Kubusschnitt
The Cube
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(Excerpt from track 'Cube')
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This is their second album, not to be confused with the first ‘The Case’. ‘The Cube’ is a stonking sequencer fest developing and improving on their already very popular first effort. The almost twenty five minute opener ’Cube’ gets straight into an awesomely powerful sequence leaving no doubt that this will be a million mile an hour blistering journey so fasten your seat belts. At just over four minutes a superb lead line weaves its gentle way through the pulsating storm providing excellent contrast and adding depth.

At eight minutes the sequence starts to wind down and we enter a much needed relaxed passage. Flutey synth takes us to some gorgeous melodic synth pads. Two leads provide the main focus one being very deep and the other of a higher register. They combine beautifully. No way is this mindless drift, it grabs your attention and sucks you in, revitalising every nerve in the body. It all becomes very cosmic and a new sequence starts to develop, fast moving but low in the mix. It has a sort of shimmering quality to it which fits in with the cosmic references perfectly. ‘Wormhole’ begins with a spoken sample about alien threats then it is straight into an ominous slow sequence, another sequence is brought in over the top then a brilliant rhythm, all combining together to form a fantastic groove. A gentle melody starts up then at just under six minutes there is a second long pause after which a laser sharp lead line runs its devastating path over the top, brilliant!

‘Ra’ begins with the sounds of distant explosions over which is a heavily vocoded message. The pads bring up images of being out in deep space, the atmospheres created are dark and eerie. This is very descriptive music reminding me a little of Klaus Schulze’s ‘Picture Music’ or ‘Cyborg’. ‘Alpha Three’ is a twenty seven minute epic. It starts with the sound of a storm, melodic pads swelling underneath. A melancholy lead line strikes up but close on its heels is a ‘tinkling’ sequence which quickly becomes more strident as the storm fades into the distance. Another beefier sequence is chucked into the brew and we really start motor, pump up the volume! More sequential detail is added. A synth lead comes in at nine and a half minutes and adds a further dimension to a track which already has so much. At sixteen minutes things calm down and become rather ethereal. By eighteen and a half minutes the sequences start up and again they are just wonderful with a lead line which we have come to expect by now is spot on.

‘Hypercube’ is an even more powerful version of ‘Cube’ and it is here for the first time that the guitar plays any significant role. A heavier rhythm is also used, its the sort of thing that would make a great encore and as such is also a good way of finishing off the album. I wish it could have gone on much longer than the five minutes we have here. An amazing CD! (DL)

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