Holmes, Hollan

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2010
"Hollan Holmes is a new name in the genre of ambient music, who recently introduced himself and his music on the electronic music forum Emportal. A DISTANT LIGHT is his a debut, which the composer describes as a deeply spiritual journey and a celebration of exploration. The sonic vehicle is also the driving force for the search for what lies beyond and all that is waiting to be discovered. A DISTANT LIGHT features eight tracks of delightful textural ambient, treated with expert mastering and sonic enhancements by Steve Roach, taking the outcome to an even higher level.
Listening to Hollan's music is an uninterrupted drift into fine crafted and overtly expansive spheres and emotive soundscape worlds, a voyage which is occasionally accompanied by minimal sequencer patterns such as featured on 'Wellspring' and 'Malus'. Even smooth, ethereal atmospheres pass by on the gradually unfolding and elevating 'Mist and Myth'.
A stronger immersive impact surfaces on the gliding 'The Arrival' toward the end of the album, after which the celestial spheres settle down quietly on the closing track 'Twilight'.The cinematic, emotional and deep immersive undercurrents in the textural music (such as displayed on the darker flavored 'Inevitability') also deserve a mention. A DISTANT LIGHT proves to be a job well done. A highly recommended ambient/space release!"

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2022
Inspired by the beauty, power and importance of water, Emerald Waters is both calm and dynamic. Here, a plethora of synthesizers ebb and flow around each other like shifting tides in a sonic mix of Berlin School sequences, traditional melodic structures and emotional chord progressions—all infused into enchanting electronic landscapes.
Using creative sound palettes like the Spectrasonics Omnisphere and Valhalla DSP Space Modulator, Emerald Waters paints natural splendor in cosmic tones. “The River” like its namesake, is both restless and restful. A rippling sequencer entwines with a triumphant bassline to capture the constant motion of the current while a spritely melody evokes fractals of sunlight scattering across water. In another track, “Leviathan” is an ascent from the depths; first, a rumbling like a storm on the ocean floor, and then a swirling arpeggiation uncoils and rises, yielding an airy melody that gives a glimpse of the surface. Such is the nature of Holmes’s inspiration where even flowing water through arid lands suggest a deep, imaginative experience that explores a universe of spatially evocative sound.
One fleeting moment inspired Emerald Waters: as Holmes, while driving across a bridge in Del Rio, Texas with his father, was suddenly transfixed by the creek below. He recalls: “The water was gin-clear and possessed all the colors of the blue and green spectrum. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. That ten seconds stuck with me my entire life.” Holmes—who has since developed a reputation as a serious fine artist, visually and musically—has reconnected to that same creek and the watery mystery it implied, summoning forth a life-long sense of its power and significance, both in his life and ours. Emerald Waters celebrates water, the greatest natural resource on our planet, for all its necessity and majesty. 

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2015
With "Incandescent", composer Hollan Holmes has delivered an excellent album that even beats his previous gem "The Spirits of Starlight". Mr. Holmes dedicated the album to the late Richard Burmer, who he admits had a profound influence on musical road taken since entering the electronic music domain in 2010 with his debut "A Distant Light". With the experienced Chad Kettering again in charge of the mastering, this newbie kicks off with three sequence-oriented, Berlin School-esque compositions with a slight minimal hook that all shift to a higher gear followed by evocative, textural soundscapes in a slower mode making up the other six tracks, making up an exciting 67-minute sonic journey with lots of cosmic cinematic flavors. The sequence-pattern of "Letting Go" doesn’t stray far from TD’s "Love on a Real Train", while the nice, overtly lush piccolo-like riff gracing the end of "Valley Of The Rocks" makes an honest bow to Richard Burmer.A track like "Interstellar Lullaby" is a gracious symphonic outing with anthemic hints sending shivers through my spine while I had to shed a few tears when "The inevitability of change" passed by. The deep end of things arrives in the last two pieces, where intriguing cloudscapes gather and spiral onward most gentle. It’s a thrill to dive into the high-quality content of Hollan’s fifth album, ride its captivating and sparkling sound waves, being captured by its intrinsic drive, awe and wonder along the various in-depth spaces/moodscapes it addresses. What a joy to play this stuff on a HQ audio system makes the most impression if you immersive the full outcome with quality headphones. Hats off to this talented composer for this most impressive and enchanting result that I’m sure will please (if not blow away) many ambient/space fans out there.
Bert Strolenberg
 

