The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank

Astralwerks: 1997

Nope, still haven't gotten Dig Your Own Hole. It's just not high on my priority list. In fact, it doesn't even register on such a mythical list. Like, if I find it super-duper ridiculous cheap, maybe I'd consider it just for the sake of “90s 'electronica' completionist” sake. No, the $0.52 at Amazon is still too expensive (d'at $3.49 shipping, tho'!). It'd have to be pennies, or given away by someone offloading their old CD collection in a beat-up cardboard box. Yes, I remain that jaded towards Block Rockin' Beats and Setting Sun. You cannot understand my annoyance, frustration, irritation, exasperation, and vexation hearing those songs ad nauseam though '96-'97, so desperate the rock world was in getting The Chemical Brothers over as the next Oasis or something. It ruined whatever hype I had in hearing Dig Your Own Hole when it first came out, and soured every playthrough with dreaded anticipation of hearing those tunes one... more... fucking... time.

“But wait,” say you, “even if you dislike the two big singles, there's other dope tunes on that album.” I agree. In fact, I distinctly recall having my head forcibly twisted about upon hearing Elektrobank during my initial listen way back when. Those propulsive guitar riffs, furious looping beats, random explosions recalling WipEout's frenetic action, and an instantly ear-wormy sample wherein Keith Murray ponders who might be making manufactured, trippy alpha-beta seti-zappa funkiness. Throw in one of the most badass codas to a big-beat tune I've ever heard, where everything slows right the fuck down and gets cranked beyond the eleven, and you've a classic Chem' Bros. cut that I was almost willing to get Dig Your Own Hole for alone. Almost.

Fortunately, a single option for Elektrobank exists, and for whatever stupid reason, it only occurred to me this year that I should get it. And now I do have it, and can enjoy all that psychedelic funkin' to my heart's content. There's even other cool tunes on this single, so let's dig into these too!

Not Another Drugstore is the official b-side, which you might know from the opener of Brothers Gonna' Work It Out, The Chemical Brothers' DJ mix from the same period. It's got a boozy-woozy arp for a l-o-o-o-ng lead-in before diving into some funky big-beat action and raps from Justin Warfield. Don't Stop The Rock, a surprising techno banger from Dig Your Own Hole, gets an extended Electronic Battle Weapon Version here. And if you liked the Block Rockin' Beats b-side Morning Lemon, you can hear a drab prototype of it with These Beats Are Made For Breakin'.

Then there's the Dust Brothers Remix of Elektrobank. Yes, the same Dust Brothers that The Chemical Brothers initially cribbed their handle from, and were threatened to be sued over if they didn't change their name. It's a funkier outing, heavier on showing off samples than the original, but really, you want to hear it just for the daft scenario of it all. No shame.

Aythar - Dream Of Stars

...txt: 2016

When you think about it, Aythar kinda' came outta' nowhere. Sure, there were a couple teaser tracks on Carpe Sonum's digital-only compilations, and Mr. Tamás' had been self-releasing his music for a while by then. Getting noticed in an overstuffed ambient scene is hard work though, many upon many budding producers flooding the market with their own take on noodly, calming synth pad drone works. It's almost a necessity having some label backing if you're gonna' rise above everyone else – even a compilation spot is enough in getting one's foot in that door.

Think about how many obscure acts contributed to Die Welt Ist Klang, some of which having never released official music before, that found themselves with material on a print with a little more prominence after. And man, Aythar didn't even have that going for him, which is surprising considering he was active when it came out. Maybe he sent in a contribution, but didn't make the cut? Carpe Sonum admitted they had to pare things down some to keep it at a 'minimum' of eight CDs. I suppose a proper album on the label's a nice consolation prize.

As always, Carpe Sonum never has an act they won't share with ...txt (and vice-versa). Aythar would release a new album on Lee Norris' print in due time, but as a primer to Mr. Tamás' work, a compilation of older music was released, Dream Of Stars. That's... actually quite remarkable. Usually one has to build up a little rep' on a label before they start re-issuing back-catalogue, get that hype going so new listeners might have more interest in an extended discography. I mean, what if this new act doesn't connect with the audience? Not that Aythar was in any danger of that, nosiree. It's just a curious road he's taken in getting to this point.

