Hemisphere Now Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'White')

Looking back at my previous reviews of Hemisphere I was surprised by how many releases they have in their back catalogue. The main theme of the reviews seemed to be "brooding magnificence with an accessible edge". Again this description fits their latest album 'Now' very well, with not a bad track to be found and all played with impressive expertise and richly adorned with the most classic of voice palettes. I would have been happy had this album merely lived up to their previous standards, but if anything 'Now' possible improves on this even further.

The prime reason is probably track 4 'White', by far the longest cut weighing in at a hefty 30 mins or so. The opening 20 minutes of this piece are magnificent, from their launchpad origins to the most wonderful and atmospheric drifting sections. I should pay them more homage but the final 10 minutes cannot be left without a mention any longer. REDSHIFT fans have got to check this out. It's the finest sequencer fest this side of 'Ether', the sort of section which has the replay button working overtime. The sequencing is ever shifting, melodic, and hits that groove like a moog modular unleashed. You have just got to hear it! All the tracks are themed on colours, and repeated listens certainly reaps huge rewards. Track 4 apart the rhythms largely lay down a careful, mid paced structure rather than rampant pyrotechnics. Influences are many, with trad style synth voicings aplenty rubbing shoulders with more ethnic offerings, and there's even some monkish shenanigans but again done expertly and it doesn't sound at all passé.