2026 Electronic Journal Vol. 1

John Huling - Open Spaces. 1989 Novox (MC). One of what seems like a million new age / electronic tapes popping up in the late 80s and early 90s. All things considered, this one wasn't too bad, though those early digital tones can be a bit tough to get through. At least he mixes in pan flute, electric piano, bass, strings, bells, etc... The music is of a positive nature and one could see the advertising blurb going something like: "Joyous and uplifting, Open Spaces is full of love and peace." Sure. For the low, low price of $8.99. (9/10)

Delerium - Karma. 1997 Nettwerk (CD). Delerium started their career as an offshoot of Front Line Assembly, and their music was very much in the industrial, dark ambient realms. I personally started with Delerium on Semantic Spaces, a very important CD in my collection, and a story I will tell whenever I get to that album. Only to mention that Delerium had changed dramatically by 1994. By the time Karma had come out, many changes had also occurred in my life, and the album didn't resonate much at all. I kept it for many years before moving it out. Found it again in the quarter bin, and since I never wrote about it, decided to give it another shot. My last rating on it indicates that it was high enough to keep, but I purged it anyway. And that's exactly the conclusion I've derived again. The album is heavily influenced by early Enigma, a sound I was enamored with in the mid 90s, but it was becoming old hat by the end of the decade. Airy female vocals, sexy in atmosphere, Asian and Middle Eastern influenced, with synthesizers and beats. Every track is what I'd consider "good" but there's nothing here that resonates with me. Neither time and place nor an objective wow. Delerium went on to release six more albums, none of which I'd heard, but wouldn't pass up the chance to do so. (4/22)

Synth.NL - AtmoSphere. 2008 Groove Unlimited (CD). It's not everyday you find a Groove Unlimited album here in the American thrift shops. And this one made it to "the bins", so it was 25 cents. I'll buy anything on the label for that price. Hmm... Synth.NL - AtmoSphere. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict this might be an electronic album from The Netherlands. Yea, not a lot of points for originality, right down to the album and song titles. Like with prog metal, the blueprints have been out there for some years, so there's little chance for creativity unless you add in more members and instruments. Klaus Schulze is an obvious influence, but I wouldn't call this a Berlin School album, primarily due to the lack of sequencers. Jean-Michel Jarre might be a bit closer actually. Synth.NL is a pseudonym for a one Michel van Osenbruggen. He probably should have used his own name, it plays well with the European electronic audience. There are extensive academic liner notes about each track, as well as his personal background with electronics. But there's no layout of the synthesizers he's using. I'm hearing mostly digital, with some beats added. Not a lot of analog sounds, and this album most certainly needs some tonal color. Certainly a pleasant listen, though too much of the same thing to enter my collection at this stage. (4/12)

2025 Electronic Journal Vol. 2

*Fripp & Eno - Evening Star. 1979 Antilles (LP) (1975). Much of the ambient electronic genre can be attributed to the early Fripp & Eno albums. No Pussyfooting features more raucous guitar rave-ups from Fripp and clearly was an influence on Richard Pinhas and his future group Heldon. You can also hear Fripp & Eno in the works of many German artists as they moved away from their Krautrock roots into something more serene and surreal. Frequent Eno collaborator Cluster being probably the most well known. Evening Star is more subdued than No Pussyfooting, though no less engaging. The shorter songs on Side 1 even reflect what we hear coming from Jade Warrior during this era, given the Asiatic presence. The side long piece is more Germanic in tone. Deep space like early Klaus Schulze but with searing guitar, similar to a Gottsching contribution. When I get around to putting together a King Crimson page, I'll add these Fripp & Eno albums in there, for a lack of a better page. (12/6)

