NEW IP9k TRACK "1x4x9"
https://open.spotify.com/track/5js5BZYGeg7TLJLn97v059
Sound and texture from stars. Deep basslines and haunting melodies echoing distant celestial phenomena.

#DarkAmbient #Krautrock #PsychodelicElectronic #SpaceMusic #KlausSchulze #Vangelis #MichaelStearns #SteveRoach #TangerineDream

An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City Review

By Killjoy

When a group strikes gold, I imagine that there might be a temptation to continue mining the same vein. In 2022, Sweden’s An Abstract Illusion seized the metalverse by the collective throat and shook it with forceful pathos. Woe was a start-to-finish progressive death metal masterpiece which edged out some stiff competition to take the number one spot on my personal Top Ten(ish) list that year. The same was true for Carcharodon, whose mighty shoes—flippers?—I humbly struggle to fill. Now, with the release of The Sleeping City, An Abstract Illusion boldly declares that they are not content to repeat themselves.

As a comparison of their cover artworks suggests, The Sleeping City is something of a tonal opposite of Woe. Whereas Woe was despairing with occasional hopeful spots, The Sleeping City is mainly bright with pockets of ferocity. At its core, An Abstract Illusion still plays a deeply emotive strain of progressive death, like a more intimate and less pompous In Vain or In Mourning. Vivid neon synths in the classic fashion of Tangerine Dream or John Carpenter now abound. This invites comparisons to last year’s Blood Incantation record, but I daresay that the synths are integrated more naturally and tastefully in The Sleeping City. An Abstract Illusion never goes full synthwave, though they do flirt with the style on “Silverfields” and “Frost Flower.”

An Abstract Illusion’s unbridled emotional outpouring is still present in ways both familiar and new. To this end, the vocals are even more expressive. Christian Berglönn’s screams display his signature unsettling anguish (“No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons,” “Emmett”) and guest Lukas Backeström’s singing in “Frost Flower” is crisp and angelic. The Sleeping City also features a couple of guest violinists (Dawn Ye and Flavia Fontana) and a cellist (Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa), who pair extremely well with the crystalline synths to hone their poignant edges. Crucially, the strings are not overused, which might have cheapened their impact. The real magic happens when these elements come together, namely during the lush instrumental section in “Blackmurmur,” which builds to a sexy synth solo (Robert Stenvall) and then erupts into despairing howls. Drummer Isak Nilsson is a great addition, whose frenetic tempos and deliberate tom rhythms heighten listener engagement.

On The Sleeping City, Karl Westerlund again proves himself a master of long-form songwriting. Unlike Woe, which felt like a singular body of work with distinct movements, The Sleeping City is composed of tracks that fit together more like jigsaw puzzle pieces. The individual tracks flow effortlessly while also subtly crossing over with one another, such as the similarly mysterious synth tunes which manifest back to back in “Frost Flower” and “Emmett.” The overall pacing feels less meticulous and patient than Woe, though this is not necessarily a bad thing, just different. An Abstract Illusion makes good use of the hour runtime; the aimless noodling at the end of “No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons” being the only part that could have been trimmed away.1 The production doesn’t quite do this magnificent music justice—see the DR score below—but it’s hardly a dealbreaker.

The Sleeping City is evidence that Woe was not a one-hit wonder. Even more impressive, An Abstract Illusion managed to recreate prior success while significantly overhauling their style. The Sleeping City is different enough to further expand An Abstract Illusion’s fanbase while retaining the heartfelt compositions that garnered such a large following before. The gorgeous cascading arpeggios that bathe The Sleeping City are an easy highlight. Recurring notes and melodies give each track a sense of identity, yet each is of equal quality that I can’t (nor do I want to) pick any favorites. An Abstract Illusion is still firing on all cylinders, and it’s exhilarating to behold.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Willowtip Records
Websites: anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/anabstractillusion
Releases Worldwide: October 17th, 2025

#2025 #40 #AnAbstractIllusion #BloodIncantation #DeathMetal #InMourning #InVain #JohnCarpenter #Oct25 #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #TangerineDream #TheSleepingCity #WillowtipRecords

Edned the weekend and welcomed the week after a swim with Macula Transfer the third solo album released by Tangerine Dream leader Edgar Froese, in 1976.

Macula Transfer Review by Michael Waynick

An album of guitar and synthesizer soundscapes, Macula Transfer was composed by Tangerine Dream founder Edgar Froese in 1975 and 1976 during the different airline flights that give the tracks their titles. Though the LP does make good traveling or background music, most of it is emotionally ambiguous, without enough detail or variety to reward active listening. An exception is the standout track "Quantas 611," a slow, moody synth piece that would sound at home on Brian Eno's Music for Films or Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2. "OS 452," with its driving rhythm guitar over synth washes, sets the pace for the rest of the LP...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Y6FCwrhcg&list=RDT4Y6FCwrhcg&start_radio=1

#EdgarFroese #TangerineDream #Ambient #Music

Nuits Sonores — Concert spécial: Tangerine Dream @ Le Sucre - 16 Oct feat. Tangerine Dream

#SESH #TangerineDream

https://sesh.sx/e/201720

Vintage Electronica - Synth Jam 156

#electronica #synthjam #spacemusic #70s #atmosphericmusic #retro #electronicmusic #synthfam #spaceage #bitwig #tangerinedream #jmj #vintage #jeanmicheljarre #vangelis #isaotomita #electrojam #jamming #darksideofsynth

Vintage, nostalgic electronica synth jam inspired by and dedicated to the giants of electronic music like Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Isao Tomita.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7H-tLlUV_s