Wind
and
Wire
- John Flomer's Primal Cinema
- P.O. Box 80514
- Lake Street Station
- Minneapolis, MN 55408-8514
- U.S.A.
I doubt that any other
artist is as adept as John Flomer is when it comes to
merging the melodic sensibility of classic new age music
with the aesthetic of ambient music. On his latest album,
Of a Stranger Light, keyboard player Flomer further
explores the musical territory he first ventured into on his
last CD, the excellent Night in the Vapor Jungle.
Where this artist's earlier recordings (One,
Mysterious Motions of Memory) featured a more dynamic
and outwardly percussive style of EM, Night in the Vapor
Jungle retreated into a more shadowy realm where echoed
(digital) piano, synth choruses, and haunting melodic
strains wove a spell that was compelling and distinctly
warmer and friendlier than many "purer" ambient releases.
That same approach has been further developed on the
superlative Of a Stranger Light, which, in my
opinion, is the best work of Flomer's career. Fans of new age music icons
Richard Burmer, Suzanne Ciani (from her EM days of albums
like The Velocity of Love and Neverland) and
the "master" himself, Vangelis, will hear both outright
similarities and also updated extrapolations from the works
of those three all throughout the tracks on Of a Stranger
Light. In particular, Flomer counterpoints his piano
against synth chorus in a way that reminds me of the best
from the Greek superstar (Vangelis). However, John Flomer
distinguishes himself by using a much less structured and
more evolutionary method to his composing. In this way (as I
alluded to earlier) the songs on this CD have a strong
ambient "feel" to them, yet the dominance on some tracks of
piano also pulls the music into the "new age music" camp as
well. While musical refrains do exist on many of the tracks,
particularly those that feature Flomer's excellent piano
work, there are also stretches that would fit in nicely on
much more floating, less-structured ambient recordings (the
opening of "There Her Forest, These Her Trees" for example,
which is ushered in by lush strings that are then folded
into forlorn piano and other keyboard textures). However, what I particularly
resonated to during the numerous times I listened to this
album (almost always on headphones, since this is a Spotted
Peccary recording and, as such, is meticulously engineered),
was the emotional richness and, dare I say it, the sheer
beauty of Flomer's music. Seldom does an artist find a way
to evoke the word "beautiful" without also dragging along
its unsightly cousins, "cloying," "sappy," or
"cliché." That John Flomer composes and performs
music that is so damn pretty and fully human in feel yet
also is completely non-pedestrian and devoid of
superficiality is a testament to his unique
talent. From the subtle Asian
touches of the title track (with its Eastern modalities and
instrumentation - hand-cymbals and Japanese "violin") to the
lonely piano and pan-flutes that open the next song, the
somber and reflective "To Ponder Many Heavens," to the
sprightly "Auroraflora" with it's delicate yet lively
harp-like arpeggios balanced against heavily echoed piano
and cymbal-like percussive beats, Of a Stranger Light
is full of music that is delightful and immensely
accessible, yet also mysterious, out of the ordinary, and
boldly unconventional for the genre. Integrating piano,
assorted electronic keyboards, bells, choral effects, and
percussion elements with the dexterity of a skilled surgeon,
yet filling the music with a sense of wonder and a poet's
artistic vision, John Flomer has released one of the better
recordings of this already stand-out year. If you have worn
out your copy of Bhakti Point, On The Third
Extreme (both by Richard Burmer), the two Ciani
recordings I previously mentioned, or any of Vangelis more
melodic releases, don't despair. Of a Stranger Light
will easily fill the void and also clue you in to one of the
more innovative, interesting and talented American new
age/ambient artists recording today. If the graceful power
and subtle drama of the closing track, "Eternal River"
(another song that is somewhat evocative of the Far East
through Flomer's choice of synthesized instrumentation and
musical rhythm and structure) doesn't impress you, you're a
helluva lot more jaded than yours truly. This CD is highly
recommended. review by
Bill Binkelman
