“Sad that this concert is only reproduced on one EP, because the performance of Deep Imagination is inspired and breathtaking”
1 Clouds 6:10
2 The Dragons Flight 3:15
3 Sense 5:43
4 Breath Space 7:39
(CD-E.P. 22:49) (V.F.)
(Progressive EM)
Following the big success of Awareness, the band of Thorsten Sudler-Mainz gave a performance at the Electronic Circus Festival in Bielefeld, in September 2010. An EP was made from this event. An EP of 23 minutes which comprises 3 tracks from their album Awareness and a track from an album by Art Of Infinity; New Horizon released in 2000.
After the introductory gong of Clouds, a gentle river of musical prisms sparkles and flows towards a hypnotic bass line. The synth waves embrace this soft, captivating movement which deviates to a slow and hypnotic rhythm, where soft moans embrace strange nasal layers which expire breezes with Arab aromas. Longer than on the studio album, Clouds offers tasty ambient moments adorned with moans of a somewhat lonely saxophone. Borrowed from the repertoire of AOI, The Dragons Flight is sculpted in the moods of Pink Floyd (Wish you Were Here) with the metallic mist from its synth that cross the melancholy breaths of Stefan Höllering's saxophone. It's a good atmospheric title, filled by tasty solos of a nervous synth with sharp sounds. Too bad it's just too short! Strange groans open Sense which is quickly surrounded by fluttering breaths. Its slow rhythm, a little like on Clouds, is guided by a tribal approach of the sand's peoples. The rhythm awakens little by little and plunges into a languorous dance of the sands where the lamentations of the saxophone are more omnipresent than on Awareness. Breath Space is a nice mesh of the two titles featured on Awareness. The longest track of this EP begins with a gentle breeze of a synth with delicate oscillations. The tabla percussion drums a slightly hopping tempo with bass chords while the synth envelops this cadence of a floating fog. The percussions fall and Breath Space slightly increases the pace with the elastic tones of bass chords and the blows of a spectral synth. The saxophone joins this spellbinding melody of the sands, blowing contemplative lamentations before unleashing it in the intense universe of Space.
It's a shame that this concert is only reproduced on one EP, because the performance of Deep Imagination seems inspired and breathtaking. The members of the trio offer quite different versions of the original works, thus increasing the attraction for this great performance. It just remains to be hoped that this EP will be followed by a complete album or a DVD. Let's cross our fingers!
Sylvain Lupari (October 1st, 2011) *****
Available at BSC Music