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Heart of the Tundra by Deep Chill Network

Stephen Philips released Heart of the Tundra as Deep Chill Network.  This cold and harsh minimalist drone is his interpretation of the other deserts - those above the Arctic Circle.  This deals with the starkness and the isolation of the tundra.  This CD is darker than dark and deeper than deep.  Stephen's manipulations set the tone.  His dark drone creates a howling wind and his manipulated electronics supplant the need for samples. Beyond the isolation, deep listeners will feel the cold air and the sting of the wind.  Icicles will form on the speakers, breath will be visible and frostbite is a real danger. This is the perfect CD for a mid-summer CHILL.  It is, to quote Stephen, "Chill at its finest!" Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Dreams 2 by Deep Chill Network

Dreams 2, by Deep Chill Network, nee Stephen Philips, "is intended for relaxation (or) sleep and maximized for chill effect."  Indeed, all of Stephen's projects under this pseudonym are maximum chill. That is not the same as chill out as referenced in dance clubs.  The depth of this chill would render those dancers stepless.  Dancing - of any kind - would be difficult - nay, impossible - after listening to and absorbing this music. It is that deep!  Stephen's drones surround his atmospheres and his atmospheres surround his drones.  The walls of music evolve slowly; they build upon one another; they collapse under their own weight.  The effect is, well, dreamy. This CD would have been the perfect follow-up to No Pussyfooting and Evening Star, the classic LP's by Fripp & Eno.  it is that good and that essential. Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Dreams 4 by Deep Chill Network

Dreams 4 is more blatant ethereal minimalism from Deep Chill Network (Stephen Philips).  It is somewhat unusual - for Stephen - in that it has seven tracks varying in length from 3'31" to 21'09".  Stephen's primary m.o. has been long-form composition.  This is a gorgeous CD!  It is minimalism with a twist.  Stephen juxtaposes dark drones and gray atmospheres with pastoral samples and chorale symphonic synthesizers.  The effect is, well, that of a deep chill.  Deep listeners will get goose bumps as the emotional response wavers to and fro. It is difficult to peg such responses.  They are usual too personal and too deep.  But they are always strong! Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Cycles 4 by Stephen Philips

Cycles 4 is an expansive long-form composition from Stephen Philips, the drone king of the Western Hemisphere.  He augments that drone with drifting atmospheres and experimental computer sounds.  This is a wild CD.  It is not frantic, it is just wild.  The notes are just there with no obvious connections.  It is a confusing soundscape. And that is a good thing.  This is not dissonance.  It is organized confusion with a purpose. Deep listening is both difficult and rewarding.  Listeners getting past the confusion experience the warmth and comfort of the other side.  This is another essential CD from Stephen. Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Tonwelle by Richard Wahnfried Klaus Schulze's website

Richard Wahnfried is the project name under which Klaus Schulze records and releases music with virtuoso guest performers.  Tonwelle features Michael Shrieve (of Santana fame) on percussion, Karl Wahnfried (sic) on guitars, Manuel Gottsching (of Ashra) on guitars, Klaus on keyboards and programming and Michael Garvens on vocals.  The disc also has two bonus tracks from Megatone, a Wahnfried LP that has never been available on CD.  additional guest musicians on those tracks are harald Katzsch on guitar, Axel Glenn Muller on sax and Uli Schober on drums. As listeners would expect, there is a strong rock and roll emphasis on this disc.  Michael's percussion is absolutely frenetic.  Klaus's electronics are dreamy and expansive.  Manuel's and Karl's guitars smoke.  Harald's guitar rocks hard. This kind of e-music is good for a change of pace.  The roots of Berlin school sequencing are firmly in rock music.  the Wahnfried projects acknowledge those roots.  This CD is a primary piece of that acknowledgement. Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Trancelation by Richard Wahnfried Klaus Schulze's website

On most Richard Wahnfried projects well-known musicians perform as guests.  On Trancelation, Klaus Schulze invited some relatively unknown musicians.  Marian Gold (vocals), Michael Bolter (guitar), Mark Figge (sax), Hanz Marathon  (guitar), U. W. Uberschall  (guitar) and Georg Stettner  (modulations and electronics) perform with Klaus on this album. And it is a fairly frenetic set.  Klaus's signature Berlin school sequences surround a frantic rhythm track.  While many of the Wahnfried projects have rock and roll overtones, this project is steeped in avant- and funk.  There are some very weird samples and some cosmic computer noises.  The funky rhythm drives the project.  The project drives the rhythm. That's how it is with all Klaus projects.  The individual pieces make up the whole.  And each piece relies on the other pieces for its own completeness.  If any piece is removed, the project suffers.  The whole is greater than the sum of it s parts! Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Totentag: Oper In 7 Bildern by Klaus Schulze Klaus Schulze's website

