2350.org - Pete Namlook & New Composers

Pete Namlook and The New Composers (Lakoff, Igr Ver), from St. Petersburg, Russia, take us on a journey through Russia in spring. After a long and cold winter, there is now spring in Russia, which awakens an immense spirit which gives a special feeling, about new freedom.

Using low bass and guitar, speech, synth and lots of environmental sounds, Pete Namlook and the New Composers create a wonderful Environmental Ambient record, consisting of 13 different soundpaintings, taking you on the journey through Spring in Russia.

The cd starts off with some soothing soft synth and bass sounds, although quickly transforming into speech, where you hear a voice telling us about the journey through spring, accompanied by well chosen environmental sounds, such as sounds from the water, birds, as well as smooth synth sounds. Before you know it, you are already in track 3, without even noticing it. The environmental sounds keep going, nicely accompanying the synth sounds, which in track 4 are a nice deep pad, and a very well made deep bass.

Track 6 (Part VI) is one of my favourite tracks. It start with a really deep dark pad, accompanied by sounds of birds, but after about a minute into the track you hear a beautiful smooth guitar sound, creating a great atmosphere that really fits into this soundpainting. After track 7 being totally different again, track 8 reminds you of the beginning of the cd, using the same kind of soothing synth sounds. And like this the cd keeps going until the end, ending off pretty much the same way as it started: soft, gentle synth sounds accompanied by environmental sounds.

Even though the cd consists of 13 different tracks, it really is one big journey, of nearly an hour long (59:11 minutes), and this is the way you should listen to it, from the beginning to the end.

To me, this is more than just an ordinary "ambient" record; this is a great journey showing us the sounds of spring in Russia.

I give this a 8/10 rating.

(review by Mark Tamerus)