The Sonic Music Review

Tangerine Dream: Tyger

2011-10-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some 25 years prior to the band's initiation of the Eastgate Sonic Poem series with 'The Island Of The Fay,' reviewed here, came the release of 'Tyger,' an album typical of their 80's output in style but featuring a brief foray into vocal melodies, courtesy of singer Jocelyn Bernadette Smith. This release takes as its inspiration selected William Blake poetry, specifically "The Tyger", "Smile", "America", "The Fly", and "London".

Tangerine Dream: Tyger

The album begins with 'Tyger,' perhaps some of the most accomplished writing in the album, drawing upon 80's production and musical aesthetics within the context of their own style which many fans will enjoy. In contrast to their more recent releases, this album focusses (as much of their 80's output does) on ethnic timbres and the creation of hybrid timbres which gave their releases at this time great sonic complexity ahead of many other artists in the field. This word music influence is of course unsurprising given the band's definition of an early New Age musical style.

Moving on to 'Alchemy Of The Heart,' the first instrumental track of the album, the writers combine various sequencer lines with sampled harpsichord writing and drum machine lines. Given the virtue of hindsight, it is very interesting to hear the elements which now underpin the band's music in an early form. In the track's mid section, the band utilise moving baselines aside long running sequences to create highly interesting patterns which sound equally at home in the context of their contemporary music (referring to the inclusion of 'Alchemy Of The Heart' in the set list for Tangerine Dream's recent Zeitgeist tour).

'Smile' sees a return to song writing, beginning with various sequences before Jocelyn Bernadette Smith enters powerfully. Particularly strong is the harmonic progressions in this piece. The usage of song format for the band suits their style in this regard as it accommodates the long repeated harmonic structures well. From a musicological point of view, the changes of metre in this track and the song's structure prove particularly interesting. For the listener, these smaller details may not be audible yet they add a great deal of interest to the music.

The 1987 release reviewed here ends with '21st Common Man,' a two part composition which exemplifies some of the most intriguing tambral aspects of the album. Listeners of the 1992 release will find an additional track 'Vigour' concludes the album. 21st Common Man provides an appropriate end to the album in a New Age style of writing embellished with instrumental solos which typified earlier writing. Overall, this album proves a highlight of the band's accomplished catalogue of works.

Erasure: Always

2011-10-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

As the first single from the Band's 'I Say I Say I Say' album, the pop duo Erasure released 'Always' in 1994. Unsurprisingly, the song quickly added to the act's other top-10 achievements written in their distinctive synthpop style which since their 1985 debut has seen notable aesthetic refinements.

Erasure: Always

The song begins with a melancholy combination of background vocals, guitar an various synthetic elements, shortly giving way to a more positive feel as the instrumentation develops to synthetic chords, sequenced bassline, vocals and percussive elements. This limited set of instrumentation later expands in the second verse in order to create a varied arrangement to the piece. While on the topic of musical structure, the duo's use of a short section preceding the chorus further adds to an interesting form, this itself being a device common to the synthpop aesthetic which informs the duo's creative practice.

The song is largely concerned with notions of love and harmony:

Always

I wanna be with you

And make believe with you

And live in Harmony ...

This however is possibly considered to be an antiquated concept given the musical writing which subverts any optimism seen in the lyrical content.

The song comes at a prolific point in the artists' careers built on earlier successes. This previous experience is clearly shown in the song, exhibited by clever harmonic writing and commendable attention to instrumentation. One of the song's successes lies within the clever use of layers and variety therein. The music also benefits from strong production, the clarity of mix contributing to the song's overall charm. Certainly a strong release for the duo.

Imogen Heap: Propeller Seeds

2011-10-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

To date, the English artist Imogen Heap has released just three albums in a career spanning 14 years but with every release featuring a distinctive take on the Singer Songwriter style of composition which utilises at points highly advanced application of electronics. In 'Propeller Seeds,' the first single form her highly anticipated sequel to 2009's 'Ellipse' album, the entire track has been written and mixed binaurally in collaboration with Nick Ryan, an audio specialist, to create an immersive 3D soundscape, placing the listener in the shoes of the performer.

Imogen Heap - Propeller Seeds from Imogen Heap on Vimeo.

Listeners are advised that the 3D effect can only be perceived when listening on headphones.

As is typical for Heap, the instrumentation is purposefully limited to a small number of instruments to let the singer's voice shine through. The piece begins with sampled tuned metallic strikes before Heap enters alongside a number of background voices which create the impression of an audience providing a commentary of the music as it slowly unfolds. As the piece develops, instrumentation thickens to include various percussive elements and a bass line, mixed to create a pleasing character to the music.

As with much of Heap's work, the music takes on a complicated structure rather than the typical verse-chorus structure used by many of her counterparts. The artist does however choose to add extra emphasis to the lines

"What’s happening here?

I’m growing roots through my toes

And leaves from my fingertips"

as they are the only lines to be repeated in the music, giving it otherwise a free-verse impression. While this could be considered to be a naive subversion of commonplace musical form, it is a technique central to the artist's aesthetic and is accomplished in a truly laudable way. Through the complicated musical structure, Heap creates a very interesting narrative arc which draws the listener in and sustains their interest until the piece's ultimate conclusion.

With the release of this single, fans are undoubtedly highly excited for the next Imogen Heap album and based on the quality of this single, rightly so.

Christopher Franke: The London Concert

2011-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Many of The Sonic Music Review's readers will no doubt be familiar with the German band Tangerine Dream whom have been featured a number of times on the site. Lesser known to some is Christopher Franke, an electronica composer and long time member of Tangerine Dream, having joined in 1971 and remaining a member until 1988. After leaving the group, Christopher Franke soon returned to electronic music production, subsequently releasing a number of albums under his own name in the New Age musical style that he previously pioneered as a member of Tangerine Dream.

Christopher Franke: The London Concert

'The London Concert' is Franke's 1993 release of a collection of live material recorded during a concert at The Royal Apollo Theatre, London in 1991. The album opens with a group of five tracks, referred to as parts 1 - 5. The first part, 'Empire Of Light' illustrates Franke's awareness and skill at ambient composition, unsurprising given the strong relationship with his own new age aesthetic and ambient musics. This brooding introduction combines various processed samples with synthetic dissonances to create a highly cinematic atmosphere, a quality seen in much of his work. Moving to part 2: 'Purple Waves,' the listener is afforded a more conventional electronic musicality in the work which later develops to include extended sequenced passages.

One of the most instantly recognisable tracks from Tangerine Dream's 1979 release Force Majeure, 'Cloudburst Flight,' for which Franke also features on the credits, is covered in part 3 of this release. Most interesting is the way in which the artist recontextualises the piece into a notably meeker recording than the original work, focussing on several of the lesser elements in the 1979 version and redefining the instrumentation into a more clearly New Age inspired sonic palette.

