Fanger & Kersten Splashdown Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi (Excerpt from track 'Watersign')

Hmm, not sure about the packaging. Day-glo colours, female computer graphic, a bit like Barbie on acid.

Well, we start with 'Planet Intro', 44 seconds of what sounds like an excerpt from "Plan 9 from Outer Space" - ie Sci-Fi "B" (or should that be "Z"?) movie territory. Bizarre to say the least. 'Alien Vocabulary' then kicks in, and a semblance of normal service begins to emerge. Ethereal female vox, a catchy tune followed by a strong rhythm. The is some middle-eight variance, but at 9 and a half minutes this track does out-stay its welcome rather - 5 minutes would have been fine.

'Water Theme (Part 1)' start with classic 80's style wispy pads and a syncopating sequence, somehow rather reminiscent of Paul Ward. It develops for 5 minutes when things take a sharp course alteration, the weirdness factor rises with discordance higher on the agenda. Strange but good. Now then. 'Autumn Kiss' follows. I've heard this album at least 6 times now, and I still can't make up my mind whether this is an appealing, infectious slab of synth pop - or an annoyingly twee escapade which demands the sledgehammer approach. Depends on my mood, but the twee factor seems to be gaining the upper hand.

For me 'Scary Waters' should open the album, with some great atmos forming the first sections of the track (some effects sound remarkably similar to Nodens Ictus in 'Club Dog' form), followed by expert synth work at the 5 minute mark. The rhythm then start to build in the minutes which follow but it peters out in to weirdness at the 10 minute mark, though some sequence interplay does re-emerge in the latter sections of the piece. At 14 minutes we merge seamlessly into the 22 minute 'Watersign'. Again a fair helping of atmos is followed by lighter synth work, and it's a full 8 minutes (22 minutes when combined with the previous track) before some serious sequencing comes to the fore - but it is worth waiting for, showing the style and skill we have come to expect. Slightly reminiscent of TD's 'Love on a Real Train' actually. And it lasts for almost the rest of the track, 14 minutes of sequencer subtleties. Cool man.

'Alien Waters' takes over, another seamless bridge making this a truly epic none stop electronic ride. Again it's sequencer dominated, but it's subtlety rather than "in yer face" dynamics which are served up - very effective all the same. Finally 'Water Theme (Part 2)' ends with grandiose guitar refrains backed by melodic synths - excellent, the only blemish is the percussion which sounds fresh from a Casio calculator .