ARTIST:.......: Brendan Pollard
TITLE:........: Expansion
TYPE:.........: Retail
LABEL:........: Acoustic Wave
CATNO:........: AW003
GENRE:........: Electronic
LANG:.........: English
QUALITY:......: 242 kbps / 44.1 kHz / Joint Stereo
CODEC.........: LAME 3.100 -V0
SOURCE:.......: WEB
GRABBER:......: UKW
TRACKS:.......: 5
SIZE:.........: 111.03
LENGTH........: 01:00:53
RELEASE YEAR:.: 2005-00-00
RIP DATE:.....: 2020-12-16
T R A C K L I S T
--------------------
1. Tegula 19:10
2. Toxic Blue 24:55
3. Nebulous 7:07
4. Valve 7:12
5. Aquarius 2:29
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Total 60:53 min
R E L E A S E N O T E S
-------------------------
http://brendanpollard.bandcamp.com/album/expansion
Brendan is one half of Rogue Element and what we have here could very well
be a continuation of their first album 'Premonition'. It has all the Berlin
School / analogue excitement of that album but shows a honing of his talent
to produce a more consistently excellent CD. We begin 'Tegula' with
subterranean sounds. Little water droplets drip from high above as
electronic twitters shimmer from the speakers. Mellotron 'choir' effects
give rather gothic overtones. We then get a section of 'cosmic' winds which
lead to more mellotron but this time of the flutey variety which take us to
the first brace of sequences, one an awesome bass laden monster and the
other a rapid high register pulse chaser. This is absolutely superb stuff
containing elements of a host of TD albums from 'Rubycon' to 'Force
Majeure'.
Not sure how many sequencer lines are going as new series of pulsations
seem to shift in and out of the mix all the time. There are lead lines but
these tend to be subtle, like wisps of steam rising from a lake of lava as
it bubbles and boils over. In the thirteenth minute everything seems to
morph and evolve now seeming like a steam train hurtling down the track
into the distance. 'Toxic Blue' initially sounds as if we are by the side
of some fizzing power source- the engine of a spaceship perhaps. The mood
then changes and the images are of a swamp with some lovely moody flute
lead lines. This has a most definite 'Sorcerer' feel to it. Softer, really
lush pads herald the next chapter. The tron is never far away however,
making a brief return to take us to a windy moorland. A cello gives a
rather melancholy feel to proceedings.
Every sub section of this track is extremely effective but never left to
outstay its welcome before moving on to the next. The 'next' in this case
is represented by the appearance of a slow brooding sequence. Then another-
and another as the excitement starts to build to ball breaking intensity in
the sixteenth minute. The sequences now spewing forth are of the very best
bass laden ground shaking variety. The tron is brought back yet again
providing the lead role as unbelievably the sequences are cranked up yet
another gear. This is Berlin School heaven. 'Nebulous' is appropriately
cosmic, full of sonic twitters, weird spooky sounds and whooshing effects.
Ideal music to portray an alien graveyard in a sci fi movie.
'Valve' starts off in similar territory but at just over forty seconds in
first one sequence then another surge forward. Both rather rapid stunning
examples of their breed they are too. A wonderful track but at only seven
minutes long it just didn't give them long enough to fully reach their
potential. We finish with the very short 'Aquarius', a lovely little watery
gently melodic number that calms us down just in time to steady the hand so
it can press the play button once again! What an amazing album this is.
(DL)
released June 1, 2005