Klaus Schulze has been deeply influenced by Richard Wagner and his music.  So it is natural that he would compose, produce and perform (except the vocals) the world's first (and, so far, only) electronic opera. Totentag: Oper in 7 Bildern (roughly Death Day: An Opera in 7 Scenes) is a monumental achievement.  Klaus, in keeping with a tradition started by Mozart, composed the opera in his native German.  He recruited five virtuoso vocalists to play/sing the roles.  The opera, again in the truest German tradition, is tragic.  It tells the story of a young man and his drug induced hallucinations and visions.  The primary setting is a hospital.  The drug addict is the only character with a name.  (And, perhaps with a sense of irony, Klaus sampled some voices from The Wall by Pink Floyd.) The dark soundscape is dense and dramatic.  Klaus sets the tone with his expressive performance.  The vocals are superb.  All in all, this double CD is flawless. It is also absolutely that such an event is from the electronician's electronician.  Klaus is one of the pioneers of electronic music and is still one of its top artists after 30 plus years!  This is a great CD from a great man! Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Opera Sauvage by Vangelis

Opera Sauvage is a classic release from Vangelis.  After 22 years it still holds up as essential. The disc has symphonic and operatic structure and it precedes Vangelis' use of orchestras in his productions.  But this album does not cross the line.  In his inimitable fashion, Vangelis created a new age/e-music hybrid, perhaps the original. The atmospheres are dense and pastoral.  The sequences are dense and bold.  The melodies are calm and pleasant.  Those are the expected and desired qualities of a Vangelis CD.  This classic meets those and more! Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Blade Runner: The Soundtrack by Vangelis

Blade Runner is the Vangelis soundtrack for the film of the same name.  The film is a sci-fi adventure.  The soundtrack is also a sci-fi adventure. Film music seems to attract electronicians.  Four of the major players in the e-music community - Michael Stearns, Kevin Keller, Tangerine Dream and Vangelis -  have done extensive work in that genre.  Kevin and Michael work on more obscure films.  TD and Vangelis have scored some major motion pictures.  This is one of the major films. And it is a very cool musical statement.  Vangelis uses voice samples from the film to augment and emphasize his dense sequences, spatial atmospheres and dramatic sound design.  Entering a Vangelis soundworld is always an adventure.  It is more fun when the soundworld is an overt adventure. The structure of a soundtrack is, by default, symphonic.  That makes sense.  Literature tells stories with words.  Paintings tell stories with pictures.  Symphonies tell stories with musical pictures.  Motion pictures use all three media.  The soundtrack is an integral part of the scheme.  An expert soundtrack composer can make the difference between a bad film and a good film or between a good film and a great film. This is not a great film.  It is a great soundtrack.  Vangelis used many influences from classical to jazz to pop to paint the soundscape and evoke the imagery. All that being said, Vangelis' soundtracks, like TD's, are interesting.  They are essential only to die hard fans and completists. Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Trust by Patrick O'Hearn Patrick O'Hearn's website

Trust is one of those albums that has to grow on a listener.  On the first - and even second - listening, it can be very difficult to grasp.  Patrick O'Hearn has many CD's of that nature. And the coolest aspect of that quality is that most CD's of that ilk become favorites after the listener grows accustomed to them.  Trust falls into that category. Patrick has always been a versatile artist.  On this set, he stays within the realm of atmospheric minimalism and he does it well.  The atmospheres are deep and wide.  They are loaded with ambivalence.  Patrick is going both ways here.  This set is neither dark nor light.  It has elements of both and they cancel each other out. That brand of minimalism suits Patrick to a T.  This is one of his finest albums. Reviewed by Jim Brenholts

Conquistadors by Vampire Nation Vampire Nation's website

Fredrik von Hamilton records some fairly innovative e-music under the pseudonym Vampire Nation.  Conquistadors is his third CD and - by far - the most original.  There are strange samples, overt rhythms, deep sequences and eerie atmospheres.  The first two CD's had all that too.  This CD has some cool extras. Fredrik cuts loose with some in-your-face smokin' rock and roll guitar riffs.  He juxtaposes those riffs with light organ passages, almost like a merry-go-round or ice skating rink. The whole package is absolutely scintillating!  Cosmos has been getting lots of airplay and was on November's NAV charts.  Fredrik just keeps on keepin' on! Reviewed by Jim Brenholts