That all said, Norris had a bevy of material to gather from in forming Dream Of Stars. Four of Aythar's self-released albums are presented in this compilation: Cosmic Resonance (2010), A Few Light Years Away, Universe (both 2011), and The Flower Of Space (2015). Nine tracks may not seem a lot in offering an introduction-retrospective, but it does provide a tasty summation of the Aythar stylee up to that point. A Few Light Years Away gets the largest showcase, four tracks making their way in, including the titular tune of both that and this release. There is a distinct similarity between all four, with spacey pads flowing about, though Light Years works in an additional melodic lead, while Dream Of Stars gets more New Agey in its early portions before settling into chipper arps for its finish.

Something Depth and The Flower Of Space (both from the same album) also edge closer to New Age's domain, while two offerings from Universe get that Berlin-School vibe going for them. And as for Cosmic Resonance Pt. 4, well, it's no wonder Fax+ followers have taken a major notice of Aythar's music now.

Profondita - Dracarys

Altar Records: 2017

I keep thinking this act's name is Dracarys, with the album titled Profondita. Obviously that's not the case – I wouldn't be reviewing it in a block of 'D' releases if so – but Lord Discogs lists no artist with that handle, and it's a more eye-popping alias than Profondita. You could dress as kick-ass wyrms on stage, maybe get a little fire show going (safety first, always!), have albums themed around storming castles and dungeon raids. It's not unprecedented in this scene, an adored full-on psy album from over ten years ago being The Misted Muppet's From The Legend, and that one's got a whole bunch o' dragons in its cover art (shamelessly pilfered from authentic D&D sources, I suspect).

But nay, it's a Profondita we're dealing with, another obvious indicator of such being Dracarys is their second album with Altar Records. The first, Ciel, in fact came out just last year, which I totally missed since it was lodged among a pile of items that didn't catch my attention then (too wrapped up in dark ambient, I guess). I think I'll have to rectify that oversight, because if this album is any indication, then Altar Records have themselves another premiere talent in the prog-psy side of business. I mean, they did earn an Ace Track status on that Winter compilation, rubbing shoulders with AstroPilot and Asura. What more convincing must I provide? Ah, an actual review of Dracarys. Yeah, I can do that too.

The main criticism I can levy against this album is that it's rather singular in execution. Eight tracks, roughly eight to ten minutes long, all prog-psy. No room for a downtempo cut or a leftfield breaks option; even the tempo is relatively consistent throughout, though does get peppier towards album's end. Mind you, these gripes can apply to the whole genre of prog-psy, so if you've not a care about this style of music, Profondita aren't gonna' change your mind. Hell, if AstroPilot can't convince you, I don't know what will.

That settled, front to back Dracarys is some of the tastiest prog-psy I've heard in a while! Altar Records has maintained a steady level of quality for much of its run, but it's rare that an album hooks me as solidly as this one did, and holds my attention until the end. It's not even a case of Profondita doing anything significantly different from the Altar norm – they just do it with such astounding skill. Their rhythms have plenty of drive while remaining that steady rudder the best prog always offers. The trancey leads tickle your lobes while sending your consciousness floating out in the cosmos (or high in the canopy if you're at a bush party). There's no excessive samples or over-indulgent effects wank. Just solid track after solid track after solid track.

I've played prog albums that struggle getting even one memorable tune in, and here's Profondita dropping eight of 'em! Absolutely that's bang for your buck, my friends.

Derek Carr - Distant Systems

Firescope: 2017

When I heard there was a new album from Distant System, I couldn't believe it. I've been keeping tabs on Tyler Smith's wonderful, neglected project for ages now, and to have it suddenly pop up out of nowhere? That can't be right! But the cover art sure looks like something the psy side of music would put out. What's going on with- oh, it's an album titled Distant Systems, from Irish techno producer Derek Carr (not to be confused with NFL quarterback Derek Carr). Well, that's almost as spiffy – I liked Mr. Carr's The Digital Space Race, and was interested in developments his career would take since Psychonavigation Records imploded. Still, unintentional as it was, it's a bit of a tease calling his new EP Distant Systems from where I'm sitting. The struggle is real...

