“This is a solide album built with welcoming melodies on androgynous rhythms”
1 Out of Silence 8:50
2 Hymne de la Lune 8:15
3 Genesis Device 14:18
4 Illusion 10:33
5 Orbit Number 2 10:12
6 As Time Goes by 6:39
7 Antagonism 7:16
8 Haka (Boot from Moon Mix) 9:01
(CD-r/DDL 72:38) (V.F.) (Techno, EDM, Berlin School)
From Syngate to MellowJet Records, Moonbooter has evolved. More aware of the impact of his music on his new label, he presents a first opus which combines the sonic strength of a wild EM with a sense of dance on melodious sequences.
Sound effects of a boiling cosmos open the first chords of Out of Silence. Bernd goes straight to the point by offering an opening title structured on ever growing rhythms, overlapping a progressive and aggressive techno on nice and very harmonious layers. Percussions and sequencers animate an ambience with lively pulsations on an ascending rhythm, interspersed with good harmonious and catchy sequences. Hymne de la Lune is more hammering with a good bass line and metallic percussions on a floating synth. An interesting musical paradox that captures both the hearing and the feet on techno phases streaked with floating lunar moments, showing the taste for risk in Bernd Scholl. Like on the opening track, the sequences are sublime and twirl with hesitation, creating an effect of jerks, dragging a catchy aria to the harmonies of a synth with melodic phases. Genesis Device brings us into the nebulous universe of a cosmic world with vocal samplings. The movement is slow like a slow spatial waltz. Gradually, the mellotron synths become more harmonious, contrasting with the strobe approach of a syncopated bass which brings a first rhythmic phase. A good hesitant moment where the harmony ponders between two parallel universes before the rhythm becomes more explosive. A very good track which transcends EM towards more techno territories. Illusion presents an intro with very restrained musical impulses. A nicely blown melody hesitates to come out of its shell to finally free itself around the 4th minute. The impulse embraces a jerky sound wave which turns into a frenzy of percussions lulled by a fluty synth. A collection of nice tracks which continues with the sweet Orbit Number 2. Suave and fluid, it retains its jerky nature in a universe veiled by a misty piano, very melancholic synth layers and constantly progressing rhythms up to reach a rhythmic nirvana. As Time Goes by is particular with its rhythm in the form of a sound clock. A creative title with harmonies and a constant rhythmic progression, always topped with enveloping mellotron synths. Antagonism begins with a fluid intro with rolling percussions. The rhythm is difficult to identify and enveloped in a striking fluty aura. A beat between two worlds on sensitive and bewitching music, a bit like Orbit Number 2. Haka is an infernal remix of a track by Erik Seifert on Maori tribal rhythms.
ORBIT NUMBER 2 is not completely completed! Bernd Scholl invites you to use your PC to listen to 3 extra tracks, in 192kbps MP3 format, for a duration of 23 minutes. Core (Space Mix), a longer version of Free for Dawn and a Orgasmik (memory dub mix). Titles with cosmic movements which are buried in unbridled, jerky and syncopated rhythms where techno and stroboscopic movements are obsessed with synth's uncrossed and mellow movements. Despite appearances, Moonbooter does more than just music with frenzied rhythms, ideal for Trance and dance floors. It's a music reflected between rhythms and ambiences, creating a bewitching paradox because of the massive uses of enveloping and fluty synth pads, thus increasing the quest for the senses. ORBIT NUMBER 2 is a very good album, built on good synth layers with welcoming melodies on androgynous rhythms.
Sylvain Lupari (October 30th, 2007) ***½**
Available at Mellow-Jet Records