2350.org - The Dark Side of the Moog 2

This one is 61 minutes long. As good or better than the first? Who knows, but it seemed just as plump with wavesweep trickery and plenty more melodies and background textures... and a solo or two. It's a bit more mellow than the first one. Saucerful seems to place a little more emphasis on the environmental aspect (like Seasons Greetings "Spring"). It opens with some darker atmospherics and what sounds like birds chirping, but they don't sound like any birds I know. It takes longer to reach the crescendo this time, the mood is prolonged until more elements begin to leak into the mix. Before you know it, they're all around you. When Namlook and Schulze are so inclined, they can really rock the analog mothership. No cheese here, really, only 1st Impression-ish, Yenilik-ish solos that command the listener. No stringed instruments in the project this far... does Laswell bring those with him? One interesting side note: DSOTM 1 & 2 were released in late '94 and early '95, but they were*recorded* around the time when the "golden oldies" of Fax, such as 2350 Broadway, The Fires of Ork, and Hearts of Space were released in the fall of '93. Why the delay, I wonder? 5 albums released under this project name within 2 years would suggest a certain enthusiasm, not to mention that 4 of them have already been reissued on Ambient World and the fact that supplies of Moog 5 were "officially" expired recently (whatever that means). No matter, I suppose this project ought to be heard by as many Floydian ambient heads as possible.

(review by no@h)

It opens with some cricket sounds with a distant bird call. Slowly building, slowly rising into a dark and spacey, almost desolate sounding ambient filled background. This almost sounds like an environmental recording. This all changes gradually and takes the form of birds singing. Track 5 adds the spark, bringing environmental music to electronic music (The build reminds me of the Alien Community series). Track 6, Klaus emerges from the mix, leading to Klaus taking over in track 7. Beautiful moog pieces that play a dream filled sequence. You can hear the build within each track. Each track seems to bring you closer to a beat and inevitably to your orgasm. It is not till the end of track 8 that the beat finally kicks in, and at the perfect moment it steals its presence within your soul. This is very upbeat, making you want to get up and dance. Track 9 takes this upbeat techno to a new level. Increasing its velocity, it drives the trance on. The ambient does return and chills you out once again. Track 10 sounds like a modern day Tangerine Dream trip out. Swirling moog samples twisting and turning into a masterpiece like symphony. Don't look to far for the trance to return. Track 11 brings you another psychedelic filled trance tune. Track 12 seems to fade back to the dark sounding cricket and ambient dwellings.

Not as bad as some people have stated, but not overly earth shattering either.

(review by jackthetab)