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review by Bill Binkelman Here's a real "turn up the volume" recording! Russ Mate, an artist to keep an ear and eye out for, tears things up in grand fashion on Just Offshore, a collection of tracks which blends Berlin School musical stylings with both retro and contemporary electronica, managing to sound fresh and exciting even when he is obviously being influenced by Tangerine Dream or other pioneers of the genre. Overtly dramatic at times, such as on the opening "ocean storms" which builds layer upon layer of swirling retro keyboards, soaring leads, and percolating sequencer lines and rhythms, Mate sets his sights on crafting longer tracks that unwind slowly but are filled with energy and dynamism, even when they are quieter (all but two of the eight tracks are six minutes long, although two of those six are literally a few second short of the six minute mark itself). One of the things I found myself grinning at when I listened to the album was the sheer audacity Mate displays, e.g. he follows the opening track's slow spacy fade out with an explosion of sprightly harpsichord on "the possibility exists" only to fold in fluid minor key synth strings which immediately change the character of the harpsichord (which has slowed down by this point). Suddenly, we're in a keen slice of inspired prog/EM fusion as Mate gives his pitch bending wheel on the lead keyboard some serious work to do, all the while keeping those haunting mysterious underlying currents of synths flowing in the background. And, as of that wasn't enough of a twist, next up is a retro EM (a la Synergy or Jarre) reworking of, believe it or not, "House of the Rising Sun" featuring a magnificent whistling moog on the lead. Audacious? You bet! Does it work? For me, it sure as hell does! Fans of moodier sequencer music will love "meditation medication" which reminded me of Thief-era Tangerine Dream as well as earlier works from the dearly departed Michael Garrison. It's arguably the best song on the album, featuring a percolating sequence driving the almost eight-minute piece along at a fast to mid tempo pace, while accompanying swirling synths and keyboards play the melodic refrain and the gloriously Germanic lead synth floats, soars, and hums along over it all. "endless journey" is less satisfying, uniting piano and mellotron to craft a somber relatively low key affair that probably suffers by comparison being placed right after the superlative "meditation medication." "galactic construction" is SF-oriented EM, with plenty of bubbling synth rhythms and programmed drum beats as well as lots of cosmic spacy effects of the blooping and bleeping variety, with an undercurrent of Berlin keyboard textures. Other tracks are "from here to there" (a jaunty trek through a variety of retro EM styles done at a midtempo pace, awash with buzzing synths at the left and right extremes and the lead keyboard in the center channel) and "24/7" which close the album by throwing another twist at you, this time by melding laser-zapping synths with spooky minor washes which together somehow have a cyber-tribal feel to them, as well as being deliciously eerie in character. For those of you who consider yourselves experts in ambient EM music history, this song will almost certainly remind you of Andrew Kennedy's Distant Landscapes (one of the most over-looked and ignored albums of the '90s!). It has that same evocative visual feel through the unusual mixture of rhythms and synthesizers in a sensual and primal manner. Sure would like to hear more of this kind of music from Mate! Just Offshore, while not a one hundred percent success for me, sure lit it up on those tracks that I liked, prompting me to hit the repeat button on my CD player a few times. Anyone who can do an EM version of "House of the Rising Sun" deserves a chest full of medals, in my opinion. However, it's songs like "meditation medication" "ocean storm" and "24/7" that cement the deal for me. I give Just Offshore a solid recommendation for retro EM and Berlin school fans alike. |
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