Anyhow, Derek Carr has found himself a new home with an intriguing little print called Firescope, who's parent label is B12 Records. Yes, that B12, they of early UK techno legend with Warp Records. I can't say I've gotten into the duo to the same degree as their peers like The Black Dog and Aphex Twin, for no better reason than none of my compilation purchases ever led me to their music. Yes, it's that stupid a reason, but they've remained active, dusting off their own self-titled print a decade ago to release a bunch of back-catalogue for the digital era. For some reason, B12 set up a whole new label in Firescope to release their newer material (just this past year!), and have started inviting like-minded producers into their fold. We'll see how things pan out in time, but if they keep bringing in talent like Derek Carr, it'll be far indeed.

If you missed that Digital Space Race review, or somehow overlooked the super sci-fi cover art, Mr. Carr does a Detroit techno thing with an ear to the great above and beyond. Distant Systems maintains that tone, a tidy four-tracker that goes down easy-peasy as a space-based pie (popular diner option near Jupiter 2). Artifice 2 has a simple electro rhythm going for it, with little bloopy pings, haunting pads, and rich sweeping synths in the lead. Terrahawk gets a tad funkier in its electro, coupling with gentle trance pads and bleepy-acid leads. 3 3 8 9 reuses the same pads (kinda' reminds me of the ones used by A Positive Life), but opts for the techno groove instead – essentially a 'deep' version of Terrahawk. If you need an even deeper cut though, East Is East has you covered, a simple slice of chill Detroit goodness, good for the afterhours.

Of course, Derek's ear for techno bleeds retro, so if you don't have much use for tunes that sound plucked from the glory years of Artificial Intelligence, Distant Systems may not be your bag. Can't imagine many such folk existing though - maybe those religiously weaned on the minimal monotony of the '00s, and nothing else.

The Prodigy - The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One

XL Recordings: 1999

DJ mixes were proving rather bankable at the end of the '90s, some shifting equal numbers of units as LPs from established artists. Well shit, son, a few of those established artists were DJs before they made it big with their original productions. Wouldn't hurt to put out a mix or two while between albums, keep the brand out there, maybe drop a little music knowledge on unsuspecting crossover fans in the process. Actually, I don't think that worked. While working at a music shop when such mixes came out, every time a curious costumer only familiar with the radio hits would sample one, they couldn't figure out why there were so many songs all mashed together - they didn't even sound like the radio hits in the first place. (every. time.)

For those more boned up on rave culture, DJ culture, and trainspotting culture though, such mixes were fun items to indulge in. A chance to revisit history, hear the origins of famous samples, discover the influences of a current crop of stars, and be reminded that big acts like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy had more in their arsenal than a knack for a catchy hook and a beefy beat.

The Dirtchamber Sessions was Liam Howlett's stab at a commercial DJ mix, and is as much a study in everything that created his unique brand of brash, bold dance music. Having come up through the sample-heavy era of DJing, laying out a dozen tunes in a computer-perfect sequence just wouldn't do for him either. There are forty-nine tracks listed in the credits, some barely twenty second snippets, all ranging from classic rave, vintage rap, bratty punk, and Madchester rock. Plus a Barry White tune lodged between Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, because why not?

There's also Bomb The Bass, Jane's Addiction, Frankie Bones, Sex Pistols, Meat Beat Manifesto, Herbie Hancock, James Brown, Ultramagnetic MCs (gotta' get in those Kool Keith verses), Digital Underground, Primal Scream, Renegade Soundwave, LL Cool J, T La Rock, KRS One, and loads more I'm not familiar with. Plus don't forget newer cats like Fatboy Slim, Propellerheads, and London Funk Allstars. The one that threw me for a loop though, was The KLF's What Time Is Love? - at that point I only knew them for their anthem house hits off The White Room. Of course the anti-establishment manifesto of Cauty and Drummond would be something Howlett would relate to, but all I thought was, “wow, never thought I'd hear such a commercial tune in a mix like this.”

As the above attests to, the tracklist is hectic and eclectic, with tons of mash-ups and quick mixes keeping the pace going. The Dirtchamber Sessions is also surprisingly short, not even forty-three minutes long. No sense blowing one's load in a Volume 1 I guess, but we never got a Volume 2. Might be interesting to hear a 'post-Millennium' follow-up, though I can't imagine it containing as dope of tracks as found here.

