This CD arrived in an unimpressive package – a hand-labeled CDR in a blank CD case and a floppy disk with the cover art on it.

The music, though, was a welcome surprise. Van and Borner is a duo of electronic musicians out of Poland. The band, made up of Barbara Zielinska Van & Sabina Borner, plays progressive electronic music. Van and Borner play the synthesizers, and they are joined on this CD by Darek Budkiewicz on bass guitar, Marek Gorlitz on guitar and Jola Literska, vocals.

They draw on many influences, including Polish music, jazz, rock, new age and Berlin School synth music. The combination of synths and rock instrumentation lets them create a massive, orchestrated sound, while still retaining the liveliness and immediacy of group playing.

For old-school synth fans, the music features plenty of interesting sequenced synths and effects. Gorlitz’s guitar work is tasteful and ranges from subtle ambiences to distorted leads. The bass work is a pleasant alternative to sequenced synth bass, giving the music more of a live feel, while the vocals help bring out the lovely melodies.

The melodies are the highlight of the music. While sections of the CD explore subtle ambiences, other sections are rousing, with memorable melodies. Some listeners may be reminded of the progressive rock music of artists like Mike Oldfield, Andreas Vollenwieder, or early Steve Tibbets.

The musicians are based in Poland, and the release appears to have limited western distribution. It is available via Eurock and Syngate.

While the release has limited distribution, it is definitely worth looking for!

Tracks:

• Shadow Dancing
• Walking In Clouds
• Golden Spirits
• Masai Boy
• Evening On The Island
• Miracles
• Mystic
• Lullaby For Goodnight
• Walking In Clouds (radio version)