Synth.nl – OceanoGraphy

4 reviews for Synth.nl – OceanoGraphy

1. 

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

   When the harmonies meet rhythmic complexities, or when the influences of Jarre cross the romantic arrangements of a dreamy Vangelis, that gives OceanoGraphy. A very beautiful album that depicts pretty well the vision of the Dutch synthesist. For his 3rd opus Michel Van Osenbruggen is inspired by the oceans and the survival fragility of its aquatic fauna. A work which wants to be a intra terrestrial hymn with a strange spatial fusion, supported by a certain rhythmic heaviness which has nothing to do with the grace of oceans.

   Antartico opens on a very light touch. A beautiful title with a melodious thematic which is near Vangelis style where we can hear a magnificent felted and fluted mellotron pushing this great melody close to New Age territories on a very sensitive and hooking synth and keyboard. A soft track that could make melts the hardest ones.
   Balaenoptera (Rorqual of the Atlantic Ocean) is quite its opposite and shapes marvelously the heavy movements of this graceful whale. A hiccoughing bassline hems on a synth which undulates in an oceanic background soundscapes. A fine keyboard strums soft chords before the bass becomes accessory of heaviness on a superb synth which drags an impressive sound mass in a fanciful amphibic world.
   A heavy title, quite as the mega weighting Megaptera, who finds grace on a splendid hemming and coiling synth filled of kiss-curl laments.
   Loud and atonal, the intro of Atlantico rolls with an extreme gravity on a sea agitated of intertwined waves. A spiraled rhythmic, coated by mellotron choirs and by clacking percussions thus a synth to ascending arpeggios, draw a musical structure that recalls the great moments of Jarre in a halieutic carousel stuffed with heavy twisted solos.
   With its cosmic approach to thousand striations and shooting stars analog effects, Carcharodon crosses more the space than the abundance seas on a good structure of loud bass with a melodramatic approach.
   Oceanography divides the opus into two, bringing a less heavy and more harmonious approach for the following tracks, with a synthesized lament which enjoys a beautiful synth to sighs of a faunistic submarine variety, on a slow tempo knocked off by arpeggios that sparkle on a mellotron that shape the movements of tides.
   There is a beautiful artistic creativity on Tursiops where we hear dolphins sing and to jump on a broken rhythm by a beautiful synth to aquatic waves.
   After this sweet sea lullaby which is Indico, Chelonia moves with the elegance of marine tortoises on a slightly hatched cadence and a synth with tropical flavor saxophones solos. With its slashed tempo that a hiccough on ground swell melodious synth witch explodes of good solos, Artico distances itself from quieter structures giving to ocean titles of OceanoGraphy. By far, its the liveliest track on this second half.
   Softer, Orcinus spouses a dreamy structure with a beautiful piano and a bass sequence which stutters under a synth very near the soil of Vangelis, quite as melodious Pacifico who closes with the same harmonious approach as Antartico had made at opening.

   When an artist succeeds to sculpture his music so that we can visualize its storyand\or message, we can easily assert that its purpose is reached. OceanoGraphy of Michel Van Osenbruggen (Synth NL) aims right to the target by offering a beautiful and tender poetic music with amazing rhythmic structures, sometimes heavy, slightly complex, but always melodious.
   A beautiful album which we taste eyes closed with soundscapes and sounding images which will certainly please the fans of Vangelis and Jarre, any areas include.

   2009. Sylvain Lupari / Guts Of Darkness

2. 

   Artemi Pugachov / Encyclopedia of Electronic Music – 2022-11-22

   Interesting concept album from Dutch artist Synth.nl is what I am going to review below. This work is dedicated to the Earth’s oceans and the creatures living in them. Accordingly, each track is named after a specific ocean or a marine animal.

   Antartico” kicks in with an atmospheric intro full of wave samples and gentle pads. A relaxed rhythm starts and a nice melody supports the flow. The mood is that of serenity and a sense of wonder permeates this composition. An atmospheric section follows before we return to the melodic theme.
   “Baleanoptera” starts with the sounds of whales before mysterious chords provide a nice flowing backing to a funky bass line. A loungy rhythm kicks in and a menacing synth theme plays on top. More melodic themes follow and the track acquires a darkish mood that’s something not very typical of Michel van Osenbruggen‘s oeuvre.
   “Atlantico” is more upbeat

3. 

   Matt Howarth / Sonic Curiosity – 2022-11-22

   This release from 2009 offers 73 minutes of pleasant electronic music.Synth.NL is Michel van Osenbruggen.

   Aquatic textures waft beneath airborne electronics, bouncy keyboards and stately rhythms to craft pleasant tune age.The electronics are gentle and achieve a balance between dreamy and mildly energized. A versatile array of sounds is utilized, resulting in depth as well as scope. Sweet chords coexist with bass pulsations, producing a well-rounded sonic palette.
   Keyboards generate pacific melodies through constant key manipulations, relying only minimally on loops. A persistent stream of engaging riffs is delivered, displaying emphasis on compositional dedication over technological repetition.The rhythms maintain a steady locomotion but without becoming too overt. A temperate pace is established. The beats are un intrusive but possess enough substance to lend complementary oomph.
   While these compositions are all devoted to aquatic elements, that doesn’t mean they’re all flowy and low-key. That temperament is found in some of the pieces, but other tracks exhibit a degree of understated intensity. These floating melodies are nicely seasoned by spry embellishment, and this state of animation is held in tasteful restraint to keep things affable yet engaging.

   2010. Matt Howarth / Sonic Curiosity

4. 

   Phil Derby / Electroambient Space – 2022-11-22

   Michel van Osenbruggen aka Synth.nl has made fun, melodic, upbeat electronic music inspired by a variety of topics. This time out he tackles OceanoGraphy.

   Antartico” is very dreamlike to start before a softly percolating sequence bubbles up