The concluding three tracks which forgo the previous convention of being entitled 'parts' embellish the artist's New Age aesthetic with additional creative influences. Considering 'Mountain Heights,' the use of an electric guitar alongside synthetic instrumentation suggests a progressive rock methodology. The final track, 'Private Diaries' ends the release on a high with a soaring pan flute melody atop various sequences and well considered backing timbres. Overall, this release is a very welcome live album and many fans of Tangerine Dream will certainly enjoy.

Kimberly Glover: Rachel Corrie

2011-09-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Sonic Music Review has on many occasions featured a variety of works by less established artists alongside their better known counterparts and contemporaries. For Kimberly Glover, a musician and composer with a wide ranging portfolio of material, political motivation drives much of her creative practice, as in the case of 'Rachel Corrie' featured here.

Rachel Corrie by Kim Glover

The track principally draws upon the aesthetics of sound poetry and traditional string writing, the instrumentation largely consisting of a synthesised string quartet and spoken word, later developing to include a notable trip-hop influenced breakbeat section. The spoken word element is derived from 'My Name Is Rachael Corrie,' a theatrical work which contains primarily excerpts of Corrie's own personal diary. For those unfamiliar with the subject, Rachel Corrie was an American member of the International Solidarity Movement who tragically died while attempting to prevent the demolition of a local Palestinian's home.

The string writing in this piece follows a musical structure known as Sonata Form, an interesting decision which by virtue of a variety of thematic material evokes a wide range of emotions, several areas of the work proving particularly effective due to a discontinuity between the sobering nature of the spoken word and overly optimistic musical writing. As the piece develops, the vocal elements are subjected to electronic processing in a manner comparable to early AustraLYSIS works, such as 'Nuraghic Echoes' which is reviewed here.

The concluding section of the work introduces heavy percussion elements and background samples, while the vocal elements are purposefully removed from the mix, giving the final words which note Corrie's death greater prominence as the work ends. This section is overt in aesthetic references to trip-hop acts such as Massive Attack and adds great interest through such a contrasting style of writing compared to the work's beginnings. While the track's production could be refined further, the work shows both great promise and skill from this highly unique composer. The Sonic Music Review would like to take the chance to wish Kimberly Glover every success in the future.

If you are an independent artist and wish to submit your own original electronic musical works to The Sonic Music Review, please get in contact, we'd love to hear from you.

The Sonic Music Review Playlist: Week 4

2011-09-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist compiled by The Sonic Music Review looks back on some of the earliest work featured on the site. This playlist combines the highlights of the progressive rock and synth pop music covered, featuring a selection of works from acts including Camel, Neu! and Ellie Goulding.

Tracklisting:

1. Camel - Dunkirk from The Snow Goose

2. NEU! - Negativland from NEU!

3. Kraftwerk - Autobahn from Autobahn

4. The Prodigy - Omen Reprise from The Most Incredible Thing

5. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix) from Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix)

6. La Roux - Tigerlily from La Roux

7. Ellie Goulding - The Writer from Ellie Goulding

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

Dodgy Lettuce: Scrambled Megs (I Can Feel It), Citizen (Spy)

2011-09-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

An overarching aim of The Sonic Music Review has been to provide independent artists with critical publicity and feedback for their works, championing independent electronic works alongside established artists, many of whom greatly influenced the diverse variety of genres seen today. We are today proud to introduce an Irish electronic artist, Dodgy Lettuce, featuring two compositions available from the artist's Soundcloud page here.

Scrambled Megs (I Can Feel It) by Dodgy Lettuce

'Scrambled Megs (I Can Feel It)' opens with clear brass elements referencing the funk genre, quickly employing skilled use of sampling. The initial brass loops constitute the vast majority of harmonic material to be found within this track. A convergence of glitch and noise aesthetics soon govern the development of the piece as it becomes led by the well constructed rhythmic bursts of noise and other percussive elements, underpinned by bass drones and embellished with processed vocal samples.

For a piece of this type which forgoes tonal convention, giving rhythm and timbre the major focus (a characteristic seen in the glitch and noise productions of artists such as Alva Noto and Merzbow respectively who prescribe to the aesthetics which influence this piece), the well constructed arrangement pays great dividends. The conscious progression of musical textures and timbral elements throughout the piece illustrate a commendable approach to musical form.

Citizen (Spy) by Dodgy Lettuce

The musical textures of 'Citizen (Spy)' to a large extent echo the previous track. The predominance of the bass line in this track however provides a greater sense of a tonal centre to the piece. The interaction of sampled vocals and well programmed electro drum sequences atop the bass line gives the piece a notable similarity to much of the dance-punk output of the duo Soulwax, whose 2006 'Part Of The Weekend Never Dies' album is reviewed here.

Once again, the 'flow' of the track is commendable, an attribute often hard to achieve within this musical context. These tracks kindly provided by Dodgy Lettuce are a great addition to the music covered by The Sonic Music Review and we wish this highly original artist great success in the future and thank him once more for this submission.

If you are an independent artist and wish to submit your own original electronic musical works to The Sonic Music Review, please get in contact, we'd love to hear from you.

Karl Bartos: Communication

2011-09-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Following up from a previous feature by The Sonic Music Review of 'Lifestyle' by Karl Bartos, available here, the field of focus turns to the artist's most recent release, the 2003 release 'Communication.' Bartos' following will undoubtedly be aware of his prior involvement with the highly influential German band Kraftwerk, a quality which is audible, but this album shines as a great example of music with character, a credit to the talented composer.

Karl Bartos: Communication

The album opens with 'The Camera,' an initial illustration of Bartos' inimitable writing style which has been constantly refined over a number of years. The track in question uses purely electronic instrumentation, a feature throughout the album, underpinned by strong rhythmic percussive elements and a particularly interesting synthesiser sequence. As with many other tracks, the song is led by synthesised speech, an uncommon production choice in much contemporary music.

Much of the material is centred around major themes of celebrity and everyday lifestyle, ides which in the past have also given an ideological foundation to Bartos' music. Of the 10 tracks which make up the 45 minute album, 'Electronic Apeman' stands out as a highlight. The track seeks to combine a live sung voice and synthesised vocal elements to great effect, complemented with fine harmonic sequences and very interesting interaction between harmony and bassline. Being a percussionist, the percussive elements are very well programmed throughout. The track 'I'm The Message' embellishes this rhythmic interest with a discontinuity of pulse between the introduction and main material.

The album concludes with 'Another Reality,' a fitting title for this concluding track which sees a much more peaceful feel, a quality provided through the sustained chords and wavering synthetic lines. The speech synthesis in this piece also serves as one of the best recent examples of the technique, unsurprisingly perhaps given the artist's prior ability demonstrated the previous decade in 'Lifestyle' as one example. The final seconds inevitably fade, drawing some of Karl Bartos' finest material to a close.

