Andy Pickford Xenomorph

Maelstrom was always going to be a tough act to follow - a real EM classic. On first hearing 'Xenopmorph' I must admit it didn't hit home with such "smash you in the face" power. Opening with the title track, we have an intro by Ashley Franklin (BBC Radio Derby) "It's going to be a stunning show I'm sure". The first thing apparent is that this music has been heard before. Much wracking of brains leads me to believe that this is a reworking of 'Twilight in Valhalla' from 'Terraformer', a much more upbeat and dancey version. 'Night of the Long Knives' will be familiar to Sequences subscribers, having been featured on the Sequence 14 CD. It's classic Pickford with heavy driving, but at the same time melodic, sequences. Next comes 'Topaz', with its catchy intro (try it LOUD on headphones!). As the track develops it again harks back to the 'Terraformer' period, with synth washes evolving into some heavy guitar sounds. Tracks 4 & 5 are a bit of a conundrum, the running order having been inadvertently reversed on the sleeve listing. Instead of correcting the error, a card has been enclosed pointing out the mistake and perhaps making this first pressing a collector's item! The version of 'Apocalypse of Love' featured here is Andy's own interpretation, not the Beaumont Hannant / Delta versions which were previously released. To be honest though, I don't find this to be one of the better pieces on the CD. Production sounds a bit "muddy" and the music itself doesn't develop as expected. After repeated listenings I'm sure there's the distinct sound of TD style synths akin to 'Thru Metamorphic Rocks'. 'Space to Breathe' opens with gentle piano it develops into a melodic flowing track which is quite interesting, but seems to be lacking in something. Referring to TD again, it does seem reminiscent of some of their later works - so perhaps this is why! 'Annihilator' opens with phone call humour Pickford-style and turns out to be a much better track with light bubbly synths and heavenly voices developing into a very distinctive and powerful synth pattern producing another very upbeat outing. With a title like 'Sarcophagus' you expect a deep, dark, doomy sound and this piece duly delivers. 'Solitudes Shadow' opens with more 'Metamorphic' TD sounds before introducing a 'Maelstrom' style sequence and some of Andy's "singy bits". This is true Pickford power with lead synths overlaying a powerful driving sequence. A great track concluding with a thunderstorm which runs into the final track 'Reflections', and what a contrast here. A classical, sentimental piece which wouldn't be out of place on Radio 2. Don't let this put you off though, it does grow on you! Overall 'Xenomorph' doesn't have the immediate appeal of 'Maelstrom'. It lacks a "storming" track with the dimensions of 'Hells Gate' or 'Tetsuo' and it doesn't have a track to match the beauty of 'Cathedral'. But it's a damn sight better than a lot of other releases lately! A couple of closing points. If you like 'Annihilator', look out for a release in the near future (hopefully) by Julian Bishop whose track 'The Sentinel' is very much like this. Finally, if I'm right with my TD references in the review, I'm perplexed by Andy's enthusiasm to "slag off" the so called "retro" artists. I believe that "retro" is an unfortunate phrase for what many believe is the classic form of Electronic Music, and it certainly has a place in today's EM. After all, Andy wouldn't want everyone to copy him would he? (Steve Smith)

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