Nemesis

Artist: Ashen Simian (Nemesis)
P: 2016
The new solo album from A. Simian. This time the music is more ambient with spacy moods and meditative sequencing. A section of the liner notes, tells about the idea behind the album: "This album is a special one for me as it was in the summer of 1985 when I got my first synth (a Micromoog). I really took the time to learn to use it and managed to make a 45 min. C-cassette of my own music with it. Now, 30 years later I decided to try a similar approach to creating and recording music; fast and simple and with minimal gear. Therefore, many of these tracks are produced with just one synth, three at best. ... the experience was very purifying and helped me to find my way back to the original inspiration of 30 years back…" For those with a deeper interest in synthesizers, the liner notes (in the bonus material) will tell you what synths were used on particular tracks.

Artist: Ashen Simian (Nemesis)
P: 2013
The second solo album by one of the Nemesis musicians. More rhythmic and driving than the more ambient stuff by the main band. Lots of old and new synths in use, from 70´s analogs to ipad synths. Musically the style varies from 70´s retro sounds via 80´s synth pop to ambient and psychedelic techno electronica.
The idea is to blend the classic synth textures to more straightforward beats and sequences. If you imagine that 70´s german synthesists would have made use of modern rhythm units, the results might have been a bit like this. This is perhaps most true with the long title track of the album. It melts together vintage elements with hectic sequences and is perhaps the most elaborate track so far by A. Simian.
The rest of the album is shorter tracks with quirky synth pop elements and ambient textures. All material on the album is instrumental as usual.

Artist: Michael Brückner
P: 2012 / 2022
10 years earlier, in 2012, Michael released his first label release on SynGate Records, which was also his 100th album: "One Hundred Million Miles Under The Stars".
Since then, this album has been one of Michael Brückner's personal favorites among the albums he recorded. The new re-release is now much more than a re-release, in fact completely new tracks were created when the individual pieces were not only remixed but completely reinterpreted by other artists that Michael had invited to this project. The excellent participating artists on 100 MILLION MILES UNDER THE STARS are:
- Dave Bessell
- Johan Tronestam
- Joerg Schaaf
- Esteban Menash
- Ami Hassinnen (of Nemesis)
- Hollan Holmes

Michael says: "I'm really impressed and happy how the new versions have taken shape through the hands of the immensely talented artists.
The double album offers the remix with the artists involved on CD1 and the original album from 2012 on CD2.

Artist: Nemesis
P: 2003 / 2007
Gigaherz is Nemesis' first album on Origo Sound. Featuring music that was composed betwen 1996 and 2003 and updated for this new album, the 15 tracks make up an epic audio journey that presents mankind's evolution from sea creatures to extinction. Says Ami Hassinen, founding member, about the theme of Gigaherz; "The nature is a very important issue to all of us. And the recent developments concerning the changes in climate makes one think quite a bit. Actually, I have no worries about the fate of the planet, as everything finds its balance in due course, but will there be any human beings left to witness it? I don´t know. For the mankind, I am sure that the next 100 years will be an increasingly challenging time. Musically, this inspired us to tell a story about the Earth in audio format.

Artist: Nemesis
P: 2012
Living Statues is a sort of theme album inspired by the life and work of Veijo Rönkkönen (1944-2010), one of the most legendary outsider artists in finnish art scene.The CD with a elaborate artwork and eco-friendly WowSpiral insert.
 

Artist: Nemesis
P: 2021
LTD 300
Ami Hassinen & Joni Virtanen, two protagonists of the legendary Finnish ambient explorers Nemesis, join their creative soundscaping insignias with their fellow drone bass guitar wizard Juha-Matti Rautiainen and ingenious mastermind Kimmo Heikkilä, the illustrator and designer behind all maps and artwork for this project. This quartet of gifted and soulfully connected artists takes us into magnificently evocative territories, no matter if authentic, terra incognita, historical, futuristic or imaginary. Thrillingly immersing and topographically abundant "Off the map" journey fully reveals all its infinite magic during these strange times we are now confronted with.
A true oasis indeed, both aural and visual!

