Aug 10, 2014

Sundaze 1432

Hello,

It is not hard to tell that Ukranian-American composer Gregory Kyryluk absorbed a lot of old-school German spacemusic in his formative years. We can be thankful he did because, along with fellow Americans like Jonn Serrie and the group Spacecraft, he's grown into one of the world's most sensitive practitioners of ambient spacemusic, whether new-school or old. His one-man project Alpha Wave Movement has taken the classic Berlin sound across the Atlantic and into the 21st century without succumbing to either brazen recycling or moving it too far from its sonic roots. . .....N'Joy

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Alpha Wave Movement is the project of Gregory Kyryluk. Alpha Wave Movement began in 1990 when Kyryluk released a track called "Blink of an Eye" for a small AM-radio talk show in Jacksonville, FL. "Blink of an Eye" was rhythmic and melodic, but quite obscure. It was, however, this release that began Alpha Wave Movement and started a string of releases. Between these initial forays into electronic music, Alpha Wave Movement was Gregory Kyryluk's preferred mode of electronic music experimentation. 1994 yielded Alpha Wave Movement's first compilation contribution and first commercial release with Silent Records' From Here to Tranquility, Vol. 4 compilation. Between this release and Alpha Wave Movement's first full-length release, Gregory Kyryluk experimented more and more with his sound, trying to achieve a bridge between American electronic music and the Berlin-school style of electronic music, along the lines of Tangerine Dream, Ashra, and the always notable Klaus Schulze. In 1995, he came the closest that he had come to achieving this sort of "über musik" that would be his own, yet reminiscent of the electronic music that he had come to love and enjoy; this release was Transcendence on Gregory Kyryluk's own Harmonic Resonance Recordings label. As mentioned, this CD was a definite step toward the sound environments that Gregory Kyryluk enjoyed dwelling in, and his sonic experimentation continued further.

Gregory Kyryluk and his Alpha Wave Movement project began to focus more on the cosmic, spacious, and reflective aspects of his musical persona. It was this direction, whether he knew it or not at the time, that would certainly elevate his work to more and more audiences. Around this time, Gregory Kyryluk began listening to explorations into classic Arabic music both popular and traditional, as well as hybrid ethno-Indian music like that of Sheila Chandra and Michael Brook's projects with vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This exotic music left an indelible impression on Gregory Kyryluk and he felt the urge to incorporate the rhythmic pulse and atmosphere of this music into his own electronic inspirations. Following the successful debut of Alpha Wave Movement's Transcendence, several other recordings in the same vein were released over the course of the next half decade; including 1996's The Edge of Infinity on the Groove Unlimited label, as well as 1998's Concept of Motion and 2000's Drifted Into Deeper Lands, both of which were also featured on the Groove Unlimited label. 2001 saw Gregory Kyryluk and Alpha Wave Movement doing a very successful and well-received collaboration with Jim Cole of Spectral Voices fame by the name of Bislama. This work truly brings to life some Gregory Kyryluk's interests in Arabic and Far Eastern ethnic music, only it's brought to life by a wide and panoramic stereo field that seems to suck the listener in. Alpha Wave Movement and Gregory Kyryluk continue to go strong.

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Thought Guild was the duo of musician/composer Gregory Kyryluk(Alpha Wave Movement/Open Canvas) and synthesist Christopher Cameron. The focus from the genesis of the project was recording syntheszier based music in an open improvised setting direct to recording medium. Christopher Cameron an avid collector of vintage 1970-80s synthesizers curated the vintage aesthetics to the project.

They released 2 recordings 2001's "Context" and 2005's "Continuum". Both releases where very personal and featured that 1970s era sounds ingrained & sculpted with the influences of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ashra, Popul Vuh and Steve Roach. Fans of the good old analog days of electronic music would be sure to take pleasure in the usage of vintage synthesizers in the music.

"Third Voyage", released in February 2012 on Harmonic Resonance Recordings, marks the third and unfortunately the last chapter of collaboration between Alpha Wave Movement's Gregory Kyryluk and his country mate, synthesist Christopher Cameron, who passed away on August 22, 2011.

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On [context], the tracks capture the group’s live performances and sequences. This was the approach taken on many classic recordings by artists like Tangerine Dream and Vangelis. By recording this way, Thought Guild seems to be challenging themselves to create interesting music using the same tools and techniques use by the early synth gods. The result is an exciting CD that should appeal especially to fans of synth music from the late seventies and early eighties.

Thought Guild’s list of equipment for this CD includes many of the highlights of the early days of synthesizers, including the Ensoniq ESQ-1, Korg MS-20 and Wavestation, Maestro Rhythm King, Moog Prodigy, Oberheim Matrix 6, Roland TR 606, and Yamaha CS-50. All this vintage gear helps contribute to Thought Guild’s retro-synth sound. An out-of-tune synth line even rears its head occasionally, which you don’t hear much on most modern recordings. These quirks are part of the charm of the CD, though.

