John Lakveet Building Sequential Stones Vol 1 CD / 14 tracks / 74.43 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'North Column') Please go to the Store to buy this item.

Drum flourishes then flutey synth get 'Call' underway. It only takes a minute however before an awesome sequence spews forward with an avalanche of notes. It gets beefier by the second, a staccato melody bouncing amongst all the pulsations. A bass beat imparts even more energy. A new sequence emerges (a little Jarre like this one) then the first returns to join it. All comes to a sudden halt only for an even better sequence and melodic loop to emerge for 'Stone on Stone'. Things start and stop but then the foot in really put down on the accelerator as the sequence belts forward once more. If you like your sequences loud and proud, that really get those foundations shaking, then look no further! As all the notes rush at you there is also constant mutation in the patterns, keeping things incredibly exciting throughout. This is a feature of every track here. 'Walk' deploys yet another sequence. It's all pleasantly melodic, having a rather Peter Baumann feel to it. It's amazing that so far each track has managed to be even better than the last and yet I was even in raptures about the opener!

'Flying Buttres' is a curious title but yet another winner. The initial sequence is a rather staccato quirky affair. It morphs cleverly and becomes the perfect backing for a slow wistful lead line. Bass pulsations and drumbeat carry things forward as a very effective solo fires off like a laser. Things seem to become more complex but also more exciting by the moment. There is a rather different feel for 'Exodus 3:14' as a forceful repeated lead line blasts out and is joined by quite a heavy bass rhythm then very rapid sawing sequence. So much has already gone on but in the second minute things start to unwind, resulting in quite a (intentionally) chaotic section out of which yet another fantastic sequence emerges, building all the time, until another slow down in the fifth minute. We are left with just a seven-note sequence which fades into lush mellotron. 'Reflection' has a mass of swirling notes just like rays of light shimmering from a gently undulating lake. Crystalline note droplets act like a gentle rain on the water. A rather curious lead line almost screeches over the top- not the most successful track on the album. 'Prayer' starts with a lovely flute solo. Just before the second minute it is as if things have changed from beauty to ominous danger. The melody if repeated but this time in a mournful sort of way. One of only four tracks on the album without a sequence- but emotionally very powerful. 'Darkness' is the second, it is very short, more of an interlude. I would say it is more melancholy than dark though.

'North Column' returns us to sequencer driven territory. Initially a bright high register sequence rings out but it isn't long before a ball breaking bass one comes to join it. A new sequence comes to replace the first and exciting stabs of energy act like a solo through all the pulsations. The sequences move up yet another gear, the solo now coming in salvos, pitch bending all over the place. Absolutely fantastic! Lovely thick flutey synth mixes with the sound of the wind creating quite a beautiful setting for 'Meditate'. A sequence, almost like a sawing cello adds a little energy (don't quite know how I would meditate to this) and also inventiveness that is so effective. The sequence disappears and tranquil pads take us to a gentle finish. An organ strikes up for 'Melancholy', another rare sequenceless track. It fades away to be replaced by tinkling effects, more flute then mellotron. Just exquisite. Back to another rather Baumannesque sequence for 'The Insolent Walk Nocturne of Gargoyles'. It's all slow and moody until the third minute when another sequence of Earthquake proportions enters along with heavily pitch bending lead line- ideal for solo heroics. The sequences keep coming, each one superb, creating a devastating wall of sound. Absolutely fantastic! Things calm down once more for 'Towers', a really effective little atmospheric piece. 'Cupola' initially retains a similar atmosphere (though maybe a little darker). It's like being in some very large enclosed area with water dripping from the ceiling. Soft pads lighten the atmosphere a little then gradually an echoing sequence emerges followed by a second one that is like cracking static, then a deeper and meaner third. A moody lead plays along with the pulsations. Yet another excellent track which winds up a really special album. (DL)

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