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Reviews

Xan Alexander — Ouroboros II
(Bandcamp Otherside OS-IV, 2024, CD / DL)

Craig Padilla — The Pulse of Life
(Bandcamp Otherside OS-III, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2025-03-03

Ouroboros II Cover artThe Pulse of Life Cover art

So, one might be wondering, why is he reviewing works by two different artists in the same review? In fact — besides being similar in style — these are the first two CD releases by a new label Otherside Music, run by Chuck Oken jr. (drummer of Djam Karet) and his associate Mike Ostrich. The label has released a couple vinyl LPs prior to these, but the thing that makes these CD releases unique is their packaging, each a DVD-sized six panel die-cut card package with beautiful, dreamy artwork by M.G. Murray, and additionaly both are meticulously mastered by Robert Rich, so you know the sound is going to be outstanding. Other than that, the information contained therein is limited to track titles, credits (both artists are solo creators using modular synthesizers and other instruments as well in the case of Xan Alexander), and a list of thank-yous.

If Tangerine Dream albums like Phaedra, Rubycon, Stratosfear, and Sorcerer ring your chimes, then you are going to love both of these albums — the two artists at hand have thoroughly imbibed those styles and have presented their own interpretations of them here as original creations. Regular readers should know (or at least be aware of) Craig Padilla; the California-based sonic explorer has been releasing music since at least 1990, to date having released close to 50 albums on See Peace, MP3.com, Space for Music, Lotuspike, Groove Unlimited, Spotted Peccary, and other labels. The five long tracks on The Pulse of Life offer a variety of electronic styles: dreamy floating ambient merged with colorful melodic imagery, cloudy washes, pounding sequenced arpeggiations (especially on the 21-minute closing title track), and much more. The title of the opener “Riding the Cosmic Rails” pretty much spells it out as the piece breathes in and out while washes of colorful sprites come in from all sides, the piece slowly growing in density as sequences and rhythms dance around in free space for another sixteen minutes. “Stardust Harmonies” begins as more of a solemn statement but picks up plenty of steam as it proceeds onward to “Reflections,” where the cosmic void is illuminated by twinkling starlight, slowly moving into dense ambient regions that swirl freely through open space. Thirteen minutes later the listener will find “Particles of Radiance,” a mix of floating ambient and sequencer-driven color over a deep bottom end pulse that comes and goes over its eight-plus minute trajectory.

Xan Alexander is a British composer, synthesist, and multi-instrumentalist whose recorded output goes back to around 2002 and numbers around twenty solo albums and collaborations — his earliest collaborations with David Gurr evolved into the duo (with guests) The Omega Syndicate that ran from 2002 to 2011, plus he was also a member of the duo Magnetron with Steve Humphries from 2012 to 2020. Ouroboros II is the first recording by Alexander to be reviewed in Exposé. The range of sounds here is a bit wider and more explorative, certainly not restricted to modular synths; the opening section of the three part suite “Horn of Rhinoceros” proves this out using a mix of samples, synths, and possibly field recordings all processed beautifully, until the second section opens up a magnificent alien sounding melody over a pulse that eventually merges with sequenced bits to wonderful effect, with voices (or samples thereof, or Mellotron) popping through to the surface. A typo on the inside of the CD package shows track #4 twice, but the two pieces listed as such (“Architekts of Aquila” and “Wings of Arke”) are listed in the correct order. With “The Changing Man,” Alexander offers explorative ribbons of color flanked by sequenced buts that grow and envelop the listener as the piece proceeds along its nine-minute duration. Sampled incomprehensible voice loops open “Meglos” but disappear after a few minutes in favor of more traditional sequenced patterns, further supported by sampled drums and percussion and bright colorful melodic sweeps. The album closer, “ChronoGenesis I,” appears to be the first part of a suite where parts II and III were presented on his 2023 album Illusions of Time; the mood is dark, starting out with some voice samples hidden behind deep pulses, moving forward to sequenced arpeggiations and dreamy sweeps and washes out to its fifteen-minute conclusion. Both Ouroboros II and The Pulse of Life are outstanding albums in beautiful packages, both limited editions, they will certainly be collectible in the near-future.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Craig Padilla, Xan Alexander

More info
http://othersideaudio.bandcamp.com/album/the-pulse-of-life
http://othersideaudio.bandcamp.com/album/ouroboros-ii

 

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