*Gil Trythall - Luxikon II / Echospace. 1980 Pandora (LP). Now here's something different. Found this at a thrift shop with another album of his, that's actually quite famous. It's called Switched on Nashville (Country Moog) and might be the craziest album I've ever heard. This album is nothing of the sort, a very academic electronic album commissioned by a couple of dance and multi-media companies in Atlanta. You wouldn't miss the front cover, presenting itself like the coolest private album at the record store. The back cover will give you some pause. He looks all the world like your local middle-aged short-haired church organist, sitting behind the Big Moog and a bank of wires. And he's happy. You can't be happy! lol. Actually he was a professor at the University of West Virginia when this was released. In any case, how is the music? It's excellent as it turns out. This is not Klaus Schulze or any of his followers. It's a serious electronic album that changes moods, textures, and rhythms throughout. Not ambient in the slightest. And nothing like Berlin School. Nor Gershon Kingsley. 1980 is a little late to rely heavily on the big Moog, but here is one example. Gets pretty wild on Echospace. Have to keep this one. (12/2)

Hoverkraft - Schwebende Musik. 2021 Special Low Frequency (MC). This tape was recommended to me by my record store partners at What's Left here in Colorado Springs. Hoverkraft is the name of an electronic project headed by Paul Riedi, here under the name of Wolfgang Sebastian Reidl. This appears to be his 5th album using this moniker. Everything is in German, and the album is clearly an homage to early Klaus Schulze, Deuter, Tangerine Dream (Zeit), and the rest of them. Paul Riedl's primary band is Blood Incantation, a highly regarded Denver based experimental death metal group, who mix in all sorts of prog and space rock into their mix. I haven't dug into their material yet, but probably someday will. The What's Left brothers are good friends of the band, and Paul in particular. And Paul's knowledge of the German masters is impressive, more so than one might expect. He's one of my LP customers via the shop, who buys some of my prog albums, though I haven't met him personally. Interesting to note he plays a Moog Prodigy, a synthesizer I once owned and sold to Ron Boots. Schwebende Musik is of the slow build ambient variety, and I find it to be a bit dull honestly. Really wanted to like this, for obvious reasons, but not really my kind of electronik musik. (10/30)

Synergy - Cords. 1978 Passport (LP) clear vinyl. Earlier this year I concluded Larry Fast's second album Sequencer with "I have his next album on LP here in the stacks. We'll see if it fares any better." Hmmm, not really. I figured he'd take a stab at the Schulze / Tangerine Dream sound at some point, but I guess he never did. It's more cinematic (in the traditional sense) and classical oriented. From 1978, this sounds more like a 1985 product, which I suppose should be a compliment. It is high praise from a technology standpoint, but not a musical one. Either they over-pressed these albums, or they sold gobs of copy in their day, as they remain somewhat ubiquitous in the marketplace. I need to lay off future Synergy titles unless I see some solid financial gains. Glad I never pursued these real time in the early 80s, as I'm sure I would have been disappointed. (9/4)

Ned Lagin - Seastones. 1990 Ryko (MC) (1975). I remember this album being something of a big deal when I first started going to record shows in the mid to late 1980s. Seems it was in high demand at the time. I never inquired further once I found out it was Grateful Dead related. I had presumed this album was in their west coast psych meets hippie blues meets country style. I could not have been further mistaken. This is really quite an intriguing release. Essentially it's serious electronic music, closer to Stockhausen than Tangerine Dream. Perhaps Klaus Schulze's Irrlicht could be thrown out here as a comparison. It's atmospheric electronic music of the blip-bleep variety, but very well done. Apparently Lagin, Lesh, and Garcia would perform music like this during interludes of their concerts from 1974. Definitely an academic left turn for a band with no such desires otherwise. Great thrift shop find, though I don't need to keep this. As noted elsewhere, I'll eventually build out a Grateful Dead page and include this. (7/20)

* - Keeping for the collection

2025 Electronic Journal Vol. 1

Synergy - Sequencer. 1976 Passport (MC). For Synergy's debut, I concluded: "Larry Fast's debut is definitely a well put-together album... but there is a bit of pop classical thrown in that is disturbing. If I didn't have racks of music like this already in the collection, I'd probably load up on Synergy. I'll also try his others as I find them, just for comparison. For music such as this, it's surprising how much copy was sold originally here in the States." I could conclude similarly here. For an album named Sequencer, there's a surprising dearth of it presented here. I have his next album on LP here in the stacks. We'll see if it fares any better (Jun).

