VA - Collection 1 : Opening

[abasio]

Collection 1 : Opening

Databloem

2002

Ambient

 

Tracklist

1. The Circular Ruins - Aperture: A lesson in cosmology

2. Mutagene - A Borrowed Skin

3. Spheroid - Imbedded Neptune

4. Kwook - KwookyWorld

5. The Civilised Electrons - Encounter (In an unexplored nebula)

 

This is the 1st CD I got from Databloem, an experimental ambient label recommended to me by a friend. It's not an easily accessible label, it takes some time alone with the music to fully appreciate it but this collection is probably one of the easiest to get into.

It's a collection of 5 monster tracks all around a quarter of an hour long. All are very spacey & ambient, varied but all complementing each other.

 

If you are ready to take a horizontal journey among the stars of your inner universe then lie back, turn of the lights & let yourself fly

 

1. The Circular Ruins - Aperture: A lesson in cosmology

Vast & spacey, hints of beats without any beats, quick soft synths all over a massive spacey drone. Lots of psychedelic noises bleep away in the background like new born stars. The beats come in as the mass of noise leaves & we're left feeling more minimal & more maximal at the same time.

The best thing about this track is that it is given the space & time to evolve without rushing anything. In the evolution we get bits of melody & a moving through space atmosphere. It's a really good opening.

 

 

2. Mutagene - A Borrowed Skin

Minimal techy sounds, a bit like a warning system starts us off. The melody ever so slowly teases in before it gets to the front of the track. Under everything is an initially oppressive sounding drone but the ever so slow beats come in & change the feeling from one of oppression to liberation & the track moves. Again this track is in no hurry to evolve, taking it's own sweet time. The melody leaves & when it kicks back in it's ingeniously done , very nicely structures. This is what happens when you have talent & give yourself nearly 17 minutes to play with. It gets very atmospheric towards the end with very big sounds of wide open spaces.

 

3. Spheroid - Imbedded Neptune

This track picks up where the last one left off, with wide open spaces. It's big & loud and reminds me of a spaceship trying to launch into hyperspace but getting caught between the two realities. My brain fluctuates listening to it, up & down &6 in & out & all around. It quietens down into a less chaotic drone with melodies of soft strings under the fierce solar winds.

This track can sound noisy & random with little structure & less musical elements than the previous 2. A strange feeling with nice little synths.

 

4. Kwook - KwookyWorld

Whoosh! This track takes off & floats up & up! The intro really feels like a rocket launch, busy then serenely floating up, encountering melody & atmospheric conditions as it goes. The melodies change as we pass through them & as we go the try to follow getting more involved the further we go. We fly away but the melodies give chase & there is a more urgent feel now.

After managing to escape we fall down slap bang in the middle of an alien planet. After being greeted by some kwooky creature we are left to marvel at the surrounding alieness. Strange & unnerving at the same time as being wondrous and beautiful. The melody catches up at last & surround the whole planet creating an atmosphere that is hospitable for us music lovers. Very musical ambient.

5. The Civilised Electrons - Encounter (In an unexplored nebula)

Another track that really takes it's time. After the chaos & velocity of the previous tracks this one feels even more relaxed float through space. The melody seems to come from the stars & gives us just a gentle push on our way. Barely disturbing our motion as we ride through the outer regions of the galaxy. The melody evolves but just ever ever so slightly but if you listen closely (which you should) you can pinpoint the change. The change feels like we've entered a new realm, maybe it's the unexplored nebula because it feels like wonderment. I wonder what the encounter will be. It can only be the creator in all his glory, smiling at us as we pass through the end of our journey.

 

 

 

So, anyone into ambient should pick this one up! One of the best ambient compilations I've heard. It's also a great place to start if you are wanting to explore databloem's music.

 

Go get this spacey atmospheric brilliance.