Michael Neil In Extremis (Download CDR) 7 tracks / 52.16 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Sic Itur Ad Astra') Please go to the Store to buy this item.

‘Prelude’ takes us to those realms to which Michael has become famous - vast symphonic soundscapes as found on ‘Cornubia’. On this track however he is exploring the darker side of that style creating a deep brooding melancholy. ‘Tango’ is a rather short piece and is certainly a very inventive interpretation of the dance taking the traditional form but as if being heard in a restless dream. It reminded me a little of The Enid.

The title track and ‘Skias Onar Anthropos’ are just as moody as the opener. The massed strings swell then subside to silence only to build once more. The atmosphere subtly changes to one of euphoria but with a tinge of regret. There is a rather cinematic but also incredibly beautiful feel to it all. ‘In Memoriam to Peter Harrison’ is a track which is hard to listen to in a detached way as I also knew Peter. He had a greater depth of knowledge of Electronic Music than almost anyone I have met. He ran his own cassette label and was a great supporter of our Jodrell Bank concerts. It’s a very delicate track and low in volume, which was just like Peter. He was a tall man but gentle and quietly spoken. He was also a ‘thinker’ and the thoughtful nature of the music fits his character perfectly. ‘Sic Itur Ad Astra’ follows on in a similar pattern of rising and falling strings but this time there is a brighter feel. Little tinkling sequencer runs give the impression of stars twinkling through a clear night sky, pads swelling underneath creating a majestic atmosphere.