Artist: Mark Jenkins, Thaneco, Spyra, Fritz Mayr
Tracklist:
1) A Hero Of The Federation (4.48) with AREND WESTRA
2) Flight Of The Phoenix (6.40) with VOLKER RAPP
3) The Deserts of Vulcan (9.44) with FRITZ MAYR
4) Grups Underwater (5.46) with MARK VAIL
5) Where No Man Has Gone Before (16.51) MARK JENKINS
6) Qapla' - A Klingon Warrior (9.10) with TOBIAS BECKER
7) Gate To The Mirror Universe (8.52) with WOLFRAM SPYRA
8) Star System J25 - Borg Attack! (5.46) with THANECO
TRT 71 minutes
This Star Trek-inspired issue of "MODULAR SESSIONS" is one of the strongest to date with European synth musicians Volker Rapp, Arend Westra, Fritz Mayr, Thaneco, Tobias Becker and Wolfram Spyra alongside US composer and music journalist Mark Vail, all compiled and produced by Mark Jenkins. Synthesizers, sequencers, electronic drums and percussion, guitars, sampled voices and even some oboe, in the styles of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Ashra and Mike Oldfield.
Mark Jenkins explains "in this issue the seven guest musicians have all contributed strong "starter segments" powerfully representing their individual styles. I've added melodies, harmonies, synth sounds and guitar plus a sprinkle of Trek inspiration". AREND WESTRA pictures a hero of Star Fleet with an anthemic sequencer piece reminiscent of Chris Franke. VOLKER RAPP takes us along on the precipitous first warp speed flight with the eccentric Zephraim Cochrane (from TOS "Metamorphosis" and "First Contact") under the gaze of stern Vulcans, also depicted in Fritz Mayr's Eastern-influenced track. The modular synthesizers of MARK VAIL picture the chaotic legacy of the Grups ("grownups") from TOS "Miri", while MARK JENKINS pictures the headlong plunge towards the galactic barrier in TOS "Where No Man Has Gone Before", a long sequencer rock piece reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's "Cyclone".
The TOBIAS BECKER track features his rhythms, synths and oboe sections along with dramatic Klingon speech and chanting, while WOLFRAM SPYRA re-appears with an atmospheric and mysterious "ST Discovery"-inspired sequencer sequel to his work on Modular Sessions 11. The album closes with a tumultuous multi-sequencer track by THANECO from Greece reminiscent of Peter Baumann or Jean-Michel Jarre, depicting mankind's first encounter with the evil Borg.
