NAPRA ReView Volume 10, Number. 5 September/October 1999

This is an album for those willing to just sit and soak it in. Of course, it could be used as relaxing background music, but the soundscapes of this third gallery of atmospheric, minimalist, and sequencer-based music all evoke landscapes or mindscapes as well. Loren Nerell's Alter by Stillwater is a gentle gamelan-inspired Indonesian garden. Dean De Benedictis invites the listener to sit with the desolation Just Outside of Black Rock City, which is "half earth and half sky." When I played Ashley/Story's Poppies for Irene, I said immediately, "These are Dorthy's poppies!" Sure enough, the liner notes let me know that Irene had cancer and this music was composed to complement the morphine. At times the album is a little too minimalist for my particular taste. But other passages such as in Thomas Ronkin's A Lovely Drowning are quietly evocative in the best traditions of impressionist tone poems. ­ AM

Groove Unlimited

The third compilation of ambient and electronic music from Lektronic Soundscapes is an excellent assortment of artists in the genre. Ranging from established names like Ron Boots, Tim Story and Roedelius, to relative newcomers and lesser knowns like Thomas Ronkin and Stratosphere, the CD is a wonderful collage of ambient soundscapes. According to the album, all of the music is new original compositions. So, if you are a fan of the artists on the CD, you apparently won't find these songs elsewhere. Being a self-confessed big Ron Boots fan, I was thrilled with the opener, Sleepless Motions, though Boots' trademark energetic sequences, even a little laid back, are somewhat out of place with the rest of the CD. The stark contrast is apparent as it fades and the solo piano of Tim Story and Roedelius' track begins. Carnickel and Pocketboat is definitely going to appeal more to fans of new age music, less to ambient and electronic fans. It is, however, undeniably beautiful. Equally serene is Temps Perdu?'s Timepool, a gentle electronic floater, with some subtle tribal elements in the latter half of the piece. The blend of sounds is very effective. Sometimes, the fun in compilations is an artist that runs counter to expectations. Loren Nerell's albums have often been influenced by Indonesian music, particularly gamelan music. However, on recent compilations, both Soundscape Gallery 3 and the Hypnos compilation Weightless, Effortless, he explores dark ambient territory. The only hint of his more primitive influences is the occasional chanting heard in the background of Alter By Stillwater. Many different styles within the genre are represented, but the common denominator seems to be high quality, and a willingness to experiment. Of note is Dwight Ashley's track, Denial, a very bold experimental work. It is a disjointed, but fascinating piece of music. Even the most accessible songs on Soundscape Gallery 3 offer a richness and complexity that will greatly reward attentive listening. - Phil Derby

Ujamaa's Ambient Experience Review (currently no longer on line)

Synth Music Direct Review

L'entrepot Review