Detailed Reviews [Rob Orlin - 2002 - "Spirit Dreamer"]

Prologue. Before, I haven't heard of Rob Orlin. However, this album was released through "JAM Records", - a small label, which is managed by Jeremy Morris. (To read the Overall View on Jeremy's late creation, click here.)

The Album. The structures of this album are almost completely synthetic. Saying so, I imply that "Spirit Dreamer" was for the most part created (programmed, to be precise) with the use of various samplers, etc. On this album, most of the solos and passages of keyboards represent nothing else but the prepared sequences that are cycled within the narrow frameworks (of them themselves). Which makes the sounding of this album rather monotonous. Each of the tracks that are featured on "Spirit Dreamer" contains a small number of real solos. Furthermore, most compositions on the album feature only a few of the real and unreal solos of synthesizer that are different from each other. Of course, this cyber-like music, accompanied only by noisy effects and monotonous claps of a terrible drum machine, is by no means rich in diversity. Also, it's quite obvious that the instrumental equipment, used on this album, consisted only of a couple of synthesizers. Break Vision (7) is kind of a Rock version of trance 'n' dance (not transcendence!) music, which is the predominant stylistics throughout the album. The alternation of solo parts of electronic percussion and 'interplay' between them and the tuned-in solos of synthesizer are present on Pump the Heart (8). The arrangements that are featured on all seven of the remaining tracks are completely based on the plain passages and solos of synthesizer, most of which were 'performed' by the synthesizer itself. Only three of them are rich in sound and contain more or less diverse interplay between various (read: real and unreal) solos of synthesizer, "flute", "vibraphone", etc. These are Alive Again, Haunt Me Down, and Heart & Sword (tracks 3, 4, & 9). The latter of them features also a quasi choir.

Summary. Overall, the contents of this album represent nothing else but an electronic dance. A disco would probably be the best place for playing it. As for listening to it, I doubt that even those who're into the so-called Electronic Rock will like "Spirit Dreamer". I don't want to say that this is bad music. However, it has nothing to do with the 'Prog' audience.

VM. June 12, 2002