Dave Thompson Enigmas

Dave Thompson seems to have been on the EM scene for donkeys years but has had a relatively low profile recently so many of you might not have heard of him. This, his latest album and first on CD, combines new numbers with a selection of remixed tracks from his previous three cassettes. The album begins with one of the newies ‘Wave upon Wave’ and what a cracker it is too. The gentle but infectious rhythm provides the ideal framework for a series of superb melodies that are neither twee nor pretty but still give a really uplifting feeling. An excellent sequence near the end makes me wish that this track had been twice the length. ‘Circle of Hands’ is the second previously unavailable track and the melodies are again stunning, still uplifting but this time with a hint of melancholy. A series of explosions and the sound of a bell introduces you to ‘Pandora’s Box’. Haunting lead lines play with delicate sequences to create vivid pictures of a war ravaged world. ‘Enigmas’ was from the same album as the previous track and is the sort of thing that I best remember Dave for - stunning space music. He was and probably still is the best British example of this style. Superb drift and atmospherics underpined by restrained sequences. ‘Ritual’ floats away into the cosmos until a slow rhythm is introduced at the five minute mark and along with another haunting melody takes the track to eight minutes when the pace quickens slightly. The sound of the wind blowing over a desolate landscape is the appropriate start to ‘Wastelands’. A sequence is introduced and more first rate melodies blaze over the top. A superb track to finish a superb album. One final note about this album is that it is the first release on the EMMA label. The organisation is evolving and I’m sure with Mick Garlick looking after it, it will now be a great help to many a budding musician looking for exposure. (DL)

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