Syndrone Blind Date

The follow up to their hugely successful 'Baywatch'... OK, I jest. Syndrone are Andre Theelen and Harold Teunissen, a duo which has spawned 3 albums since 1992. The opener 'Beneath the Surface' casts off with delicate melodics before sequences populate the soundstage. It's a decent outing but perhaps could have done with a bit more oomph. With a title like 'Skin Job' the next piece could only be a Bladerunner tribute, and an excellent one it is too. Opening with ambient atmospherics and "offworld" samples it gathers pace when percussion is introduced. String synth pads flesh out the sound as pin sharp hi-hats and regimental timpani invade the scene, accompanied by sequence lines. More samples and atmospherics close the track. 'Last Dream Before' is an atmospheric drifter in Roach/Burmer territory, while the quirkily titled 'We Saw Elvis at the Bus-Stop' is an uptempo piece with good sequencing and effective, though rather cliched, melodics. 'Shift Nine I' is by far the most esoteric piece so far, with random effects and atmospherics forming the bulk of the sound. 'John Doe' is a superb outing featuring uptempo sequences and some fine lead synth work. The themes are strong and supplemented by a repetitive, simple motif which acts as an effective contrast to the searing synth leads. The strong form continues with 'Beauty of Decay' which contains tight sequencing and powerful synth sounds which form a potent cocktail when scorching guitar lines are introduced. At just over the 14 minute mark, 'Musschein und Andere Tiere' is the longest track and appropriately it is a drifting, spacey piece of some merit. Cold, desolate synthscapes are the order of the day, and throughout there is the faint sound of morse code. 'Shift Nine II' closes the album, continuing the esoteric form shown on version I. This is a fine release which carries on the trend for mixing completely different styles on a single album. Whether Space Music or Melodic EM is your preference, this album tackles both with significant success. Add the impressive Bladerunner tribute to the equation, and it's hard to see anyone being disappointed after hearing this. (GG)

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