Reviews
Spherical Disrupted - "Quasar"
Der Medienkonverter
Audiophob-Labelchef Mirko Hentrich hat sich mal wieder seinem Projekt Spherical Disrupted gewidmet und reist mit ihm bis an die Grenzen unseres Universums und bis an die Grenzen der Vorstellungskraft. Dazu vereint er Dark Ambient mit IDM-Sounds, was zum Glück keinen Trance zur Folge hat, sondern eine pulsierende Finsternis. Die Reise beginnt mit "Einstein Cross", einem Quasar im Sternbild Pegasus, der von der Erde aus gesehen hinter einer anderen Galaxie steht und dessen Licht durch die Gravitation diese Galaxie abgelenkt wird. Daher ist er auf der Erde vier Mal zu sehen. Ein Bild des Einsteinkreuzes ist auf dem Cover von "Quasar" zu sehen. Der Start des neuen Albums von Spherical Disrupted ist etwas ungemütlich. Dissonante Töne ziehen sich über eine Viertelstunde hin und machen den Anfang etwas zur Geduldsprobe. Doch dann überraschen etwas flatternde Beats und Synthesizer-Sounds aus den 80ern, was ein wenig nach altem Science-Fiction-Soundtrack klingt. Am Ende des Songs kehren die dissonanten Töne aber wieder zurück. Mit "Accretion Disc" sind wir dem Quasar schon sehr nah gekommen, handelt es sich doch dabei um eine Scheibe aus Materie, die um den Quasar kreist. Der Track wird von einem langsamen aber kernigen Rhythmus und einer düsteren Stimmung getragen, einer Ehrfurcht vor diesen unfassbaren Gewalten eines Schwarzen Loches. Noch bedrückender klingt "Galaxy Bulge" (das Zentrum einer Spiralgalaxie). Die Beats klingen nur noch gedämpft aus dem Hintergrund, während im Vordergrund hallende Töne sich wiederholende Bahnen ziehen, was in der Summe und über die Dauer des Tracks hypnotisierend klingt. "Solar Luminosity" ist mit gerade mal sechs Minuten das Leichtgewicht unter den fünf Tracks. Die Stimmung wird wieder etwas heller und sphärischer mit auf- und abschwellenden Synthesizern. Doch schon "Stellar Debris" versinkt wieder ganz tief in der Dunkelheit des interstellaren Raums. Zusammen mit Spherical Disrupted reisen auch Xabec und Empusae zum Quasar. Xabec macht mit mehr Melodie aus "Solar Luminosity" den perfekten Space-Night-Soundtrack. Empusae entfernt den deftigen Beat und die hohen Spitzen der Synthesizer aus "Accretion Disc" und ersetzt beides durch gedämpftere Versionen, was dem Song seine bedrohliche Stimmung zwar lässt, ihm aber etwas unterschwellig Brodelndes verleiht. Den Ausklang übernimmt Spherical Disrupted wieder selbst durch den Fractional-Shift-Remix von "Cosmological Redshift" vom IM14-Sampler, der mit düsteren Synthies und seltsamen Geräuschen aufwartet. "Quasar" ist eine gelungene Reise durch Raum und Zeit, die zwar hier und da ihre Längen hat, aber trotzdem sehr atmosphärisch klingt.
Spherical Disrupted - "Quasar"
Connexion Bizarre
Space! The final frontier. An expanse so vast it cannot be conceived by the simple human imagination. A great source of inspiration for artists and scientists for centuries. The incalculable universe scattered with bizarre phenomena such as black holes, red dwarves and quasars. A quasar (I have just discovered) is a quasi-stellar radio source, a compact region surrounding a black hole. So having previously dealt with more earthly or abstract imagery, Germany’s ambient experimentalist Spherical Disrupted now turns his attention to space and one of its strangest mysteries. In a change of inspiration and imagery it seems fitting to have a change of style, and while the first six or seven minutes of the epic “Einstein Cross” feature some cosmic ambience, a real surprise comes with the introduction of a thick electro bass line and crunchy, almost industrial beats. This is topped off by an evocative retro-style synthesiser, giving a lovely scientific feel to the piece, with the passion for exploration and discovery. “Accretion Disc”, which powers the quasar, is then the second track, darker in mood, a suspenseful journey from which there may be no return. A galaxy bulge is the tightly packed group of stars at the centre of most spiral galaxies, and the track named after this formation is another foreboding piece of dark electronica, subtly suggesting the presence of powerful celestial bodies. The highlight of the album may well be its shortest track, the appropriately titled “Solar Luminosity”, the quasar’s being two trillion times that of our sun, expansive synth washes shining brightly through the ether. “Stellar Debris” returns us to haunting dark ambient sounds, possibly illustrating a spaceship drifting cautiously through dense fields of material, attempting to steer a safe course as the debris threatens to breech the ship’s hull. We then reach the remix section of the disc, which thankfully works really well to keep in the right mood of the main album while providing extra dimensions to the music already heard. Xabec’s take on “Solar Luminosity” adds an effectively repetitious melody sequence to the piece, elevating it to the status of classic sci-fi soundtrack music, while Empusae’s reworking of “Accretion Disc” smooths out some of the original’s rougher edges and adds occult sounding percussion, bringing to mind some ancient ritual intended to channel the universe’s mystical energies. Finally we have Spherical Disrupted’s remix of his own “Cosmological Redshift” piece, which features more of the curious experimental scratchings and scrapings he indulged in during earlier works, overlaid with ethereal synth sounds characteristic of the “Quasar” album. All in all, an excellent soundtrack for an evening of amateur astronomy or of reading up on astrophysics until your brain feels strained and needs some audio soothing. [8/10] Nathan Clemence
