2350.org - Steve Stoll

It's almost a year ago this disc came out. And nobody has put a review on the 'famous' 2350.org site. That's weird cause this one is definitely a stormer, really outstanding, 10 out 10. This music is Steve Stoll's contribution to the soundtrack of the 21st century with his new organic-electronic sound.

I was already pretty impressed by 'Was here', his first solo project on fax, but this one is even better. However it is very different. No techno-bass stuff any more, but repetitive ambient loops. In each track you discover a new world with its own sphere. So you can easily put your CD-player on the 'shuffle' mode just like Steve says in the booklet.

'Intuition (1st Movement)' is very repetitive and consists of a bass drone with soft electronic bleeps. A dark synthesizer emphasizes that world of electronic in which I'm walking. After about five minutes an echoing electronic sample takes over the control, while the dark atmosphere fades away, but not for long. Slowly one by one the samples are putting away until we end with that wonderful synthesis. Feel the warm and cold breeze in this safe place.

'Rnd.ply.' This is what a real sad world would be. A mechanical wash is played backwards, which is accompanied with electronic rattling loops. Someone is crying. He runs away and I am left behind in a wind tunnel with a fast electronic percussion.

'Atonal memory' This is some kind of minimal techno. It's a rhythm of electronic cuts. In the background high echoing tones in different chords, which let me float on the clouds.

'Ballet mechanic' Hey this sounds familiar or not...mmm...the beginning sample does remember me to Shellground, the last track of Modula Green. Doesn't matter, I love this sound. And there's again that kind of drone with tiny little bleeps in the background. The sphere is really amazing, mechanical indeed, but very emotional.

'Intuition' Well well well again we've got some techno, but this time Steve used that Astrogator-machine from Pete. Steve works fine with the bass here and uses some very sphere-creating strings, so he gives his own touch. Nice on headphones while walking in Amsterdam.

'Unionsquare' A little bit in the same vain as Rnd play. Again I'm in the emotional field of the machines. You can reckon many samples such as short filtered chord tones and different deep washes if you listen close are put together in one loop. A mechanic loop is introduced and this really fits to the first one. A machine starts to rumble. Listen close to this one, cause there's much going on, however everything is looped.

'Navigation of k' starts with a synthesizer which remember me of ETI encoding, the first track of ASA. The machines are back again, but they're laughing now. This time accompanied by a rhythm of electronic clicks and cuts, while the wind tunnel is in the background. A dark loop, something like a deep electronic guitar, takes over the control. The setting becomes very dark and hunting.

'Data clouds (into the nature pt 2)' The Data clouds consist of a soft techno rhythm and some filtered synthesizers. The rhythm moves slowly to the background and is subtle brought back. It all becomes a little warmer, while we're running on these clouds.

'Radiodiffusion' And we stays in this warm environment. It starts with a typical techno sample, when after 45 min a clear minimal techno rhythm perfectly comes in. This remembers me to the 'Was here' album although this is more subtle. Moreover the track changes after 3 min. and a crying machine in the same vain as Rnd.ply. sets the mood.

'Dockstader' Back on a cold place somewhere on earth. Steve again created a techno loop with mechanic samples and yes even a soft echoing synth. Immediately the mood is set and all the components perfectly fill up the gaps. It's nice to start the CD with.

'Epilogue (?)' The start of a mechanical loop combined with a very nice filtered synthesizer which is floating on the electronic rattling loops of the rnd. play and the soft high echoing tones in different chords of the atonal memory. Yes this would be a nice end.

'Dust Ver. 1' But there's more to explore and I'm glad too. Beautiful dust with a deep slow percussion and soft synth tones. What do I hear? Perfection.

'Chance-Meeting' Another new world is created with cracking sounds which work as a sort of percussion, while some synthesizers tones drop in and out...even a short melody. Mmm it looks like Steve used some old sounds of Namlook which he has put in his own production. This sounds familiar.

'Suguni' Epilogue? A warning? Warm? Cold? Nice? Yes!

Hit the play-button again and again and again....

(review by Ilmar Links)