Tranzit
Tranzversal
Play: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi   Download: Lo-Fi   Mid-Fi   Hi-Fi
(Excerpt from track 'E-Drive')
Strangely the sleeve only credits 12 tracks, but 13 appear on CD insertion. The opener 'E-Drive' is nothing short of fantastic. It opens with massive, squelchy synth pads painting a strident picture. The tempo is then increased with the advent of more forceful rhythmic elements. Still the most wonderful synth pads permeate the track. If you like synths to sound like synths this is for you. Five minutes in and a marvellous improvised synth riff appears, and the workmanship is a marvel to behold. The track lasts eight and a half minutes, and every second is a moment to savour. If the form continues, this CD is going to be one of the greats.

An altogether calmer air takes over for 'Interpolation'. Sound effects, weird noises, and an insistent sequence mixed well back carry the track to a 3 minute conclusion. 'Foreign Affairs' opens with a heavy beat and low drone synth textures. Again the mood is laid back but it's approached with a quality which is hard to define but easy to appreciate. Track 4 'Moravian Moondance' is again a carefully crafted collage of sounds, very much in the Alpha Wave Movement vein - hence, yes, again this is quality but I'm just wondering when the dynamics of track 1 are going to reappear. Track 5 'Niobe' and another slow, heavy beat appears - not much happens but familiarity really is starting to bring out nuances which initial passes left unappreciated. This track is possibly the most melodic piece so far, infectious helped in no small part by some deft chord changes. Suddenly as 3.42 mins the piece changes pace and racey sequencing appears from nowhere and proves that track 1 was no fluke. I'd have liked it to have gone on longer then the 6.02 track duration allowed, either way fans of Peru will enjoy this immensely. 'Travelin' Lite' returns to the more ambient air, with a repetitive sequence providing a delicate backbone. 'Hillside' is a short but sweet interlude played largely on what sounds like a synthetic harp, while 'Alexander+' continues in similar vein with, again, some delicious synth pads and the Alpha Wave Movement atmosphere reappearing in abundance.

'Asphericl' starts in jauntier fashion, with fascinating electronic pulsations slowly shapeshifting into a cohesive but slightly strange sequence. 'Gathering of the Elders' is another fine atmospheric piece, but it's quite curious how far removed both in style and even track title the album has changed since track 1. Track 11, the longest at 12.05, is possibly the strangest so far with a deep pulsating opening. Ah, it looks like tracks 11 and 12 are credited as one track on the sleeve but are two sections on the CD, hence the confusion. Again the atmospherics prevail initially but at the 3 minute mark the intensity is shaken off and the form of track 1 starts to reappear again. A fine lead synth theme and some complementary rhythmics make for an enjoyable piece. Finally 'Nocturned' - as the name suggests another laid back affair, with an accessible nature thanks to fine piano. Latterly that meaty synth line returns. A superb, if slightly clichéd, way to end.

In many ways a schizophrenic album. Some albums pack in the variety, uptempo to laid back, but you can tell it's all come from the same bloodline. Here, the likes of track 1 sound completely alien to many of the other tracks on show. It's frustrating in a way, because had just one or two more pieces been elevated from "good" to "great" this CD would have been an essential purchase. As it is, have a listen to the sound sample, I've a feeling once you've heard it you won't be able to resist! (GG)

This page is part of a frame set. If you can't see the information strip to the left of the screen then click on the smd logo above.