“Wonderful, audacious and unique, The Dreaming Void is a pure treat for those who miss so much the analog years”
1 Nostalgic E.L.I.R.G (For Edgar Froese) 9:22 2 The Dreaming Void (Part One) 11:06 3 Earth Albedo 0.37 9:23 4 The Dreaming Void (Part Two) 6:00 5 Ode to a Shiny Star (for Léa) 5:14 PWM (CD/LP 41:09) (V.F.) (Analog Berlin School)
Sounds! Like a stratum of magma which fidgets of its reddening fires, strange and fascinating flows of sounds warm up our ears. Big sound bumblebees throw themselves into these spatters which sparkle as an oil with deep fryer. Beyond the short-lived layers of voices, the hummings stretch their din to be transformed into apocalyptic sirens. Of this intro rich in color is born the last opus of Kurtz Mindfields. Here the universe is totally analog! Supported by his faithful companion and searcher of tones, Olivier Grall, Jean Luc Briançon still feeds our ears which always wanted more after his amazing Journey Through the Analog Adventure. And as the big builders of the golden years of EM, Kurtz Mindfields creates completely the universe of THE DREAMING VOID with an ethics for the authenticity of the analog tones which marks the sense of hearing. It's the music of yesterday written today with a mixture of instruments of the old days and others more contemporary. It's also a great fusion between the Berlin School and the more cosmic and more melodious model of the French School where Kurtz Mindfields redefines the borders of the analog EM with a panoply of equipment which will seduce your ears and will tickle your eardrums. The work is more intimist and less freed than the magnificent Journey Through the Analog Adventure, which is a real orgy of sounds, and is available only on vinyl, at the moment (a digital format is planned very soon), in order to preserve the mythical cachet of the analog years. And please, screw your ears to your expectations; THE DREAMING VOID pursues if not transcends the wonderful universe of Journey Through the Analog Adventure.
Nostalgic E.L.I.R.G (For Edgar Froese) extricates itself from the misty colors of its introduction with a series of sequenced arpeggios which sparkle in the shadows of sirens. This first movement of a rather shy rhythm invites a heavy oscillator line to spit another livelier structure of rhythm. A structure gone up on a meshing of sequences which go and come with nuances in the forms and the tones, while that some sober percussions are structuring a good electronic rock beat decorated of cosmic fineries. The synths free some aerobatic manoeuvres with similar harmonies which run in a loops while that some pleasant solos migrate between Jean-Michel Jarre and Jazz on a structure of rhythm of which the minimalist oscillations find landmarks in the structure to bring nuances. Don't look for anything which compares to Edgar Froese. It will be further in this album because although composed in the memory of the Tangerine Dream founder, Nostalgic E.L.I.R.G (For Edgar Froese) is a tribute in the electronic music of these years of creation of which the big Manitou of the Dream. is undoubtedly a pioneer. In fact, everything is very personal in this last opus of Kurtz Mindfields. Even if the name certain tracks can lead to confusion, as Earth Albedo 0.37 and its intro strummed in the laces of reverie. We are far from Vangelis, except for the bombarding of the sequences and the acid-rock approach to the Earth years. But for the rest ... From the 50th second, a piercing synth ritornello throws cooings which roll in loops before being harpooned by a heavy and a sharply movement of sequenced oscillations. A vampiric melody, weaved in the entrails of an old rock organ, escapes and scatters its shadows which adopt the various tints and forms of solos from a synth always in retro mode. The rhythm receives the support of big metallic beatings which hammer heavily this perpetual movement of ascent of the sequences which never hesitates to fill our ears with the echoes of their shadows. Synths are simply delicious with violent solos which rage as in the time when the rock thwarted the prognostic with audacious guitars. In fact, the more I think of it and I listen to it; the flavors of psychedelic rock without borders of Vangelis are well and truly present on this Earth Albedo 0.37.
The saga The Dreaming Void (Part One) accosts our ears with tones of cosmos and with long woosh which seem to want to communicate with us. Corridors of sounds parade between our ears (here the wearing of a headphone is highly advised) as well as some long strands with stroboscopic effects ripped by an eater of sounds. The rhythm which follows is built on flowing oscillations which wind the space at speed big V, crossing waves of sounds and taming a thick cloud of intersidereal tones. A lively rhythm which oscillates now with fury, harmonious synth solos which are sometimes even spectral, multi-sound effects and stormy sequence; The Dreaming Void (Part One) is the true reflection of the THE DREAMING VOID dimension. The structure evolves in speed and in the wealth of sounds to reach a movement of staccato wild which strikes a first reef of tranquillity before exploding again, as a thick cloud of centipedes on acid which feed on the fury of the solos from the tandem Briançon/Grall. Very different, The Dreaming Void (Part Two) adopts the delicious structures of Edgar Froese in Stuntman. The rhythm is fluid and the solos are majestic from a synth loaded with fragrances of guitar. This is big EM which doesn't stop to charm, especially with Ode to a Shiny Star (for Léa) which is doubtless the most melodious title, and the most accessible also, of this album with an electronic air very French School which goes into our brain and which remains hung on very well. But here is, it's already finished!
Wonderful, daring and unique, THE DREAMING VOID is a deserving successor of Journey Through the Analog Adventure and shows beyond any doubt that Kurtz Mindfields is far from being a flash in the pan. This is wonderful EM which is stamped by this seal which will cross ages when the next generations will be interested again in the analog EM. Like today. Yes! Wonderful, audacious and unique at the height of the legends! And it's rather rare nowadays.
Sylvain Lupari (June 16th, 2016) *****
Available at PWM Web Shop