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John Flomer's newest release on Spotted Peccary is a masterpiece of atmospheric ambient music that brings John's unique sense of ever-changing melody and time signaures into a whole new realm. Where his previous recording, Mysterious Motions of Memory, was full of dynamic and percussive music and marked by densely layered rhyhm effects, Night In The Vapor Jungle is, on the surface, much less thunderous. Instead, the recording is overflowing with mystery and wonder; it's full of a exotic beauty and shadowy light. In a word, it's a magical. Those who have heard Mysterious Motions...will recognize some similar elements on the first cut, "Ori Arian," including the unique synth chorus effect John uses in his music. However, the predominence of piano is somewhat new, along with a flowing compositional style that emphasizes the drama inherent in the melody itself, without resorting to a lot of percussion. The next song, "The Goldfish Pool," continues in a dreamy vein, with the piano and a guitar-like synth mirrored gracefully by synth chimes and bells. While this recording is a departure from his previous one, still recognizable are the interesting time signatures and shifts in a song's tempo. Since John's songs are always evolving and are never constrained by pop structures, it's hard to describe the music in a few words. "Trinket" is graceful, delicate and haunting in its use of synth chorus counterpointed by plucked strings and plaintive piano. "The Charm Wind" is uptempo and resembles Mysterious Motions... except for an almost Nancy Rumbel-ish oboe/English horn line that weaves through the synths, piano and drums. "Through the Veil" is a mid-tempo cadence number, with drums beating out an incessant rhythm and synths keeping pace. John's compositional abilities, which were already excellent, take a giant leap forward with this recording. Night In The Vapor Jungle is chock full of songs that you want to play over and over and over. The music is a hybrid of the best keyboard-driven ambient music and a warm melodic sensibility. You can't hum this music, but it's so accessible, while never resorting to cliche or verse-verse-chorus structures, that it's damn near groundbreaking. The album closes with two fantastic pieces, "Moon Breaks Free" and "The Power of Stars," both songs reminding me of Tim Story at his best. Night in the Vapor Jungle is a superlative release that should (and, I bet, will) appeal to fans of ambient music, electronic music, and even new age music. It's organic without being tribal, warm without being melodramatic, and daring without being abstract. In short, Night In The Vapor Jungle is a work of great imagination and inspired musical talent. I guess it goes without saying it gets my highest recommendation. review by Bill Binkelman |
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This is another release from
the label that may be the brightest star on the American
electronic music horizon, Spotted Peccary. John Flomer's
Primal Cinema's (from here on, I'll just use John Flomer)
Mysterious Motions of Memory is a dynamic and
adventurous voyage through state-of-the-art electronics and
dramatic soundscapes sure to please lovers of dramatic and
high voltage keyboard music. The CD starts out with the
sound of soft rain and a man reciting a poem (it's included
in the liner notes). By the second song, we are into the
crescendos and high drama that characterizes this wonderful
release. The percussion on this first song is thunderous,
along with synth-bells and an underlying synth-string
section that positively soars. However, the hallmark of this
release is how the music, even within a single song,
constantly shifts and changes. Tempos vary, music rises and
falls, but the mood is never really altered. We are in for a
great ride, regardless. On "A Whisper in Waiting" I
definitely hear echoes of Richard Burmer, yet the music is
also different. There is a joyousness to it that I sometimes
find lacking in some German electronic music. This is not
"happy" music (not that I don't smile when I listen to it),
but it is infectious. The fourth song, "Prelude to Rising
Land," slows things down a bit and even sounds anthem-like
at times, but never ostentatious. I am struck at how John's
songs evolve. I just never know what's going to come next.
Will it slow down or speed up? Will it be somber or upbeat?
