Rene van der Wouden
Altostratus / Cirrostratus
Double CDR / 13 Tracks / 121.29 mins
Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband
Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb
(Excerpt from track(s) 'Mezzanine Blue')
The first disc kicks off with 'Clear Altitudes'. A sonic jetstream whooshes forth leaving soft pads in its wake. Images of a bird gliding high in the air came to mind. Water droplet type notes add a little detail. 'Mezzanine Blue' has a similar feel though the sonic palette is subtly different. If anything this is even more chilled and blissed out than its predecessor. The title track to this disc is back to the jetstream effects. There is an almost hissing brightness and shimmer to proceedings which is decidedly pleasant as well as subtle melody created by the various elements shifting against each other in the gentle ebb and flow. Very nice. 'Hydrogen and Helium' turns the prevailing mood on its head. Initially this is sparse dark stuff with vocal samples crying out 'Watcha!'. There is loads of space with just the odd effect here, electronic twitter there. Gradually things develop as we move to even more disturbing manipulated samples until exquisite little motifs, which seem in complete contrast to the established atmosphere, slowly change things from dark to light.

'Frozen Spectacles' has a rather fifties sci fi feel. It's as if a spaceship has landed on a far distant planet, which at first seemed alien and hostile, only for the mood to lift as more of the surroundings are explored. 'Remembrance' seemed to me just like an even more tranquil continuation of the previous track until a sequence started up in the third minute. Quite a beefy one it is too providing one off the heavier moments on the album. 'Mezzanine Red' wasn't too bad either though it was spoilt a bit by the rhythms near the end. I think that on the whole René is much better at the atmospheric tracks than the upbeat numbers.

Bright swirling melodic pads punctuated by little melodic flourishes gives an appropriately 'airy' feel to the title track of the second disc. 'Fin de Siecle' is a lot sparser with a little melodic warble here, a little sonic colouring there. A similar pattern follows through to 'Pro Silencio' the melodies darting in then rapidly departing like an insect hovering over a patch of water to suddenly shoot off in another direction. A slow sequence emerges like a soft rain only to depart all too soon. Pads swell then submerge. Different sonic effects and colouring come thick and fast, things never staying still for long but at the same time there is a peacefulness to it all which increases as the track progresses. Just sit back and relax.

'Halo Phenomena' initially takes a darker turn, timpani giving way to staccato stabbing notes. A slow almost militaristic rhythm strikes up over symphonic pads then the most melodic lead line so far drifts from the speakers. To start off with 'Enschede' is all rather abstract and 'bleepy' before a rather quirky rhythm enters. In the sixth minute we return to some soothing tranquil pads. We drift straight into 'Mezzanine Green' which finishes things off in a similar fashion to the opening track on this disc- all rather chilled and bright but with something of a melancholy twist at the end.

If subtlety and sonic textures are your thing maybe you should give this a try. The first disc is especially good even though for my taste it seemed a little too relaxed and well, 'nice'. The second disc wasn't that bad either even though on the two tracks where there were drums they did sound dated. As of writing this the album is a budget priced double so maybe even if you don't like every track there is still more than enough for your money. (DL)

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