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Wellenfeld / Cosmic Waves / 2004

Wellenfeld are A Braun and D Dominiczak - names I'm not familiar with. However, I think that they are names I will come to know well because this CD-R is superb. Read on.

A pair of rapid, rhythmic sequences kick 'Nova' into life. Gorgeous analogue pads rise and a third, melodic sequence, joins the mix. Less than a minute in and this is fabulous stuff. A strong bass line is added; electronic percussion adds more syncopation – this is body-moving stuff. Melodics come from a symphonic pad and strangely choral sounding lead. It's retro, yet with contemporary leanings in the percussion department– just how I like it! As the track evolves the melodic side of the track is developed with a pair of 'question and answer' leadlines. What a cracking start!

The sounds of a disembodied cosmic swamp and glorious grand piano evoke a stark atmosphere for the opening of 'Rhea-M'. A slow pulse builds in the background. A higher register sequence sparks in the ether. Syrupy analogue leads and solar flares add colour. Pads rise to fill the mid-ground. Another completely superb opening! And it gets better! The sequences are constantly mutated, the filters working over-time. New leads come and go. The track is stripped back and then re-built. This track has a distinct 'synth-pop' feel in the melodics and rhythm programming, but the rest of the track is pure classic EM. This is a combination I adore. We close with piano and effects.

'Monolith' opens with deep growls and a steady hi-hat pattern. Foreboding pads and a 'heart-beat' kick drum adds drama. Slowly a sequence, chunky and mid-register, builds in volume. A very evocative lead is deployed. And then. Oh! Just a glorious string synth, and I'm back in the late 70s! Really, Wellenfeld are doing everything left for me. The sequencing has real 'feel', the melodics are tasteful, the atmospherics effective, and the rhythms body-moving.

Amazingly, the quality improves with 'Fiorina 161'. A decidedly Arc-like atmosphere is created – it's dark and desolate, an alien landscape at dawn perhaps? Vocoded words add to this atmosphere; is something trying to communicate with us? Snatches of ring-modulated electronic percussion add the merest suggestion of structure. Dark growls prowl the outskirts of the track. This is beautifully evocative stuff – proving that Wellenfeld can handle the non-sequencer stuff as well. However, I feel and hear the rumble of a building bass sequence – and it's a beauty, slow and melodic, adding to, but not changing, the moodiness of the piece. This is a favourite track so far. It would fit perfectly on Arc's debut. Yes, it's that good!

'Café Solar' is a more up-tempo number, with a loping rhythm and melodic sequence at its base. Again, the melodics are wonderful, and the sounds direct from the halcyon, analogue drenched 70s. This piece is very hypnotic, as Wellenfeld largely allow the elements of the mix to simply run their course. Lovely.

Suitably ethereal pads open 'Halo'. A bass sequence and high register melodic sequence enter the mix. The track becomes quite strident as a forceful drum-beat is unleashed. The supporting melodies are good, played on vast analogue sounds. 'No Horizon' is a mid-tempo track. A plaintive piano initially holds the melody, whilst a ticking sequencer and eighties-sounding electronic percussion keep the head nodding gently. A new, contemporary sounding sequence enters at the 3 minute mark, and a digital, vocal sound takes on some melodic duties. We soon return to the opening section of the track. Various elements come and go in this fashion, but the piano melody always returns to anchor the track.

'Monolith II' closes the CD in 'wall-of-sound' mode. A steady beat, rapid mid-register sequence and heavy bass line create the foundation. Piano and synth melodies create a simple but insistent harmony. That wonderful string synth soars over the track. It's a fitting end to an excellent CD.

This is a CD with its foundations in the bedrock of classic, analogue-sequencer-driven EM. However, it adds elements of contemporary sound design and rhythm. In places I was reminded of Arc (atmospherics and sequencing), in others Rogue Element (leads), at other times Axxess (up-beat melodies and rhythms). I simply loved it, and can't imagine any 'hardcore' SMD regular disagreeing with me. Buy it!

Tracklist:

01.Nova (8:49)

02.Rhea-M (7:24)

03.Monolith (7:23)

04.Fiorina 161 (10:24)

05.Cafe Solar (6:09)

06.Halo (5:13)

07.No Horizon (7:56)

08.Monolith II (7:22)

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Rating:
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