various artists - Infrasonic Waves Volume II. 1999 Ocher (EP). 7 inch 33 RPM. One of those oddball things you sometimes find at a thrift shop. This short 15 minute plus EP features four bands that I was previously unaware of: Magnetophone, The Groceries, Salome, and Our Glassie Azoth. RYM pins the genres as Space Rock Revival and Post-Rock. I really didn't hear any rock on this. Mostly electronic music. Discogs says Abstract, Experimental, and Ambient, which is more accurate. 15 minutes is about the right length for this kind of thing. I enjoyed it but nothing I need to hold onto. (May)

Waveshaper - Retro Future. 2014 Werkstatt (LP). White vinyl 45 RPM. Found this at the flea market in Albuquerque for a couple of bucks, and it looked intriguing. Waveshaper is Swedish synthesist Tom Andersson and his stock in trade is known as Synthwave. There's an exhaustive description on RYM of what this genre means, and Waveshaper fits hand in glove. But to someone who doesn't live in the micro subgenre world of the 2010's, to me it sounds a heck of a lot like Tangerine Dream circa Le Parc. Upbeat synth music with wedgy 80s styled keyboards. It's a fairly monolithic affair, but it's fun to go back to the 80s like this. Nothing I need at this point, but I can see the appeal. Of note, RYM lists this album as a compilation, but it's not really. Andersson is a modern musician who will record a song and then publish it on a streaming service. Technically this a "compilation" of the "best" tracks according to his fans. But these songs don't exist anywhere else, especially in physical form. (May)

The Orb - Orbus Terrarum. 1995 Island (MC). The Orb is a collective that's been in and around my sphere of interest for many years. Especially in the 90s. They were the house club (or is that clubhouse?) electronic side of the UK Festival Psych movement. And many participants cross-breeded. But I never heard any of their albums until now. Honestly I didn't get too much out of this release. It always seems to be on the cusp of something interesting, but never really goes anywhere. It's not ambient and it's certainly not dance oriented (no beats for example). They were a "chill out" group for a lack of a better term. In reading reviews, it seems most of the UK press drubbed this title yet it was welcomed by American audiences. Today on RYM it rates relatively high. I'd call it good and nothing more. I'll definitely continue to seek out titles by them, and there are many. (Jan)

Steve Dougherty - The Journey. 1992 Blue Duck (CD). Dougherty is a Baltimore based electronic musician who describes the album as thus on the back tray: "Using heavy drums, bass and rhythms with electronic effects to form an intense electronic sound." Wow - that sold me! At the thrift shop, mind. So is it all that? Nope, but it's a intriguing effort all the same. The opening track does have quite a bit of percussion and one could see an attempt at the Shrieve-Schulze sessions. In other places Tangerine Dream's Hyperborea comes to mind. Overall it's a bright early to mid 80s styled electronic album. All plusses as far as I'm concerned. The issue is a lack of ideas. There's an enormous amount of repetition, and as the album journeyed on (so to speak) I found myself looking for the fast forward button. Tempted to keep this because of its obvious obscurity, but I think I'll move on from it. Discogs has an entry for the cassette tape (no owners and no wants), so I added this CD. The tape is listed as an EP (because of the silly six song rule), but it's a full length LP for sure. (Jan)

*Monta - Unsuspecting. 2005 private (CD). Found this at a thrift shop in Topeka, Kansas two years ago. Monta are a group from Kansas City and they categorize themselves as "influences of post-punk, new wave, dub, future jazz, abstract funk, space rock, Krautrock, synth-pop and psych rock." Which is fairly accurate if looking for an idea of what it sounds like. I tend to associate music like this with the turn of the century. What we used to call "chill out music". The first couple of tracks did seem more like the early electronic Krautrock experiments (Cluster maybe) with its shimmering electric piano and heavy analog synth textures. It doesn't take long for the beats to show up, but at least they are of the jazzy variety. It's an interesting album for certain and I like the use of real instruments (including guitar). (Jan)

