Global Communication - 76 14

[abasio]

Global Communication

76 14

Dedicated

1994

 

Tracklist

 

1. 4 02 (4:02)

2. 14 31 (14:31)

3. 9 25 (9:25)

4. 9 39 (9:39)

5. 7 39 (7:39)

6. 0 54 (0:54)

7. 8 07 (8:07)

8. 5 23 (5:23)

9. 4 14 (4:14)

10.12 18 (12:18)

 

I came across this release in a second hand store & liked the cover & the fact that all the tracks were (probably I though & was right) named only after how long they were. I had no expectations of the album which probably helped me be completely blown away by it. Really cool journey like music that you can get really lost in.

Use your imagination - Numbers are chosen to identify separate tracks because 'names' tend to bias the listener by pre-defining images, places and feelings. This gives the listener the freedom of imagination to derive whatever he/she wishes from the music. Hence track run-times are given in place of track titles.

Little did I know how right this would turn out to be, as this is very descriptive music and without the distraction of a track title my mind conjures up it's own twisted vision of each track.

 

1. 4 02

A very soft but dark intro here, the atmosphere is instantly set in a dark medieval forest somewhere with a full moon slowly being obscured by the dark clouds overhead. Very moody stuff.

2. 14 31

Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock. the sound of a clock with waves in the background & sounds falling out of the sky lead into a melody on the piano. This is one of the most awe inspiring melodies out there. the simplicity of the sounds yet the depth of the composition is incredible. One of the best tracks I've heard in years. From 1996 yet I've just discovered this. It stays in my mind long after I've heard it. When I fall asleep listening to it, it gives me dreams of adventures that don't go anywhere. The progression of the track is like a walk through the woods, the day is new but the sun is not penetrating the tops of the trees. It's bright but dark at the same time & always moving. Avery story like track & at 14 minutes and 31 seconds I find it just too short. This could go on a lot longer & still be amazing. It draws you in and keeps you there.

 

3. 9 25

Soft muttering like that of many people at once inside my head, multiple personalities vying for attention. The ambient drone in the background builds into a spacey atmosphere & the melody is light & bright. There is a beat in this track. A good old 90's beat that just manages to trip along into itself & into the mind. Very intricate & well done, it doesn't dominate the track & it still manages to feel ambient in nature, just with more of a kick.

 

4. 9 39

Darker still, a cold intro full of menace, dark drones in the background & sounds of a cold wind breezing through the night air. Picture a cold dark estate at night with no activity, not even a light on. Just the dim outlines of the buildings and the park. The menace remains through the track but always stay in the periphery.

 

5. 7 39

Another percussive track. Quite heavy intricate beats again, shuffle nicely & trip along into the cerebral cortex. Very 90's as you'd expect from something in the nineties but like the rest of the album there is something that definitely seems like it was ahead of it's time.

 

6. 0 54

Static communication in a languages I don't speak! Very very trippy as a lot of the voices are put on echo. The Japanese one that I can understand is the trippiest of them all due to the weirdness of the sample.

 

7. 8 07

Beaty again, with such a huge bassline that is sinister & melancholic at the same time. Like hankering for your past life of sin. Like remembering your time in the trenches or medieval philanderings. When the melody comes in it really roots the feeling in the latter choice with the bassline making it feel like you are on the sharp end of the spear.

 

8. 5 23

Seamless into this track, it could easily be a continuation of the previous one. The melody is very similar & the beats have as much energy. There is a small roll of the beats though & the melody becomes a much more punchy one. Striking out each not with force. The overall feeling though is the same & the deep dark bassline is very much as sinister as the last track. This must be part 2 to whatever the last one was meant to be, or at least it is in my mind. I suppose that's what they wanted. Us to explore & define the music ourselves.

 

9. 4 14

A pretty minimal piece here, compared to the rest. There is no real melody just some half melody, half percussion sounds floating around. Other than that & some ambient background noise there is nothing else yet it is strangely compelling. Occasionally an oscillating sounds warps about & all in all it's a rather enjoyable track.

 

10. 12 18

We finish with a long deep track that you can get lost in. The lost soul voices, the long drones, the hint of melody all drags the mind down into the deep depths of the inner soul.

Although that is it in terms of description, the track is not boring despite the 12 minutes this goes on for. The sound which to the casual listen my stay the same throughout does change bit by bit throughout the duration, building & dropping & building & dropping again. When the bass is powerful it seems so deep & when the bass leaves you feel the emptiness of the space it left behind. A great way to end a great album.

 

 

This is a must have in any ambient lovers collection. It may be a milestone, I don't know. In 1994 I was only into the more upbeat side of Psychedelic music but I'm sure glad that I came across this gem many years later. The album is gripping, it involves the listener in the story. For each track you have to come up with your own image from scratch, not even a track title to help sway your thoughts so this album is exactly what YOU make of it. What I made of it (this review) may be completely different to what anyone else makes of it. But then isn't that the beauty of this kind of music?

[Oopie]

Is said many times to be the definitive ambient release.

 

The melodies are almost naively positive, really taking you to beautiful places. Although this probably sounds good even the first time around, it's ambient with so much substance it takes many listens to be fully grasped.

 

Just re-released and re-mastered in 2006 with a bonus disc, you shouldn't be without it.

[abasio]

Bonus disc? That Sounds tasty. Is it as good as the original here?

[Oopie]

Bonus disc? That Sounds tasty. Is it as good as the original here?

there are some fantastic tracks on it, I recommend to check it out.

