John Flomer – Night in the vapor jungle

2 reviews for John Flomer – Night in the vapor jungle

1. 

   Ted Cox – 2022-11-22

   John Flomer offers an introspective follow-up to his debut Mysterious Motions of Memory.

   The more subtle and somber Night in the Vapor Jungle provides Flomer an opportunity to glide his piano over beds of symphonic electronics, some of which might be considered avant garde in the genre of New Age-classical music.Through the Veil and The Charm Wind recall the fast-paced early works of Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre with percussion and keyboards ablaze in fiery color. The rest of the album moves in slow, measured paces. Most dark is the plunge into Shadowdomain, full of ominous chords, spooky sounds, and sinister atmosphere. The shimmering and plucked-string keyboard texture depicting a murky Goldfish Pool and the faux-oboe solo with synth and voice choir in The Power of Stars give special treatment to nature and the universe.

   2000. Ted Cox

2. 

   Bill Binkelman / Wind & Wire – 1999-11-22

   John Flomer‘s release is a masterpiece of atmospheric ambient music that brings John’s unique sense of ever-changing melody and time signatures into a whole new realm. Where his previous recording, Mysterious Motions of Memory, was full of dynamic and percussive music and marked by densely layered rhythm effects, Night In The Vapor Jungle is, on the surface, much less thunderous. Instead, the recording is overflowing with mystery and wonder; it’s full of a exotic beauty and shadowy light. In a word, it’s magical.

   Those who have heard Mysterious Motions… will recognize some similar elements on the first cut, Ori Arian, including the unique synth chorus effect John uses in his music. However, the predominance of piano is somewhat new, along with a flowing compositional style that emphasizes the drama inherent in the melody itself, without resorting to a lot of percussion.
   The next song, The Goldfish Pool, continues in a dreamy vein, with the piano and a guitar-like synth mirrored gracefully by synth chimes and bells. While this recording is a departure from his previous one, still recognizable are the interesting time signatures and shifts in a song’s tempo.
   Since John’s songs are always evolving and are never constrained by pop structures, it’s hard to describe the music in a few words.
   Trinket is graceful, delicate and haunting in its use of synth chorus counterpointed by plucked strings and plaintive piano.
   The Charm Wind is up-tempo and resembles Mysterious Motions… except for an almost Nancy Rumbel-ish oboe/English horn line that weaves through the synths, piano and drums.
   Through the Veil is a mid-tempo cadence number, with drums beating out an incessant rhythm and synths keeping pace. John’s compositional abilities, which were already excellent, take a giant leap forward with this recording.
   Night In The Vapor Jungle is chock full of songs that you want to play over and over and over. The music is a hybrid of the best keyboard-driven ambient music and a warm melodic sensibility. You can’t hum this music, but it’s so accessible, while never resorting to cliche or verse-verse-chorus structures, that it’s damn near ground breaking.
   The album closes with two fantastic pieces, Moon Breaks Free and The Power of Stars, both songs reminding me of Tim Story at his best.

   Night in the Vapor Jungle is a superlative release that should (and, I bet, will) appeal to fans of ambient music, electronic music, and even new age music. It’s organic without being tribal, warm without being melodramatic, and daring without being abstract. In short, Night In The Vapor Jungle is a work of great imagination and inspired musical talent. I guess it goes without saying it gets my highest recommendation.

   1999. Bill Binkelman / Wind & Wire