RARITIES

Artist: BIOnight
P: 2005/ 2015
The Italians "Mac" and Sbrizzi FaBIO together make up BIOnighT. This is their fifth album since 1999 and it took them a lot of trouble to get made despite a considerable investment in new gear. The CD is almost one hour long and divided up into seven tracks of flowing melodic music from the direction of 80's TD and JM Jarre.
Although the sometimes droning sequencers and additional drum sounds betray a slightly more modern approach, there are plenty of moments where you can blissfully sink back in your chair and truly imagine that you are listening to a forgotten TD CD. The basis of the majority of the numbers is usually an uncomplicated sequence, that barely alters in tone or rhythm, whereby I occasionally get the feeling that things are a little monotonous. This particular criticism comes from someone who likes variation and thus does not apply to everyone!
The fact that the perhaps over-simplified basis is generously compensated for with, amongst other things, the building-up of added riffs, a different-sounding background orchestration or a quiet little melody line makes "The Art of Friendship" an attractive record that will appeal to a large audience.
 

Artist: BIOnight
P: 2006 / 2015
This album marks some changes in our musical activities. First, we no longer meet in the BIOlofT (FaBIO's home studio) to write and record our music to then move all the instruments to the Synthuary (Mac's home studio) to mix the material, but the whole process from writing to mixing is now carried out at the Synthuary.
Second, now BIOnighT play entirely with VST instruments and effects to avoid the hassle of wires and cables as well as to enjoy the amazing creative freedom given by virtual instruments.
The result is a relaxed album that freely moves from Berlin School stuff to New Age (to Mac's horror!) that hopefully will give a pleasant time to most of you.

Mac of BIOnight, 2006


 

Artist: Biosphere
P: 2002
With Shenzhou, Geir Jenssen has crafted him most refined ambient work to date. It's been a long journey for Jenssen, from the chamber pop of Bel Canto, through Bleep's house music, then spaceward to the ambient techno of his first two Biosphere releases. Don't expect a return to the beat-driven territory of Patashnik; Shenzhou continues in the purely ambient vein of Biosphere's previous two albums for the avant garde Touch Label, although it is neither as overtly pretty as Substrata, nor as earthbound and naturalistic as Cirque. Shenzhou, named after a Chinese spacecraft, is a subtle work continuing Jenssen's tradition of simultaneously evoking deep space's stillness and the icy expanse of his Norwegian home.
Ten of Shenzhou's twelve tracks are based on the orchestral works of French composer Claude Debussy. Jenssen's choice of source material seems almost serendipitous given that Debussy (along with close friend Erik Satie) is considered by many to be the father of modern composition.By rejecting the dominant classical forms of the late nineteenth century, Debussy pioneered a music of impressionistic atmospheres and textures that helped clear the way for contemporary ambient music. And like Jenssen today, Debussy's compositions took inspiration from nature, be it water ("La Mer") or space ("Claire de Lune").
Unlike Wendy Carlos's Switched On Bach or William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style, Jenssen eschews simply creating synthesizer arrangements for the existing scores. Instead, he loops small samples of Debussy performances, then uses the treated loops as a framework onto which he carefully grafts and weaves his electronic ambience. Rather than a clumsy collision of styles, the results sound perfectly balanced and natural, with the orchestral and electronic elements blending into a new form; the resulting texture brings to mind a less dense version of Wolfgang Voight's Gas project, but without the beats. And while taken individually, each of Shenzhou's tracks may sound simple and slight, the album builds an enveloping atmosphere when listened to as a suite. By absorbing elements from ambient music's past, Jenssen has nudged the genre a bit further into its future.

2002. © The Robot

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Artist: Birdy
P: 1989
Atmospherical soft ballads to easy, positive, melodious pop themes like Blonker and sometimes Mike Oldfield.