Canned Resistor - Cyberdrive BTA-MX85

Werkstatt Recordings: 2016

You'd think having a hardcopy release backed by an established label would generate background info I can dig through, but I'm getting a total blank on this Canned Resistor chap, not even a name. Cyberdrive BTA-MX85 is his lone entry within Lord Discogs' archives, the Bandcamp page offers nothing in PR blurbs, and Last.fm comes up empty. There is a Facebook page that looks to have been set up in promotion for this album, but no biographical content. Well, except a relatively recent disgruntled post regarding dissatisfaction with his association with Werkstatt Recordings, and their lack of promotion behind Cyberdrive BTA-MX85.

Hey, not everyone can be Blood Music, rolling out the multi-vinyl options and whatnot. I imagine it's tough getting noticed in this synthwave scene though, entry level easy but craftsmanship and skill drowning in the swamp of amateur releases. Looks like even getting label backing sometimes isn't enough. Heck, I only discovered Cyberdrive BTA-MX85 because I was browsing through Werkstatt's Bandcamp, clicking on whatever cover art caught my eye. The fact Canned Resistor had enough of an ear-hooking sound for a purchase actually leaves me a bit gutted that his label problems won't see a follow-up anytime soon (if at all).

So this is a synthwave album, and really, it doesn't do much different from what I look for in such items. It's got the pulse-pounding 'outrun' tunes for your openers (Los Angeles 20XX, Neon Justice), a couple charming synth-pop ditties after that (Paradise, Dreamworld), the odd-ball tune that stands in stark contrast to its surroundings (Virtual Reality), another hype tune for a climax (Neon Vengeance), and the slower, downtempo cut as a closer (A New Dawn). But wait, don't forget that extra bonus hidden stinger uptempo cut at the end of A New Dawn! Almost feels like a teaser to a sequel that we may not get anymore. Oh yeah, Cyberdrive BTA-MX85 has a slight narrative going on – the usual post-cyberpunk thing – though isn't all that overt about it. Just something fun to hang the music off if that's your jam.

I can't say Canned Resistor's approach to synthwave will knock your Adidas off either, a little rougher and unpolished compared to the top-dogs of this scene. His melodies are catchy though, enough such that folks passing my listening sphere can't help but take notice (earned a couple “what's this?” inquiries at work). Virtual Reality has a seriously awesome vocal hook that EBM sorts could enjoy, and that's so weird, considering the previous Dreamworld is such a bouncy, light, heart-warming tune. Such diversity in songcraft shows Canned Resistor has a major leg up on most synthwave acts.

Really, the only significant fault I can levy on Cyberdrive BTA-MX85 is it's only seven tracks long (eight if you include the secret song). It comes off as a delicious appetizer, leaving me craving a full-course meal. That's more a regret than a criticism though, especially if this is all we're gonna' get from Canned Resistor.

The Orb - COW / Chill Out, World!

Kompakt: 2016

Can we retire the talking point that every new album from The Orb is their best since [last best '90s album]? Like, obviously it is so, the group on a pretty good run of music making this past decade. We get that it looked as though they were done following [last worst '00s album], that they had nothing left to say or innovation to contribute. Seems though, that with every new LP they come out with, it's the same ol' praises of 'return to form'. How can they keep returning to form when they've been doing it for so long now?

This has been going on since, what, Metallic Spheres with David Gilmour? I'd say even The Dream was pretty good, thanks in large part to Youth's contributions, but I can understand why others wouldn't enjoy it as much as more recent efforts like Moonbuilding and The Orbserver In The Stars. What I'm getting at is we should be talking about The Orb's music as it relates to this current era, and not so much back-tracking to the early stuff. The classics will always be there, but they've enough modern material to judge it within their current phase/renaissance alone, so let's go forward with that, alright? Alright. That all said, COW / Chill Out, World! is probably The Orb's best collection of ambient dub since [last best '90s album].

Sorry, couldn't resist. It can't be helped though, what with the album title almost a direct callback to the O.G. chill out album, Chill Out from The KLF. There's even a cheeky nod to The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu, with the final track titled The 10 Sultans Of Rudyard (Moo-Moo Mix). One could even argue this is a long, long, long awaited follow-up to Chill Out, in that COW indulges in that LP-length musical journey of samples, sounds, feelings and vibes. It's less about songs and dancefloor tools, and more about the blissful trip through pastoral scenery and fuzzy imagery.

