Entry 066 - Dr. Atmo & Mick Chillage - Ruhleben

 

This release may as well be two separate albums. LP1 and LP2 sound completely different from one another, so much so that its hard to believe they come from the same project.

LP1 is simply excellent. There are minimalist repeating modes overlaid sweeping soundscapes that bring to mind distant worlds and alien landscapes.

My first time listening to the first LP I happened to see a picture of Samus' helmet from Metroid. It struck me then just how similar the music on here is to the ice area of Metroid Prime. Not necessarily in the melodies, but in the overall feel and sense of deep exploration and wonder through an icy landscape.

The second LP is the opposite. I find it hard to get through, as to my ears its just pointless droning with a random assortment of samples played over top. There is no sense of wonder, there is no visual sense given except that of just floating in a void. While that may be the ultimate point of the second LP, I find it severely lacking compared to the wonderful soundscapes of the first.

If both LP's were the same quality of the first one this album would be a contender for a top ten spot. As it is however this is one truly excellent record and one sub par record put into one package.