NODE

Then it was just the matter of getting onstage and let the music take them where they wished. The resulting album consists of four edits from the concert, plus a bonus piece from rehearsals. This is very much from the Berlin School style of synthesiser music, heavily influenced indeed by Tangerine Dream, so much so that one could easily believe that this is a recording by that band (particularly if one hasn't really studied their output, such as myself). The music is layered and condensed in such a way that it is hard to hear how many hands are generating the sounds at any particular time, or what is coming from where, it becomes an amorphous mass where the music is a living, breathing being. It is very easy to get lost inside the music, to be take on new journeys and adventures, and I would imagine that many people at the concert sat there with their eyes closed to ensure that nothing disturbed the aural majesty being played in front of their ears. The album has been released in a limited edition run of just 2000 copies, and if this is your style of music then you really do need to grab this quick.

I guess that if by luck or chance, depending if you bought this Node "2", 2014, you were able to skip Tangerine Dream's 70s era or Klaus Schulze's "Timewind" or " Picture Music", you will find this album "amazing", but I will fool myself thinking in those terms, guess I am not able to erase those years!

As soon as this release reaches minute 4, Tangerine Dream's musical idiom rises to confirm they were and still are the "nemesis" of 21st. century P/E musicians. Their personal idiom has trascendeded among contemporary electronic musicians inevitably and unstoppingly.

So maybe if you have the chance and disposition to obliterate TD or Schulze from your Prog record collection, this innocent and unimpressive effort will surely make you feel like discovering America.

Another TD and Schulze clone, for those who like repetitions and unoriginal flavors in their plates.

So, electronic ideas which are a repetition of past masters P/E's ideas, in 2014, (as usual, TD's Rubycon is again semi-plagiarize as Schulze "Totem" piece ), Gods help us all!

Go back to basics, find shelter from all these clones!

**2.5 "for forgetful P/E audiophiles " PA stars.

It is a real paradox in the P.A.'s Prog/Electronic world. To be inducted you must show Berlin School credentials or West Coast ones, the American translation of the European one. Musical languages which themselves diversified into a zillion rivers, more than once, completely transfigured from their primal roots. To cut it short, if you sound like someone from those recognized early 70's to the late 90's you are inducted.

As I clearly mentioned in my TANGERINE DREAM "RUBYCON", 1975, I am one of those children who was raised and spoiled rotten by that Electronic music masterpiece. Add to that, that I have never been nor pretend to be the kind of guy who enjoys listening to someone who sounds like someone else, case dismissed!

So as you, may not know, everytime I see the benovolence of someone associating any Electronic act to Progressive Electronic's Gods, be it T.D. or Klauz Schulze, it , instead of a welcome, is understood as a farwell!

NODE's musical idiom is far from being unique, they sure offer a clean cut rendition of T.D.'s self acquired and self-discovered Progressive Electronic language, but as I have stated, it is no big thrill for me to listen to someone who sounds like someone else. Composition over performance, that is my drug!

Benevolent ***3 PA stars

Node (great name) provides us with creepy ambient textures, pulsating fuzz, stratospheric swelling, whimsical tone drops, analogue artifacts, retro sequenced pads, all magical and entrancing. Sometimes electronic music can drone on too long -- this does not happen here. The textures and moods change more frequent allowing the listener to constantly evolve with the music. At the end of my first listen I questioned for 3 days whether I still existed, or if I transcended my physical form and merged with the dark matter of the universe. It wasn't until I tried walking through a wall that I realized I it was time to listen to some Danger Danger and enjoy the sunny life I actually still existed in.

Until that point, however, I took my journey: three months straight I enjoyed falling asleep to the sound scapes of these 5 songs, and I have absolutely no way to prove this, but I still do believe this is the form of communication with the inhabitants of Fomalhaut, the triple star system in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. (as yet to be confirmed by NASA.) After all, If there ever were aliens among us, then it definitely would explain this genre and it's rightful place here among the progressive listeners of PA.

Strap in, zone out and head to the other side of the black hole.

Wishful concert pairing: John Carpenter or Herbert F. Bairy

The guys met twice at Battery & Assault 2 Studios in London, England over a 1 1/2 year period. The sheer volume of vintage analogue equipment would have given Schulze an instant erection i'm sure.

"Shinkansen East" opens with a beautiful atmosphere that is quite dark, like being out in space. It sounds like mellotron at times along with various sounds that twitter and pulse. An electronic beat kicks in around 4 minutes as the mood changes. A second beat joins in. A calm before 7 1/2 minutes with lots of atmosphere as beautiful mellotron-like sounds arrive after 9 minutes to end it. "The Traveller" opens with another gorgeous atmosphere that drifts along. It picks up as electronic sounds join in. I'm reminded a lot of SENSATIONS' FIX 4 1/2 minutes in. It's building after 6 minutes with an electronic beat. "Becoming" features sounds that sound like wind chimes as a haunting atmosphere supports. The chimes stop after 2 minutes as an electronic beat takes over. Sounds like guitar too and I have to say this is amazing headphone music. Slight changes continue the rest of the way. "Doppler" has sounds that pulse with atmosphere and more. An electronic beat joins in before 2 minutes. The atmosphere and background sounds eventually leave as sounds beat and pulse.

"Marche Mecanique" has these deep sounds that pulse slowly then the drums join in and more as the tempo picks up. An electronic beat joins in as well. I like the synths after 4 minutes. It then starts to settle down as lots of intricate sounds follow. "Dark Beneath The Earth" opens with deep and dark sounds that form a slow moving rhythm. Other sounds join in including some cool sounding synths and piano-like sounds. Mellotron-like sounds late create majesty. "Shinkansen West" sounds amazing to start as we get a dark atmosphere with sparse sounds. An electronic beat comes in after 2 minutes as the tempo picks up. Full speed ahead now with so much going on. "No Signal" has such a powerful atmosphere at first. It does settle down and sounds start to echo after 3 minutes. "Thin Air" opens with deep sounds that seem to hover as pinging-like sounds and more can be heard over top. It almost sounds like strings at one point then an electronic beat comes to the fore around 4 1/2 minutes in. The beat stops around 6 1/2 minutes as various sounds twitter and pulse. They stop as it turns majestic late to end it. Nice.

This is one of the best Electronic albums I have ever heard, I have to say i'm very surprised at what these four talented men have created here.