26/03/2025
Thanks to the gang at iO Pages for reviewing both Xan Alexander and Craig Padilla's album in their latest issue! Translations are as follows....
XAN ALEXANDER
The American label Otherside (an initiative of Chuck Oken, Jr. of the band Djam Karet, among others) releases limited quantities of CDs in beautiful packaging (a DVD digipack with magnificent artwork) and also with a high sound quality. Up to now it has mainly concentrated on electronic music but has also released an album by neo-prog band Twin Age (see iO192). They are releasing two releases in this format at the same time: The Pulse Of Life by Craig Padilla (see p.XX) and Ouroboros II by Xan Alexander. Alexander is no stranger to the genre: he was a member of the bands The Omega Syndicate and Magnetron and has released thirteen solo albums to date. These have not yet been discussed in this magazine. His music is a style that could appeal to most fans of electronic music: full of strong sequencer work, with Mellotron sounds, cool solos and also appealing melodies. Horn Of Monoceros I-II-III opens the album with melancholic Mellotron choirs, a nice sequence and a cool solo. The music is generally quite rhythmic and occasionally refers to Jean-Michel Jarre, and I also hear something of John Dyson and Wavestar. Xan proves that he can create strong melodic compositions in Meglos and Architekts Of Aquila. In Wings Of Arke we hear the Mellotron again, but now the flute. This takes me back to the Tangerine Dream albums from the second half of the seventies. The sequences and solos in ChronoGenesis I also sound very good. Not only is this music beautiful, the total package looks neat and cool and the sound is also excellent. The mastering was done by Robert Rich. As far as I'm concerned, this label can release many more of these high-quality CDs.
Paul Rijkens
CRAIG PADILLA
American synthesizer artist Craig Padilla has been around for quite a few years and has been discussed several times in this section. The Pulse Of Life is a fresh release on Bandcamp via the label OtherSide on which the musician's two specialties are optimally presented. On the one hand, there is a sequencer-driven approach in the tradition of the Berliner Schule. In the long opening and closing tracks, the rhythm devices are given free rein. In both cases, the repetitive patterns are, to my ears, occasionally close to false and cacophonous. It is more pleasant and, in my opinion, more successful when Padilla lets his space music approach dominate. Sandwiched between the aforementioned two mastodons of tracks of 18 and 21 minutes respectively are the delicacies on this album. Stardust Harmonies offers exactly what the title promises: particularly fine and appropriate music to contemplate, lying in the grass and staring at the starry sky. The thirteen minutes of the track Reflections are also an optimal enjoyment of atmospheric symphonic sounds that you associate with the universe. Pure enjoyment for the lover of this ambient and mind-expanding music. In that sense, the new compositions of Craig Padilla are again very good. Finally, a big thumbs up for the packaging and artwork of the releases on this label. These are true works of art, just to look at, let alone listen to.
Robbert Schuller
