Vir Unis Aeonian Glow

Sometimes, you can tell what you're in for just by the look and title of a CD. The soft, subdued grays and blacks, with a tinge of purplish hues, suggest floating music. 'Aeonian Glow' certainly sounds like a surreal name, and the music follows this other worldly theme. Eight bite-sized ambient works are woven seamlessly together, each one fading almost completely away, but not quite, before the next emerges.

Actually, the music sounds more like it submerges rather than emerges, down into somewhat murky depths. But then, what would you expect with titles like 'The Ghost of Aeons?' This track is quite eerie, and richly textured. Haunting echoes drift in and out, mixed with the sounds of dripping water. The feeling is very much like descending into a dark cavern. It's fascinating, fun, and a little scary. If you like melody or beats, look elsewhere, because this CD is all about formless waves of sound. Each track slowly explores a particular sound, and although each is distinct, the overall mood and tone is relatively consistent throughout. In style, it is quite similar to his previous release 'The Drift Inside,' but everything just a shade darker than before.

The opening track, 'Glide,' sounds a lot like Steve Roach's music when he is in ambient drone mode, like 'The Magnificent Void.' That isn't too surprising, because Steve was involved in mixing the final product at his studio. Though the mood tends toward the darker side, occasional glimpses of light appear, as on the brief 'Particle Path,' which has some bubbly electronic stuff going on. But just as it seems this might lead to something brighter, with a little more sonic shape to it, 'A Night of Passage' sinks back into a gelatinous mass. Shimmering, bright overtones meld with low drones, with only subtle changes over the next 12 minutes. The best track is 'Alien Machinery,' loaded with churning, trippy echoes and lots of character. By now you probably know if this is your thing or not. If you like your ambient music on the darkly soothing side, don't hesitate. (PD)

This page is part of a frame set. If you can't see the information strip to the left of the screen then click on the smd logo above.