Pete Namlook & H.I.A. S.H.A.D.O.

I first heard S.H.A.D.O. whilst travelling over to KLEMdag last year. Dave Barker had brought it along for the journey playing it as we made our way down to the M25 on the first stage of the trip, at 3am. It was the perfect atmosphere to listen to this UFO inspired album. ‘Intruder Detector’ gets under way with futuristic bleeps and alien voices. Strange rumblings slowly form themselves into a backing rhythm before a more strident beat in introduced. Soft synth pads are added to the brew as we get deeper into the groove. On ‘Secret Location’, synth drones float over a high register sequence and waves of sound blow over the top like a solar wind. ‘Space Interceptors’ is a very “bleepy” track consisting of series of pulsations mixing with each other and shifting causing many different rhythmic experiences. What makes this track really work however is the superb simple motif, a bit like something from Close Encounters, that just floats above the gently pulsating backdrop. You can imagine the flying saucer hovering over a deserted field. Nearer the end a fantastic lead line is introduced as if the saucer has moved on and is now flying again off into space.

The magnificent twenty minute ‘Skydiver’ comes next. The haunting solar wind returns. A slow sequence bubbles to the surface and at the seven minute mark more layers of rhythm are added. These die away momentarily at ten minutes but come back accompanied by a sublime melody which is used sparingly but is even more effective for it. At fourteen minutes we get another pause, the rhythm builds again and just when you think it is about to take off we shift into another atmospheric section that takes us to its close. ‘Maintaining Scan for UFO’s’. boings into syncopated life. When the lead lines are brought in they are as usual stunning and because they are not overdone they shine even brighter. Listening to this album again for the review reminds me why I enjoyed it so much on first listen over a year ago. I really can’t understand why I haven’t got round to reviewing it before now. (DL)

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