2350.org - Aerial Service Area 2

There's actually quite a bit going on here though it is certainly subtle. It all has the air of being a kind of low key alternative soundtrack to Bladerunner (hence the insert titles). The two title tracks move slowly similar to Vangelis' soundtrack but without that synthline - minimal ambience that does go somewhere. The peak is reached with the 16 minute 'Newton's Law' which really sticks you out in deep space with a narrow lifeline that could dry up at any point. Slow breathing in face masks and what sound like distant bells overlayed with drones make lead you to an isolationist space but not one completely devoid of warmth. Alien stuff.

(review by Rowland Atkinson)

The first, soaring ASA release was always going to be a hard act to follow and the reason, one supposes, why our collaborators chose to chart new territory, coming together once again to process recordings originally made over a four year period from '91 to '95. Around this time Fax also saw fit to press Globaline, a collection of eccentric and sometime rhythmic pieces by Victor Sol, of which most (although not all) proved very satisfactory, at least to those listeners of a more inquisitive nature. Some of that eccentricity can help to bridge the gap between the two Aerial Service Area releases. On ASA2 Niko Heyduck's cover shot perfectly captures the mood of a disc which places you right 'out there' in the furthest corners of the galaxy, where we must expect the unexpected. Divided into two more or less equal halves of ten minutes each is 150G Space Weight an eerie, hypnotic symphony of abstract sonic textures. It's disturbing beauty is quite unlike anything else to be found on the label, perhaps sharing some common ground with the work of David Reeves but, less quirky and more genuinely experimental. Triangular Night, even less of an easy-on-the-ear experience, still manages to capture the imagination, perhaps conjuring up an (alien?) lifeform that is drifting endlessly through a dark and lonely void. Inside Decker's Room we at least find something familiar, even if it is little more than a distant mechanical noise overlaid by the sound of a strange, discordant orchestra. Although ASA2 is clearly a lovingly (and meticulously) crafted opus it manages to retain a highly intuitive feel throughout - this is a work by musicians who have mastered their technology and thankfully, far removed from the outpourings of technicians who manufacture their music. A single mutating note underpins Phase Shift 84, a track serving to clear a path which will eventually lead into Silent Running. A grandiose journey into the heart of the sun, where emotions run high and dreams of analogue come flooding back. Freak Sequence is just that, an unexpected reprise of the closing (sequential) segment of Silent Running and yet, too brief. At this point our journey should have been brought to a hugely fulfilling close. However, enter Newton's Law which initially at least seems little more than abstract and randomly woven effects but, persist and after some time things start to make tangible sense - only to disperse irritatingly into five minutes of complete silence! You are left, quite literally, hanging there. Finally, the Epilogue arrives but, actually sounds as if it has migrated from another disc. If ASA2 had drifted out of earshot after the seventh track and not extended it's welcome, then an almost flawless masterpiece would have emerged. Some CD player programming is recommended to maximise your enjoyment.

(review by Paul Milligan)

This is some serious space music. Dark and deep. This time around we the Atom Heart influence is gone, leaving only Victor Sol and Niko Heyduck at the wheel. 150 G Space Weight Pts 1 & 2 are a dark trip into the deep reaches of wherever you want to go. This is a defintely a minimalist piece- very slow and deep- but with this dark tone that sticks with it throughout...something I'd like to be hearing if I was in an evil mood or something. Triangular Night is like a soundtrack to a sci-fi thriller...pretty creepy...Decker's Room and Phase Shift 84' continue on the same minimal trip, until things change a bit in Silent Running- where things brighten up somewhat. But then we are back in the gloom for Newton's Law...to conclude with the short Epilogue. This release is definitely on the dark side...very different from the first Aerial Service Area in some respects. For what it lacks in substance, it makes up for in atmosphere and darkness. If you're into that kind of thing check it out.

(review by rdudley)