[Rotwang]

Excellent album. Along with Ae's Amber, Biosphere's Substrata and FSOL's Lifeforms, this is one of those ambient albums that everyone should own.

[Bahamut]

Absolutely essential. A timeless classic. This album defines what I consider to be 'chillout' music.

There are no weak tracks.

[greek]

Global Communication

76 14

Dedicated

1994

 

Tracklist

 

1. 4 02 (4:02)

2. 14 31 (14:31)

3. 9 25 (9:25)

4. 9 39 (9:39)

5. 7 39 (7:39)

6. 0 54 (0:54)

7. 8 07 (8:07)

8. 5 23 (5:23)

9. 4 14 (4:14)

10.12 18 (12:18)

 

I came across this release in a second hand store & liked the cover & the fact that all the tracks were (probably I though & was right) named only after how long they were. I had no expectations of the album which probably helped me be completely blown away by it. Really cool journey like music that you can get really lost in.

Use your imagination - Numbers are chosen to identify separate tracks because 'names' tend to bias the listener by pre-defining images, places and feelings. This gives the listener the freedom of imagination to derive whatever he/she wishes from the music. Hence track run-times are given in place of track titles.

Little did I know how right this would turn out to be, as this is very descriptive music and without the distraction of a track title my mind conjures up it's own twisted vision of each track.

 

1. 4 02

A very soft but dark intro here, the atmosphere is instantly set in a dark medieval forest somewhere with a full moon slowly being obscured by the dark clouds overhead. Very moody stuff.

2. 14 31

Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock. the sound of a clock with waves in the background & sounds falling out of the sky lead into a melody on the piano. This is one of the most awe inspiring melodies out there. the simplicity of the sounds yet the depth of the composition is incredible. One of the best tracks I've heard in years. From 1996 yet I've just discovered this. It stays in my mind long after I've heard it. When I fall asleep listening to it, it gives me dreams of adventures that don't go anywhere. The progression of the track is like a walk through the woods, the day is new but the sun is not penetrating the tops of the trees. It's bright but dark at the same time & always moving. Avery story like track & at 14 minutes and 31 seconds I find it just too short. This could go on a lot longer & still be amazing. It draws you in and keeps you there.

 

3. 9 25

Soft muttering like that of many people at once inside my head, multiple personalities vying for attention. The ambient drone in the background builds into a spacey atmosphere & the melody is light & bright. There is a beat in this track. A good old 90's beat that just manages to trip along into itself & into the mind. Very intricate & well done, it doesn't dominate the track & it still manages to feel ambient in nature, just with more of a kick.

 

4. 9 39

Darker still, a cold intro full of menace, dark drones in the background & sounds of a cold wind breezing through the night air. Picture a cold dark estate at night with no activity, not even a light on. Just the dim outlines of the buildings and the park. The menace remains through the track but always stay in the periphery.

 

5. 7 39

Another percussive track. Quite heavy intricate beats again, shuffle nicely & trip along into the cerebral cortex. Very 90's as you'd expect from something in the nineties but like the rest of the album there is something that definitely seems like it was ahead of it's time.

 

6. 0 54

Static communication in a languages I don't speak! Very very trippy as a lot of the voices are put on echo. The Japanese one that I can understand is the trippiest of them all due to the weirdness of the sample.

 

7. 8 07

Beaty again, with such a huge bassline that is sinister & melancholic at the same time. Like hankering for your past life of sin. Like remembering your time in the trenches or medieval philanderings. When the melody comes in it really roots the feeling in the latter choice with the bassline making it feel like you are on the sharp end of the spear.

 

8. 5 23

Seamless into this track, it could easily be a continuation of the previous one. The melody is very similar & the beats have as much energy. There is a small roll of the beats though & the melody becomes a much more punchy one. Striking out each not with force. The overall feeling though is the same & the deep dark bassline is very much as sinister as the last track. This must be part 2 to whatever the last one was meant to be, or at least it is in my mind. I suppose that's what they wanted. Us to explore & define the music ourselves.

 

9. 4 14

A pretty minimal piece here, compared to the rest. There is no real melody just some half melody, half percussion sounds floating around. Other than that & some ambient background noise there is nothing else yet it is strangely compelling. Occasionally an oscillating sounds warps about & all in all it's a rather enjoyable track.

 

10. 12 18

We finish with a long deep track that you can get lost in. The lost soul voices, the long drones, the hint of melody all drags the mind down into the deep depths of the inner soul.

Although that is it in terms of description, the track is not boring despite the 12 minutes this goes on for. The sound which to the casual listen my stay the same throughout does change bit by bit throughout the duration, building & dropping & building & dropping again. When the bass is powerful it seems so deep & when the bass leaves you feel the emptiness of the space it left behind. A great way to end a great album.

 

 

This is a must have in any ambient lovers collection. It may be a milestone, I don't know. In 1994 I was only into the more upbeat side of Psychedelic music but I'm sure glad that I came across this gem many years later. The album is gripping, it involves the listener in the story. For each track you have to come up with your own image from scratch, not even a track title to help sway your thoughts so this album is exactly what YOU make of it. What I made of it (this review) may be completely different to what anyone else makes of it. But then isn't that the beauty of this kind of music?

[Redington]

It's definitely a wonder album. Kind of interesting that the names of the songs are named after the duration of each individual song.

 

14:31 and 12:18 are probably my favorites.