CROWS LABYRINTH - NEON SCENES II: ECHOES OF THEN


Crows Labyrinth is the name of Dutch musician Theo Tol. On previous releases he created his 'ambient cinematic soundscapes using solely bass guitars and effect processing'. Neon Scenes II: Echoes Of Then is a bit different: this time, the lead and bass sounds are sourced from Arturia's Analog Lab. Like on its predecessor, Neon Scenes I: Granular Dreams, Tol deliberately focuses on the use of synthesizers in generative compositions.


For Neon Scenes II, he asked himself "what would happen if [I] combined Brian Eno's method of creating music using chance, probability, and serendipity with the sonic world of 1980s cyberpunk science fiction soundtracks?"The answer can be heard in the 30-minute version of this generative project, which theoretically could last forever.


With its Vangelis-like synth sounds this music could have been the background score for the original Blade Runner. If you listen closely, you'll hear the gentle sound of rain in the background, which greatly enhances the 'Blade Runner - atmosphere'. You'd almost expect Rutger Hauer to step in with his famous quote: "all those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain".
At the same time, the piece has the gentle, unhurried quality of generative ambient compositions (like Eno's): like a river or like the waves of the sea: always changing but at the same time always the same. Mission is successfully completed!


The 30-minute version is the center piece on this album, but a Single Version (3:57) and a Meditation Version (9:43) are also included in the digital download.


Neon Scenes II: Echoes of Then by Crows Labyrinth








RICK SANDERS - THE ARROW OF TIME


Also from the Netherlands is Rick Sanders, an electronic music producer from Nijmegen. His music 'is a mixture of ambient, cinematic and generative music with his modular synthesizer systems as the main instrument'. It may be an odd coincidence, but the music on The Arrow Of Time perfectly matches with the Crows Labyrinth release mentioned above.


Sanders has previously released five albums on the Nobeat Music label, which I assume is his own. The Arrow Of Time is released on Dronarivm, which is a good indication of the musical quality.
It's a short (only 24 minutes) mini-album that nevertheless gets a 'special edition treatment': the 3"CDR cmes in a cardboard box with an additional artwork inlay, two cards, a 17th century celestial map, and a set of mechanical inserts (gears, metal balls, light diodes).The bad news is that it's only an edition of 50, which is probably sold out when you read this. (I'm sorry, I was away on a short holiday).


But don't let that stop you from checking out the digital version: also without its luxurious packaging this music is very much worth listening!


The Arrow of Time by Rick Sanders

--- originally published on Ambientblog ---

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