Gert Emmens – Nearest faraway place vol. 2

4 reviews for Gert Emmens – Nearest faraway place vol. 2

1. 

   LouLou / Prog-rsiste – 2022-11-22

   Ceux qui suivent cette rubrique connaissent les dboires qu’avait connus Gert Emmens avec le premier volume de ses endroits distants les plus proches. Un crash de disque dur (si, si, a peut encore arriver, mfiez-vous!) avait compromis l’album, d’ailleurs en demi-teinte. Mais que les admirateurs du synthtiste batave se rassurent, Gert a retrouv tous ses moyens et par del toute sa crativit.

   En 7 tableaux, logiquement numrots de Part 8 Part 14 (les 7 premiers sont du volume 1), Emmens intgre le meilleur de ce peut offrir l’cole de Berlin (les lourdes squences et les mellotrons violoneux de Ricochet, Stratosfear et Encore Tangerine Dream) avec les plus beaux soli de Vangelis (plus ou moins la mme priode avec Spiral, Opra Sauvage et China). Mais me direz-vous, sans avoir tout fait tort : a

2. 

   Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness – 2022-11-22

   Here is the 2nd part of this trilogy to complete, which took shape during the E-Day festival organized by Kees Aerts and Ron Boots of Groove Unlimited label. Faithful to what Gert Emmens produced for years, this 11th opus of the Dutch synthesist is filled with sequences to varied rhythms, synths to ingenious solos and hooking melodies as well as mellotrons with touching arrangements. An album where Berlin School oscillates between the old one and its new generation.

   Divided into 7 parts quite as the Volume I, Part 8 starts rather quickly. After a short cosmic intro, a sequence which hops with strength gives a constant tempo, surrounded by a mellotron which spreads its sweetness over a very lively cadence. Tinkled notes filter a sweet dreamy harmony, paving a new rhythmic direction. A rhythm forking under a fine synth with lyrical harmonies and a mellotron with sober choirs which flow into a syncretic ambiance.
   Slowly we cross towards the 9th Part where a cosmic guitar offers its chords in a charming nebulosity with Spanish voices to repetitive incantations. Gradually we are submerged by an aggressive sequence which moulds a heavy and hypnotic rhythm, supported by a keyboard which coils up to the tempo. A heavy tempo, encircled by a mellotron choir, which bursts with electronic percussions sustained by good sinuous synth solos.
   A floating intro opens Part 10. Heavy cosmic vapors drop a nervous sequence thus the movement it staccato give a echotic feeling which eases gradually, offering a rhythmic hypnotic structure drowned in a cosmic atmosphere with fine synthesized movements. But Gert Emmens doesnt cogitate too long into minimalism spheres. Around the 7th minute mark, the movement takes a full of life tangent on a more hatched rhythm, adorned by a pleasant mellotron choral.
   A finale of an unsuspected sweetness which guide us towards the delicious rumba of Part 11. A cosmic rumba with shimmering keys which flirt with a fine harmonious synth.
   The 12th Part brings us back into an electro cosmic concept. A nebulous intro which engenders a sequence walking in a heavy and musical ambiance. Once again, Gert Emmens multiplies the sequential rhythms around a captivating mellotron, creating an unstable atmosphere under romantic harmonies.
   The Part 13 offers a noisy and colorful intro which gives way to a sequence la Phaedra, wrapped by a mellotron to spectral breaths. Minimalism, the sequence accelerates the pace with kind of echoing percussion which hustles a soberly harmonious universe where a French voice is improvising words on a heavier rhythm with layers of mellotron. A beautiful title prints of a sentimental nostalgia, as a feeling of lost love.
   The 14th Part begins with a up roaring sparkle before settling down on heavy circular reverberations which float in echoes into a sonorous nothingness. Slowly, a sequence blinks as the wings of a metallic dragonfly, before marrying the Emmens style which restructures the movement with diverse rhythmic directions under of big vaporous synth, creating a universe sometimes little inviting, sometimes more harmonious.

   And so goes on the musical universe of Gert Emmens. Once again the Dutch synthesist amazes, even if we are used to his style, with an imaginary approach which we can live as nebulosity always makes its way to iridescent beauties. Another great piece of EM art.

   2009. Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness

3. 

   Matt Howarth / Sonic Curiosity – 2022-11-22

   This release from 2009 offers 72 minutes of spry pastoral electronic music.
   Augmenting Emmens electronics are voices (in Spanish and French) provided by Cara, Natxo Asenjo-Fernandez, and Eline Feldbrugge.
   In Volume 1 of this series, Emmens explored industrial nearest faraway places.” Here

4. 

   Bert Strolenberg / Sonic Immersion – 2022-11-22

   The second chapter of this concept cd, which was released and played live at E-Day 2009″