“Here's a very pleasant surprise with this album that offers us a great cosmic journey from start to finish”
1 Geradeaus bis zum Morgen 5:31
2 Augenblick und Ewigkeit 6:06
3 Das Prinzip der Fluechtigkeit 7:16
4 Heilende Warheit 3:38
5 Der Satz vom Widerspruch 5:31
6 Der Nebel des Ungefaehren 6:10
7 Anspruch und Zumutung 3:31
8 Nostalgie und Sehnsucht 8:26
9 Krater der Möglichkeiten 8:52
10 Glückliche schwarze Tage 4:24
11 Zweitastengesellschaft 4:13
12 Die Logik des Opferns 10:52
(DDL 74:34) (V.F.)
(Cosmic Rock, EM, Electronica)
I have to admit, this one is quite odd with its protesting and provocative name! However, the music of TRANSKOSMOS is as interesting as that of Martin Stürtzer who extricates himself from the cosmic ambiences of a certain French musician. I needed some research to understand that MIDI-BITCH was actually written M!D! -B!TCH. It is also the other name of Fritz Carraldo and finally that of Fredy Engel, formally keyboardist Sankt Otten. This latest discovery of Cyclical Dreams turns out to be one of its most interesting with a vision of cosmic rock inspired by Jean-Michel Jarre and Martin Stürtzer for the Space Groove and Cosmic Dub side. It's 75 minutes of electronic cosmic rock densely covered with a sound vegetation that fills our ears to the rim.
A line of bass pulsations escapes from this industrial rumble that adorns the post-punk electronic and cinematographic opening of Geradeaus bis zum Morgen. Synth layers cover this bed of static pulsations with a crossing of Vangelis and JMJarre who also inspires the percussive decoration with its percussions under the sign of rattlesnake's tails. Shaken by its convulsive impulses and fed by an interesting fauna of percussive elements, including these haunting tinkles, the rhythm is a good cosmic rock, more catchy for the neurons than the feet. The harmonies are assumed by synth layers which extend in circular rays. A very good title which gives a seductive kick-off to another great discovery of the Argentinian label. Attached to a pulsating bassline, Augenblick und Ewigkeit follows the same tangent of stationary cosmic rock. The sounding revolving headlights of the synth sign a good apocalyptic vision of science fiction. A cinematic texture that we find all around the album. Sparkles, as lively as they are discreet, are at the origin of Das Prinzip der Fluechtigkeit. A bassline spreads its shadow, initiating the metamorphosis of shimmerings that transform into big strobe buzzes. This ambient opening clings onto a synthesized veil whose emotional rise leaves a trail of silently screaming emotions in the sensual movements of this bass line. Playing between rhythm and its ambiences, Das Prinzip der Fluechtigkeit chooses intensity to weave the thread of our emotions. A good Space-Dub! Heilende Warheit is a short title which would tie in well with the atmospheres of a new Oxygene by Jean-Michel Jarre. There are good loopy effects on the synth solos here, as there are Vangelis' vibes.
Ambiences that can be found here in the very aggressive Der Satz vom Widerspruch. Aggressive because of this mass of reverberations which makes a chthonic intergalactic ambience crackle. Its sound radioactivity carries out a transformation which will restore this nobility to these opalescent arpeggios singing the apple to us since its opening. There are voice effects, that we also find in other titles, which get lost in the invading universe of Der Satz vom Widerspruch and its second part which curls on our chills. Der Nebel des Ungefaehren is a superb cosmic rock, catchy with sound pastiches of the synth-pop years. Theatrical with its keyboard chords falling with aggressiveness and ferocity, Anspruch und Zumutung offers an electronic punk rhythm, like Magazine, flowing like a grass snake. Even the voices of cosmonauts are attractive in this short title which does quite its impact placed between Der Nebel des Ungefaehren and Nostalgie und Sehnsucht which is the most complex and atmospheric title of TRANSKOSMOS. Krater der Möglichkeiten offers an opening woven into the vocal effects of Robert Schroeder before blossoming in a good heavy and lively cosmic mid-tempo. Always covered with this dense tonal flora, the track sits on a good pulsating bass line and percussions which give it this bewitching aspect of circular rhythm rolling in the opposite direction of the fluidity of its bass line. A very good track with effects from the Flower Power years. Glückliche schwarze Tage charms us with its debonair hopping gait in a rubbery texture. Zweitastengesellschaft is of the Cosmic Ambient House genre with a psybient veil from another galaxy. Last jewel of this imposing crown of 12 titles, Die Logik des Opferns besieges us with the sound texture of Geradeaus bis zum Morgen in a much slower vision. It's a title without real rhythmic life but propelled by these giant impulses of synth layers. A true cosmic rock hovering with rattlesnakes as travel companions and these synth blades spinning like these rotating headlights announcing a probable human catastrophe.
TRANSKOSMOS is a very pleasant surprise from M!D! -B!TCH who offers us here a cosmic journey from start to finish. The ordering of the titles makes the journey more interesting because Fredy Engel places his ambient structures between rhythms whose variable pitches are a box of surprises. Even after 4 consecutive plays! I really appreciated this album by this artist which is an extension of Jarre going up to Martin Stürtzer and this futuristic psybient universe.
Sylvain Lupari (February 7th, 2021) *****
Available at Cyclical Dreams Bandcamp