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2020
Energetic and passionate album that delivers a fresh and flawless take on the timeless art of synth-based soundscapes. Acclaimed electronic musician Hollan Holmes makes his Spotted Peccary label debut with MILESTONES, his seventh album of dynamic sequencer-driven synthesizer explorations. Celebrating significant moments along the arc of time, Milestones is an energetic and passionate album that delivers a fresh and flawless take on the timeless art of synth-based soundscapes. On Milestones, Holmes transmits an engaging set of ten impassioned electronic compositions influenced in part by the Berlin school of synthesizer music and traditional space music. Interweaving strains of melody and counterpoint slip gracefully through an intricate network of kinetic rhythms, pulsing tones and spiraling musical spaces on a mind-expanding journey from one spellbinding sonic landmark to the next. Shimmering and floating, dynamic patterns of sequencer-spun urgency eventually give way to lush atmospheres and glowing textures before taking one more giant leap into the next compelling sound immersion. Rich with captivating depth and vibrant energy, the music is sure to engage the mind and and excite the ears, touching each listener in moving and meaningful ways. Hypnotic, powerful, and alive with emotion, Milestones is a sonic wonder - a watershed moment in the continuing evolution of Hollan Holmes' electronic musical adventure.

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2013
In Euless, Texas, located deep space traveler Hollan Holmes returns with his 3rd album, as usual released on his own during March 2013 and again, just like with his previous "The Farthest Fringes" and "A Distant Light" albums, elegantly designed and packaged in glossy 6-panel disc eco wallet. Both above works were highly applauded and now "Phase Shift" is here to confirm huge composing potential of Hollan Holmes. The opening piece, "A Precarious Trajectory", immediately delves into graciously celestial zones, smoothly floating, expanding and during its second half bridging with sharper and elevating, sequencer-driven passages. A very strong intro!!! "The Road To Perdition" starts where its predecessor wrapped up, with briskly swirling sequencer mastery enriched by many dramatic cascades and eruptions. A quite hazardous journey perfectly exhibiting the theme behind this track. Warmly evocative, cinematic terrains are entered through "Lost Memories". This sublime sonic symphony is later joined by subtly pulsing sequences, yet still keeping its heartwarming aura. A truly gorgeous composition!!! "Morphogenesis" is the first longer piece here, clocking over 14 and half minute mark. Beautifully immense panoramas are masterly revealed with heavenly drones and angelic choir-like contemplations, here and there enhanced by various cybernetic hums and dissonant fragments. The piece gently drifts and builds until it reaches its peak when absolutely breathtaking sceneries can be explored. Get ready for total immersion, this is gracefully grandiose soundscape!!! The closing title long-form track, "Phase Shift" gets to nearly 33 minutes. Another big dose of sonic elixir for your body and mind is delivered here with tranquilly floating and ebbing infinite, rather flatlined drones. A masterful conclusion with monumentally expansive tension and ultra transporting effect!!! "Phase Shift" is a superb epic odyssey and another fantastic release by Hollan Holmes, both, visually and sonically. Without doubt, Hollan Holmes enters now the pantheon with the giants of deep space voyaging!!! "Phase Shift", which was mastered by his fellow Texas sonic sculptor Chad Kettering in his Soniclayers Mastering studio, is dedicated to Neil Armstrong. A must have for all connoisseurs of outer space oscillations and drifts!

Richard Gürtler (Apr 28, 2013, Bratislava, Slovakia)

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2017
His sixth release and first double-CD and the first release that uses his traditional art (his own Oil Paintings) in the layout. Also his first release employing both vintage analog and digital analog hardware synths. We hear soundscapes between Schulzes Berlin School Sequences and catchy melodies from the distance in the Ulrich Schnauss tradition. A brilliant release. We feel his allegiance to the roots of the electronic music genre by adding a deeper degree authenticity .

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2024
Sacred Places, the third release by Hollan Holmes on Spotted Peccary Music, is comprised of eleven geographic vignettes, with each composition inspired from Holmes’s travels to different locales of deep personal significance. Here, Holmes blends ornate sequencer passages with tribal ambient flourishes that are intricate yet intimate, all to transcribe amazing landscapes in the listener’s mind. On each piece, Holmes invites the listener into his inner world, reconstructing these sacred places with meticulous sound design and powerful thematic sensitivities.
Holmes crafted this latest work from a variety of hardware and software instruments, including the Oberheim OB-6 and Moog Prodigy hardware synthesizers as well as Propellerhead Reason and Spectrasonics Omnisphere software synthesizers. On “Temples of Stone,” a majestic melody ascends over staccato bass before erupting into a percussion-less trance. Shimmering sequencer passages cascade over an immutable bassline, all the grandeur befitting an ancient temple untouched by time. Bill Porter adds a swaggering electric guitar riff to the Berlin-school warble of “An Elevated Life,” confident and cosmic. Contrarily, “Bristlecone,” swirls like windblown pine needles through a forest clearing, meditative and yearning yet no less propulsive. “The Divine Connection” juxtaposes low end rumbles with bright arpeggiators, soaring to a shimmering crescendo.
With Sacred Places Hollan Holmes once again demonstrates a mastery of electronic ambient worldbuilding few can match, presenting a staggeringly cinematic vision that defies simple definitions of analog or digital instrumentation. Rather, he inspires us to experience these remote special environments in such a personal manner as to truly evoke the magic of these very sacred places. 

