2350.org - Move D/Namlook XIII - Raumland Exploration

Track 1 starts with a beautiful melody floating over a beatless drone and squelchy acid plonking. We get over 8 minutes of this. Sets the stage nicely. Then the distorted voices (from the previous releases) enter as the melody departs. They are more subtle than before. Eerie, strobing, pulsing electrical noises come in to dance around. Not a beat to be heard! A blissful and classic track.

Track 2 starts with more voices and leftovers from t1. An escalating soft organ sneaks in at 1:00. A spasmodic squelchy staccato synth line joins in slowly. (I think it's been playing since 0:00!) 2:00 and a beat jumps in. A great Move D groove is in the cards! Odd, distorted horn samples squeak around as an alien melody howls, similar to Art of Love but played down, and they soon exit. It feels like we're building up to something epic.

Track 3 continues 2. A massive bass synth line strikes. Play it loud! The excitement builds. The samples are back, both voices and melody. The percussion morphs. The bass wanders off on tangents. The inside of a giant, busy alien brain at the center of a planet? 4:30 and a melody proper softly synths in. It takes over as other layers fade to nothing. The melody becomes more ominous as morphed versions of the layers reappear. A second melody voice joins the first in dissonant harmony. The brain communicates with a distant neighbour? Truly the highlight of the album. The 23 minute journey is worth every minute. One of the best Move D / Namlook pieces ever.

Track 4 explores a new part of space. Dissonant bells and 1994-era FAX spacey sounds hide deep in the background. I swear they were lifted from another FAX release, but which? Brilliant! The melody reprises from t3. Patented Namlook space synths pirouette overhead. Sporadic beats make this a more downtempo piece. Beautiful, and masterfully executed. A DSN-esque bouncy synth takes center stage. The miasma lifts and an optimistic air blows in. The uplifting mood continues until the end.

This whole album just blows my mind. It's so cohesive and strong. There is not a single dull moment. Everything they have been perfecting since Art of Love comes together here in one incredible exploration into deep space. Instantly appreciated and a grower to boot. Destined to be a true FAX classic.

(review by Trevor Cordes)

Very good collaboration with David Moufang. I've always liked Deep Space Network, and the vibe here is definitely a cross of the good bits of DSN and those of Namlook. No fake-jazzy leanings on this, just slowly evolving, spacey tracks, with a little acid squeaks for rhythm and some warped spoken vocals [track 1], building to a tougher groove on tracks 2 and 3 and opening up again on the last. It comes across as one long piece. The beats are a bit tiresome from time to time, but there is enough going on in the foreground to keep it interesting.

(review by Autonomy)