ElectroCelt: Ocean Reef

2011-09-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

As part of The Sonic Music Review's ongoing championing of original electronic music talent, it is with great pleasure that we feature 'Ocean Reef,' a 2011 EP by the electronic artist Geoff Keogh, better known by his recording name ElectroCelt. The artist's career began with the release of the 2008 album 'Digital Fields' which led to the subsequent release of further material. Having signed to Bubblectro Records the artist released the 'Ocean Reef' EP, featuring material from the upcoming release 'Strange Elements.'

ElectroCelt: 'Ocean Reef'

The artist in their biography, available here, contextualises their creative practice within the aesthetics of acts such as Tangerine Dream. These acts themselves have frequently featured on The Sonic Music Review, setting a fearsome standard for artists influenced by them to achieve. The first track, 'Emerald Sand' even goes as far as to reference Tangerine Dream tracks, for one with an introductory sample highly reminiscent of the imitative birdsong in Tangerine Dream's 'White Clouds' and later with an overt reference to 'Stratosfear' as the track approaches its conclusion.

Much of the material on offer fuses sequenced synthetic elements with well programmed percussion and a large number of complementary musical textures which combine to give a highly cinematic quality to the work, at times informed by the aesthetics of ambient music and at other points the music takes on several core characteristics of european music, creating a great degree of excitement and dynamism which captures and sustains the listener's avid interest.

Timbrally, much of the work boasts great sophistication, a production value inherited from the various acts which influence ElectroCelt. Considering the quality of mixing, an area often complicated greatly with the interaction of multiple musical layers, the artist once more deserves praise for the clarity of the material on offer.

ElectroCelt during a 2010 live performance

As the album draws to a close in the final track, 'Subzero Limits,' the artist displays commendable consideration for the narrative arc, shaping the album through the evolution and development of musical moods. This particular track largely consists of synthetic pads and electric guitar, underpinned by the soft movements of a sequenced bassline. This combination is brought together to create a very soothing work which functions well as ambient music.

Overall, the 'Ocean Reef' EP displays a great talent from the artist, with a sophisticated and conscious approach to composition that many artists would do well to note. It has been a great pleasure to feature on The Sonic Music Review and we wish ElectroCelt every success with their future endeavours. To find out more, their Reverbnation page can be found here.

If you represent original Electronic music talent and wish to submit your music to The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

Karl Bartos: Lifestyle

2011-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

To precede a full review of the 2003 album Communication, The Sonic Music Review completed the following feature of an earlier track, 'Lifestyle' from the 1993 album Esperanto. The artist Karl Bartos first found fame as a long-time member of the highly influential German band Kraftwerk, widely acknowledged as driving the synthpop movement of the 80's and developing early techno material. Since departing from the band between the releases of Techno Pop and The Mix, the artist has found success releasing new material under his own name and under the alias of Elektric Music.

Karl Bartos: 'Lifestyle' from Esperanto

When comparing the production styles, Bartos' own work exhibits a more energetic style which separates his own work from that of his former band. 'Lifestyle' is audibly influenced by the high-octane synthpop of years previous, a movement that was largely informed by work for which Bartos is widely credited. In terms of production, the mixing is highly accomplished, possibly due to embracing digital studio technology despite its infancy, a production value garnered from previous work with Kraftwerk.

The piece begins with the main hook, accompanied by a synthetic bass timbre, an early exposition of the main harmonic progression within the piece. Throughout, the artist displays an awareness of the frequency bands occupied by the varying textures, balancing each layer effectively. Considering the age of the work, the resampled vocal textures, the lines "just another headline" and "stealing your time," is very impressive and separates the work from much of the popular music repertoire even today. Phoneme sampling later occupies an entire solo section at the piece's midpoint.

The entire piece is pulled together by the pulsing rhythms derived from audibly electronic percussive elements, unsurprising given that Bartos is a skilled percussionist. Of note also is the well programmed bassline and the interaction between these two rhythmic devices to give a firm foundation to the piece. Overall, this remains a highlight of the composer's output and is well worth a listen to the fan of electronic music, succeeding in far wider appeal than his previous output with Kraftwerk.

Neu! - Neu!

2011-08-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Following the second world war, Germany saw a great rise in the production and popularity of avant grade and experimental music. In this era the early Kraftwerk lineup was formed, as was the first iteration of
Tangerine Dream, both of whom have been featured on numerous pages across The Sonic Music Review. This era also gave birth to Neu!, the experimental krautrock group who are retrospectively credited as being one of the most influential bands of their type from that era.

Neu! - Neu!

The album opens with 'Hallogallo,' an initial exposition of the pulsing repetitive beats which defined the psychedelic movement from which the band found a significant influence. This is adorned by overtones from processed electric guitar which form the basis of the piece melodically and harmonically. This then gives way to 'Sonderangebot' which is led by the processed metallic scratches of cymbals and gongs yet nonetheless rewards the carful listener with what is in fact a carefully structured piece.

While 'Hallogallo' relies strongly on beat based composition, the later track 'Weissensee' gives an altogether different musical atmosphere from the use of electronic drones which take the main focus in spite of being a 'background' texture. This method of composition likens it to an unformed genre of pseudo-ambient music, a term not coined until Brain Eno's seminal 'Music For Airports' release, reviewed here.

When listening to 'Negativland,' also the name of an unrelated plunderphonics act, the audible ties to progressive rock are clear, while the band embellish the form and instrumentation with experimentalism which would later define Krautrock as a genre in its own right. Given the widespread influence this initial release has given, this is certainly a must-hear for any fans of the early fusion of electronics within a rock context. In spite of commercial non-success, this album is a very proud addition to any musical library.

The Sonic Music Review Weekly Playlist: Week 3

2011-08-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Following the success with the introduction of a weekly playlist, a short cross section of the works featured on The Sonic Music Review, we are proud to release the third instalment, featuring a selection of works from acts including Enigma, Tangerine Dream and Schiller.

Tracklisting:

1. Enigma - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi from Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi

2. Schiller - Let Me Love You from Desire

3. Tangerine Dream - Tyger from Tyger

4. The Pet Shop Boys - The Clock 10/11/12 from The Most Incredible Thing

5. Kraftwerk - Home Computer from Minimum-Maximum

6. Yazoo - Only You from Only Yazoo

7. Global Communication - 5:23 from 76:14

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

Ex Machina: Line Of Time

2011-08-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Sonic Music Review is always delighted to receive music submissions. Following a recent email from Claudio Chiriatti and Tobias Schwerdt, better known under their recording name Ex Machina, we are delighted to feature their latest work, 'Line Of Time' on the site. This album is the fourth studio work by Ex Machina to be released digitally on the German Fuego label, a detail the act made clear, noting that since their 1999 debut digital distribution and promotion has been their major outlet.

