abasio

my review was not overly impressed on the whole

Ishq Timelapse In Mercury Virtual Musical Reality July 2008 Ambient Tracklist 1 Departure (13:54) 2 Nebula Phase (9:20) 3 Hyperdrive (3:32) 4 Photosphere (2:42) 5 Cathedrals In Space (3:30) 6 Timelapse In Mercury (9:43) 7 Dark Clouds (1:44) 8 Fluroscopia (5:28) 9 Seraphim (7:30) Timelapse in Mercury is the first release on Matt Hillier's space ambient sub label Virtual Space and carries with it the name Ishq. Whether this was deliberate is questionable for me as I'm sure that his site said that the name Ishq was going to be used only for his more natural and musical releases. This album is neither so maybe he meant it to be an untitled artist than everyone just labeled Ishq in the absence of a proper artist name. 1. Departure It takes a while to get going, in fact it's about 15 seconds before I hear anything at all. What I do get straight away is some sci-fi sounds. Clicks and bleeps from computer consoles over an ever present roar of what sounds like solar wind or spaceship engines. The computer noises go haywire in a confusing yet contemplative way. The constant roar creates a really spacey atmosphere and the melodic sounds give a slight feeling of panic. When there subside we are left with equally combative elements that make this feel like a slow motion space battle. It's a long track and as it goes on it gets spacier and a touch on the boring side. Nothing really happens with the sounds or the atmosphere and it just kind of drags. It is saved in the final quarter by the dropping of the atmosphere as if from orbit down through the sky into the planet's oceans. A strange track, maybe not deserving of it's length, falling down mainly in the middle but having a solid ambient base with a strong beginning and end. 2. Nebula Phase It seems like deep sea spacious ambient. I get the feeling at once of deep space and deep sea. I can feel the fish float all around me in a way that defies gravity in the way both environments can. My feeling is tipped more towards the oceanic as the track is teeming with life I'd imagine deep space is devoid of. The number of small glitchy sounds remind me of metallic fish gleaming in a submarine's headlight. The roar at the end though sounds like a solar flare has penetrated the depths of the ocean burned the world away and left us in an isolated cosmos. 3. Hyperdrive Totally not was I was expecting from the title. I was expecting the sounds of music pushing through hyperspace but what we have here sounds like the engines struggling to sustain warp flight. Strong harsh metallic screeches slice through the air over the distant roar of the solar wind. 4. Photoshere Bringing a little more light to the engagement like flying under the atmosphere of a beautiful planet with wide blue seas. The sounds of engines can be heard plummeting, struggling, rising and roaring as well as failing and exploding very quietly. 5. Cathedrals in Space. I sense an attemptat grandness that never quite materialises. The big sounds go on a pitch that is too high for the scale and it all feels like something big happening just beyond my scope of senses. 6. Timelapse In Mercury The title track is quite a brilliant piece of space ambient. It has atmosphere, hints of melody, strange noises that seem to originate either from distant nebulae or from our inner self. The clicks the beeps and bright drones add more of a solar feeling to it like closely orbiting a star. The wet sounds remind me of melting metal under extreme heat and the track to me seems to be an escape from such fiery destruction. Nice track. 7. Dark Clouds Dark Clouds sounds like a dark version of a bright nebula. The contrast in this short track between light and dark is very interesting. 8. Fluroscopia Rather a melodious track with light sounds powering through the dark spaciness of the underlying drones. Not the most interesting or descriptive work but pleasant enough after a bland start. 9. Seraphim This certainly has an angelic feel to it as it's sounds soar above what we have previously witnessed in this journey. Still we are in space but it seems like the sounds are entering a higher dimension. A dimension of light and sound unlike anything we are used to. Much higher pitched and not all together pleasant. The light sounds for me are too light and the pitch is too high in a way that verges on annoying. It's not that annoying for long though and gets better towards the end but still it's not one for high volume on good speakers or headphones. Especially not headphones. To be honest I would have preferred it if Matt Hillier had used a different name for this album. It sounds nothing like what he promised from the the Ishq name which was supposed to remain natural ambient whereas this is spacey in the extreme. For me it's a little to high pitched in places to be a comfortable listening experience. I find some tracks great, some okay and some not so good. There is better space ambient about than this and this then begs the question "Should Matt Hillier release everything he worked on in the past?" On the strength of this I'd say yes, it is still pretty good. This, while worth getting is not up to the standards of his other works and, in this reviewers humble opinion have a lower price tag.

Ishq - Timelapse in Mercury

Damn I don't have any of that

I didn't actually like that at first but damn it grew A LOT

A nicely set out site. Exactly what I would expect from IM. High quality even if it isn't to my taste

Jairamji, a very under appreciated chillout artist. Kindred Spirits I also think that Matt Coldrick is not given as much attention as he deserves. Music For A Busy Head & Elemental Journey were brilliant works of art.

short DG review

Exactly the same over here

I'm curious. how do you start a web radio?

I was pretty sure that when I was in England I saw John 00 Fleming advertised all over TV. I thought it had a double M but was sure it was E. Maybe John 00 Flaming is a different artist taking the piss out of fleming np Mantra - Arrival

it even has an E Mahadeva (John 00 Fleming Mix)

Actually lots of artists don't seem to get many replies in the review section. Jikkenteki's albums for example & Tamlin I would have thought would have more comments on this site.

Tried the Euphoria compilations? np SFX - Butterfly Trip

I'm actually thinking of doing a set consisting of downtempo closing Goa tracks :drama:

My lists seems to grow daily but I need to try and show some self control. Must rediscover all that I already have

I think KURO (Takeichirou Kurosaki) is underrated. Judging by how few replies in the review thread here not many people have heard of it or appreciate it

I still feel the magic even after a decade and a half in some cases

Some stuff I really enjoyed there

This looks pretty interesting. Must check it out

I don't have that many reviews at my place but they are in depth & it's set up like a forum so anyone can comment or add their own reviews (if they want)

KURO - Revolution The opening track from the album of the same name. Inside an acid synth