about those Scandinavians who know how to coerce all the feels out of their music.

Eat Static - Last Ship To Paradise

Interchill Records: 2017

Whenever a new Eat Static album drops now, I can't help but wonder, “Is this the one? Is this where Merv finally succumbs to all the trendy shit, losing that distinct feel that makes Eat Static the unique entity I enjoy?” In many albums I've heard out of the project, they've drifted remarkably close many times. The nods to drum 'n' bass in Science Of The Gods during that genre's first commercial heyday. The adoption of plastic Israeli full-on psy production in De-Classified. Even a build or two that had me expecting grotesque brostep monstrosities before pulling back from the brink and delivering the tear-out psy I mash my head to (are we so different, bros and I?). It's been a strange, skillful tightrope trick Merv has pulled these past two decades, but there has to be a point where he just says, “Ah, nuts to this, I'm leaping off with my parachute in place, haha!” This metaphor made more sense in my head before committing it to typeface.

I should know better than to lack such faith the Eat Static brand would ever do me so wrong, Yet once again, with their latest album in Last Ship To Paradise, and in the opening track of Eerie Nothingness, upon hearing a glitch-hop beat, that same ol' worry snuck up on me again. I couldn't help but think I was gonna' be in for an album's worth of tired, gibbering, random, nonsensical 'glitch' effects with hammy builds and drops as too many festival 'bangers' are wont to do. Then I remembered, “wait, that random, glitchiness has been an Eat Static staple for ages - they were among the first to ever do it within the psy scene, much less all of electronic music? Why would I complain about something I've always liked about them in the first place?” And besides, beyond a brief bit late, Eerie Nothingness is played comparatively straight for a psy-dub outing in the Eat Static canon, even getting Juno Reactor opulent for the track's climax. Hot damn.

As this album comes care of Interchill Records once again, Last Ship To Paradise is a more chill outing from Eat Static – the most ' uptempo psy' things get here is the proggy number Shadow Locked. We also get another indulgence of jungle's attributes in Fallen Angel, after half the track does the standard psy-dub thing. I'll take a little more of Merv's sci-fi d'n'b anyday tho'! Even the more questionably odd, trendy moments like mid-range glitchy bass noises in the titular cut and The Swamp right themselves by track's end, as if I needed further reminders that no matter how off-the-path Eat Static can go, they always find themselves right back where I like 'em. The remaining tracks don't offer much else in surprises, making Last Ship To Paradise a strangely middle-of-the-road downbeat album from Eat Static, but so long as they never lose those cheeky spaced-out sounds and samples, they'll forever have that lane all to themselves.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Derelicts

Blood Music: 2017

Nope, this is still too weird to me, my brain still unsure what to make of Carbon Based Lifeforms being part of the Blood Music family. Leaving Ultimae Records, that's fine. It was clear Misters Segerstad and Hedberg weren't gonna' mesh with Aes Dana's shift into dub techno, so finding alternative outlets was inevitable. Maybe they'd follow Asura to the Altar Records camps, perhaps get chummy with another growing ambient techno print (Carpe Sonum, Databloem), or remain completely independent with their own digital Leftfield Records. The allure of vinyl out on the market though, it's just too much to ignore, and if any Scandinavian label has proven itself as the go-to distributor of niche vinyl, it's Blood Music. What I wouldn't give, though, to be a fly on the wall (a gremlin in the inter-tubes?) to hear the sales pitch on this particular marriage. “Oh yes, what your death metal label really needs is an acid-chill space ambient act – it'll totally bring in those lucrative psy-trance kids!”

Still, this new deal at least gave us re-issues of their old material, plus a whole brand new LP, their first in half a decade! (not counting some score work for the movie Refuge) Where might CBL's muse have drifted since the pure space drone of Twentythree? So many tantalizing paths they may have taken since, perhaps adopting trendier sounds like Ultimae and Silent Season's dub techno indulgences. Or maybe they'd explore completely new territory, venturing into the realms of shoegaze chill! I mean, they are technically on a rock label now, so it would fit.

