Detailed Reviews ["Osmotic" - 2003 - Compilation]

Preamble. According to the CD press kit, "Chillfactor 10 is a new label dedicated to bringing you the finest exponents of Ambient and progressive electronic music". The sampler: "Osmotic" presents tracks from forthcoming albums released throughout 2003 by all three of the aforementioned projects.

The Album. The spacey-like music that is featured on the first two thirds of the album isn't progressive at all, to say the least. There is nothing but the slow, dark, and very monotonous passages of a couple of synthesizers on any of the four tracks that are presented here by Igneous Flame (1 to 4) and the first two of those by Darkness Within Darkness (5 & 6). Both of the remaining tracks by the latter project are a bit richer in sound than any of the first six tracks on this compilation. Apart from passages of synthesizer, the first of them features also a reversed solo of 'synthetic' guitar, and another the marimba-like solos, all of which though, are sequenced and very monotonous as well. Nevertheless, there are some differences between Darkness Within Darkness and Igneous Flame: the first of them sounds a bit louder, lighter, and brighter than the latter. The first two tracks by Formbank (9 & 10) are also the only tracks on this compilation that can be regarded as compositions. Musically, these are about a real Electronic Rock that, in addition, features some progressive features. While the contents of both of the last tracks on the CD represent nothing else but Techno-Acid Trance 'n' Dance (don't confuse with Transcendence).

Summary. As you can see, I was trying to avoid using such words as "music", "instrumental", "piece", etc, in this review. There is almost nothing on "Osmotic" that would be really composed and performed. Overall, this CD presents just a pushbutton music, which is certainly dead music. However, music is a live entity, isn't it? In that way, there is no music on this compilation - at least on the most part of it. In comparison with this strange Osmosis (don't confuse with Ozzmosis), The Osmonds were just a fantastically progressive band. The worst exponents of Ambient and regressive electronic music are what Chillfactor 10 is really going to bring you this year.

VM: March 13, 2003