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2011
Exactly one year passed since the stunning debut CD "A Distant Light" of Texas based Hollan Holmes and the last days of 2011 brought to us another fascinating interstellar odyssey. Again accompanied by beautiful images on 6-panel eco wallet packaging, just the same eye-catching as with above album. "The Farthest Fringes" album is fired up with "Zero Point Energy", a truly graceful space ambience transporting the listener immediately into observing celestial objects. Skillfully enriched by small pulsing part and also incorporating assorted sonic outbursts that make from this composition absolutely blissful ride, most likely one of the best Hollan ever made, magnificent!!! "Timespace" shifts Hollan's star journeying into newer, more melodic level featuring less colossal sounds bridged with catchy sequenced downtempos. "Timespace" is freshly breathing and again painted by various, nicely fitting outer space effects. This uplifting voyage proceeds also on the next piece "The Great Unknown", where rotating sequenced melodies with floating washes are reminiscent of Berlin EM school. Slow-motion celestial dronescapes invade "Aeon" with all their gracefulness, with hints of more dramatic passages. It evokes realms of rare beauty, a star gazing at its most fascinating!!! But this exploration doesn't stop, because the next piece, "Outskirts", opens with expansive drifts that are soon spiced with highly attractive sharp sequences. This is absolutely gorgeous piece of music, definitely one of the highlights!!! Another strongly colorful and active texture follows with "The Sentinel", it's a kind of cinematic space symphony! The title track, "The Farthest Fringes" marks return to more static, beautifully monumental wall of washes enriched with slightly gradual tension. A really peaceful sound sculpting! "Earthshine" closes this wonderful odyssey with grandeur drifts evoking little bit of nostalgia. To tell you the truth, my first exploration of this CD came after two days of journeying with Steve Roach and his brilliant "Back To Life", so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was captured immediately by the opening tones of "Zero Point Energy". "The Farthest Fringes" album excels at its refined craftiness and distinctive diversity, and it's another big one from this hidden talent!!! Not to forget, the mastering job was handled by Chad Kettering, another rising ambient star from Texas. Hollan Holmes is living his dream now!!!

Richard Gürtler (Jan 03, 2012, Bratislava, Slovakia)

Artist: Hollan Holmes
P: 2014
Like many musicians, US-composer Hollan Holmes also experienced a growing challenge when starting work on a new album, with the goal to make the outcome different if not better than the previous one. This formed the driving force behind "The Spirits Of Starlight", and kept him going at times he wasn’t feeling too confident as the project progressed. While keeping focused on the task, Mr Holmes also did an outstanding job when it comes to the audio fidelity of his music, being able to do some serious upgrades in equipment in his studio along the mastering expertise of Chad Kettering. All hard efforts paid-off, making "The Spirits Of Starlight" sparkle, while offering an overwhelming, detailed and fresh sound design with minimal elements. In keeping with this theme, "The Spirits Of Starlight" shares Hollan’s first explorations into percussion elements ("Constant Velocity") and, with several songs, a much more melodic, song-like approach. The stellar, highly emotive space music found on each of the nine tracks extends his sonic signature beautifully, still featuring the profound imaginary current and trance-mood of his previous cosmic journeys.
In that respect, the smooth and deep morphing "Scattered Across The Heavens" comes the closest to the composers traditional approach to ambient space music. The smooth pulsating, shimmering and energetic "Impulse" kicking off the album already makes a stunning opener with some captivating retro / Berlin School elements thrown in as well. The composer’s favorite piece "The Uninvited Guest" is about war, an occurrence always uninvited by the people upon whom it is foisted. Hollan recalls the impetus for this song (which comprises about 26 individual tracks, the most he’d ever put together in one piece) was actually created back in 2008. After re-discovering it during a hard drive purge, he decided to dust it off and complete it. It turned out to be another winner. The smooth drive continues nicely on the spiraling wings of "Enduro" and galactic ride "Pale Blue Dot".
Although the narrative and highly cinematic "The Spirits Of Starlight" overall already breaths a strong lyrical current as it unfolds, emotions really fly high on "The Departure", a very moving track about death and our own mortality. The grand scale of things and the tantalizing impact evoked by the cosmos is poured out to the fullest on the final track "The Eternal Cosmos". It’s a grand finale of a mind blowing journey through mesmerizing star fields and the heavens, surpassing Mr Holmes previous strong recordings.
Highly recommended & bravo Hollan!
Bert Strolenberg