Ex Machina: Line Of Time

For Ex Machina, 'Line Of Time' is the first release to feature vocals alongside the thick electronic textures which constitute much of the act's output. The album begins with 'Head Up (In The Sky),' utilising a somewhat peaceful piano led introduction before introducing various electronic lines alongside the lead vocal line. This piece displays a notable influence from new wave acts and opens the album well, subsequently segueing into 'Dreamer' which features a less imposing sound world, again with a noticeable influence from 80's musical styles.

The album proves an intriguing listen and the stylistic differences between tracks such as 'Garage CLZ' and the softer setting of 'In Grief' which is reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's collaboration with Joycelyn Bernadette Smith for the track 'Tyger' from their album of the same name. The track here combines various synthetic elements with electric piano lines in place of the harsher distorted tones seen in other tracks. Considering 'Glorious,' a more sequenced approach is seen, making this track most comparable to the synthpop movement of the 80's, again, contributing a welcome sense of variety to the release.

"line of time" full length album preview by ex_machina

The album concludes with four instrumental versions of some of the albums best material in the vein of the act's previous work. Under careful listening in isolation from vocals, one appreciates even more the variety in the arrangements and some may prefer these mixes. This inclusion once more adds an additional dimension to the release. For fans of electronic music, Ex Machina's latest offering proves highly intriguing and the recent addition of vocals is a welcome development of the band's sound.

For more information about the band, including previous releases, visit the official website at machina-online.de. If you represent electronic music talent and would like to submit music to The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch here. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Ex Machina great success in their career and thank them for their submission.

Kraftwerk: Computer World

2011-08-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

Kraftwerk, the highly influential German electronic music outfit, are well known for their extensive use of sequencing and other devices which gave their music a distinctive robotic quality later echoed in part from the 80's synthpop aesthetic. 'Computer World' is the band's eighth studio album, released in 1981 following their most prolific output in the 1970's, crystallising the bands creative practice while refining further timbral elements and production methods. This album is widely credited as an early influence on techno music.

Kraftwerk: Computer World

As with most Kraftwerk albums, the entire track listing is constructed around an overarching theme, computing and the modernisation of society being the central themes in this case. From the title track, 'Computer World' which opens the album, the lyrics meander around some of the high-tech institutions of the time, making reference to "Interpol and Deutsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard" while the insistent electronic percussion gives the piece a sense of momentum and pace. To further illustrate the precision of their craft, the band marry a somewhat uncertain and foreboding musical atmosphere with the lyrical content referring to the biggest investigative bodies at the time.

Following a comparably dark introduction, the track listing soon turns to the following track, 'Pocket Calculator;' which juxtaposes the mood of its predecessor with a more lighthearted feel while retaining heavily sequenced instrumentation. This track would later go on to be released as a major single from the album, reinterpreted into three different languages, as well as giving the band their chance to perform live with the use of Casio musical calculators which were also sampled throughout this track.

For the sake of word limits, a complete feature of every track on the album is not possible but a passing note on the band's inclusion of 'Computer World .. 2' referencing an earlier track is pertinent as it speaks volumes about their aesthetic. This is swiftly followed by 'Computer Love,' a later live performance of which is reviewed here. This track is certainly some of the finest material written by the band in this era, paradoxically combining typical Kraftwerk mechanism of sound with heart-rendering musical writing, one of the saddest examples of music in the 80's repertoire. Given that the band Coldplay use (with permission) the opening riff of 'Computer Love' in their track 'Talk,' Kraftwerk's influence into popular contemporary music is overtly exemplified.

The album concludes with 'Home Computer' and 'It's More Fun To Compute,' two tracks later combined into a singular arrangement for the band's more recent tours. Ultimately these tracks bring the album to a conclusion with a similar dark mood to its beginning. From any angle one looks upon this album, it is undoubtedly a fine collection of work and some of the band's greatest output.

For The Sonic Music Review's feature of 'Minimum-Maximum,' a live album featuring several tracks from 'Computer World,' click here.

Praise To The Machine: An Interview by Eyethought

2011-08-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago the Sonic Music Review had the pleasure of reviewing Eyethought and Praise To The Machine, two practitioners of different fields of electronic music. Since the original features of Praise To The Machine's 'Everything Is Noise' (here) and Eyethought's 'Suburbia' (Here), both artists kindly agreed to a short interview, led by Eyethought:

Looking to hear 80’s inspired synthpop similar to the likes of Depeche Mode. Imagine eerie vocals, dirty synth loops and fat baselines. You will find all this and more with the amazing Swedish group, Praise to the Machine and their recent release ‘Everything is Noise’. Here are a few questions we asked they guys from this awesome group:

1) Hi Guys, thanks for agreeing to another Sonic Music Review feature. How was your day?

It’s just another rainy day... a good day to make music.

2) Lets start off with the Name, Praise the Machine? How would you describe the role of machines in your music?

The computer or synthesizer is just an instrument as any other. A piano is also a sophisticated (analogue) machine so the difference is not that big. But obviously machines play an extremely large part in our music; they allow us to create landscapes of sound that would be more or less impossible with traditional instruments.

The name itself comes from an old quote by the German philosopher and mathematician Leibniz who foresaw the advent of the modern computer and the revolution it would bring: "For it is unworthy of excellent men to lose hours like slaves in the labour of calculations, which could safely be left to anyone else if the machine was used... And now that we may give final praise to the machine, we may say that it will be desirable to all who are engaged in computations which, as is well known, are the managers of financial affairs, the administrators of other’s estates, merchants, surveyors, navigators, astronomers, and those connected with any of the crafts that use mathematics."

3) How did you guys meet?

Anders: Well... first I married Björn's younger sister. Only later did Björn and I discover that we both shared a deep passion for electronic music. We started to create music together and it quickly became painfully obvious that we needed help with the vocals. We put up an ad on various websites for musicians and Torsten found us. He was a perfect match both musically and personally, and his voice works perfectly with the music.

4) What is the most interesting place you have performed at?

Torsten: The most interesting place? Well, I guess it has to be a tiny concert where only death metal bands were playing and me and the guys from a former heavy metal band felt quite out of place. So, it wasn’t as much the place but rather the setting itself. As you can imagine we weren’t very successful in winning over the crowd - hmm... let me rephrase that - the 20 or 30 people who actually weren’t so drunk that they could no longer follow what was happening on stage.

Björn: If we can include the most interesting places we never played at, we were invited to perform on a virtual stage in Second Life. For various reasons it didn’t work out at that point in time, but it was definitely an interesting request.

5) What is the weirdest thing you have eaten?

Torsten: To be honest I fathom that you do not really want to hear about this, but here goes... Me and a friend were on vacation on Sardinia, where we stayed at a small farm out on the country side. It was a really lovely place with nice neighbours. The downside to this, however, was that we one day got invited over to a small celebration. I can’t recall what it was about and maybe I didn’t even understand it - my language skills in Italian were and are not exactly practical when it comes to making conversation. ;) Anyways, what happened was that we grasped - my friend was far better in Italian than me - that we would be served “pecora” (sheep), which apparently is a delicacy down there. What came along was a kind of soup with literally the eyeballs swimming around in it. I don’t want to get into any nasty details here - suffice it to say that the eating process was very slow and when asked how we liked it, I replied that it must have been a lucky sheep.