Nah, guy. If anything Derelicts sounds like exactly what it is, a new album on a new label giving a potential new audience a general overview of their established style. It's a safe album in the Carbon Based Lifeforms discography, sticking to what's always worked best for them – downbeat songcraft, subtle acid, spacey pads, moving melodies – with a couple fresh ideas that even the eldest of fans can enjoy. Right, there's no MOS 6581 on here, but at least a little Potosynthesis. Really though, Derelicts has me thinking an album where Interloper and Twentythree were fused together – the immediacy of the former, and the spaced-out ambience of the latter.

Tracks like Accede, Derelicts, Equilibrium, Dodecahedron do the downbeat acid-chill thing, while 780 Days and Loss Aversion go for the wide-screen crescendos. Elsewhere, Nattväsen works another twee, spritely fairy-tale chill tune, complete with the requisite innocent-yet-creepy British child dialog. Mixed among them are plenty of pure ambient pieces, all still vibing on that Twentythree space drone, and mostly presented in tasty four-to-six minutes portions. If you need more though, closer Everwave is fourteen minutes of proper ambient bliss, so don't say CBL doesn't hook you up with the proper shit, yo'.

Dan and Johannes may not have evolved much with Derelicts, but it's still a fine album, their style intact and unique from much else out there. Especially on Blood Music. Blood Music...!

Asura - 360

Ultimae Records: 2010

For the longest time, 360 was a reminder of just how down and out my mental state was in 2010. I should have been hyped over Asura's follow-up to Life², ecstatic that the dude that introduced me to Ultimae Records had returned. Plus, the label itself sent me a digital pre-release to review, practically a dream come true, right? Only, my time writing reviews for TranceCritic seemed at an end. I still accepted that digital copy, but felt like a cad doing so, uncertain whether I'd commit fingers to keyboard for them. It didn't help I was still in “MP3 iz bad” mode, with quality playback options limited, so my initial reactions were gonna' be tainted regardless. And then, after playing 360, I came away from it so disappointed, I almost gave up on new music completely. A total over-reaction, true, but man, after suffering through the 'sidechaining era' of trance, hearing Asura indulging it on Atlantis Child felt like a betrayal of Ultima 9 / Mass Effect 3 proportions.

Obviously, I've come around to 360 many years later. Really, there were songs on here that I liked right off the bat regardless (oh man, is Halley Road ever lush!), but that soured first impression curdled any replay desire for a while. It's honestly taken me this long, actually sitting down and analyzing this album for the purpose of a review, that the veil finally was lifted. Yeah, Atlantis Child is still kinda' wonky, in that it sounds more like Charles Farewell tinkering around with new effects rather than making a solid track. The rest though... oh my!

Right, it's no Life², in that 360 doesn't hit quite the same highs as that album does. There's still some honest-to-God quality tunes here though. All of his psy-chill productions (Regenesis, Erase, Longing For Silence, Le Dernier Voyage) hit the same spaced-out, sweet spots as his earlier material, with a few new, glitchy tricks thrown in for good measure. Altered State works a most tasty prog-psy groove, one of the best Asura's ever produced. The aforementioned Halley Road takes the best parts of Galaxies, and cranks the uplifting feels even higher, while Virgin Delight does all it can to melt your heart into PLUR goo (was Solar Fields offering tips?). Elsewhere, El Hai and Getsemani show off Mr. Farewell's orchestral chops, though I'll still take Golgotha over these.

Atlantis Child aside, the only real criticism I can level on 360 is that, as an album, it doesn't flow quite so well. For example, the sombre Getsemani would make for a lovely, reflective closer, but is instead placed two tracks from the finish. I suppose it works as a transitional into the more positive lead-out of Le Dernier Voyage and Virgin Delight, but man, does it leave me emotionally defeated too, not ready to take more music after. Hey, maybe that's what contributed to my 2010 funk! No, it was the other things that were at fault.