Mandelbrot - "Evolution"
Alarmen - "Next"
Spherical Disrupted - "Quasar"
Vital Weekly, #722
Perhaps a bit late, 'Evolution' by Mandelbrot, which celebrates the publication of 'The Origins Of Species' by Charles Darwin, last year. B. Teichner and P. Muench, also known as Mandelbrot were asked to present a musical work for the Museum am Scholerberg which displayed works of/on Darwin. They created an hour worth of music, which are presented here on this CD in the form of nine tracks, called in German by their numbers, 'Null', 'Sechs', 'Zwei' etc. Not the most logical order, and it seems to me that the music is not a linear evolution either. Played, I think, on a bunch of analogue synthesizers and sound effects. Heavy cosmic music on display here. Atmospheric, with arpeggio's, delay machines, even some rhythm machines, this music is not what you would expect: an hour of drones, but well rounded compositions of moody electronics. Not music I would easily associate with a museum, and I wonder what the visitors may have thought about it. Perhaps a bit too much popmusic (?) for four white walls? But it works well at home, even when thematic approach is a bit lost here. Niels Mark discussed the first real CD by Alarmen, 'There Is No Place Like Hoan' in VItal Weekly 534 and he told us that its a project by Carsten Stiller. It was followed by two MP3 releases, and now there is 'Next', the next CD by Alarmen (never a good title for a CD I'd say, suggesting nothing more than 'oh, the next CD'). It starts off with a harsher rhythmic minimalist piece, along the lines of the previous release. But that's only deceiving the listener. The other six tracks on 'Next' are perhaps like-wise minimalist in approach, but sound a bit more lighter in approach. Synthesizer parts are mixed up a bit higher and a piece like 'Next 3' is slow, almost dub-like, with some nice, mean organ sounds blubbling below, while 'Next 4' is almost cheery in approach. Quite an interesting varied album, with only 'Next 7' to be something of a hit and miss track. The last full length release by Spherical Disrupted was 'Null' (Vital Weekly 482), followed by the remix album 'Barriere'. The new one 'Quasar' (short for 'Quasi-Stellar Radio Source') is also not a full length, but perhaps more like a EP of five tracks (long one at that: total is about fifty-five minutes) plus three remixes. Like Alarmen heavily relying on the use of rhythm, with an extended use of analogue synthesizers which sound even more like cosmic music than that of Alarmen. Arpeggio's are used extensively here, along with long sustaining sounds, dark chords and such like. Not every track is as strong here: 'Galaxy Bulge' for instance just doesn't seem to have enough variation to be fully interesting. Its too long. But a piece like 'Solar Luminosity' on the other hand shows it can be done: moody, atmospheric, rhythmic, all combined in a hypnotic piece. No wonder it gets a remix treatment, by Xabec, who pulls out even more cosmic/ambient house patterns from the original. Empusae knows how to give a more danceable spin to 'Accretion Disc' into some proto techno vein whereas Spherical Disrupted himself remixes Fractional Shift into a chilling closure of the CD - not the best track here, with some slight distortion in the lower regio of the piece. All in all a nice release with some minor flaws. (FdW)
Spherical Disrupted - "Quasar"
Alien.sk
Project that gathers its experimental frequencies from year 1995 and every its album keeps in great form by the end of year 2009 has released its last musical work. For now the latest release is again descent sonic experience and all fans of contrast surfaces and idm electronics will find here their surface of consummation. Immediately from the start there’s 22 minute excellent track and a view into the land of turbid colors and evil srobs, that reflects from the metal walls, will show you the way that has taken this project. Simple, minimalistic rhythms and sounds that are similar to the sound from the beginning of the moog era in modern combination will follow you in every corner of this hypnoelectro desert. Various harsh sequences mixed with melodies and colorful constructions waves during the whole time of listening and into their concept mixes in excellent way their parts protagonists from XABEC and EMPUSAE and their remix versions, that colors this voyage in cyberworld that is called SPHERICAL DISRUPTED. Dark ambient and idm... hmm, intriguing combination... (4/5) Ryby