The Presets - Apocalypso. 2008 Modular (CD). Got this for free from a local shop (Dec 2024). RYM attributes these genres to this album: Electro House, New Rave, Electroclash, Electropop, Synth Punk. It's more granular than metal genres! I don't know any of them, but you can still guess what it sounds like. You know those scenes in television shows and movies where they go to a flashy nightclub and a bunch of male and female models are dancing with their collective arms up in the air, looking like they all belong in a cage? This is that soundtrack. I have to admit to really liking the thick wedgy synthesizer tone they obtain, something Wavemaker would have been proud of (hey, I managed to get Wavemaker into a Presets review, not bad eh?). The only problem is - that's about the only sound they use. The vocals will remind you of those 80s synth pop bands like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I think it's overall very good actually. But to get into the collection these days, another one has to go out. It's not that good.

*The Electric Groove Temple - Sequence Me. 1996 Trichone (CD). Collection revisit (Oct 2024). In 2005 I wrote: "The idea of real psychedelic / acid guitar played over synthesized techno music is very appealing to me, and that’s about all there is to say about this one." In reading more about the band, apparently they used all organic instruments, no samples. I couldn't figure out how I ended up with this CD in the first place, having purchased it real time according to my database. The internet preserved the Laser's Edge review of it, and then it became clear. His review is spot on calling out references such as Eat Static and Santana.

Surface 10 - In Vitro Tide. 2000 DiN (CD). What a surprising find! It's not every day that a DiN recording finds itself at a thrift shop in the USA. But it becomes apparent it's another casualty of Independent Records' closing last year as it has their markings on it. There's no way I'm leaving something like this behind. I'll buy it for a couple of bucks without research and figure it out later. So who is Surface 10 anyway? It's a pseudonym for a one Dean DeBenedictus, a Los Angeles based artist who specializes in "IDM". What does that stand for? Intelligent Dance Music. Sure, OK, I'll bite. Essentially Electronic Dance Music (EDM) for those that can't keep a beat. Well that would be me for certain. So it seems useless on the dance floor. Can't imagine my nieces' going much for this. How about for listening? Well, no, kind of annoying honestly. I can appreciate the effort applied, but not sure who the audience for such a thing would be? (Sep 2024)

* - Keeping for the collection

2024 Electronic Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Robert Rich / Steve Roach - Strata. 1990 Hearts of Space (MC). Thrift shop find (Aug). No surprises from two veterans of the ambient scene. Rich brings the percussive elements while Stearns is the master of sleepy electronics. Hit play and doze into dreamland. I can see where cassettes are a good format for this kind of music. Flipping the cassette is the effort needed to get through it all.

x - Jo Anna Burns-Miller - Snow Flower. 1990 Little Pond (MC). From the same thrift shop, but a year ago (Jul). From Portland, Oregon all-about-me Burns-Miller proves to be boring as hell and sleep inducing. Same music on both sides for "maximum relaxation". Snore. This kind of saccharine fluff is exactly why new age music fell out of favor. 

*Suzanne Ciani - Seven Waves. 1982 Finnadar (MC). From the same thrift shop as the Roth tape (Jul). As noted on The Velocity of Love review, I was curious how her debut sounded. And I wasn't disappointed. While very much a product of the early 80's, Ciani loads up on the analog gear anyway  and creates a wonderful soothing album with emulations of "Waves". Keeping this and, as a bonus, it's going for good money these days.

Gabrielle Roth and the Mirrors - Waves. 1991 Raven (MC). Thrift shop pickup (Jul). Here's the other title I bought along with Dancing Toward the One. My suspicion of that album being an "accidental" great work appears to be correct. Here Roth goes all in Tribal, and it's annoying as hell. She seems to know her audience and is far more self-conscious of her image, none of which interests me. Gone are the psychedelic edges. She's trying real hard to be "native American" and it sounds ridiculous. You're better off buying real Native field recordings from the 1950's/1960's on Folkways.

Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats + Live. 2011 Industrial (1979) (CD). Of course this is neither jazz nor funk, and the cover is purposely misleading. Complete dadaist styled music, where the band admits they're not even musicians. It's abstract experimental, minimal synth, industrial type music. There was a lot of this kind of music in the 80s, but Throbbing Gristle were doing this as far back as 1976, so they were indeed groundbreakers. It's musically interesting though not overly compelling for repeated listens. Going to earn you a sideways glance if playing for coworkers. From an antique mall in Hutchinson, Kansas (Oct 2023) (May)

Reuter / Boddy – Pure. 2004 DiN (CD). Collection revisit (Jan). Ian Boddy plays modern synths with sampled mellotron. Markus Reuter is a German “touch” guitarist. Each track is different from the other and all are unique in their own way. Elements of Ash Ra, spacey Schulze, electronica, and Berlin School can be found. But mostly it sounds like nothing I’ve heard. DiN’s mission statement is to provide electronic music between old analog and modern digital. They succeed here. 

Bernard Szajner – Some Deaths Take Forever. 1999 Spalax (1980) (CD). Collection revisit (Jan). Zeuhlish electronic piece. The album is often described as Magma meets Heldon, which is fair, with members from both. However it's more experimental, cold, and predicts the 80s style of electronic. To be discovered, as Musea used to say in their old catalogs. 

* - Keeping for the collection; x - not in RYM

2023 Electronic Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Cluster & Eno. 1978 Sky (1977). I'd never heard this album before, but I've never been a huge Cluster fan beyond a couple of glaring exceptions (especially Cluster II). I didn't get near as much out of this as Eno's collab with Fripp on the No Pussyfooting album. Kind of a drifting ambient album with no obvious highs. Probably would be better on CD, as the vinyl was a bit distracting for me here. I'll check it out again in that medium if the opportunity affords itself. (Dec)

Hemisphere - Inversion. 2000 Groove Unlimited (CD). Collection revisit (Dec). This is the earliest album I've owned from Hemisphere, but this was already their 7th work. Unfortunately one of the duo, Ralf Knappe-Heinbockelt, passed away in 2005 and that was the end of Hemisphere. I kept the album after this (Now) but let go of the next one (Attachment X). I bought this at a time when I was loading up heavily on Berlin School Electronic albums in the mid 2000s. But I don't recall anything about it. Let's see where it takes me. On Inversion, Hemisphere demonstrate a patient, spacious album. The first beats and sequences don't enter in until 3). Darker shades encompass 4). Thorsten Reinhardt's guitar makes its first appearance on 5) but in a subtle manner. The music never really breaks free from there. Overall, Inversion is a moody, oppressive, and somber affair. It's a fine effort, though nothing to distinguish it for shelf space.

Ian Boddy : Markus Reuter : Nigel Mullaney - Triptych. 2001 DiN (CD). Collection revisit (Sep). I think I mentioned before that in 2005 I went a bit crazy on obtaining progressive electronic titles. In some cases I'm glad I did as they are going for small fortunes today (at least in CD terms). This isn't one of the rare ones - but a few on Boddy's imprint are. Nonetheless this is an album I haven't heard since first obtaining it. My scratch off notes from May 2005 say: "I was expecting a more sequencer based affair, but this is an intriguing blend of E-musik sounds. Need more time with it, but a solid effort." So much for giving it more time. Here I am absorbing the album for a second visit. I'm not overly keen on the first two tracks totaling close to 33 minutes. 'Mystertronic' is a sort of electronic jazz fusion mix that doesn't sound very pleasant to my ears. The next 25 minutes are the Triptych triptych lol. These trio of songs are much trippier, and it's easy to get into the groove of 'Second Transmission'. Finale 'Ionosphere' is similar to the Triptych. Gosh if I just didn't already have sooo much music like this already. No nostalgia points either, as it's just one of hundreds buried in the collection that I have little recall of. Going to let it go - hopefully to some buyer who will appreciate it more than I have.

