Cerulean

Artist: Cerulean
P: 2002
This is their second album, a little slicker and to these ears Barker influenced than the first. I suppose the music comes from a dance background with a large dose of trance but it is also melodically very strong. It should be liked by traditional Electronic Music fans as the temptation to deploy the thud bass rhythm is well resisted. All the tracks run into each other to make one hell of a freaky trip. We open with 'Opalescent Eye'. This is not so much a track as an introduction featuring sampled vocals similar to the first number from 'Trikuti'.
Very soon however we are into one of the best tracks either musician has ever had a hand in 'Ingushetia 4A'. If this doesn't get you out of your seat giving it some serious embarrassment bopping around the room nothing will. The rhythms and sequences are infectious as hell and the lead lines are more like laser fire. And then in come the most amazing melodic hooks. Where's my air keyboard - absolutely bloody fantastic!!
Anyone into Asana will simply lap this up. In many ways it could be straight off 'Shrine' but with a few more years experience and added input from Tim.
We blast straight into 'Remote Viewing' the rhythm becoming more bass laden mutating down into almost a growl. A swirling psychedelic melodic sequence makes the whole experience rather trippy, it mutates as we progress gaining power and working itself up into quite a frenzy.
'Ectoplasm' initially slows the pace down. We then get into a rather cool loop full of attitude. A sequence is deployed, travelling at the speed of light, reverberating in and out of the mix. Its one of those tracks I keep expecting to really take off but it doesn't really do so instead progressing through a series of different loops increasing and decreasing in intensity as we go. It maybe went on a little too long.
'Auralise' again features looped rhythms which get into quite a groove. Lovely little melodic touches add detail all the way through. There is particularly nice use made of a sampled Mellotron.
'Moonbather' as its title suggests is a relaxed number with nice pads and a slow loping rhythm. Its back to loops / sequences for 'Shabd Receptor'. Then in come more very Asana type rhythms and melodies, a little like some of the more recent material from 'Archive'. As the track progresses the rhythms really start to kick.
'Daswan Dwar' uses a lovely repeated processed vocal / effect over the most unusual but superb looped sound. In then come the main rhythms. The combination of beats and pulsations is simply stunning. This is another fantastic track using some techniques already deployed on the album but also goes places I have never heard in any form of Electronic Music before and is a resounding success. Play loud!
'Luxurious Light' is straight into a lovely sequence and rhythm combination that will again entice you out of your chair. The melodies are simply brilliant, the strongest on the album. This time I am reminded more of 'Trikuti' rather than 'Shrine' or 'Archive'. The ending is particularly beautiful.

To sum up I would say that on the whole this is a good album which serves up the choicest cuts at the beginning and end.
'Luxurious Light' and 'Daswan Dwar' are outstanding but 'Ingushetia 4A' is simply phenomenal.

DL

Here the last copy!

Artist: Cerulean
P: 1999
Fast electronictracks at the debut of the Asana members.

Here the last copy!