The album starts of with Distant Star, with drones, chimes and a synth solo it establishes the retro-synth sound, and highlights the musician’s talent for this style. Several other tracks stand out on Context.  Semiotic Sequence takes things to Berlin with its percolating sequences and distorted lead lines. Silicon Alchemists explores a meditative soundscape not unlike those pioneered by German synthesists Klaus Schulze. It evolves from a mellow, almost ambient texture into sequence-driven, old-school trance

In addition to more driving tracks, [context] includes some beautiful slower or pulseless tracks, including Lifepools, Leviathan’s Lament, and Memento. These tracks bring to mind early American space music pioneers, such as Michael Stearns. They are drone-based pieces, with synth strings and ambient washes that seem to surround you. The album is excellent especially impressive since it is recorded live.

[context] is powerful electronic music that evokes the synth gods of the seventies. Full of interesting synthesizer and electronics work, it’s a must-have for fans of early synth music.



Thought Guild - Context  (flac 280mb)

01 Distant Star 6:10
02 Moebius Phase 1:10
03 Semiotic Sequence 5:12
04 Lifepools 6:43
05 Leviathan's Lament 8:02
06 Silicon Alchemists 7:54
07 Cathedrals Of Stone 6:22
08 Tetrahedral Anomalies 10:50
09 Memento 4:43

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Don’t let the title of Beyond Silence fool you. From the title, it sounds like the CD may be a set of quiet, more ambient than ambient, tracks. Instead, it’s some of the most aggressive work we’ve heard from Alpha Wave Movement, combining classic old-school synth influences with more modern drum programming and even some 303-style acid. Several of the tracks, like Departure Point, mix ambient sections with more propulsive, sequence-driven sections. Two Dimension Xpansion starts off slowly, but builds over the first two and a half minutes to a hypnotic, driving middle section, before returning momentarily to its quiet beginnning.

Sunburst combines acid bass synth, rock electronica drums, sequences and prog-like lead work on synth and “organ”. Fans of Jarre will appreciate Farewell Voyager. Burbling synths echo from ear to ear, squelchy percussion squawks, synth strings phase, and synths play expansive melodies. AWM even unleashes classic swashes of filtered white noise.

While the bouncier tracks are the most immediately ear-catching, some of the stand-out tracks are the quiet ones. Further Out and Echoes are both lovely tracks that combine ambient synths with gentle sequences. The last track on the CD, Ode to an Era, gives Kyryluk a chance to explore the sounds of Mellotron. The track features a synth sequence ground, on top of which Kyryluk layers Mellotron flute and strings. The title is appropriate, because this sounds like a tranquil homage to early 70′s synth pioneers.

Throughout the CD, Kyryluk’s synth work is imaginitive and varied. Alpha Wave Movement’s Beyond Silence pays respect to the classic synth artists of the pasts, while keeping their styles fresh and new.



Alpha Wave Movement - Beyond Silence  (flac 330mb)

01 Departure Point 5:15
02 Sunburst Shift 6:04
03 The Zen Machine 7:08
04 Farewell Voyager 4:33
05 Further Out 5:15
06 Two Dimension Xpansion 5:45
07 Tales Of Ancient Travellers 6:46
08 Kinetic Transfer 7:05
09 Echoes 5:39
10 Electrik Religions 5:46
11 Ode To An Era 3:17

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 "Soniq Variants" is based and realized on Ensoniq synthesizers, their most famous models were made during the late 80's and early 90's. I am sure Greg is going to handle this concept more than efficiently. The album opens effectively with 10-minute piece "Sundial West", nicely spiraling sequences with aerial hypnotic textures, wonderful! And the next one, "Eternal Panorama", gets even more relaxing with its elegant rhythmic elements, plus stunning percussive ingredients, a pure sonic vista! "Transwave Oscillations" starts quite monumentally, but the tension is relieved very soon by some smooth, clean and refined downtempos. The album turns into slower emotional compositions with "Sustained Environment" and "Sweeping The Soniq Spectrum", but this one moves soon to much more lively textures. "Dynamic Atmosphere" belongs to slower floaters with slowly evolving and swirling dynamics, another exactly fitting track name. Greg seems to be very strong in this one too. "Wave Gliding" keeps the path and "Contours & Cloudforms" closes this elegantly sculpted ride with all its majesty and tranquillity. Mission "Ensoniq", blending electronic rhythms and soundscaping, has been successfully completed .



Alpha Wave Movement - Soniq Variants (flac  342mb)

01 Sundial West 10:31
02 Eternal Panorama 7:17
03 Transwave Oscillations 7:25
04 Sustained Environment 3:45
05 Sweeping The Soniq Spectrum 9:00
06 Dynamic Atmosphere 9:00
07 Wave Gliding 3:59
08 Contours & Cloudforms 8:50

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Rho, great site!

I tried to DL the FLAC of Thought Guild - 'Context', but it was down last week. I have tried a few more times in the past number of days, but it appears the download is either no longer available or something is wrong with the site. Either way, I just thought you should know.

Keep up the good work!

Rho said...

Well Anon clearly more went wrong with Netkups last week, i've rectified the fall out and have re-upped Thought Guild to Deposit...N'Joy

Emblem said...

While I fix up my rocket I want to ask: Can you reup these spacemusic albums?

Emblem said...

Thank you for the reup. I am listening to Thought Guild's album and this is amazing music.