Michael Garrison - Prisms. 1981 Windspell. Bend, Oregon's most famous electronic music. He was there when the town had about 100 people. Haha, not really, but the city has experienced 1,000% growth since he started. Along with Steve Roach and Michael Stearns, Garrison was at the forefront of the American electronic movement of the late 70s / early 80s. This is another album I found for a dollar at the Austin Record Show. Nothing you haven't heard before, with a fine mix of melody and sequencers, all very much from the Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze Berlin School, one that Garrison clearly attended. Maybe a bit cutesy at times, it could have benefitted from a darker atmosphere. Despite being a private press on his own label, Garrison must have sold gobs of copy, as supply remains plentiful. Interestingly, cassette tapes of this same album are far more in demand. (Aug)

*Michael Shrieve / Steve Roach - The Leaving Time. 1988 Novus. Picked this one up for a dollar at the Austin Record Show. Anything on vinyl with Steve Roach is worth grabbing, though surprisingly this one doesn't have much monetary value. The sterilized sound from the beginning is a bit off-putting. However it gets more interesting as it goes, and David Torn's guitar is perfect for recordings such as this. Plenty of sequencers as well. Michael Shrieve was on the world tour of joining famous synthesists in the 80s apparently. Holding onto this one. (Aug)

MAL - Compendium Maleficarum. 1981 Physiocrat. This was part of that box of free records I inherited at the last Colorado Springs show (May). There were a couple in there that I'm sure he had no intention of giving away, but lucky me. There were a lot of these privately released oddball dark albums from the 80s that would show up here and there. Especially as the decade lingered on. Today names like Minimal Synth or Minimal Wave are used. And there's an undercurrent of Goth here too. MAL stands for Michael A. Lucas, a musician from San Francisco. He brings no less than 10 guests to join in for this venture. The music is as dark as the cover and track titles suggest (which are similar to black metal bands like Bathory). With narration/semi-singing throughout. Doomy primitive synths are the primary instrumental sounds, though all those guests add much needed color. It's an interesting listen, but not necessarily compelling. I could see a parallel life where I entered into the underground via albums like this versus heavy metal, and being all-in for these kind of sounds. I know a couple of local guys who will flip when I show this to them. Somewhere between Jean-Baptiste Barriere and SPK is where you'll find MAL. Specialists could pinpoint the sound much better than I. But I can't really relate to albums like this. BTW - I had to look up what a physiocrat is: "A member of an 18th-century group of French economists who believed that agriculture was the source of all wealth and that agricultural products should be highly priced." Who knew?

Pete Bardens - Seen One Earth. 1987 Cinema/Capitol. I first bought this when it came out at Sound Warehouse in Dallas... ...along with Exodus' Pleasures of the Flesh. I remember the girl at the counter commenting on what an interesting pair of albums to buy together. I was already that way in 1987, only 22 years old. I didn't like it back then, and it doesn't do much for me now either. It's just too close to smooth jazz and glossy new age music, though I did find myself appreciating this to a +1 level. But it's still 2 points from a keeper. Found this one for $1 on the last day of the Austin show. (May)

* - Keeping for the collection

2022 Electronic Journal Vol. 1

Synergy - Electronic Realizations for Orchestra. 1975 Passport (LP). I remember hearing Synergy for the first time going back to my initial foray into electronic music in the early 80s while still in high school. Perhaps I was already gaining a bit of snootiness, but this just seemed so cheesy compared to the classy German musicians that I was into. Haha. Well... Larry Fast's debut is definitely a well put-together album, and it's his only feature of mellotron, but there is a bit of pop classical thrown in that is disturbing. If I didn't have racks of music like this already in the collection, I'd probably load up on Synergy. I'll also try his others as I find them, just for comparison. For music such as this, it's surprising how much copy was sold originally here in the States. (Dec)

Tangerine Dream - Frankfurt June 11 1983, Fassbinder Memorial Concert. 2004 Castle. This is the last CD in The Bootleg Box Vol. 2 and it's entirely superfluous. They really should have added a better show. Essentially this is the same concert as Logos with bad sound. And again, completely prescriptive and familiar. This isn't being counted as part of my collection though of course it remains inside the box. Very disappointing end to a great box set. (Oct)

Tangerine Dream - Turn of the Tides. 1994 Miramar (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). As mentioned before, I've made the decision to pickup any and all Tangerine Dream post-Underwater Sunlight if I find them at a thrift shop. I found this along with Rockoon. I didn't write about Rockoon, but it wasn't terrible - had a few decent ideas. Turn of the Tides is similar but better. Plenty of good guitar here though the saxophone addition was never a good idea. It's too adult contemporary for a band like Tangerine Dream. 'Jungle Journey' is the highlight for me, recalling their early 80s efforts. As I will say ad infinitum, just not enough room to keep everything.

