Alpha Wave Movement
Cosmology
Play:   56K Dialup   Broadband   Download:   500K   1.5Mb
(Excerpt from track 'Teutonic Voyage')
CD / 9 tracks / 64.55 mins

This is my favourite AWM CD so far. It has a bit of everything from the Berlin School through to melodic upbeat numbers and even hypnotic chilled out tracks. A lovely deep reverberating drone and massed string pads, punctuated by whooshing cosmic effects give the opener 'Prologue Sequence' something of an epic feel. The said sequence makes an entrance within the second minute, fizzing along at one hundred miles an hour. Things are given even greater oomph with the introduction of a steady rhythm which fits alongside the morphing sequence superbly. The lead line then comes in- great for air keyboard solos!

'Teutonic Voyage' progresses from very spacey beginnings where lovely deep pads mix with little sonic shimmers and celestial flute. It's a bit like a mix of early Deuter and Michael Neil. The mood changes completely in the fifth minute however when a rumbling sequence bounds through the mix. This is softened a little by a delicate water droplet type melody. Another sequence now joins the first, quite a tuneful one it is too. What a wonderful track which gets even better as a rhythm forms, getting my feet tapping to it and hands beating out time on the table. Things reach a climax just before the end with some searing virtual guitar. 'Sailing Orion' on the other hand is a very mellow piece with soft drones and delicate little melodies. It's an ideal sunny afternoon number, perfect for simply relaxing to. A sequence does come in just before the half way mark but it is a sedate one, providing a little additional interest rather than energy. 'Celestial Mechanics', after a short atmospheric beginning, wakes us up again as we surge forward on the back of a steady rhythm which gains even more power as we progress. A great track for driving far too fast to!

'Rendezvous' is another dreamy piece having a similar feel to 'Sailing Orion'. 'Deep Outpost' however is, to start off with, much moodier with ominous dark drones and eerie pulses of sound. Things then become much more contemporary sounding with a shimmering melodic loop providing the main feature. It is then joined by another equally tuneful plucked string pattern. Gorgeous stuff. 'Astral Navigator' commences with some sampled text over an ethereal piano lead and bass line. The pace quickens a little without ever becoming exactly blistering and things turn increasingly melodic as we journey through to 'Distant Edens'. The sound of birdsong and shimmering drones create images of a rainforest. All is calm and tranquil. 'The Far Side of I.O.' winds things up in moody symphonic manner and as with the opener has something of a movie soundtrack feel to it. Unfortunately all the booklets I have for this album are slightly creased so to compensate I have reduced the price. (DL)

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.