Departure from the Northern Wasteland was first released in 1977. It represents Michael Hoenig's return to a more compositional approach to music after working solely with improvisational music for five years. Each piece is developed largely from a mood, and though the music begins here, it is music that is finished in the mind of each listener. On this album, Hoenig works with the compositional concepts of a single tonal center and a basic rhythmic pulse. The rhythmic element is very important to him and he utilizes various pulse units as well as drifting downbeats. Musically complex and an electronic classic, this CD consistently provides the listener with new experiences each time it is heard.
