Dweller at the Threshold

Artist: Dweller at the Threshold
P: 1998
This is really one long piece divided up into what is described as movements which map to fifteen tracks - all coming in under six minutes. There are noticeably different moods between the "Generation" (parts 1-7), "Transmission" (parts 1-4), and "Illumination" (part 1-4) tracks. The "Generation" tracks are quite desolate overall and the sequences often makes you think of how electricity and alien devices might sound, it's like wandering through a massive strange machine. "Transmission" in contrast is lighter in mood and conveys the energy of something being transmitted striving to reach its destination. Finally, the "Illumination" tracks are rather pensive, especially "Illumination Part 2" which has a reverbing synth that repeatedly stamps onto the soundscape as drones and washes provide the continuity of sound.

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Artist: Dweller at the Threshold
P: 1996
This album could be considered as one long piece of several movements, it's actually split into ten tracks but these merge seamlessly into each other. Like some other retro groups (Free System Projekt come to mind) their music is ambiguous in the sense that it could be considered an exploration of inner (one's mind) or outer space. Most of the tracks create atmosphere with disquieting drones and synth effects, one that stands out is "The Revealing Spiral" where we also hear voice effects combined with a bell sound to make an unusual toll. Sequencing is also used in places, with it highlighting in "Event Horizon" where the sequence builds up to become an urgent repeating refrain before eventually giving way to a bright denouement of reverbing synth.

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Artist: Dweller at the Threshold
P: 2001
OUROBORUS by Dweller at the Threshold is the first Binary release by a group whose members include Dave Fulton (whose collaboration THE MOST DISTANT POINT KNOWN with Hypnos founder M Griffin was released on Hypnos, to much acclaim, in 2000), Paul Ellis (whose solo album INTO THE LIQUID UNKNOWN is the Binary label debut, also released this month), and John Duval. The first Dweller album, NO BOUNDARY CONDITION (released on Eurock) had a stronger Tangerine Dream influence, but the group has since moved further into deep, deep space. Though some measure of digital technology is in use here, one of the features identifying Dweller's sound is the heavy use of analog modular synthesizers. Fulton relies heavily on a refrigerator-sized bank of Doepfer modular synths and a Synthesis Technologies (MOTM) system, while Duval uses "The Fist of God," a massive Serge Modular system.   The use of all this expensive, esoteric analog synthesis gear is no mere "synth geek's vanity" -- the sound of Dweller at the Threshold possesses a character and clarity that would simply not be possible with modern digital synthesizers. An audience member at a recent DATT concert in Portland was overheard afterward saying "I haven't heard something that good since Tangerine Dream was young." That isn't to say that Dweller intends to mimic the German synth music greats -- just that their sound has enough substance to thrill even the most jaded e-music fan.

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Artist:John Duval
P: 2003
Hell's Canyon is the solo debut of John Duval, member of Binary's own Dweller at the Threhold. Created entirely with Duval's massive array of modular synthesizers (a wall of electronics dubbed "the Fist of God") Hell's Canyon is an abstract, deep-space exploration of pure electronics. With all these analog synthesizers involved, of course there's an element of the "classic EM" sound, but this is not a retro, "Berlin school" composition. Closer comparisons would be Robert Rich's Bestiary album (another abstract, pure modular synth piece), or perhaps even the deep-space excursions of Hypnos's own Viridian Sun.

All performances ere are by Duval himself, but fellow Dweller at the Threshold member Dave Fulton edited, assembled and mastered Duval's original tapes into a sonically refined and cohesive recording.