*Robert Schroder - Harmonic Ascendant. 1984 Racket (1979) (LP). Continuing on with my irrational love affair with 80s electronic (OK, 1979...) is Robert Schroder's debut. He has a million albums, but this is the first one I've heard. One of the early Klaus Schulze disciple recordings, that Schulze released on his IC imprint. Must have been a big hit in their native Germany, as there are many re-pressings. Wonderful Berlin School, though more melodic than usual and not as sequencer based. Maybe too much vocoder on side 2, though if you've had enough drinks, it starts to morph into something more pleasurable... (Feb) 

Neuronium - Heritage. 1984 Jive Electro (LP). Bought this one when it came out, but didn't survive the 90s purge. Now that I'm reliving my 80s Euro electronic experience, I thought I'd give this one another go. Mostly satisfying though the drum machine here is superfluous, without invention. And I have to admit that A2 is pretty dull. So yea, not the pick of the litter after all. (Feb)

Neuronium - Invisible Views. 1983 Roadrunner (LP). I sense a theme. Yet another repurchase, though I originally bought this one later in the 90s. A little bit better than Heritage, and the guitar is still present. These Neuronium's were part of my long game, but they're certainly enjoyable on the whole. (Feb)]

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Electronic Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Lucia Hwong - Secret Luminescence. 1987 Private (LP). 25 cent find from Independent (Nov). I haven't yet run into any of Peter Baumann's Private label. Same deal, very easy to find as a couch surfer, not so much in the wilds. Unfortunately this is pretty typical New Age music for the era. I'm finding at this point of my life a certain acceptance of the style, but not this variation. Way too pre-packaged for my liking. Same production values as the Haycock. I admit to falling asleep last night almost immediately on each side. Took another scan this morning, but there's just not enough here to make the grade. And the melodies are a bit too much "Asian standard", and seems superficial. How about that cover though? With that title, and her photo, I'm sure it was male fantasy overload for many buyers...

*David Parsons - Himalaya. 1989 Fortuna (CD). Thrift shop find (Nov). Himalaya was really popular with electronic fans when this came out. Audion magazine sung its praises as did other like minded outlets (Eurock also comes to mind). I know of at least one electronic fan who holds this album in the highest esteem. You really have to be in the mood for something like this, but apparently I was. Very soothing and deep ambient. Certainly has Indian / Nepalese undertones as to be expected. 

*Tangerine Dream - 220 Volt Live. 1993 Miramar (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). My attitude towards post Virgin Tangerine Dream has completely reversed in the last year. I'm thinking the Pilots of Purple Twilight box set really set my nostalgia meter to the red zone for this era (and future eras) of the band. And while I have no intention of "loading up", I will certainly not turn a blind eye to any CD or LP I find that I either long gave up on, or most likely, never heard. I saw Tangerine Dream live in 1988 (in Dallas), and contrary to their studio material at the time, the concert was mostly based on their 70s and early 80s work. It was a brilliant show. 220 Volt Live is mostly a spirited set, with raging sequencers (though I don't think they were still lugging around the Modular Moog) and most importantly, Froese wailing on the guitar. I had no idea he was still doing that by 1993! There's a couple of Kenny G styled smooth jazz songs with sax that can easily be skipped over, but mostly this CD came as a big pleasant surprise for me.