Actually, what this album really sounds like is another record where Martin Glover is the driving force behind its musical direction. There's ample amounts of trippy dub production throughout, enveloping walls of reverb drone wrapping you in a warm blanket of sound, with no scratchy sample of ancient jazz, twangy guitar, or jungle fauna too divergent a path to take. Not that piano playing in Wireless MK2 and 9 Elms Over River Eno though, that's straight from the fingers of Roger Eno. I don't know what I find more astonishing: the fact that an Eno is playing with The Orb, or that it's taken this long for it to happen. Brian and Roger have appeared on plenty of compilations with The Orb, but is this really the first time either one has collaborated with Alex Paterson? The mind boggles.

COW / Chill Out, World! should definitively put to rest that The Orb are still as good as they've ever been. New narratives now, music journals!

Biosphere - Cirque

Touch/Biophon Records: 2000/2016

I never thought I'd own a copy of this album. Hear it as some point, sure, as most things old and adored eventually find their way onto streaming services. I might have even bought a digital version - that pile of hay growing on my back can only stack so high. But lo', I stumbled upon an online shop that had actual physical copies of Cirque available, after which I remembered that Microgravity had seen a recent CD re-issue. It didn't occur to me that Geir Jenssen would do the same for his out-of-print material from Touch, but thank lawdy he did, Cirque finally within my grubby hands. Now, about those Namlook and HIA collaborations...

I get ahead of myself. Cirque came out in the year 2000, the fourth official body of work Mr. Jenssen solely released under the Biosphere banner. Not if you include his score for the movie Insomnia, that is. No, not the Christopher Nolan flick with Pacino and Robin Williams; the original Norwegian version from which it was inspired from. Yeah, I can dig the Biosphere stylee fitting with a murder thriller set in the endless day of northern summer. Prior to that, he'd released a little instant-classic by the name of Substrata, to say nothing of his seminal ambient techno work earlier. Tough acts to follow, but considering Cirque is held in the same lofty alpine palaces as its predecessors, there must be something to it.

As with Substrata, the gradual move from pulp sci-fi towards earthly tones is evident in Cirque. You still get that icy, isolationist vibe though, like out in the remote reaches of wintery European realms, though Alaskan can do in a pinch (Cirque has a dedication note to Christopher McCandless, a backpacker that tried to traverse the Alaskan frontier – it didn't go well). Thus we get titles like Nook & Cranny, Miniature Rock Dwellers, Black Lamb & Grey Falcon, Algae & Fungi, and Too Fragile To Walk On. Because if you're inspecting the fauna of Biosphere's homestead, you're likely not to find much else more riveting than lichen.

And like Substratra, that sense of remoteness is accentuated by the minimalist approach Geir applies his craft here. For sure the music sounds full and immersive, but so often impossibly distant too. Nook & Cranny lazily lopes along with a dubbed-out rhythm as gentle strums echo towards the horizon. Le Grand Dôme gets a little groovier and bassy in its beats, but is no less obscured by its dub treatments. Iberia Eterea works in some jazz shuffle with its cold, precise melodies. Even the brisk d'n'b rhythms of Algae & Fungi are strangely obscured by their distant tone, despite their reverb enveloping you as though you're hearing it inside an ice cavern.

Throw in some tasty 'traditional' Biosphere tunes as a bonus with the 2CD re-issue, and you've another mesmerizing piece of work in Geir's discography. Makes holding out for a physical copy that much sweeter for your truly.

The Oak Ridge Boys - Celebrate Christmas

Gaither Music Group: 2016

Greetings, Past-Peoples, 2073 Sykonee once again here. Ah, Christmas, I remember it well. The lights, the snow, the merriment, the togetherness. All that, now gone, gone, gone. Lost in a horrible post-apocalyptic Hellscape.

Haha, no, I'm kidding. Of course Christmas still exists in my time. The yearly celebration has endured in some form for hundreds of years, whether as paganistic rituals in honour of the winter solstice, religious rituals in honour of Jesus Christ's birth, or capitalist rituals in honour of defeating Communism. You don't wipe out that much Northern tradition just like that, no matter how much some over-reaching powers may try.

