LYONEL BAUCHET: The Secret Society (DDL on DiN)
This digital download release from 2011 offers 62 minutes of gentle electronic music.
Gentle electronics are laced with sinuous rhythmics to achieve a dreamy state.
The electronics are generally soft and flowing, with loops running enticing riffs while auxiliary electronics embellish that stream with more lively pulsations. Avoiding the use of texturals as a backdrop, Bauchet applies more substantial layers (like keyboard sustains) to generate a foundation for the rest of the electronics.
Meanwhile, keyboards are responsible for the majority of the music's components, issuing amiable melodies which interweave with each other to achieve a lush complexity that remains low-key.
While some e-perc is present in this music, the gist of the rhythms fall into the class of non-impact tempos, in which beats are approximated by the cyclic use of electronic sounds.
These compositions are characterized by gentle tuneage, but not so soft as to be mistaken as ambience. A fair degree of animation occurs, tempered to a relaxed level which fosters a sense of comfortable satisfaction. Weirdness or otherworldliness play no part in this music; here the keynote is a dedication to conveying a pleasant charm with each tune. Even the few tracks that display an edginess manage to restrain any intensity and deliver themselves with an easygoing flair.
MARK DWANE: The Singularity (CD on Trondant Records)
This release from 2011 offers 48 minutes of luminous electronic music.
Exciting tuneage that combines electronics with synth guitar and e-perc.
The electronics are versatile, running the gamut from background tonalities to more agile pulsations which flesh out the basic musical themes. An abundance of sneaky little effects are present in the tunes, creating inventive embellishment.
The star here, though, is the guitar. Glistening chords are delivered from on-high, trickling down notes like a sparkling waterfall. Dreamy riffs are meticulously tailored to generate an all-encompassing serenity, but then this tranquility is given a tasty oomph as more nimble elements slide into play and escalate the music to a level of bewitching luster. Dwane has a way of fusing twang and sustain into an endearing reverberation that is uniquely appealing.
E-perc plays an integral role, providing touches of rhythm that lend bouncy locomotion to the flowing music. The tempos are relaxed and maintain a secondary vantage, allowing the rest of the instrumentation to flourish.
While the majority of the music is instrumental, heavenly chorales contribute a celestial flair at times.
These compositions shine like luminous gems in a nocturnal environment. The pace may remain soothing, but the effects combine dreaminess with a sense of spry activity that is quite enticing. While most of the melodies are sweet and shimmering, hints of a gutsy puissance lurk within the mix, tickling the subconscious with their subliminal presence.
JUSTIN VANDERBERG: Synthetic Memories (CD on Spotted Peccary Music)
This release from 2011 offers 65 minutes of elegant electronic music.
Synthesist Vanderberg is joined on the first track by Jon Jenkins.
Regal electronics craft tunes of dreamy elegance designed to inspire personal reflection.
Texturals abound here, often utilized as central themes that are then enhanced by auxiliary electronics. This lush character bestows the tuneage with an engaging celestial demeanor. In one instance, a series of sighing bell-like tones impart the grand majesty of impending dusk.
Keyboards guide many of the thematic electronics into melodic territory, and in a few tracks the music adopts a demonstrative posture (while remaining moderate) with sequencing that pays homage to the European masters. Even when the mood of a song is mellow, the sonics exude a certain prestige. The presence of piano in a few tracks enhances the music regal attitude.
Plodding quasi-tribal beats are found in the first track, injecting a languid (yet mounting) stamina that is mirrored by that song's swelling level of puissance. Some of the other tracks feature rhythms. In one case the tempos are immersed and barely discernable, while in another piece the beats are crisp and the vibrating rhythms position themselves on an equal level of detection as the swimming electronics.
These compositions possess a luxurious quality that conveys both authority and a gentility. The blend of atmospheric passages with hints of cosmic power nicely commands attention without becoming too intrusive. The listener is allowed to accompany the flow rather than being sucked into things. There is a strong humanity in these songs, an organic quality that reaches beyond the listener's psychology and touches the heart.
| Entire page © 2011 Matt Howarth. All rights reserved. |
Webpage design by
 |