RARITIES

Artist: Andy Pickford  
P: 1997
LTD 500
All Material composed, performed and procued by Andy Pickford. Recorded live (except tracks 9 & 10) at Derby Guildhall, UK, between 1994 and 1996. Cathedral restored to its full glory at the Citadel.

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Artist:  Apeiron
P:  1991 / 1994
The follow-up to 'Imagic', though the bulk of the tracks here were penned in '91 with the remainder in '94. In isolation the opening quintet of tracks are not bad at all with various synth motifs accompanied by rhythmic backing, and track 2 'Flowing Away' is especially powerful, however compared to 'Imagic' it's difficult not to be disappointed because of the high standard which has been set. Once 'Part 2' of the title track gets going though all disappointment is brushed aside by 11 minutes of blistering sequences and powerful synth leads. One of the best EM pieces I've heard this year so far. 'Part 3' winds things down superbly, leaving three more tracks in the 6-7 minute bracket to close the album. 'Floreal' is one of the 1994 pieces and is a fine uptempo outing with more searing synth leads, and 'Little Nika' will again appeal to fans of rhythmic, melodic EM. The sleevenotes end "...but now it's time for a change...". On this form I really don't see any need to.

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Artist: ARC
P: 2024
DIN 89
LTD 1000
Live albums have always been a big feature of the DiN imprints output, with many of its releases featuring performances by label boss Ian Boddy either solo or in conjunction with other artists. Seven such albums have been as the duo ARC with Boddy alongside his friend and musical collaborator Mark Shreeve who sadly passed away in 2022.
Their show at E-Live in The Netherlands from 2007 was the only concert of theirs so far unreleased and hence ‘Chronicle’ is both here to fill that gap and to provide a reminder of the power this duo could create in a ‘live’ setting.
This concert was unusual in that ARC used it as a chance to showcase their recently released album ‘Fracture’ and indeed the duo constructed their set around the five tracks from that album, interlinked by short ambient passages. Underpinning the rhythmic elements of each piece is the huge Moog modular utilised by Mark over the years to such sensational effect, not only in the ARC project but his band Redshift. In creating that “Berlin School” sound, this system is the real deal and under his skilled sequencing the pieces have an organic life that breathe and can grow from a tiny staccato rhythm to a huge growl in seconds. Over this structure Boddy and Shreeve layer atmospheric effects, warm chordal motifs and blistering solo lines.
The concert culminates in the sensational twenty-two minute epic track ‘Rapture’ which begins with spacey, drifting atmospheres before chordal Mellotrons add a sense of the grandiose. This just lulls the audience into a sense of calm before those sequencers thunder in to produce a truly hypnotic and incredible sonic climax.
‘Chronicle’ is a testament to the music of ARC but more particularly in remembering Mark Shreeve, who left us all way too early.

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Artist: Arcane
P: 2000
With this 2000 release, Arcane takes a more science-fiction route, producing 62 minutes of galactic drama. Dark futures and twisted states of existence are the key notes here.
The title track launches into a savage timestream of gripping sequencers and twilight zone sonics. Spectral keyboards drift along as the listener is transported to a future world of desperate and dismal nature. Additional keyboard loops crowd their way into the mix, until everything falls into a desert pit of tension atmospherics and cloudlike chords. The music's rhythmic aspects crawl their way from this hellmouth, reemerging with fresh wonders of chromium blades and cosmic armor. These riffs enter into a pact with demonstrative percussion; together, the steel army peaks with shrill effect and energetic tempo. "The Plastic Eaters" starts in darkness with sinister tones. Those spectral keyboards are back, this time in conjunction with insectoid e-perc. Soon, more involved melodies creep into being, swamping the darkness with their horn-like blare and heroic chords. Building to a crescendo, the riffs fuse into a menacing finale. "The Visible Empty Man" follows this pattern too. Ethereal intro leading to simmering tension. Once the tension evolves into a nest of loops, the riffs agitate the music with their business. Once they have demonstrated their power and glory, these riffs and compelling rhythms retreat back into the darkness, allowing pensive reflection to command the outro. This authority is challenged at the very end by a sudden reminder of the riffs and their influence. "Planet of the Blind" is no stranger to this pattern either. The melody gets quite caught up in its epic definition, expressing itself in terms of shiny surfaces and dynamic rhythms.
Throughout this release, Arcane has replaced the macabre with a cosmic sense of wonder. Still tinged with an eeriness, this music is more adventurous and gripping. Now the darkness holds mysterious discoveries, not hungry ghosts.

Matt Howarth / Sonic Curiosity

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Artist: Arcane
P: 1999
Lovers of the early works of Tangerine Dream will likely love this release too. Not only are there several similarities in compositions - although a bit more 'mature' - the used sounds will often be very familiar too.
An excellent initiative and by ricochet an excellent opportunity to put the hands and the ears on a wonderful album which transcends the periods of the Dream, from 1973 till 1982.

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Artist: Arcanum
P: 2000
This release is a combination of two discs. Disc one is the soundtrack with the spoken book.
Disc two is the soundtrack without the spoken word. It is a kind of dark electronic music.

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Artist: Arcanum
P: 1999
Bernd Franz Moritz Braun, who records under the shorter moniker Arcanum, brings us another very good sample of German electronics. He blends relaxing, drawn out synthesizers with pleasant arrangements and melody, creating the sort of mood that new age enthusiasts seek, but without sounding "new age."
The disc consists of three very long tracks, beginning with "Close to the Edge." Bearing no resemblance to the classic Yes track/album of the same name, this is a slowly evolving piece which evokes feelings of warmth and peace. Though the music changes slowly, the music does cover a lot of ground, becoming quite energetic as it goes along. The last six minutes or so strike me as a bit over the top, with one repeating passage in particular seeming a bit melodramatic. Fortunately, the music crests in this fashion only a few times, then levels off, leaving the end result still largely enjoyable. "Shadowland" is a very nice track that reminds me of a lesser-known emusic artist, Apeiron. There is a little more restraint here, and I love the crisp, unusual percussion toward the end as the energy once again intensifies.
Synth oboe strains open the 33-minute title track, begging immediate comparisons to latter-day Tangerine Dream, but it is much better than that. There are beautiful melodies sprinkled throughout the song, which is subdivided into six parts, though they flow quite seamlessly together. The melodies are made with harp, acoustic guitar, and harpsichord-like tones. Halfway through, drums come pounding in, lending a much more majestic tone. This carries through nearly to the end, then the oboes return to close out a very beautiful musical journey. Arcanum manages to create synthetic music with a depth of emotion that isn't always found in the genre.

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Artists: Arno
P: 1996
New Age, ambient, minimal Electronic, sentimental melodies.


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Artists: Arno
P: 1994
This is a musical dream journey, that tales the listener to the imaginary worlds of Arno.
He realises these worlds with an electronicmusic style of melodies and sounds like Vangelis uses to play with.

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Artists: Asana
P: 2000
LTD
8 Alben auf einer MP3 CD:

These are:
1. Live@Jodrell Bank
2. Enshrined
3. Shrine Remaster
4. Remixes
5. Sampler CD Track
6. Rise
7. Sacred
8. Live


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