6) Your Music has an almost eerie quality, what production tips can you give to get a similar sound?

Björn: Our songs often revolve around subjects like regret, shame, loss, existential questions, technology, politics and so on. Perhaps it's easier to lean on the sometimes eerie side of production when writing about those subjects. It might also have something to do with that we often write and produce our music during those quiet hours in the middle of the night.

Anders: It's all about the mood... and it comes natural to us. It might be the Swedish climate and the childhood we spent listening to electronic music. With the tools available today, there are so many options avaliable. We sift through a large number of sounds when we produce our songs and for some reason, we're drawn towards the dark and eerie. So my recommendation would be to get into that special mood.

Björn: Yes, that and a healthy selection of excellent plug-ins from Native Instruments, Steinberg, Rob Papen, etc.

7) What is your song making process? Does it start with ideas that are perfected later or do you prefer to make your music more organic and spontaneous?

Anders: That sums it up pretty well, ideas that we perfect later. Even if Björn and I share the writing credits on some of the songs, like Covergirl for which Björn wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music, we usually write (and produce) our songs separately. For my part, I do quite a bit of the writing in my car. I have a long drive to work and have plenty of time to write music. When I get back home and bring up Cubase, I have a pretty good idea what I want to do. Throughout the process we keep a close contact and comment on each other's songs, right from the start. Both of us have been writing songs for quite some time, but the tools are new and we're still learning. Especially mixing and mastering is a challenge, so we learn as we go along.

8) Do you foresee synthpop being the next wave of music in the near future?

It already is! Take for example Sweden's biggest pop star Robyn. It's synthpop all the way and damn good too, but no one seems to realize it's synthpop.

9) What are your goals as artists?

To make music. It's a passion. If someone wants to listen, that's a bonus.

10) What do you think of modern music and productions? Do you see the digital ‘basement producer’ as beneficial or harmful to modern music?

Anders: We are those digital basement producers and I think us pretty harmless. :-)

Björn: On a more serious note I think that the emergence of affordable tools and all the distribution possibilities of the Internet make a very interesting combination. True media democracy might be happening in the shadows of the mainstream market. Even if the vast majority of the bands out there, ourselves included of course, will probably never find a large audience, we all have a more or less equal opportunity to make our voices heard.

11) What are your musical backgrounds?

Anders: Both Björn and I were brought up on a heavy dose of synth music. When I think back on my childhood, it's almost scary how many hours I spent listening to contemporary electronic music at the time, particularly Depeche Mode. It made us who we are in many ways. Our lead singer Torsten is a different story. He's never been much into synthpop, but he seems to like our songs.

Torsten: Actually, I come from a heavy metal background. I’ve always adored bands like Iron Maiden, Sonata Arctica, Kamelot and Virgin Steele. Their style of singing is unique and the power in most songs is raw and “ballsy”. So, I started singing with some local metal combos and even had a brief stay with an Elvis cover band, but that was a loooong time ago. ;) But I also like a lot of Depeche Mode songs, which probably is one of the reasons why I am the singer in PttM. But PttM does have its unique style and feel and now that I am getting more accustomed to the style, I sense that, from a singing perspective, there is still room for improvement. Needless to say I am not singing power metal style in the songs but I feel we could do some experimenting and there is definitely more to come in ways of creatively fusing together different styles.

Björn: As Anders stated I listened a lot to the electronic music of the 80s, but I also played in a local electronic band during the late 80s and in the very beginning of the 90s. When we started out we used a Yamaha CX5M as a sequencer, and we only used low-budget hardware like DX21, RX21, DX27, a Korg Poly 800 and so on, but it was great fun. Later we moved on to Atari ST, Steinberg Pro24, and I particularly remember the day I bought my E-Max to bring sampling into our music. A few years earlier we had been using an Akai S-612, but never really managed to incorporate it very well in the music. It worked a lot better with the E-Max. We also used a lineup of synths from Roland, Korg and Kawai, etc. The song Fools to Believe, featured on our Facebook-page, is actually a heritage from those days. We performed mostly at local venues on and off over the years, then studies, work and life in general split the band in different directions.

Once again, we would like to thank both Eyethought for conducting the interview and Praise To The Machine for their detailed and interesting responses. We would like to wish both artists the greatest success in the future and, as ever, invite any further submissions.

If you represent electronic music talent and would like your music featured on The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch.

An Interview with Scenic

2011-08-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, The Sonic Music Review had the pleasure of featuring 'The Ones' (featured here), the first original work by Scenic, a Los Angeles based DJ and progressive electro artist. We have since had the pleasure of further contact with the artist, who has kindly agreed to the following interview. At this point we would like to thank Scenic, not least for his candour and a number of very detailed and interesting responses, wish him the very best in all future endeavours. For more information on the artist, visit his SoundCloud page here, which also provides links to his Twitter and Facebook profiles.

When did you first become involved with music?

I was first introduced to music pretty young, at 10 years old, after my childhood friend and I had been running around with some toy guitars. We had decided that we wanted to start a real band, and my parents bought me my first guitar, a Squier Stratocaster. That led up to the formation of several bands throughout high school and eventually the founding of my own home recording studio and the decision to pursue music professionally. I am currently studying Music and Recording Technology at California State Polytechnic University of Pomona but I have been reading blogs and watching youtube tutorials on recording techniques since 2008. After becoming infatuated with electronic music, I've decided to pursue DJing as well as producing original dance works so that I can do something independently, as opposed to relying on band mates and such.

What was the first ever album you bought?

As far as I can remember, "The Mark Tom and Travis Show" by Blink 182 was my first hard copy album. They were and still are heroes of mine, and much of my musical inspiration has come from them and their music.

Did you have any professional training before you started working in the music industry?

I would not consider myself a professional, nor yet in the industry, but all of the training I received prior to my collegiate work has been self-taught or through school clubs. I learned how to play the guitar by ear, learned the drums through concert band in school, the bass guitar after guitar, and piano through college classes. I've recently studied and taken interest in music theory because of college and am refining my musicianship as I progress. Most of my recording knowledge comes from countless hours in the early morning reading blogs and watching tutorials on youtube of programs I had just acquired, but I am still learning more.

How would you describe your music? Who would you say were your key musical influences?

It's very hard to describe my musical style because I haven't had much time to develop it, but I can list many influences. The fast punk rhythms and strong melody of Blink gave me a solid foundation of musicianship, which led me towards artists like As I Lay Dying who gave me strong understanding of more complex and dissonant composition. Shortly after I surrounded myself with hardcore, like Bane and Verse, who helped me develop a taste for loud and aggressive progressions. After a long period of hip hop albums like those from Atmosphere and Sage Francis, I found myself knee deep in electronic music as it reached the shores of California. All these different genres have given me incredible insight, all of which I bring with me as I write.