Enigma - Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi! 1996 Virgin (MC). Thrift shop find (Aug). When Enigma burst onto the scene in 1990 with MCMXC a.D., it was a new exciting sound. A mix of Gregorian Chants, electronica, and... sex. I was always intrigued by that album, and eventually picked up the CD. My wife has always enjoyed it as well. Upon release, I had a chance to hear their follow-up The Cross of Changes, but it wasn't too much to my liking, and that was really the end of my exploration of Enigma. I wasn't sure what to expect here, but Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi! doesn't take any chances. One can tell they are looking to recreate the magic of the debut. But that idea was good for one album, and the lack of progression here is obvious. It's not a bad album, but very boring without quality songwriting or melodies. It fails to capture the imagination as the debut did. Going through the motions here. Average on the whole.

Michael Stearns - Chronos. 1985 Sonic Atmospheres (LP). With the below two (Aug). Time to calm the nerves before bed. When I think of Stearns, I go right to the 80s and the Hearts of Space label. But his roots are in the 70s. On the back cover you will see Stearns playing the Serge Modular - and it looks all the world like a 70s photo. With that, one would think this to be a Berlin School extravaganza, with thick wedgy analog sequences. It's nothing of the sort of course. This is music for the IMAX theater, and that's the one place where I'm sure it sounds great. As for late night listening, it's best you don't lean too far on the couch, for sleepytime awaits you. Wide open spacious music is what Chronos brings. Other than B1 that generates some rhythm, most of this belongs to the ambient genre. I oftentimes struggle to discern what is good ambient from boring ambient, but I'll split the difference on this one. 

Francois Breant - Sons Optiques. 1978 Egg (LP). Collection revisit (Aug). When I started going to import stores in the 80s, Breant's debut was readily found in a new state. I never did buy the album back then, uncertain it was the kind of underground electronic / prog I was looking for. The cover was hardly inspiring. About seven years ago, a cheap copy came up online, and I nabbed it (2014). The album is almost as I would have imagined it to be, had I not heard it. It's like a compilation of the Egg label at that time: A little Patrick Vian, some Ose, a bit of Michel Magne, some more of Tim Blake and Alain Markusfeld. It's not an electronic album per se, but it's of the ilk. There's some prog movements too. Overall it seems a bit underdeveloped. I liked it enough to keep on initial impact, but this one doesn't have staying power. 

*Tangerine Dream - The Keep. 2020 Virgin (Pilots of Purple Twilight box set). This is the final CD in the box set. I'm going to stick it in here verse a feature (Mar). For many hardcore fans, this lost album was a primary driver in obtaining the box set in the first place. That wouldn't be me, as I didn't even know about it. It's definitely better than The Soldier (also in the box), but compared to their earlier soundtrack works such as Sorcerer and Thief, it's not quite as impactful. Like Thief, The Keep (1983) is another Michael Mann flick, and according to some of the movie reviews I could find, the music overrode the dialog. Maybe a good thing? Musically it sounds more like a Edgar Froese solo album than a Tangerine Dream collective effort. In particular Pinnacles comes to mind here. So yes, very good on the whole, works well as "bonus" material, but I wouldn't move mountains to get it myself. This concludes the Pilots of Purple Twilight listening regimen. Overall, just a super package. Not quite at the level of In Search of Hades (what is?), which had more unreleased material to work with - but certainly as fine a CD set as I have anywhere else in the collection.

---2020

*Gershon Kingsley - Music to Moog By. 1969 Audio Fidelity (LP). Now wasn't this a surprise? I've never seen it before until curating through RT's collection (Nov). As a rule, I usually look up "Moog" albums at the thrifts, as every once in a while they have some worth. I figured this would find itself to our dollar bin, just like most albums such as this. I mean Gershon Kingsley and Music to Moog By do not instill confidence that this is a major score. First thing I noticed is it had significant value. A quick sample to check the condition convinced me to add to the listening box. And that listen happened last night. The music is a mix of covers and originals, and it's a full band effort. The music is strikingly ahead of its time, and there are moments when you wouldn't be wrong in hearing some Krautrock styled sounds. If only there was more psychedelic guitar (there's a little bit), and less covers, then this would have been a monster album. The recording is incredible! The cover tracks are much better than you would initially think, and are highly original. This one is certainly unique.

* - Keeping for the collection