The Atomic Brotherhood understands this, and accepts that we'll find ways to celebrate Christmas in our own, unique ways. Sure, the longer winters have made the pagan history of the holiday redundant, we don't have much need of Christ worship here (that's more a Murican thing anyway), and the wanton need to consume things and stuff in service of a financial war doesn't apply to our way of life. Much of what we need is supplied by the Atomic Brotherhood, and since we don't need a whole lot, Christmas is all about togetherness, bringing everyone underneath a merry dwelling to celebrate that which we most cherish among each other, all under the glowing light of a nuclear powered pine tree. Yes, we still have pine trees. They're sturdy plants, y'know.

Which makes these Christmas albums from The Oak Ridge Boys a weird item to cover for yours truly. Heck, you probably think its weird that we'd all enjoy the country-gospel group at all, but their charming harmonies appeal to more of us than you'd believe. Not to mention relating to their ever-lasting durability as a group. Some theorize The Oak Ridge Boys have lasted so long thanks to the same radioactive alteration that gave us our extended lives. I can believe it.

But regarding their Christmas material – and there's a lot of it - we're ambivalent about it. We understand this stuff likely had more importance to their original fans back in your times, but we listen to it with historical perspective, as a reflection of a culture now lost. All these celebratory odes to the birth of Christ (Away In A Manger, Joy To The World, Come To The Manger, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Rest In You Tonight) had their place, I'm sure. However, when you play them in front of the Red Belters, a strange, maniacal frenzy seems to overtake them. Puts Cascadians at unease, you see, so it's only selective broadcasts, thank you.

So it's to the secular songs that we turn to more often. I'll Be Home For Christmas, Blue Christmas, Santa Claus Is Real, There's Nothing Between Us (But Love Anymore)... even Jingle Bells, I guess. Yeah, that ridiculous song's survived this long, somehow. The Oak Ridge Boys do all these classics justice in their indomitable, harmonious way. Still no Boney M, though.

Olan Mill - Cavade Morlem

Dronarivm: 2015

Olan Mill makes ambient music with a modern classical mindset. Or modern classical music with an ambient approach. Or drone music with a whole 'lotta strings. Or calm music that has nothing to do with Viking breakcore. I somehow feel that such a description still isn't specific enough, but there's only so many ways one can describe ambient music. It doesn't even have nifty unique 'narratives' I can wax poetic over like its darker cousin. Nay, this is ambient music in its purist form, in that it's relatively formless, abstract art best served as background texture, though accompanying a lovely video of natural settings or garden fauna doesn't hurt either.

As always then, it's up to the info surrounding Olan Mill to fill out my self-imposed word count quota. This is in fact a project headed up by Alex Smalley, who's been releasing music under this guise since way back in 2010 (holy cow, it's been seven years!). He also has another project with one Simon Bainton as Pausal, and while that one's also been releasing music since 2010, it isn't with as much frequency. Still, between the two, Mr. Smalley has accumulated around eighteen albums under his belt, across such labels as Serein, Preservation, hibernate, Barge Recordings, Students Of Decay, plus a DJ mix for Headphone Commute. Oh, a couple items on Dronarivm too.

Of what I can gather from sporadic samples, Olan Mill trends towards the more modern classically minded vein of Mr. Smalley's muse, whereas his Pausal material goes more ambient. Not that your typical layman will notice much difference between either project, but with my highly attuned music critic ears, I can indeed tell there's distinct instrumentation in Olan Mill, whereas Pausal tends to layer the timbre thick in pad and string drone.

Which makes Cavade Morlem a conundrum within ol' Alex' discography, in that it comes off more of a Pausal album than an Olan Mill one, at least with the limited examples of each project I've taken in. The music here started out as pieces performed live in concerts involving violins, guitars, plus samples of organs and voices, which fits the Olan Mill mould. Smalley then reworked those into comparatively serene compositions, where the inevitable Brian Eno namedrop is unavoidable. Heck, Byruck wouldn't sound out of place as a companion to An Ending (Ascent). Also, Gurriva reminds me of the outro portion of First Twilight from Deep Forest. Talk about your obscure callbacks.

While the actual arrangements don't differ much from track to track - flowing stretches of layered synths, strings, and sounds - they do offer differing textures dependant on which leads. Chort features prominent ethereal vocals, Novnal has angelic pads, Feina features shimmering strings, Lighul has an ominous tone, and Live At The Millenium Barn has a surprisingly heavy bottom end on its synths, like the power of a hefty church organ. It's all a rather vintage, classical take on ambient music, which only makes sense given the musician involved.