At the end of 1999 I decided to commit myself to start with new recording-projects from the year 2000 on. Until this moment I was involved in various multimedia productions as a director/developer/cameraman/musician. I strongly felt the desire to start new CD-projects and stuff. Therefore I gave up my regular work I just mentioned, just to concentrate on the new projects.
"The Hidden Files" consist of some material I recorded during the period of 1990 until 1999. I strongly felt these tracks should have "a right" to go public, since I consider them to be tracks, I have a special bond with in various ways.
I also decided to add 4 tracks of "Darwin-The Evolution", which I recorded in 1990 with the "Bollands", because I consider these tracks also to be valuable.
Amazingly catchy electronic pop tunes with more melodic hooks than you can shake a stick at. This is the work of one Robert Pot, a.k.a. Futureworld Orchestra. His music is filled with bright, colorful keyboards in lush arrangements. He says his hero is Tony Banks from Genesis, which is apparent throughout, though emusic fans will also catch wisps of Jarre (cue up the opener, "Games") and latter day Tangerine Dream as well. A range of emotions is demonstrated. "The Beagle" sounds surprisingly majestic, with very good guitar leads. Several mid-tempo energetic pieces are featured, such as "After the Rain" and "Devining-rod," which again features strong guitars laid over the bouncy synths. Perhaps the strongest track is 'Running Water," with its fantastic layer upon layer of Genesis-like keyboards. Where's Phil Collins on vocals? I half expect a vocalist to break out in song at every turn. "The Jungle" even sounds a bit like him on drums.
Occasionally, "The Hidden Files" plays out like a series of jingles or soundtrack snippets, some of the 14 tracks only being a minute or two long.
"Origin of Species" sounds suspiciously close to Vangelis' familiar main theme from "Chariots of Fire." It also suffers from opening with the same harpsichord patch that Edgar Froese got stuck in the down position on his keyboards for about ten years with Tangerine Dream, though of course that's certainly not Robert's fault. After a very strong beginning, the energy falls off a bit toward the middle numbers, but things do pick up again quite nicely in the later going. Prog fans should be in heaven with the big, sweeping keyboards and drums that build to a crescendo in "Crickets Theme." Also good is the somewhat quirky "Atmosphere," which plays with a simple alternating set of chords amidst some unusual frenetic rhythms in the middle section.
Very majestic, bright piano finishes things off in good grandiose fashion with "Mountains."
