Ambient Sounds Of Nature Vol.2 (Mythology) - Various Artists

Advantages: Very relaxing
Disadvantages: None

...Expanse of Colour is another CD in the "ambient sounds of nature" series. There seems to be a minor error in the Ciao catalogue. It lists the artistes involved in the "ambient sounds of nature" series as being "various artists." The credits on the CDs in my collection show that the composer and performer on the CDs is Levantis. The tracks on this CD are: Past, The Womb of Mother Earth, Expanse of Colour (the title track of this CD) Density of Life, Preservation and Future. As with the other CDs in the series, Levantis takes some sounds from nature (ambient sounds) such as singing birds, crickets, and blends them into a perfect with some rather gorgeous and lush music. Unlike some of the so-called relaxing CDs that are on the market which rely on rather weedy electro-pap music created on ill-tuned synthesisers, the music of Levantis... Read review

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Advantages: A wonderful symphony
Disadvantages: None

...I must admit that I am a fan of ambient music. By this I mean music that employs the ambient sounds of nature, melding and mixing them with newly-composed pieces of music. This type of music has been around for many, many years. An early example which you might have heard is the Nightingale recorded by the BBC in 1920 when it sang along to the cello playing of Beatrice Harrison. It really is a delightful piece, still re-broadcast every-so-often by the BBC to this day. The CD Uninhabited, Ambient Sounds of Nature might not be in the same class as that tiny little Nightingale, but it is a really suburb CD. The tracks are Tempestuous, Turblent, Rolling booms, Passionate, Uninhabited (the title track) and Random Flashes. The performance is by Levantis. Each piece uses modern music combined with natural sounds (the voices of humans... Read review

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Advantages: Classic. Cult. A few good tracks.
Disadvantages: Weak compared to other Aphex Twin releases. Bland techno.

...Window era was a product of old school I.D.M-esque design; or more specifically, primitive techno. Surfing on Sine Waves does however contain some very nice material, as well as being a huge classic. It can be seen as a minor (but important) bridge between Selected Ambient Works 85-92 and Selected Ambient Works vol. 2. The drab short-budget Yamaha feel to the opening track, Polygon Window, has a mysterious charm to it. That being said, it does not go anywhere it isn't supposed to, strictly tied to a 4/4 loop of tedious design. Still, Polygon Window manages to capture Richard's sound at it's most basic; an interesting atmospheric track, purely ambient in nature. It is while casting backdrop drones that Aphex Twin sheds light on his own peculiar index of sounds, pointing in the direction of his previous 1992 album; the only difference being... Read review

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