Craig Padilla & Skip Murphy Planetary Elements 2 Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband   Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Beryllium')

The tracks here are from planetarium concerts held on two successive nights. The first six tracks are grouped together as parts of 'Night One' and the remainder as parts of 'Night Two'. 'Lithium' acts as something of an introduction with plenty of dark reverberating drones and cosmic detail. A little more structure is found in 'Beryllium' as gentle melodic touches float over soft wistful backing. The track moves on and a slightly harder edge is developed. We transcend to 'Carbon' on the back of solar winds and it is here that the first sequence comes in. And what an exciting steam roller one it is too, literally fizzing around the edges.

A lead line flashes over the top and contrasting softer pads drift beautifully underneath. The soloing is now really getting into its stride - great for air keyboard playing! Things calm down again in time for 'Nitrogen' but this is only a temporary regaining of breath as yet another sequence comes in accompanied by a new solo and some lovely mellotron. 'Oxygen' on the other hand is a short, rather moody interlude, just the odd percussive sound here, the occasional effect there. 'Flourine' gets the sequencer powered up once more. Initially the pulses fall quite gently from the speakers but they gradually begin to develop. A second sequence settles into formation alongside the first and we are soon bouncing along quite happily, a really nice flutey melody playing along low in the mix. Yet another sequence comes in, all sorts of mesmerizing patterns now being formed.

We continue without a break into 'Neon', the first track from 'Night Two'. Siren type sounds and screeching stellar flashes soon subside to a bed of string and mellotron pads. Things then become very delicate until a bass sequence starts to rumble and strings / mellotron return. The pace is sedate and moody. It all remains pretty much the same as we pass into 'Sodium'. A rapid Tim Blake 'Crystal Machine' type sequence then ebbs and flows like waves breaking on the shore then subsiding back out to sea. We then enter another atmospheric / cosmic section populated by little touches of sound and tron flourishes. In the fifth minute another rapid sequence starts to form, soon followed by a second and a rhythm; all remaining low in the brew. I was rather hoping that they would all surge forward for a few minutes of mayhem but it was not to be- restraint was the order of the day. We finish with little twittering effects which take us to the rather short mellotron dominated 'Magnesium'.