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Artist: Bjorn Lynne
P: 1994
Montage was Bjorn Lynne’s second CD, self-financed and self-published in January 1994.
Stylewise, ”Montage” is a slightly more daring album than the previous ”Hobbits & Spaceships”. The 10 tracks contain a wide mixture of styles and sounds, and although the album was produced entirely on synthesizers and effects, it is easy to hear Bjorn Lynne’s love for symphonic rock starting to shine through, especially on songs like ”Montage” and "Communion”; both of which are long tracks moving through several stages of ever changing moods. There are also some more down-to-earth simply melodic pieces like ”Head Held High” and ”Fantastic Voyage ’94”. And, there are some slightly more experimental pieces like the futuristic and very cyber-oriented ”The Spirit of Mechanica” as well as the symphonically ambient ”Enlightenment Through Fear”.

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Artist: Blonker
P: 1980 / 1994
This is the classic one of Blonker. All his greatest hits are combined on this one. Melodies and guitarsounds that fit perfectly.

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Artist: Blüchel + Von Deylen
P: 2004 / 2006
The fantastic cooperation between Cosmic Baby and Schiller.
This is far better a collaboration between Harald AKA (Cosmic Baby)and the Schiller mastermind, Christopher Von Deylen.
Their take on the set of classical selections is comparable to that or William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style, although they have that Cosmic and Schiller feel.
Its a dinamite combination, two superstars, two geniouses...
Definitely a group to follow. Hopefully they will continue to collaborate and create more fanstastic soundscapes.
As in the movies, its a two thumbs up for this release.

Known as "Diamond Edition" with additional hologram cardboard sleeve.

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Artist: Blue Knights
P: 1996
More interesting than smooth jazz, more rich than pure dance, Blue Knights takes strong influences of both to create cool grooves. "Tropical Night" collects enough material for an entire studio album plus a few previously hard to find tracks including a slowed-down version of their club/trance track "Gimme all your lovin'" as well as two other rare gems from Innovative Communication collection albums.

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Artist: Bo Hansson
P: 1972 / 2004
Hansson is just briimming with diverse musical ideas from a wide range of infuences, and he weaves them together into an enduring thematic whole. Unlike so many other progressive rock bands of the time, Hansson lacks the somewhat grandiose pretensiousness other groups seemed to engage in that now makes their music seem dated and unsophisticated. Hansson's vision seems to be pursued for its own sake, and this has lasted. This is an absolutely outstanding recording. This 1972 album is no different, although musically it finds him exploring jazzier styles a bit more than on his debut album Lord of the Rings (1970). The jazzy styles are featured a tiny bit on the lengthy opening track Big City. For those of you that do not like the sound of jazz on a Bo Hansson album - fear not. In large part, the music on Magician's Hat is mellow prog rock that mixes Swedish folk styles and European classical music and features Bo's excellent spacey organ, mini-moog, and mellotron playing. Although Bo is a multi-instrumentalist, he is supported on Magician's Hat by a flute/sax player, guitarist, and drummer. There is some great ensemble work along with good playing by all members. This remastered album is very nice and features restored cover art, great sound quality, and lots of informative liner notes.

Here the last copy!

Artist: Bo Hansson
P: 1972 / 2004
Hansson is just briimming with diverse musical ideas from a wide range of infuences, and he weaves them together into an enduring thematic whole. Unlike so many other progressive rock bands of the time, Hansson lacks the somewhat grandiose pretensiousness other groups seemed to engage in that now makes their music seem dated and unsophisticated. Hansson's vision seems to be pursued for its own sake, and this has lasted. This is an absolutely outstanding recording. This 1972 album is no different, although musically it finds him exploring jazzier styles a bit more than on his debut album Lord of the Rings (1970). The jazzy styles are featured a tiny bit on the lengthy opening track Big City. For those of you that do not like the sound of jazz on a Bo Hansson album - fear not. In large part, the music on Magician's Hat is mellow prog rock that mixes Swedish folk styles and European classical music and features Bo's excellent spacey organ, mini-moog, and mellotron playing. Although Bo is a multi-instrumentalist, he is supported on Magician's Hat by a flute/sax player, guitarist, and drummer. There is some great ensemble work along with good playing by all members. This remastered album is very nice and features restored cover art, great sound quality, and lots of informative liner notes.

Here the last Copy!