The Ministry of Inside Things Everlasting Moment Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'Voyage for Guitar and Synth')

The Ministry of Inside Things is Chuck van Zyl (synths / electronics) and Art Cohen (guitar). They are influenced by Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Ash Ra Tempel. TD are particularly evident in the sequencing department where as Manuel Gottsching comes to mind from time to time with the guitar playing. However, there is also much here that is individual and new. A single pitch bending tone is used as a rather spooky introduction to 'VM- 75 Prelude'. 'VM 75' itself however is a rhythmic number with extremely strong melody. It got my feet tapping and head nodding as I was taken over by the infectious groove. The guitar, gently melodic and not too in yer face, did seem particularly Ashra influenced here, note runs echoing into the distance in a dreamy sort of way.

We drift into 'Tectonic Motion' on the back of a stripped down rhythm, little guitar touches floating over the top. This is delicate uncluttered stuff, mainly high hat and sparse guitar. Very effective it is too. We continue into 'Voyage for Guitar and Synth'. Initially we get a bouncy sequence then soaring space guitar featuring gently caressed strings rather than axe man stuff. The guitar does get a little more forceful in the fourth minute however but still not OTT. Mellotron replaces guitar in the sixth minute to come back in tandem with the tron a couple of minutes later. By now the guitar is really giving it some, creating quite an exciting lead over the bubbling pulsations. But that is as energetic as it gets on this first disc. 'Chromatix' calms things down. A little shuffling loop which initially provided structure fades away and we are left with a sparse canvas, gentle touches of guitar here and just the odd bit of synth colouring there. After the half way mark symphonic pads become the main feature with little space effects over the top. Nice atmospheric stuff. 'Induction Loop' has an excellent start with nice mellotron choir sounds setting a very tranquil scene. In the second minute we get a repeated vocal sample. It worked quite well at first but was maybe repeated a tad too often.

A tinkling sequence starts up very low in the mix near the end and this continues through into 'Heatseeker'. A restrained rhythm is brought in alongside it accompanied by some appropriate little guitar touches. It becomes quite hypnotic and very relaxing, fading away to equally tranquil soft pads for the next two minutes then waves to finish.

The second disc starts with 'Canopy and Constellations'. It's something of a short introductory piece appropriately bringing up nocturnal images where soft shimmering drones mix with insect noises. It has a nice warm comforting feeling which continues into the next track 'Neutron Flux'. An excellent sequence enters in the third minute on the back of much bigger, meaner drones and then mellotron. It becomes more strident, mutating frequently. A relaxed melody plays over the top. The whole thing reminding me very much of early Neuronium such as 'Chromium Echoes', even down to how changes in the sequence are handled. In the tenth minute the pulsations become even heavier and in comes soaring guitar. It works very well without getting too strident. 'Contour Adjustment' returns to abstract atmospherics; swamp noises with the sound of a modem over the top! We then depart this planet and go on a fantastic trip through the cosmos created by a sparse collage of superb echoing sounds. This really is an excellent track ideal for all you space cadets out there.

'Hibernation Dreams' takes us back to sequencer territory but it is such a delicate melodic one that the calm feeling isn't shattered in any way. It just provides structure instead of drift, very soft guitar tones floating in the middle of the mix. 'Dopamine Secret' begins with little water droplet type notes existing in an almost silent setting giving a rather subterranean feel to proceedings. In the second minute soft pads mix with louder disturbing sounds as if some sort of activity is taking place in the depths, echoing up to us through the rocks. A repeated run of bright notes gets 'Function Four' underway. It's as if we have returned to the light. A lovely deep sequence combines with tron pads then another sequence blasts us forward at quite a pace, the guitar giving even more energy.