deep sky divers

the new fast lane

anyrobinhood (2003)

review by Bill Binkelman

the new fast lane is bound to be one of my favorite ambient album of the year - and it's just June! I loved this recording from the very first listen. It's just heaven; I felt my cares float away on cloud after cloud of its soft synthesizers, as if they were being carried away on a gentle wind. Sounds like hyperbole, even by my standards, right? Well, all I know is I couldn't get enough of this CD. I played it, played it again, and again, and it always sounded as great as the previouis time.

the new fast lane is a combination of older songs (from previous deep sky divers' albums such as highlands and skylands, Momentum, and Natural Power) along with some new material. But, the older songs have been substantially reworked in order to achieve a more uniform "chill-out factor" (on the cover of the album it states "most chilled-out and inspirational deep sky divers music"). the new fast lane is chock full of perfect chill-out music - not too slow, not too fast, and lots and lots of silken synths to pave the road ahead and smooth out the rough spots.

Don't get the idea that this is music without dynamism or is just a bunch of laid-back electronica, though. Certainly there are soft spots (sections of "lake of menteith [part one revisited]" are deliciously floating ambient in nature), but there are also slightly darker passages as well as some uptempo and rhythmic sections too. "full moon rise" (the first part of a mini-suite, titled "midsummer night music") opens with some dark swells of keyboards under which are layered slow tempo beats, kind of like the more somber work from Jon Mark with the addition of rhythms. A strange horn-like texture (almost like a single engine airplane flying way overhead) brings an air of mystery to the track, counterpointed by warm bell tones. Next, "deep sky meditation" features damped and echoed piano playing a circular refrain on top of lush synth underpinnings. The song builds in intensity, again featuring a strange horn sample as well as dramatic swelling strings. "start of a new day" just kicks ass! It has the instantly recognizable classic "new age/ambient/spacemusic" keyboard sound to it. You'll know what I mean when you hear it - warm, lush, and just oozing of electronic goodness, helped along by whooshing synth effects. Things start to percolate later in the track with spacy "beeping" sounds and a quickened pace, leading eventually to muted midtempo drum beats. Ultra-cool and definitely chilled!

"at the heart of the cyclone," which clocks in at nearly twenty minutes, is the centerpiece of the album, and has another overtly electronic opening, with lots of swooshing and swishing and spacy effects. Piano is folded in on top of the assorted keyboards to great effect (it lends an air of melancholy and sincere emotion to the track). Chill-out rhythms are blended in later and create a nice rolling ambiance. But that's all just in the first five minutes. To find out what else is in store - well, you know what you're gonna have to do! I will tell you that at some point in the song, yet another reworking of "raging calm" (an artist's signature song if there ever was one) appears. And yes, it still retains its amazing power over me. I cannot get enough of it.

The album closes with a reworking of that magnificent opening track from highlands and skylands "beyond the hills" (this time with the subtitle "by the low road") and "lake of menteith (end peace)." They're both great ending pieces, adding an air of finality and closure to this excellent recording.

I'm sure some people reading this review will wonder "why buy an album with older material on it?" Well, what can I tell you? One, these versions are new and, in some cases, dramatically so. Two, the "whole" (that is, how the new fast lane plays "through" from start to finish) is amazing. Track sequencing is spot on and yields a satisfying and complete listening experience. Plus, there is new material here, albeit not a whole album's worth. So, as far as I'm concerned, this is not the same as just re-packaging the same music (not by a long shot). But, why am I even "justifying" it? the new fast lane is hands down a gorgeous and sumptuous recording. Hell, even the liner notes' and album graphics are great! In my review of highlands and skylands, I wrote that the CD was "about as near to perfect as an album can be." Well, I was wrong. Jon Short and David Jones just got even closer to perfection. Damn, these guys are good!