CD, Gears of Sand, 2005
www.gearsofsand.net
“Signals From The Great Beyond” is the first in a series of three albums by Gianluigi Gasparetti, the man behind Oöphoi, a name well-known in the ambient scene. The theme of the album trio being crop circles, an atmosphere of mystery and a dark, almost ritualistic tone are set throughout the four tracks, lasting approximately sixty minutes.
The first track, “Kolenhaar” seems to be the lightest and brightest composition to be found in the album, since despite the melancholic tone it conveys, the subtle variations of the pitches and sounds give it a much more lively feel.
In contrast to that come the next two tracks, “Lightwaves” and “Geometry”, which while still retaining some differences, feel more as part of a second “chapter” in the album, the variations of the first track giving place to a slower, almost ominous pace and tone that constantly lowers itself to great emotional effect, as it carries the listener along in soundscapes resembling warped dreams, silent and lonely, and perhaps more disconcerting in their silence and anticipation than the horrors of the real nightmares that seem to lurk about, biding their time. And that is just what the final track, “Sculpting The Fields”, is; an extended moment of calm, yet filled with the mystery and dread of the unknown that lies just beyond reach, ending in a silence that leaves the listener waiting for what is to follow…
…and us waiting for the next release so that we can continue this journey of emotions. Wonderfully arranged and executed, “Signals From The Great Beyond” makes for an excellent listening, just as long as it is done with you alone and in the dark.
[8/10]
— George Mouratidis