BACK TO PASCAL

Halma are one of a fairly big number of German post rock bands from that generation (starting around 2000), most of which are not listed here. Maybe Halma qualified by more longevity and stamina than most of their contemporaries; musically I'm not sure they hold as much attraction for the prog fan as some others from that bunch (such as Ilse Lau). That is not to say they are not good. They have their own characteristic way of doing things, which may appeal to some. It's just that complexity, virtuosity, and intricate composition are not exactly their hallmark (which is all fine for post rock fans, but it's the kind of post rock that normally has difficulties to enter the prog quarters).

In fact, Back to Pascal is a very minimalist album. It is all about sound and atmosphere. The tracks are very repetitive, with an intentionally slow speed of rhythm and slow development. It's a very relaxed and relaxing music, but not light and happy; it uses a sound palette that rather evokes twilight or even the darker hours. There is a very deep bass tone that dominates things, mostly running monotonously through the tracks, very economical light touch drums (evoking Lee Harris on the last Talk Talk albums) that occasionally gain a bit of speed and intensity through the tracks, equally economical guitar playing, and tastefully woven in keyboard and sound effects that only appear in the background, as is the very occasional use of voice - keeping in mind that there isn't really much of a foreground for that background.

This music surely has its qualities for the right listener in the right kind of mood. Personally I can enjoy it from time to time, however there isn't enough variety for me to get really enthusiastic about it. Now of course the lack of variety is to some extent intentional; the one million dollar question is how much of that do you want even in intentionally monotonous music? It's 2.9 stars keeping in mind what most prog fans are looking for, but don't let yourself be put off if you're up for this kind of thing! It is special, no doubt.