If I had to list some adjectives, I'd call my music captivating and aggressive. I try my best to fuse a loud and crazy sound, while maintaing a pleasing melodic progression. Like the concept of yin and yang, I try to create a balance of the two.

Your studio equipment list, here, features some impressive contents, did you use a single DAW to sequence and record 'The Ones' or did you share the resources from a combination?

All of that equipment was acquired with intention to do live audio recording, but I've since adapted it to accomodate electronic production. Although I typically use Cubase to capture audio, "The Ones" was all arranged and composed in Ableton Live. I prefer Live's interface for MIDI work and sequencing. Reason is another go-to program of mine for its synths and samples, though it's not used in "The Ones."

Are there any notable third-party plugins or content which you used?

My equipment list wouldn't impress any professional in the biz, but I have heeded the wisdom of many by investing in quality VST plugins. In "The Ones" I used 13 instances of Native Instrument's Massive, 4 instances of Lennar Digital's Sylenth 2, and 1 instance of FXpansion's Strobe. Much of the mixing was done using Waves plugins such as the SSL bundle and the notorious L2. I've learned to love Waves stuff from my recording experience. They virtually do everything any piece of hardware can do.

Through your career as a DJ have you encountered any artists in particular whose music you enjoy more than others?

I really haven't had too many gigs as a DJ; Most have them have been house parties that I've booked through word of mouth. I am a frequent concert goer, though, and my favourite sets have some from the likes of Wolfgang Gartner and Porter Robinson. Porter's my younger brother's age and he's throwing down on stages with E.D.M. legends!

How did your work with Divine Recordings begin?

After recording for the first time with my first band at a studio in Los Angeles, I became infatuated with the recording process. I'm not sure why, but seeing a drum kit fully miked up was the coolest thing to me. That summer I got a job at Subway and put all of my pay checks toward buying studio equipment, starting the Presonus interface and the M-Audio monitors. I did my own band's recordings first and then began promoting my services to other bands we had played with. Those sessions were FAR from pro sounding, but I was doing 3 songs, mixed and mastered, for a Franklin. I'm still learning to this day and I'm far from calling myself a professional engineer.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

This is a really tough question for me because the place that I'm in today is nothing like what I thought I'd be in just a year ago. I'm the type who loves revamping my life every other year, so 5 years from now could be anything. I am really pushing for internships and my bachelor's degree, though, and I'd love to be pursuing music to pay the bills. Producing and writing music is my passion and performing is the most exciting thing to me, but I'll be realistic and say I'll probably be living in a one-room studio apartment, working a day job while staying up late into the night working on my own music. I'll probably be driving the same car my parents bought me and eat canned food twice a day. I'll probably have the same exact equipment list as I do today and might even have taken interest in new genres of music. But that's all fine to me, because I'd rather shoot myself than do anything else. And I've known this since I was 10 years old.

Finally, for any aspiring artists, do you have any words of encouragement or advice?

Once again, it's hard for me to feel like I'm any one credible enough to offer advice, but my words would be anything you've all already heard: Work hard and be the best at what you want to be. I used to hate math because it had nothing to do with playing the guitar but I needed an A in math to get to the college that's helped me become more a musician that I've ever been. In music, not only do you have to be talented enough to distinguish yourself from the trillion other bedroom producers, but you also have to have the charisma, business savvy, and good fortune to get ears to hear you. If you're not willing to sacrifice time, money, effort, emotion, rejection, criticism, doubt, fear, and uncertainty, I think you might be in for some disappointment. Not like I'd know yet, but I'm ready for all of that.

Once again, The Sonic Music Review would love to thank Scenic and wish the artist all the best.

If you represent an electronic act and wish to submit music to The Sonic Music Review, please get in touch.

Enigma: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Having previously covered the debut release by the electronica musical project Enigma 'MXMXC A.D' in an article here, the topic of this feature turns to their third commercial release 'Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!' which was released in 1996, six years after the highly successful release of 'MCMXC A.D. .' This album built upon the success of its predecessors, quickly garnering critical acclaim alongside commercial success, obtaining platinum status in four territories.

Enigma: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

As alluded to in the track 'Third Of Its Kind,' this album is considered a child of the first two major Enigma projects, with 'MCMXC A.D.' being the father and 'The Cross Of Changes' the mother. Stylistically this is true also, with similar production techniques common to both albums but greater refinement of some aspects, responsible for a more sophisticated sound.

The album begins with a two minute title-track introduction. At this point in their career, Enigma clearly show great ability to create a highly effective introduction to their work, instantly establishing a context within which the remaining tracks are placed in terms of sound world and greater meaning. Comparing the introduction of this album with 'Hello And Welcome,' the corresponding introduction track on 'MCMXC A.D.,' the more sophisticated and futuristic approach mentioned earlier is clear. With that in mind, Enigma's development of their compositional aesthetic displays great awareness of their previous work, giving their output a remarkable sense of continuity.

Interestingly, tracks including 'Beyond The Invisible' and 'The Roundabout' favour ethnic chants rather than the gregorian chants which were commonplace throughout the musical project's early output. This makes it particularly comparable to 'Ile Aye,' a track from a 2008 Schiller album 'Desire,' reviewed here. The similarity is evidentiary of the great influence Enigma, particularly their 1990's output, possesses upon this field of music still today.

This album marks a turning point for Enigma, with many considering this to be their finest release. It certainly contains some notable material, 'The Roundabout,' 'TNT For The Brain,' 'Why!' and 'Beyond The Invisible' each a highlight of the album. The music on offer presents a highly appealing development of ambient music within a popular music context.

Tangerine Dream: The Island Of The Fay

2011-08-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

With the 2011 release of ‘The Endless Season,’ reviewed here, the end of Tangerine Dream’s long running Five Atomic Seasons series was marked. Invigorated by the success and popularity of this programmatic series, the band quickly released ‘The Island Of The Fay,’ the first in a new series, the Eastgate Sonic Poems series, setting to poetry to music. This particular release takes as its basis ‘The Island Of The Fay’ by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1841.

Tangerine Dream: The Island Of The Fay

The poem itself revolves around a fantasy setting of an island occupied by fairies, ultimately leading to the conclusion in which the narrator compares the death of a fairy with the fading sight of a tree in darkening water. The work ends by depicting the fade into complete darkness.

The album begins with ‘Beauty Of Magic Antagonism,’ which sets the tone for the entire release, one of melancholic optimism. Sonically, the release clearly occupies a similar soundworld seen in the Five Atomic Seasons series, comparable best with the concluding work in the series, ‘The Endless Season.’ The band combine their trademark harpsichord timbres with various electronic overtones and background sequenced elements, presenting a very well rounded and precise sonic palette which is further enhanced by the releases commendable clarity of production.