I really get a kick out of
"Descent of the Hunter Gatherers." As on some of the other
songs on this CD, there is a vaguely medieval sound to the
music. There are some synthesized vocalizings on this cut
that bring to my mind images of elves dancing, but maybe I
read too much Tolkien when I was younger! "Voices of the Dragon"
starts off mid-tempo and has a very pretty melody line. Some
rather dramatic flourishes eventually yield to a "dance
feel" number with synth-piano and synth-harp runs that
alternately crescendo and race elsewhere, looking for
resolution but finding only more diversity of tone and
momentum. The CD has its slow moments
("Spinner of Dreams") but overall, Mysterious Motions of
Memory is a powerful and dramatic work. Fans of keyboard
dynamos like Richard Burmer and Peter Buffett should give
this one a listen. For lovers of progressive electronic
music, it doesn't get much better than this. The production values, as on
all Spotted Peccary releases, are outstanding. These guys
know their way around the studio. Synthesizers never sounded
better. The engineering is dead-on. This is not background
music in the sense that you will miss some real fireworks if
you don't actively listen to it. On a final note, the cover
art and graphics are outstanding. This CD is another in a
long line of Spotted Peccary covers that I'd love to see
hanging on my wall. review by
Bill Binkelman
(previously published in Wind and Wire, the
magazine)
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Fans of John Flomer's first release on Spotted Peccary, Mysterious Motions of Memory, should be ecstatic at what I have uncovered. Before signing with the Peccaries, John Flomer recorded a debut album (as John Flomer's Primal Cinema). The album is titled One and it is simply killer music! If you liked the more dynamic electronic keyboard work on Mysterious Motions..., you're gonna love this! Once again, John showcases his completely unique use of abrupt time signature changes, evolving melodic structure, and interpolation of the quiet and gentle with the thunderous and dramatic! One (the CD) features three songs that eventually made it onto Mysterious Motions..., but it's fascinating to hear the difference between these earlier versions and what the songs became under the gaze of Spotted Peccary. The songs are "Prelude to Rising Land" (which here has an added depth and an even greater sense of playfulness, plus the keyboards are more in an EM vein than on the later album), "A Whisper in Waiting" (this follows the Peccary version closely, but the various keyboard sounds once again emphasize the EM aspect and underplays the neo-romantic side of the song; it's also more dramatic in the crescendos), and "Voices of the Dragon" (the song is recognizable but this one went through some serious changes as it migrated to the SP album; here it sparkles more and the "mythical" side of the song is brought more to the fore; also, the drama inherent in the song is much more evident). The new songs include some tremendous pieces of work. I love "Mountain Motion" which has a rapid-fire sequencer opening counterpointed by synth strings of various keys (violas and violins, perhaps). The fast tempo of the song is nicely balanced by the soaring keyboard work which takes this song in a decidedly non-Germanic direction. Those signature time/tempo shifts are here in abundance. The next song, "Muon Maru," again starts with rapid fire notes, but this time there is an element of mystery to the song. A second keyboard melody enters and the synths twinkle like a thousand cyber-fireflies. There is an underlying bass rhythm in the song that eventually builds into a thundering crescendo midsection. "Reasons for Beings" may remind Peccary fans of songs by either Greg Klamt or Jon Jenkins (from Continuum). A strong neo-classic element runs through the song and the sound is full and very dramatic, even as the song ebbs and flows in intensity. This cut is unlike a lot of John's other music. It's more cinematic and sweeping in a grandeur-style at times. Also, it has some sad or melancholic textures woven into the fiber of the song. "Tribal Anthem" is a drum-happy lively number that brings together assorted synth percussion, synth vibes and high flying keyboards. This is vintage Flomer, for sure. Rounding out the album is "Machines in the Canyon" which might be the soundtrack for a chase scene in a science fiction movie, with its high speed rhythms, synths zipping in and out of the frame, and rising and falling melody lines. As with every song here, one of the things that stands out are the excellent synth drums. Whether ferocious snares, pounding bass, thundering tom-toms, or cymbals of every possible ilk, these drums really got into my bloodstream. It's hard to explain how drums that are synth-sounding can also sound so good, but they sure as hell do. If you liked John's first Peccary release, One is a sure bet, as it's very similar in feel (most of the time). But the music is also highly original (as always is the case with John). This recording is a high octane blast of EM that showcases a non-Berlin school approach to rapid fire synth music. One thing can always be said about John Flomer. His music is never pedestrian. What can be added to that comment, in the case of this CD, is that his music is also a lot of fun to listen to. If One doesn't bring a smile to your face, you're no lover of EM. review by Bill Binkelman |