Artist: Nemesis
P: 2014
The new album by Nemesis. A varied collection of textures, ambiences, gentle beats and melodic elements. This time based less on improvisation. Some tracks have almost songlike structures, but the general mood is the one you would expect from the band. Most of the tracks are recorded live in studio and one is even a concert recording. This ensures organic feeling to playing and there´s genuine human emotion and expression involved, although the album is fully electronic with some guitar work here and there.

Artist: Vidna Obamana, Steve Roach,
Thom Brennan
P: 2001
The sleevenotes read like a veritable "who's who" of current synth artists: Paul Ellis, Nemesis, Free System Projekt, Robert Carty, Rudy Adrian, Kubusschnitt, Dave Fulton, Synthetic Block, Paul Nagle, Arcane, John Christian (from AirSculpture) and Ramp. This project was borne from the internet chat group "beyond_em", a thriving source of news, information and general gossip which has hundreds of subscribers, including the artists here and many more. As Paul Ellis, the co-ordinator and "guy to blame", as he describes himself, says on the sleeve ".....I was surprised by the number of other musos on the list and the high quality of their work. I threw out an idea where one musician would pick up the musical thread of the previous musician and make an album that way......"
'Beyond Me' is the result, a virtual embarrassment of riches. There is so much tempting music on this album you really won't know where to start. The majority of tracks are new, only the Arcane piece has appeared previously on the 'Alterstill' CDR, and Paul Nagle's track has appeared in remixed form on 'Blue Book'. Just before I dive into the tracks, one mention for the sleeve graphics especially the inside cover featuring cartoon cameos of all the artists - it's very cleverly done.
Fittingly Paul Ellis gets the show on the road with a fantastic piece called 'Into the Liquid Unknown' (8.19). It features magnificent sequence contortions which are sometimes left to twist and mutate in isolation, at other times accompanied by perfectly judged silken pads. Next up is 'Nemesis' with 'Siloportem'(7.25). A punchy beat underpins expert sequencing and some classic mellotron sounds. Again it's a top notch synth outing, and blends perfectly with the former piece, and the next track for that matter - 'Pharos' (5.27) from 'Free System Projekt. This really does bring to mind mid 70's EM with mellotron timbres painting a patchwork of sound which could be straight from 'Phaedra'. Half way through the piece those trademark FSP pulsations start up and we are on another roller coaster of rampant moog style sequences and epic synth textures.
Robert Carty contributes 'Outside Influences' (5.10) which opens with strange alien utterings before a slow but mammoth beat appears around which all manner or electronic detail is layered. It sounds slightly tribal, Aztec culture comes to mind, such as the more atmospheric work of Richard Burmer. Next it's Rudy Adrian with 'Secrets in Sahara Sands' (6.42) which carries on the atmosphere and style perfectly, yet stamps a very different interpretation with a choppy sequence and ethereal synth layers. Kubusschnitt's 'Vantage Trick' (6.18) will surprise (and disappoint) no-one, being a classic slab of retro sequencing with electric guitar angst pitched perfectly in the mix. Dave Fulton's 'Falling Away' (5.32) takes the baton, a strangely beguiling collection of electronic throbs and drones while 'Flash of Attention' (1.45) by Synthetic Block is a brief but perfectly formed cameo which features syncopating oscillations.
Paul Nagle's 'Adventure' (8.37) opens with a marvellous arpeggiating sequence and an infectious melody. John Hickey contributes foreboding words before "the cave closes" to allow Arcane's 'Alterstill part 3' (6.00) to be unleashed. If by some twist of fate you haven't got this track, the situation needs to be rectified immediately. First aired at Jodrell Bank, this is possibly the only track which has ever left myself and Dave Law speechless at the same time.'Heathkit Interociter' (4.12) by John Christian is a fascinating and quite unique sequence based track - wonderfully inventive in construction, very melodic and hugely entertaining. Finally Ramp serve up 'Rapture of the Deep' (6.21) and this has to be heard to be believed - atmospherics from the Gods.What an album! No matter what your taste in EM this has it all, in one cohesive high quality package. Buy without hesitation. (GG)

Artist: Circular, Current, Nemesis. u.a.
P: 2007
A compilation of the norwegian Origo label.