The Berlin school of electronic music lives on….in Poland!
The latest CD from E=Motion showcases the interlocking sequences originally made popular by artists like Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. While the Berlin style originated years ago, E=Motion keeps it relevant with new sounds and by incorporating elements of trance and other more recent styles.
E=Motion is the name for Polish musician Jacek Spruch’s solo projects. Spruch is a fan of Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and other early popular electronic music artists. While E=Motion’s music is influenced by the Berlin school style, especially Tangerine Dream’s work of the late seventies and early eighties, it does not sound derivative or imitative. Spruch has taken elements of the musical language of these early artists, such as the heavy use of interlocking sequences and hypnotic rhythms, and used them as building blocks for his own unique style.
The eight tracks are all around 5 or 6 minutes in length. This allows Spruch to take the time to develop his material, without wearing it thin.
Track 4, Out of Nowhere, is one of the highlights of the CD. It features a prominent bass line throughout the song, along with jack-hammer percussion. Spruch adds airy string pads and analog-style synth counter melodies to create a piece that is both hypnotic and melodic.
The next track, Timebound, starts out with dreamy sequences that would have been at home on TD’s soundtrack to Risky Business. Spruch adds phased percussion and, about half-way through the track, features a tasteful synth solo.
Night Vision, cranks things up with a harder edge and driving rhythms. Techno drum sounds and analog-style bass lines propel the song along. Constantly shifting sequences drop in and out. Spruch tops it off with several layers of interlocking melodies.
The final cut, Dreaming, slows things down to provide a mellow ending to the CD. Spruch starts the track off slowly, introducing FM-style sounds and a slow beat. This provides a backdrop for some Klaus Schulze-style synth soloing.
Throughout the CD, Spruch uses a great variety of classic sounds, including DX-7 FM bell & piano sounds, Fairlight-style leads and pads, and plenty of analog synth work. To these classic sounds, he adds the percussion sounds of more recent techno and trance music. There is plenty of unique new synth work, too. By mixing and matching classic, modern and custom sounds, Spruch creates arrangements that start where the Berlin school artists left off.
E=Motion’s A Dream Within a Dream is a treat for fans of classic synth music. The CD is available direct from Underwater Music.
Tracks:
- Awakening
- Global Beat
- Golden Sand
- Out Of Nowhere
- Timebound
- To The Deep
- Night Vision
- Dreaming
