Michael Neil The Look of Memory (Download CDR) 9 tracks / 62.08 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'The Balad of Daniel Kebble') Please go to the Store to buy this item.

We kick off with the wonderfully titled ‘Papa Lazarou’s Magical Music Box’. It’s all rather jolly and a bit strange (unsettling even) as the sound of a music box slowly winding down mixes with that of a folk dance. ‘Suburban Design’ on the other hand is much darker, beginning with what could be a swarm of bees flying in a hurricane! ‘Song of the Last Tribe’ is all rather sinister, sparse and cosmic. Deep rumbles and soft pads mix with metallic shimmers to create the most subtle but also immensely satisfying floater.

The feeling that not all is well carries through to the next track as a quiet undulating throb provides something of a sinister start to ‘Fin-de-siecle’. The pulse keeps missing a beat then turns into a bubbling sequence. It’s all rather minimalist. The sequence ebbs and flows, sometimes becoming quite forceful, additional sounds surging forward increasing the edgy excitement still further. ‘Ulaanbaatar’ is radically different to the previous track as native chanting can be heard very low in the mix, almost submerged in a haze of insect and bird effects. It’s as if we are deep in a rainforest. ‘The Ballad of Daniel Kebble’ shimmers with crystalline washes of sound. A sequence can be heard low in the mix but it soon becomes faster and more forceful. The feel overall though is one of a cold and desolate place but still with a beauty all of its own.

The title track begins in very eerie fashion, bright shimmering drones punctuated by rumbles of sound which are then countered by soft comforting pads. It’s as if in our unconscious sleep two thoughts are competing for attention. Things subside again to tranquil shimmers, waves breaking on the shore. The waves seem to get increasingly angry then subside. The mood now changes completely to one of ethereal peacefulness. Subtle percussion mixes with Angelic pads then gorgeous, almost ‘Chariots of Fire’ type piano melodies that demonstrate how good a keyboard player Michael really is. Beautiful stuff. The quality continues through to ‘End of an Era’. A big bell chimes over what sounds like cows in a distant field. Mournful pads float from the speakers. Screeching sounds add to the melancholy. It’s another stunner that reaches straight to the soul.