Pete Namlook & Peter Prochir Possible Gardens

With the prolific and diverse Pete Namlook, you never quite know what to expect from one release to the next. From minimal ambient to dance/techno to electronic noodling, he covers the gamut of instrumental electronic music. This time around, he collaborates with Peter Prochir, with whom I'm not familiar. All I can say is, I hope there is a 'Possible Gardens 2' because this is one of Namlook's stronger releases, showing uncommon subtlety and restraint. Beginning with the stellar title track, soft percussion gently meanders through a quiet bank of atmospheric layers. Crisp cymbals are used in a very interesting manner, perhaps looped backward, to achieve a relaxing effect with the light beats and electronics. Each track finds a very comfortable space and slowly evolves over 11 to 13 minutes, with the exception of the closer, a 5-minute reprisal of the main theme.

'Breeding Machine' starts with an unusual drone, which seems to blend a slight bit of static into a long, sustained sound, giving it a certain thickness and character which is quite hypnotic. Adding to the effect is a soft, whooshing pulse that echoes every several seconds, which is joined by a deeper, kicking bass pulse, in a slightly more rapid, looping style. Subtle layering builds the music up. Then, just as everything but the original drone drops off, a brief bit of active sequencing, in the modern techno style, asserts itself. But this lasts only a couple of minutes, and is one of the few traces of more familiar Namlook. 'Terminal Beach' is a laid back, very accessible piece, with several electronic loops and beats, and some playful jazz guitar. Next comes the boldest piece on the disc, 'Memory Lagoon'. Second only to 'Possible Gardens' as my favourite, it is a wonderful, experimental collage which alternates dark, dense walls of sound with brighter, very light passages of electronics. It's as if each section of the piece, which changes smoothly but often, is a different memory coalescing into being. The result will seem like strange noise to some, but I think it's brilliant. 'Possible Garden (reprise)' is an effective way to end things in more uplifting, though still meditative fashion. For smart, relaxed electronic music that's a little different, this is hard to beat. (PD)

This page is part of a frame set. If you can't see the information strip to the left of the screen then click on the smd logo above.