Jiannis - Plugged (c) 1997 Spheric Music
Artist....: Jiannis
Album.....: Plugged
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 03
Genre.....: Ambient
Label.....: Spheric Music
Catalogue#: SMCD 5001
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: http://www.discogs.com/release/567148
Tracklist:
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01 Erstes Schattenspiel 30:11
02 Zweites Schattenspiel 18:02
03 Drittes Schattenspiel 25:18
Total:99,2 MB / 73:31 min
Release Notes:
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This review was first published a number of years ago and as the last
sentence predicted it did indeed become one of the best sellers for
SMD. It has now been out of print for a number of years which was
really intolerable for such a classic so SMD paid half the cost of the
repress so that it could be made available once again...
OK, so Graham has quite rightly raved about the Spyra CD well I am
going to do the same about this disc. 'Plugged' is a Berlin School,
analogue, sequential masterpiece. The shortest track is eighteen
minutes so things are really given plenty of room to develop and mutate
creating pure aural heaven. 'Erstes Schattenspiel' (catchy title)
begins with lonesome synth sounds and vocoded speech in the manner of
'Chromium Echoes'. Don't worry these vocals are used more as a sound,
not singing. As soon as the opening sequence takes its first tentative
steps low in the mix, fitting perfectly to the washes of synth, you
just know that you are in for something VERY special. The sequence
beefs itself up and is accompanied by another sequence of a more ballsy
variety. The lead line is a real stunner and sends the spine a tingling
rather than screeching through the cranium, just right. It is
constantly changing and being put through all manner of effects and I
was hypnotised by it. Things calm down a bit at the eighteen minute
mark (can't believe the track has been running that long already) but
builds up again shortly afterwards over sequential themes that keep the
feel of before but are combined differently. The lead line when it
returns is even more effective than before and with even greater
variation, the sequences adjusting perfectly.
The second track 'Zweites Schattenspiel' (another cracking title)
starts with a noise half way between the wind blowing across an alien
landscape and a space ship coming in to land. We then get sequences
similar to early Jean Michel Jarre ('Oxygene' / 'Magnetic Fields')
which initially are rather laid back and to which a more typical Berlin
School sequence is added. The lead lines are straight from 1975 / 76.
The final track 'Drittes Schattenspiel' starts with more haunting winds
before massed chords add to the melancholy feeling and a lonesome lead
plays over the top. Seven minutes in a bubbling sequence is added and
the lead dies away. This sequence builds and a different lead comes to
the surface. Just as we are getting used to this groove a rhythm fades
in then drifts lower into the mix. The sequences, lead lines rhythms
mutate all the time creating an ever evolving brew. At the twenty
minute mark all but the main sequence and the drones die away but after
only a short while all the main elements are introduced again one by
one with the addition of a second rhythm. The track then fades gently
away. I can really give no greater accolade than to say "move over RMI
and AirSculpture and make room for a new EM giant". I can well see
Jiannis becoming the best ever seller on smd. (DL)
SMD
http://www.synthmusicdirect.com/