“A good journey through time, this album perfectly nuances and merges the progressive and electronic sounds of the 70's”
1 Magnetic Deflection 5:50
2 Lightconversation 5:38
3 Alpenglühen 11:36
4 Harfentanz 5:08
5 Aqualin 8:50
6 Quantium 4:53
7 Nebula Sources 5:13
8 OSC Trip 10:59
9 Between Stars And Ocean 4:07
(CD-R/DDL 62:15) (V.F.)
(E-Rock, New Berlin School)
Hmmm… falling in love with the Berlin School again. Hear again those loops echoing through time to tickle our memories of yesteryear. What a nice scenario. And what would you say if it would be a German guitarist who would write this musical text? Like Manuel Göttsching! Harald Nies is a lover of sounds and of guitars, some of which he learned from none other than Klaus Hoffmann Hoock, brilliant Mind Over Matter's guitarist and renowned sound engineer. MAGNETIC DEFLECTION is his 3rd opus. It's a fairyland of loops and hectic sequences whose vibrations sculpt our passion.
It's a very rock track, Magnetic Deflection, which opens this album initially released on SynGate. A short nebulous intro before a synth with a very Victorian melody sinks into the whirlwinds of a spiral sequence that percussions hammer deeply into our skin. It gives a heavy sequence endorsed by a greedy bass whose organic hue coos on a dense synth with parallel divisions that a melodious piano follows in the trail. The duplication of sequences and synth layers is a strength in Harald Nies who can thus have control over these tracks. Here, on Magnetic Deflection, he has fun pushing the hellish pace in corridors with explosive sequences. It's like on Aqualin, another infernal rhythmic title which swings between rock and progressive electronic with a heavy and incessant whirlwind as well as desynchronized lines, arched slight modulations in the tones. The skipping rhythm of Lightconversation progresses on an undulating synth which forms good harmonious segments to merge with a nice melodious theme. A superb guitar follows this spiral, copying its melodious lament on superb loops à la Ashra. Superb!
Alpenglühen is the piece de resistance of MAGNETIC DEFLECTION. A short austere intro rolls our emotions while introducing a jerky sequence that swirls gently on a synth with floating layers. It's a nice undulating movement with multiple sequences and circular percussions. High-pitched, the synth whistles good solos flying over an increasingly nervous sequence which detaches itself from its original corridor to multiply the rhythmic opportunities. Hypnotic and bewitching, the synth multiplies lines of ambient melodies up until the appearance of a guitar with aphrodisiac loops that lift the entire hair system of our body, and even beyond it. Its notes flaking under the tones of an electronic harp, Harfentanz rocks us in mellotron structures à la Richard Pinhas in East / West. Uncoupling, the chords frolic under sumptuous mellotrons layers and curly solos. A beautiful little wonder! After Aqualin, Harald Nies presents us his more experimental side with Nebula Sources, a title that sails between ambient and soft blues. While OSC Trip is a slow procession which starts with a low moderate rhythm and a good flowing synth to embrace the nocturnal territories. The connection between the stars and the ocean is breathtakingly authentic on Between Stars and Ocean. We hear the eddies of a crystalline wave that turns towards the heavens to flood the thirsty stars.
I really liked this first contact with the music of Harald Nies. MAGNETIC DEFLECTION is an opus which perfectly nuances and merges the progressive and electronic sounds of the 70's. A good journey through time, without losing of ear the more contemporary sounds.
Sylvain Lupari (March 29th, 2007) *****
Available at MellowJet Records Bandcamp