The band’s output can often be characterised by large anthemic writing using a thick multitude of textures or as more ambient writing with a calculated thinner number of textures. ‘Breath Kissing Matter’s Mouth’ falls into the latter category and is remarkable in the way in which despite being led largely by a long running sequence, the music retains a fascinating element which draws the listener in and retains their attention throughout the nine-minute duration.

The concluding track, ‘Moment Of Floating Into The Light’ finally realises the allusions to optimism which occur as brief references throughout the album. Ultimately however the piece descends into a tone of mystery as the sound finally fades into the darkness Poe so suggested. As the first in a new series, it would be premature to base great assumptions based upon a single work, but this release lays a firm foundation for a number of eagerly anticipated sequels.

Schiller: Desire

2011-08-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Sonic Music Review recently featured a review of 'Let Me Love You' here, the first song on Schiller's 2008 album 'Desire.' At this point we are pleased to offer a full feature which covers the rest of this remarkable album. For those unfamiliar with Schiller, the German artist typically writes in an uncommon methodology which combines elements of post-trance with ambient music. This form of writing, which is comparable to Enigma who rose to fame during the 1990's, is typically mislabeled as 'New Age Music' largely due to the sound world such releases typically create, a label not endorsed by the artist. This album features some of Schiller's finest work to date, featuring several collaborations with other artists and singers.

Schiller: Desire

The album opens with the beautiful rendition of 'Let Me Love You,' previously featured here, before moving on to the first of the instrumental works on the album, 'Heartbeat,' which reader's could be forgiven for confusing with instrumental Enigma or even Tangerine Dream output. This track illustrates well the ability of Schiller to combine rich synthetic textures with subtle moving sequences to create a commendable ambient inspired work. The musical references to ambient composers later turn to proponents of dance/chillout music - the track 'Breathe' for instance, which features the singer September, is highly reminiscent of Chicane's output, particularly 'Offshore' which appears on their 'Best Of' album reviewed here.

Moving to a later track 'Ile Aye,' the ties to the Enigma musical project are revealed most clearly, even going as far as to include elements of foreign chant which typified Engima's output which combined this with a very similar sound world exhibited here. Of all the material on offer here however, 'Lonely,' which like 'Ile Aye' features the female singer Stephenie Coker, shines as one of the album's highlights. To some listeners, the slight cliched writing which audibly panders to the pop music aesthetic may detract from the song, but it remains a well executed example of Schiller's most commercial output.

It is curious that Klaus Schultze, best known as a prolific electronic artist and, for a time, member of the German band Tangerine Dream whose releases have frequently adorned the pages of The Sonic Music Review, features as a collaborator with Schiller on the track 'Zenith.' This track exemplifies a convergence of the two artist's already comparable styles in a manner that many fans of ambient electronica will highly appreciate.

From the highlights of Schiller's collaborative songwriting with Kim Sanders, Stephenie Coker et al. to the instrumental works such as the hauntingly nostalgic 'Wunschtraum,' this album contributes greatly to the ever expanding repertoire in the burgeoning Ambient Post-Trance musical tradition and is well worth a listen.

Schiller Feat. Kim Sanders: Let Me Love You

2011-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ahead of an upcoming review of the 2008 'Desire' album by Schiller, The Sonic Music Review is pleased to feature the first track from the album, 'Let Me Love You,' in a deservedly separate article. Like most Schiller output, this track stylistically comes from a convergence of post-trance and ambient music which is best compared to the Enigma Musical Project whose greatest hits album, 'Love Sensuality Devotion,' is reviewed here.

Schiller featuring Kim Sanders: 'Let Me Love You' from 'Desire'

The track begins with a brooding introduction, led by ethnic flute drones which lead to the first exposition of a synthetic riff which underpins much of the music. This is followed soon after by the pulsing bass ostinato which gives the piece a firm initial rhythmic grounding. As the vocals enter, sung brilliantly by Kim Sanders, the African American singer based in Germany, the contour of the musical textures become crystallised, establishing her smooth voice reminiscent of Madonna as the leading timbre in this track.

Instrumentation varies throughout in order to create an interesting and varied arrangement which at its most complex consists of Electronica beats reminiscent of the French duo Air coupled with bass ostinatos, vocal melodies and rich synthetic pad backgrounds which generally typify ambient music. The style of writing is largely dependant on the hypnotic repetition of carefully contoured melodic phrases. The harmonic interplay between the melody and lush harmonic accompaniment adds to the timbral interest, particularly at the chorus sections where Sanders' powerful voice truly shines on a repeated musical theme which interacts in an audibly pleasing manner with the accompanying musical layers.

The song concludes with an extended outro, combining synthetic writing with shuffle electronic drum beats, again similar to Enigma writing. As the song concludes, a fitting sonic basis for the rest of the 'Desire' album is formed. This song is certainly a highlight of the album and a welcome addition to this reviewer's musical library.

Scenic: The Ones

2011-08-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

The outcome of more Twitter prowling - it is a great pleasure to feature the debut composition by Scenic, a DJ and progressive electro artist from Los Angeles. 'The Ones' as the artist notes from their various Twitter updates (@iamscenic) that this is their first original release which, when one considers the accomplished compositional and production talent which is clear on this track, seems remarkable. The polish seen throughout this track is clearly the result of many hours' work and a wealth of experience within the field.

Scenic - The Ones (Original Mix) by scenic

Taking into account the stylistic origins of this track which lie within progressive electro/house aesthetics and the artist's work as a DJ, the inclusion of an extended introduction is not unexpected. Given that this is not an edited version of the track, it seems only fitting. The craft seen in the construction of the introduction is worth note, given that a large number of Scenic's contemporaries often neglect this section, much to the detriment of their own work. The inclusion of a recurring melodic melodic idea which transitions from the background throughout this section gives clear shape and avoids the cliche of using a solitary looped drum pattern to constitute an introduction.

This track runs at over ten minutes, with enough material to possibly even construct a short EP from. This inevitably creates an interesting musical structure throughout which Scenic weaves musical references to the thematic material of previous sections. The writing is typified with the use of thick synthetic instrumentation reminiscent of Deadmau5 and other House music writing. The whole structure plays upon two clear soundworlds which later reconcile, those being the clear House/Electro sections seen at the beginning and the softer excerpts which borrow stylistically from trance music such as the fall at 2:02 ("We are...").

Scenic during a 2010 DJ performance

Following the build up led by the vocoded vocal samples enters a very professional patchwork of material forming a further section which is reminiscent of both Daft Punk and Pendulum, a highlight of the track. This is echoed later having created and resolved various [musical] structural tensions, drawing attention to the calculated approach to instrumentation which varies throughout to add interest. At this point it is worth noting the commendable regard for mixing seen throughout this track, a credit to Scenic as a producer.

From its conception, The Sonic Music Review has always been intended to act as an outlet where original works by upcoming artists can feature and get the recognition they deserve. It is a great pleasure to feature today a remarkable first original work by Scenic and we wish the artist the greatest of success.

