Mark Jenkins This Island Earth CD / 11 tracks / 66.36 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Howling Heart of Evil')

A bouncy melodic sequence, with just a hint of menace provides an excellent start to the first of the three Suites 'New Jersey Shore'. Things begin to kick as an excellent head nodding rhythm falls into formation with the pulsations. Sampled chatter provides a bridge to the next section and even faster sequences which increases the excitement still further. More chatter introduces the final section from the USA. Pulsations mix with subtle syncopations and little melodic motifs creating a swirling mesmerizing sonic assault best played loud. The next selection of tracks under the banner of the album title were all recorded in London (or I think so- must admit the sleeve notes confused me a little).

Twittering chattering effects mix with sampled text from some early Sci Fi film ('This Island Earth I presume'!). A rapid sequence starts up accompanied by some fairly heavy and exciting electric guitar (relatively low in the mix). The momentum continues, drums driving things forward. Little lead lines give something of a seventies or early eighties space rock feel. Steve Hillage, Hawkwind, Gong or even Grobschnitt and Jane came to mind. All a bit funky I suppose. Enjoyable fun stuff. More Sci Fi effects and swirling sequence get the next part underway. An excellent mid seventies, Tangerine Dream type sequence surges forward, the backing sounding more like Tim Blake. A Wonderful dreamy electric guitar can be heard in the background as the sequence morphs then subsides leaving us awash in spaced out effects that could have come straight off a Cosmic Jokers album. A new slow sequence and loop mix together with more samples of text taken, I assume, from the same film as earlier.