2350.org - Virtual Vices II

Track 1 - Bauxit - 14:44 : Pete and Wolfram introduce the Steel Cello with its quite expressive haunting drone sound here...creating a really cool industrial flair. This first track is a constant flow of the Steel Cello and Moog (I think so) string sounds flaring up and dimming again, with a bass that reminds me of 'Keeper of the Purple Twilight' from Outland III. After 9 mins percussion starts with some typical Spyra beats, mixed with rock drumkit sounds later. The drum phase only stays short, but...

Track 2 - 2nd Level Distance - 14:29 : ... starts with all the elements that were present at the climax of the first track, with the percussion and again this delayed "springy" bass, and this time more strings. The special spice are vocals by Jenny Gibbert here that remind me of Vangelis' Blade Runner track "Rachel's Song". Very nice 'outro' part in the last minutes, symphonic fairyland music.

Track 3 - Tshoogy Beatbox - 11:00 : This has more of a live session and lulling character, with the Steel Cello meeting Pete's Guitar, riding on an 1/8 note arpeggio bass throughout the track, accompanied by strings and some trippy beats. Really good...

Track 4 - Svuk - 21:23 : Finally something for the noise/drone fetishists. Cathedral acoustics with swelling of spooky gaseous drone noises. If you know the drone textures of the Psychonavigation series or 'Subharmonic Invocation of the Dark Spirits' from Namlook XII you know where this goes. So I would not really agree that this track "gives a new quality to the topic haunted meditation sounds" like it's said on the FAX page, but undoubtedly the Steel Cello sound gives it an individual touch to some extent. Leaving the listener deeply chilled.

I like this more than Virtual Vices I... Good job, Pete and Wolfram!

(review by Wolfgang Röttger)