Spell - Time Waves (Tsunami Records, USA) 1979

Here is a private press synth curiosity from Jacksonville, Florida that I'd been tracking down for a while, before finally scoring a copy recently. It didn't entirely live up to the promise held by the cool cover illustration and instrumentation noted on the back, but few things ever really do. For the most part this really is a solid and listenable electronic record, dipping heavily into the early new-age/space music/Berlin school dramatics of the era with a slight prog touch. Another fascinating element that pulled me in was learning this album was created to be played in a planetarium (The Alexander Brest Planetarium). This may explain some of the crazy panning/stereo business going on in a track or two: Loud swooshes ebb and flow causing an often jarring but brief volume jump (it's not my rip, but the actual sound), most evident near the end of the 14-minute epic "Soft Moments" (what a great title!). I'm not certain that it has any relation to the planetarium or its intended listening function, but is an interesting mix idea nonetheless.

If you're like me and you don't get really excited about heavy piano use in electronics, then you may be put off a little by all the fanciful ivory tinkling, aurally caressing their charms around your brain. I appreciate piano very much (maybe more in a subtle Satie sense), yet here the grand piano sort of gives everything a regal sensibility, or hints at drama that may be a bit obvious (think Tubular Bells-like suspense building) at certain times... and at others there's an almost minimalist Eno or Sakamoto thing happening. Mind you the playing is top notch through and through! Elsewhere, there are classic analog synth sounds dripping from this record. The opening track just oozes out of nowhere with spacey bleeps and bloops before a very shrill string-synth melody comes in and sort of carries the tune off into a more upbeat, almost inspirational (and slightly cheesy) direction before being engulfed by the buzz and sputter of bassy synth mayhem. Several times while listening I thought this could almost pass for a more sedate John Carpenter soundtrack. There are cinematic buildups, moody spatial passages, frantic sci-fi arpeggios and plenty of the aforementioned piano magic.

If you're into electronics with a more sedate new-age flair this may be up your alley. If you're into more "edgy" private press synth works then go seek out Tom Cameron's Music to Wash Dishes By or the Iatrogenics lp.

I don't know much about the two composer/musicians, Joe Deihl and Jack Tamul, however there is a Jack Tamul album at Continuo's blog, in addition to a lot more informative details on the musician. I'm not sure how similar that album is, since I haven't heard it, but I'm certainly keen on investigating now...

Time Waves