ROBERT FOX Still Waters (CD on AD Music)
This CD from 2013 features 75 minutes of Oriental music.
Eastern instruments and styles heavily dominate this music.
While most of the sounds are undoubtedly synthesized, very little of it sounds like electronics. The main gist here is Eastern instrumentsÑbamboo flutes, Asian strings, female choralesÑall defining melodies of an Oriental character.
The strings etch out pastoral riffs that drift on buoyant breezes. The flutes contribute a winsome quality to the music. There are numerous instruments whose actual names one might not identify, but whose sound is instantly recognizableÑall of which further flesh out the Eastern flavor of this tuneage.
There are vocal chorales of a female sort, softly crooning in a non-lyrical manner.
There are keyboards, though, and while they pursue riffs that emphasize the overall Asian sensibility, they betray a Western hand on the keys.
Only a minimal amount of percussion is employed, and those rhythms are gentle and craftily buried in the mix.
As previously stated, this music is heavily steeped in Asian culture and sensibilities. The melodies are delicate and lilting, engaging and alluring.
ROBERT FOX Asfafa 2 (CD on AD Music)
This CD from 2014 features 64 minutes of relaxing but powerful electronic music.
Regal electronics and percussives generate a dose of appealing music.
The electronics are diverse and uniformly crisp. There's little use of texturals; the music consists mainly of multi-layers of strong melodic content, generally induced by keyboards and displaying a classic influence in their structured delivery.
Keyboards guide the majority of the riffs. Some secondary atmospheric threads are set up to support the lead riffs which rely very little on cyclic sequences. Constantly evolving riffs are delivered by the keys, enhanced by auxiliary riffs that mesh to produce a lush resonance.
The rhythms are stately and relegated to a midpoint in the mix so they do not overwhelm everything, providing a balanced level of propulsion for the tunes. The beats are measured and unhurried, resulting in tempos that float rather than impel.
Softly grinding rotors churn in the background, amid vaporous chorales that are more tonal than vocal. Thumping pulsations are utilized in a few places to approximate sultry basslines.
These compositions shine with regal luster. Their temperament is relaxed but seething with a subdued level of verve. This balance of gentility and command is a genuine charm in Fox's music, evoking a sense of soothing vitality. Despite the music's often sedate character, there's a flair of mounting importance that comes through, infecting the listener with a sense of accessible euphoria.
CODE INDIGO Take the Money and Run (CD on AD Music)
This CD from 2014 features 79 minutes of majestic electronic music.
Code Indigo is David Wright (on piano and electronics), Robert Fox (on piano and electronics), David Massey (on electronics and rhythm programming), Andy Lobban (on guitar), Nigel Turner-Heffer (on guitar), David Bareford (on guitar), and Louise Eggerton and Carys (on voice).
Sultry electronics and smooth percussives generate some highly stately tuneage.
Wasting little effort on generating textural backgrounds, the electronics embody a constant degree of activity with sequences and cycles and strong melodics. These multitude of layers interweave to produce lush passages that are rich with drama and a spacey character.
Amid this electronic diversity, conventional piano chords contribute a powerful majesty. The cosmic sound generated by the other electronics becomes excellently grounded by these keyboard threads, injecting an organic sense to the synthetic vistas.
Guitar provides some riffs of astral definition, they type of notes that soar with expansive abandon while searing the paint from walls.
A steady presence of percussives flavors this music with an energized quality, providing agile locomotion to a flow already imbued with a lively demeanor.
While this music is basically instrumental in nature, vocal samples and choral crooning lend frequent a human presence to the cosmic music. The voice snippets bestow meaning to the dynamic tunes, criticizing mankind's dedication to greed and the downfall this fascination forecasts for our civilization.
These compositions pulsate with a strong authority. Commanding riffs are tempered with delicate sentiments, resulting in an ebb and flow of peak and lull. The melodies are alluring, seducing the listener with their sweeping grandeur and sparkling dispositions.
The album features a 30 minute epic piece that blends studio and live recordings.
| Entire page © 2014 Matt Howarth. All rights reserved. |
Webpage design by
 |