'Sacred Black' is a the most recent album. 'Dawn 1958' is very much that, a track of awakening or growth as it swells and echoed percussion emerges into 'Morning of the earth'. Here slow long layered tones, almost drones, builds and shimmers, strings, very minimal a tapping develops, we drift in pleasure, the tapping builds, there are some twitchy metal noises. There are little animals in the 'Sea of rains', first a scraper whistling one and then a rising song and smaller squeaks that cycle. Big waves of musical hiss wash
as a synth tunes becomes almost carnivalesque then thunders roll providing a sea of pulsing parts, rapid dits, ending with calls in the wind.
At 'The shores of the cosmic ocean' washing waves bring drums and long organ tones and twirls, a low electric piano melody and long synth horns. Deeply resonant, it rises to a semiclimax that twitters before slowly easing. Active, layered buzzing loops and hollow rumbles provide energy to 'Argo navis' with its twangy notes and swelling chords, varying components in a twisted musicality. There is an air of mystery or disorientation in '5am melbourne 1996' as woobly water tones, tinkles, bowed resonances and zingly
metals appear within swirly spacey synths with oblique cyclings and calls. Perhaps Melbourne is the gateway to the burblings whips and tones of the disturbed 'The demon haunted world' with a background of emerging cries. Finally, 'Returning home' takes us into a relaxed world of long tones and guitar playing rhythm loops and melodies.
This set has a second disk containing a videoclip of 'Dawn 1958' featuring polygons emerging from a billowing colour eruption as stars drift by a nice addition to an excellent ambient album.
AM is working in an area where there is a lot of competition, much of it very good - including these. As does any developing artist, he has listened to his influences, absorbed and reconstructed it and created his own sounds that are as relaxing, intriguing and enjoyable as any around. I hope he gets heard because he deserves it.
Jeremy
ampersand@pretentious.net
&
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html