If you represent an electronic music act and would like to submit your music, please get in touch here or find us on Twitter @SubsonicWinter.

The Sonic Music Review Playlist: Week 2

2011-08-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Following the success with the introduction of a weekly playlist, a short cross section of the works featured on The Sonic Music Review, we are proud to release the second instalment, featuring a selection of Trance, Ambient and Pop works from acts including Daft Punk, Tangerine Dream and Depeche Mode.

Tracklisting:

1. Daft Punk / Avicii - Derezzed (Avicii Remix) from Tron Legacy - Reconfigured

2. Tiesto - Elements Of Life from Elements Of Life

3. The Human League - Breaking The Chains from Credo

4. Tangerine Dream - Navel Of Light - Part 2 from Springtime In Nagasaki

5. Alva Noto - By This River from Summvs

6. Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science from She Blinded Me With Science

7. Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence from Violator

8. Kraftwerk - Radioactivity (Live) from Minimum-Maximum

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

Jean Michel Jarre/The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre

2011-08-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Jean Michel Jarre is well known as an early proponent of 'pop' electronica and has featured several times on The Sonic Music Review, which has featured his debut 'Oxygene', the followup 'Equinoxe', the 90's sequel to Oxygene 'Oxygene 7-13' and the ambient influenced 'Geometry Of Love' albums. This release is a rather interesting curio which sets to orchestral music, brilliantly performed by the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, various works by the French artist which by association makes a comparison with Jarre's father Maurice Jarre, a film composer of many exclusive credits to his name, audible.

Jean Michel Jarre/The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre

This release opens with the first three parts of Jean Michel Jarre's 1993 release 'Chronologie' and later introduces acoustic reinterpretations of tracks from a total of nine major releases from Jarre's back catalogue. Interestingly, the album even includes a rendition 'Gloria, Lonely Boy' from the 2000 dance-influenced album 'Metamorphoses.' Where deemed necessary, the orchestrators have included some sparse electronic textures, such as a sequenced synthesiser pattern near the end of 'Chronologie Part 1.'

Having listened to all the material on offer, it becomes obvious how well the work of Jean Michel Jarre lends itself to an orchestral performance. 'Equinoxe Part 4' and many other upbeat tracks work particularly well in this setting, breathing new life into the music which this reviewer has loved for many years. The three excerpts from 'Industrial Revolution' unsurprisingly work well in this context, if not better by virtue of having authentic human performers (the excerpts in question make extensive use of imitative orchestral synthesis on the original release). The orchestra throughout the album illustrate an incredible variety of tone and timbre which add complexity in some cases beyond previous renderings of Jarre's work.

Considering the track listing, which contains over twenty items running a total of over an hour-and-a-half, 'Oxygene Part 2' and 'Equinoxe Part 5' are conspicuous by their absence, given the great scope for an orchestral performance within those particular tracks. While considering the shortcomings, which by no means detract from the album greatly, the rendition of 'Oxygene Part 4' proves unconvincing, largely because the material is not as well suited to an orchestral performance as some, however being Jarre's first hit track, its absence would be inappropriate for many fans.

All things considered, this release is a highly interesting take on the varied and accomplished work by Jean Michel Jarre which thrives in this setting, performed brilliantly by the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Haxen Cloak: Hounfour (Temple)

2011-08-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

For The Haxen Cloak, an ambient electronica artist, sonic imagery is everything. A response to the question of how the artist's name came about is testament to the value which is placed by the artist in this respect:

"I am sort of obsessed with pre-1900s imagery and text. I was heavily into reading about the Salem witch trials for a time. Haxan is an old German word for witch, which I always found sounded and looked intriguing and somehow beautiful."

Contained within this interview are further biographical details regarding the artist, who notes an unconventional approach to composition which he fostered throughout a university degree in Sound Art. The artist also notes his extended experience, having composed for over 10 years.

The Haxen Cloak: 'Hounfour (Temple)' from 'ABX053'

Taken from the 2011 release 'ABX053,' 'Hounfour (Temple)' illustrates highly calculated ambient writing and some of the finest that can be found. Many fans of electronic music will be familiar with artists such as Brian Eno or Global Communication, the output from such artists constituting the most popular works within the field. The Haxen Cloak is clearly influenced by an alternative ambient scene, 'Hounfour (Temple)' for instance does not prescribe to the traditional timbral selections for ambient music, rather a Cagean aesthetic governs this track's sonic palette, which features several unexpected, but not to say inappropriate, timbres. This refreshingly alternative approach gives a notable joie de vivre to the track.

The track is in part informed by the creative practices of La Monte Young, expressed in the extended form which focuses on drone based composition. The powerful writing also features highly suggestive melodic components which do not constitute a complete melody, instead the listener forms an impression of a melody from the various resonances and textural elements which construct the track. This technique frequently eludes artists of electronic music, ambient composers to a lesser extent given the nature of their work, and so such an accomplished use is remarkable.

A superficial study of the piece's structure might brand it as a continuous ambient 'wash' of sound. More careful listening reveals clear sectional writing within the flow of sound and further analysis provokes a consideration of the purposeful and commendable construction of the musical layers within this piece. This track is a fine ambient work and it is a pleasure to feature on The Sonic Music Review.

More information can be found on the artist's website here.

Kraftwerk: Computer Love (2009 Version)

2011-08-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Kraftwerk are undisputedly one of the most influential acts of contemporary music, having famously inspired a wealth of synthpop music and influenced OMD among others to take up synthpop. Having been in the business since the late 60's, the fact that they still perform today is almost as remarkable as their adept reinvention to always remain on the edge of new performance technology. This video, an excerpt of a live performance by the group in 2009 shows the band performing their classic 'Computer Love,' best known by some for the riff which featured in Coldplay's 'Talk' many years after its debut.

Perhaps one of the most interesting features of this video, captured by DigitalDosage (see here), is genuine interaction with the crowd from Ralf Hutter, while Kraftwerk's typical method of working a crowd rarely constitutes more than a cursory glance at the audience. The video begins with Hutter joking in typical Kraftwerkian fashion "Next time, we'll bring our bikes."

As the music opens, even on this lo-fi recording, the virtues of laptop performance are clear, with far improved sound quality and crucially vastly increased sampling and processing dexterity. The arrangement itself has been noticeably altered from the original, as has the instrumentation. The visual accompaniment is also highly refined to give a purposefully minimal, polished commentary on the music, as seen throughout the bands live album 'Minimum-Maximum,' reviewed here.

Musically, the highlights appear in the form of the extended introduction and in particular the vocoded "computer love" harmony which features briefly within the arrangement on occasion, to an audible reception from the audience. The pseudo-improvised instrumental bridge adds variety but this is undoubtedly a fine rendering of the Kraftwerk classic. One can only hope their longevity continues deservedly.