Waveshape 69.30 Live 96/97

This album will take some people by surprise as the Waveshape sound of old has been updated for the 90's. Some will love it and others....... oh well, you can't please all the people all the time. 'Vestige I & II' gets under way with a lovely tinkling sequence and cosmic effects to which another melodic sequence is added. To this shimmering brew a restrained bass beat develops and mutates until the sequence dies away and I assume we enter the second part. A female vocal sample informs us that it is 11.55. We are then immersed in a swirl of synthesized sound. Another bass beat is heard, this time of the 'ambient' variety and we are told that it is now 12 O' Clock and the track finishes. Next up we have 'Abendstern Remix 96', from the 'Searching For Life - The Mars Project Vol 1' CD. A synthesized vocal is used but I can't quite make out what it is saying. A sequence takes off and another ambient rhythm comes to the surface. Some people will be bopping away by now but I can just imagine traditionalists listening in horror! I think it all works rather well especially when the lead line is introduced over another rather superb tinkling sequence. Moving on to 'Vestige III', we get more swirls of sound around a couple of sequences that are weaving in and out of each other. All very effective at first but at almost nine minutes it goes on just a tad too long. The next track is a live version of 'Magma' from 'Zyklus' which, as with all the versions of album tracks, sounds very different here. Great use is again made of multi sequences weaving in and out of each other with a bass beat over the top creating a very trance like effect which lasts for the whole fifteen minute duration. Interest is (almost) maintained by different rhythmic and atmospheric effects being introduced and I do like the track, its just that I feel it would have been better if there had been a bit more variation in the underlying sequence but I suppose this would have spoilt the trance effect - and I am sure that's what they were trying to create. 'Chromosphere' (from 'Polychrom') is given a very different treatment. The fast initial sequence is very high in the mix and dominates the first six minutes without resorting to the bass drum. This sequence then suddenly subsides and we are instantly plunged deep into the cosmos with enormous sonic rumblings shaking the floor and massed heavenly choral effects providing colour. This really is the most pleasing section of the CD so far in that it is a superb slab of atmospheric music made even more effective because of the contrast with what has preceded it. For the last three minutes we get another sequential passage but this time it is very moody - nice one. Finally we have, 'Sonnenwind' originally on 'Sigma'. This is also an atmospheric number, making use of melody, massed chords and a slow but purposeful rhythm, very effective. Some of this CD was recorded at EMMA#4 but unfortunately I was on my stand at the time and didn't see it so I am unsure which sections were taken from that performance. (DL)

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