We recently received a package of CDs from the Spotted Peccary label that included a collection of great ambient and new age music. One of these CDs was Craig Padilla’s Genesis, a gorgeous set of ambient space music.

If you’re familiar with American ambient classics like Michael Stearn’s Planetary Unfolding or Kevin Braheny’s The Way Home, you’ll be familiar with the general territory that Padilla explores on this CD. The tracks are all long explorations of ambient synth textures, with an emphasis on attractive, harmonious sound.

The music has a bit of a classic space music feel, and the titles (Genesis, Moon Tides) seem to reflect this. The tracks on Genesis are relatively static, featuring drifting clouds of electronic sound. While the music doesn’t take you from point A to point B, it encourages you to take a trip wherever your mind wanders.

The highlight of the CD is Padilla’s sumptuous electronic orchestration. The soundscapes that Padilla creates seem to envelope you, and, while the soundscapes are relatively static, new sounds and textures are continuously emerging that reward active listening.

In addition to the music, we were impressed by the classy packaging for the CD. It features beautiful abstract art that seems perfectly in tune with the music.

All around, Craig Padilla’s Genesis is a lovely release. We’ll look forward to hearing more from Padilla and the Spotted Peccary label.

Tracks:

• Genesis
• Moon Tides
• Ascension
• Message From Within