Liveform In Harmony

Liveform consists of the trio Menno Zielhorst, Richard Stuij and Arjan Steenberger. The cover and overall approach smacks of New Age in the classic sense, however this album tends to offer more of a sophisticated than a soporific experience. ‘World in Harmony’ opens with grandiose sweeping synths and formula insect sounds. Adroit percussion then opens up, and the main theme takes shape before the rhythmics drop at the 4 minute mark to be replaced by breathy synth pads. Spacey choral refrains then dominate to the end of the piece at 7:22. ‘Aquatic Bird’ opens with impressive synth textures, building expectation superbly for a few before a rasping sequence emerges at the 3 minute mark. It constantly mutates as the filters take a stranglehold, only to break free again. AirSculpture comes to mind during this fine section, then the sequences fade allowing a laid back contemporary beat to emerge at 6 minutes. Excellent synth and piano themes then carry the piece to the close. This really is a great track. ‘Arctic Scenes’ adopts a more classical approach with symphonic layers punctuated by piano. The 3 part ‘Planet Greenfield’ continues to explore the ethereal angle again with a confident air, then gets a little “floral” for my tastes during the mid/latter sections. ‘Recycled’ is the most uptempo piece so far with quirky sequences and rhythmics playing host to the, by now, expected synth pads and motifs which take over completely for the final minute of the piece. At 12:21 ‘The Tube’ is the longest track on the album. Again it’s in 4 seamless parts and opens with jazzy section which plods along and doesn’t really do much. The second section however is a completely different story and introduces oscillating sequences in classic Asana mode. A raw synth lead then scythes over the top, completely dominating the mix, before it is brought into line and the track proceeds into a drifty section. The sub-titles suggest that the track charts a journey on the tube, which perhaps explains why the driftier side dominates (who doesn’t switch off on such a journey?). However, for me there was too much intro/outro and not enough going on in the middle. ‘Althorp Island’ is another “chandeliers and candelabras” affair, providing contrast to the short but (relatively) off-the-wall ‘Sandswimmer’ which opens with a minute of weirdness before producing a minute of firm rhythmics - but why split a track which is so brief? ‘Australian Desert’ offsets oblique piano with synths and a percussive sequence to produce a decent outing, leaving the 12 minute ‘Cavediver’ to serve up synth washes and weird interludes. The 8 minute mark sees a steady beat emerge together with a luscious main theme, and overall it’s a fine way to end the album. After the opening two pieces this album was shaping up into a real cracker, but unfortunately it seems to lose its way during the middle stages and despite valiant efforts never quite manages to regain the initiative. However, there’s plenty here to ponder and judicious use your CD’s program button should reveal some satisfying cameo roles. (GG)

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