Lammergeyer Blue Oasis Play:   56K Dialup   Broadband   Download:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track 'Pinnacle')

Lammergeyer is the pseudonym of music artist and sound designer Anthony Paul Kerby and this latest offering is his second album under this guise. It is an atmospheric work of 9 interlinked tracks and the sleeve notes describe the album as music for an imaginary film.

So let's begin the proceedings by heading off into the atmospheric and effect laden 'Threshold'. A soundscape not dissimilar to the sound of birds in flight, flapping around occasionally in and out of the mix can be heard later leading to a main, almost flute like theme. A resonant bass drone takes over and at around 6 minutes voice effects take hold. A gentle electric piano motif enters and the main theme returns under a new light synth lead line.

The track flows effortlessly into 'Gravity' where a new resonant and intermittent bass drone carries the piece forward. A low melody is then apparent under a vast current of effects then a light subdued sequencer pattern takes hold creating a mysterious but quite warming feel in this, the shortest track on the album.

'Plateau' begins in white noise and intermittent sequence territory. String and synth pad effects are added then the sequence pattern stops abruptly. A new high sequencer pattern arrives with bass drone added taking the listener into obscure far off lands. A low melody line is now apparent but is replaced by a lighter section at 3 minutes under an array of resonant strings and bell-ish effects.

Track 4 'Opening' begins with a bell effect sustained loop together with simple melody section under an array of shimmering effects and other sonic atmospheres.

'Distance' opens with spatial effects and an almost melotron like string section. A synth lead then enters under low bell delayed effects. White noise and further synth patterns are added and this eventually levels off with a lighter section at around the 3 minute mark. A gentle sequence pattern enters together with synth pads and this section of the track ends in obscurity but is quickly replaced by washes of gentle synth pads and effects to its finale.

'Pinnacle', the longest track on the album at just under 9 minutes continues the thematic string section under white noise patterns. A slow sequencer pattern comes forth and new pads and effects gather under a subdued melody line. Effects gain ground at around 5 minutes then a brief whistling melody can be heard. The piece ends in a sea of effects and melancholy tones and eventually white noise carries the listener forward in to the next track.

'Headland' with its delayed and looped synth pattern creates a somewhat obscure opening. Undercurrents and effective soundscapes enter leading to a serene thematic section. A main lead line is added under a mid tempo percussion loop and eventually ends on a bed of analogue effects and patterns.

The penultimate track 'Horizon' begins with the same looped synth pattern as heard on the previous track, but more subdued. Gentle synth pads together with a slightly off-key lead move the track into almost meditational areas, eventually panning out to even lighter synth tones. Voice effects give the piece an even more atmospheric and spatial condition.

'Harmonic' ends the set. Beginning in dark soundscape territory a mid tempo percussive section is then added but kept far back in the mix. This is gradually brought forward after the first minute or so and a lighter, more permanent soundscape can be heard. Voice effects at the half way mark again lead this piece back to the cosmos and the percussion track continues, eventually ending at around 6 minutes under dark synth drones.