ANDREAS AKWARA Raum (CD on Scare Records)
This CD from 2013 features 55 minutes of cosmic electronic music.
"Raum" being the German word for "space," this sets the albumÕs sonic template for cosmic.
As electronics are the dominant element, their range is quite diverse, from dreamy atmospherics to bouncy pulsations to astral oscillations. The background textures tend to be more than just dronish hums; they embody a more substantial presence, often being auxiliary sequences wafting in tandem with the lead themes.
Keyboards are utilized to guide the electronics along sweeping paths, crafting emotional chords that pulsate and loop into near infinite structures, only to be embellished by additional riffs...until the layers fill the air with their throbbing luster.
A degree of rhythmics is present, but mainly offered as an immersed element, coaxing the tunes along with subtle tempos. Again, a diversity exists in the style of beats. In one stance, the tempos are devolved to the simplicity of an antique drum machine from the Eighties. In another instance, a militaristic marching rhythm lends that passage a commanding posture. Crunching impacts are employed to punctuate the flow.
A basic riff is established, then enhanced by auxiliary chords, each thread cycling in a manner that enlarges the audible flow. Seductive club-house e-perc gives it a gentle push. Spacey effects surface, sweep through, then depart into the distance. The progression as different threads interact generates a lush soundscape, rich in melody and infectious in depth.
These compositions do more than just evoke the cold emptiness of outer space, though. They explore the concept of "space" as a dimension unto itself, whether it be stretching to galactic vistas or the vast realm lurking behind the audienceÕs foreheads. Pleasant melodic passages cruise along with grace, only to build into dramatic pinnacles that exude a gentle majesty.
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