New Hypnagogue reviews

[Hypnagogue]

December's reviews are online now at http://hypnagogue.netfirms.com. Here are some excerpts:

Slow Dancing Society, The Sound of Lights When Dim

Particularly effective is the combination of the fourth and fifth tracks, "A Song to Help You Remember to Forget" and "The Warm Familiar Smell of September." "Song" opens with a simple, infectious pizzicato rhythm on guitar over a swirling backdrop, both of which are then punctuated with a sad guitar melody that rolls in absolutely dripping with the feel of a recent breakup. "September" plays off a beautiful melody on acoustic guitar—the kind of thing that would be right at home on a Windham Hill release from the '80s—and builds up from there.

John Lyell, Dimensions

On his first solo release, John Lyell crafts a solid, drifting piece of classic-style spacemusic that demands and rewards close listening. Riding on spacewind drifts with swatches of quiet beats, Lyell immerses the listener in a journey at once soothing and intriguing.

Dimensions is an easy, inobtrusive ride through familiar spacemusic landscapes. Lyell crafts and layers his sounds with an expert hand.

Larry Kucharz, Electro Engavings

As with most Kucharz releases, newer pieces (the “Engravings” themselves) are paired with older works—in this case, ranging back as far as 1976, with the majority from the ’90s. It’s intriguing to see how readily the older works meld with the new material, both composed of sparse melodic elements placed carefully over Kucharz’s signature monochromatic washes. All the pieces, however, demonstrate the hand of a careful, skilled artisan fully in control of his medium.