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Synth Music Direct (UK)
'Access to Dreams' is an
excellent way to start the album. Exquisite reverberating, swirling and
pulsating sounds and a looped piano melody echo into the distance as if
calling out, hoping for an answer. The underlying pads get darker and
increasingly ominous as we progress. 'A Quarter of an Hour' lasts,
appropriately, for fifteen minutes! Imaginative title aside though, this is
an excellent track, one of the best on the album. Crackling electronics give
way to ringing tones. The whole feel of the track is shimmering and warm -
like looking out on to a desert landscape. Ethereal pads sigh over the top.
Little cosmic guitar licks float from the speakers like a heat haze. An
excellent thick squelchy sequence starts up (taking me back to Robert's 80s
work) and a steady rhythm comes to join it. The wonderful guitar gradually
becomes a little more strident, taking the lead role but still in a fairly
laid back way. After the half way mark a cracking synth solo replaces the
guitar.
'Data Stream' fizzes into life. Soon a shuffling rhythm picks up the pace
creating quite a groove, lovely little melodies bouncing over the top.
Further rhythm is added. This is really infectious stuff that should get you
beating out time with your hands and nodding pleasantly. Incredibly, if
anything, this track is even better than its predecessor. A delicate melody
floats out then 'Solar Panels' really gets into full swing with looped
percussion and rapid questing sequence. In then comes a slow but powerful
lead line. It's full of wonder but also from time to time a hint of
melancholy or even angry menace. 'Illuminated Signs' and '100% Synthetic'
are pleasant and 'OK' I suppose but not as good as the other tracks on the
album. Personally I would have left them out, as the running time of the CD
would still have been over an hour even without them. 'Dancing Clouds' is
far better than the rather naff title. An excellent rhythm forms a firm base
around which a couple of lead lines shimmer and bounce in a most mesmerizing
manner, coming and going, allowing moody little sonic embellishments to
conjure spells all of their own. Another very fine piece. A melodic bass
line punctuated by solar flare type shimmers gets 'Flying Saucers' underway.
A cool rhythm strikes up, backed by mellotron and the most exquisite of
mournful leads. The beats become increasingly dominant but overall the feel
is still laid back, oozing a subtle beauty and a relaxed calm. We finish
with the title track and it's another one of the very best. From a sea of
cosmic twitters a slow mournful melody emerges. This is underpinned by yet
more ethereal 'tron'. An excellent no nonsense rhythm adds structure. This
develops and really starts to kick providing a superb contrast with the
delicate mellotron and moody lead. What a superb album this is. All those
who thought we had long since heard the best from Robert had better think
again. (DL)
Dave Law, 2007
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