Syn

Artist: Syn
P: 2002
Over 70 minutes of Berlin School heaven split over three tracks. Think of AirSculpture, RMI, Jiannis and even some of Edgar Froese's solo albums. This CD is pure sequencer / Mellotron indulgence. There are many layers to the shifting analogue (that word can't be stressed enough on this album) sounds. The constants tend to be the sequences which get a grip then just keep chugging along. Subtlety isn't the order of the day here, they are rather relentless. Restrained electronic percussion is added from time to time providing extra interest just when it is needed. Enough of the generalities, on to the thirty minute (plus) opening title track. Lovely cosmic bleeps and whooshes give way to equally spacey drones. We then get some gorgeous 'Epsilon in Malaysian Pale' type mellotron sounds. A percussive lead line shimmers above the drones. In the tenth minute a lovely deep typical mid to late seventies sequence emerges. The tron sounds get better and better as the sequence continues to pulse away. It's now more like 'Macula Transfer'.
Little lead lines come and go. Some of them purposeful and some of them more meandering, similar to earlier AirSculpture. With four minutes to go the sequence departs and it now sounds like some of the more atmospheric moments from 'Stratosfear' then 'Encore'. 'Freefall' is straight into another sequence, this time faster than in the first track. More tron sounds back it up and a very decent melody comes and goes over the top. Another repeated melodic motif almost acts like a sequence in its own right. This number reminds me of a couple of tracks from 'Ages' melded together. With five minutes to go the sequence starts to subside and what sounds like spaceships hurtling by at warp speed take over. Things then take a much darker turn, thick eerie pads dominating. I get the feeling that this might originally have been a much longer piece, if so I would love to hear the rest of it sometime. Sequences and mellotron are again pressed into action from the very first moment of 'Sonus (Part 3)'. A lead line soars over the top as the tron swells and falls around wonderful pulsations. Gradually a rhythm is added. My attention is dragged towards the leads one moment, the sequence the next and then as it bursts forth the gorgeous Mellotron. At around ten minutes we get a bit of a breather for classic TD atmospherics. Things start to build up again a couple of minutes later but never rise above a slow comfortable plod.
With four minutes to go we start the wind down towards the end. Windy effects, the odd note played here or there keeping the interest until the final lovely melodic pads fade into oblivion. As is mentioned in the liner notes 'don't expect melodic music with little harmonies' but do expect relentless 'Berlin School' sequencer music.

Here the last copy!