In the current flood of ambient music releases there are a few gems that shine through. They are usually the CDs that are not produced specifically for the post club space cake market, but are well-crafted pieces of music that work as well as when you're not off your trolley without a paddle. One such release is the obscure Fluidity & Structure. It is recorded, produced, marketed and most probably paid for by one Bob Holroyd. It is filled with twelve delicate, fresh tracks that draw inspiration from 'modern classical' composers like Reich and Glass more than the obvious 70s hippies. It's a soothing spacious rather than spacey, journey through some lovely soundscapes with noises from all over ranging from Kalimbas and African drums to snatches of those Deep Forest pygmies. Yes, it works as a post club chill but it's much more than that. Bob Holroyd's album is just very versatile and professional. You will find all kinds of styles on it. Some tracks are quite spacious, some are minimal music with slowly varying rhythmical patterns, some feel like soundtracks for a thriller, some are beautiful drumming tracks. When he uses the title Descent Into Darkness for one track, he means it and you can hear it. Cries From The Rooftop - For A Free Tibet uses a beautiful sample of a Japanese shaku-hachi flute. Some passages are very lyrical and beautiful. There is something crisp and clear about this album.
