Detailed Reviews [Soniq Theater – 2023 – "Robotron"]

Prolusion. German artist Soniq Theater has been a steady creator of music made within a progressive rock context for more than 20 years, usually releasing a new album in the early parts of the year. This is (mainly) a one man operation, where all the music is made and performed by way of synthesizers. And as main man Mueller is something of an enthusiast, his music is available at no cost from his website too. "Robotron" is his most recent album, and was self-released at the start of 2023.

Analysis. While many of the Soniq Theater albums is a bit of an acquired taste, due to the at time strikingly artificial sounds made by the synthesizers Muller have at his disposal as well as the sounds he opts to use, his strength as a music creator have always been to uncover compelling melody lines and welcoming moods and atmospheres. Which gives his material some core strong points and some at times persistent weak ones. For this most recent album many of those weak points are reduced to a fairly great extent, and some aren't present at all. Which makes the material here all the more pleasing, pleasant and presumably also more approachable for a wider listening audience. The musical style explored here is in part what one might describe as progressive electronic music and in part a more ambient variety of this form, with layered circulating patterns and floating textures combined with some form or rhythm element provided by a presumed drum machine or from a synthesizer. On this occasion with many of the compositions exploring landscapes fairly similar to the more inviting landscapes a band like Tangerine Dream explored back in the day. Not as quirky in structure and arrangements, but using similar sounds and similar elements to create landscapes with similar properties. Perhaps more impressive for me as a listener is that the most outstanding cuts here actually venture outside of those bounds, with 'Cyborgs' a composition that possibly is the standout creation for me on this occasion. The combination of spirited rhythm effects, circulating synthesizer patterns and a mesmerizing use of light toned and dark toned voice effects creating a mood and atmosphere here I found to be truly hypnotizing. We also get some fine examples of material with a more experimental edge to them, with the machine-like noises and drones of 'Dreaming Robots' as a good example of this. We do get a couple of deviations from these types of landscapes towards the end of the album though. While charming for me because I still recall the era, the 80's variety of ambient techno explored on 'Robot Dance' is a case of music that probably will have a somewhat different appeal than the music on the rest of this production. And on the concluding track 'Robot Food' we see a return to synthesizers with a more stark and artificial dramatic flavoring that have the 1980's written all over it, and not in a manner that I find compelling myself.

Conclusion. In my personal view, "Robotron" is among the very best of the albums released under the Soniq Theater moniker. The major parts of the material here have qualities that should make them compelling and intriguing material for a fairly broad audience, and the main challenge will be to engage that audience so that they will take the time to listen to these compositions. If ambient progressive electronic music with similarities to 80's Tangerine Dream sounds like an interesting proposition, this is an album that merits a check. This is a solid production in my book, and a good place to start if you want to explore the creative virtues of Alfred Mueller and his Soniq Theater.

Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room