Stockman + Sonic Research Society

Artist: Stockman & Mac of BIOnighT
P: 2008
"Both Stockman and Mac are known for bright, optimistic melodic EM, often with themes of ancient or future worlds, so it is not overly surprising that the two would decide to join forces, and Solar Mission is the result. It doesn’t take long for the title track to start moving right along with a steady beat and light electronics. Tangerine Dream’s pop sound of the mid-eighties, particularly their soundtrack work, is a handy reference point. Occasionally a passage may turn darker as the atmospheric sound effects take over, but it usually isn’t too long before the synth melodies and sequencing return. Whooshing winds fade right into “Space Travel”, which reminds me of Software with its easygoing accessible nature. “Closing In” features the catchiest melody yet and is likely to get your toes tapping along with its infectious rhythms. On the softer side is “Solar Orbit,” a brief ethereal number, which then launches into “Heat,” a bouncy happy tune with an insistent beat. Synths and sequencing build up nicely at the end. Fuzzed out sounds start “Sun Flares” before moving back into light, bright melodic electronics. Given Stockman and Mac’s musical leanings it’s no surprise that there is little to be melancholy about here. “Probe One” is a chilled exception, all atmosphere and space twitters. But the stuttering pulses of “Data Stream” bring the energy right back. Solar Mission is the ticket for easygoing accessible EM fun."
 

Artist: Stockman
P: 2012
The 6th album from the Belgian artist Godfried Stockmans aka STOCKMAN is suitable for listeners who like dark ambient. It describes an ecological desaster of incredible extent after a failed experiment having consequences for the entire civilisation. The music mirrors doubts, confidence and suspension during the experiment. After its failure and extensive conatmination despair, grief, rage, hope and resignation are expressed in different varieties. But the world keeps changed and empty...

Artist: Stockman
P: 2007
Future Science, an album filled up of complexes musical diversities, both for the kinds and the metallic industrial sonorities. Rhythm bordering hooking atonal, trapped in a synthesized and gelatinous fusion!
Electricity (Share1 & 2) opens this 4th Belgian musician opus on a more technoid mood. After a romantic and vaporous intro the first blows of percussions hammer a slow, heavy and incisive tempo. A dance of fat zombies on strikes that hit intensity and a synth with robot like harmonies.

Artist: Stockman
P: 2004/ 2005
The tracks on this CD represents my personal experiences as a miner during the period of 1975-1982. After all those years of working underground I wanted to create a musical piece to express my feelings of working down a mine. The mines in Belgium are now closed down.
All of my respects now go out to those who continue to work in mines around the world, to those who have been injured or have been killed or have died from disease related illnesses caused by working in such an inhospitable environment deep in these unforgiving, forboding places of work called mines.
1 Going Underground
This track represents the 'Bell-like' warning signals that were given by the personnel who operated the main-shaft elevators that went to 720-800m deep. These signals were used to help secure the 'floors' of the elevator during transportation of the miners.
2 Medit
The mine workers were transported to the coal-seam face in small underground trains. The workers had time to take a nap or to meditate before they started work.
3 The Machine Inside
Upon arrival at the coal-seam face, the machines that tunnel and dig-out the rocks and coal work continously and fill the empty wagons that wait.
4 Pre-Historic
This piece represents the feeling you experience when you're working in that environment. Sometimes you find the fossilised remains among the rocks and on stones of plants and animals that lived many millions of years ago.
5 Conveyor
An almost continous stream of rocks and extracted coal is transported over a great distance to the surface. Sometimes the conveyor is used to transport the workers, however such a method is dangerous and the passage is sometimes narrow.
6 Diggin'
This is at the heart of the 'mine' the coal-face. Where tons of rock and coal are extracted, there is a lot of 'dust' and the working environment here is unhealthy and very dangerous.
7 Sleepy
A power failure shuts everything off. Air from the surface stops and it's gets warmer the workers feel sleepy, and the risk of toxic gases building-up is greatly increased in the inhospitable conditions of the mine.
8 Oxygene valve
The trained rescue workers are on a mission to help recover a man who has been trapped, here these workers are also experiencing problems too.
9 Going Home
The electrical engineers finally manage to restore the power once more, and the workers can commute back to the relative safety of the surface.
10 From a Distance
At night in the calm and tranquil air you can hear the upper-mine activities in the heat of the summer, when you have your window open.
11 Terril
Terril is a large mountain of waste material that is deposited on the surface, it is made-up of rocks and stones that have been seperated from the coal. Here we can see the remains of the mine buildings in the surrounding landscape.
'The Mine' photos are taken by Godfried Stockmans on a grey day in October 2004 and by Lothar Lubitz on a blue day in August 2005. With the grey cover version Godfried wants to express his dark grey experiences as a miner during the period of 1975-1982 and with the blue cover version Lothar wants to express the cold blue steel of the machine, that will remain visible for miles around in the landscape forever.
 

Artist: Stockman
P: 2014
Powerful pieces with sequences, rhythms and melodies. Well-chosen synthesizer sounds give a catchy disc.
Composed, performed and produced 2014 by Godfried Stockmans
Track 1 and 8 in cooperation with Danny Van den Berge and Kink Stereo
 

Artist: Stockman
P: 2010
After the collaboration with Mac of BIOnighT on the album 'Solar Mission' this is Godfried Stockman's 4th solo album.
Absolute perfect combination of all vintage VSTs you can use on your PC to make fast Berlin School music. Every track features different sequencing styles.
Composed, mixed and performed by Godfried Stockmans
Track 1 feat. Mac of BIOnighT.
 

Artist: Stockman
P: 2003
“Intro” is as good a beginning as any, with waves of synths sweeping across the sonic landscape. “Get the Mood” features a light bright beat and flutes. Sounding dangerously close to muzak, more synth layers save it halfway along, and this ends up being really quite nice. “The Vision” throbs low and steady, moving into a melodic midsection. Stockman excels at arranging and composing, each piece having a distinct story to tell. “Beyond Imagination” has more flutes and an Eastern tinge to it. “The Guiding” has female chants. “A New World” is better, beginning with spacey synths that head into a steady rhythm and pulsating sequence that move it along. “Gate of Azquan” sounds like 90s Tangerine Dream for starters, then moves into a busy jazzy sax section that is woefully out of place. “Azquan People” has a Vangelis grandeur about it, floating about in deep space. “Ceremony” is very subtle to start, then has a punchy little beat and more flutes. The last two tracks stick to electronics, and they are more successful. World Of Azquan is a mixed bag with some good moments. Good picture music.