“Qieter than its previous chapter, E-Scape 2016 is yet another great compilation from this label which always aims the excellence”
1 First Things First (Modal Electronics 002 Demo)-Barry Neilsen 3:56 2 Constellation-Translunar 5:35 3 What Oak Trees Remember-The Glimmer Room 8:09 4 Deaf Four Longer-Stephan Whitlan 11:39 5 Breath (Modal Electronics 002 Demo)-Barry Neilsen 3:51 6 Incognito-Ian Boddy 9:14 7 Flying Over (Instrumental Mix)-Andy Pickford 7:03 8 On the Edge of Existence-Bernd
Kistenmacher 7:16 AD Music | AD170CD
(CD/DDL 56:43) (V.F.) (England School-Cinematographic Ambient)
The next E-Scape festival is coming on next Saturday and, with the aim of putting our ears in appetite, AD Music puts on the market a compilation album which includes unreleased music by the artists who will be present at this festival that will take place in The Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth, England, on June 11th of this year. First analysis! The music on E-SCAPE 2016 is clearly more ambient, more ethereal, than on the first E-Scape on 2015. Second analysis! Another excellent compilation structured well with half a dozen of EM jewels.
Barry Neilsen, who won't be at the festival, opens the ball with the much ambiospherical First Things First (Modal verb Electronics 002 Demo). An unknown artist for me, the press review underlines with good reason the influence of Vangelis on Barry Neilsen's very cosmic synth layers impetus who offers though an approach clearly more in the Vangelis cosmic style and with a more dramatic touch with the quiet and dark Breath (Modal verb Electronics 002 Demo). We like? We can discover his skill and music on You Tube! The fact remains that this quiet First Things First (Modal verb Electronics 002 Demo) sets the tone to a fiery electronic rock from Translunar. Another artist who was unknown me, Translunar is apparently inspired by Jean-Michel Jarre and Andy Pickford. Very lively, Constellation is a nice surprise with its oscillating loops which bicker with some good febrile percussions in a rather cosmic ambience. The rhythm is contagious and adorned by a good rather vampiric melody weaved in a sober but very effective synth with an electronic dialogue which separates the melodic current. We hook to it right away. And it's with a great pleasure that I finally hear some new music from my friend Andy Condon. The one who marked my life forever with the huge I Remain comes back from a too long absence with a wonderful title which wears The Glimmer Room's very unique signature. What Oak Trees Remember is a monument of hopelessness my friends! Some little bit gloomy and austere breezes of synth spread a climate of somber melancholy while jingles are draining the precision of a metronome. Tears of keyboard are sculpting these fragmented ghostly melodies, so dear to this climate of The Glimmer Room's greyness, which pierce the veil of sadness of the synth breaths of which the slow momentums draw an ethereal waltz. The perception of a big oak which remembers a green flora is omnipresent. So much as we find this oak's smile on our face when the sun irradiates now the atmospheres with a beautiful chant of flute which draws the stream of a soft river of which the purity of waters dances with the sunbeams. Beautiful and striking! I hope for a suite and especially for The Glimmer Room's new album.
Quiet is this E-SCAPE 2016! Deaf Four Longer adopts the curves of serenity from What Oak Trees Remember with a very nice ambiocosmic introduction where the chants of the synth are rocking as much our ears as the stars which crumble their cosmic chirping. This delicate dreamlike lullaby is fading at the edge of the 4th minute whereas Stephan Whitlan enriches a structure of rhythm with sequenced keys which jump at unison and answer to their shadows in a structure of rhythm as lively as heavy. The synth frees some rather spectral but harmonious solos, a little like Martenot waves but in a melodious and lively spirit. This rhythmic race also fades out after 4 minutes where Deaf Four Longer recovers its spirits in a more atmospheric climate. This is great England School stuff here. After the Dantesque and Vangelis' style Breath (Modal verb Electronics 002 Demo), Ian Boddy offers us a title which is in the purest tradition of Arc/Redshift repertoire, Mephistophelian shadows in less. The uncertain rhythm pounds gropingly in the tumults of metallic percussions before taking more steady impulses which are of use as base for a ghostly melody of a keyboard and of its light chords. It's is another great moment of England School which could do ravage in an Arc or Redshift concert. Even if I have a notorious weak for the music of The Glimmer Room, Ian Boddy and Bernd Kistenmacher, the palm of the most beautiful track of E-SCAPE 2016 goes undoubtedly to this Andy Pickford's splendid ballad, Flying Over (Instrumental Mix). A title which nested on the Jera album in 2012 , it's remixed here (I imagine without words) with a magnificent singing of cosmic sirens which would have even to divert the fate of Ulysses. Superb! My soft and romantic side would want dozens more like that. Bernd Kistenmacher concludes this great compilation from AD Music with a dramatic symphonic title which is at the greatness of his recent works. Deprived of rhythm, On the Edge of Existence remains not less intense with a musical envelope which digs a little in the repertoire of Celestial Movements and of Paradise. This is some solid Kistenmacher in a strong compilation of which every second is thought well. I look forward to hearing this E-Scape on 2016 in its virtual format. You have your ticket?
Sylvain Lupari (June 10th, 2016) ****½*
Available at AD Music